Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #21

Once again, dear readers, it's time for Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue.......our 21st edition.  This has been one of our favorite themes over the years, dating back to FBF's early days as a weekly email to co-workers.  For those unfamiliar with the format, we offer a song from the early days of the blues (Something Old), a song from a recent blues artist (Something New), a blues artist covering a rock song or vice versa (Something Borrowed), and finally, someone who epitomizes the blues.....usually a legendary artist (Something Blue).  Pretty simple format that can be worked in a lot of different ways.  Here we go......

A couple of times on previous editions of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, we've taken variations of a familiar blues song.  We're going to do that this time with the North Mississippi hill country blues classic "See My Jumper Hanging On The Line."  Most blues fans have heard it before from the late R.L. Burnside, but they may not know what the phrase means.  Supposedly, in blues lore, if a married woman hung her housecoat, or "jumper," on the clothesline, it was a signal to her lover that the coast was clear, so to speak.  The song was one of Burnside's most recorded songs, and certainly one that his fans loved to hear him perform.  It was the first Burnside song I ever heard, on the soundtrack to Deep Blues in 1992.  For the Something Old portion of today's post, here's the great Mr. Burnside performing this tune sometime in 1978, filmed as part of a documentary by Alan Lomax.  I realize that for some,  like me, 1978 is not OLD, but it's old enough for today's purpose.

For Something New, check out this rendition of "Jumper" from Muddy Gurdy, the recent collaboration by the French trio Hypnotic Wheels and a host of the current cream of the North Mississippi hill country crop.......Cedric Burnside, Sharde' Thomas, Cameron Kimbrough, and Pat Thomas.  The interesting thing about this collaboration is the inclusion of the Hurdy-Gurdy into the mix.  The Hurdy-Gurdy is a traditional French instrument, operated by a hand crank, and has a most interesting sound, sort of a combination of an accordion and a fiddle.  This sound works really well with this album, which is a set of mostly older tunes made popular by various hill country artists and one of them was "Jumper On The Line," of course.  Cedric Burnside, R.L.'s grandson, takes the mic for this rendition.  

For Something Borrowed, here's the Kansas roots rockers Moreland and Arbuckle's version, first heard on their 1861 album in 2008.  This trio (guitarist Aaron Moreland, vocalist/harmonicist Dustin Arbuckle, and drummer Kendall Newby) has recorded for several labels, Northernblues Music, Telarc, and most recently Alligator, but their 1861 album is my favorite because it has their smoking version of "Jumper On The Line."  If you've not heard these guys, you certainly need to.  They're the real deal.  This live recording was taken in early 2009, not long after 1861 was released, as part of a broadcast on Wichita Public Television.

For Something Blue, here's another look at Burnside performing this tune......this time with his band, The Sound Machine from recordings he made in the late 70's/early 80's for Dr. David Evans (later released as Sound Machine Groove).  These were Burnside's first recordings with his band (made up of family members) and also his first electric recordings.  If you've never heard these recordings, you need to check them out because these are some of his best and they really have a funkier edge than most of Burnside's recordings.  This is probably my favorite version of "Jumper On The Line," and just one of the great songs on this set, which is worth seeking out, as are all of Dr. Evans' series of recordings from that time period.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #20

Believe it or not, this is the 20th Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue post for Friday Blues Fix.  This has been one of our favorite themes over the years, dating back to FBF's early days as a weekly email to co-workers.  For those unfamiliar with the format, we offer a song from the early days of the blues (Something Old), a song from a recent blues artist (Something New), a blues artist covering a rock song or vice versa (Something Borrowed), and finally, someone who epitomizes the blues.....usually a legendary artist (Something Blue).

This time around, we're going to do something a little different.....actually we did it a while back and it was fun to do, so here we go again.  What we're going to do is take one particular song, a blues classic, and show four variations of it.  This time around, we're going to be looking at a song written by Willie Dixon, called "Spoonful."  Now, you may associate that tune with Howlin' Wolf, and you'd be correct in assuming that.....but there's more to it than meets the eye, and it's interesting to see who else has covered it in their own unique fashion.

