Jazz Book: Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington

Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington

Right now I am so behind in my reading, so many wonderful books on jazz and blues music and so little time.  But this is on my night stand as I type this, and if I can I will plow threw it in quick time.  I've always found the stories about Duke Ellington intriguing and hopefully you will too.

According to Amazon.com;

A major new biography of Duke Ellington from the acclaimed author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was the greatest jazz composer of the twentieth century—and an impenetrably enigmatic personality whom no one, not even his closest friends, claimed to understand. The grandson of a slave, he dropped out of high school to become one of the world’s most famous musicians, a showman of incomparable suavity who was as comfortable in Carnegie Hall as in the nightclubs where he honed his style. He wrote some fifteen hundred compositions, many of which, like “Mood Indigo” and “Sophisticated Lady,” remain beloved standards, and he sought inspiration in an endless string of transient lovers, concealing his inner self behind a smiling mask of flowery language and ironic charm.

As the biographer of Louis Armstrong, Terry Teachout is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the public and private lives of Duke Ellington. Duke peels away countless layers of Ellington’s evasion and public deception to tell the unvarnished truth about the creative genius who inspired Miles Davis to say, “All the musicians should get together one certain day and get down on their knees and thank Duke.” 

Phil Hughes - Trouble So Hard (Vera Hall)

Very nice version of Vera Hall's "Trouble So Hard" by Phil Hughes.  Nice harpping and singing.  Hope you all enjoy on this Sunday morning.

Rap Lyrics Uesed as Evidence In Court

I don't usually write about Rap music, because I don't really listen to it.  Not because I don't like some of it, but because it does not usually reflect the reality of my life, they way Blues, R&B, Soul, Country, Jazz and Folk music do.

To be honest, a lot of  it seems to come from an angry place, and life is too short to be listening to music that makes you feel angry.  But the same can be, and has been said about blues music. Rock music and even country music. I going to admit, that it really comes down to the fact that I do not understand most of the new Rap music.

This article from PBS Newshour got me thinking about Rap music lyrics. Rap Lyrics Used As Evidence of Intent in Criminal Cases describes how prosecutors are using Rap lyrics to convict Rappers of violent crimes.

And it got me to thinking about some of the other art forms where authors and musicians sing songs about murder and other crimes.

I wanted to leave the comment on the article;

I wonder what would happen if George RR Martin was accused of a brutal murder.  I wonder if anyone would believe that because he writes popular violent fiction that he is capable of committing those kinds of crimes?

But they wanted me to give them too much information, just to leave a comment so I thought I would write this blog post.  Feel free to comment below.

Part of me thinks that Rappers are easy targets, because (1) most of them are young black men, and (2) they sing about violence, and (3) many people really don't like Rap music.  And this means that it is easy to pin crimes on them.

But I also think that it is probably more complicated than that also, Rappers are singing and writing about their environments, where they live, where they grow up.  Some of it is autobiographical I am sure, and there is much of it that is exaggeration, bragging and just down right make believe.

So I think that it is important that those who use music, or any art, as evidence should make sure that they really understand it.  That they are not just taking advantage of a group of musicians, because it is easy to scapegoat them.

Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love (Full Album)

I've been listening to a lot of Paolo Nutini lately.  The young Scottish musician has a lot of talent for someone so young.  He reminds me of a couple of different soul, R&B singers, with a bit of Reggae and Folk in there too.

Check out his latest album Caustic Love @Amazon.

Soul Singer Bobby Womack is Dead

MTV.Com is reporting that Soul Singer Bobby Womack is Dead.  Please see their article  Soul Singer Bobby Womack Dead at 70.

From the posting;

Womack released dozens of albums during his decades-long career, beginning with Fly Me To The Moon in 1968. His music became an influence for later R&B records, as well as hip-hop, and he was sampled by a number of artists, including by 50 Cent, Wu-Tang Clan, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Big K.R.I.T., and Mariah Carey. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

Billie Holiday Collection Album

If I ever get stranded on an island with only one album, it will be Billie Holiday.  I have no doubt that I could listen to this all day, and still love it.

And if you like this music, please support Jazz music by buying the mp3s. Billie Holiday - Collection Vol. 1

Mary Gauthier - I DRINK ( LIVE)

I want to say thanks to Terry Gross of Fresh Air on NPR for her interview with Mary Gauthier.

She has a new album titled Trouble & Love.  Check it out, it's good stuff.

