Saturday, December 31, 2011

Travelling Riverside Blues

"Travelling Riverside Blues," sometimes called "Mudbone" or "Mud Bone," is a blues song written and recorded in Dallas, Texas by the bluesman Robert Johnson.


Friday, December 30, 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Colin James


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

In May 2010, at the Blues Music Awards, Ruthie was announced as Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year and I can see why!


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Howlin' Wolf — 300lbs of Joy

Just because .......


Kenny Wayne Shepherd How I Go 2011

BBC

.... So while not everything here will click with audiences unfamiliar with blues-cum-country fare, despite this artist’s stateside achievements, How I Go is a decent introduction to an artist whose admiration of the likes of BB King and Honeyboy Edwards is steadily producing a comparable catalogue of authentically dusty barroom stompers and unlikely stadium rockers. It’s a set that benefits from its maker’s restraint – more of the same next time and he’ll move closer to the pantheon occupied by Clapton et al.


Monday, December 26, 2011

Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl 2011

Guardian

Joe Bonamassa is an American blues guitarist who regularly wins awards in guitar magazines and has been praised by BB King. But his real love is British blues-rock from the 70s ....


Blues Books: Little Blues Book




Book Details

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Algonquin Books; 1st edition (January 10, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1565121376
ISBN-13: 978-1565121379
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5 x 0.6 inches


Amazon.com Review


Almost small enough to fit into a hip pocket, this is a kind of guidebook to the blues, featuring quotations from blues songs, mini-biographies of bluesmen and blueswomen, and illustrations by R. Crumb. The quotes (on topics ranging from "Getting the Blues" to "The Thrill is Gone") are little gems, pithy aphorisms like this one from Rabbit Brown: "I done seen better days, but I'm putting up with these."

Author Brian Robertson, himself a musician, includes a bibliography and a list of Internet resources in this great little introduction to the blues and the men and women who made the music.


Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Black Keys El Camino 2011

El Camino is the seventh studio album by American blues-rock duo The Black Keys, and was produced in Nashville. BBC

El Camino finds its identity and The Black Keys their new purpose – to reinvigorate rock’n’roll from the roots up
Rolling Stone
The Keys cited the Clash as an influence for El Camino, and that influence is evident in the increased zip of the grooves, and in the group hug between roots music and rock spectacle


Howlin' Wolf — Goin’ Down Slow

 Wikipedia
The song alternates between sung and spoken passages. The sung passages are the reflections of a dying man:
I have had my fun, if I don't get well no more
My health is failing me, and I'm going down slow
Please write my mother, tell her the shape I'm in
Tell her to pray for me, forgive me for my sin
The spoken passages (by Willie Dixon; on Wolf's release) deal with relationship:
Now looka here...
I did not say I was a millionaire...
But I said I have spent more money than a millionaire!
Cause if I had've kept all my money that I'd already spent,
I would've been a millionaire a looong time ago...



Clapton


The Wang Dangs.......Goin down slow


Friday, December 23, 2011

Stephen Dale Petit – Guitararama 2008

Wikipedia
The first incarnation of “Guitararama” entered the Top 10 HMV Blues Album Chart in the UK (between two Robert Johnson albums), as well as the ITunes Top 10 Chart in both Norway and Sweden. Guitar Magazine also placed it in the top 10 albums of the year.









The Blues Brothers Movie still funny, 25 Years Later.

Here is a blues humor post from the archives, the "Blues Brothers" movie is still a very funny movie.

Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues
While not in the same vane as many of my recent post. I have been posting mostly prewar blues in SqueezeMyLemon, that is because that is where I am at right now. Those blues are the ones that shade me right now. That is how blue I am. If you understand what I trying to say.

But there is an event that is going on in the world of the blues that I want to draw your attention to. It is the up coming release of the 25th Anniversary Edition of the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers".

I have heard some of the critics say that this movie is really not about the blues at all. I mean it does not really have any blues greats in it. But that is OK. I think that Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi both loved the music and it showed in the work that they did on Sartuday Night Live and in the original movie.

Then there is the matter of the musicians, in the movie. The band, which had among others, Steve Cropper, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and Lou Marini, was a real band of real musicians that played a tight, sharp, and clean set. In the movie there were musical performances by the band and guests Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and James Brown which are classic and priceless. Even though they are not strictly blues performances. But they reflect where the music was at when the movie was made.

A very good interview was done on Terry Gross' NPR show, Dan Aykroyd, Still Full of the 'Blues'.

On Aug 30th there will be an anniversary event. The event will feature a live Q&A discussion with director/writer John Landis and the film's star and co-writer, Dan Aykroyd (via satellite from Toronto), followed by a first time screening of the film in high definition and cinema surround sound. The entire program will be presented live via satellite beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET to 83 movie theatres from coast to coast.

