Celebrating his 125th year, The Smithsonian Folkways label has announced a massive collection of music by folk blues legend Lead Belly, due on Tuesday the 24th of February.
The collection will also come with a 140 page book. If you pre-order, a poster and a t-shirt are available as bonuses.
Lead Belly has been a huge influence on many blues and folk musicians, with his famous songs 'Goodbye Irene, Bourgeois Blues, and many more.
Last night a tribute concert to Bob Marley took place in Bayt Lothan (Kuwait). Three performing acts each performed a selection of covers and originals. We got together for one big jam of Marley's classic hit 'Stir It Up'.
The performers are: Amin AKA Mr. Fari, Fabrice, and Karrouhat Band (Basel Hadi, Hashim Al-Nasser, Abdulrahman Essa, Alex Abdalian, Ali Sleeq (me), and Fredrico Del Melo). Sound and audio by Sarj.
Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary was on Sunday, and while everyone was checking out the other acts, I was waiting for The Blues Brothers, who did show up to sing "Everybody Needs Somebody".
Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's brother, Jim came on stage to sing. John Belushi was the original 'Jake Blues' character who died in 1982.
Obviously they put on some weight, and Dan was showing his age, but it's always great to see the black suits and glasses on stage again.
In February 1965, John Coltrane released his ultimate album, 'A Love Supreme' and the music world was never the same again.
I have covered this album extensively on the blog, so instead of repeating myself and telling you how it'srated 47 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time, how it's one of the top selling (probably second best after Miles Davis' Kind of Blue) jazz album of all time, and how it's not just jazz but a transcendence to a higher space etc etc.
Here's a roundup of the articles related to this great recording, plus the whole album to listen to:
People and websites will try and spread the love and the message of St. Valentine.
Obviously, I won't.
Here at Speakin' The Blues is where you come to wallow in your sorrow for your love leaving you, or seeing others happy together while you are all alone.
But fear not; for your blues angel (that would be me) has devised a list of songs that will uplift (or not) your spirit on this lonely, contrived, fake, commercialized day.
Gosh I'm bitter.
'That Woman Named Mary - Lightnin' Hopkins
Baby You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now - BB King
Long Distance Call - Muddy Waters
Evil Ways - Otis Spann w/ Robert Lockwood Jr.
Woman I Ain't Gonna Drink No More Whiskey - Sunnyland Slim
Some folks need 50 shades to get their satisfaction.
With the blues, you have only one shade. And that one shade can give you all the emotions you need... from sadness and empathy to joy and hope.
The blues is more than a feeling, and it's not just about being sad. “Feeling blue” is expressed in songs whose verses lament injustice or express longing for a better life and lost loves, jobs, and money. But blues is also a raucous dance music that celebrates pleasure and success. Central to the idea of blues performance is the concept that, by performing or listening to the blues, one is able to overcome sadness and lose the blues.
If only Christian Grey said the words of Little Walter!
In 1958, Jazz pianist Sonny Clark released his hard-bop classic 'Cool Struttin' on Blue Note Records. The album features alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Art Farmer and two members of the (then) Miles Davis Quintet, drummer Philly Joe Jones and bassist Paul Chambers.
The album four tracks aside from 'Deep Night' are all rooted in the blues as harp-bop tends to sway, and remains one of the more hardcore jazz recordings of the era.
I predicted that the late blues legend Johnny Winter would win the 57th Grammy Award. This is a great honor to the music and legacy of Winter, who passed away in July 2014.
His final album Step Back, which was released 2 months after his death, faced steep competition from Bobby Rush, Charlie Musselwhite, Dave & Phil Alvin, and Ruthie Foster. However his album holds the most sentimental value, and more importantly, its kickass bluesy-rock-and-roll from start to finish, so it definitely earned the win.
A big salute to Johnny Winter and all the nominees this year. See you again in 2016!
Here's a track off the album, called 'Mojo Hand' (by Lightnin Hopkins):
