One of the things I truly love about blues music is how each generation shows such respect and passes down stories, techniques and songs from the generation before.
These are real stories, real emotions and incredible passion and love for the music and for the legacy of those who started and brought the blues to new audiences over the years.
With few of the 2cnd generation of blues legends left (Buddy Guy and BB King would fall into that camp), it’s more important than ever that their professionalism, passion, techniques and respect for blues guitar is passed on to the next generation.
So when I see a video like this of Buddy “hands-on” mentoring a talent like 12-year old Hayden Fogle, I have faith that the blues will endure.
There are dozens of “little” lessons in being a blues musician and performer wrapped into this short clip:
1. To start low and slow and build, then reset taking your audience on an emotional journey of peaks and valleys
2. To give others the spotlight and then to volley back and forth to give the audience an ever-changing show
3. To be a band leader (watch as Hayden, gives glances to the drummer to change the tempo or accent a beat) and not just a passenger up there
4. To be in the spotlight and learn to play to your audience
5. To put on a show as well as play music
6. To not focus too much on playing a perfect note, but to go outside the box and do some bizarre Buddy bends making it a fascinating, unpredictable show for the audience (Buddy is especially good at this which is at least in part, why he has stayed relevant all these years)
7. By example, teaching young Hayden to be as generous with his talent, time and audience to show and share with other musicians in the age-old blues tradition
Anything else you picked up that I didn’t?
Jeff
Filed under Blues Legends, New Blues by on Aug 14th, 2013. Comment. 
Absolutely love the key of B and nothing beats a slow blues in Bm – there’s something about it being peaceful and soothing at the same time as powerful and uplifting.
Here’s a track I cut this afternoon that I have called “Slow Burn Blues” because it sizzles along to this solid backing track.
[mc id=”239″ type=”audio”]slow-burn-in-bm[/mc]
Oh yes, stuck a couple of lines of voice in there too…off the top of my head, will have to sit down and put something meaningful together for the next rendition.
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith by on Jul 4th, 2013. Comment.
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.
I’ve been sifting through the finest of the fine from this year’s Eric Clapton’s Crossroads festival held a few weeks back in New York City this year.
One standout is this version of “I Just Got To Know” where Robert Cray shows us the passionate, raw blues guitar that I wish he would show more often. Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that Robert straddles soul, rhythm and blues – I just wish he would up the quantity of what I think he does best – raw, low-down and dirty blues.
Watch this rendition of the Jimmy McCracklin song (made famous by Magic Sam) and you tell me would you like to hear more Robert Cray like this?
Just so we always remember there is a rich history from which these songs were written and, in this case, adapted with passion – here is the Magic Sam version. Isn’t it wild how close this is with Mr Cray’s rendition?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on May 2nd, 2013. Comment.
I’ll admit it – I’m a YouTube junkie when it comes to keeping an eye on blues guitar greats – past and present.
This little gem was posted recently showing the Mike Flanigin Trio featuring the one and only Jimmy Vaughan on guitar at the Upstairs portion of the Continental Club in Austin Texas.
The song is “Hey Baby” – the massive one-hit produced by Bruce Channel who has been linked in history to Delbert McClinton (a name that is perhaps better known).
The Continental has a rich history opening in Austin in 1957 that includes stints as a popular burlesque club where girls like “Bubbles” and “Candy” graced the stage. How could this NOT evolve into a blues club right?
The 1970’s are where the magic happened with incredible blues guitar acts were booked including the Vaughan Brothers (Stevie Ray and Jimmie in their own bands through the 70’s into the 80’s as well as guys like WC Clark – going to catch him at Ottawa’s Bluesfest this year – The Cobras – with SRV and without – Joe Ely, Leroy Parnell, the Sexton Brothers (Charlie of Arc Angles fame and now a constant fixture in Dylan’s road bands).
Not bad right?
Thing is, you rarely see the big names giving back like this anymore. They all came out of the Texas blues or honkeytonk scene, this clip gives us a glimpse into what it must have been like back in the blues guitar heydey in Austin, not to mention the active club scenes in both Dallas and Houston.
Filed under Blog by on May 1st, 2013. Comment.
One of my favorite tunes off of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “The Way I Go” is Backwater Blues.
Written back in 1927 by Bessie Smith about a flood (some argue it is the great Mississippi flood but others will suggest her song was written prior to the great flood), numerous artists have recorded and performed this great blues tune…which brings me to Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s treatment.
Now I absolutely love the tone and style of KWS…many people see him as a disciple of Stevie Ray Vuaghan’s and sometimes the similarity is too close for the die-hard blues guitar fans.
Others will criticize him for his lack of singing…to me he is just a damn fine guitar player that has carried on the tradition of Southern Blues and continues to both stay true to the music and give credit where credit is due.
“When It Rains For Five Days…And The Sky Turns Dark As Night” – a great intro to a brilliant blues tune.
The song begins with approximately 1-minute of traditional piano treatment, then we get the slow burn of Kenny Wayne’s Texas Shuffle guitar, from there I would have to say this is one of my favorite KWS Band songs…
Here’s a performance – judge it for yourself:
Can’t wait to see Kenny Wayne and the band this July at Ottawa Blues Festival…a highlight for sure.
