Blues music.

[TWINKLE]

I'll have a good look at home to see if I or the hubby has some of her stuff - otherwise I'll definately check her out thanks!

[LanguedocGal]

Thanks Dick.

I suppose that the more popular version of her death (whatever the truth may be) was totally plausible in view of the times. 

Ma Rainey's work I'm less familiar with as the vinyls we had when I was a child were of poor quality.  I have never tried to see if there are good remastered copies of her work on CD as there must be.  Though, I know from my attempts to get good quality remastered cd's of early 20th century flamenco singers that the remastering can often be of horrendously poor quality.

Despite the divergence of opinions, I love this thread but Millie J's even better[;-)]

[Dick Smith]

There's plenty of her stuff out there - Amazon have about a dozen CDs and iTunes has loads. It seems that, at least in some quarters, her place in the birth of modern popular misuc is recognised. I'm listening to Volume 4 of the Complete Gertrude (Ma) Rainey Collection as we speak, and there is plenty of hiss and click, but the whole dynamic range seems to have been captured (originally recorded on a bakelite plate, of course) and her voice is as clear as a bell.

[Llwyncelyn]

Dick here goes and its Mrs Llwyncelyn.

I say that you had to be a true child of the sixties and to have seen John Mayalls Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton and Cream to realise fully just what an influence he has had on the music scene and especially making blues music popular and mainstream.  I hope you will agree that there is a whole range of blues from Chicago to Urban Blues to East Coast Blues Texas Prison Blues Blues Revivalist and lets not foget its roots in African music (slave trade) and New Orleans.  Al music has to evolve for otherwise it dies.  Some truly great blues masters not from the Mississipi Delta include Blind Lemon Jefferson (Texas) Lightin' Hopkins (Texas) Leadbelly (Texas) Ray Charles (Georgia) Tampa Red (Urban Chicago) T Bone Walker (Texas).

I say you cannot deny the brilliance of the blues revivalists (some of whom you have included) such as Jimi Hendrix Robert Plant/Jimmy Page Alexis Corner Rory Gallagher (one of my all time greats) John Mayall Fleetwood Mac Free Jeff Beck Stevie Ray Vaughan Keith Richards Johnny Winter Taj Mahall JJCale and of course Eric Clapton and Cream who in turn owe a lot of their music back to Albert King (Born Under a Bad sign etc etc)

I also played guitar and harmonica in a blues band in the sixties and attended all the great blues festivals of that time .........I think enough said

 

 

[Dick Smith]

I don't disagree with one word of that - except you must note your own phrase - 'blues revivalists'.

I wouldn't give them a blanket approval - I've already said how much I like Peter Green, I might include Stan Webb, Christine Perfect had a great voice, Jeff Beck of course, Stevie Ray Vaughan was a tragic loss like Hendrix, how about Danny Kirwan, Mick Abrahams et al. Great rock guitarists influenced by the blues, and as you say the music develops.

However - the blues is a music form as delicate and discrete as haiku, and is embedded in time and place and social conditions as much as a Mississippi accent or a Texas drawl. My favourite blues start in the Delta and migrate with the work to Chicago where Muddy Waters turned on the power. The Mississippi delta went up Highway 61 with that generation. I love Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, Leadbelly and Willie Dixon.

I also enjoy the white-boy blues rock of the 60s, after all I grew up on it, especially in watching Peter Green play in the original Fleetwood Mac (when it was Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac!) It's just different from the real blues, that's all.

If you can, listen to Fred McDowell do 'I don't do no rock and roll'. One of the best rock and roll numbers of all time...

[TWINKLE]

Who did you play with Mrs. Llywncelyn - from one Welsh lady to another like?[:)]

[Llwyncelyn]

Twinkle je suis Anglaise but of course Llwyncelyn is Gallois.

It was a local group in the Midlands and some time ago and too long ago.  Here I am not repeat not looking for sympathy for that I cannot take but after marriage and two children I fell ill with Rheumatoid Arthritis and yes you have guessed the rest no longer able to play the guitar.

