The Blues

[Ducatista47]

We are following up here on Rich's desire, bless his heart, to know more about The Blues. Let me start by posting a few links to some of the more outrageous things I (with help from AdaminAdam) have said in it's defense and behalf.

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...2&postcount=97
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...0&postcount=99
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...&postcount=100
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...&postcount=101
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...96&postcount=1

I doubt I am the resident Blues scholar here, but I'll do what I can until the more knowledgeable come forth. Perhaps what I lack in knowledge I can make up for with enthusiasm. Blues is as broad and varied as Rock and Jazz are, all huge fields in their own right. There is room for everyone to contribute here, so please join in. I'll do a few posts to start out.

Clark

[Ducatista47]

The UK is as good a place to start as Chicago (my home town for my first eighteen years) or the Delta. That is because in the early 1960's one young fellow saw some really cool records under another youth's arm. Thusly Mick and Keith met. The disks were from Chicago's Chess Records. When the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and others pleaded with their fans to check out "the real thing," their American heroes, those said heroes were rescued from relative obscurity and found their greatest audience - people my age, kids at the time like Mick and Keith. For many years one could have said that Keith would be reduced to do-re-mi if you took away the Chuck Berry licks.

These Bluesmen came to the UK and the Continent to tour and caused a sensation wherever they went. So did the Chess rock artists who learned from their record company stable mates - Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley to name a couple. I remember watching a clip from a BBC show where the featured guests, the Stones, were sitting down and being interviewed. Brian Jones, bless his wonderful soul, was sitting on the floor as I remember when he suggested they stop talking and bring on someone they brought along who was much more important - Howlin' Wolf. I can still see the joy on Brian's face when he uttered The Wolf's name. So out came Wolf and did a GREAT Little Red Rooster.

As far as I am concerned, the UK hatched more musicians who idolized and learned from American blues music than the USA did, at least in those days. The UK is sacred ground to a blues fan like me.

Clark

[Ducatista47]

I might as well mention Robert Johnson sooner than later. The Chicago Blues, men like Muddy Waters and hundreds of others, was made largely by African Americans who migrated North seeking work and just plain leaving the South. So what were they hearing and playing down South?

Unlike the usually electrified guitar (thank you Les Paul) blues of Chicago and the other northern cities, the so called country blues of the earlier South was acoustic, often a solo musician/singer. The most famous of these, at least the most famous to modern Blues fans, was Robert Johnson. He was a young man who had a real gift, actually traveled a bit, and died quite young. Only two recording sessions, more or less, and only two photographs, exist. The fascination comes from the very high level this playing and singing occurred at. I doubt that as unified a presentation of voice and instrument will ever occur again. Only a few artists have even approached the intensity of the resulting music. Son House does comes to mind. If you are not positively haunted by the music of Robert Johnson, you are not a Blues fan yet.

A wonderful two CD collection is in my hand right now. It is Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings. Columbia C2K 46222. The recordings are not up to modern quality standards, but it doesn't matter. The music comes through just fine. They were cut in the field onto "metal parts" - master discs - and even these were not used to make the modern releases. When the LP's which caused a sensation among the London musicians were being prepared, it was discovered the metal parts were missing. A tape of them was used. The originals are still missing. If they still exist, they are music's greatest hidden treasure. Start looking!

Never mind the stories and legends about his life. Enjoy the music. I'm not alone. You can hear both The Stones (Mick) and Crosby, Stills and Nash (David Crosby) starting tracks by humming the beginning of Johnson's Come On In My Kitchen, one of my favorites. They were not borrowing, they were giving an invocation.

[oznob]

A quote by Peter Green from an old Blue Horizon studio recording. I guess the post war kids in Brittain found music they could relate to from accross the pond. No secret that most "British Invasion" bands were heavily influenced by american blues while the white US groups were into the beach music scene. I find the study of the roots of american music, especially blues, facinating. Stevie Ray Vaughn explained once, the blues was like every day life, a horse walking, a train chuggin', a truck lumbering down a dirt road etc. It comes from down deep inside and is poured out with sweat and emotion. Damn shame he left us so young!

Great thead and insight Clark. I look forward to hearing from other Blues fans, which I'm sure is most members of this forum in one way or another.

[Hofmannhp]

..... I look forward to hearing from other Blues fans, which I'm sure is most members of this forum in one way or another.

you can count me in guys....

HP

[richluvsound]

Hi clark,

what would you classify Cassandra Wilson as ? I also heard a guy called josie Cotton many years ago in Victoria BC . He played Harmonica, I wouldn't mind finding other stuff by him. To come to think of it any harmonica along those lines would be brilliant. In the meantime, I'll check out Robert Johnson !

SRV, "Tin Pan Ally" gets a lot of play time on the 4345's sounds -

thanks for the tips ,keep them coming!

Rich

[Hofmannhp]

... In the meantime, I'll check out Robert Johnson !
SRV, "Tin Pan Ally" gets a lot of play time on the 4345's sounds
thanks for the tips ,keep them coming!
Rich

Hi Rich,

first I thought you forgot our meeting in my Blues Garage with "Tin Pan Ally" and Robert Johnson.
Tin Pan Ally is my special speaker tester title.....also my neighbours are forced to hear it several times a week.

HP

[oznob]

Hi Rich,

first I thought you forgot our meeting in my Blues Garage with "Tin Pan Ally" and Robert Johnson.
Tin Pan Ally is my special speaker tester title.....also my neighbours are forced to hear it several times a week.

HP

I assume you guys are talking about the live recording with Johnny Copeland? PURE MAGIC!

