Dig this song, my friends! Dusty Brown

Hi, friends.
It's Mitch. :)

I wanted to post about this music that I wasn't aware of, until very recently. It comes from a pretty obscure harp player/singer, named Dusty Brown. I'll cheerfully admit that I know almost nothing about Dusty Brown. It seems as though he wasn't nearly as well-known as some of the other harp players, who where part of the scene, at the time. But there are still some great Dusty Brown recordings available to buy. (I used iTunes, in this case.)

The song that I featured, in this post is called 'Well You Know I Love You' by Dusty Brown. I discovered Dusty's music through a video interview on:
www.bluesharmonica.com
Great instructional website.

I love finding different music. Peace.


Mitch.


 

Harp talk, and an update

Hi, everybody. I'm back!

As always, I'm listening to heaps of music at the moment. I'm learning about lots of different music, too. That's one of the many ways that I can keep my mind active.

I love music! And I love discovering new, and different, albums or artists! It might be new material — or simply music that I hadn't heard before. (For whatever reason.) But there's always something cool, waiting for me out there, that I'm yet to hear. 'The quest' (my quest) to hear more cool music, keeps it fresh for me.

I enjoy learning about different subjects, too: the arts, history, spirituality, philosophy, music history, politics, and psychology. 

…And I love to write! So, writing about music is a wonderful way for me to combine two, beautiful things into one venture!

I've been learning to play blues harp for seven years, too. It's great; and it's a wonderful way to express myself. 

When I blow harp, I am personally connected to the music that I love so much! Being able to play — and practice harmonica is even cooler for me; because I didn't think I would ever be able to play a musical instrument, due to my Cerebral Palsy. But blues harp is a really good fit for me, musically!

I tried to play slide guitar — but I never had the necessary motor skills to do so. (Many other boys similarly dream of being a 'guitar hero'; so I wasn't alone!) Even so, it was mighty hard to accept that guitar wouldn't work out!

But blues harp fit me much better. It's small, and I can pick it up, and put it down again. I only have one arm to use, but there have even been great one-armed harp players, before. (Big John Wrencher, for example.)

The great harmonica players can get so many beautiful sounds and textures from that small, deceptive instrument! I love dipping into the music of the great players; and studying it! I try to practice often. Every day, or every other day.

Here's a short list of some of the guys/artists who I'm really enjoying, at the moment. (It's not exhaustive, definitive, or complete.) And it's not in order.

Junior Wells

James Cotton

Carey Bell

Gary Smith

Louis Myers

Big Walter Horton

Snooky Pryor

Bacon Fat

Rod Piazza

Little Walter Jacobs

Rice Miller (AKA 'Sonny Boy Williamson #2')

George 'Harmonica' Smith

Paul Oscher

John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson (The original 'Sonny Boy Williamson'.)

Charlie Musselwhite

Howlin' Wolf

So that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this post! By all means, let me know what you think. Tell your friends about this post, and the whole blog.

Mitch

Rock

I wanted to broadly discuss my interest in 1960s-70s rock music.

Around the age of 12 or 13, I really began to discover, and appreciate, the genre of music that many people would class as 'classic rock'. Specifically, I like blues-based rock -- mostly bands and artists from the 1960s and 70s. I got into artists and bands like:

Led Zeppelin
Cream
Jimi Hendrix
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
Black Sabbath
Pink Floyd
Deep Purple
AC/DC
The Beatles' solo careers.
The Who
The Kinks
Eric Clapton -- not only was I investigating his solo career -- but I like most of the bands he's been in, over the years.

And please don't get me wrong -- that list is merely an indication of what I was listening to in my early teens. That was more than ten years ago. I've come so far, since then! And as far artists like Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Stones, The Beatles, Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Cream go -- I own pretty much their entire catalog now! I know the music very, very well! Especially now!

That's one of the many wonderful things about music, there's always something new for the avid music junkie (= me) to discover! It never gets old! I'd say that I used some of these bands as a kind of 'launching pad' to discover other artists, and other forms of music. Because of my knowledge of the more 'well-known' musicians, I know about other artists, too; like Humble Pie, Little Feat, The Faces, Love, Taj Mahal, Mountain... etc. And I get into other types of music, too.

