Thursday, May 31, 2012

Bonnie Raitt – Love Me Like a Man (live)


Chuck Berry – School Days (1986)


Art Tatum: The Art of Jazz Piano



Notes @ YouTube: The only documentary portrait of the greatest jazz pianist ever. Includes rare photographs, interviews, and more.

Art Tatum: The Art of Jazz Piano is still the only documentary portrait of the greatest jazz pianist ever. Using photographs and some rare footage of Tatum and his contemporaries, the film reconstructs his genius. Included are interviews with musicians who played with him or who were influenced strongly by him: Guitarists Tiny Grimes & Les Paul, and pianists Marian McPartland, Hank Jones, Dick Hyman and George Shearing. Their reminiscences and demonstrations underline Tatum's status as the "musician's musician."


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Mississippi Sheiks :The World Is Going Wrong

Wikipedia

The Mississippi Sheiks were a popular and influential American guitar and fiddle group of the 1930s. They were notable mostly for playing country blues, but were adept at many styles of popular music of the time.
This was issued during the Great Depession



The Charlie Parker Story

Here is a nice long YouTube video of the Charlie Parker Story. He was ahead of his time, and Jazz musicians of today are still playing catch up.


Mos Def, Chris Dave, & Robert Glasper – Thelonius

Music is a Joy





Monday, May 28, 2012

Blues Quote: Van Morrison

You have to understand a bit about the poetry of the blues to know where the references are coming from. ~ Van Morrison


Feel So Good: Albert Cummings Live (2008)

 cduniverse
While not earth-shakingly original, FEELS SO GOOD is the CD equivalent of a good-time late Saturday night.
BostonBlues
The blues is certainly present in the music, but his style is one that recognizes no boundaries. Feel So Good is a good example of the interesting aspects of the entire Albert Cummings musical approach. More than anything, it demonstrates how much fun people have at his shows. He’s a performer who knows how to get a crowd wound up and energized for the duration.  






Michael Burks - House Of The Rising Sun


Sara K - I Can't Stand The Rain


Sunday, May 27, 2012

It's the Birthday of Junior Parker

Funny How Time Slips Away
Funny How Time Slips Away mp3 album by Junior Parker


Junior Parker, who was also known as Little Junior Parker and "Mr Blues" was born on May 27, 1932, and he passed away on November 18, 1971.
He was a successful and influential Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth". He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001.







Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen




Saturday, May 26, 2012

Lather, Rinse, Repeat by Jason Vivone and The Billy Bats


Sitting here listening to Jason Vivone & the Billy Bats new CD Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (amazon link).  And I like it, a nice collection of rocking blues tunes.  Almost every song has me tapping my feet to the beat.

There are some hard rocking tunes, blues rock and a few others that make me smile, like "Baby Fat" and like "Do the Nod" that had me dancing. I really like Mr. Vivone's guitar work on this album and other tunes that I have heard by him. The song writing on this album is light and fresh and it sounds like the band was having some fun with this one.

Jason Vavone & The Billy Bats

For some recent news about Jason and the band, you might want to check out this interview, titled The Billybats' Jason Vivone on recording and recovering in WWW.Pitch.com by Nick Spacek.  You can also check out Jason Vivone's music at Reverbnation Jason Vivone.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Fatha: Earl Hines

Wikipedia
Hines was one of the most influential figures in the development of modern jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz"
jazz.com - for the informative bio
"Fatha" Hines influenced an entire generation of piano players, from Nat Cole to Count Basie and Horace Silver. Perhaps equally important was his ability to nurture the talents of younger musicians, such as Parker and Gillespie. Even late in life, Hines displays a depth of imagination and creativity at the keyboard that can still surprise listeners.




Anybody got a favourite track?