There are many highlight in the movie that still make me laugh to this day;

1. The seemingly endless, escalating series of car crashes. (I loved this, some don't)
2. "We've got both kinds of music: country AND western"
3. "We're on a mission from God"
4. When Ray Charles (God rest his soul) orders during the diner scene "four fried chickens and a Coke."
5. The scene with Carry Fisher, makes me laugh to this day.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

T-Bone Walker — T-Bone Shuffle


Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt

A magic combination - from Wikipedia
Django Reinhardt (French pronunciation: was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique (sometimes called 'hot' jazz guitar) that has since become a living musical tradition within Belgian gypsy culture. With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, described by critic Thom Jurek as "one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz."




Monday, December 19, 2011

Blues Books: All Music Guide to the Blues




Book Description - Complete, concise, authoritative and fully updated to reflect today's revitalized blues world, the latest edition of this guide is any blues fan's lifeline to the best music, past and present. It reviews and rates 8,900 recordings in all major styles across the blues map - from Delta blues to Louisiana, Memphis, Chicago, Texas and beyond; from classic female singers to jump blues, blues slide guitar, blues in jazz, Dixieland, zydeco, soul blues, blues-rock, modern acoustic and electric blues, and more. This fun and easy-to-use guide provides profiles of over 1,200 artists. Historical essays plus supplemental "music maps" chart the roots and evolution of the blues, its various styles, instruments used, key artists, and more. The essays explore the blues from the Mississippi Delta to modern electric blues and everything in between. Also includes 30 "top lists" recommending the best albums for each blues style - essential for starting or expanding a great record collection.


Blues Books @SqueezeMyLemon

Blues Music Books @Amazon.com


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Camille Dalmais

A very interesting voice
Telegraph
On the baroque, majestic Ilo Veyou, her fourth, self-produced, solo album, MaJiKer has gone but plenty of magic remains. In comes a classically trained string quartet – and a surprising step into territory unexplored in French music since the days that Le Pétomane, the great fartiste of the Moulin Rouge, titillated fin de siècle audiences with his note-perfect derrière. 










Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio — Ad Lib Blues






Friday, December 16, 2011

Mahalia Jackson 1963 In concert – When The saints Go Marching In










Cash Box Kings — Young Turks?

LastFM
Considered the “Young Turks” of the Chicago blues scene, the Cash box Kings are dedicated  to carrying on the spirit of the 1940’s and 50’s post-war Chicago blues sound as well as the Delta blues music of the 20’s and 30’s.


Guy Tortora — Too Much Stuff


Dee Dee Bridgewater — Afro Blue 1974

A classic album





Etta James sings "At Last" and is in our prayers..

Our prayers are going out to the incomparable Mrs. Etta James as news reports are stating that she is gravely ill.

Please see E Online's article titled Blues Legend Etta James Terminally Ill for more details.

According to the "At Last" singer's live-in physician, the blues icon is terminally ill and has little time left after battling leukemia, dementia and kidney failure for several years now.



Thursday, December 15, 2011

Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

One of the all time classic Christmas pop songs. As I was playing this I listened to the lyrics closer then I had ever paid attention to them, and realized that this song has the perfect sentiment for this time of year. Makes me feel all warm inside. LOL


The Producers — London Blues


Chris Barber — Blues

A couple of cracking tracks from Chris' long and varied repertoire, I hope you enjoy as much as I do.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Lonesome Road

We've posted a few of Rosetta Tharpe's YouTube clips here at SqueezeMyLemon, because she is so spectacularly placed at the junction of blues and gospel music that it is mind boggling when you really consider how talented she was.

And it seems to me that she does not really get the credit that she deserves for her ground breaking work.

Just listen to this one and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



Sister Rosetta Tharpe @Amazon.com


Albert Collins - If Trouble Was Money

What if trouble was money???

I might not be a millionaire, but I know one thing, I would be a rich man and that's for real!




Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights

Gary Clark Jr. "you going to know his name by the end of the night".



Notes from YouTube:

© 2011 WMG Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights

Directed/Edited by Bill Berg Hillinger

Bright Lights EP available now stores and on tour. http://wbr.fm/GCJep
http://www.garyclarkjr.com/
http://www.facebook.com/garyclarkjrmusic
http://www.twitter.com/garyclarkjr




Gary Clark Jr. Bright Lights




Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Ramon Goose — Testify

Ramon Goose is an English blues rock guitarist, singer and producer, who is known for his work with the hip hop blues band NuBlues, his mastery of the slide guitar, and for producing other American blues artists' albums. As a solo artist he has toured across Europe and released several albums.


Wallace Coleman - Blues in the Wind

Singer and harp player Wallace Coleman first met Robert Lockwood Jr. in 1985. They became fast friends, with Coleman playing in the local bluesman's band for a decade. Coleman recalls their friendship in "Robert Jr.," the anchor to this 10-song set dedicated to his late pal.


Cover of Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"

Karen O
Trent Reznor
Atticus Ross
Immigrant Song

Not a bad little cover of this classic rock song by one of the best all time blues rock bands. I enjoyed the original version of this song, and I also enjoyed the original version of the movie that this was remade for, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".




