What They Said: Howlin Wolf Video

There is no loss of people who will tell you what the bluesmen said. Sometimes I like to hear what they said in their own words.

Here is a delightful clip of Howlin Wolf talking about what he thinks the blues is.

He seems to be doing an intro for one of his sets, along the way he drops some wisdom about loving whiskey too much, and then goes on a rant about not leaving your shoes behind, when you find yourself in some "Devilment".

Howlin Wolf Talking about the blues @ YouTube

Seems like to me, old Howlin Wolf knew what he was talking about. This is too funny.

file under;
music, blues, video

Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand Video

Here is another Lightnin' Hopkins Video. He is preforming his song "MoJo Hand".

Lightnin' Hopkins - Mojo Hand

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music, blues, video

Victoria Spivey - Black Snake Blues Video

One of the things I love about going back and looking at the prewar blues musicians is discovering those who I have not heard of before. Here is an example. I was searching for a different video clip for Lonnie Johnson. I posted a video of him singing "Another Night to Cry" last month, to compliment some mp3s of his that I had posted earlier.

And I came across this little gem, Victoria Spivey - Black Snake Blues. I am not that familiar with Mrs. Spivey's music, but I'm now busy as you read this coming up to speed on her. I hope to be able to post more of her stuff soon.

Notice that in this video she is being backed by Sonny Boy Williamson and Lonnie Johnson.

The reason that I was looking for a Lonnie Johnson is because it was in this month back in 1970 that he died after being struck by a car in Toronto. And I wanted to remember him by sharing some more of his music, and I think that this video is a fitting remembrance to him.

Great selection of Victoria Spivey ram files @ redhotjazz.com


file under;
video, blues, music, Victoria Spivey

Top 10 Blues Harmonica Players

Here is my list of my top 10 favorite blues harmonica players. In loose order, the people listed below #6 can change depending on my mood, the first five guys are set in stone in my opinion. Feel free to leave me a comment with your top 10 favorites.

01. Sonny Boy Williamson II (Alek Rice Miller)
02. Lil Walter
03. Sonny Terry
04. Junior Wells
05. Sonny Boy Williamson I
06. Jimmy Reed
07. James Cotton
08. Charlie Musselwhite
09. Sugar Blue
10. Big Walter Horton

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blues, harmonica

Jimmy Page & The Prewar Bluesmen

I love Jimmy Page, and I love Led Zeppelin too. But I have always been disappointed by how they did not properly credit the prewar bluesmen & women for the music they played. Much of this music is traditional and it is difficult to know who should get the credit for it.

But one of the more disturbing practices of Zeppelin and Page is that they actually took the writing credits for much of the music that they played, when in fact they did little to create the music, but were really doing some great covers.

I have been in many arguments with those who love Zeppelin, and who do not know about the prewar blues performers. That is another one of the reasons that I started this blog, I wanted to document the accomplishments of the prewar blues musicians.

Well anyway I recently surfed onto a very informative article that documents some of history of Page's use of other's music and ideas THE THIEVING MAGPIES: Jimmy Page's Dubious Recording Legacy

I present this here not to take anything away from Jimmy Page or Led Zeppelin, because in my mind they were one of the greatest bands that ever existed, and Jimmy Page is one of my favorite guitar players of all time, but to pass along some great documentation. The fact that they are still being listened to, talked about, written about still today is a testament to their greatness.

Clifford Antone passes.

BB King & Clifford Antone on right

I am sad to report that Clifford Antone the long time Austin Texas blues promoter and club owner has passed away. The SqueezeMyLemon Blog would like to wish him a peaceful journey over to the other side. And we also want to provide you all with some information about this man who was so pivotal in supporting the blues while he lived. And by all accounts he lived the blues too.

Antone: 'Heart of Austin music' had blues in his blood

This is an interesting article about this blues pioneer that high lights many of the highs and lows of Clifford Antone's life. This article also has some multimedia links, including the below mp3 link of Pinetop Perkins singing a hymn. Links include various photo galleries and audio links

Pinetop Perkins plays hymns for Antone mp3 from Austin360.com.