Charley Patton

Willie Dixon actually derived "Spoonful" from a couple of earlier songs that date back to the early recording days of the blues.  The earliest song was Papa Charlie Jackson's "All I Want Is A Spoonful," and in 1927...."Cocaine Blues," by Luke Jordan.  The song that Dixon's version most strongly resembles is Charley Patton's "A Spoonful Blues," which he recorded in 1929 for Paramount Records.  The lyrics of the song use "a spoonful" as a metaphor for the cravings and desires of men, usually sex, love, alcohol, or drugs, and the numerous, sometimes dangerous and deadly ways they try to find and satisfy those cravings.  For "Something Old," here is the harrowing "A Spoonful Blues," from Charley Patton, one of the most influential of all blues men.

In 2015, guitarist Joe Bonamassa performed a tribute concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado for Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.  He set it up as a fund-raiser for his Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation.  There was an album released of the concert, Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks, which was broken down into three parts, a Waters set, a Wolf set, and a Bonamassa set.  Bonamassa's Wolf set included a roaring version of "Spoonful," which will serve as "Something New" for us this week.  In addition to the music, there are snippets of interviews with Waters and Wolf included, so it provides a bit of history to the two blues legends.

In 2010, Robert Plant formed a new band, the Sensational Shape Shifters.  The former Led Zeppelin front man and his band mates frequently mixed rock with blues, folk, reggae, and world music during their fabled career, but with his new band, he does even more, even covering many of his Led Zeppelin hits in interesting and unique ways.  After hearing a recent set, I wondered how these bands who had popular songs some thirty or forty years ago were able to continue to play them without a staleness or going-through-the-motions vibe kicking in.  I think this is how Robert Plant does it, by playing around with the musical arrangements or the instrumentation, or even the vocal delivery.  I guess you can only play "Whole Lotta Love," so many times without it getting routine.  Anyway, Plant and his new group released a download-only live album, Sensational Space Shifters, in 2012.  It included a mix of Plant's solo work, Zep's hits, and a few "borrowed" tunes, one of them being, you guessed it, "Spoonful," which makes it our "Something Borrowed" tune this week.

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Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin

Of course, "Something Blue" has to be Howlin' Wolf, the man who made the song famous with his powerful rendition in 1960.  The first time I ever heard "Spoonful" was on the late 60's version from Cream on my college roommate's Eric Clapton compilation album.  When I heard the Wolf's version, it was on a Chess Records anthology cassette in the late 80's, a collection that featured two tracks from the Wolf....this one and "Smokestack Lightning,"  Needless to say, it was an electrifying experience for a blues neophyte and it put Cream's version far in the rear view mirror.

I'd never really heard anyone sing like the Wolf, but there were other things that made this song special, such as Hubert Sumlin's stinging, steely guitar, Willie Dixon's throbbing double bass, and Otis Spann's skittering piano runs.  The Wolf's raspy, harrowing vocals, though, were what put this song over the top.  There have been many covers of this song over the years......Etta James, Jimmy Witherspoon, Canned Heat, Ten Years After, George Thorogood, Delbert McClinton, the Grateful Dead, and many, many others, but none of them come close to approaching the intensity and ferocity of Wolf's version.

Interesting tidbit to consider.......Otis Rush once reported that Dixon first offered him "Spoonful," but it didn't suit Rush's tastes, so Dixon offered it to Wolf.  Probably a good move on everyone involved's part.  Rush might have turned in a strong version himself, but there's no question that this song was MADE for Howlin' Wolf.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #22

Well, it's been a long time (SIX years) but once again, dear readers, it's time for Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue.  This makes our 22nd edition.  For a long time, this was one of our favorite themes and it dates back to FBF's early days as a weekly email sent to co-workers.  I'm not sure why we stopped doing it in the first place, but this is a good time to start it back up.  

For those unfamiliar with the format, we offer a song from the early days of the blues (Something Old), a song from a recent blues artist (Something New), a blues artist covering a rock song or vice versa (Something Borrowed), and finally, someone who epitomizes the blues.....usually a legendary artist (Something Blue).  It's a pretty simple format that can be worked in a lot of different ways.  Here we go......

