Bluestone's track of the Day: Down South Blues

Down South Blues has a catchy slide lead.  The main riff is played throughout most of the song and some soloing is mixed in.  What I like about this one is that it's a a lonely blues; "I woke up this mornin' and I found my baby gone," but it's hopeful, as well; "I'm goin' down South child, the weather here's too cold."  Things are gonna get better.  I can listen to this one when I just want music, when I'm crying, or when I'm drinking.  It's got every different vibe to it, and it sounds good too.  Listen to it!

Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee

Sonny Terry and Brownie Mcghee, most would say, play the best country blues.  I'm not a big country fan, but some days a two man band, a shot of blues, a harmonica and a guitar... it's just what you need.  Here they are, plain and simple, sitting and playing the blues. Easy Rider....

A Little Louis

Here is one of Louis Armstrong's versions of St. James Infirmary.  The YouTube video, which sadly has only 11,000 views, is captioned, "A haunting performance from Satchmo."  This version of St. James is dark and slow, it's eerie.  I wonder who Louis had in mind when he sang this, it sounds so real.

If that depressed you too much, here's La Vie En Rose to cheer you up.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blue Guitar

The Chicago bluesman Earl Hooker, born in 1929, was a master of the slide.  He played a lot of open tunings and mixed finger soloing in with his slide.  B.B. King said, "To me he is the best of modern guitarists. Period."  That's a fine compliment coming from a man like B.B. 
The instrumental, Blue Guitar, has a fine piano and brass section, but Hooker's lead guitar takes the cake.  He plays mostly a classic blues solo and he plays it so well, throwing in a couple wild slides to make it his own.  Hooker was born in Mississippi, but came to Chicago and picked up his style at the age of one.  He didn't move because of a record signing, it was his parents' choice, but he was clearly destined to be great.  Hooker grew up with Bo Diddley and was greatly influenced by T-bone Walker.  Hooker began his career in 1946 by touring through the South with Robert Nighthawk and his band.  Here's a version of Blue Guitar with Junior Wells.

Earl was a real showman, watch him live here, playing with his teeth!

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Tracks 8 and 9 of 11)

The next two tracks from Jimi Hendrix's Blues are Jam 292 and Once I Had a Woman.  Jam 292 is a fast-paced jam, an unconventional blues.  There is just a lot going on in this song, including a lot of distortion, and it is somewhat hard to distinguish Jimi's real talent.  The version I have here is called Jelly 292, which is apparently the second take of Jam 292.  Once I had a Woman, on the other hand, is a slow, crying blues, that I associate with Jimi's full bend and simultaneous vibrato.  He gets a lot out of simple licks in this song.  It also has a harmonica part and vocals.  Lord I had a woman, lord knows she was good to me in every way.  Jimi definitely has a lot of fun on both of these tracks, check them out.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: All Blues

All Blues first appeared on Miles Davis' album Kind of Blue in 1959.  This is a jazzier tune but it is a blues.  It's a regular progression excluding the bVI chord which replaces the normal V.  Kenny Burrell is my favorite jazz guitarist to date.  He does a great guitar arrangement here of All Blues.


My other favorite tunes by Kenny Burrell include Soul Lament and his take on Girl Talk.

SRV, B.B. King, and Albert King Live!

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 7 of 11)

Born Under a Bad Sign, the classic Albert King tune, is taken from a different angle by Hendrix.  First of all, he plays it in a different key, a little slower, and with no lyrics.  Albert typically plays a crisp style of lead guitar, which Hendrix also changes up a little.  He adds more vibrato, distortion, and makes the guitar whine a little more.  It's a completely different vibe.  Albert sings it with an air of confidence and manliness, which Jimi's version doesn't convey.  Jimi's style is a little more somber.  That being said, the 7 minute 38 second track has a lot of variety, which I like.  It's an informal jam.  It has fast paced lead, slow, whining lead, some real rhythm to it, and some rock and roll.
Something Jimi does on this track that's great: there are no lyrics, but you hear his voice a few times.  He lets out a "Yeah!" and a couple of moans.  This makes the song twice as good; I feel like I'm hearing it live, I get a vivid picture of him playing.  Albert King does this, too, like in I'll Play the Blues For You when he says, "Scuse me..." before his solo.
Born Under a Bad Sign - Hendrix
Albert Live 1981