However one can always dream and to see Hendrix on the Isle of Wight and other things of that time fashioned my love in music.  I even got Llwyncelyn to go to see John Mayall and Peter Green and Eric and BBKing.  One of the very best locations was Cardiff and not St Davids or the New Theatre (my husbands input) but wait for it The Coal Exchange in the Docks and where John Mayall turned up.  I was lost to my husband for hours for the accoustics were wonderful.

However I do love as well Bruce Springsteen and have seen him and Dylan on so many occasions so I am a Catholic in my approach.

Llwyncelyn is a product of the Rhondda and unfortunately he missed the 60's and 70's in that he was chasing both careers in banking and then the law and at the same time trying to make the grade at cricket.

His music extends to Shirley and he once took me to the NEC to see her.  He was upset that he did not have any roses to throw at her! He also tells me that a fellow Welsh man David Alexander although commercial had a wonderful voice and one to compare with Tom.  Is he pulling my leg or is there or was there a David Alexander (please forgive me as I do not wish to offend)

Now living in France and when Bruce next comes to Paris that is where you will find me.

 

[Dave]

At this moment I am listening to Leadbelly  "where did you sleep last night" MMmmm[:D]

best regards

Dave

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Dave"]At this moment I am listening to Leadbelly  "where did you sleep last night" MMmmm[:D]

best regards

Dave
[/quote]

Was that a question Dave.......................................[:D][:D]

Carly Simon..............."I can see clearly now"

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Llwyncelyn"]

His music extends to Shirley and he once took me to the NEC to see her.  He was upset that he did not have any roses to throw at her!

[/quote]

Well - he could have done what the ladies do for Tom Jones.........or maybe not[:)]

So sorry you can't play anymore - that must be hard for someone who so obviously loved her craft.  I don't think I've heard of David Alexander I may be a bit young for that era.  My dad knew Tom Jones - and his band and Toms band would often be on the same bill together in the 60's.  I wonder if your hubby remembers The Bystanders? 

Sorry - I've hi-jacked your great thread Chris!  Could someone come and keep the Blues theme going please?

[Dick Smith]

How many times better are the versions of Little Red Rooster by Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf than the Rolling Stones? Discuss.

(If you have a copy of Howlin' Wolf, the London Sessions, you can hear Wolf giving a blues lesson to Messrs Clapton and Richards using LRR - sublime)

[Dave]

[quote user="Gary "]

[quote user="Dave"]At this moment I am listening to Leadbelly  "where did you sleep last night" MMmmm[:D]

best regards

Dave

[/quote]

Was that a question Dave.......................................[:D][:D]

Carly Simon..............."I can see clearly now"

[/quote]

No not really[:)] usually the question used to be "where did I sleep last night" [;-)] Off to find the tracks mentioned by Dick, beware the twinkling fairy if you lead this 'Blues' thread astray with talk of Carly Simon.......[:D][:D]

[TWINKLE]

The last time I saw Carly Simon she was singing the theme tune on a Winnie the Pooh movie[:-))]

That definately ain't what I call the Blues!

[Bugsy]

Sorry Twinks, I won't do it again, but you have to admit she has a great voice.

now listening to Millie J...............Kiss you all over....................[kiss][kiss]

[TWINKLE]

She does have a great voice Gary - Jonzjob is a huge fan of hers. 

[Coco]

White men can't sing the Blues?  Stan Webb!  Have a listen.

[Dick Smith]

Nope. The worst thing about Stan Webb was that he thought he could do comedy...  Have you heard the drivel on OK Ken? It really ruins what is otherwise a very good album, for me at least.

BUT he did have the sense to hire Christine Perfect, who had/has an amazing voice. Her rendition of "I'd rather go blind" is excellent, but it isn't quite there.

[Dave]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]How many times better are the versions of Little Red Rooster by Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf than the Rolling Stones? Discuss.