Legendary club owner Clifford Antone dies

Local Austin News Station coverage of Clifford's death. Many other interesting links.

Memorial for Clifford Antone

Article by local Austin News Station about memorial for Clifford Antone.

If Austin Seems a Little Blue Tonight...

"When I came here in 1978 to attend UT, I found my way to his club off of Guadalupe and gravitated towards the friendly people there during those days. I even had the opportunity to meet this wonderful man and had no idea at the time of meeting how much of an influence he had on Austin's Music Scene." txbluebonnet2006

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music, blues, Clifford Antone

The blues ain't just frat boy's music.

John W. Work

While listening to the radio today, I heard a report on NPR about the blues that made me chuckle. A quote from the article;

In the South during the Jim Crow era, long before the blues became frat party music, it was common for black men (and a few women) to play the blues on street corners, bars, cafes -- any public place where the police were agreeable and passers-by might contribute a quarter or a dime.

That line about the blues being frat party music is interesting to me, because many people today seem to forget the roots of the blues.

I recommend that you read the whole commentary; A Chance Encounter with the Blues by Bruce Nemerov. It also includes a song recorded by the noted Fisk University music professor John Work. And various other links that may be of interest to lovers of the blues.

file under;
music, blues, John Work

Lightnin' Hopkins video

If you want to learn how to play blues guitar, a good place to start would be to buy ever piece of Lightnin Hopkins' music that you can find and to study it nonstop. Lightnin's nimble dexterity, his ability to create some of the coolest boggie riffs, his often funny improvised lyrics that fit into whatever situation the bluesman found himself in, all combine to make him one of my favorite blues performers.

Or if like me you just like listening to someone who knows how to play a guitar, then you might want to check this out;

Lightnin' Hopkins - Let's Pull a Party

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music, blues, video, guitar, Lightnin' Hopkins,

Charley Patton mp3s

May is an interesting month in blues history because in this month two of my favorite pre-war bluesmen were born. Not only was Robert Johnson born during this month, on May 8th back in 1911, but May is also the birth month of Charley Patton who was born on May 1, 1891.

He is best known as a Mississippi Delta blues musician. Like many others, I think of him as the "Father of Delta Blues" and it is amazing to think that he is one of the oldest known figures of American popular music.

Here are some mp3s of his music.

Charley Patton - High Sheriff Blues mp3

The below mp3s are from the Internet Archive. They have some very interesting write ups on these songs and would be worth a visit.

Charley Patton - Screamin And Hollerin The Blues mp3

Charley Patton - A Spoonful Blues mp3

These next two mp3s are of Charley Patton on guitar while his common law wife Bertha Lee sings. I really like both of these songs and hope you do too.

Bertha Lee & Charley Patton - Mind Reader Blues mp3

Bertha Lee & Charley Patton - Yellow Bee mp3

Click for other Charley Patton mp3s here at SqueezeMyLemon.

file under;
music, blues, mp3

Bessie Smith MP3s

When I first started this blog I had it in mind to make it kind of like a calander. I did a lot of research on what happened in the world of blues on certain days of the year. And then I wanted to post an interesting blues
factoid and give an mp3 or video to match that date.

Did you know that today is the birthday of Charley Patton the "Father of Delta Blues" was born on May 1, in 1891. And it is also the birthday of noted harmonica player Little Walter born Marion Walter Jacobs on May 1 in 1930.

Then I kind of got off track. So I'm making up for not posting some of the events of April. That is why I have been posting the birthdates of some of the blues greats who were born during this month.

Which brings me to the fact that Apr 15, 1898 was the birthdate of one of the Queens of the blues, Mrs. Bessie Smith. To celebrate, please play these two mp3's.

You can read all about Bessie Smith here in these past entries here at SqueezeMyLemon,

Bessie Smith - Saint Louis Blues Video

Some other Mp3s By Bessie Smith

Mp3s are in red.

Bessie Smith - St. Luis Blues.mp3

Bessie Smith - Back Water Blues.mp3

file under;
music, blues, mp3, Bessie Smith