Louis Armstrong Master of Modernism

Louis Armstrong, Master of Modernism

According to Amazon.com;

The definitive account of Louis Armstrong—his life and legacy—during the most creative period of his career. 

Nearly 100 years after bursting onto Chicago’s music scene under the tutelage of Joe "King" Oliver, Louis Armstrong is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. A trumpet virtuoso, seductive crooner, and consummate entertainer, Armstrong laid the foundation for the future of jazz with his stylistic innovations, but his story would be incomplete without examining how he struggled in a society seething with brutally racist ideologies, laws, and practices. 

Thomas Brothers picks up where he left off with the acclaimed Louis Armstrong's New Orleans, following the story of the great jazz musician into his most creatively fertile years in the 1920s and early 1930s, when Armstrong created not one but two modern musical styles. Brothers wields his own tremendous skill in making the connections between history and music accessible to everyone as Armstrong shucks and jives across the page. Through Brothers's expert ears and eyes we meet an Armstrong whose quickness and sureness, so evident in his performances, served him well in his encounters with racism while his music soared across the airwaves into homes all over America. 

Louis Armstrong, Master of Modernism blends cultural history, musical scholarship, and personal accounts from Armstrong's contemporaries to reveal his enduring contributions to jazz and popular music at a time when he and his bandmates couldn’t count on food or even a friendly face on their travels across the country. Thomas Brothers combines an intimate knowledge of Armstrong's life with the boldness to examine his place in such a racially charged landscape. In vivid prose and with vibrant photographs, Brothers illuminates the life and work of the man many consider to be the greatest American musician of the twentieth century.

Book Details

• File Size: 8108 KB
• Print Length: 609 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0393065820
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (January 27, 2014)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00DNEGNPQ

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Stone Flower - Full Album

Here is another tasty little nugget for you to add to your collection of wonderful Jazz music.  Please check out Mr. Antonio Carlos Jobim and if you like it, please support the music by buying it. Stone Flower (CTI Records 40th Anniversary Edition - Original Recording Remastered)  

Notes from YouTube

Published on Nov 23, 2012

Personnel

Antonio Carlos Jobim -- piano, electric piano, guitar, vocals
Harry Lookofsky -- violin
Joe Farrell -- soprano saxophone
Urbie Green -- trombone
Hubert Laws -- flute
Ron Carter -- double bass
João Palma -- drums
Airto Moreira
Everaldo Ferreira -- conga
Deodato -- arranger


All songs composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, except where indicated.
"Tereza My Love"
"Children's Games"
"Choro"
"Brazil" (Ary Barroso)
"Stone Flower"
"Amparo"
"Andorinha"
"God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun"
"Sabia"
"Brazil" [alternate take]

Miles Davis - You're Under Arrest

Of course I love this album, but my two favorite cuts are "Human Nature" and "Time After Time".  Check out the notes below for more information.

You're Under Arrest by Miles Davis at Amazon.com.

Notes from YouTube;

Miles Davis - You're Under Arrest (The album)

"One Phone Call"/"Street Scenes" (Davis) 00:01

"Human Nature" (John Bettis, Steve Porcaro) 04:33

"Intro: MD 1"/"Something's On Your Mind"/"MD 2" (Davis, Hubert Eaves III, James "D-Train" Williams) 09:00

"Ms. Morrisine" (Davis, Morrisine Tynes Irving, Robert Irving III) 16:17

"Katia Prelude" (Davis, Irving III) 21:23

"Katia" (Davis, Irving III)

"Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman) 29:40

"You're Under Arrest" (John Scofield) 33:15

"Medley: Jean Pierre"/"You're Under Arrest"/"Then There Were None" (Davis, Irving III, Scofield) 39:36



Personnel: Miles Davis: Trumpet, "Police Voices, Davis Voices" on track 1, Synthesizer on track 5,6

John McLaughlin: Guitar on track 4,5,6

John Scofield: Guitar on track 1,2,3,7,9

Bob Berg: Soprano Saxophone on track 1, Tenor Saxophone on track 8,9

Al Foster: Drums on track 1,7,8,9

Vince Wilburn, Jr.: Drums on track 2,3,4,5,6

Robert Irving III: Synthesizers, Celesta, Organ, Clavinet

Darryl Jones, A/K/A "The Munch:" Bass

Steve Thorton: Percussion, Spanish voice on track 1

Sting (under his real name Gordon Sumner): French policeman's voice on track 1

Marek Olko: Polish voice on track 1

James Prindiville, a.k.a. "J.R.:" Handcuffs on track 1

You're Under Arrest is a 1985 album recorded by Miles Davis that saw Miles mix pop tunes with political statements about racism, pollution and war. Among other tracks, the album featured Davis' interpretations of two contemporary pop songs: Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Michael Jackson's "Human Nature".