Thursday, May 24, 2012

Billy Walton Band — Deal With The Devil


On The Scene '73 - Tom Waits

 Good early years - always good value
  1. Virginia Avenue
  2. Interview
  3. San Diego Serenade
  4. Interview
  5. Ol 55
  6. Interview
  7. Semi Suite
  8. Interview
  9. Fumblin With The Blues
  10. Interview
  11. Rosie
  12. Interview
  13. Depot, Depot
  14. Interview
  15. I Hope That I Dont Fall In Love With You
  16. Interview
  17. (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night
  18. Interview
  19. Ice Cream Man
  20. Interview
  21. Big Joe And Phantom 309
  22. Interview
  23. Fridays Blues
  24. Shiver Me Timbers
  25. Diamonds On My Windshield
  26. Gettin Drunk On The Bottle
  27. Tijuana (With Jack Tempchin)










Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Barbeque Bob

Wikipedia
Robert Hicks, better known as Barbecue Bob (September 11, 1902 – October 21, 1931) was an early American Piedmont blues musician. His nickname came from the fact that he was a cook in a barbecue restaurant. One of the two extant photographs of Bob show him playing his guitar while wearing a full length white apron and cook's hat. ...



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

American Cutie (Audio CD) - Little Feat


1. A Apolitical Blues
2. Two Trains
3. Got No Shadow
4. The Fan
5. Texas Rose Cafe
6. Snakes on Everything
7. Cat Fever
8. Walkin All Night
9. Sailin Shoes
10. Dixie Chicken
11. Tripe Face Boogie
12. Willin
13. Cold Cold Cold
14. Fat Man in the Bath Tub 






Monday, May 21, 2012

Blues Quote: John Mayall


"Once you start collecting records you learn more and more about jazz and blues."
~ John Mayall


Fruteland Jackson -acoustic Blues

LastFm
Fruteland is one of the few Americans dedicated to performing and preserving acoustic blues in its various styles (traditional or contemporary)


Saturday, May 19, 2012

Gaye Adegbalola Solo : Big Ovaries, Baby!


Down At The Field - Ry Cooder

 A very, very good album

Telegraph
Stunning songs of protest from American guitar legend Ry Cooder ...... The lyrics are bitingly satirical - "with champagne and shrimp cocktails/and that's not all you find/there's a billion dollar bonus/and no banker left behind"  .... “These times call for a very different kind of protest song. ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’ We’re way down the road from that.” If protest is what you want, Cooder has delivered it magnificently.
1. Too Tight This Rag of Mine 2. You ve been Doing Something Wrong (I Can Tell By the Way You Smell) 3. Blind Man Messed Up By Tear Gas 4. Instrumental 5. How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live 6. Slow Consumption 7. Forget That Folding Bridge 8. Fool for a Cigarette/Feelin Good 9. Crazy Bout an Automobile 10. Feelin Like a Submarine (Kentucky Blues) 11. Don t take everybody to be a Friend 12. The Tattler 13. One Meat Ball 14. Preacher 15. Vigilante Man from the 70's


Friday, May 18, 2012

It's the Birthday of Big Joe Turner

Very Best of Big Joe Turner (Reis)

click above image


I just love Big Joe's big booming voice, makes you want to get up and dance.

According to Wikipedia;

"Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr., May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985[1]) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him."



Very Best of Big Joe Turner @ Amazon.com




set fire to flames


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Driving Towards The Daylight -- Joe Bonamassa

bluesrockreview
You & Me. Driving Towards The Daylight is definitely the bluesiest album from Bonamassa in the past few years




Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Shake your Money Maker

Wikipedia 
"Shake Your Moneymaker" or "Shake Your Money Maker" is a song recorded by Elmore James in 1961 that has become a standard of the blues. Inspired by earlier songs, it has been interpreted and recorded by several blues and other artists. "Shake Your Moneymaker" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"
Elmore's version


Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac


The Black Crowes


Americana - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

npr
You've never heard "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" quite like this. For their first album together in nine years, Neil Young and Crazy Horse have taken classic American folk music and reinvigorated these songs with muscle, radiance and a whole lot of electric guitar.





Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Blues Quote: Alan Lomax


"The British ballads became a new kind of form in their hand. And out of them came the blues, a new kind of song of commentary and satire, a song form which, after all, has become the main musical form of the whole human species."
~ Alan Lomax


BB King Worldwide 05 Tour Tee Shirt

BB King - Stage Worldwide 05 Tour T-Shirt

click image for info



Old Glory Clothing @Amazon.com




Lurrie Bell – I Believe - Chicago Blues: A Living History


RELEASE ME ~ Lyle Lovett

pastemagazine
Somewhere between Leonard Cohen and Bob Wills lies the Promised Land inhabited by Lyle Lovett, who balances elegantly broken romanticism with loose-jointed swing






Sunday, May 13, 2012

All Through The City (with Wilko 1974-1977) ~ Dr Feelgood

A seminal band of the 70's this is an album for the fan - getting 5* reviews from them.

BBC review
... This is unique music, even when it’s cover versions of other people’s songs – and when Dr. Feelgood rose to the challenge of writing their own material (Back in the Night, Going Back Home, She Does It Right), they were brilliant. They were even better live, too, which is why the live stuff here is essential, as is the superb DVD, which captures them scaring the hell out of the 1970s on various regional TV shows, as well as at their headquarters of evil on Canvey Island. A great collection from a band which shows no sign of getting less great as time goes on.
Guardian
.... There's no doubt the hint of violence in Brilleaux and Jonson's live performances elevated what can sound like beery machismo on record to something more complex. Equally, there were moments in the studio when Dr Feelgood succeeded in capturing what made them special, particularly on their 1974 debut Down By the Jetty, home to their three unimpeachable classics: Roxette, All Through the City and the leering She Does It Right. Brilleaux was a genuinely convincing R&B singer, his nicotine growl tapping into something fundamental about what he described as "music about bad luck". All Through the City remains their masterpiece, transforming Canvey Island into a place of mystery and wonder, and incredibly, pulling it off with its opening line: "Standing, watching towers burning, at the break of day," snarls Brilleaux, in what's surely the most romantic and enticing description of an oil refinery in pop history. ....




It's the Birthday of Ana Popovic

Blind For Love

click image for info


Ana Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ана Поповић) (born Belgrade, Serbia in 1976) is a Blues-guitarist and singer.

According to Wikipedia;

Ana Popović's father first introduced her to the blues, through an extensive record collection and sessions hosted at the family home. Popović founded her first serious band at age nineteen. Within a year, she was playing outside of Yugoslavia and opening shows for American blues icons like Junior Wells. Her band Hush released their debut album, Hometown in 1998. The next year, Popović relocated to the Netherlands to study jazz guitar. She quickly became a fixture on the Dutch blues scene and soon ventured into neighboring Germany.

In 2003, she was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award in the United States.
Ana Popovic live at Sighisoara Blues Festival 2009


Ana Popovic @Amazon.com


What a Friend we Have in Jesus by Ella Fitzgerald



Notes from YouTube:

"O, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." Indeed the truth. How great can our peace be if we make prayer our first line of action instead of a route we follow "when all else fails."

The words to this hymn were written by Joseph M. Scriven for his mom in 1855 who were across the ocean from him at the time. In 1868, Charles C. Converse composed the music that accompanied it.

Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of this timeless hymn is one of my personal favourites, mainly for her "smooth as velvet' voice.


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Patti Smith - Gimme Shelter


Eugene Hideaway Bridges — Rock And A Hard Place

An excellent pedigree (from his site)
Born in 1963, son of the blues guitarist Hideaway Slim, Eugene is the fourth child of five. His mother was from the Bullock family (the same as Anna Mae Bullock better known as Tina Turner)


The word means something different in the UK 




Friday, May 11, 2012

Bring It On Home ~ Joan Osborne

An album of hand-picked vintage blues and soul songs which includes tracks originally made famous by American blues masters such as Sonny Boy Williamson ("Bring it on Home"), Muddy Waters ("I Want to Be Loved"), as well as recordings originally released by some of the greatest R&B singers ever including Ray Charles ("I Don t Need No Doctor"), Al Green ("Rhymes") and Otis Redding ("Champagne and Wine").

This album is one for you to decide whether you like or not - it seems to divide the critics equally
Most reviews are positive

Jims Country Reviews
Joan Osborne has a real hot record here. She has given the Blues a shot this time around and boy, it really works for her. She has picked a great selection of blues classics and it really sounds hot.

pastemagazine
Without the power and finesse she exhibited on earlier recordings, Osborne lacks the tools to make these old classics sound fresh again







Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Blues Book: Gregg Allman My Cross to Bear




Amazon.com Review 

 A Q&A with Gregg Allman

Q: Why did you want to write this book and tell your story?

