It was four (4) degrees here in this old motorhome last night so I am not able to do the other video yet I wanted to.  Since there is not a huge amount of activity I thought I would post this older video that I have on YouTube because it's a bit unusual.  The song is a Skip James song, but I do it with a slide in a minor open tuning on a resonator.  I also had the opportunity to jam here with some great players, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up doing something a little jazzy and dark and different.  The bass player started out his career playing with Harry Belafonte. I like to let people do their thing and see what happens.  So you can tell me what you think.

Here's a short fingerpicking thing that I think I wrote. If I didn't actually write it, then I've forgotten where I learned it from. ;-) 

This was the first Corey Harris song I ever heard. I am gateful to have him here ( hear)  :)

Thanks Tam, I really appreciate that.  For the older music I like this guitar.  Parlor size but quite a lot of volume and good tone on the low end.  It can be pretty but it can be dirty and low down too.  Being a 12 fretter is a big factor in the sound, and a wider neck helps me a lot with the fingerstyle; 1 13/16ths. 

The sound you've got from that acoustic vinny is excellent. 

I especially liked the documentary, House Party, Once again it showed where the Blues came from, It came from the Southern Black Americans and was at the center of their Parties which they called House Parties to be shared with all those friends who attended to enjoy each others company . Isn't that what we are still doing? Only now we are using a website to come together . And we are calling it Open mic, What we are really having is a House Party. We as Americans are big on tradition. It makes us who we are. Therefore why don't we respect and preserve the tradition of those who came before us, and passed this music onto us, and call this open mic session a "House Party", out of respect for those that gave us this music. The BLUES. American Tradition there ain't nothing like it.  Thanks vinny for posting the House Party documentary video.     Dieter Hornemann

Alex - thank you very much.  I have contact with an organization that does this for a fee.  They are both in Italy and the U.S.  I can prove my origins but if it is found that my great grand father naturalized, or naturalized before my grand father was born, then I would not qualify.  So that document I am going to try and acquire next month.  That is basically a certified document that states there is no record of his naturalization.  All the required documents have to be acquired with the correct certificaions in both languages, so it's a bit of a process. And you finally have to have an interview at the Embassy here.  Thanks for your email, I will send you a message with my email address. Will be nice to stay in contact.  Yes, Europe has gotten more restrictive now about citizenship, although you would think a wife would not be a problem.  That has to be difficult.

Vinny, I like your version of love in vain.....it's not banal which is very easy in playin famous song like this...

about italian citizenship...yes here we have ius sanguinis..so if you can demonstrate your italian origins for sure you can ask for the citizenship...I wish we had your ius soli...imagine that my wife, eritrean citizenship, after more than 7 years of residence here in italy, paid taxes etc still have to wait only to ask citizenship to the authority at least 2 years...but this is another topic....

anyway if I can do something for you about it here is my email....alessandro.barbera1979@gmail.com....if you need more informations,I'm here...it's a pleasure :)

Steve - beautiful guitar playing.  Classical piece on steel string guitar - great chops.  Nice to think of south of the border in those long winters. 

Bob - or maybe it's the other way around.  Beefsteak was recorded in 1970, Reefer in 1981.  I'm sure it's a derivative melody, but Thomas played it even slower than I do.  Even in his original field recordings.Waters admitted, when questioned, that he wrote songs based on melodies he had heard in other songs.  It was a common practice.  But I can't identify any use of that melody line prior to 1970.  It's interesting how different that melody line sounds played at such different tempos.

Duke - thanks so much for the kind remarks.  That's a 12 fret parlor guitar and it has a lot of volume for it's size. Also vintage specs and easier to play that older music.  I hope to get up a vid here doing some damage on an electric guitar; for which you will have only yourelf to blame.

Guitar players: how about helping out the Harmonica players and posting some backing tracks for us? Maybe our guru Mike can develop a tab just for backing tracks!  This could have us playing "virtually" with one of you guys!  A good start "for me" would be the track for juke and for Keep our business to yourself!   How about to guitarists?

Vinny, This song sonds like Champaign and reefer, check it out! 

Paul,Like Duke said!!!!! you've got chops MAN. I'm going to post this week, I want to do Keep our business to yourself BUT I need a good acoustic backing track. I have looked at lots on line but none are very good! BTW.... I'm working on JUKE now and could use a backing track for that too. The site is great and I appreciate hearing all of you perform.

Hey Steve, That is very cool. Man, I wish I had your vibrato! duke  

Nice tune Bruce, Duke

Hi Alex, Nice job! good playing and groove on the RJ classic. Enjoyed it, Duke

hi Steve, Nice tune and BIG sounding 12 string! Enjoyed it.Duke

Hi Vinny, Enjoyed both songs (and the dog also!) You have a very nice sound with what appears to be a fairly small guitar. Nice fat sound and good right hand style. cheers, Duke 

Th'is is Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain".  Vocally this is a bit out of my range right now, at least at this volume. There are two breaks in this, one is based on Robert Johnson's and the other is mine.  Easy to tell them apart though.

I have finally got a webcam, and am trying to get the hang of it. Unfortunately, I find my computer is a little loud fan wise to use this but I'm trying to position it so it's passable.  In this motorhome I am meandering about it, I can't get too loud.  This cold damp weather has all my guitars making strange sounds and my voice too.  Sound quality on this webcam is not good, and I have to keep my vocal volume in a limited range or it breaks up. Good practice I guess, but I'm not staying pitch consistently.  I might get the hang of it with a few tries here.

This is a song, "Beefsteak Blues", by James "Son" Thomas whose prime was in an era when blues was not very popular mainstream so he's not widely known.  I think he only made one recording.  This is a groove I'm trying to capture here, not an elaborate arrangement.  This is an interesting song, as the lyrics start on the IV and has a bit of a different feel.  I think you also get to hear the Wolf having a snack too, he decided to brunch in the middle of my recording.

I consider these my "pawn shop" videos.  Could not do anything over the weekend as it was raining so hard this rig sounded like it was being strafed with a gatling gun. 

THANK you I think the above will be enough for the time being. I appreciate the showcase all in the name of fun and having a good time.. Dieter Hornemann  a.k.a. Startrekker 007

Alex - yes it was simple, but you hit the groove and got the feeling, and that's what's important.  You definitely communicated the song  Oh yes I'm of Italian descent.  I have actually recently discovered that I may actually be able to acquire dual citizenship because I do not believe my great grand father naturalized. This is subsequent to Italian law I think in the 80's.  I wish I had known it before.  I can't find any record of his naturalization, but you have to acquire a lot of verified documents to do it and I don't have the money right now.  Would be handy to visit Italy and do some travelling as an Italian citizen.