Hip Hop X Blues - 2 Live Blues / 2 Live Crew

2 Live Crew are a notoriously obscene, yet influential, hip hop crew from Miami. They were very popular in the 80's and 90's, known for controversial subject matter in their albums.

There's one track on their most famous 1989 album As Nasty As I Wanna Be called '2 Live Blues', which is them rapping over the ever classic blues call and response rhythm, which was sampled from blues/soul man Clarence Carter's 'Love Me With a Feeling'. So let's take a step back in time to classic hip hop.

*WARNING EXPLICIT LYRICS & CONTENT*

Thanksgiving, the Blues Way

KFC Deep Fried Blues

In what turned out to be my most bizarre gig (and believe me there have been many), was also one of the most memorable.

My agent called and asked if I would be willing to do a gig for KFC in the biggest mall in Kuwait. I'm not usually the person to say no to any gig, no matter how weird it sounds. I figure I will always have a story to tell my grandkids about.

Turns out the chain was going to do a meet and greet with Colonel Sanders himself (OK, he's not the real Colonel, but he's an approved copy!) and that he would be taking pictures and such with people.

Perhaps they underestimated his popularity. 

Once my blues associate Zeus and I got on the stage, which I might add, had a huge Styrofoam chicken bucket prop on the side, and started jamming away the blues, the Colonel strolled his way down to the stage as if he was the fucking president. The mobs that swarmed him was like a scene from some riot. 

We only got to do a few songs before the stage was invaded by the angry / delusional / spazzed crowd, which led us to evacuate. The colonel, in his brief moment of peace, thanked us and didn't believe we weren't from Mississippi (as per his words, not mine). We took a photograph, which will be cemented in modern history as the time we played the blues for the Colonel himself.

#JazzChops - New Jazz Lingo Video Series

The EFP London Jazz Festival (due to start from 13-22 Nov.) have started a new video series called #JazzChops, a set of interviews with top jazz musicians discussing certain jazz jargon.

Here's the first one, being : What does it mean to have "chops"?

'Gangsta's Paradise' - Schmoove 1920's Jazz Version

Imagine you were in some speakeasy, drinking illegal moonshine, got some mobster on your tail; and listening to this version of the insanely popular song by Coolio "Gangsta's Paradise".

Not only is the music pretty much spot on for the Jazz Age of the 20's, but Robyn Adele Anderson and the Post-Modern Jukebox Band look the part as well! The song has gone viral too.

PMJ Website: http://www.postmodernjukebox.com/
Robyn's Instagram account : https://instagram.com/robynadele19/

Doogie Howser Episode Full of the Blues

Remember Doogie Houser MD? Neil Patrick Harris' early series where he plays a young genius doctor?

Well in one of the episodes (Season 2 Episode 6), Doogie admits a homeless man to the hospital who turns out to be Blind Otis Lemon, a legendary blues player long thought to be dead. When Otis is scheduled for surgery to remove a tumor that could possibly leave him deaf, Vinnie and Raymond sneak him out of the hospital for one last gig.

What a piece of 80's nostalgia... also Otis is modeled after Muddy Waters ("A to Z, Rock n' Roll belongs to me" and being called the original Hoochie Coochie Man) and his name after Blind Lemon Jefferson. 

The songs featured are "Stormy Monday Blues" by T-Bone Walker and "Got My Mojo Working" by Muddy Waters.

If the Blues Brothers Police Chase Actually Happened

[source]

For reference:

B.B. King Talks About the Letter 'B' on Sesame Street

Sesame Street has a special place in many of our hearts; we grew up to it, and loved all the characters and their positive message to kids.

Among the celebrities to join the fun, blues legend B.B. King came on the set and made a segment on, of course, the letter 'B' to comic effect.

It's quirky, but hey, it's for the kids! And teaching the blues to kids is always a good idea!

