Nothing feels as natural to me as playing along with a blues shuffle, here’s some playing from earlier today…enjoy!
[mc id=”235″ type=”audio”]jeff’s-shuffle-A[/mc]
Always enjoy hearing your feedback, so leave me a comment.
Jeff
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith, texas blues by on Jul 1st, 2013. Comment. 
With 200+ acts in the line-up at this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest, there are bound to be several surprises but there were two bands I especially wanted to hear – no surprise, just great sounds…The SheepDogs (still to come this Thursday) and Bright Light Social Hour from Austin TX.
We were lucky enough to have them booked twice at this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest, I took in the second set on the huge mainstage. The little band from Texas took full advantage making their 4-piece band sound much bigger than it actually was.
One of my weaknesses is the sound of a keyboard through a Leslie speaker system (where the rich tube sound is modified by a revolving baffle). So BLSH had me from the beginning.
Here’s a quick pic of a typical Leslie open from the back if you’ve never seen one…
While Bright Light Social Hour is definitely rooted in the blues, what’s great about these guys is they are one of the latest bands to be a melting pot of influences from 70’s power rock through this decade’s fascination with dance music throwing in ample soul and blues – the trick is to pull it all off.
Not every song did pull it off completely, there were times when it dragged, other times when it looked forced…but the times it DID come together were PURE magic, creativity and originality unlike we see on the music scene today.
According to their website, their next stop is tomorrow night in Quebec City with non other than Aerosmith…not bad company is it?
Here’s a brief clip from Sunday’s Bluesfest performance…listen to the soul in the first few seconds!
Have you watched these guys before? Leave us a comment.
Filed under texas blues by on Jul 11th, 2012. Comment.
I have to admit – a great Texas Shuffle a la Stevie Ray Vaughan or Freddie King before him just gets my blood pumping.
I have a son that is just now learning guitar, and though today’s generation is into all of this Electronic Dance Music stuff, I have to admit he even taps his foot when he hears a good blues guitar shuffle come on.
It’s one of the very first things we often learn on guitar (after mastering the basic chords), but getting a great blues shuffle down has as much to do with timing, feeling, swagger (confidence) and right handed picking technique as anything technical.
Here’s a great Kenny Wayne Shepherd number that features a bad-ass Texas Shuffle, tell me if this isn’t the coolest sound you have ever heard!
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Shotgun Blues by Zone19
Doesn’t that make you want to go pick up your guitar and try to get that timing down, not to mention the great fills between chords…how’s your Texas Shuffle coming?
Filed under texas blues by on Apr 29th, 2012. Comment.
Wow man, I was so impressed by this Jimmie Vaughan interview, mainly because he goes through the thought process of how he (and how other great blues guitar players like BB, Freddie King, Eric Clapton and Gatemouth Brown) developed their own style.
It’s one thing to learn the guitar, another to be able to play like your heroes and still another to have the confidence and desire to forge your own sound.
Not only do you become a musician and guitar player, but you become an innovator and artist using this approach.
Isn’t it better to leave this earth having shared and created your own sound instead of just imitating others?
How do you develop your own style… Jimmy’s way of describing it is “play what you hear”…now that makes total sense!
I remember hearing BB King talk about how he developed his style of “fills” by trying to come up with the horn (sax) fills he would hear in songs…that became the BB King style of blues playing.
So if you want to or already play guitar, think about what do you want to hear and try to incorporate that into your playing.
Here’s the video:
Filed under jimmie vaughan, texas blues by on Apr 5th, 2012. Comment.
He’s been paying his dues, which these days has as much to do with hitting the social networks as it does hitting the clubs.
Texas blues guitar player Tyler Bryant, by all accounts, is the real deal impressing live audiences and YouTube nation…a double whammy marketing effort building his brand before his first album is due out this summer. His “Living Room Jams” have hit it big with YouTube audiences as he builds his reputation and chops.
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have the likes of Eric Clapton and Vince Gill in your corner not to mention stints opening for Jeff Beck and playing with Aerosmith.
Learning lessons from the likes of BB King who takes an active interest in all of today’s blues greats making sure they focus on their music and not get wrapped up in the destructive lifestyle that seems to take so many from us too early…not a bad lesson for 21-year old that is about to make it big.
Here are a few videos that show Bryant’s considerable talent…if you’ve had the chance to see him live, leave us a comment and let us know what you thought.
