When Robert Randolph brings his family band along anywhere near where I live (and sometimes not so near) I make sure I see him. Part revival meeting, part instrumental master, with equal parts new age and old soul Robert Randolph has never disappointed always bringing a fresh approach with massive passion to anything he plays.
Somehow this song passed me by, I didn’t come across it until late tonight as I was surfing the Yahoo Blues Channel for a trip back to some blues guitar songs I had overlooked in what has been a pretty powerful year despite it becoming harder and harder to see or hear your favorite blues acts these days.
“If I Had My Way” is a swinging country blues number that allows Robert’s Family Band to show off their incredible talent – each one equally unique and soulful in his and her own right. Take a listen, for the die-hard Robert Randolph fan, there is something great about mixing his pedal slide guitar in with a different grooving style than you typically have heard from him in the past…love to see this one live.
What do you think?
Filed under slide guitar by on Oct 11th, 2011. Comment. 
We all know the Rolling Stones are a blues-based band, and at times that blues even shines through in their playing, but rarely do we get to hear some roots delta blues coming from the likes of Keith Richards like this:
Who knew he had all that individual blues guitar talent — it’s not everyone that can pick up and play like Robert Johnson or Big Bill Broonzy, but Keith nails not only the progression but does an excellent job on the timing and a pretty good job on the feeling behind the tune (which make up more than 50% of nailing any great acoustic blues tune)
I’m especially impressed with the timing – when I try and play a flowing acoustic blues tune like this I like to think of a rock skipping across the water, touching down each time in near perfect rhythm, but seemingly out of your control. Both of these numbers are played in the key of A with the signature A-D-E I-IV-V progression, but with very intricate fingering fills between and lots of feeling.
By the way – we just launched a new Acoustic Guitar Review Site – we put this together after our latest hunt for a new acoustic guitar…you may find it interesting.
Now, back to the vide – I know I’ll be spending a few minutes on this one.
Filed under acoustic blues by on Jul 22nd, 2011. Comment.
Great to see this recent write-up about Buddy Guy’s impressive headline show at the Aurora IL blues festival held earlier this year…not only is he making his 74-years look like a 40-year old, one could argue that Buddy’s brand of Chicago blues gets better with age.
3 Things You Are Guaranteed At Any Buddy Guy show:
1. You’ll never hear a song done the same. I remember 2-years ago here at the Ottawa Blues Festival when he launched into a rendition of “Damn Write I Got The Blues” that he kept so low down and dirty and then rocked out in the last few lines…completely different than I had heard him done at other shows and on his same titled CD. That’s what keeps us going to see Guy again and again is that we know when his genius and passion for the guitar meld with his creativity and fearlessness we get to witness greatness…you never know what to expect and that is amazing after 50+ years at it
2. His sense of humor – Guy is serious about his music, serious as a heart-attack about his guitar, but doesn’t take himself too serious. I remember running in to him nearly a dozen years ago at his Legends Club in Chicago, nicest, most down to earth guy you will ever want to meet. That comes through on stage too, he has fun up there – that must account for at least part of his longevity
3. Spirit of the blues…every Buddy Guy I’ve ever seen he pays tribute to his mentors (Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, BB King to name a few) as well as those that have clearly learned a ton from Buddy including Eric Clapton and the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was the special relationship between Stevie and Buddy that provided the link for me to becoming a huge Buddy Guy fan.
Thankful we still have him sharing his roots and continuing to bridge Blues and Rock together at the same time progressing the future of Blues music all the while continuing to provide an essential link for today’s youth back to the greats where it all started.
Have you ever attended a Buddy Guy concert? If so, what did you think?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Jun 20th, 2011. Comment.
We’ve lost many first tradition (and next tradition) blues musicians and guitar greats over the last years (John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Muddy, Freddie King, Pinetop Perkins, and many others) which makes it even more important to pay special attention to the greats that are left.
Came across a very well written article in the Ottawa Citizen this morning called “How Blue Can You Get” where reporter Sheldon Alberts ventured into the deep South looking for some delta blues guitar history.
