the real blues deal

November 30, 2010 7:02 PM

A sweet pair of vintage clips from blues greats, both born on this day: Robert Nighthawk playing on a Maxwell Street stoop, c. 1964; and Brownie McGhee playing with his partner Sonny Terry at Newport Folk Festival, 1963.

The Robert Nighthawk Story - November 30, 1909 – November 5, 1967

These clips have still or grossly annoying images, but they are awesome songs so just listen:
Bricks in My Pillow (love this song - listen, but don't look)
Sweet Black Angel
Return Mail Blues


Brownie McGhee bio - November 30, 1915 - February 16, 1996. (Images are fubared, but the write up and song samples are good.)

A few more clips from Sonny & Brownie:
Hooray, Hooray, These Women is Killin Me
On the Pete Seeger show: Hootin the Blues - showcasing Sonny's awesome hootin & hollerin
Another with Pete Seeger: I Couldn't Believe My Eyes - a quirky, fun little song written by Brownie

And wait - there's more:
Fabulous prior post with more live blues on Chicago's Maxwell Street by -- who else? -- Flapjax at Midnight. And not directly related but just because it is vintage blues and so totally sweet & awesome, Swift's prior post on Delta Blues.

posted by madamjujujive (11 comments total)

Don't make 'em like that anymore, etc., etc., etc.

Happy birthday, sirs, wherever you are.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:32 PM on November 30, 2010

SO GOOD. Thank you.
posted by stinkycheese at 9:24 PM on November 30, 2010

Is it true that Sonny and Brownie totally hated each other, like Sam and Dave?
posted by bonefish at 9:26 PM on November 30, 2010

Just read the McGhee bio link and got my answer: yes, they did.
posted by bonefish at 9:33 PM on November 30, 2010

a gem. i played both songs at the same time and that was interesting.
posted by clavdivs at 11:06 PM on November 30, 2010

mjj your a genius...Midnight Hour Blues
posted by clavdivs at 11:13 PM on November 30, 2010

leaves a hole in the back of your head like ziiiiing
posted by mhjb at 1:35 AM on December 1, 2010

^ stinkycheese says it all.
posted by adamvasco at 4:23 AM on December 1, 2010

:)
posted by caddis at 6:26 AM on December 1, 2010

+++
posted by bru at 7:15 AM on December 1, 2010

This post didn't get nearly enough favorites or comments. Listening to Van Morrison's Cleaning Windows right now and he sings:

I heard leadbelly and blind lemon
On the street where I was born
Sonny terry, brownie mcghee,
Muddy waters singin Im a rolling stone
I went home and read my christmas humphreys book on zen
Curiosity killed the cat
Kerouacs dharma bums and on the road

Tom Wolfe gives a shoutout in 'Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test' too, right? The Merry Pranksters welcome the Hells Angels, something something memory faulty...
posted by fixedgear at 4:52 PM on December 2, 2010