Rock and Roll

1960 the year in which the Studebaker Hawk I saw this morning was manufactured, was a big year – the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam and Elvis returned from Germany. Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry and Duane Eddy all released records. Also featured in 1960 was the great Chester Burnett, or Howlin` Wolf who had been making records for since 1951. Wolf had a great ear and since `55 had been working with the awesome guitarist Hubert Sumlin. It`s likely that Hubert Sumlin`s electric playing brought Chicago across the Atlantic and into the hands of the Great British Blues Players such as the incandescent trio of Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton – all members briefly of The Yardbirds.

Blues Boy King

Ever wondered where it`s at ?
It`s right here…check out the crossover between B.B.King here and Clapton`s live performance from the 1980 album Just One Night in Budokan. If you were going to buy ONLY ONE Clapton you need to buy about six…and don`t forget in a similar way to Hendrix, Clapton`s guitar prowess has overshadowed his songwriting genius…

Inspirational blues

Hi, I`m seeking inspiration whilst recording through exploring abandoned buildings in the presence of a psychic investigator. There`s obviously a supernatural tradition innate to the blues lyric and the historical context from which the early blues pioneers emerged.

It`s a subject of great interest both for its pseudo religious supranatural leanings and the degree to which this tradition has been perpetuated through different media to this day. The lone artist, soaked in liquour or absinthe, an artist struggling with, for or against the elements or humanity in defiance of tradition, change, oppression -a freedom fighter channelling the forces of good or evil through a talismanic or demoniacal engagement to the guitar. A vocal tradition hoodoo-esque, incantational, evangelical, proselytising, confessional, mean, base or sexual. What do you want your blues to be?

You can view the photos here.

An incantatory, elemental, almost Amerindian element to the blues, a rhythmic, hypnotism and hoodoo-esque quality exists in all of John Lee`s blues and he`s a severely underrated icon perhaps to my mind. Spot the Robert Johnson stylistics and hear the cold, dirty earth under his feet. It`s wake up time so ruminate upon your past, present and future…it`s all here…

Swamp Blues

Slim Harpo delivers the languid swamp blues Louisiana sound with as little effort as it apparently takes here on King Bee which was later covered by almost everybody including Englishmen The Pink Floyd

If you`d like to take the swamp outta the blues and head into jazz experimentalism start with Captain Beefheart`s Diddy Wah Diddy and head into the space of Trout Mask Replica and Bat Chain Puller.

Jeff Beck

I`ve been lucky enough to spend an entire gig standing next to Jeff Beck, drink a few beers, chat awhile and ask him some questions about tremelo and the performances I`d seen at Hammersmith Odeon. I also saw him at The South Bank in London and he played with John McLaughlin and The White Stripes.

Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson

I said yesterday that I`d write about Robert Johnson; there`s a lot of hoodoo wrapped up around the man, in particular that he sold his soul to the devil down in Clarksdale. Originally, Son House suggested, Johnson was not regarded as a good musician but after the trade with Satan he returned with the blazing skills and blues mastery of a demi-god.

Piedmont syle

For those of you out there who are keen on Pink Floyd I thought I`d write a little post that positions Pink Floyd within a certain part of guitar history and associated style. At the beginning of their career Pink Floyd werea quintessentially English band led by songwriter and folk singer Syd Barrett who had named the band after two Piedmont Style blues players Pink Anderson and Floyd council. It`s interesting to note that the early manifestations of the band