During the recording sessions, bass player Darryl Jones introduced Sting to his longtime idol Miles Davis. Sting was startled when Davis asked him if he could speak French, and since he did, to translate the Miranda warning into French and yell it into the microphone against a backing track.

Books on Jazz: Art: Why I stuck with a Junkie Jazzman

ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman

According to Amazon.com:  Art Pepper told his sexy, sordid, and exciting true adventure stories to his lover, Laurie, who put them in a book. She quizzed him (and those who knew him) unrelentingly over seven years, editing and structuring a narrative to which she dedicated all her energy. Straight Life by Art and Laurie Pepper (Da Capo) was published in 1979. It was critical success and remains a classic of its kind, the subject of college literary and music studies. Laurie went on to marry Art and manage his resurgent career, touring the world with his band.

“Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman” was the headline some editor gave a newspaper interview Laurie did while the band was in Australia in 1981, and she’s now stolen that “that perfect title” for her memoir. ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman (APMCorp), describes her marriage to the deeply troubled, drug-addicted, madly gifted artist. “That marriage was the making of me,” says Laurie. “Some people go to grad school or join the Marines. I married a genius who valued and inspired me and challenged me to use MY gifts. We had a difficult, powerful partnership. I had to tell that story.” She says she also needs to set the record straight and clarify her role: “People think I was some kind of little wifey-saint who rescued him. And Art encouraged them in that. But he knew how truly crazy I could be. We rescued each other.”

Duke Ellington Solo Piano Concert

The worst thing about this video is still wonderful.  It should be required viewing, as far as I am concerned.

According to the notes at YouTube this was recorded by ABC in Australia, it is a concert where Duke Ellington gives an overview of Jazz.  It is just so cool, to listen to a master of the form who knows the history of the music and gives a great presentation.

Bliss - Cindy Bradley

I'm coming around to some smooth jazz trumpet played by the lovely Cindy Bradley.

Give her a listen, and as always if you like the music help support the artist.

Bliss at Amazon.com.

Stanley Turrentine Sextet - Sugar

Very sweet indeed.

Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits Full Album

I just love Janis Joplin's music.  She was so groovy and her sound brings back many memories of my youth and that whole time period.  It all comes flooding back, the real and the imagined, every time I hear this album.

If you love this music, you have to support it.  Buy it, and listen to it, and if you are musically inclined, play it.
Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits

Blues Books: Escaping The Delta

Escaping the Delta:
Robert Johnson
and the Invention of the Blues

please click image

According to Publishers Weekly;

In this combination history of blues music and biography of Robert Johnson, Wald, a blues musician himself (and author of Narcorrido), explores Johnson's rise from a little known guitarist who died in 1938 to one of the most influential artists in rock and roll. From the blues' meager beginning in the early 1900s to its '30s heyday and its 1960s revival, Wald gives a revisionist history of the music, which he feels, in many instances, has been mislabeled and misjudged. Though his writing sometimes reads like a textbook, and he occasionally gets bogged down in arcane musical references, Wald's academic precision aids him in his quest to re-analyze America's perception of the blues as well as in trying to decipher the music's murky true origins and history. Using a lengthy comparison of how white Americans and black Americans define the blues, Wald demonstrates how Johnson fit into the gray area between the two. Wald combines a short bio of Johnson with detailed analysis of his songs and the mysterious tales that are associated with him, giving a thorough account of Johnson's life, music and legend. The chapter on how white guitarists like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards interpreted who Johnson was and what he played really shows why he is not one of the many forgotten early 20th-century bluesmen. Wald's theories will no doubt cause passionate discussions among true blues aficionados, but the technical and obscure nature of much of his writing will make the book more of a useful reference resource.

The Washington Post gave this review;

The congressional proclamation of 2003 as the "Year of the Blues" enabled all manner of film, concert and educational initiatives meant to raise public awareness and appreciation of a genre that Congress asserts "is the most influential form of American roots music." While few would argue otherwise, some have responded to all this Capitol Hill pomp by raising questions about the relevance of the blues in the 21st century, when the music's audience has skewed overwhelmingly white, and its most rabid supporters appear to be the fraternity of beer-ad music supervisors.

