Dan Sane

Background

Sane was born in Hernando, Mississippi.

Career

According to Allmusic journalist Jason Ankeny, "they had emerged among the most complementary duos in all of the blues, with Sane"s flatpicking ideally embellished by Stokes" fluid rhythms." The best-known of the songs written by Sane are "Downtown Blues" and "Mr. Crump Don"t Like lieutenant" His surname was sometimes spelt Sain. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and played in Will Batts"s string band, before meeting guitar player Frank Stokes.

Sane and Stokes busked together around Memphis"s Beale Street on weekends.

Their first recording was for Paramount Records in August 1927, under the Beale Street Sheiks name. A National Park Service"s tourist guide to the blues heritage of the Mississippi Delta says: "The fluid guitar interplay between Stokes and Sane, combined with a propulsive beat, witty lyrics, and Stokes"s stentorian voice, make their recordings irresistible."

They moved to Victor Records in 1928.

Their recordings were released under Stokes"s name. They recorded a two-part version of "Tain"t Nobody"s Business If I Do", a song well known in later versions by Bessie Smith and Jimmy Witherspoon, but whose origin lies in the pre-blues era.

A locally popular song was "Mr.

Crump Don"t Like lieutenant," whose lyrics referred to Memphis mayor East. H. Crump and his campaign to clean up Memphis"s less salubrious areas. That song may have been based on an earlier song on the same topic by West. C. Handy. The Sheiks also continued to busk the streets and play at parties.

In 1929, Stokes and Sane recorded again for Paramount, resuming their billing as the Beale Street Sheiks for a few cuts.

These 1929 sides were their last together, although Sane and Stokes continued an intermittent performing partnership up to the latter"s retirement from music in 1952. In 1933, Sane and Batts (1904–1956), alongside Kelly, recorded as the South Memphis Jug Band.

Sane died in Memphis in February 1956, aged 59. His contributions as a guitarist are available on numerous compilation albums, including The Best of Frank Stokes (Yazoo Records, 2005).

Membership

During the 1920s the pair performed on Beale Street as a duo billed as the Beale Street Sheiks and played in white venues, including country clubs, parties and dances, as members of Jack Kelly"s Jug Busters.

Connections

associate:

Frank Stokes