Swamp Blues

Although only idiosyncratically dissimilar to the Tulsa sound of Oklahoman J.J. Cale, but miles away from Woody Guthries narrative egalitarianism,  Slim Harpo, as heard below, delivers the languid swamp blues Louisiana sound with as little effort as it apparently takes  on King Bee which was later covered by almost everybody including Englishmen The Pink Floyd, here, The Rolling Stones and real deal Muddy Waters. Although JJ Cale started recording as early as 1958 he didn’t really kick off until 1971 with the album Naturally. If you’d like to take the swamp blues to rock and roll, psychedelia, grooves, shuffles and head into jazz experimentalism start with (Californian) Captain Beefheart’s 1966 Diddy Wah Diddy Howlin` Wolflike release and listen to Mirror Man, Clear Spot and  then step  into the deep space weirdness of Trout Mask Replica’s Moonlight on Vermont and perhaps Bat Chain Puller, or Lick My Decals off Baby. White Stripes have been covering a few Beefheart Numbers lately… the blues will never die because  it’s in everything; and when you stretch that string you’re stretching  your life!