Blues With Soul: 'Trouble Blues' - Charles Brown

Charles Brown was a blues ballad singer and pianist, and was a key transitional figure between 1940's cool jazz-influenced R&B and rock 'n' roll.

He performed almost non-stop from the 40's up until his death in 1999; his music was also featured many times in the Billboard R&B charts. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Some of his most famous tunes are 'Driftin' Blues', 'Black Night', 'Get Yourself Another Fool', and the one highlighted for today, 'Trouble Blues'. This song is a variation on the standard 'Someday Baby Blues' which was interpreted by many bluesmen, including Muddy Waters who called his version 'Trouble No More':

Blues & Jazz Unite: Muddy Waters and Dizzy Gillespie

Blues and Jazz are blood brothers; you can't talk about one without discussing the other. The saying goes "The Blues is the Preacher and Jazz is the Teacher".

So it's pretty obvious that one day they should share the stage... indeed, Miles Davis and John Lee Hooker recorded the soundtrack for the Hotspot film. 

Another giant meeting was with Muddy Waters and Dizzy Gillespie, where the latter shared the stage with Muddy and his blues band for a few numbers, and was later released as an album. To hear the signature trumpet sound of Dizzy over a Chicago style 12-bar blues is dazzling!

Unfortunately there are no Youtube links to share... and for copyright reasons I can't post MP3 links. 

Suffice it to say that these cross genre collaborations are always fun to hear and watch. 

It's Official: Pink Floyd To Release New Album in October

Well this came out of left field; after a rumor and a few days of a massive internet  meltdown, Pink Floyd have officially confirmed they are working on a new album, entitled "The Endless River", which contains material from their final album The Division Bell from 1994. Several songs by the late keyboardist Richard Wright will be reworked. Roger Waters will not be present, but Nick Mason will.

Gilmour, Mason, and Wright. Roger Waters technically isn't in the band anymore.

The announcement comes on their official webpage, which unfortunately has very little information:

"Pink Floyd can confirm that they are releasing a new album, The Endless River, in October 2014. It is an album of mainly ambient and instrumental music based on the 1993/4 Division Bell sessions which feature David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. The album is produced by David Gilmour with Phil Manzanera, Youth and recording engineer Andy Jackson. Work is still in progress, but more details to come at the end of the summer."

 The story first broke when David Gilmour's wife Polly Samson posted this on her Twitter account:

Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called "The Endless River". Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful.

— Polly Samson (@PollySamson) July 5, 2014

Later, vocalist Durga McBroom-Hudson, who previously worked with the band, mentioned a recording session for the album on Facebook: 

"Remember this photo? It wasn't what you THOUGHT it was. From Polly Samson on Twitter: "Btw Pink Floyd album out in October is called "The Endless River". Based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swansong and very beautiful."

YES. THERE IS A NEW PINK FLOYD ALBUM COMING OUT. AND I'M ON IT. And there was much rejoicing. "

I was in a Pink Floyd tribute band back in Lebanon and was an avid Floyd fan (still am, just not like before). This news is lovely to hear, yet also there is some skepticism; instead of working on new material as a band, who have sort of reconciled after a bitter feud, they decided to use material that was not deemed fit for release.

While I no longer enjoy Roger Waters recent musical output and very political stances, having his great mind working with the soulful touch of David Gilmour again would make any fan cry.

Perhaps they feuded again, or it's just a matter of material that Waters wasn't included in at the time. And technically, I don't think Roger Waters is officially in Pink Floyd after his split.

Of course I will buy the album; talk is that it will be ambient and mostly instrumental. Richard Wright has written some beautiful pieces for the band including "Great Gig in The Sky" and "Us and Them" from their best-selling legendary album Dark Side of the Moon.

The Blues, Sex Pistols, Benny Goodman, & The Fight Against Tyranny

With all the hoopla surrounding the very quick rise of ISIL (Islamic State if Iraq & Levant, or now just IS - Islamic State), and all the bandwagon-ing, I thought I'd share a musical perspective to all of this.