The first one is an acoustic slide called Lipstick Woman – shows some good potential on the slide, my own advice would be to slow things down a notch, amp up the feeling and put more into each note instead of trying to dazzle with the max number of notes. Stevie Ray always had Jimmie (his brother) to balance his amazing energy and speed with gut-wrenching feeling.
Now, an electric blues (sweet Gibson) through a Fender Amp called Shackles where the slide playing is a little tastier…
Finally, a shot from his opening slot with Jeff Beck..how amazing would this be to jam with Mr Beck?
All-in-all, at 21 he has so much blues guitar playing in front of him…let’s see where he takes it.
Filed under texas blues by on Apr 3rd, 2012. Comment.
Even after all these years I find myself going back to watch clips of the Arc Angels – perhaps one of the best blues power groups ever assembled and yet they only stayed together for such a short time.
I suppose it’s no surprise that the mega rhythm sections of all time (SRV’s Double Trouble) combined with solid Charlie Sexton and the infinitely creative Doyle Bramhall II grew beyond the Arc Angels – each having such independent personalities, each a star in his own right.
But man…the songs they gave us were sweet.
When it comes to taking blues guitar to the next level, we can only hope that the Arc Angels collaborate once again, it would be a blast to see what comes out.
Until then, here is an early Double Trouble, Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall II gig and “Say One Thing”
Filed under blues guitar, texas blues by on Feb 7th, 2012. Comment.
[mc src=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqK6PBq-hA&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL37DEC2F0013CE888″ type=”youtube”]T-Bone Walker[/mc]I’ve been in a mood for going back and learning some blues guitar strategies, techniques and styles from the greats – was listening to this video of T-Bone Walker playing at the “Jazz at the Philharmonic” – the first song I noticed the often used example of T-Bone changing up the standard I-IV-V blues progression to a I-II-IV-V which gives it a more classy, jazzy feel – he did this on many slow blues numbers.
You’ll also notice on his progression to the IV, he will slide up to the V and resolve down to the IV position – in this particular case it is in the key of B-flat.
Take a listen, there’s also a great jump-blues song tagged on here as well with an amazing band (listen to the drumming on the last song how it complements T-Bone’s wonderful playing). Oh ya, and it’s hard to keep your eyes off of him on stage, he is such a great performer.
Filed under Blues Legends, texas blues by on Nov 3rd, 2011. Comment.
I still remember fondly one of my very first concerts back in the mid 1990’s saw Johnny Winter play the National Arts Center Theatre here in Ottawa…a venue typically reserved for proper theatre goers rather than loud, heavy drinking bikers, youth and blues revellers – but that night turned out to be magic.
It was funny, he tore off on an amazing version of Highway 61 – when some huge motor started up and interfered with the sound. He stopped for a few seconds, cranked up the amp and exclaimed “fu*! it” and hit it even harder…ahh…the moments you remember 🙂
Since then I’ve had the great fortune of seeing him dozens more times around the world – here at the Ottawa bluesfest a few times as well.
No doubt, his health went down hill and there were a few concerts I didn’t know if it may be the last time I see him.
But, the pheonix rises, Johnny sounds better than he has in a long, long time (though his guitar work never really suffered showing the true talent of this legend). All of this has culminated in a new CD titled “Roots”
My personal favorites:
“Dust My Broom” is a perfect fit for Johnny’s awesome slide and rough (but great sounding) voice. Pretty much anyone who listens to blues music will know this song as it has been covered by all the greats – having been orginally written by Elmore James (made more famous by Robert Johnson)
“Maybellene” – Yep, Johnny Winter does Chuck Berry with the help of Vince Gill on guitar. I really like the different side of Johnny’s vocals on this one with some tasty Texas rapidfire guitar thrown in for good measure
“Further On Up The Road” – Oh ya, I love the texas shuffle, and T-Bone was the master. Johnny stays true to the original form and adds his own stinging licks to this one. Damn…now I have to go through the entire day with that shuffle inside my head
Other collaborations on this tasty CD include Susan Tedeschi (wherever Derek Trucks goes these days Susan is right there at his side), a nice shuffle with Edgar Winter (his brother).
But really, there is not a bad tune on this CD…great blues all around. I assume Roots will be up for some serious blues awards, it truly deserves it.
Do you have the CD, what do you think?
Filed under texas blues by on Oct 11th, 2011. Comment.
