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!

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

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 on Lucille

In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene was lit, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, which triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his beloved $30 guitar, a Gibson acoustic. Two people died in the fire. The next day, King learned that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille, as well as every one he owned since that near-fatal experience, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building or fight over women. (Wikipedia.org)

Bluestone's Track of the Day: Ghetto Woman

Here's a funky track from B.B. King called Ghetto Woman.  I heard this track first on Disc 3 of the King of the Blues set, released in 1992.  This disc is unreal, featuring The Thrill Is Gone and Hummingbird, as well.  This song is addicting; notice the posts on the YouTube video.  One person says he used to put this song on repeat and sit in the hot tub for hours, 'nuff said, just listen to Ghetto Woman!

Buy King of the Blues from Amazon.com

Live at the Coconut Grove: B.B King and Bobby Bland (1976)

B.B King and Bobby "Blue" Bland's recording of Together Again... Live, from the Coconut Grove. I have about 45 minutes of music from the performance; I don't know if it's the entire set list. It opens with Let the Good Times Roll and closes with a medley including The Thrill Is Gone. I have heard some criticism of this performance, but I think it's great.  Some say it's not as good as the first time they were together, live in Memphis (1975), but it's lively, with a good audience, plus B.B. and Bobby do sound great together. Bobby is, unfortunately, going through a phase where he growls during the songs, and it sounds horrible.
Although this probably isn't true, it really seems like they didn't practice for this show; the vibe is that of two guys just getting together and playing. In fact, the best part of the concert is the last track in which Bobby convinces B.B. to do The Thrill Is Gone. B.B. seems reluctant so Bobby asks the crowd, "Can he cut it y'all?" and gets an enthusiastic, "Yeah!" ... then the funk begins.  Then later in the medley, Viola Jackson joins in on I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry.  Bobby says to the crowd, "Let me hear it," and one response stands out.  Viola says, "Feel it!"  Bobby says to B.B., "Goodness, I think we got a hot one hear."  Next thing you know, he says, "Sing a little bit sexy now," and she is up on stage, singin' a little bit sexy, in a low, smooth voice.

I believe there were about 16 people on stage for this performance; check out Wikipedia.org for the full track listing and personnel.

Buy Together Again...Live on Amazon.com