Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Cookie Blues

Just when I think I want to post something a little serious, I find a cute little blues clip like this one.



Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Juice is Worth the Squeeze

Read the masthead up above where it says, "Squeeze my lemon, make the juice run down my leg!"

And know that yes, "The juice is worth the squeeze."


The Juice is Worth the Squeeze.
- Forrest Griffin


John Lee Hooker with Muddy Waters' band video

Here is a video that I had not seen before. It is of John Lee Hooker playing with the Muddy Waters' band. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



Notes from YouTube: Some historic, priceless, magic footage here:
The master Boogie Man backed in 1960 by the Muddy Waters Blues band, with the superb Otis Spann at the piano. Burnin' blues!


Friday, April 11, 2008

Blues Places - Shreveport Blues

As some of you who have been reading this blog for a while probably know I am from Shreveport, Louisiana originally. I was born and raised there and grew up in a neighborhood just out side of downtown called Allendale. We had a few juke joints like that one on the corner of Dale and Alston St. They tore that building down a long time ago though.

They are busy tearing down that whole neighborhood. Things have changed, the blues there have changed too. I remember walking down Alston St. and passing this one house where a lady sat on the front porch. She listened to B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone" over and over. I probably passed by that house hundreds, if not thousands of times. And that was the only song I ever heard coming from that house. It was not until I became an adult that I understood the kind of blues she had. That is the kind of blues that people in Shreveport have.

I have done a few post on my hometown blues favorite Leadbelly. The video below is a cool one that I had not seen before, it is of Pete Seeger talking about Leadbelly.

Lead Belly Teaser


And I also want to introduce some to another Shreveport native who in my assessment is the real deal when it comes to the blues. Consider young Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Prison Blues


Check out the official Kenny Wayne Shepherd web site here.

Another blues song about Shreveport that some of you may know is this Memphis Minnie song.

Shreveport Blues

I've got a man in Shreveport, he's forever on my mind
I've got a man in Shreveport, he's forever on my mind
When I lay down at night, he bothers me all the time

He's a long tall papa, live mostly on Texas Avenue
He's a long tall papa, live mostly on Texas Avenue
And if I don't get that man, I'll forever have the Shreveport Blues

He's a sweet lovin' man, one that knows his stuff
He's a sweet lovin' man, one that knows his stuff
Takes me in his arms so easy, he's not a bit rough

I never get tired of lovin', cause he's got all I need
I never get tired of lovin', cause he's got all I need
I want my lovin', ten or twelve times a week

Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?
Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?
Shreveport Shreveport, Shreveport where is my man?

And for the blues piano fans, check out Jim Hession playing Jelly Roll Morton's Shreveport Stomp.

Jim Hession /Shreveport Stomp /Jelly Roll Morton


Thursday, April 10, 2008

Blues Vocalist - Lightnin' Hopkins

Those people over at Cox Cable, where I get my internet connection from are trying to give me the blues. As I post to my blogs this evening, I keep losing my connection. Thank God for auto save, or I would have lost a lot more of my work.

Yeah, I got the "keep losing my internet connection" blues. And another thing that is making me blue is wanting to post this video clip of Lightin' Hopkins talking about what the blues is, man I show (that is the way we used to say it) do wish I could show it to you.

But that is OK, see my intentions in this post are to explain how I think that Lightin' Hopkins was one of the best blues vocalist of all times. I really like his ability to make up a song on the fly. And that is really hard to do. But the man's mind was just that nimble. Of course he was a master guitar player too, but his voice to me is the voice of the bluesmen of my dreams.

I think the Wikipedia entry on Lightnin' Hopkins says it better;

Much of Hopkins' music follows the standard 12-bar blues template but his phrasing was very free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer. Lyrically his songs chronicled the problems of life in the segregated south, bad luck in love and all the usual subjects of the blues idiom. He did however deal with these subjects with humor and good nature. Many of his songs are filled with double entendres and he was known for his humorous introductions.
It's that whole "problems of life idiom" thing that I like to hear expressed by a blues vocalist, and is why I like Lightnin' Hopkins so much.

I have posted several other post about Lightin' you can view them here.

Sam Lightnin' Hopkins - Cotton


Other Blogs with Lightnin' Hopkins post

Blues Calendar Blues - Lightnin' Hopkins @ Licorice Pizza. There are four mp3s in this post and a very nice write up as well.

Lightnin’ Hopkins | Walking Around in Circles (from Lightnin’ Strikes) mp3 @ So Much Silence blog. Love the sound of this.

Long Gone Like A Turkey Through The Corn mp3 @ snhu's Live Journal. There he goes with his long pjs on.

Happy New Year mp3 @ Buffalo West Music blog.

Gone Fishin @ Boogie Woogie Flu blog. This post has two mp3s.