Allman: I’d actually been thinking about doing a book for a long time, and since the 80s, I’d been putting bits and pieces of the story together. Just a bit here a bit there, that sort of thing. There have been a few books about the Allman Brothers over the year, and they all seem to tell one of two stories—either we were all out there sowing our wild oats, or we were constantly surrounded by tragedy. None of them really got the feeling of the band right, and that was what I set out to do.

Q: What impact have your health struggles over the last few years had on the way you think about your life and history?

Allman: Well, as I said, I’ve been working on this book for a while, but my health being what it has been over the last couple of years gave me an extra push to get the whole story down on paper. Last fall I was pretty sick, and I had this thought that it just wasn’t my time yet. I’ve still got more songs in me, more stories to tell. I guess this is one of ‘em.

Q: Was it hard to make yourself think about the darker times in your life?

Allman: It was. I wanted to be as honest as I could, but at the same time, looking back like this was tough. Facing the past isn’t easy. I threw down though, and didn’t hold back. I didn’t want anything colored up.

Q: What do you hope an Allman Brothers fan would learn about you from this book?

Allman: As I said before, for years, when people have talked about the band, they’ve tended to focus on the tragedy or the insanity of our history. Make no mistake, those are in the book and they’re very real. But a lot of people don’t understand just how much fun we had—especially in the beginning. I tried hard to include the good as well as the bad.

Q: Has spending this time looking back at the band's history given you a different appreciation for what the Allman Brothers have accomplished?

Allman: I’m not so sure it’s a different appreciation so much as just amazed and proud that we’re still here today. In the book, I talk about when my brother first called me about being in the band he said he had these two drummers and two lead guitarists, and I remember thinking that sounded like a train wreck. But somehow it worked then and it’s worked ever since. It’s an incredible band, filled with incredible musicians, and I’ve been very lucky to be a part of it.

Q: Do you think that your kids will learn about you from reading this story? How about your bandmates?

Allman: Sometimes when you’re on the road with someone, it’s easy to lose sight of just how far you’ve come. I’ve lived with these stories for a long time, but having them together, all in one place, is something else. Everyone always takes something different away from what they read. I can’t say what people will learn, but my hope is they have some fun along the way.

Review

In his memoir, the rambling and rambunctious Gregg Allman lays bare his soul… In the end, Allman, writing with music journalist Light, has produced a fiercely honest memoir. (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

This is a story about musical brotherhood. Rich and moving... Nothing less than profound. Life, love and music from one of the most influential American recording artists of the last 40 years. (Kirkus Reviews )



I Shall Not Walk Alone- Ben Harper, and The Blind Boys of Alabama


Eric Bibb –Sisters & Brothers





Tuesday, May 08, 2012

It's the Birthday of Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa was also born on May 8, 1977. Being born on the same day as Robert Johnson probably means that the boy was born under a good sign.

Can you believe that someone born in the seventies can play the kind of music that this young man can. The coolest part about him is that he shows that long after guys like me are sitting on the front poarch in heaven, young cats like him will be down here working their mojo.







And to get a taste of what the man is like today, check this video out >>> Joe Bonamassa - Blues Deluxe

Live from Nowhere in Particular
Live from Nowhere in Particular [LIVE] by Joe Bonamassa
click for info at Amazon.com


It's the Birthday of Robert Johnson

The Complete Recordings
The Complete Recordings [BOX SET] by Robert Johnson


Robert Leroy Johnson was born on May 8, 1911 and passed away on August 16, 1938. He was probably the most famous and influential of all the pre-war Delta blues musicians.

According to Wikipedia;
His landmark recordings from 1936–1937 display a remarkable combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that have influenced generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend.

I have many post here at SML about him and his music; you can just click on the Robert Johnson label to see other post about him.