Monday, December 12, 2011

Big Mama Thornton ft. Buddy Guy – Hound Dog


The History Of The Blues: The Roots, The Music, The People

Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (September 2, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0306812967
ISBN-13: 978-0306812965

Book Description (from Amazon.com)

Francis Davis's The History of the Blues is a groundbreaking rethinking of the blues that fearlessly examines how race relations have altered perceptions of the music. Tracing its origins from the Mississippi Delta to its amplification in Chicago right after World War II, Davis argues for an examination of the blues in its own right, not just as a precursor to jazz and rock 'n' roll. The lives of major figures such as Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Leadbelly, in addition to contemporary artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray, are examined and skillfully woven into a riveting, provocative narrative.



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Beth Hart – Dingwells - London - 29 November 2011 - Your Heart is as Black as Night

She is pretty damned good!


I Feel Like Going to Church - Blind Willie Johnson Trouble Soon be Over

This video is a re-enactment, but I really like it. I hope you enjoy it too, I think it is a great blues song for a Sunday morning.

Blind Willie Johnson Trouble Soon be Over


Gospel Blues @SqueezeMyLemon

Blind Willie Johnson @ Amazon.com


Saturday, December 10, 2011

Chris Rea — Money


Friday, December 09, 2011

Jimi Hendrix Tribute

This video makes me laugh and also is amazing.

Notes from YouTube:

The opening act of the legendary Michael Winslow's hilarious performance in Michael Winslow Live at the Improv. Known universally as the sound-effects ninja guy from Police Academy, he continued to refine his noises and impersonations long after the movies disappeared from public view. He now returns with his amazing signature Jimi Hendrix impersonation along side other incredible acts later in the show including a Led Zeppelin performance and a host of other sound-effect related gags.



Thursday, December 08, 2011

Mother in Law Blues - BB King

Honest - to all Mothers in Law





Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning

Sometimes you just need to listen to the classics - both departed but both treasured.



contrasted with The Who





The Economist Weighs in on Music in Commericials.

I hear a lot of classic blues music in ads, and it always makes me wonder. If blues music is popular enough to sell cars, food and even toys, why is it not popular enough to make blues musicians more wealthy?

The Economist online approaches the question from a different angle, in their article, Music in Commercials: Looney Tunes. It is a very good read.

THERE was quite a kerfuffle over this year’s Christmas advert for John Lewis, a British department store. It’s a nice, if overly sentimental, minute and a half in which a child impatiently counts down the days until Christmas. At the end we discover that his eagerness was more about wanting give his mum and dad a present than receive his own.


The article ask 'Are we guilty of over-intellectualizing this?'

I think we are over-intellectualizing this, the more I think about it I realize that most of us connect to music on an emotional level for the most part. The words, and the meanings, the style are not really that important. This is especially true for the music used in ads. Blues music has a lot of emotional content and it is this part of the music that marketers are attracted to.

Blues musicians deserve to be able to make money off their music when they are alive. And I don't think there is anything wrong with their music being used in ads, if it is done in a way that does not disrespect the music.


Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Ella Fitzgerald - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas



Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas Music @ Amazon.com


Beth Hart - Trouble at Rockpalast

Notes from YouTube: "Beth Hart Live At Rockpalast Crossroads 2011"


Sista Monica Parker —Love Train

A blast of joy....
 


Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Slap My Hand


Ramon Goose — swamp thang


Blues Art: Muddy Smiles

Here is a blues art poster that I posted earlier, I like the look on Muddy Waters face in this print.

Muddy Smile 2007




Muddy Smile 2007 Giclee Print

Jacobs, Reesa


Buy at AllPosters.com


Monday, December 05, 2011

JJ Grey & Mofro — Brighter Days

American Blues

The album (and DVD) is a high-energy fireball of spectacular music. JJ and company seamlessly glide between sounds, with the crowd obviously feeding off the magnificent energy.
AllaboutJazz
And the depth to which JJ Grey and Mofro believe in the music they make approaches a religious fervor: Brighter Days, the work of a group spectacularly confident of itself, thus becomes a testament to the transformative power of music.


It's the Birthday of Aleck "Rice" Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II

His Best
Sonny Boy Williamson - His Best


Today could possibly be the birthday of one of my favorite bluesmen. Aleck "Rice" Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II. It is reported that before he died he commented that they broke the mold when he was born. All my reading and research on him indicates that he was truly one of a kind, so I think that was a true statement.

I'll leave it to you to read the Wikipedia article on him, it is well done and has some other cool links that you might enjoy checking out.

To me the most important part of his life was all the music that he made and the musicians that he inspired.

While tall tales, unlikely fables and outright lies make up much of what Sonny Boy Williamson II had to say about his own life, his most important contributions have been documented well through countless recordings on myriad labels. His output of recordings, both issued and unissued, for Lillian McMurray's Trumpet label, can be found on Arhoolie, Alligator, Purple Pyramid, Collectables, plus a handful of other domestic and import imprints, while his years as a resident of the Chess/Checker house appear on various compilations on MCA/Chess. His European recordings reside on Alligator, Analogue Productions, Storyville, and others.

Sonny Boy Williamson II has had an enormous influence on modern day blues and blues rock artists and other legendary artists, as is shown by the number of his songs that are still covered.