He came across 3 greats:
1. Dave “Honeyboy” Edwards – the current grandfather of delta blues with links back to the now infamous Robert Johnson…one of the few people who credibly can talk about the icon that has so enticed blues traditionalists for decades. Born the son of a Mississippi sharecropper, hitting the road at 17 defying the odds with a passion and dream to break the cycle of poverty and repression in depression era South. I love this quote about how today’s white musicians have turned what they learned from the originals like Honeyboy into money-making careers – “Let me tell you about that, now, we got a lot of white boys who can play the blues. But they play the blues too fast,” Edwards says. “The blues is not made to be played fast. The blues is played to put something on your mind. Them white boys got some good fingers, but you got to let the music settle and soak, then come out.”
Here’s a great “Honeyboy” clip from Lightning In A Bottle
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2. Ellis “CeDell” Davis – born in 1927 (on June 9th – he shares my own birthday, how cool is that!) was an innovative slide guitar player that played with a butter knife (until his recent stroke that left his voice the only remaining instrument) His is the story of persistence – overcoming polio at age 10, massive leg injuries in a club accident in 1957 – he continues to be a force in delta blues, an important link back to the originals.
Watch the amazing power that comes from his playing in this video:
As musicians or lovers of blues guitar music, we need to re-visit the past fequently to stay in touch with the REAL DEAL…how blues started and what was so great about it when innovation was at its peak
A big shout out to Sheldon for bringing these guys back to our attention…great piece.
Filed under Blues Legends, delta blues by on May 28th, 2011. 1 Comment.
The former Muddy Waters blue piano man Pinetop Perkins passed on Monday in Austin TX at the ripe old age of 97 – still playing in Austin clubs and blues festivals right up until last month.
I had the great priviledge of seeing Pinetop a few times live – mostly at our terrific Blues Festival here in Ottawa.
There was no mistaking his passion for blues, his incredible energy and charisma for music and his fans.
I remember back in the early 2000’s saying Hello to him as he was shuttled to and from the stage for his performance (he joined the Allman Brother Band on stage that year) in a golf cart. Dressed to kill in a sharp suit and bowler hat, this guy was the Blues with a capital B
He never went to school, his education came from the road, playing 1-night stands with some of the greatest musicians ever including Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Nighthawk, BB King…and the list continues on and on.
The oldest musician EVER to win a Grammy, Perkins had some 20 dates booked already this year and was apparently considering another album…in many ways he was a late bloomer that received more attention and glory long after the prime of his life had passed.
What is perhaps most incredible to me is how much one man would influence an entire generation of piano and blues music…from Greg Allman through Jerry Lee Lewis, very few great blues, rock and boogie woogie bands in the past 3-4 decades have been untouched by Perkins electrifying playing.
Here is a sampling of his great blues piano playing and distinctive singing…
Listen to the Boogie Woogie on this one, remember he is a young 91-years old here
And here he is playing and signing his classic – “They Call Me PineTop Perkins”
I feel blessed that I was able to see the magic produced by Mr Perkins…now he can jam with the Alberts, Freddy, Muddy and SRV and we’ll close our eyes imagining what that will sound like! Sweeeet!
Filed under Blues Legends by on Mar 23rd, 2011. Comment.
On a steamy day in Chicago this past summer the sound of blues guitar power rang out through the sweat & burning sun. Just released is Eric Clapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 (2 DVD – Super Jewel Case)
Some of the top names appearing include a very cool pairing – Buddy Guy with Ron Wood (apparently a surprise or somewhat unexpected appearance), John Mayer, Johnny Lang, the always energetic Robert Randolph, Doyle Bramhall II as well as slide guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks and up and coming Joe Bonamassa balanced again by the country pickers (those guys amaze me) Vince Gill and Albert Lee. What about some of the new country pickers – I would love to see Brad Paisley and/or Keith Urban get rid of their shiny, over-produced country shows and dig into a Crossroads Guitar Festival for some down and dirty guitar playing – these guys really can play.
Here are a few chosen clips, at the end of the day, you want this DVD – Eric Clapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 (2 DVD – Super Jewel Case)
Buddy Guy and Ronny Wood – in the true spirit of jam find some great chemistry as they go:
Joe Bonamassa pairs with Robert Randolph for a little “Goin Down” power blues guitar:
The King of the Blues with Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan – BB still commands the stage like no other:
I didn’t make it to the Crossroads 2010 Festival this year, but by watching Eric Clapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 (2 DVD – Super Jewel Case)
If you were lucky enough to be there, let us know how it was.
Filed under Crossroads Guitar Festival, Joe Bonamassa by on Nov 10th, 2010. Comment.
