By the way, that gentleman dancing in the Robert NIghthawk video: that's a for-real razor-cut scar on his cheek. Juken could be hazardous in those days. How come it looks so cool though.
It will take a day or two to get some videos done here. Still on the road and just rolled in. But I wanted to post a couple of videos to get us all in the mood. This is a tribute to a place I spent a lot of time in my formative years growing up in Chicago - Maxwell Street, which was adjacent to the old Italian neighborhoods my relatives spent their lives in. Maxwell Street was a free commerce area in Chicago where 25,000 people got along with only two cops on the beat every Sunday. You could buy anything there, listen to the real blues, eat a real Polish sausage sandwich, and have a suit made on the spot while you waited. It was filled with the great old time steet vendors who could attract a crowd with their entertaining hustles selling the most ridiculous gadgets in the world, or even prayers. The slogan was "We Cheat you Fair" - meaning, you may get cheated but it's a good show and it's a good deal anyway. Most of the time the sales pitches included lots of free, but completely worthless, extras, which were made to appear absolutely irresistible. But mostly the music was there: the Chicago Blues. Little Walter played there even after he was a big recording artist, and made $500 a day. In the early 50's you could buy a Coupe DeVille for $2,500. Here we have the two types of music which enchanted me even as a preschooler, prowling Maxwell Street with my older uncles: Blues and Gospel. The Gospel music was sung out of store front missions purely for the spirit. The Blues players were always around a corner in an alley running off an extension chord for tips. ,The incredible Carrie Robinson and Blind Jim Brewer: if she can't get you the Spirit, you will never get it. Robert Nighthawk and John Lee Granderson. The two pure roots: God's music and the Devil's music. As they used to say in the "neighborhood" "place your bets and takes your chances". Whenever I get a bit frustrated musically, I look at these videos and I get inspired all over again. Thanks Duke, Corey, Jerry and Chris for helping keep it all alive.
Thanks again, Duke!! It really is a blast to play. The way Herb blues-i-fies those notes going down to that repeated bend at the beginning of the 2nd 8 is just so cool. What amazing technique he had!
Thanks again, Duke!! It really is a blast to play. The way Herb blues-i-fies those notes going down to that repeated bend at the beginning of the 2nd 8 is just so cool. What amazing technique he had!
Micael, Sorry about that. I will try and post shows here as they come in. My next show is January 16th at The Narrows in Fall River, MA. Its a sort of Blues Festival and the are 5 bands the night I play (good ones too i might add,) music starts a 5PM and I go on a little after 10PM. Duke
Hi Dave --- welcome to Sonic Junction and I'm glad you decided to post a message. From what I've learned over the years --- finding music that inspires you AND you can learn to play with just a bit of a challenge (some practice, but not too much) is the key.
If you're new to blues harp, a couple series you may want to check out are:
- Jerry's Masterclass (covers the fundamental technqiues)
- Careless Love
- How Long Blues
I hope that helps and looking forward to hearing how things go.
Although it doesn't seem to be 'a thing' here, I just wanted to introduce myself and say a general 'hello'. (Thought I'd post it here to keep things tidy, and maybe encourage other new folks to say 'hi')
To be honest, I'm not really new to Sonic Junction any more - been a member for about 6 months, but despite thinking the site and lessons are great and getting off to a good start I've just not been getting the most out of it and the frequency of my visits has dropped right off over time. Rather than quit just yet and save on membership for a resource I'm not really using, I'm going to see if I can 'get with the programme,' join the community here and engage with the whole music as "fundamentally social" thing. So, here I am, posting on the forum, being sociable, n stuff.
Now, I've dabbled with guitar off and on for decades (but much more off than on, until about 5 years ago), but I mainly joined SJ for the blues harp lessons. I've long loved blues harp and this seems a good time to have a more sustained go at trying to learn some, so if all goes according to plan you'll be hearing more from me on the harmonica lessons section (and maybe elsewhere too).
Before I go, I'd like to share something from an album I've been listening to a very great deal in recent months (yeah, I know the video is a fudge, but it seems fairly well done to me andI like it all the same...)
Hi Dave --- welcome to Sonic Junction and I'm glad you decided to post a message. From what I've learned over the years --- finding music that inspires you AND you can learn to play with just a bit of a challenge (some practice, but not too much) is the key.
If you're new to blues harp, a couple series you may want to check out are:
- Jerry's Masterclass (covers the fundamental technqiues)
- Careless Love
- How Long Blues
I hope that helps and looking forward to hearing how things go.
Here's something I've been working on the last few days. It's one of my very favorite guitar solos, performed by Herb Ellis from Blossom Dearie's wonderful "Deed I Do". I find that it's been very helpful for me personally to try and copy some of these great solos as closely as I can. I'll never be able to fill Herb Ellis' shoes, but walking in his footsteps for a little while has taught me a lot.
Here's a piano track, since we are lucky enough to have Davell with us in SJ now, and I'm also attempting to sing. I'm really rusty on piano as learning guitar has been my 100% musical focus for the last couple of years, but here it is. So, this goes out dedicated to Mike Caren for all that he does to make this site happen, and because he's said nice stuff about my voice in the past. ;-)
Without further rambling, here's my stab at Ray Charles' "You Don't Know Me". Cheers, everyone.
really good version of a great classic! Rusty onn piano...well...you accompany yourself very well. Your voice and playing is full of feeling and compassion.
If you'd like to give it another shot later on let me know. I've got some helpful tips for your piano playing, so let's be in touch.
Thanks, Davell !! I'm glad my rustiness doesn't show much -- I feel like I'm playing piano with oven mitts on. :-) I stopped gigging on piano about 10 years ago and have really been bad about keeping up with it since then. You might also hear some clicking because I've grown out nails on my right hand for guitar, which does mess with my timing a little too. There's a few places where I'm rushing a little. You know, I absolutely love bad puns and can't help myself. I just thought of this joke:
"Was Jimmy Rushing?" Ok, it's not great, but it's free. :-)
I would be absolutely delighted and grateful to hear any comments, and I'm looking forward to your future lessons as well! Thanks again for the kind words. Bruce
By the way, Davell, one of my favorite tunes to play and sing on piano is "Hey Little Girl" by Professor Longhair. I think that one would make a great lesson. Professor Longhair's unique style of playing always reminds me of Guitar Slim, how he'd sometimes emphasize the major third where other blues guys would play the flat third, and occasionally even the major 7th. Yet sounds so great and even bluesy when they do it! ;-) But of course it's the rhythm that is so key to Hey Little Girl, keeping that synchopated thing doing and singing against it, that's what makes it so fun to play. Sorry, I start talking about music and I get excited. :-) Thanks, and I would love to see some Professor Longhair from you at some point! Oh -- and a lesson in Aretha Franklin style playing. I was so knocked out (just like everybody else) to watch that video of her at the Lincoln Center. Hearing *that* piano and *that* voice -- what power!! OK, I'm doing it again. Stop, Bruce, Stop.
Requests in brief: Professor Longhair, Aretha Franklin