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Stormy Monday

I chose this track so we could talk a little bit about Eva Cassidy, likely my favorite female vocalist.  She's really a folk singer, but she does Stormy Monday, so welcome to Champagne n' Reefer.  Cassidy's first album wasn't released until 1992 and she died four years later.  From what I've heard, she was virtually unknown when she died in 1996, but has come into much more popularity since then.  Her biggest song, Over The Rainbow, got exposure in the UK three years after its release, where it blew up.  She also topped charts in a few other countries.  Read more about her here.
And now for a little bit about Stormy Monday.  Stormy Monday was released by T-bone Walker in 1947 and became a blues standard, recorded by artists including Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Buddy Guy, and Eva Cassidy.  Stormy Monday reached #5 on the charts and supposedly inspired B.B. King to pick up the electric guitar.  They call it stormy Monday, oh but Tuesday's just as bad...
Stormy Monday, T-bone
Stormy Monday, Eva Cassidy
Stormy Monday, Albert King
Stormy Monday, B.B. King
Stormy Monday, Buddy Guy
Here are a few more tracks from Eva Cassidy - Ain't No Sunshine, Fever, Wade in the Water, Wayfaring Stranger, The Letter, Over the Rainbow, all worth listening to!

Bluestone's Track of the Day: The Thrill Is Gone

This one couldn't wait any longer.  I've been hesitant to write a post about The Thrill Is Gone because I don't know what I can say to do it justice, or what I can say about it that hasn't already been said.  It is one of the greatest songs ever written.  Roy Hawkins' original version of this song was a minor hit in 1951.  He, supposedly, wrote it with Rick Darnell, but according to a YouTube comment I found, Hawkins only put Darnell's name on the track so he would help produce it; doesn't sound unlikely.  Anyways, B.B. King first recorded The Thrill Is Gone for his 1969 album Completely Well.  In 1970, the song reached #3 on the Billboard Singles.  The Thrill Is Gone eventually earned the 183rd spot on Rolling Stones' 500 best songs ever and won B.B. King a Grammy award.  So many memorable versions of this song have been recorded, but here are just a few.
The Thrill Is Gone...
Completely Well
With Eric Clapton
Live in 1970
Live in 2001

Bluestone's Hip-Hop Track of the Day

I found this on another blog, looks like we were behind the curve here because this is not only an awesome track, but it has everything to do with rap and blues, at the same time. Listen to Born 2 Sin.  Bad News Brown is definitely a hip-hop artist, but not just a rapper.  He has rhythm and style, he's creative, he's makin' real music.  I like what B.o.B. has been doing, trying to really sing and add some soul to hip-hop; this is what Bad News Brown does, only Bad News does it better.  Check him out at http://badnewsbrown.com/.  Go out and buy his stuff, do what you gotta do to support him.  Check him out first here on Champagne n' Reefer.

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Tracks 5 and 6 of 11)

Here's a double installment from the Hendrix Blues album, Voodoo Chile Blues and Electric Church Red House.  I put these two together because they're similar and I have almost nothing to say about them.  They just display more of Hendrix's distinctive, creative soloing ability.  I like some variety, but honestly, the album wouldn't necessarily lose anything without one or the other of these tracks.  Electric Church Red House is, of course, Red House in a completely different way, and Voodoo Chile Blues does the same thing for Voodoo Child.  Electric Church was recorded in 1968 and features an organ; Voodoo Chile was released on the Electric Ladyland album.

Also, check out Red House on my earlier post and Voodoo Child right here.
I guess all I have left to say is, the night I was born, the moon turned a fire red!

Bluestone on The Doors

The Doors covered both Crawlin' Kingsnake, by John Lee Hooker, and Howlin' Wolf's Back Door Man.  These tunes are both mannish and lend themselves to Jim Morrison's baritone voice.  Hooker's Kingsnake is one of his best.  It's repetitive: a simple, repeated lick between lines.  You caught me crawlin' when the grass was very high, I'm just gonna keep on crawlin' baby until the day I die!  The Doors do what they can with this song.  It's a simple song, but Hooker just had something in him that made it great; I can't say the same about the Doors on this track.

Buy The Very Best of the Doors [US Version] on Amazon.com.