  • Muddy Waters - "Nine Below Zero", "Decoration Day"
  • Howlin' Wolf - "Cool Disposition", "Decoration Day"
  • B. B. King - "Eyesight to the Blind"
  • Mose Allison - "Eyesight to the Blind"
  • John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - "Help Me", "Checkin' Up On My Baby"
  • Led Zeppelin - "Bring It on Home"
  • Van Morrison - "Take Your Hands Out of My Pocket", "Help Me" - both on the 1974 live album It's Too Late to Stop Now. Morrison has often sung "Help Me" in live performances throughout his long career.
  • The Allman Brothers Band - "One Way Out"
  • New York Dolls - "Don't Start me Talkin'"
  • Ten Years After - "Help Me"
  • The Who - "Eyesight to the Blind"
  • Aerosmith - "Eyesight to the Blind"
  • The Blues Brothers - "From the Bottom"
  • Cowboy Junkies - "Decoration Day"
  • Lester Butler - "I Cross My Heart"
  • Rory Gallagher - "Don't Start me Talkin"; both on the Defender album and the live bootleg, Meeting With The G-Man.
  • Nine Below Zero took their band name from his song.
  • The Downchild Blues Band, also known as "Downchild", took their name from his song, "Mister Downchild".[3]
  • John Popper of Blues Traveler notes Sonny Boy Williamson as a strong influence on his harmonica playing.
  • Joe Bonamassa - "Your Funeral and My Trial"
  • Dr. Feelgood - "Checking Up On My Baby" on their live album, Stupidity

Sonny Boy Williamson: Your Funeral and my trial


Sonny Boy Williamson 1964


Sonny Boy Williamson @Amazon.com
Sonny Boy Williamson @SqueezeMyLemon


Sunday, December 04, 2011

Monster Gentlemen




Green Onions


R.I.P. Hubert Sumlin

R.I.P. Hubert Sumlin from the Houstonpress.com web site.

According to Houstonpress.com

​Hubert Sumlin, former guitarist with Howlin' Wolf and member of the Blues Hall of Fame is dead at the age of 80. Sumlin was ranked at number 65 in Rolling Stone's greatest guitar players of all time and has been cited as an influence on a wide range of blues and rock guitarists.



Hubert Sumlin @ SqueezeMyLemon


Chicken Shack Revival - Singapore Blues


I Feel Like Going to Church - Led Zeppelin - Nobody's Fault But Mine


I Feel Like Going to Church - Ramsey Lewis - Wade in the Water



Check him out at RamseyLewis.com

Also visit his twitter page @RamseyLewis


I Feel Like Going to Church - Little Sonny - Wade in the Water


I Feel Like Going to Church - Big Mama Thornton - Wade In The Water


I Feel Like Going to Church - The Grateful Dead - Death Don't Have No Mercy

Notes from YouTube: Grateful Dead playing Death Don't Have No Mercy live at the Melodyland Theater.



http://squeezemylemon.blogspot.com/search/label/gospel%20blues


I Feel Like Going to Church - Beth Rowley Nobody's Fault But Mine



Gospel Blues @ SqueezeMyLemon


I Feel Like Going to Church - Tom Jones Burning Hell

"Maybe there ain't no heaven, maybe there ain't not burning hell..."

"Deacon Jones please pray for me..."


I Feel Like Going to Church - John Lee Hooker Burning Hell

"Don't knowbody really know..."

"Deacon Jones, please pray for me..."

"When I die, nobody can really tell..."


I Feel Like Going to Church - God Don't Never Change

Notes form YouTube: " God Don't Never Change "
Tuesday, 10 December 1929 NEW ORLEANS



Gospel Blues @ SqueezeMyLemon



I Love the Lord Whitney Houston Gospel

I thought I'd share a little Whitney Houston singing Gospel on this Sunday Morning. Hope you all are having a good one.




Whitney Houston @Amazon.com


Saturday, December 03, 2011

John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson Harmonica Legend by Adams Gussow

This is so cool I really hope all the blues harmonica players out there watch this video. Adam Gussow gives a very interesting lecture on the importance of Sonny Boy Williamson to the modern blues scene.

Notes from YouTube

Sonny Boy Williamson? Many people--even those who aren't harmonica players or fans of the blues--have heard of him. But there were TWO great harmonica players named Sonny Boy Williamson, and many people don't know much about the first one: John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, native of Jackson, Tennessee.

At the invitation of Sonny Boy archivist and gravesite preservationist Michael Baker, University of Mississippi blues scholar and harmonica player Adam Gussow visited the Jackson-Madison Country Library in May 2011 to give a lecture/demonstration on the artistry of John Lee Williamson. Gussow's researches into the publishing history of Williamson's songs not only make clear that confusion about the "two Sonny Boys" exists at the highest level--i.e., where the money is being made--but suggests that Williamson's primary music publisher, Arc Music, has evolved a startling and hilarious way of drawing attention to his most widely covered song, "Good Morning Little School Girl."

