Rory Block
October 2, 2009 6:19 PM Subscribe
Aurora "Rory" Block has staked her claim to be one of America's top acoustic blues women, an interpreter of the great Delta blues singers, a slide guitarist par excellence, and also a talented songwriter on her own account. - AllMusic
I am a huge Rory Block fan and collect her music when I can. I saw her live in a little club outside Chicago once. She sat at our table for 10 minutes between sets and just chatted.
heh, I still dine out on that story.
posted by reflecked at 7:09 PM on October 2, 2009
heh, I still dine out on that story.
posted by reflecked at 7:09 PM on October 2, 2009
Who *doesn't* love Rory Block? she's absolutely amazing.
posted by EricGjerde at 10:32 PM on October 2, 2009
posted by EricGjerde at 10:32 PM on October 2, 2009
Rory Block is my favorite female blues singer, bar none, living or passed. She's breath-taking, not only for technical expertise, but also for her encyclopedic knowledge of early blues music and performers.
But if all she ever recorded were her gut-wrenching gospel version of Andy Barnes' "The Last Leviathan" with organ and harmony backing, it would be enough for her place in the music pantheon.
posted by key_of_z at 12:41 AM on October 3, 2009
But if all she ever recorded were her gut-wrenching gospel version of Andy Barnes' "The Last Leviathan" with organ and harmony backing, it would be enough for her place in the music pantheon.
posted by key_of_z at 12:41 AM on October 3, 2009
She looks so young but I know she's my age. Somehow I'd missed that her father was a musician. I just remembered his sandal shop.
posted by Obscure Reference at 12:49 AM on October 3, 2009
posted by Obscure Reference at 12:49 AM on October 3, 2009
She does rock. Thanks for this post.
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:08 AM on October 3, 2009
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:08 AM on October 3, 2009
She's good. Hard to believe she grew up in Manhattan!
posted by Houstonian at 6:14 AM on October 3, 2009
posted by Houstonian at 6:14 AM on October 3, 2009
wow wow wow.
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 6:15 AM on October 3, 2009
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 6:15 AM on October 3, 2009
Oh fer shure, that Homespun link makes it clear that bluesing like Robert Johnson is just so easy! I've also ordered their 4-minute instructional DVD of Stephen Hawking explaining how to produce a Grand Unified Theory about the origins of the universe.
(That said, nice sound!)
posted by Mike D at 7:18 AM on October 3, 2009
(That said, nice sound!)
posted by Mike D at 7:18 AM on October 3, 2009
Oh, yes! A roommate told me about her back in 1985 or so, saying "You might like her." Been a fan ever since. Having seen her play in a club, I'm still amazed at what one voice, one guitar can do.
posted by Savannah at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2009
posted by Savannah at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2009
admired her work for some time. this is the first that i ever knew her first name is aurora. thanks for the post.
posted by msconduct at 1:49 PM on October 4, 2009
posted by msconduct at 1:49 PM on October 4, 2009
Stellar post, Joe Beese, thanks. I love Rory Block.
Rory uses a craftsman wrench socket as her slide ...
"I use a socket wrench as a slide. For years I couldn't get a bottleneck small enough for my finger. I did try, but they were all bigger than my hand, which is quite small. Then people started bringing me slides. People would give me porcelain slides, which were smaller. That was more my style. I don't put the slide across my entire finger, but just the first knuckle out from the hand. That means getting a small, short slide. It was John Hammond who suggested using a socket wrench. You have to take the knob off the end and sand it down, but it's perfect."
Just one of the fascinating things she told us during one of her shows. In addition to being the most awesome blues musician, she is quite the storyteller - I've seen her twice, and she converses a lot with the audience. Between her playing and her stories, it's incredible to have such a direct connection to so many legends ...Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Skip James and Reverend Gary Davis... she is a living legend herself.
If you want to learn from a master, Rory will be teaching at a 5-day workshop next May at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch. (There are many other incredible guitar workshops)
posted by madamjujujive at 8:25 PM on October 4, 2009
Rory uses a craftsman wrench socket as her slide ...
"I use a socket wrench as a slide. For years I couldn't get a bottleneck small enough for my finger. I did try, but they were all bigger than my hand, which is quite small. Then people started bringing me slides. People would give me porcelain slides, which were smaller. That was more my style. I don't put the slide across my entire finger, but just the first knuckle out from the hand. That means getting a small, short slide. It was John Hammond who suggested using a socket wrench. You have to take the knob off the end and sand it down, but it's perfect."
Just one of the fascinating things she told us during one of her shows. In addition to being the most awesome blues musician, she is quite the storyteller - I've seen her twice, and she converses a lot with the audience. Between her playing and her stories, it's incredible to have such a direct connection to so many legends ...Son House, Bukka White, Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Skip James and Reverend Gary Davis... she is a living legend herself.
If you want to learn from a master, Rory will be teaching at a 5-day workshop next May at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch. (There are many other incredible guitar workshops)
posted by madamjujujive at 8:25 PM on October 4, 2009
« Older The Anxious Mind | Remember them all Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by The White Hat at 6:37 PM on October 2, 2009