On back Door Man, however, I think The Doors outdo Howlin' Wolf on his own tune.  The two versions of Back Door Man are much more similar than those of Crawlin' Kingsnake, but I just don't dig Howlin' Wolf's voice here, it's harsh.  Here's The Doors' versions of Back Door Man and Crawlin' Kingsnake.  Realize how similar this rock band is to some classic blues guys, another testament to the foundation blues set for American music.  Also, realize how similar The Doors' versions of these songs are to each other!  To put it nicely, their style is very, very recognizable.

Bluestone on Arthur Alexander

Arthur Alexander's music is categorized on my iTunes sometimes as blues and sometimes as R&B.  Wikipedia calls it 'country soul,' and my uncle just describes it as Muscle Shoals.  The fact is that he has a couple bluesy tunes, but otherwise, country soul is not far off.  Arthur Alexander, along with Big Boi and Andre 3000 from Outkast, is the man that first got me interested in music.  I heard him on the radio when I was about 8 years old and I bought his album, Lonely Just Like Me and then The Greatest.  Arthur lived from 1940 to 1993, born in Sheffield, Alabama and a major influence on American music.  He recorded his first single in Alabama, in 1960 for Judd Records.  It was the mean, bluesy Sally Sue Brown.  Little boys better run for cover, if you don't wanna be a broken hearted lover!  In third grade, I used to say "Sally Boo Brown" hundreds of times a day, until finally my teacher made me stop.  The song has a simple, catchy blues riff and Arthur sings it like he always does.  In 1961, he started recording at the Muscle Shoals studio, where he first released You Better Move On. , which was covered by the Rolling Stones, then Anna (1962), which was covered by The Beatles.  The Beatles always said Alexander was a major influence on their work.  The Beatles also covered Arthur's incredible song Soldier of Love.  According to Wikipedia, Arthur's music career fell apart so badly that he spent years as a bus driver.  It's really a shame because he is absolutely incredible.  he has so many hits like Where Have You Been, After You, and Without A Song.  Unfortunately, I can't find the bluesy Mr. John, but please purchase his album Lonely Just Like Me on Amazon.com.  Arthur is good for wooing the ladies, feeling the blues, or getting up and dancing.  He was a great artist who left an important legacy behind, I love him.

Jimi Hendrix: Blues (Track 4 of 11)

Here is the acoustic version of Hendrix's Hear My Train A Comin'.  It's played on a 12-string guitar and I think this video may have been made as a promotion for the guitar.  Anyways, the track doesn't really start until 1 minutes in.  Hendrix starts off by talking about "gimmicks," then plays a little, then asks to start over because he's so nervous.  It is bizarre.  There is no audience, he's playing for a recording, I don't know why he's nervous.  He's one strange guy.  That is all forgotten, however, when the tune starts.  His guitar seems to be tuned funny, it doesn't sound like anything at all that I've heard before.  The style is just unique, I can't even describe it.  It certainly is not like the Blues tracks I've posted so far, a testament to his skills.  It's safe to say Jimi could have made himself a star in any genre.  Apparently, he did more songs in this recording, on the 12-string, but I can't find them.  Hendrix's crazy fashion sense is showcased in this video.  He's got his rings, some kind of polka dot jacket, and a decorated hat: weird.  I was scared as to death can i just do it one more time, one more time!  Here he is.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Whiskey Blues

Here's a slide tune from Muddy, called Sittin' Here Drinkin' or Whiskey Blues or something like that.  So far, from Muddy, I've shared My Home Is In The Delta, Baby Please Don't Go, and Champagne and Reefer, plus Hendrix's cover of Mannish Boy.  Whiskey Blues is a lot like My Home Is In The Delta, not a lot like the others.  It's a true crying slide tune, no electric effects, just good old blues.  Whiskey Blues, another testament to Muddy's range and number of good songs, check it out.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Blues Before Sunrise

This tune has a piano, a lead guitar, a rhythm guitar, and some brass, but it has the vibe of a country blues.  John Lee Hooker lived from 1917 to 2001, and he was from Mississippi, where he began as a sharecropper.  He developed a kind of talking blues style, where he plays a lick then the only accompaniment to the lyric is the tapping of his foot.  Hear it here in his famous Boom Boom.  Lightnin' Hopkins does some good talking blues, too, like I'm Beggin' You.  Lightnin's kind of talkin' blues is even a bit more sparse than Hooker's, which I like.  They build this real relationship between the singer and the guitar, where the guitar's voice is no more valuable nor abundant than the spoken word, but I digress.  Blues Before Sunrise is a sincere tune.  Hooker got a little mannish with some of his songs and sounded like Muddy Waters, but not here.  Blues Before Sunrise is somewhere between Lightnin' and Muddy (not a bad couple o' guys to be between.)  It's just the right balance of sadness and hope, it's the right balance of music and lyrics, the right balance of guitar and piano.  It's a delicately put together blues that could not have been done better.  I chose the above photo of Hooker with purpose.  He usually plays a hollow body jazz guitar, but he has an acoustic here.  I don't know what he really plays Blues Before Sunrise with, but I picture it as an acoustic, simple and sincere.