The only known photo of Casey Bill Weldon

For Something Old, let's check out Casey Bill Weldon, one of the finest slide guitarist of the pre-war blues period, or really any period, to be honest.  There's not much known about Weldon and there's only one known photograph of him.  It's believed he was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and went to Chicago, via Kansas City.  He was one of the first to be recorded playing slide guitar, playing a National steel guitar flat on his lap, Hawaiian style, which earned him the nickname "The Hawaiian Guitar Wizard."

Weldon cut over 60 sides for the Bluebird and Vocalion labels and played on many other recordings by other musicians, notably Peetie Wheatstraw and Memphis Minnie.  His biggest two songs were "Somebody Changed The Lock On That Door" and "We Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town," which was recorded in 1936 and has been covered by a number of artists, including Louis Jordan, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Lou Rawls, Rod Stewart, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Willie Nelson (with Keb' Mo').  Weldon married the blues singer Geeshie Wiley and they both disappeared from sight around 1938.  He's believed to have passed away in Kansas City in 1972.

Kevin Burt

For Something New, meet Kevin Burt.  Well, he's not really new, but he's new to a lot of blues fans.  I first heard him when I reviewed his Heartland and Soul album about five years ago.  He just blew me away with his guitar, harmonica, and his powerful vocals, which really reminded me of Bill Withers at times.  He won just about every award that could be won at the 2018 I.B.C., including first place in the Solo/Duo category, the Cigar Box Award for best guitarist in the Solo/Duo category, and the Lee Oskar Award for best harmonica player.  Believe it or not, Heartland and Soul, released later in 2018, was his first recording.

Burt has released two more albums that are just as good as his debut, Stone Crazy in 2020, and a wonderful tribute to Withers (who Burt cites as an influence) that came out earlier this year, Thank You Brother Bill:  A Tribute to Bill Withers.  An Iowa native, Burt also has had several role in off Broadway plays, notably playing Papa Gee in the play Klub Ka, the Blues Legend, which sold out for two weeks in New York City.  Burt also arranged all the music for that play.  If he happens to be performing near your area, you need to check him out.

For Something Borrowed, check out the late, great soul-blues singer Johnnie Taylor.  I recently read a biography of Taylor by Greg Hasty and T.J. Hooker Taylor (Johnnie's son) called I Believe In You - The Incredible Journey of R&B Legend Johnnie Taylor, which I reviewed in Blues Bytes last month.  Taylor was always one of my favorites and he enjoyed success from the late 60's through the late 90's before passing away in 2000.  The book is well worth a read if you were a fan of his.  I'm really amazed at how much he seems to be forgotten today despite his long run of hit songs.  One of my favorite songs by Taylor was his wonderful cover of The Falcons' (with guitarist Robert Ward and lead singer Wilson Pickett) 1962 soul classic, "I Found A Love," which was on Taylor's 1988 Malaco release In Control.  The Jackson, MS gospel group, The Jackson Southernaires provided background vocals.

John Mayall

For Something Blue, we pay tribute to the late John Mayall, dubbed The Godfather of British Blues, who passed away in late July at the age of 90.  Mayall was influenced by American blues players at an early age and taught himself to play guitar, piano, and harmonica.  After studying art, he moved to London and began playing the blues, beginning with the Powerhouse Four, the Blues Syndicate, which later became the Bluesbreakers.  The Bluesbreakers became a training ground for some of the UK's finest guitarists, inclluding Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Rocky Athas, and Carolyn Wonderland to just name a few.  He remained active until the year before he passed away, releasing The Sun Is Shining Down in 2022.

One of my favorite eras of Mayall and the Bluesbreakers was recently captured in three volumes, featuring Mayall with Green, and his future Fleetwood Mac musical partners John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums).  This set of Bluesbreakers never made it to the studio, but these live recordings from early 1967 were found and remastered over the past few years and are well worth a listen.  Actually, all of Mayall's recordings are worth a listen.  R.I.P. to this great British bluesman.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #3

Back again by popular demand, it's time for one of the favorite topics on Friday Blues Fix.  If you're new to the scene, here's how it goes......we discuss an elder statesman of the blues from the 20's to the 50's (Something Old), a relative newcomer or new release to the blues world (Something New), a classic song of the past (blues or rock) reinterpreted by what may be an unlikely source (blues or rock) (Something Borrowed), and someone who epitomizes the very essence of the blues (Something Blue).  Let's get started, shall we?