Modes of Transport in the Blues

The blues isn't about having it easy. You're always on the move because life doesn't stand still. Sometimes you gotta go back to your hometown, sometimes to find your woman (or man) or to go to Louisiana to meet that gypsy woman who told your mother when you was only the age of 5 that... ummm... anyways; here are a few modes of transport for the blues as described by the artists in their songs:

V8 FORD

CHEVY TRUCK

65 MUSTANG 

GREYHOUND BUS

DODGE MONACO (POLICE CRUISER VARIANT)

MISSISSIPPI-BOUND STEAM TRAIN

50's CADILLAC

and of course, WALKING

Robin Williams (with Bill Bailey) Sing the Blues

RIP Robin Williams; to keep the content relevant to the blog here's Robin and Bill Bailey singing the 'Royal Birthday Blues', performed for Prince Charles' 60th birthday. It's brilliant as always.

How to Beat the Blues in 3 Easy Steps

Anatomy of Songs

Blues Weapons - Pistols

The blues genre has many shades of themes and topics; one such theme is violence and murder... some can be in cold blood, and some can be in vengeance.

Once you catch the blues, sometimes you lose control and there ain't nothin' you can do. 

Here are a few blues pistols: 

.32-20 Winchester Rounds (Colt) 

If she gets unruly, and thinks she don't want do
Take my 32-20, and cut her half in two

32-20 Blues - Robert Johnson

.44 Special

Well I walked all night long, with my .44 in my hand

Well I walked all night long, with my .44 in my hand

 Now I was looking for my woman, found her with another man

.44 Blues - Roosevelt Sykes

.45 Colt 1911

I'm going over to Third Alley, Lord but I'm going to carry my .45
I'm going over to Third Alley, Lord but I'm going to carry my .45
Because you know ain't many men go there and come back alive

45 Pistol Blues - Walter Roland

Blues Sketch on 'In Living Color' (with Jim Carey)

In Living Color was a comedy sketch show back in the early 1990's and featured the young Jim Carey, Jamie Foxx, the Wayans brothers and many more.

Here's one sketch about a fictional bluesman named Calhoun Tubbs (played by David Alan Grier) trying to teach Jim Carey's character (with a bad English accent) about the blues. Hilarity ensues!

2 Year Old Kid Sings The Blues (No Joke)

This kid is going places... he ain't even old enough to have the blues but he's already wailing on it like he's a dog without a bone.

Thanks Zaid and Tarek for the link!

More Bad Places to Have the Blues

A few years back I posted a small list of places where you can't have the blues.

Here's a new list of places that you just cain't have the blues , no matter how the economy dragged you down , or no matter how many men/women done mistreat you:

You dropped your monocle at an art gallery

You missed Kim at her opening of Millions of Milkshakes

Your doctor left some fat on your leg during lypo

Your iPhone's home button don't work so you go the Apple Store

A Justin Beiber concert

Vintage: Bill Cosby Teaches Lesson with the Blues

A while back I posted an old video from the very popular 80's sitcom "The Cosby Show", where special guest BB King appeared.

This time, from the same show, Bill Cosby teaches his son Theo on how to get his girlfriend back, using the blues. Of course, this leads to some comedic and awkward scenarios.

I love this show and this clip brought back so many memories!

'Weird Al' Yankovic Sings The Blues

Funny music man Weird Al Yankovic has made a name for himself by performing parody versions of popular songs, most notably Amish Paradise (mock of Gangsta's Paradise), Smells Like Nirvana (mock of Smells Like Teen Spirit) and Like A Surgeon (mock of Like A Virgin) etc.

Well, he also sang the blues; while the lyrics are not THAT funny it's a great vocal delivery, and the backup band kicks the blues to 11.

Here's the Generic Blues:

Miles Davis Responds to Jackie Chamoun's Critics

Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women: 'Middle Aged Blues Boogie'

Yes, you read it right.

Take three middle aged women, throw in some instruments and the blues, and you get the Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women.

Although they sing novelty songs and you might now take them serious, these women can play! Apart from the great technical proficiency, check out the lyrics:

"Well, I don't need no reefer, I don't need no cocaine 
All I need is a young man to drive me insane

I'm throwing away my dustmop, got a brand new vacuum cleaner

I'm no longer taken for granted, my young man's sexy but sweeter
A young, young man, to drive away my middle-age blues"

The band has disbanded in 2009, after forming in 1987.

Check this song out called 'Middle Aged Blues Boogie'.