Elijah Wald is not so interested in what the blues means in its year of distinction, but he is very interested in how it came to mean something other than what it once did. In Escaping the Delta, he sets out to explore "the paradox of [Robert] Johnson's reputation: that his music excited so little interest among the black blues fans of his time, and yet is now widely hailed as the greatest and most important blues ever recorded." Wald sees this paradox as symbolizing a larger gulf between the blues as heard by the black audience in its own time -- who knew it as hip, popular music -- and a later, mostly white audience that romanticized the blues as "the heart-cry of a suffering people." Not a book about Johnson per se, Escaping the Delta is a thoughtful, impassioned historical essay about that gulf.

Wald spends the first several chapters laying out the prewar musical terrain in which the blues came to the fore, through a synthesis of murkily understood received culture and the skills of those who refined the blues into a consciously commercial -- not naively folk -- art. After a quick sketch of Johnson's life and a critical analysis of his recordings, Wald carries the story through to the folk-revival "discovery" of the blues in the 1950s and the British Invasion's canonizing stamp of the 1960s, then adds a coda in which he seeks to lay permanently to rest the resilient myth that Johnson met the devil at a crossroads and sold his soul for other-worldly musicianship.

If the first half of the story sounds a lot more interesting than the second, Wald may feel the same way. Escaping the Delta is most engaged in the early going, as he dismantles genre stereotypes via endearing tidbits such as that blues singer Memphis Minnie's set list included George Gershwin's "Lady Be Good" and that Johnson rated the Sons of the Pioneers' "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" among his favorite songs. The book is much more hurried and polemically loose on the downhill side, as Wald takes broad swipes at an uptight blues "cognoscenti" and cites more dully familiar anecdotes such as the time the Rolling Stones sat at the feet of Howlin' Wolf. A professional musician himself, Wald can regale a listener with pinpoint comparisons of Johnson and Kokomo Arnold recordings that were each waxed more than 60 years ago. Such record-geek soliloquies can clear out a cocktail party, but here they serve a reader well. For Wald is rarely less than convincing when he makes his case for what Johnson and the prewar blues audience were actually hearing in their own day.

Often it wasn't the blues. Repeatedly Wald drives home the point that neither the musicians nor the audience frequenting a Clarksdale, Miss., juke joint in 1937 likely limited their taste to visceral fare like Johnson's "Cross Road Blues." They'd probably never heard it. In Wald's estimation, black listeners tended to prefer the smooth, urbane vocals of the far better-selling (in Johnson's day) blues pianist Leroy Carr, and if the jukebox selections noted by a 1944 field recording team are any indication, some may have liked the "sweet band" leader Sammy Kaye better than either.

In this fashion Wald does not seek to temper admiration for Johnson and his brilliant Delta generation. Rather he wants to rescue them from a historical narrative he sees as having been edited by record producers (the blues were good business), folklorists (the blues were authentic) and Rolling Stones fans (the blues were outlaw), each of which had a separate agenda for the music.

But Wald's focus on folkies and Stones freaks is problematic. For all his interest in the complexity of black-white, blues-pop musical exchanges in the pre-World War II South, he largely ignores that dynamic as carried through to the volatile postwar context. The South is full of tales of white kids who during the segregation era snuck away to off-limits black nightclubs, and of black kids who grew up with their ears tuned to the Grand Ole Opry. Wald is rightly sympathetic to the frustrations of the latter (quoting Bobby "Blue" Bland, "it was the wrong time and the wrong place for a black singer to make it singing white country blues") but oddly uninterested in the experiences of the former. He mentions Elvis Presley mostly in passing and scarcely touches on the impact of postwar black radio. Yet that generation's story had every bit as much to do with evolving perceptions (and misperceptions) of the blues as did any folk revivalism or Stones evangelism.

Nevertheless, the best studies inspire further study, and the best music books inspire further listening. Escaping the Delta could well do both. Blank spots aside, one comes away respecting Wald's view that far too much time has been spent wondering if Robert Johnson really sold his soul to the devil, and far too little time listening at the musical crossroads where he actually lived.

Blues Books @SqueezeMyLemon

Blues Music Books @Amazon.com

Rolling Stones Tee Shirt

Rolling Stones - Not Fade Away Ladies T-Shirt

A scratchy, distressed print of the tongue logo with lots of flourish! A scroll says "Not Fade Away". A brown, 100% cotton juniors t-shirt from the Rolling Stones with a sweet vintage look!

