Building a blues library...

[Ian Thumwood]

Over the last couple of years I've enjoyed exploring a lot of Country Blues and feel that this is something that definately deserves more serious attention and perhaps it's own edition of "library?"

This has been prompted by the discovery of a group called the Mississippi Shieks who were, by all accounts, the most popular blues act of the early thirties. The use of a blues violin must be alsmot unique. I must admit, I had never heard of them but it transpires that alot of their music has been covered by the likes of Bob Dylan and Cream. The music is strange to say the least as it straddles folk, country and blues as well as popular music of the day. I believe one of the members was a relation to Charley Patton. Some of the music is not too great yet the best tracks fascinate. Here is a recording of their most famous hit:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqeW7-tmVU4

I've accummulated CDS of the more famous Country Blues artists which can be picked upo for peanuts (Blind Blake will be next) but it is amazing to discover artists like the Shieks or the wonderful Frank Stokes who seem totally forgotten / neglected these days. This Shiek's track must hold the record for blues cliches in the lyrics!! You can almost tick them off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gatk5G6duTY&feature=related

A bit of chicken-obsessed Frank Stokes who actually started his career in the 1910's before th era of the blues ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZBBLHJV130

Then there is alsp terrific stuff like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Ut4ovRTRM&feature=related

[Russ]

Try some Son House?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq-uDDdgbpU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGdE0ASwduU&feature=fvwrel

Russ

[Ian Thumwood]

Russ

Loved those tracks. I've mulled over Son House and very much like his "Death letter blues" but have ben unsure as the later recordings seem not to have a great reputation amongst purists as I believe he had to be re-taught how to play the guitar. Fascinated to read that the first track was recorded at the same session as one of Patton's most celebrated records - "New moon going down."

The one thing I've discovered is how often these musicians ripped off each other's tunes. The "Shieks" seemed particularly guilty of this and believe we involved in a court case due to the rights of "Sitting on top of the world." Curiously, the Son House track sounds very much like a speeded up version of this famous recording by Blind lemon Jefferson. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S8Rjwwo2g4

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

hhhmmmm i'll take Son House .... snakey stuff

an 11 turned up on the sidebar which ain'y bad


but i still like those legendary tracks by Skip James

[Russ]

What do you think?

Ian - the blues is a huge genre, constantly rediscovering and reinventing itself, with everyone copying everyone else amidst many stylistic variations. Forget about what the 'purists' say, and go for what you like, otherwise you'll just be collecting rather than enjoying. Like many late-60s teenagers with an electric guitar, I immersed myself into it, and whilst I was naturally drawn to the electric gods of the era (Clapton, Hendrix, Green etc) I enjoyed the old country stuff as well, on which there was a great resurgence of interest. I guess the genre sprang from negro spirituals through ragtime, country folk, and then urban rock. Here's a few things, but exactly what is blues and what is not blues is now beyond my caring:

Blind Boy Fuller: Weeping Willow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3J7PZO1bp4&feature=related

Willie Dixon: I Can't Quit You Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQm6wcafQwE&feature=related

Jimmy Reed: Bright Lights, Big City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giGGK3Fk9co

Peter Green: Man of the World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POWXUCvAPFA&feature=related

Gary Moore: Still got the Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-0KRM_eROA

Hendrix: Rainy Day, Dream Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVqJl-FOYIA&feature=related

Mark Knopfler: Baloney Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ejCQBCLg0

Russ

[johncorrigan]

Here's a great bit of film from the early 60s of Sonny Boy Williamson with Otis Spann doing Nine Below Zero - it's a fine band, but I love the way Sonny Boy stalks the microphone with his moothie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUGXOxs6p0

[Lateralthinking1]

Does this qualify Calum?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqVOSX8h46c&feature=related

Geordie Martin Stephenson did a tribute to the Reverend in his own style:

http://open.spotify.com/track/5slCMNXAEmhsTwvrbZFI3M

[PatrickOD]

Can't remember the number I used to like, but this is similar. Reminds me of the skiffle groups, Ken Colyer*, Big Bill Broonzy and that era when jazz and blues were just taking hold here, and were about to be swamped by rock n' roll. It took me a long time to forgive Elvis!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU35pirbSiA

* Corrine Corrina.

As a bonus - if you like this sort of thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1jiG66DVaM

I do.

[johncorrigan]

As a bonus - if you like this sort of thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1jiG66DVaM

I do.

Me too Patrick - and here's an example of that fine guitarist Mr Eaglin doing a bit of rural blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU35pirbSiA

....and for me there's few better than Taj - here he is on Jools; and there's a nice bit of chat and a bit of Son House too.:cool2:

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

[grippie]

Ian, Paul Jones prog not too bad this week! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011d89h the Guy Davis is nice and he interviews Paul Oliver too.

cool man?

[johncorrigan]

I enjoyed the Scorcese series of films about the Blues with its various directors. Wenders film 'Soul of a Man' is about Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and JB Lenoir and I found it a very enjoyable watch - it's well worth a look - indeed there's lots to enjoy about the series of films including Scorcese's own film with Ali Farka Toure among others in a very interesting Blues Journey and I also enjoyed Clint Eastwood's laid back exploration of the piano in the Blues. Here's the link to 'Soul of a Man'.

http://www.pbs.org/theblues/aboutfilms/wenders.html

..and a bit of Blind Willie Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peyZqDst0Iw

By the way, I loved the R Crumb record cover for the Mississippi Jug Band 'KC Moan' from 'RED HOT BLUES " (1925-1945)' -I hadn't seen that one before - Mr Crumb has already turned up a few times on this string with his wonderful drawings.

[johncorrigan]

....by the way, about R Crumb and the Blues, I've enjoyed this book a lot over the years - ideal for the Crumb bums among us!:cool2:

http://images.swap.com/images/books/14/0867194014.jpg

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Ian - Ive said this before but ck/out J.B Lenoir's "Alabama Blues" (Columbia c. 1966) JB with Willie Dixon and Freddie Below (the "Blakey" of blues drummers) - a staggering and very brave record, highly political and deeply felt.

BN.

BTW - Jasmine has just re-released most of Little Walters key sides as a retrospective .. and then there's Otis Rush's late '50s Cobra sides...a giant.

[johncorrigan]

Thanks for the pointer Bluesnik's - the first time I ever heard of JB Lenoir was on John Mayall's 'Turning Point' - for me the best line up that he put together and his best record; and listening to 'I'm going to fight for you JB' alongside 'Alabama Blues' you can see the influence - in fact thinking about it, JB would seem to influence a lot of that record. Here's John Mayall with that drumless Turning Point line-up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nxJtb-kL64

...and here's the JB doing Alabama Blues:

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

[johncorrigan]

Washington Phillips' gospel Blues of the late twenties gets me every time. He recorded around the same time as Blind Willie Johnson in '27-'29 and all the remaining songs are on 'The Key to the Kiingdom'. I'm pretty sure he and Johnson were evangelising some of those same streets in and around Dallas - wonder if they knew each other. Rumour had it for a long time that he had died in the thirties of TB but Paul Sherratt pointed me to an article which shows that he lived to a pretty ripe old age.

http://www.minermusic.com/dolceola/corcoran.htm

There may not be a lot of songs but they are of the highest quality all accompanied by his zither style instrument.

Here's Denomination Blues probably better known through Ry's version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOX9-kcv7g

What are they doing in heaven today?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1oZ35NA2U&feature=related

....and a fine version of 'Heaven Today' by the Be Good Tanyas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqi3Yo6c31M&feature=fvwrel