Let it be known that I am a supporter of liberty; oppression and tyranny have no place in my book, be it a political system or religion. The iron fist/heel rule of power is an outdated concept that only shows the worst part of humanity.

While everyone is freaking out (not that I blame them), keep in mind that all the regional and international powers all have some interest in such a group existing, as it causes harm to one of the rival governments in some way.

Let's take a quick step back in history; below are three case studies (out of hundreds) about how music has stood up against the tyrannic laws and leaders:


1. THE BLUES

When you think of the blues, you think about misfortune, betrayal and regret. You lose your job, you get the blues. Your loved one falls out of love with you, you get the blues. Your dog dies, you get the blues. While blues lyrics often deal with personal adversity, the music itself goes far beyond self-pity.

The blues has deep roots in American history, particularly African-American history. The blues originated on Southern plantations in the 19th Century. Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves - African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields. It's generally accepted that the music evolved from African spirituals, African chants, work songs and field hollers.

The blues was instrumental in what lead to the civil rights movement, that allowed African-Americans equal rights as everyone else in the land of the free, by sparking social consciousness with the message of the music that spread out from the South and found it's way to the entire world.

2. BENNY GOODMAN (and Jazz in General)

Live in Moscow 1962

The USSR was a failed communist experiment that lead to the death of millions of innocent people at the hands of the state for ideological reasons.

A major factor that lead to the dissolution of the USSR was Western culture, such as jazz and jeans.

Millions of Russians and Soviets would tune in to Western radio stations and broadcasts and heard the music and about life under democracy. One day the Communist Party agreed to have Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, to perform in the USSR.

Here's a short video below from an original news story from that time,  a great flashback of the Cold War era:

It took many years, but eventually the Berlin Wall fell in 1990 and it was all over from then on.

3. THE SEX PISTOLS

I mean... anyone who sings a song about the bloody queen is enough to be on this list, especially when the singles cover is like the one above!

It was unheard of to have this type of rebellion against the system; in 1977 The Sex Pistols exploded the charts and the UK with this song, and there were rumors that the UK government had manipulated the sales charts to show the song at number 2, when in fact the actual numbers show it at number 1. 

This lead to a huge punk rock anti-establishment movement, with bands like The Clash performing songs like 'London Calling':

So now to the Arab scenario, if we are to stop an advancing terror, history tells us that such tyranny is never won by brute force, but by ideals of justice, equality, and liberty. 

Double Birthday! Willie Dixon and James Cotton

Today we have a double birthday celebrating two of the greatest bluesmen, Willie Dixon and James Cotton!

Willie Dixon was born in 1915 and James Cotton in 1935; Dixon is no longer with us, but Cotton is still here and still playing the blues, most recently nominated for best Blues album at the Grammys (read my rant here).

Dixon was the fore-front singer-songwriter and poet of the blues, writing several key hits and classics for other bluesmen such as 'Hoochie Cootchie Man' for Muddy Waters, 'Spoonful' for Howlin' Wolf, and others. He also was a formidable bass player.

Cotton is one of the best and most influential blues harp players (see more players here) of early Chicago blues, first by being in Muddy Waters' band and performed on many of his classics, but also as a solid solo artist and has won a Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Two pillars, two birthdays! Here's a rare video with Dixon and Cotton on stage with the rest of the legends, Muddy Waters, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Spann, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and Mable Hillery.

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

Eric Clapton Considering Retirement

[SOURCE]

In a new interview with Uncut magazine, rock legend Eric Clapton hinted that he was considering retiring from touring and possibly guitar.

"The road has become unbearable," he said. "It's become unapproachable, because it takes so long to get anywhere. It's hostile – everywhere: getting in and out of airports, traveling on planes and in cars."

When asked if he plans to stop playing guitar altogether, Clapton replied, “Maybe. It might be that I can't, if it hurts too much. I have odd ailments."

