The Blues

[Smudge]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread on the Blues unless I can't find it.

Many of the 60's British Bands were influenced by Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Fred McDowell and John Lee Hooker.

One of my favorite songs is by Eli Green,it was recorded on a battery tape (no electricity) in the Mississippi Hills by Chris Stratchwitz.

Fred McDonald helped find Eli in his shack and are featured on one of Fred's albums. 

This is one of only two songs he ever recorded, of course if this isn't for you, you'll no doubt be grateful 

 

 

Edited 28 September 2018 by Smudge

[pSinatra]

 

As someone who plays harmonica.  If only I could be half as good as Sonny Boy.

 

This track covered/stolen by Led Zep

[Smudge]

1 hour ago, pSinatra said:

 

As someone who plays harmonica.  If only I could be half as good as Sonny Boy.

 

This track covered/stolen by Led Zep

I really like that. I don't know why but I kept thinking of Buddy Guy. Go figure!!!

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

1 hour ago, pSinatra said:

 

As someone who plays harmonica.  If only I could be half as good as Sonny Boy.

 

This track covered/stolen by Led Zep

 

Led Zeppelin stole an outrageous amount of music, I remember getting a music magazine years ago and it came with a CD of singers/bands which "inspired" LZ, most of the CD was old blues songs (some very obscure) which LZ just completely lifted riffs/chord progressions/even lyrics from and never gave any credit for. Lost a lot of respect for them (besides Bonham, he was the boy)

 

 

ANYWAYS

 

 

 

[lifted*fox]

sonny boy williamson is dope

 

my favourite record of his is The Real Folk Blues and 'That's All I Want' is a tune and a half. 

 

 

I went to Buddy Guy's in Chicago and caught some live blues there and it was awesome. Had a really great night. 

 

 

 

[lifted*fox]

Little Walter is another great harmonica player.

 

 

Got this LP 'Confessin' The Blues' on original Chess vinyl. Sounds great.

 

[Smudge]

1 minute ago, lifted*fox said:

sonny boy williamson is dope

 

my favourite record of his is The Real Folk Blues and 'That's All I Want' is a tune and a half. 

 

 

I went to Buddy Guy's in Chicago and caught some live blues there and it was awesome. Had a really great night. 

 

 

 

Did you wear a polka dot shirt? I saw him twice in Virginia Beach, what a great entertainer as well as a musician

[lifted*fox]

1 minute ago, Smudge said:

Did you wear a polka dot shirt? I saw him twice in Virginia Beach, what a great entertainer as well as a musician

 

haha nah man, I totally wasn't expecting to go.

 

cool story though - I was out there for work and I met a random Delta Airline pilot in a dive-bar. he was out there promoting his hot-sauce at a food exhibition.

 

we spent hours pouring money into the juke box, drinking beer and talking music. 

 

he then suggested we go to Buddy Guy's to check out some live blues. it was a lot of fun and I've been a fan ever since! 

 

 

[Smudge]

6 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

 

haha nah man, I totally wasn't expecting to go.

 

cool story though - I was out there for work and I met a random Delta Airline pilot in a dive-bar. he was out there promoting his hot-sauce at a food exhibition.

 

we spent hours pouring money into the juke box, drinking beer and talking music. 

 

he then suggested we go to Buddy Guy's to check out some live blues. it was a lot of fun and I've been a fan ever since! 

 

 

Great story, it's nights like that that make anecdotes last a lifetime.

[oakman]

Junior Kimbrough and R. L. Burnside are my current favourites but so many great Blues artists out there. Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Otis Rush.... the list goes on.

 

Lean more towards Chicago than Mississippi or Delta but depends what mood I'm in.

[Smudge]

Something a little later 

 

 

[lifted*fox]

 

Otis Rush RIP

[Dr Marco]

RIP

 

 

[Smudge]

Here's that other Eli Green song I mentioned

[Trav Le Bleu]

Old school...

 

 

Secondary comprehensive...

 

 

Modern academy...

 

 

[Izzy]

 

[KingsX]

Already a tasty thread!  Why does it take Brits to appreciate the blues.

 

As a young’n I would never miss guys like Lonnie Brooks, Buddy Guy and Luther Allison, still touring and tearing it up.  Bands like the Nighthawks.  And -- from the original generation -- Robert (Junior) Lockwood.  He was Robert Johnson’s stepson.  The one human being the King of the Delta blues actually taught to play his songs.

 

He settled in Cleveland in the 1960s.  He played a jazzy strain of the blues, mostly on 12 string.  He was profane, irascible, and on some nights left most of the playing to the band.  But you could hear this great musician, this true link to the source, at least once a week for little or no cover.  For decades!

 

Last time I saw him he was in his 90s, less than a year from his passing, at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  He did an hour or two of historical reminiscing (beyond awesome) and played a few songs.  We gave him a huge standing ovation and he seemed a little taken aback.  This ancient man picked up his guitar and did “42/20 Blues” and one other Johnson song, AT SPEED.  With feeling.  And he barely missed a note.  I’m almost crying as I remember it.

 

His grave is a nice, understated tribute.  There’s been flowers the couple times I visited it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alf Bentley]

The Wilko Johnson group just posted this on Facebook to mark the "blood wolf moon" eclipse or whatever it was last night...

 

 

[Alf Bentley]

 

Just watched this excellent film profile of Robert Johnson - profiles his short life, personality, music/recording history etc.

Features lots of talk with people who knew and worked with him.

 

 

[the_tank]

Only 10 days left to watch this John Lee Hooker documentary on iPlayer

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004j8f

 

 

[Livid]

On 12/05/2019 at 21:24, Alf Bentley said:

 

Just watched this excellent film profile of Robert Johnson - profiles his short life, personality, music/recording history etc.

Features lots of talk with people who knew and worked with him.

 

 

Watched a decent documentary/bio about him on Netflix yesterday. 

[KingsX]

On 12/05/2019 at 16:24, Alf Bentley said:

 

Just watched this excellent film profile of Robert Johnson - profiles his short life, personality, music/recording history etc.

Features lots of talk with people who knew and worked with him.

 

 

 

That was great!  Really appreciate the link.

 

If you are into the delta blues enough to want to read a book on the subject, these are the best I've come across:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Land-Where-Blues-Began/dp/0385312857

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Blues-Musical-Cultural-Mississippi/dp/0140062238