Old Glory Tee Shirts and Stuff @ Amazon.com

Jimmy Scott - Nothing compares to you

NPR is reporting that Jimmy Scott has passed away. See Ethereal Jazz Singer Jimmy Scott Dies.

Nothing could compare to Mr. Scott, may he rest in peace.

John Coltrane Blue Train Full Album

According to Wikipedia;

Blue Train is a hard bop jazz album by John Coltrane, released in 1957 on Blue Note Records, catalogue BLP 1577. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, it is Coltrane's second solo album, the only one he recorded for Blue Note as a leader, and the only one he conceived personally for the label. It has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.

It goes without saying this this is Jazz Gold right here.  So give it a close listen, if you are not familiar with Mr. Coltrane and if you like it buy it @ Amazon.com. Blue Train (Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

Bootsy Collins with James Brown Live (1971)

This is just awesome, shows the power and majesty of James Brown.  I just love this clip and the music and dancing of JB.

KPBS Host Lonsome Otis

Yesterday I was driving and listening to the radio. Funny how it seems that I do my best listening when I'm driving, and I heard an interesting segment on KPBS about an American Roots Bluegrass Music festival.

The Huck Finn Jubilee is California's Jam and Bluegrass Festival according to a posting on KPBS  Americas Roots Bluegrass Music Celebrated Weekend.

The post has the Bluegrass band Lonsome Otis playing a couple of tunes, and also includes interview questions with Greg Deering of Deering Banjo Company, a local San Diego manufacturer of banjos.

Links;

http://huckfinn.com/
http://www.lonesomeotis.com/index.html
http://www.deeringbanjos.com/

Santana Corazón 2014

Watched this last night on HBO Go, very nice concert.  Carlos Santana and his guest put on a great show.  I love the Latin, rock, blues sound of his band.  He is accompanied here by Pitbull, Ziggy Marley, Gloria Estefan and more.

Check out Corazon (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD) (Amazon Exclusive)



Notes from YouTube;

1. Saideira (Spanish Version) Santana feat. Samuel Rosa  3:55

2. La Flaca Santana feat. Juanes  4:10

3. Mal Bicho Santana feat. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs  3:37

4. Oye 2014 Santana feat. Pitbull  3:22

5. Iron Lion Zion Santana feat. Ziggy Marley & ChocQuibTown  4:30

6. Una Noche en Nápoles Santana feat. Lila Downs, Niña Pastori & Soledad

7. Besos de Lejos Santana feat. Gloria Estefan  4:16

8. Margarita Santana feat. Romeo Santos  4:01

9. Indy Santana feat. Miguel  3:25

10. Feel It Coming Back Santana feat. Diego Torres  4:09

11. Yo Soy La Luz Santana feat. Wayne Shorter & Cindy Blackman Santana  4:06

12. I See Your Face Santana  1:18

13. Saideira Santana feat. Samuel Rosa  3:55

14. Beijo de Longe Santana feat. Gloria Estefan  4:16

15. Amor Correspondido Santana feat. Diego Torres

Fresh Air Post an Interview Dave and Phil Alvin

Fresh Air with Terry Gross of NPR had a wonderful interview today with the Alvin Brothers.  Checkc it out >>> Fresh Air: In Big Bill Broonzys Blues Brothers Find A Way To Sing Together

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Live At Red Rocks (2012) HQ Full Concert

I love this vidoe, and wanted to share it with my readers. If you have the time check out the whole thing, and also check out the notes below from YouTube, which provide a lot of information about the video and the Band.

And as always if you like this music, please support the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Tedeschi Trucks Band @ Amazon.com


Notes from YouTube


Tedeschi Trucks Band Live At Red Rocks Red Rocks Amphitheater - Morrison, Colorado Thursday, August 30, 2012

Pro-Shot Cable TV Broadcast by AXS/.TV

01 - Introduction 00:00
02 - Everybody's Talkin' 01:24
03 - Don't Let Me Slide 07:08
04 - Rollin' and Tumblin' 13:18
05 - Isn't It a Pity 17:48
06 - Bound for Glory 23:34
07 - The Sky Is Crying 33:54
08 - Shelter 41:39
09 - Get What You Deserve 47:10
10 - Mahjoun 51:55
11 - Midnight In Harlem 56:02
12 - Learn How To Love 1:04:02
13 - That Did It 1:13:13
14 - Kissing My Love (Band Intros) 1:20:20
15 - Uptight (Everything's Alright) 1:27:02
16 - Jam 1:34:45
17 - Love Has Something Else To Say 1:38:38