This comes after he [issued] an apology for leaving the stage last week in Glasgow, Scotland, citing technical problems.

Eric is turning 70, and I completely understand that eventually old-age gets to you. He's been playing music since he was a teenager and joined The Yardbirds in 1963 and never stopped performing since. 

Recently, B.B. King also [apologized] for a bad performance; however we must consider that all our favorite musicians are also human and eventually get too tired.

I'd rather see my favorite musician retire in peace for all their contributions to music.

Celebrating 65 Years of Prestige Records

A few months back, legendary jazz label Blue Note Records celebrated it's 75th anniversary; this time, another legendary jazz label will celebrate, being Prestige Records, which turned 65 a few days ago.

Prestige was set up in 1948 by Bob Weinstock in New York City. Slowly but surely their artist profile included top jazz talent such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Red Garland, Eric Dolphy, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, and many more.

The great producer Rudy Van Gelder is also responsible for remastering many of the old classic albums under the Rudy Van Gelder Remaster Series.

old ad from Prestige

To celebrate, they have posted some promotional sweepstakes which you can take of part of [here] which includes a free downloadable music sampler.

You can hear a few songs from classic albums from the label that I have selected:

Kanye Says He's On a Mission From God; But Is He?

There's always someone who claims he/she is such an important figure in society that they claim they are sent on a divine mission from God.

Today, it's Kanye West, who recently spoke on radio and had this to say:


"Don't worry about how I'm saying what I'm saying. Look at what I'm saying and how I feel my intent is.  You do not want to go against the power. I'm working on one mission, and that's a mission from God. I'm gonna make it very clear exactly what I'm here to do. I'm here to help. I'm going to apply all the blessings I've got. "We're moving to the future. [And] I'm gonna be the anchor."

Aside from the incoherent vagueness, the statement always takes me back to the original messengers of the Lord: 

In 1980, The Blues Brothers, originally a Saturday Night Live skit - turned Hollywood movie, set comedy films on fire as well as having a substantial role in reviving the blues as a genre. 

Why is this relevant? 

On the musical side of things, The Blues Brothers, and more notably Dan Aykroyd, have sought out to spread the message of the blues; indeed, in Blues Brothers 2000 he gives an inspirational speech to the band who is suffering from low morale and feel the cause is lost by saying: 

Elwood Blues: You may go if you wish. But remember this: walk away now and you walk away from your crafts, your skills, your vocations; leaving the next generation with nothing but recycled, digitally-sampled techno-grooves, quasi-synth rhythms, pseudo-songs of violence-laden gangsta-rap, acid pop, and simpering, saccharine, soulless slush. Depart now and you forever separate yourselves from the vital American legacies of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, Blind Boy Fuller, Louie Jordon, Little Walter, Big Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson I and II, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Lieber and Stoller, and Robert K. Weiss.

Donald "Duck" Dunn: Who is Robert K. Weiss?

Elwood Blues: Turn your backs now and you snuff out the fragile candles of Blues, R&B and Soul, and when those flames flicker and expire, the light of the world is extinguished because the music which has moved mankind through seven decades leading to the millennium will whither and die on the vine of abandonment and neglect.

That is the sound of a messiah; Kanye's boastful claims of being sent on a holy mission in rap music (I'm assuming by his quote) by showing extreme personality disorders such as throwing a fit when not winning a Grammy, or marrying one of the fakest women on the planet and having major egotistical issues, makes you wonder what kind of a message he's bringing? 

Jazz Icon Horace Silver Passes Away

[SOURCE]

Some sad news today; jazz legend and hard bop icon Horace Silver passed away last night at the age of 85.

Horace Silver was a staple and pillar of the hard bop jazz movement, up there with other Blue Note artist Art Blakey. His Hispanic roots led him to have some Latin influence in his music as well.

I wrote about Horace a while back; it's is pretty hard news to hear honestly; the giants of jazz are so few in number already.

Rest in Peace Horace. Here's a live video of "Song for My Father":