All art seems to be a door to get to new ideas.

Muddy Waters: live

Hi.
This is a great clip of Muddy Waters (and his band) playing the song 'Long Distance Call' live. From what I can gather, it was at the 1968 Copenhagen Jazz Festival. I could be wrong about that, but the info that was provided about this footage seems to 'check out' fine.

Anyway, I love this song; and I love this particular version of the song! So I think one could easily call this a 'win-win situation' for me, haha!

Muddy's band cooks here. I love the Guild guitar that Muddy is playing! Otis Spann is even sitting at the piano in Muddy's band, at this point in time, which is a cool, rare treat in itself! Most footage of Muddy's gigs with a full band comes from after Spann died.

The original version of 'Long Distance Call' was written by Muddy, and released by Chess in 1951.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know.

-- Mitch

Hello. It's me, once again! And Little Walter

Hi, everybody! It's me, Mitch.

Yep, that Mitch. The Mitch, hahaha! Just kidding. ;)

So, I'm back again! With a renewed and re-discovered desire to write about music, the arts, culture, and life. Still playing blues harp, too.

The year of 2012 wasn't a great year for me, in terms of my health. It's nice to leave it behind!

It's been an exceedingly long time between 'drinks' (or posts), in terms of my blogging activity. I'm not even certain how long it has been between my blog posts. Doesn't matter now.

But I couldn't let this blog die, nor would I want it to go silent for good! I enjoy writing about music, and the arts, far too much for that to happen. I enjoy the research that I do about music, and the process of discovery. I love finding and hearing new artists! It's just fun for me to discover the music and also, the history that's attached to music!

There's been loads of interesting music in my consciousness, since I last blogged. Lots that's worth talking about here! Let's get started, brothers and sisters!

I wanted to talk about this CD box set... that comes to us from 
The Great Little Walter! 
(AKA Marion Walter Jacobs)

It's a great CD set, from the blues harp master -- and generally wonderful musician -- Marion Walter Jacobs, AKA 'Little' Walter. (1930-1968) The box set's called 'The Complete Chess Masters: 1950-1967'. If you're into blues harp, or blues music generally (and both of those things are true of me), then get this set. The music here is spread over five discs, and it's all great!

Jacobs is often compared to Charlie Parker, or Jimi Hendrix; and it's justified! He was simply that good! He changed the landscape of blues music and blues harmonica with his virtuosity, use of amplification/distortion, and jazzy phrasing. Walter recorded as a sideman (w/ Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush) and also as a bandleader/solo artist.

It's difficult to overstate his musical impact. He had a sophisticated, imaginative approach to his music, and Walter often treated his harp like a sax. Mind blowing music!

Twitter and Blip.fm

I've wanted to program the music on the radio for a while. Now, in a way, I can! It's called Blip.fm.

Each user, known as a 'DJ', has their own station; which is a place to post the songs that they have picked. The library of music to choose from is huge (and ever-growing)! I think it's mostly sourced from track previews from iTunes and Amazon. Choices are beamed out, through services like Twitter, or Facebook. The music you choose to play appears on your station.

DJs find each other because of their tastes in songs or music. They can applaud good selections (by giving props to that person), and then add that song to their own playlist.

It's so cool to have this treasure chest of music to browse... and then choose from. I can simply pick a song and know it will (very likely) be there! When I find something I like, I can post it in real-time.

Freddie King: Ain`t No Sunshine (When She`s Gone).

Freddie King. Deep, deep soul blues! I believe this song was written by Bill Withers.

Freddie is too often overlooked, commercially; but he had 'it'. His feel was amazing. I'll pick up my jaw, now!

He also wrote 'Hideaway'-- which a young Eric Clapton covered and recorded, in 1966, with The Bluesbreakers. King passed away, in 1976. You are missed!

(Some raw facts came from Wikipedia, but I write my own stuff!)

Harmonica Slim with Boogie Bill Webb

I don't know much about these musicians, but this deserves to seen by more people.

Full credit to these guys!

Mitch's Playlist: 0.2

• Astral Weeks -- Van Morrison. From the year 1968. It is sprawling and beautiful release. Astral Weeks is unlike any other album in Van's discography. The tracks are more like paintings, than songs.
  
