Here's a question. This whole What is blues thread with the weird "blues?" songs that were played got me thinking about Blues and the perceptions of it.
First dude is Jimmie Rodgers, circa 1932. Second dude is Bill Monroe, circa early 1940s when Deford Bailey toured with him as his opening act. Monroe and Bailey tour together. You get one, you get both, just like back in the day. SO.... My questions are these: 1) If these dudes showed up at your blues festival would you hire them? 2) How would it go over with the audience? 3) Is this blues?
These vids will be representative of their sets: FIRST DUDE: I should mention, he is in the Blues Hall of Fame:
He's gonna play a bunch of 12-bars, but also stuff like this:
SECOND DUDE: would you want it at your festival? Why or why not? I'm really interested to what you think about this.
This guy will be opening for the second dude:
So, how would all this go over at a blues festival today? ----------
At one time I had every song that old Jimmie Rodgers had recorded, all gone now, but anyway I don't believe that many folks today would consider any of the above music blues, sure good music though. Music is music. You either like the music or don't, it doesn't matter what tag, or name you put on it. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
That's what I was thinking, too. I was thinking many folks wouldn't consider it blues... but Jimmie, of course, is in the Blues Hall of Fame and the above does (except for Pistol Packin' Papa) fit the definition: "a song often of lamentation characterized by usually 12-bar phrases, 3-line stanzas in which the words of the second line usually repeat those of the first, and continual occurrence of blue notes in melody and harmony."
That's what I was thinking, too. I was thinking many folks wouldn't consider it blues... but Jimmie, of course, is in the Blues Hall of Fame and the above does (except for Pistol Packin' Papa) fit the definition: "a song often of lamentation characterized by usually 12-bar phrases, 3-line stanzas in which the words of the second line usually repeat those of the first, and continual occurrence of blue notes in melody and harmony."
I've heard that Howlin' Wolf got the idea for his wolf howls from hearing Jimmy Rogers' blue yodels, like the ones at the end of each verse in the first video, T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1).
peole have this irresistible urge to distinguish one thing from another. Often very useful but sometimes it obscures important connections.
(And I had NO idea that any film or video existed of the yodeling brakeman - thanks for posting that!)
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Last Edited by on Apr 10, 2012 12:48 PM
I think any genre that's been around a while grows bigger than it's core audience. Then you have splinter groups that don't agree who belongs. If you put a kid raised on club music in a room and show him videos of Metallica, Poison, Guns & Roses, Nirvana and Foreigner they are going to describe the music as a lot of long haired white guys playing guitar. They may notice that Foreigner uses keyboards, G&R does a little piano, and Metallica and Guns & Roses do big productions with orchestras on some of their songs, and that Nirvana's singer has a really rough voice. If you mention the word 'hair metal' to them they would probably check it for any of them.
It was a short movie he did in 1929. He did three songs on it. Now Jimmie is in the Blues Hall of Fame. He's also in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He's the only person in all three.
I would hire them for a Blues festival especially if it was 3 day event with a few different stages on the grounds.
I had the great pleasure of seeing this band come to a college outdoor theater way back in the day...I grew up in the country, hunting squirrels and rabbits,deer, bullfrogs, trapping coon and fox - catching small mouth bass in the local river with soft shell crabs we caught the night before with flint lights on or foreheads. Ahhhh those were the good ole days :)
Seen Ricky recently at free concert and a lot of blues fans were there for the show...
I'd hire them in a heartbeat and let the electric Chicago style guys go somewhere else if they didn't like it--I know--I'd lose money--but I'd sure enjoy the music! ----------
the perception of what blues is has changed a lot over the past 50 or more years. was Memphis Minnie blues or ragtime or vaudeville? was ragtime a form of blues? is hill country stomp music blues? did the brit invasion have a real connection to blues? does a I-IV-V progression with a hang off the back of the beat constitute blues? is it a question of who's playing? does a broken heart qualify one to write, play, and sing blues?
here's what we did: we bill ourselves as blues and ROOTS. we do some dylan, some hank w., some j. cash, we do muddy, wolf, walter, some public domain stuff, some original stuff, and jimmy reed, and several other blues and folk blues artists as well. we have done gospel and spiritual material and stuff from the swamp to the west coast, from texas to mississippi and here in arkansas as well. we salute the originators and their teachers as well every chance we get. our cd released last year went to Memphis and place in the second to last cut for best self produced cd, among some real pro players who are career musicians and have worked in the business for decades. yet there we were between #30 and #6 world wide. that brings up another question: is this something in the ear of the beholder or are there some criteria stemming from song structure and who exactly the player is, that dictate what is and isn't blues?
i never picked cotton or went to prison. i did hop a few freights in the day, and i hitch hiked a lot of miles in the 70's. my dad died when i was 4. my heart was broke at 10, 12, 15, 19, 22, and a few more times over the years. i was kid #6 in a poor working family with just Mom bringing home the bread. i was never subjected to the kind of racism that many black people were and are subjected to, but i have always had a feel for blues music, and a compulsion to play and sing it for my own soul comfort. people around me for years have told me i'm a bluesman. and i know i am. there is a lot in blues today that was not there even in the 50's, pre rock and roll. these days SRV is considered a bluesman, and a lot of other blues-rockers as well. nearly anyone who can bend a note on a guitar or harp can claim bluesman status if there is such a thing. oh- i have ALWAYS had the WORKINGMAN'S BLUES. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
@Sarge, yes- "Carbide light" is the correct term...You must be from the woods too. Building underground cabins, tree houses so high death was emanate if you fell. Climbing 25 ft stink trees to the top and riding them to the ground as the cracked and broke on two. Swimmin in the river and jumpin from the 3rd tier in to rapids so violent they would throw you 100 ft down river, a kid would drown every summer...swing bull ropes of cliffs into crystal clear reservoir that had bass the size of a small dog in them and catfish that were pure and delicious to eat. Ridin motor cycles from one town to the next completely through the woods and every now and then needed to use those paths to escape the cops. Bow hunting and be so close to a deer in a corn field you'd swear to god your Daniel Boone. Fryin up fresh bull frog legs in hot butter and sucking the meat of the leg like it was a drum stick. Impossible to relive those glory days of youth, the memories will have to do!
That's right Frank, the woods of Eastern Okla. You have pretty much described my childhood days. It was a different world back then. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
yeah, two out of three is pretty impressive. oh, i'd hire them.
one of the most eclectic festivals i've ever been to is the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.
BB King over here( in New Orleans he really puts out; no Vegas show band stuff) Gospel Tent over there, fife and drum band here. you got Cajun, Zydeco, Aretha Franklin,the ubiquitous Neville Brothers-it's hard to make up your mind. i got stuck in the Gospel Tent for a couple of hours. couldn't leave. just local churches ( no Mighty Clouds of JOY) but man, i didn't care. i was riveted to my seat. good music is good music. Gospel is the bomb! Gotta mention i'm a big Al Green fan.
OT-i think i could live on red beans and rice.
again, i'd hire them. ---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
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Last Edited by on Apr 11, 2012 11:43 AM
Jbone, great post! I wonder how W.C. Handy would go over, too.
Sarge and Frank: I remember first time using a carbide lamp as a kid, filling it up with water and thinking "how is this supposed to burn water?" But, I tell you what, they were a lot better than the flashlights we had back then.
