Blues Music Thread

[Cole Miner]

Blues have been the only good thing in my life plenty of times. 

 

This is outstanding IMO

http://youtu.be/m-G0TgjGzvo

 

Great solos in this one. Especially the first one at 1:40

 

 

 

[supremebve]

Well if we are going to talk about the blues, we might as well get one that talks about no good women, slave driving bosses, and being held down by the man.

 

[Cole Miner]

Been listening to Charley Patton a lot recently; too much probably. Love how dynamic his vocal style is even though i need lyrics to understand it often.

 

Well, backwater done rose all around Sumner now, 

drove me down the line 

Backwater done rose at Sumner, 

drove poor Charley down the line 

Lord, I'll tell the world the water, 

done crept through this town 

Lord, the whole round country, 

Lord, river has overflowed 

Lord, the whole round country, 

man, is overflowed 

You know I can't stay here, 

I'll go where it's high, boy 

I would goto the hilly country, 

but, they got me barred 

Now, look-a here now at Leland 

river was risin' high 

Look-a here boys around Leland tell me, 

river was raisin' high 

Boy, it's risin' over there, yeah 

I'm gonna move to Greenville 

fore I leave, goodbye 

Look-a here the water now, Lordy, 

Levee broke, rose most everywhere 

The water at Greenville and Leland, 

Lord, it done rose everywhere 

Boy, you can't never stay here 

I would go down to Rosedale 

but, they tell me there's water there 

Now, the water now, mama, 

done took Charley's town 

Well, they tell me the water, 

done took Charley's town 

Boy, I'm goin' to Vicksburg 

Well, I'm goin' to Vicksburg, 

for that high of mine 

I am goin' up that water, 

where lands don't never flow 

Well, I'm goin' over the hill where, 

water, oh don't ever flow 

Boy, hit Sharkey County and everything was down in Stovall 

But, that whole county was leavin', 

over that Tallahatchie shore Boy,

went to Tallahatchie and got it over there 

Lord, the water done rushed all over, 

down old Jackson road 

Lord, the water done raised, 

over the Jackson road 

Boy, it starched my clothes 

I'm goin' back to the hilly country, 

won't be worried no more

 

Another BB King song and another Gary Moore song. From 1992. Moore was finally showing signs of restraint at this point compared to some 1990 stuff.

[Library Dude]

That first T-Bone Walker video is AMAZING. Really looking forward to picking up some recommendation from this thread.
 
A great Big Bill Broonzy performance:

 

[Lazlo Woodbine]

I absolutely adore Mississippi John Hurt, just the most amazing combination of guitar and voice.

[Cole Miner]

The word endearing certainly fits Mississippi John Hurt well

 

Requiem for him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWNWq21GUE

 

An Elizabeth Cotten instrumental. 

[Cole Miner]

Might be note heavy for some peoples taste. Should be though with a name like Smokin' Dynamite. Drinking gasoline not a great idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_JWQHee10

 

One from his father as well. Guy has some great control of the harmonica. Find myself appreciating harmonica playing more these days. It was the instrument of choice for my tone deaf father growing up. Thankfully that wasn't hereditary.

[Roman]

First, a classic:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcqiiWO0Rkc

 

Second, a reworked classic:

 

[Cole Miner]

Those are 2 great songs. Love Manx's percussive style. Great tune. It is an Elmore James night here for the most part. Trying to give my GF a case of the shakes.

 

Blind Boy Fuller- Shake It Baby. This actually led me to a hokum song from 1931 called My Girl's Pussy by Harry Roy. Surprised I had never heard it before. I thought Bo Carter was too obvious.

 

Love most of Elmore's songs. Which makes sense since for the most part they are all pretty similar.

[Lazlo Woodbine]

[Cole Miner]

Really can't go wrong with any of the songs from Live and Burning

 

I've put this guy over before and will again. Swiss slide player.

[Library Dude]

The BBC's music documentary series' are often great (Lost Highway, their series on country back in 2003 was fantastic, and I liked their soul series Dancing in the Street from last year a lot too). I only caught the last few minutes of the first episode of Blues America last night. There are only two episodes but they are showing a bunch of live performances from their archives, and a doc on Big Bill over the next couple of nights. I don't know if this is going to be on BBC America at some point, but it's worth keeping an eye out for or, ahem, obtaining.

 

 

Anyway, Howlin' Wolf talks the blues. There's that wacky thread on here where people are booking Hollywood actors as wrestlers. If you did that with musicians, Howlin' Wolf would be Vader. Or Abdullah the Butcher. What a scary dude. Badass.

 

http://youtu.be/OQ654Lg6m8k

 

Classic song, amazing performance.

 

http://youtu.be/SqI2YStPK3E

[cool arrow]

http://youtu.be/1-kNtcBKrFw

 

 

[Cole Miner]

Thanks for the heads up the BBC series. As good as expected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl0RV8tkPfM

 

Deep River Blues Doc Watson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyQOCJ4SUSk

[cool arrow]

Fun fact: Frank Zappa used to say that Guitar Slim's tone was like an icepick in your forehead.

 

 

With all due respect to Stevie Ray, I prefer his big brother's take here.

 

[Lazlo Woodbine]

Magic Sam, playing Earl Hooker's guitar. The version of Lookin' Good is especially stunning I thought.

[cool arrow]

Usually I don't care for jazz blues, but this one is awesome.

 

 

And here we have some latter-day Mud, with Johnny Winter.

 

[Cole Miner]

Tough call which of these I like more. I like the tempo of the Kokomo version but the slower tempo suits Johnson better since his individual notes sound so great. Guy somehow gets more out of a note than other players with no vibrato or bending.

 

 

[cool arrow]

Hypnotic African-style blues from the late great Junior Kimbrough.

 

[Cole Miner]

Slow blues kind of morning.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PObrNZDCdU

 

I can see Bertha Lee but Bertha Lee can't see me.

[Spontaneous]

Not a massive blues fan but I have always dug this song by Blind Willie Johnson.

 

[cool arrow]

Not a massive blues fan but I have always dug this song by Blind Willie Johnson.

 

 

Oh my fucking god, YES.  The first time I heard this song I was listening with headphones in a dark room.  Scared the shit out of me, legit.

[Cole Miner]

Blind Willie Johnson is one of the rare gospel performers I can listen to. That song definitely earned that spot on the Voyager golden record. Another is Washington Phillips playing his mystery instrument. 

 

 

Rev. Gary Davis as well

[cool arrow]

The Iceman, Albert Collins.

 

 

That's Debbie Davies on rhythm, who's pretty damn good in her own right.  Witness as she tackles Gatemouth Brown's signature tune.

 

[Spontaneous]

Like that Washington Philips piece, never heard that before. Like that instrument, whatever it is.

 

How about some piano blues? I have this book on Robert Johnson's technique and a lot of it came from playing piano songs on a guitar.

 

Jabo Williams - Pratt City Blues

 

 

Roosevelt Sykes - Gulfport Boogie