MetaFilter posts tagged with Blues and Sublime

Wardell Quezergue: The Creole Beethoven

y2karl — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:10:43 -0800

Regarding the 'Creole Beethoven' Wardell Quezergue, composer, arranger, big band leader, master of Second Line funk, who brought us Earl King's Trick Bag, the Dixie Cups' Iko Iko and Chapel of Love, King FLoyd's Groove Me, Baby, Jean Knight's Mr. Big Stuff to name but a few--not to mention A Creole Mass--and who, later in life, survived Katrina, to become, among other things of late, according to Home of the Groove's Quezergue Onstage and Behind The Scenes, a street performer in the French Quarter. His is a name that ought not be forgotten. See also The Birth Of A Platinum Seller and Recording: Interviews » King Floyd's "Groove Me" And now a lagniappe of Quezergue arranged and conducted YouTubers: The Dixie Cups - Chapel Of Love Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff Live 1972 Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff King Floyd - Groove Me The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - One O'Clock Jump The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Caldonia The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Take Me Back Baby The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Jumpin The Blues

Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink of Water

y2karl — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:21:57 -0800

Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink of Water From the accompanying entry on Mr. Dan Kelly's Blog:

Tommy Johnson was the original claimant to the legend of the bluesman who went down to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for the ability to play the blues. Perhaps the appellation stuck more to Robert Johnson (who, apparently, never made such a claim himself) because, despite Tommy Johnson's unearthly falsetto and occasionally alien-sounding guitar work, his subject matter had less to do with Satan, hellhounds, and Judgment Day, and more to do with the usual tropes of bad hootch, life on the road, loose women, and so on. Little matter: Tommy Johnson was a bluesmen of the first stripe. Also, unlike growling, shouting, and hollering bluesmen like Charley Patton and Son House (whose power was one of their great strengths, of course), Johnson had a sweet voice.

Here are many more links regarding Tommy Johnson.

Cool Drink Of Water is one of the masterpieces of 1920s Delta blues. The song is unearthly, the blend of his voice, his and Charlie McCoy's guitars is just sublime. This is the first time I have seen the song offered gratis online.

In terms of songs covered by the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Houston Stackhouse, Robert Nighhawk and other postwar Mississippi born bluesmen, Tommy was by far the Johnson who counted the most to them. Howlin' Wolf, for instance, recorded Cool Drink of Water in two variations--Smokestack Lightning and I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline), both of which are about the most downhome songs he ever cut.

Now if one were to get a free password for the Blues and Gospel from the 1920s and 1930s section of the Roots Music Listening Room, which the noble crunchland brought to our attention years ago, one could download a whole lot more of Tommy Johnson and Charlie McCoy.

McCoy's Last Time Blues, for instance, is a wonderful bit of slide guitar...

I Remember Blind Joe Death

y2karl — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:59:17 -0800

John Fahey - 1969, Part 1
John Fahey - 1969, Part 2
John Fahey - 1969, Part 3
John Fahey - 1969, Part 4
See also The Thong Club
And Previously
Via FaheyGuitarPlayers

Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground by Blind Willie Johnson

y2karl — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 04:12:36 -0800

Ry Cooder once said Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground was the most soulful, transcendent piece of American music recorded in the 20th Century. Unearthly and music of the spheres were common descriptions long before both became fact when it was included on a golden record was affixed to the star bound Voyager space probe. My first encounter with Dark Was The Night was while watching, and then listening to the soundtrack album of, Piero Paulo Pasolini’s The Gospel According To St. Matthew--or as it is known in Sicily kickin' Bootsville, Il Vangelo de Matteo--which is, in my humble opinion, the Greatest. Jesus. Movie. Evar. Ironically, coincidentally and serendipitously, it was an apt choice by Pasolini, as the hymn from which Blind Willie Johnson's wordless moan derives is a song about Christ’s passion—his suffering and crucifixion. (Continued with much more within)

y2karl — Fri, 22 Mar 2002 23:44:45 -0800

John Fahey - American Primitive Guitar. I got an e-mail from a listener about a John Fahey song I played on my show today and it prompted me to revisit his website. I've been listening to him ever since '67 or so. He died last year due to complications during a coronary bypass operation--I realized again today how I miss him. (more inside)