Encore:
18 - Wade In The Water 1:50:30
20 - Give It Up Or Let Me Go 1:58:14

Band:
Susan Tedeschi - guitar, vocals
Derek Trucks - guitar
Oteil Burbridge - bass, vocals
Kofi Burbridge - keyboards, flute, vocals
Tyler Greewell - drums
J.J. Johnson - drums
Mike Mattison - vocals
Mark Rivers - vocals
Kebbi Williams - trumpet
Maurice Brown - saxophone
Saunders Sermons - trombone

Joe Bonamassa - Live From The Royal Albert Hall (Part 1/2)

Joe is the man.  And this is a wonderful video.  It is another one of those that I would watch all day if I could.

And as always if you love the music, then support the music. Joe Bonamassa Live from The Royal Albert Hall

Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey Going Back Home

Blues Book: Blues for Dummies by Lonnie Brooks

Blues for Dummies

click for info

I'm a fan of the "For Dummies" books on subjects that I know nothing about. They can bring you up to speed on a subject if you really don't know the ends and outs and want a good overview, so that you can jump right in.

Well that is what this book does. If you are a long time fan of the blues and know the history of the blues all that way back to Charlie Patton, then this might not be for you. But if you are looking for a comprehensive book that is well written by knowledgeable and enthusiastic blues musicians, than this is the book for you.

The book covers early and modern blues artist, where to find blues music, it gives some hints on how to play blues music, and how to throw a blues party. All an all this is a great read for most fans of the blues.

Blues Books @SqueezeMyLemon

Blues Music Books @Amazon.com

John Lee Hooker - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

This is very cool, one of my favorite bluesmen, doing one of my favorite Gospel Blues songs.  Makes me wish I had found this sooner.  Just goes to show you that you have to keep digging the find all the great music that's out there.

Po' Girl - Shake Sugaree / Gone & Pawn (Elizabeth Cotten Cover) (Live At...

This is a wonderful cover of Elizabeth Cotton's "Shake Sugaree".

Miles Davis - Round About Midnight full album

And here we have Miles Davis' "Round About Midnight". I really love this album, but then again there is very little of Miles' stuff that I do not like.

If you've never heard this one you are in for a treat. And if you really enjoy the music, then click here to buy the mp3s @ Amazon.com. Around Midnight


 

Black Eyed Blues by Esther Phillips

I love this version of this song also. Black-Eyed Blues

Favorite line in the song, "I don't mind if you turn me around, just as long as it gets found."

 

Barbara Morrison Black Eyed Blues

Sometimes I feel like I am so behind the curb. Never realized that I could post SoundCloud links here on the blog.

 Check this out;
 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd's New Album

Been jamming Kenny Wayne Shepherd's new album "Goin' Home [+digital booklet]" lately. It's good stuff, check it out.

I Got This Record by Jwoon

I hate to say it, but I've been there and felt this. Played that record in my real life, so this resonates so much with me. This music is classified as being soul music, but it is really blues. It has that depth, and connection to feelings in a way that only blues music has.


As always if you love the music, support the artist by buying their music.  





Jwoon @ Amazon.com

The Black Keys - Turn Blue - Full Album

I have to admit that I'm kind of feeling it.  I do wish that it were just a bit more blues oriented, but hey the times they are changing.  And who was it that said, "Change is good."? 

And if you feel it too, than that's cool.  Support the music you love by buying it. Turn Blue




1. Weight Of Love 00:00
2 .In Time 6:50
3. Turn Blue 11:18
4. Fever 15:00
5. Year In Review 19:05
6. Bullet In The Brain 
7. It's Up To You Now
8. Waiting On Words
9. 10 Lovers
10. In Our Prime
11. Gotta Get Away

Beth Hart "Spirit of God" At: Guitar Center

I have heard this song, I don't know how many times before I realized that this is a gospel blues song.

I love Beth Hart, because she brings so much raw power to her performances. And this video will not disappoint.  It is such a wonderful display of Mrs. Harts talents.





This is from the album Bang Bang Boom Boom

The Gospel Sounds of Mahalia Jackson Spotify Playlist

Please check out this Sotify Playlist, it is of the Mahalia Jackson Album "The Gospel Sounds of Mahalia Jackson". It is one of my favorite gospel albums.