Tag: Blues

The Summertime Blues

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The summertime blues whisper to me,

they caress and seduce,

they ask

Am I going to regret that?

Photo Credit: Chicago Blues Bar

 

Not taking them up on that offer.

Am I going to regret what I’m doing to myself?

Am I doing it to myself?

Is there something wrong with me?

Why am I no good at conversation?

why are you boring?

Why do I feel that when I open my mouth everyone is just waiting for me to shut it?

Why do I think a helping hand is offered in pity, forced on by “good will”?

because it is.

I tag along on other people’s words.

Photo Credit: Forensic Medicine for Medical Students

how annoying can she get?

I can’t meet people’s eyes.

what if they actually see me.

no, I want them too see me.

do I?

so, eyes flit away.

Do my hands shake or do I imagine that?

Why does it seem easier to go it alone than to give people the chance to push me out?

Why does it feel like everybody stares?

Photo Credit: Harvard Business Review

All eyes on me.

no eyes on me.

no eyes on me.

delusion to assume you took center stage, the spotlight’s not on you it’s on the person next to you, Narcissus. 

No words left.

Their eyes and hearts and minds wait, full of pity.

But what if I didn’t give them the chance?

But what if I didn’t give them the chance?

Charley Patton

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Last Wednesday, or Ocho De Mayo, I got three albums of the partial anthologies of Blind Willie McTell, The Mississippi Sheiks and Charley Patton. All three of these artists are absolute blues legends that were instrumental in creating modern music.

One of these legends, Charley Patton, was perhaps the most influential of them all.


While I was listening to his album recorded entirely in 1929, I started to read his biography on the back of the album.

First of all, he recorded his biggest hit, Pony Blues, when he was only 19.

Secondly, no one knows when he was born or what race he was. Some people say he was fully African-American and others say he was part Cherokee.

Thirdly, and most importantly of all, he taught some of the other biggest blues players of his time.

Son House, Robert Johnson and Chester Burnett (AKA Howlin Wolf) were just some of the names who he taught how to play guitar.

I for one, am very, very grateful to Document records and Third Man for bringing some of these guys back into the mainstream to be appreciated by more and more people than ever. This is music that should be appreciated by everyone that appreciates music.

Blues-y Blues

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In the past, I’ve blogged about all-time greatest guitar player Robert Johnson. But I mean, its pretty hard to cover the blues in just one blog. In this one, I’ll try to go over just a few of my favorite blues players.

Firstly, I want to just bring up Sister Rosetta Tharpe. If you could, picture Chuck Berry as a Baptist woman. Except instead of an ES3-35, she had an SG. Yeah. Like this guy.

It’s pretty hard to get much cooler than Angus Young or Sister Tharpe. Set your sights high kids! Don’t believe me?


Now you do.

Now, I always think about what my “desert island” albums would be (5 albums I can take to be stranded on a desert island with), and they always change. But one constant is Super Blues.

Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Little Walter and Otis Spann. I really don’t see what else needs to be said about this album. If you don’t have it, go get it. Well, I mean, only if you like music I guess.

Okay, one last person, but just because his new album just came out. Gary Clark Jr. takes the cake for one of the best NEW blues artists going right now. Blak and Blu came out on Oct. 25th, and, consequently, is the only album I’ve ever pre-ordered.  Clark has some serious soul in this album, swinging between R&B to old school blues. Go get it, but here’s a taste (at the Crossroads festival no less).

Ain’t no love in the heart of the city

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Ya, it’s a title to a song. But, over the past few nights, this song has spoken to me. I have acquired a newfound respect for older music. Bobby Bland has reached out to me through the musical realm and has pulled me into the world of his genre of blues music. It’s beautiful and reminds me of where I’m from.

To silence a number of people who have asked, no I was not born in Philadelphia. However, I have been to the city numerous times and my family is from the area. I feel a certain connection to the city and its inhabitants. “Ain’t no love in the heart of the city” reminds me of that city.

See for yourself in this clip.

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Super Blues

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One of the greatest and most influential genres in music is the blues. The blues gave way to rock, pop and even metal. The world will remember many great blues musicians, but there are several that will be held in a higher regard than others. Some of these musicians got together in 1967 and made one of the greatest blues album of all time. That album was called Super Blues.

Super Blues was an album created by some of the Blues best, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley and Otis Spann. Just those names alone should make someone need to have the album.

Muddy Waters is arguably one of the best Blues singer ever. His performance of I’m a Man at the Last Watlz is amazing.

When one thinks of great blues guitar players, BB King and Bo Diddley are at the top. Bo Diddley makes the album with his great playing.

Otis Spann and Little Walter are the soul of the album. Otis Spann manipulates the piano to make it sound like it was made to play the blues. Little Walter can somehow make an album great just by playing his harmonica.

This could easily be in the top ten list of great blues albums. The combined talent of the four greats is very unique, and very amazing.

Jimmy Reed

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The blues world has had a great number of musicians, BB King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter. But one of the best, most underrated musicians is Jimmy Reed.  Jimmy Reed was the amazing, blues singer of the late fifties and sixtes. Some of his hit songs include “Ain’t that Lovin’ you Baby,” “Down in Virgina” and “Bright Lights, Big City.”

He was known not only for  his guitar playing and lazy singing, but also for his rampant alcoholism.  He would show up so drunk to his album recordings, that his wife would have to help him remember the lyrics. In one of his recordings, he even stops the song, talks about something else, then keeps it going again because he is so drunk. This later led to a case of epilepsy.

But no matter what his personal life was like, he will always be remembered as a pioneer for blues.