Country Blues Guitar

[Bop Head]

Those three, erm, graces sure look like they're a bit too tanned to be Greek

Seriously, look like. I don't know what kind of make-up and lighting they used, but you can often almost only guess the differences in skin colour in those old B&W recordings!

Johnny Otis' real name was Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, he was the sun of greek immigrants.

From Wiki:

Johnny grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Berkeley, California, where his father owned a grocery store. He became known for his choice to live his professional and personal life as a member of the African-American community. He wrote, "As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black."

Tough decision in those days though Cali might have been better than let's say Alabama ...

[DawgBone]

Johnny Otis' real name was Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, he was the sun of greek immigrants.

From Wiki:

Johnny grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in Berkeley, California, where his father owned a grocery store. He became known for his choice to live his professional and personal life as a member of the African-American community. He wrote, "As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black."

Tough decision in those days though Cali might have been better than let's say Alabama ...

I believe Chris Cain had a black father and a greek mother. I wonder if he passes Ragman's blues ministry of truth....

[RJVB]

As for singing, not all black people can sing contrary to what seems to be a popular belief among whites, throat structure be damned. Same for rhythm.

Of course. Not all guys with a big D or women with double Ds get to be pr0n stars, right?

[Bop Head]

I just discovered by random this BBC documentary presented by the Godfather of the British Blues Revival which includes some nice examples of rural playing styles. More episodes on the same YT channel.

[ragman1]

You really ought to have kept your mouth shut, you had that much right. Please tell me being drunk was the excuse for this post.

What percentage African descent does one need to be to qualify to play this kind of music and still pass your brown paper bag test? Serious question. You're speaking but you really don't know the background or motivations of anyone posting here. Please remove your post and do yourself and all of us a favor. Thanks.

Hi, Dawg. No, I wasn't drunk, quite the contrary. But I've been around a bit, you know? I've known a ton of players who could play this style really well, drop D, open G, slide, the whole thing. They were really good some of them.

There were only a couple I'd listen to with any real attention. But they were people to whom the feel came naturally, it was just there in their blood. Don't ask me how.

The others, though technically efficient, were okay but the background wasn't there, you know? it was just imitation. That's all my point really, I'm not trying to stop anyone doing what they want.

And by the way, it's not about being black today, it was about being black back then. There's a lot of difference.

I might delete the post but we'll see. I'll think on it.

and calm down, it's only music :-)

[Kirk Garrett]

…I've known a ton of players who could play this style really well, drop D, open G, slide, the whole thing. They were really good some of them.

There were only a couple I'd listen to with any real attention. But they were people to whom the feel came naturally, it was just there in their blood. Don't ask me how.

The others, though technically efficient, were okay but the background wasn't there, you know? it was just imitation….]

It’s almost as if this statement could apply to any style of music.

[Kirk Garrett]

Does this work? I think so. I think it’s a great version. Same guitar arrangement, almost, as the John Hurt version. Somewhat different feel, and obviously Jerry has a band here.

Some of the lyrics get pretty gnarly, and take us pretty deeply into cultural appropriation.

Or conversely this is an example of someone who loves American music and gives it his own lovely voice.

[gcb]

Good advice above.
Many 78s to listen/download at Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
Check also Elmore James.

[DawgBone]

D
Some of the lyrics get pretty gnarly, and take us pretty deeply into cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation is a fantasy. Society is where people share, trade, and borrow ideas from others.

[DawgBone]

And by the way, it's not about being black today, it was about being black back then. There's a lot of difference.

I might delete the post but we'll see. I'll think on it.

and calm down, it's only music :-)

Your remarks were inappropriate. You've been around a while? Then you should know better than that.

[Kirk Garrett]

Cultural appropriation is a fantasy. Society is where people share, trade, and borrow ideas from others.

I quite agree.


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[MarkRhodes]

This thread reminds me of something that had completely slipped my mind.
About 30 years ago I interviewed David Soldier for Option magazine.
David was born David Sulzer and it is under that name that he is (or then was) a neuroscientist at Columbia University.
I had just heard the first Soldier String Quartet album and was fascinated by his variety of influences.
One thing that came up was Delta blues. He really liked Skip James and mailed me a several page chart he had made of a tune of Skip's showing the "aperiodicity" of his music. (This was before my first exposure to a drum machine---I didn't know anything about quantizing beats.) I didn't know what to make of it but when I listened to Skip's song, I had no trouble at all "getting" the rhythm.

I think the most important thing in music is rhythm. It's the motor that makes it all go. But there are many rhythms, some simpler than others. I think the key to musical happiness is finding the rhythm that makes you come alive and then to surf it like a mighty wave.

[Kirk Garrett]

Cultural appropriation is a fantasy. Society is where people share, trade, and borrow ideas from others.

That said, I would not necessarily be keen to sing the lyrics of Spike Driver Blues in front of some audiences.

[DawgBone]

That said, I would not necessarily be keen to sing the lyrics of Spike Driver Blues in front of some audiences.

I have done the John Hurt version many times. What version are you talking about?

[Kirk Garrett]

I have done the John Hurt version many times. What version are you talking about?

The version I posted above in which García adds traditional lyrics from another ballad Hurt covered, John Henry.


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[swingtoneman]

Thanks everybody for your input. Much appreciated.

[alltunes]

I’ve messing with slide in standard tuning lately, yet again. I have found some good resources on the subject but the best advice is rather simple. I think I heard Jack Pearson say it.

Play a line with your fingers and then try and mimic it with the slide.

[gcb]

[gcb]

[Kirk Garrett]

gcb that’s a smokin’ Elmore side!


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[Mick-7]

I just discovered by random this BBC documentary presented by the Godfather of the British Blues Revival which includes some nice examples of rural playing styles. More episodes on the same YT channel.

Bukka White, one of the greats, dig the rhythmic right hand tapping on the fretboard he does in that video.

[StoneWaller]

I've gone through deep dives in music genres over the years, as a listener, and as a player (albeit a pretty crappy one) Change is in my DNA. Go hot and heavy until I'm sick of it and move on. All over the map, from 2nd wave black metal to my current Jazz/bepop period. "Country blues" as some call it has been my consummate foundation, and what got me started fiddling with guitars 30 years ago.

The alpha and omega in my mind is Jr Kimbrough. Primitive, hypnotic, droning heavy grooves that run the gamut of emotion. "Meet Me in the City" was the first song played after the preacher said "you may kiss the bride." One of the happiest moments in my life. Other tunes are so dark and heavy, they invoke old memories of being alone at 2 am, glassy eyed drunk in a dive I have no business being in, eying somebody I shouldn't be eying, with intentions of doing very bad deeds before the night is up. No one else but Jr can pull those emotional strings with me. But alas, the bear sleeps now, soundly to the soothing, sophisticated harmonies of Joe Pass and Herb Ellis. Regardless someday "done got old" off the linked album will play as people walk pass my casket.

[Mark M.]

My first was “Spike Driver’s Blues”. It’s one chord, so it was easy to focus on the right hand.