For Something Old, this time we're just going back to the 50's, looking at one of the legendary piano men of the Chicago era, Mr. Otis Spann.  Folks, I could sit and listen to Otis Spann play the piano all day long.  Spann was longtime member of Muddy Waters' band, beginning in the early 50's until the late 60's.  He also played with Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley on some of their Chess recordings and, memorably, he appeared on Buddy Guy's classic Vanguard recording, A Man and the Blues.  He also recorded as a frontman, releasing several wonderful albums, notably a couple of sessions for Candid Records in the early 60's with Robert Lockwood, Jr. and St. Louis Jimmy Oden, but passed away at the young age of 40 in 1970.  Spann will get the full FBF treatment in the near future, but in the meantime, enjoy this splendid version of "Spann's Blues," accompanied by Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Willie Dixon on bass, and Billy Stepney on drums.

For Something New, let's look at a veteran of the blues/roots scene and his latest release.  Some of you that were TV nuts in the 80's and early 90's may remember Jim Byrnes from his role as Lifeguard on the TV show, Wiseguy, and also on Highlander in the early 90's, but he's also been a musician since way back.  He's a St. Louis native, who relocated to Canada and has recorded with Black Hen Music for the last few years, releasing some great diverse albums of blues and roots music.  His latest release, Everywhere West, came out at the end of 2010 and was one of my favorites of the year, and was a great mix of covers and new music written by Byrnes and producer Steve Dawson.  One of the best tracks was an excellent reworking of Bobby Bland's "Yield Not To Temptation."

For Something Borrowed, let's check out Freddie Roulette.  Roulette is something of a rarity in the blues.  He plays lap steel guitar and his unique sound has spiced up recordings by Luther Allison, Earl Hooker, Harvey Mandel, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie Musselwhite.  He moved to San Francisco in the 70's and eventually stepped away from music for a while to raise his children.  In the late 90's, he resurfaced, returning to the Windy City to record Back In Chicago, with an all-star band featuring Willie King and Chico Banks.  Chances are when you hear a track featuring Roulette, you will agree that he hasn't recorded nearly enough over the years.  For Something Borrowed, check out Roulette's haunting take of the old Santo & Johnny rock & roll classic, "Sleepwalk."

For Something Blue, how about some more lap steel guitar?  This time around, it's Sonny Rhodes.  The self-proclaimed "Disciple of the Blues" got his start in the 50's, playing clubs in the Austin, TX area as Clarence Smith and the Daylighters.  After serving in the Navy, he relocated to California, where he worked as a DJ and learned to play the bass, backing Freddie King and Albert Collins on occasion. He never recorded consistently until the late 70's, when he released the single, "Cigarette Blues," and the album, Just Blues, on his own Rhodesway label.  He eventually caught on with the Atlanta-based Ichiban Records in the early 90's, then enjoyed a decade-long window of recordings for Ichiban, Kingsnake, and Stony Plain.  Up until 9/11, Rhodes was famous for wearing a turban when performing, but he now wears more conventional head gear.  If you were a fan of the short-lived sci-fi TV series, Firefly, you may be aware that Rhodes performed the theme song, "The Ballad of Serenity."  Here's Rhodes from 2009, playing the Hop Wilson (another lap steel master) classic, "Black Cat Bone."

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #14

Time to revisit one of FBF's most popular topics.  For those new to the blog, Something Old represents a blues artist from the Old School of blues.....could be from the 1920's through the 1980's.  Something New represents either a relative newcomer to the blues or a new album that you might enjoy.  Something Borrowed can be either a blues artists covering a song from a different genre (rock, country, jazz, etc....) or an artist from another genre covering a blues song.  Something Blue is an artist who is considered the epitome of the blues.  Let's get started, shall we......