• Have a good time -- Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell. A unique collaboration, from two giants of the blues harmonica. Sadly, Bell passed away relatively recently. Both are now gone, but the music is still here.
• The Band -- The Band. This is the second, self-titled album; from a group of legendary and talented musicians. Timeless and honest songs. At a time when everybody else who was making music seemed to be wearing flowers in their hair -- The Band played for themselves, and wrote tunes with country, blues and blue grass influences. It's just great!
  

Big John Wrencher: tribute

From previous posts, you might know that I have a passion for playing harmonica. I am also enthralled by the blues, and its various musical offshoots.

I take what I am doing fairly seriously; but I also have a lot of fun. I have been playing every day -- whenever I possibly can -- for roughly 3 years.

As with everything, there are challenges. For example, I can't hold the harmonica in the standard way. I can only use one hand. It can be difficult; because I have seen the majority of players hold their harp, in a certain, accepted way. I started to wonder if my physical differences would prevent me from becoming the harmonica player I wanted to be.

Then, I saw Big John Wrencher!

Wrencher was born in Sunflower County, MS, in 1924 on a plantation. His youthful interest in music -- particularly the harmonica -- kept him on the move as a traveling musician, playing throughout Tennessee and neighboring Arkansas from the late '40s to the early '50s. In 1958, Big John lost his left arm in a car crash in Memphis. By the early '60s, he had moved North to Chicago and quickly became a regular fixture on Maxwell Street, always working on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to nearly 3:00 in the afternnon virtually non-stop, as Sundays were the big payday for most busking musicians working the area.

(from Answers.com)

'How many more years', Big John Wrencher.

Big John passed away in 1977. I am using this material, only with the greatest of respect. This post is a tribute to possibilities. I feel re-energised!

Blindman's Blues Forum

If you are one of those people, who thinks they know a little something about blues, folk, gospel, jazz, or rock music -- then you will want to check this message board out!

If you are a musician (aspiring or otherwise), whose music falls into one of the aforementioned categories, you will also want to check this forum out. The depth of knowledge is amazing!

The community is close and loving, as well. As an aspiring harmonica player, I have learnt so much. If your question happens to be within those broad fields, you will almost certainly receive a detailed response. I've been posting for a while.

Link:
Blindmans Blues Forum

It is a great community!

Mitch's Playlist: Edition 0.1

As you may have been able to deduce, this is the second edition of Mitch's Playlist. I believe in keeping things interesting; so each new edition of the Playlist won't necessarily follow the same template. I could talk about artists in general, videos I am watching.

At the moment, I am feeling a sweet relief of having just been released from hospital. Every time this happens, I 'rediscover' music!

• Kansas City Powerhouse -- Count Basie. Hot, big band jazz.
• New Orleans Piano -- Professor Longhair. A fantastic pianist, with an uncanny sense of time!
• Hard Again -- Muddy Waters. Muddy's comeback album; featuring James Cotton and Johnny Winter.
• His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) -- Little Walter. This man changed blues forever.
  

Folkstreams » The Best of American Folklore Films

Folkstreams » The Best of American Folklore Films

Folkstreams is really interesting. There's so much to discover on this site! You can see films about culture, folk music, traditions, people and history. It is practically bursting at the seams with amazing content!

I have been visiting this website quite a bit, and I have seen some really interesting films. It mostly centres around music history and the preservation of culture. Folkstreams is not about everyday music and history. The emphasis seems to be on preserving and highlighting music and communities that have been forgotten -- it is important work! Transcripts and biographies can also be viewed. It is vital that attempts are made to archive, and also highlight, these human stories. They are part of our collective history.

I have found many interesting musicians, there. Although the emphasis is on America, everyone can find something that is worth seeing. Movies about everything; from medicine shows, to communities living in the Appalachian Mountian country.

An important point: it is possible to actually view the films, in streaming format; which is a huge plus! Although, they are not intended for personal use (which is understandable).

In short, check it out! I think you will be glad you did.

Mitch's Playlist: Edition 0.0

I thought it would be fun, every so often, to take some time to talk about the music that I have been listening to. I'll try to comment on each entry, as well.

It is a study, unto itself but it's also an interesting way to talk about newly-discovered CDs, or old favourites. It's almost always in CD format; but I have been using iTunes more often, lately.