Have you caught Kenny Wayne recently? How was the show?
Filed under blues guitar by on Mar 22nd, 2013. Comment.
King of the Blues
Back to the Blues is what I would call this year’s theme for one of North America’s largest music festivals – the Ottawa Bluesfest…even though officially the theme is “Take Me To The River”.
Bluesfest started as JUST a blues festival back more than a decade and a half ago growing each year to incorporate more music, a wider range of music and broader themes.
Last year’s focus on Electro Dance Music was too much for the die-hard fans to take and many didn’t buy tickets or come at all.
The result is a re-balancing act this year, a hold-the-line budget (so they can reduce ticket prices which have gotten out of reach for many), as well as a return to the balanced blues, country, rock and yes some Electro Dance Music and Rap – something for everyone.
So, what’s on tap for blues fans?
How about the first ever visit from the Kind of the Blues, Mr. BB King…ok, I’m sold!
Add to that names like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, Joe Spencer Blues Explosion, Eddie Shaw and no doubt some great local acts as well like the Maple Blues Award Winners MonkeyJunk.
Still, one could argue, room for more blues, but it’s a good start to seeing the lineup become more balanced.
Some interesting and very talented country acts I can’t wait to see include the first visit by The Zach Brown Band and the rough country of Justin Townes Earl
Other highlights include RUSH, Weezer, Fun and yes…EDM guru’s Skrillex. Lord help me when my kids find out Skrillex is coming back!
You can see the full lineup here – there are still a couple of prime spots left for a few last-minute surprise headliners – any bets on who those will be?
Filed under Blues Festival by on Feb 27th, 2013. Comment.
Man if you are going to tackle one of the King’s (in this case Freddie King) classics you better be up for it, and in this case Derek Trucks, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill of ZZTop led by Joe Bonamassa brought their A game.
Going Down is a classic Freddie King number that demands tons of energy, power and prowess – these 4 treat his legacy right on the night he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame…and you get to enjoy the outcome.
Just for kicks I thought I would throw the original down below so you can see how it was really done decades ago by the blues guitar master Freddie King. I don’t know about you, but when I see Freddie I can’t help but get “the bug” again and ramp up the energy no matter what I’m playing.
And now for the original by the late, great Mr King (take special note of the energy, power and sheer embodiment of the blues)
Draw the same conclusion I did?
Even though Bonamassa, Gibbons and Trucks brought their top playing, they can’t come close to the great Freddie King – do you agree? Leave us a comment and vote?
Filed under freddie king by on Oct 15th, 2012. 2 Comments.
Can’t get enough stories about the early melting pot as Austin became the Blues Guitar ground zero for the likes of the Vaughans, ZZTop, Johnny Winter and opened the scene again for guys like Buddy Guy, Albert King, Albert Collins and Hubert Sumlin…largely impacted by the legendary club Antones – it was really the perfect storm of talent, inspiration, experience and desire and out popped an incredible blues reincarnation.
Here’s one of my favorite interviews with Stevie Ray Vaughan – he was clean, sober, happy and you can see the true man in every response to these questions…watch this
By the way – if you haven’t picked up both volumes of the Craig Hopkins “Day By Day, Night After Night” inside SRV story, you MUST pick this up. There are so many personal stories, original family/friend pictures, private stories from his earliest friends, gig posters and thorough gig lists…I couldn’t put it down.
Two things I pulled out of these volumes…
1. SRV was NOT an overnight success, he put in years of nightly gigs to pay his dues and learn the blues -by the time Texas Flood was released he was likely more experienced than most professional musicians at the end of their careers
2. He was, in many ways, a genius – gifted with an amazing ear and a passion for the guitar that dwarfed anything else in life…just as Steve Jobs obsessed over technology, SRV obsessed over the blues guitar. The books were incredibly insightful and interesting.
Filed under stevie ray vaughan by on Sep 3rd, 2012. Comment.
I never stop being amazed at the difference BB King has made not only to the world of music, but to the world in general. It’s usually not until someone passes on (and BB is far from that point…) that we learn of the stories of how generous and giving someone has been throughout their life. Yet with BB, we know that he CONSTANTLY puts his energy into helping troubled youth, gives back to his Southern communities and really is THE ambassador for the blues.
Case in point is the BBKing Blues Museum close to where BB was born and in the community (Indianola MS) where music is of course front and center, but so is education about the delta, its people and programs to support creativity and self-confidence. Along the way we get to learn about the inspiring story of how a sharecropper’s son made it from Indianola in the delta to Memphis and then the world. His has never been a story about his own greatness, it is rather about what is possible…what anyone can do to follow in his footsteps when you hang on to hope and optimism over fear and pessimism.
Has there ever been a more important time for such a message?
It seems that BB King’s message is just as important today for the world as it was 60-years ago.
Here’s a quick video on the museum – I know I have it on my top 10 list for travel. If you have visited the BB King museum, let us know your thoughts – leave a comment.
Filed under bb king by on Sep 1st, 2012. Comment.