Credit for the film production goes to: Steve Bowers / Baltimore Street Productions 124 E. Baltimore Street, Suite 222 Jackson, TN 38301 Produced for E+TV6 Jackson, TN

If you'd like to learn how to play blues harmonica, please visit Gussow's website, Modern Blues Harmonica:

http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com

Gussow's one-man band version of Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl" is available on iTunes and Amazon mp3s. If you're interested in learning this song, a video lesson and tab are available at Modern Blues Harmonica:

video: http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/2721206-good-morning-little-school-girl-gussow-mov

tab: http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/2721207-good-morning-little-school-girl-gussow-pdf



Xantone Blacq

Shades of Soul

Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter/producer Xantoné Blacq's music is a sonic adventure fusing jazz, funk and soul with music from around the world. Xan describes his sound as ' free-range sunshine music


Friday, December 02, 2011

Everlast - Blues for Christmas





Blues for Christmas @ Amazon.com


Blind Lemon Jefferson "Christmas Eve Blues"

Blind Lemon Jefferson preforming "Christmas Eve Blues".



Blind Lemon Jefferson @Amazon.com


Eric Clapton - Cryin' Christmas Tears

I like this song, it brings all those sad blues feelings that mix so well with the sadness that Christmas can also sometimes invoke.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and that your blues are not too blue.




Michael Pedicin "You Don't Know What Love Is"

Notes from YouTube: http://www.michaelpedicin.com/c2/ Michael Pedicin performs "You Don't Know What Love Is" at The Richard Stockton College, 11/23/09. Bob Shomo - drums; Tim Lekan - bass; Jim Ridl - piano


Led Zeppelin - Cleveland Oct. 1969 Photo Slide Show

Notes from YouTube: Led Zeppelin photo slideshow, performing at Cleveland's Public Hall, October 24, 1969. Concert info: http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/october-24-1969



Led Zeppelin @ SqueezeMyLemon Blues Blog


Led Zeppelin - Live in New York (8mm film)

Here is a video that Led Zeppelin just load to their YouTube channel.

Notes from YouTube: Led Zeppelin live concert film clips, New York, June 10, 1977. (courtesy: J.Peterson) Concert info: http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/june-10-1977



Led Zeppelin @ Amazon.com


Michael Winslow does Led Zeppelin's Whole Lot of Love

Michael Winslow (remember the Police Academy movies) on Senkveld med Thomas og Harald (a Norwegian talkshow) doing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lot of Love".



Thursday, December 01, 2011

Tedeschi Trucks Band - The Making of Revelator

Notes from YouTube: Music video by Tedeschi Trucks Band performing Tedeschi Trucks Band EPK. (C) 2011 Sony Music Entertainment




Warren Haynes Band - Man In Motion (Live)

Notes from YouTube: Music video by Warren Haynes Band performing Man In Motion (Live from Bonnaroo 2011).




Marcia Ball doing Down the Road and Roadside Attraction

Notes from YouTube: Marcia Ball at the Mobile Saenger Theater, January 20,2011



Notes from YouTube:

American blues singer and pianist, Marcia Ball, talks about the new record, Roadside Attractions.

Marcia was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp meet." The Boston Globe described her music as "an irresistible celebratory blend of rollicking, two-fisted New Orleans piano, Louisiana swamp-rock and smoldering Texas blues from a contemporary storyteller."




Gregg Allman talking about Low Country Blues

Notes from YouTube:

Gregg Allman talks about "Low Country Blues", his first album in nearly 14 years. Allman returns to the blues to producer T Bone Burnett and long time friend Dr. John.




Blues Grammy Album Nominations

Just in case that you did not get the news, here are the albums nominated for the blues Grammy Award.

Best Blues Album

Low Country Blues by Gregg Allman
[Rounder]

Roadside Attractions by Marcia Ball by
[Alligator]

Man In Motion by Warren Haynes
[Stax Records]

The Reflection by Keb Mo
[Yolabelle International/Ryko Records]

Revelator by Tedeschi Trucks Band
[Masterworks]


Keb Mo - The Whole Enchilada (Live)

Congratulations to Keb Mo on his Grammy Nomination.



Notes from YouTube:

August 3, 2011 - Keb Mo with "The Whole Enchilada" in the Bing Lounge, presented by Dick Hannah Dealerships. 101.9 KINK.FM. Portland, OR


The Gypsy Bangles

The The Gypsy Bangles twitted me and asked that I check out their music.

According to their Web Site:

The Gypsy Bangles - Soulful, Bluesy, Rock 'n Roll in the free spirited essence of the 60's and 70's.

Essentially a vehicle for Singer/Songwriter Kegan DeBoheme's love of 60's/70's rock, The Gypsy Bangles pay a soulful, bluesy homage to the great blues and rock artists from groovier times.

I'm happy to report that I love their blues guitar propelled sound. Has a classic blues rock feel to me. Check them out when you get a chance.

Their music player gadget also makes it easy for my to let you hear their music.



Check out their YouTube Channel, The Gypsy Bangles
Check them on Twitter at @TheGypsyBangles

You can buy their mp3 at Amazon also.


Glory, Glory (Lay My Burden Down)


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Benny Goodman's Band - Sing, Sing, Sing


Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz: The Girl From Ipanema


Weather Report - Birdland

Notes from YouTube: This is from the Stadthalle Offenbach Concert that took place 1978.