Bluestone on Johnny Otis

Johnny Otis' Slo Fuse is the reason he must be on this blog.  Otis began his musical career playing in swing bands and orchestras, but found his own band in 1945.  Slo Fuse has a piano and plenty of brass, but also a great lead guitar part.  The guitar soloing carries through most of the song, interrupted only by a cheesy saxophone solo.  The intro, in particular, is just bad ass blues, it's great.  Otis is primarily a pianist, so I don't know how much credit this is to him, but nonetheless, it's good.  Unfortunately, i can't find this song in any source where i can legally post it, but buy Slo Fuse on Amazon.com.
Johnny Otis was born to Greek immigrants in Vallejo, California.  Otis' family did not have a musical background and he, too, pursued interests other than music, including politics, hosting a radio show, and owning various shops and clubs.  Along with all this, of course, he was a successful musician.  He recorded a big band hit called Harlem Nocturne, and his biggest hit was Willie and the Hand Jive.  Honestly, Willie and the Hand Jive is awful; I can't stand it.  It is hokey and boring, it's a pop song as far as I'm concerned.  I prefer his bolder tunes like Bad Luck Shadow and Low Down Dirty Dog Blues, which I believe is originally a Son House tune.  Again, I can't find these tunes online, my apologies.  I own them on the Best of the Blues: 50 Favorites CD.
Otis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 for his songwriting and producing with Elvis Presley.

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Driftin' Blues

Today's track, Driftin' Blues, is from the smooth singin', sweet talkin' Charles Brown.  Brown moved out to Los Angeles at an early age, where the night club scene became his best order of business.  The best selling Driftin' blues came out in 1945, at a time when blues was gaining credibility as a classy art form.  Brown sings it smooth and gentle, he's of a slightly different breed than most blues singers.  He doesn't have any harshness in his music, he's more like a jazzman in my eyes.  But anyways, his Driftin' Blues is more than catchy, carried mostly by the piano, with a very simple guitar solo.
To hear my favorite version of this song, buy Best of the Blues: 50 Favorites on Amazon.com

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Baby Please Don't Go

Baby Please Don't Go is a blues standard and possibly the best tune ever written. It has been covered by innumerable artists and in countless different yet compelling ways. According to Wikipedia, the lyrics are derived from 20th century work songs Another Man Done Gone, Alabama Bound, Don't Leave Me Here, and Turn Your Lamp Down Low. As we already know, all blues are interconnected and derived from one another and so on and so forth and here and there and it's all the same. What is so special about this song? Don't ask me, because i couldn't tell you. Don't ask me why Bob Dylan was so successful with a terrible voice and sub par guitar skills. Don't ask me why Crank That by Soulja Boy was such a big hit. Some things are just good, they're appealing, the devil has some stake in them.
Supposedly Big Joe Williams' version was the first recorded (1935). I don't know which version he recorded first, but the one I have here is on a 9-string guitar with a first fret capo, and is absolutely brilliant. The video is a must watch. Big Joe is fat and passionate, he taps his foot, and he freakin' plays it. His vocals fade in and out in such a way that they blend together with his playing. I commented on Hendrix's blend of vocals and playing earlier; it's fascinating to note that parallel here in a completely different setting.

Van Morrison's version is a fast paced, full band blues rock. A lead guitar plays the melody over a simple bass, there's a harmonica, drums, and everything. Van sings it well, too. Although this is not how this tune began, it's well done.
Lightnin' Hopkins' version is played in typical Lightnin' fashion and is another knockout. He plays the melody then strums out a blues. Hopkins' is hilariously distant looking in this performance, but it's still good. The version recorded on his Blues Masters Compilation album of 2000 is also very good, different from the one here.
And here is Muddy Waters' version. He of course is the bridge that leads from Big Joe and Lightnin' to Van Morrison.  Not quite rock, but not an old fashioned blues. Check it out.