Biography
Among blues artists, James "The Bat" Robinson ranks as one of the most adaptable and compelling figures to emerge in the genre. His limited visibility and sparse recordings issued under his own name likely stem from the sheer frequency of that name in the music world, compounded by his choice after World War II to abandon the "The Bat" prefix that had previously set him apart from other James Robinsons active before the conflict. So many musicians share the name that another player, New Orleans jazz trombonist Jim Robinson, was also born on Christmas Day, allowing devoted blues and jazz listeners to mark "Robinson-mas" by honoring an artist who moved from authentic country blues through the urban Chicago scene and into early rock & roll anthologies alongside guitarist Lonnie Mack.
Robinson's extensive discography opened in the early 1930s. Its cornerstone remains the 1931 date that yielded the enduring titles "You Left Me Alone," "Bat's Own Blues," and "A Humming Blues," the last sometimes listed simply as "Humming Blues." On these sides Robinson sings and hums while accompanying himself at the piano, with Ed Hudson's banjo adding an otherworldly flavor that defies easy categorization. The same performances have long ensnared blues researchers in a thicket of conflicting attributions. Parallel releases appeared under the name Bat "The Hummingbird" Robinson, among them "Bat's Blues," whose possessive phrasing differs from the earlier "Bat's Own Blues." Although most evidence suggests these sides are also Robinson's work, the alternate "The Hummingbird" alias was likewise employed by the noted boogie-woogie pianist Cow Cow Davenport, apparently to circumvent existing recording agreements.
Throughout this era Robinson displayed remarkable instrumental range that placed him in the one-man-band tradition later echoed by Doctor Ross The Harmonica Boss and Driftin' Slim. He also performed on guitar and harmonica, enabling him to slot into virtually any blues ensemble much as Appalachian players master the full range of acoustic string instruments. After World War II, however, he concentrated almost exclusively on piano and appeared solely as James Robinson. His associations included Lonnie Johnson and Tiny Bradshaw; the former led 1951 sessions prized for Red Prysock's tenor-saxophone wails and the bass-and-guitar work of brothers Clarence and Lonnie Mack.
Robinson's extensive discography opened in the early 1930s. Its cornerstone remains the 1931 date that yielded the enduring titles "You Left Me Alone," "Bat's Own Blues," and "A Humming Blues," the last sometimes listed simply as "Humming Blues." On these sides Robinson sings and hums while accompanying himself at the piano, with Ed Hudson's banjo adding an otherworldly flavor that defies easy categorization. The same performances have long ensnared blues researchers in a thicket of conflicting attributions. Parallel releases appeared under the name Bat "The Hummingbird" Robinson, among them "Bat's Blues," whose possessive phrasing differs from the earlier "Bat's Own Blues." Although most evidence suggests these sides are also Robinson's work, the alternate "The Hummingbird" alias was likewise employed by the noted boogie-woogie pianist Cow Cow Davenport, apparently to circumvent existing recording agreements.
Throughout this era Robinson displayed remarkable instrumental range that placed him in the one-man-band tradition later echoed by Doctor Ross The Harmonica Boss and Driftin' Slim. He also performed on guitar and harmonica, enabling him to slot into virtually any blues ensemble much as Appalachian players master the full range of acoustic string instruments. After World War II, however, he concentrated almost exclusively on piano and appeared solely as James Robinson. His associations included Lonnie Johnson and Tiny Bradshaw; the former led 1951 sessions prized for Red Prysock's tenor-saxophone wails and the bass-and-guitar work of brothers Clarence and Lonnie Mack.