So, the first edition of Mitch's Playlist:

• The Essential Leonard Cohen -- Leonard Cohen. From what I can gather, it was supposed to be a double-disc set. It was loaned to me by a friend. I found out later that there may have been a second disc. It doesn't matter; Cohen is great!
• 03 -- Son of Dave. I have reported on this album, before. It is so much fun! It is always interesting to hear musicians, who combine such diverse elements.
• King Biscuit Time -- Sonny Boy Williamson II. The album has its roots in radio show, on which Williamson and his band were regular guests. I think they even did the advertisements! The second 'Sonny Boy' (aka Aleck Miller) was an harmonica legend.

See you next time.

Hound Dog Taylor

Theodore Roosevelt 'Hound Dog' Taylor and The HouseRockers were not musically flashy, but they were fun. Also, they had no bass player. Hound Dog wasn't technical or smooth, but that's why it was cool!

An album link.

The music is mean-sounding, but really fun! it is not possible to talk about the music, without saying a little bit about the man. It's almost as though he was destined to be larger than life. He played electric slide guitar and sang. I don't care what anyone says; Hound had a fantastic style of playing and a real sense of humour, within his music! He was born in Mississippi, with six fingers on each hand! Later, he would use a straight razor to cut off one of his extra digits.

One of his influences, was fellow slide guitarist, Elmore James. I would recommend both men highly.



Like many blues musicians, Taylor was active musically for most of his life; from the 1950s, until his death in 1975.

Son of Dave: '03'. A review!

I just bought (from iTunes) the album 03 by Son of Dave. I'm listening to it right now, as I write this.

It's amazing -- this guy is one cool dude! As the video would suggest, he operates as a one-man band.

Although, in the coolest possible sense.

This is how it works:

• Amplified harmonica
• Rattle in the other hand
• Vocals, mixed with beat-boxing
• A machine, that can handle digital loops
  

He does it all, at once!

(I don't want to shortchange the guy, by adding the video to this post; I just wanted to show how good it really is.) His blog and MySpace are worth looking at, also.

The music on this album really has the spirit of the blues -- but with some noteworthy twists. I have never heard it done quite like this, before. There is a lot of wry humour in the lyrics and presentation, too. It won't be a kind of blues that you are used to hearing; but that's what makes it exciting. The shadow of the old blues tradition can be heard, but something truly original, too.

I suppose that's what makes an artist: to take one's influences, honour them, but take it somewhere else!

Give this album a go. There is real musicianship and originality, here. Besides, it's just so juicy!

Feel so good: the blues

Some videos, that are worth seeing. The blues is not necessarily associated with feeling upset.

Feel so good -- Dr Isaiah Ross


Poor boy long way from home -- Booker White

(I'm pretty sure this is actually Bukka White, using another name.)


Terraplane blues -- Michael Pickett (cover)


I just had to put these out there... Enjoy!

All credit and respect to the musicians. This is incredible footage. Obviously, it is not my own. I would encourage everyone to go out, and try listening to the blues.

Charlie Patton: From 78s, to iTunes!

This record used to be the only way that anyone had a chance of being exposed to a musician such as Charlie (or Charley) Patton, or Blind Willie Johnson -- that is, unless you had been lucky enough to see them in person.

Then again, in the time of pre-war blues, the musicians were incredibly obscure. There was no powerful or instantaneous media to spread the word about your music; no national tours; very few, if any, music magazines, to give your record a good review... you get the idea. It must have been tough, to say the very least. In fact, it was very difficult for musicians of that time period to achieve any recognition, at all -- beyond the area in which they lived. In fact, most of the frame that musicians such as Patton achieved, occurred posthumously.

Now, we find ourselves in the age of digital music. It had brought about a really strange phenomenon -- which was helped along by the blues revival, in the 1960s. Through services like iTunes and Amazon.com, it's now possible to gain almost instant access to music. Along with the obvious addition of what is in the charts at the time, it is possible to find some very good (and in some cases obscure) music.

Also, it's possible for music fans to communicate on a much larger scale; by virtue of the Internet. So, all of a sudden, I have the opportunity to listen to Charlie Patton , Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, and so many others.

Further info:

http://charleypatton.com/