Miles Davis - All Blues - 1964


John Coltrane - A Love Supreme


John Coltrane - My Favorite Things 1965


Thelonious Monk - Round About Midnight


Duke Ellington: Take the "A" Train


Miles Davis - So What


The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (1961) Video


Lightnin Hopkins Mojo Hand

If you ever get down to Louisiana, you better get you a Mojo hand...


Elvis Presley Got My Mojo

This too cool, have to post it. Elvis working that Mojo...



Notes from YouTube:

Elvis Presley Got My Mojo Working

Written by Muddy Waters but Preston Foster is also credited. Elvis recorded it during a studio jam session on June 5, 1970 at RCAs Nashville studios, paired with Keep Your Hands Off Of It. It is available on Love Letters from Elvis and Walk a Mile In My Shoes-The Essential 70s Masters, which is where this version is from.

Hands off of her, she belongs to me
Mojo working don't belong to you
Well, she's mine all mine no matter what you do
Play it boys, play it boys

I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
But you're mine all mine no matter what you do

Let me tell you now
She's long lean and lanky, sweet as she can be
Hands off of her, she belongs to me
Hands off of her' don't belong to you
Well she's mine all mine no matter what you do

I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
Well you're mine all mine no matter what you do
Play it James, play it ........

Yeah
Your mine all mine
No matter what you do, play it son

Well she's long lean and lanky, sweet as she can be
Hands off of her unless you want to deal with me
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
Well you're mine all mine no matter what you do
Yeah!

I got my mojo workin' I got my mojo workin'
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
Well, you're mine all mine no matter what you do
Let me tell you now
She's long lean and lanky, sweet as she can be
Hands off of her, she belongs to me
Hands off of her don't belong to you
Well you're mine all mine no matter what you do
One more time!

Well
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you yeah
Well, you're mine all mine no matter what you do

Listen to me now
I said you're long lean and lanky cute as you can be
Hands off of her unless you want deal with me
Get your hands off of her, she don't belong to you
Well, you're mine all mine no matter what you do
Yeah, I got my mojo workin' I got my mojo workin'
I got my mojo workin' I got my mojo workin'
I got my mojo working but it just don't work on you


B. B. King The Thrill is Gone


Gabor Szabo - Bacchanal

Very special - IMHO


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Beth Hart - Sinner's Prayer (AMAZING!!!) - Jimmis 1-9-11

Yes she is very good!


Spotlighted Blues Album: Don't Explain

I've been listening to Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart's latest album every chance that I can. They are both very talented musicians that fit together so well. Beth's sultry and powerful voice fits so well with Joe's blistering guitar solos. They fit together like hand and glove, and this album makes me hope that they make another album together.




Please click image above.


Blonde Model with Guitar, Michelle, Music Poster Print

Sometimes when surfing the web for blues posters you find a surprise.

A blond and a blues guitar! What's not to like? This lady might help some bluesman get satisfied.



click either image to view at Amazon.com


Monday, November 28, 2011

Liz Green - O, Devotion!

Guardian

Liz Green may be a pale, thin 24 year old from the Wirral, but she sounds like a ballsy, bluesy big momma from the Deep South (no, not Devon, silly). She was this year's overall winner of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition and played the Pyramid Stage at the same festival to much acclaim. The feeling among those who saw her perform was that the female Devendra had finally arrived
Independent
The crashing of distant cymbals and the honking of muffled trombones provide the backdrop for the debut album from 28-year-old Scouser Liz Green, who sings Brechtian waltzes and squeaky-fingered blues songs of intrigue and mystery, inspired by everything from Primo Levi to Harold & Maude.


Blues Album in the Spotlight: Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton



Editorial Reviews from Amazon

2011 live collaboration between guitar legend Eric Clapton and Jazz great Wynton Marsalis.. The duo performed together in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center for two sold-out shows dedicated to vintage Blues. The extraordinary collaboration, billed as Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues, paired these musical virtuosos with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they brought to life a repertoire of songs selected by Clapton and arranged by Marsalis. The band nimbly navigated a diverse set list that touched on different styles, from the four-on-the-floor swing of Louis Armstrong's "Ice Cream" and the southern slow-drag of W.C. Handy's "Joe Turner's Blues" to the traveling blues of "Joliet Bound" and the boogie-woogie jump of "Kidman Blues."



Folk Music Album in the Spotlight


Editorial Review from Amazon

One of the most enduring acts in American music, Peter Paul And Mary both defined and transcended the 1960s folk revival. The trio's passionate commitment to peace and social justice made them the conscience of an era as they soulfully communicated political concerns through music in an unprecedented way. At the same time that they reached millions with their social message, they achieved phenomenal mass popularity. This is their first and only career-spanning hits collection that gathers 25 signature songs, including 'Leaving On A Jet Plane', 'Blowin' In The Wind', 'Puff, The Magic Dragon', as well as a solo recording by each member. Rhino. 2005.


Abdullah Ibrahim – Blue Bolero

Abdullah Ibrahim (born 1934, Cape Town, South Africa), formerly known as Adolph Johannes Brand, and as Dollar Brand (from a popular brand of cigarettes), is a South African pianist and composer.


Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics

Here is a blues book from the archives.

Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics
Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics
Click image for info @Amazon.com


Product Description - "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad/Wednesday's worse, and Thursday's also sad." There's a lot more to the blues than three chords played on an old beat-up guitar. Squeeze My Lemon is a collection of some of the best blues lines ever recorded. From birth ("Born under a bad sign/I've been down since I began to crawl") to death ("Everybody wants to go to heaven/But nobody wants too die") and everything in between, this volume quotes classic blues phrases by songwriter/artists B.B. King, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Robert Johnson and many, many others. Compiled by award-winning author/Grammy-nominated record producer Randy Poe, Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics features classic photos of many leading blues artists. A great gift book, it is highly entertaining not only for blues lovers, but for anyone who appreciates great lyrics. Categorized by subject matter (Love - Or the Lack Thereof, Blues and Booze, Blues Behind Bars, Make Mine a Double Entendre, etc.), Squeeze My Lemon is a book you'll return to - and quote from - again and again.


Blues Books @SqueezeMyLemon

Blues Music Books @Amazon.com


Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Blues and Gospel: An Example

Here is a post from the archives, had to make some minor edits, it is one of my first post in the Gospel blues series. Over the next few Sundays I plan to post more of these from the archives, and I hope you all enjoy them.

I would really appreciate it if you let me know if you like this series. Please leave a comment.

This clip is a cool example of how blues music and Gospel music are closely related. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is also one of my favorite guitar players. If you want to learn how to play blues or Gospel music, she is a great model to study.

The link below will take you to YouTube where you can watch the clip, because embedding has been disabled by request. But please click through, you won't be disappointed.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Chicago Blues Allstars



According to a commnet left at YouTube about this video, the Blues Allstars are; "Lee Jackson Guitar, Lafayette Leake piano, Clifton James on drums, Willie Dixon Bass, and of course Big Willie Horton on Harmonica."

Gospel Blues @SqueezeMyLemon

Sister Rosetta Tharp @ Amazon.com


Santana - Guitar Heaven

BBC

If you truly love these songs, you’ll remain loyal to the originals at every turn. But if it’s to Carlos that your heart is faithful, enjoyment aplenty can be expected from a well-realised set that could well follow its predecessors’ commercial success
. An excellent Robert Plant impersonation


It's the Birthday of Jimi Hendrix

According to Wikipedia:

James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix and known as Jimi Hendrix) (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter whose guitar playing was influential on rock music.

He is widely considered to be the greatest guitarist in musical history,and one of the most influential musicians of his era across a range of genres.


One of my favorite Hendrix albums is "Blues" it is outstanding in my opinion.

Song Title Time
1. Hear My Train A Comin' (Acoustic) 3:05
2. Born Under A Bad Sign 7:37
3. Red House 3:43
4. Catfish Blues 7:47
5. Voodoo Chile Blues 8:48
6. Mannish Boy 5:21
7. Once I Had A Woman 7:49
8. Bleeding Heart 3:26
9. Jam 292 6:24
10. Electric Church Red House 6:13
11. Hear My Train A Comin' (Electric) 12:09

Jimi Hendrix - Blues
Jimi Hendrix Blues
Click image for info @Amazon.com


Saturday, November 26, 2011

B.B King "Live In Detroit" poster

Here is a wonderful old poster from B. B. Kings 1975 "Live In Detroit" concert.

It would make a great gift for any blues fan.


B.B. King - Live in Detroit



B.B. King - Live...

Dennis Loren

Buy This at Allposters.com


Blues Music Link In the Spotlight

While surfing the web I came accross a cool link that blues guitar players might find valuable. It is a list of Tabs for blues music standards.

http://kristinhall.org/songbook/BluesAndStandards.html

Play the blues!


Check out this offer from SIRIUS|XM Radio
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SiriusXM Cyber Monday Hot Deals!


Joe Louis Walker — Blues of The Month Club


Joe Louis Walker - Blues of the Month Club by Half_Note_Jazz_Club


Friday, November 25, 2011

John Hiatt and Buddy Guy w/ Bonnie Raitt "Feels like rain"

We had a few days of rain last week and this song fit the mood so well. I like both versions. I believe that John Hiatt wrote this song.

John Hiatt "It Feels Like Rain" (studio version)


Buddy Guy with Bonnie Raitt "It Feels Like Rain"


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Lee Ritenour - 6 String Theory

Definitely another one for the Christmas list - a tribute to the guitar - gets better on each listening


Fake Thanksgiving Blues

Notes from YouTube: Changed the tuning on the resonator and came up with a nice riff to usher in the holiday spirit.

This video was posted by MrMpomy. Check out his YouTube channel if you like blues guitar music.


Lisa Miller sings Thanksgiving Blues

From YouTube: Thanksgiving Blues by Lisa Miller a comedy/blues number.

I bet you can relate to this. One of the cool things about Thanksgiving Day is how crazy it can get. I hope this brings a smile to your face, and takes your mind off anything that might be making you blue.


Buddy Guy - Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Here is a tasty morsel for your Thanksgiving morning. Pay attention to that sustained note, it is like a piece of pumpkin pie. Very sweet...