(If you have a copy of Howlin' Wolf, the London Sessions, you can hear Wolf giving a blues lesson to Messrs Clapton and Richards using LRR - sublime)

[/quote]

Dick, the version I have of Little Red Rooster (the London Sessions) fades out at the end, is that how it is on the album? I don't have a Willie Dixon + Howlin' Wolf version to compare with (yet) but I do have a version by Big Mama Thornton that is really good, with some really funny animal sounds thrown in.

best regards

Dave

[Dick Smith]

Oh no! I'll have to find the CD! Or maybe it's on another computer, I'll look. My CD was from that old The Blues partwork of much cherished memory. Willie Dixon's version is great, but then it's a great tune. I don't know Big Mama's version, I'll try looking it out.

[Dick Smith]

Found it - I remember it now, it's odd.

I have also discovered a bluesman called Drink Small, which is a great name. Music sounds pretty average, though.

The iTunes store has 150 different versions of Red Rooster. The worst I have heard yet is by the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies. Self-indulgent twiddly guitar. What did we do before the iTunes store?

Ah yes, I remember, go and hang out in record shops like the one I was working in when I first heard the blues...

[AnOther]

Nice track from Willie Dixon, If anybody else would like to have it PM me.

After many years listening to 70's prog rock I'm leaning more and more towards real deep south blues.

[Charlotte3]

Just to throw in my ha'penny's worth.....

 

My mother was a professional classical pianist so I learnt to play classical piano from a young age.....and there was NO other sort of music played in our house.     Until I discovered 12 bar blues!!!!! (I was about 12 at the time and had just survived my first term at boarding school in the early seventies. It was like coming home, I was exposed to all sorts of "modern" music for the first time in my life....one of my favourite albums remains "High Tide Green Grass" by the Stones....great blues rock)

I know some of you purists will say this isn't "real" blues music, but for me it is the most uplifting thing when I am working. (ZZ Top, even Status Quo...... and of course the great Led Zepplin)  My mother who also taught music on occasion once told me that all modern music has it's roots in 12 bar blues.

By the way, I love Louis Armstrong.

Why has nobody mentioned the greatest blues guitarist ever (even before Jimi Hendrix and the late and great Rory Gallagher who once kissed me, but that's another story).......ROBIN TROWER.  He can tramp down a guitar like no one else, the guy is quite simply the greatest blues guitarist in the world. If you see him live he just loses himself in his music like no one else.

I love all the oldies and have albums by them all, but I don't listen to them often preferring Rory, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, etc etc.

I was recently lent a live video of Jon Mayall, but I found it really disappointing. By the way, he plays at Quimper sometimes.

I find it interesting that someone would include John McLoughlin in their list of blues musicians, but perhaps he did some blues stuff? I'd be interested as he is a great favourite of "he who thinks that in an ideal  world he would be obeyed". Was it after the Mahavishnu Orchestra?

Enough rambling, I'm off to relive my moment with Rory while having a restorative glass of red,

By the way, great thread if everyone would quit the slagging off thing!!!!

Aly  (by the way, how do you all feel about about doom rock, thrash, cathedral rock etc., seroiusly are we the only ones who love it? or is that another whole subject!)

[Dave]

Hi Charlotte, I too was interested in the John McLoughlin reference thinking that I had missed some thing but I found out (I think) that it is in the spelling, there is a John McLoughlin who is an Irish blues guitarist but John Mclaughlin is who we are both thinking of, it would be very interesting  to hear him play the blues though![:D] Maybe someone else knows some more? I envy your ability to play 12 bar blues, I wish that I had taken up the playing of an instrument when  was young, still my 'air' guitar is something to be seen...[Www]

best regards

Dave

[Dave]

From Jools Holland's Hootenanny 2006, maybe not for the purists but worth a look nonetheless.[8-|]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ujm7UshfVk0

best regards

Dave

[Dick Smith]

JH plays a mean honky tonk piano - didn't he used to be in a band called Squeeze?