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!