[Krunchy]

Very Nice Clark! & thank you for the links. If its not too much trouble could you say a little something about the other master, your avatar's namesake.
If I could only listen to one blues artist it would be him, would'nt even have to think about it as he embodied every aspect of the Blues.

Oz mentioned Stevie (rightly so) and I would also like to mention his brother Jimmie Vaughan & the Fabulous Thunderbirds who is sometimes overlooked but is absolutely amazing. Both are worth looking into, some interesting genes in that family.


The Blues run Deep & Wide so dive in!

[Ducatista47]

Rich, Cassandra Wilson is firmly in the jazz idiom. Your instincts are excellent, however. Jazz not only came from The Blues, it is in its less pop and dance music influenced forms a version of The Blues for sure. Given the same qualifiers, so is Rock. When I listen to John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Michael Brecker, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page or David Gilmour I feel I am listening to Blues music. I personally think an exploration of The Blues is incomplete without exposure to its "children." Carlos Santana is one of my favorite Blues musicians. His CD's are in the Rock bins.

Much is made of the common twelve bar blues form and its 4/4 time being all over Rock and a lot of jazz, but there is more to it than that. That depth, that feeling that comes only from digging deep within one's self, that elemental truth and a foundation consisting of the Earth itself - the better examples of all three "branches" have that in common. That's not abstract fancy music critic's talk, you all know exactly what I mean. Pop music hits just don't have any of that. I find the Blues and Jazz and a great deal of Rock very entertaining, but there is so much more than that going on. Dance music connects with your feet. The stuff we are talking about connects directly with your soul. Some Jazz also connects directly with your brain, your intellect. I just don't get that from mass market pop. I'd rather sleep with Madonna than listen to her. And then leave and go listen to honest music.

Now there is a phrase, Honest Music. Way back when MTV was new and experimenting with the form, they had a few "Guest VJ's." The first was Robert Plant, and I remember it well. They just taped him and ran it without editing, inserting the clips and running the whole package. At one point he gave a rant dismissing most pop music and most MTV offerings as garbage and stating his distinct preference for "honest music," which he said they should be broadcasting instead. Then he said something like "well, that will be edited out, you won't hear that."

Clark

[Krunchy]

Great points my friend! Unfortunately in my opinion there is'nt a whole lot of "honest music" out there today (jazz is doing ok in this regard I think, ok not great), especially in the blues end of things. I was going to bring this up so I may as well do it now. Besides my dear B.B. what other true bluesmen are out there today? (and please bear in mind that I am not trying to be inflamatory) John Lee Hooker left us fairly recently. I think the lack of interest in blues (and there is a lack of it) stems from the fact (imo) that there is/are very few if any real bluesmen out there. Most of what I hear today is some sort of watered down version, they go through the motions but it doesnt seem real, it doesnt have the honesty, it seems posed. Buddy Guy is all over the place & is quite popular and has credibility but mainly from the fact that he's been around for a long time and knew a lot of the giants. Robert Cray is technically proficient but something is missing (though I really enjoyed his playing on JL Hooker's Boom Boom). Also I must admit that I have not been following the blues and mainly due to the points that I just mentioned, hence I may be quite a bit out of touch with the wholse scene, if thats the case please throw me a life line.

Now that I am done ranting and raving.....How's about some Albert Collins
This guy was just amazing, real bluesman! Capo on the 7th, anyone know his tuning? (just found out, its a D minor open chord tuning)


and if you like all instrumental blues with a bit of jazz thrown in how bout Dave Stryker,
was just listening to the cd and man, forgot how good this was, well recorded to boot.

this quote from a review pretty much sums it up " It is amazing that this mainly East Coast ensemble of gifted musicians needed to find a company in Denmark to produce them! What is wrong with the American music industry??? Guess they are missing REAL music!! Thank goodness this was recorded! If you love jazz and/or blues this is it!"

Smokin Joe Kubec is pretty decent stuff as well.

[Krunchy]

Wish Ken Burns would do a documentary on the Blues like he did for Jazz. I know Scorsese did one but it was not as in depth as Ken's wonderful offerings.

[richluvsound]

Guys,

I just ordered this - Telarc, so the production should be red hot

Rich

[Ducatista47]

I am working too much lately and am short of time to post, but here is a quick something out of left field.

The world of so-called classical music seems an odd place to find The Blues, but that ignores a man named George Gershwin. Try out a piece named Piano Prelude #2, which you will recognize as a Blues lament of the highest order. It is a very simple piece (hell to play well though) that will tear your heart out.

Here Krystian Zimerman plays all three Preludes. #2 is the middle one of course. Krystian is a great showman, but you can still tell he is in love with #2. Watch him handle the keys with piety and nearly quiver and float in the sounds coming from the instrument during Prelude #2. Notice his subdued - no, his intense but somber - mood when he leaves the piano.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSDUW8PhK7A

And here by another fine pianist, Rami Bar-Niv: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW2l0...eature=related

Piano Prelude #2 - most pianists will know what you mean by that - is my favorite piece of piano music. It makes me feel like Robert Johnson is at the keyboard. Gershwin was a fracking genius, taken from us too soon by a brain tumor if I remember correctly. Not only a great composer, he was a force of nature tickling the ivories. What a great player. Try to catch his piano rolls if you have any interest.

Gershwin is remembered for his love of the Jazz Age. You can tell he was awestruck and dumbfounded by The Blues in particular. He as much as anyone knew Jazz and The Blues are inseparable.

Enjoy, Clark

[oznob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzNEgcqWDG4

Great observation on Gershwin Clark! If the music from Porgy and Bess aint' The Blues then I don't know what is! Check out Janis Joplin belting out "Summertime!"