"Travelling Riverside Blues," sometimes called "Mudbone" or "Mud Bone," is a blues song written and recorded in Dallas, Texas by the bluesman Robert Johnson.
In May 2010, at the Blues Music Awards, Ruthie was announced as Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year and I can see why!
.... 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.
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 ....
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 upRolling 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
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.
Here is a blues humor post from the archives, the "Blues Brothers" movie is still a very funny movie.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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
A couple of cracking tracks from Chris' long and varied repertoire, I hope you enjoy as much as I do.
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
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. "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
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.
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.
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".
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.
She is pretty damned good!
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.
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.
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.
Notes from YouTube: "Beth Hart Live At Rockpalast Crossroads 2011"
Here is a blues art poster that I posted earlier, I like the look on Muddy Waters face in this print.
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.
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
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.
Check him out at RamseyLewis.com
Also visit his twitter page @RamseyLewis
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
"Maybe there ain't no heaven, maybe there ain't not burning hell..."
"Deacon Jones please pray for me..."
"Don't knowbody really know..."
"Deacon Jones, please pray for me..."
"When I die, nobody can really tell..."
Notes form YouTube: " God Don't Never Change "
Tuesday, 10 December 1929 NEW ORLEANS
Gospel Blues @ SqueezeMyLemon
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
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
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
Blind Lemon Jefferson preforming "Christmas Eve Blues".
Blind Lemon Jefferson @Amazon.com
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.
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
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
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 (remember the Police Academy movies) on Senkveld med Thomas og Harald (a Norwegian talkshow) doing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lot of Love".
Notes from YouTube: Music video by Tedeschi Trucks Band performing Tedeschi Trucks Band EPK. (C) 2011 Sony Music Entertainment
Notes from YouTube: Music video by Warren Haynes Band performing Man In Motion (Live from Bonnaroo 2011).
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."
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.
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]
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 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.
Notes from YouTube: This is from the Stadthalle Offenbach Concert that took place 1978.
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
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.
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.
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 arrivedIndependent
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.
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.
Here is a blues book from the archives.
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
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
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.
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...
Dennis Loren
Buy This at Allposters.com
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!
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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"
Definitely another one for the Christmas list - a tribute to the guitar - gets better on each listening
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.
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.
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.
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;
blues
RL Burnside
mp3
music
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
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.
Jimmy Fallon really does a great job on this one.
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 PetropoulosA very interesting music form - a comprehensive guide here Can anyone point out other sources or videos?
Mavrika - The Gambler from Tom Thistlethwaite on Vimeo.
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
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.
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"