I was listening to the latest Joe Bonamassa CD Black Rock
In fact, this is a straight forward, driving 12-bar blues number from the mid-40’s credited to James “Beale Street” Clark that has been done by the who’s who of blues guitar virtuoso’s including Junior Parker, Eddie Boyd, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, through to Freddie King and twice this year with Joe Bonamassa and Steve Miller’s latest blues guitar oriented work “Bingo!”
The main chorus is unforgettable, the perfect blend of simplicity and perfection “Look over Yonder’s Wall Baby, Hand Me Down My Walkin Cane” – reflecting the story of the song based on a man that, due to a disability, is able to take advantage of lonely married women when their men have gone to the War…tell that doesn’t sound like a blues song!
Here is a version I scraped up from Youtube, this time the master slide guitar player Roy Rogers combines his amazing slide technique with a wonderful driving blues song…take a listen:
Filed under delta blues, slide guitar by on Nov 8th, 2010. Comment.
There is nothing like live blues, I try and get out each weekend when I’m home to catch a blues act coming through town and of course, watch dozens when the Ottawa Bluefest runs in July. The Fall is looking like a terrific time to catch some of the best blues guitar greats in or around your town. Here is just a sampling:
Jimmie Vaughan – Out with a critically acclaimed new CD Jimmie Vaughan-Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites
Joe Banomassa is feeling very European – his new album Black Country Communion (CD/DVD)
Guitar Shorty – into his 70’s blues guitar and entertainer Guitar Shorty ages like a fine wine, he knows how to play guitar, his singing is heartfelt and soulful and he is a master entertainer, you always get your money’s worth at a Guitar Shorty show. We’ve had the benefit of seeing him up here in Ottawa at Bluesfest a few times, he always engages the crowd and often wanders through the audience as he plays inspirational guitar. Guitar Shorty tours relentlessly making stops through Texas, Ohio and Florida in October and November…get out to see him if you can, you’ll have a blast. Here is his updated tour schedule.
Robert Cray – Touring in support of the recently released Cookin’ in Mobile [CD/DVD]
Lots more to share in upcoming posts – the blues guitar circuit has never been more vibrant, so get out and support live blues, let’s not take it for granted…there’s nothing like them blues!
Filed under blues guitar, blues tour dates by on Aug 29th, 2010. Comment.
Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the day the music stood still…when SRV passed on in a helicopter crash after playing Alpine Valley.
It seems like a few months ago, but there have been very few times I have been blown away by music since then. In fact, I would have to say I listen much more today to all of the original bluesmen – thanks to Stevie for opening my eyes to all of these guys.
Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Otis Rush, Abert, BB, Freddie King, Lightning Hopkins, his brother Jimmie who I like more and more each time I listen to him…all brought to my attention starting with Stevie’s unwavering support of those who went before him.
And it was heart felt too…just look at any video where Stevie played with his mentors – Albert King on “In Session”, BB King, this video where he shares the stage with the great Johnny Copeland on a couple of songs – first the rocking blues number “Little Sister” and second, the laid back, but powerful “Tin Pan Alley” – watch how much he enjoys and respects being on the stage with another of his hero’s:
I am thankful each and every day that I lived in the same lifetime as SRV, it was him that sparked my own interest in guitar playing, opened up the heartfelt and pure experience of blues music, created friendships I would never have had and allowed me to share much of this with my own kids.
To all of those who were close to Stevie Ray, his family, friends and loved ones who now carry the burden of sharing the one they love with an adoring public – stay strong and you have managed his legacy well.
RIP 20-Years After to one of the greatest blues guitar players that ever lived…Stevie Ray Vaughan!
Filed under stevie ray vaughan by on Aug 29th, 2010. Comment.
For us blues guitar fans, live blues performances take us through a wild ride of emotions from quiet and introspective to raw and painful through powerful and explosive… no other type of music walks you through a storyline in music as well as lyric each time you listen.
Rarely do you see all of this played out in one blues guitar song…that’s why I thought I would post this performance by Matt Schofield taken from the Thunder Bay Blues Festival from just a few weeks ago. Notice how he begins with melodic soft blues runs and builds to at least two explosive string bending sessions before bridging back into the main melody. A Fender Strat man, Schofield puts on a clinic for any aspiring blues guitar player, either beginner or advanced…watch closely:
Filed under blues guitar by on Aug 1st, 2010. Comment.