Over the years a lot of scholarship has gone into understanding just who Robert Johnson was and how he created his body of work. Some good examples of books that may be of interest to fans of Robert Johnson are;

Robert Johnson: The New TranscriptionsRobert Johnson: The New Transcriptions






Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the King of the Delta Blues SingersSearching for Robert Johnson:
The Life and Legend of the
King of the Delta Blues Singers






Crossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert JohnsonCrossroads: The Life and Afterlife of Blues Legend Robert Johnson





Robert Johnson - Signature Licks: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Legendary Guitarist's Style and TechniqueRobert Johnson - Signature Licks: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Legendary Guitarist's Style and Technique (Guitar Signature Licks)





- = * = -


Robert Johnson @Amazon.com

Robert Johnson @SqueezeMyLemon


Monday, May 07, 2012

Cowboy Angels ~ Emmylou Harris

Amazon
... her work with Gram Parsons. She subsequently toured as a part of his band, The Fallen Angels,.. recorded in 1973. .... Emmylou was distraught by his death but had learned much from her brief sojourn with the personable and influential Gram and continued to champion his ground-breaking work throughout her own career. The 1975 broadcast featured here was aired from San Francisco s famous Boarding House venue and occurred just a year after Parson s death ..... This performance offers a tantalising glimpse of such qualities as Emmylou displays the full magnificence of her voice in this truly wonderful show.
Lyrics can be found here



Tonight the bottle let me down






Blues Quote: B.B. King

"I've said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed."~ B. B. King


Mance Lipscomb – Alabama Bound

Just Enjoy


Sunday, May 06, 2012

Fiona Boyes - Blues For Hard Times

Fiona is an Australian Blues singer - bio here - several nominations

This is a stripped back traditional album

Good review at bluesreview.com

Boyes’ songs are about classic themes such as drinking, redemption, and lust. Usually they tell a story. Her original songs appear to be older than they actually are.


Patsy Cline - Just a Closer Walk With Thee




Saturday, May 05, 2012

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done My Brother

LastFM
This is soul music – informed by the church, perhaps, but soul music nonetheless, relatable to all. Which means that What Have You Done, My Brother?, an uplifting record that conveys Naomi’s energy, her excitement, her love of music, her compassion, is no ordinary album.
 Soultracks
Quiet rage tinges its blues; unshakeable faith lifts its gospel; and simple honesty caress the soul of an album whose title speaks to all three genres blessed here by these humble messengers.











Friday, May 04, 2012

Friday blues Funny - Calhoun Tubbs

This is an old one, but it still makes me laugh.

Calhoun Tubbs




According to Wikipedia; Calhoun Tubbs David Alan Grier portrays an old bluesman whose songs invariably insult or otherwise offend his audience. Catchphrase: "Wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!" "Thank you very much!" His catchphrase was also used as the intro to En Vogue's "Free Your Mind". He also always strums the same bar of blues and ends his little songs with "Ahhhhahaha"


Thursday, May 03, 2012

Cassandra Wilson singing Little Wing.



This singer is fantastic


Etta James & Mac Rebennack – Groove Me!


Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Dion Tank Full of Blues I Read It in the Rolling Stone



Rolling Stone

Unlike the previous installments in Dion's blues trilogy, Bronx in Blue (2006) and Son of Skip James (2007), Tank Full of Blues is mostly new originals. Dion adds a local tang to the electric-Mississippi glide "Holly Brown" – when he's riding the rails, it's the uptown D train – and his tremolo-guitar nod to my line of work, "I Read It (in the Rolling Stone)," includes the knockout line, "Sometimes I have to ask myself/What would my man Robert Plant do?"



 


Tuesday, May 01, 2012

RICHARD GALLIANO vs. WYNTON MARSALIS in "BILLIE HOLIDAY meets EDITH PIAF


Mirel Wagner

bonevoyagerecordings
Mirel Wagner is a 24 year old singer/songwriter, born in Ethiopia and raised
in Espoo, Finland.  Since age 16 she's writing gloomy Blues and Folk songs,
stripped down to the bone. It's just about her airy but rough voice and a
minimalistic guitar picking. Avoiding theatralic gestures effortlessly her
music has a unique intensity and emotional weight
A very good review at pitchfork