And I for one am thankful for the blues, and guitar masters like Buddy Guy.


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

From the Archives: Venerable Bluesman R.L. Burnside Dies

From the Archives: Here is a post I did to remember R.L Burnside when he passed away. I edited out some of the links that no longer worked.


He is probably in heaven sitting down.

I hope Mr. Burnside has a peaceful journey to the other side and may God bless his soul. One of his albums was named, "Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down" and I hope that he is. My condolences go out to his widow Alice Mae, and his kids and grandkids. RIP R.L.

mp3s by R.L. Burnside from Amazon.com









R.L. Burnside @SqueezeMyLemon
R.L. Brunside mp3s @Amazon.com

File under;




R.L. Burnside - 44 Pistol

Notes @ YouTube: RL Burnside doing his version of .44 blues that was written by Roosevelt Sykes.

I've always enjoyed the Howlin Wolf version of this song, but R.L. does a great job with it.



R.L. Burnside @SqueezeMyLemon
R.L. Brunside mp3s @Amazon.com


Earl Thomas

What a delight - saw him last saturday - a really enjoyable concert


It's The Birthday of R.L. Burnside - Blues Story - Poor Black Mattie

R. L. Burnside was born on November 23, 1926, and he passed away on September 1, 2005. May God rest his soul. I imagine that if heaven has a front poarch he is sitting out there playing his guitar.

He was a Delta blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who lived much of his life in and around Holly Springs, Mississippi. I remember when he came on my radar screen back in the early 1990s, I played a cassette tape of his over and over. Wanting everybody I knew to hear this music. You could tell that he had been playing and living the blues all his life. Too bad that he only received reconigition in the latter part of his life.

These two videos below, give a glimpse into his world and his music.

RL Burnside - Poor Black Mattie


R.L Burnside talks bout killin a man


R.L. Burnside @SqueezeMyLemon
R.L. Brunside mp3s @Amazon.com


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Jimmy Fallon as Jim Morrison "Reading Rainbow Theme Song"



Jimmy Fallon really does a great job on this one.


Monday, November 21, 2011

Rembetika - Greek Blues

wikipedia

The womb of rebetika was the jail and the hash den. It was there that the early rebetes created their songs. They sang in quiet, hoarse voices, unforced, one after the other, each singer adding a verse which often bore no relation to the previous verse, and a song often went on for hours. There was no refrain, and the melody was simple and easy. One rebetis accompanied the singer with a bouzouki or a baglamas (a smaller version of the bouzouki, very portable, easy to make in prison and easy to hide from the police), and perhaps another, moved by the music, would get up and dance. The early rebetika songs, particularly the love songs, were based on Greek folk songs and the songs of the Greeks of Smyrna and Constantinople. — Elias Petropoulos
A very interesting music form - a comprehensive guide here Can anyone point out other sources or videos?

Mavrika - The Gambler from Tom Thistlethwaite on Vimeo.


MINGUS ON MINGUS PROJECT

There is a new documentary being made about Charles Mingus (the late grate Jazz musician) by his grandson. He needs some help with the funding, please check this out and maybe give him a hand with this important project.

From the Web Site

The feature-length documentary is the journey of a grandson searching for the truth behind the legend of the grandfather he never knew. Surrounded by controversy for his polemic actions and his unpredictability, the enigmatic figure of his grandfather became a jazz icon. The documentary opens doors to unknown facets of a composer who left one of the largest musical legacies of 20th Century American music. It is the path of his grandson, looking at the life of his grandfather through the eyes of those he touched and inspired, and through the locations where he lived and composed his art. The film rediscovers both, the man and the artist: Charles Mingus.

There are many perspectives of my grandfather that have not had a place in defining his legacy… I am seeking them out to understand him beyond myth, fable or a singular vision of his work. – Kevin Ellington Mingus, Director




For more information please visit >>> http://orangethenblue.com/


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Brenda Boykin




Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Lorraine Ellison - Stay With Me Baby



or Ruby Turner




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Monday, November 14, 2011

The Rising Sons, with Ry Cooder & Taj Mahal

thesoundmedium
The music on the album is a unique blend of brawny swamp blues, loose folk arrangements, and Beatles-esque pop sensibilities.  If you are interested in hearing where legendary jam acts such as The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band drew their inspirations from, look no further.  






Janis Joplin - Kosmic Blues



She did this in 1969 Woodstock.


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers 1971 Debut

Wikipedia
Cub Coda of Allmusic describes it as "wild, raucous, crazy music straight out of the South Side clubs", and calls it "one of the greatest slide guitar albums of all time". The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings describes its sound as "loud, harsh, boxy and exciting"

 Track List
1. She's Gone
2. Walking The Ceiling
3. Held My Baby Last Night
4. Taylor's Rock
5. It's Alright
6. Phillips' Theme
7. Wild About You, Baby
8. I Just Can't Make It
9. It Hurts Me Too
10. 44 Blues
11. Give Me Back My Wig
12. 55th Street Boogie
13. Look On Yonder's Wall









A vinyl remaster