Chris Goes Rock: Lighting' Hopkins Strikes


Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Blues Terminology: Barrelhouse

Barrelhouse


Barrelhouse

According to Mojohand's Glossary of the blues

A colloquial term, originating around the late 1800s, used specifically to refer to a bar that served liquor (especially whiskey) straight from the barrel, but more widely understood to mean any rough and rowdy drinking establishment. "Barrelhouse piano" is a distinct style that arose out of such establishments and is characterized by the highly percussive and loud style that was necessary to encourage dancing in such venues.

Barrelhouse


According to Wikipedia Barrelhouse can refer to:

  • A bar or saloon. Originates from the storage of barrels of alcohol.

  • An early form of jazz with wild, improvised piano, and an accented two-beat rhythm (see boogie-woogie).

  • A style of piano-playing associated with the above.


Monday, April 07, 2008

Blues Vocalist - Bobby Blue Bland

Bobby Blue Bland



Sean Elder at Salon.com in a feature article on Bobby Blue Bland said it much better than I can;

A master musician with extraordinary staying power, for decades his evocative vocal style has taken the blues out of the barroom and into the bedroom.
I know that to be a true statement, Mrs. F. is my witness.

"Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City" by Bobby Blue Bland


BB King & Bobby Blue Bland


Bobby Blue Bland Mp3s in other blogs

Mp3 file at zShare Listening to if loving you is wrong....mp3 - Thanks to Souled On (Music, Art, Politics, and Life) Blog. If you have the time check this blog out, lots of great music in this post and many great post in this blog.

Farther up the road @ Boogie Woogie Flu. This is an awsome post, lots of great music, includes some Muddy Waters mp3s too.

Reference;
Bobby Blue Bland @ The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

Bobby Blue Bland @ Wikipedia

Bobby Blue Bland's Talent Agent


Saturday, April 05, 2008

Link to Wayne Miller's Chicago 1946-48 Photo Essay

First you should go to the post prior to this one and pause the music.

A friend from StumbleUpon sent me this link. Magnum Photos Chicago 1946-48 Photo essay by Wayne Miller.

We may differ in race, color, language, wealth, and politics. But look at what we all have in common. If I could photograph these universal truths, I thought that might help us understand.
- Wayne Miller

It is my contention that the blues if nothing else is one of those universal truths.


Friday, April 04, 2008

Blues Playlist

OK, I thought I would repost my playlist again. I hope you all enjoy it, if not just press pause to stop the music.



Thursday, April 03, 2008

Video Experiment

Please excuse the video player below. I am doing an experiment with Googles new YouTube player. So far I can't really get it to play the kind of blues music that I want it too. But if you don't mind seeing music other blues music you can watch it and let me know what you think.


Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Blues Piano Day 7 - Champion Jack Dupree

I was going to post a video of Bukka White playing some Boogie Woogie, because I think it is such a cool video.

Then I thought about posting this blues piano video (1), this one (2), this one(3), this one (4) and this one (5). And if you watch them all I am sure you will enjoy them.

But then I came across a video of a bluesman, whose music I truly love. It's funny to me that I did not think of Champion Jack Dupree when I thought of doing a week of post on the blues piano.

I guess it is true what they say about your memory being the second thing to go.

Champion Jack Dupree with King Curtis


Champion Jack Dupree



I like Mr. Dupree so much because he was a true man of Louisiana (and a man of the world too), his speech, his diction, his style, his rhythm and of course his musical skills all spring from his youth in Louisiana. And that may be why I did not think of of him at first. I have included too many bluesmen from Louisiana in my list of blues piano players I fear, but what can I say. It was not only Mr. Dupree's piano playing that attracted me to his music. I really like how he sings and talks. He had a way with words. Consider these quotations;

  • "When you open up a piano, you see freedom. Nobody can play the white keys and don't play the black keys. You got to mix all these keys together to make harmony. And that's what the whole world needs: Harmony."

  • "Nasty Boogie Woogie" by Jack Dupree
    Mama bought a chicken, she took him for a duck
    Laid him on the table with his legs stuck up
    Yonder come the children with a spoon and a glass
    Catch the gravy droppin' from his yes, yes, yes

  • "Death of Martin Luther King", recorded just after his assassination
    I know you people, I know you glad you ain't one of me
    I know you people glad, I know you glad you white and free
    Oh yeah, white and free, oh, what will, what will become of me?
    Oh I am begging, yes, I'm begging to be free.

Champion Jack Dupree mp3 posted @ This Recording Blog
The Life I Lead - the mp3 file is down the page.

reference;

Champion Jack Dupree @ Wikipedia

Illustrated Champion Jack Dupree discography

Wikipedia's List of Piano blues musicians

Champion Jack Dupree search @ YouTube