For Something Old, we turn to James Edward "Snooky" Pryor.  The Lambert, Mississippi native moved to Chicago in the early 40's, and claimed to have pioneered the now-common method of playing harmonica amplified by holding a microphone in his hands along with the harmonica.  When Pryor was in World War II, he would blow a bugle through the P.A. system in his camp, and this inspired him to try playing the harmonica in the same manner.  He recorded some of the earliest Chicago blues records after the war, usually with either guitarist Floyd Jones or his brother Moody Jones, two largely unsung early Chicago blues pioneers.  In 1948, Pryor and Moody Jones recorded "Smoky & Moody's Boogie" for Planet Records.  In later years, Pryor would claim that Little Walter copied the prominent riff from this song for his own monster instrumental hit, "Juke," in 1952.  As you give Pryor's version a listen below, it's hard to argue with his logic.  Pryor dropped off the music scene briefly in the late 60's, becoming a carpenter, but soon resurfaced and continued to perform and record into his eighties, passing away in 2006 at 85.  He never really lost his edge or enthusiasm......his later recordings were as strong as his late 40's recordings, and he earned lots of new fans with his live performances.

photo by Marilyn Stringer

For Something New, here's more from Mississippi's own Jarekus Singleton.  Singleton's Refuse To Lose album, on Alligator Records, is still one of the hottest albums and he is one of the hottest acts on the blues circuit.  He really has a way with a blues lyric that's definitely not your standard fare, though his songs do touch on familiar blues topics.  He's also a strong vocalist and has guitar skills a cut above the norm.  For sure, the NBA's loss is the Blues World's gain and we will have him around for many years to come, long after he would have hung up his sneakers for good.  Below, check out one of Refuse to Lose's stronger tracks, which is really saying something, "Crime Scene."

For Something Borrowed, let's check out Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.  I always heard that the best way to tick Brown off was to call him a blues man.  He insisted that the music he played was American music, not just blues.  His musical style encompassed various styles native to Louisiana and Texas.  His dad played country, Cajun, and bluegrass when Gate was growing up, and the youngster himself was taken by big bands like Count Basie and Duke Ellington.  Brown made some recordings for Peacock Records, beginning in the late 40's that influenced numerous Texas guitarists like Albert Collins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and others.  He recorded albums with blues, jazz, Cajun/Zydeco, big band, and even country (including a duet album with Roy Clark, plus an appearance on Hee Haw).  In addition to being an incredible guitarist, Brown also excelled at fiddle and he usually included at least one fiddle song on each album.  One of his finest fiddle tracks is the traditional "Up Jumped The Devil," and this appearance was taken from one of his appearances on Austin City Limits.  This was one of my favorite tracks on his early 90's CD, The Man.  I got to see Brown at Jazz Fest in the early 90's and it was an amazingly diverse performance, just like most of his albums.  If you never got a chance to hear him perform (he passed away in 2005), you missed a treat.  Check out his music when you get a chance.  You'll be glad you did.

photo by Bret Littlehales

For Something Blue, we pay tribute to the late, great Junior Wells, who would have been 80 years old this week (December 9th).  I first heard Wells perform with his longtime partner, Buddy Guy, and eventually I became a big fan of his, mostly because I witnessed a particularly charismatic performance on the old PBS series, The Lonesome Pine Special, from the late 80's.  I got to see Wells and Guy at Jazz Fest soon after that and then I started trying to find old Junior Wells recordings (there were no NEW ones at that time).  Feisty and fierce, Junior Wells was the epitome of a blues man, which is what Something Blue is all about.  Happy Birthday to Junior Wells, who's surely rocking the house in Blues Heaven.  FBF will have more on Junior Wells in the coming weeks.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #19

It's been another one of those weeks, fellow FBF'ers.  Your humble correspondent has been working nights for most of the week, so as a result I have fallen even further behind on my blues-related duties (writing reviews for Blues Bytes and writing this blog), so this will be another last minute edition of Friday Blues Fix.  This time, we're going to go the Something Old, Something New......route, so without further ado, let's proceed.

(For newcomers, this post will include four artists:  One that hails back to days of yore (Something Old), a relative newcomer to the genre or a new release (Something New), a blues artist taking a song from another genre, or vice versa (Something Borrowed), and finally, an artist who, to me is the essence and epitome of the Blues (Something Blue).)

For Something Old, here's the ORIGINAL version of "The Thrill Is Gone," which was released in 1951 by Roy Hawkins on Modern Records.  His style was similar to artists of the time like Ray Charles and Charle Brown and he struggled until he broke through in the early 50's with this song and another one called "Why Do Everything Happen To Me?"  That song was inspired by a car wreck which paralyzed his right arm  He wrote a number of songs that were later popularized by other artists.  B.B. King actually recorded "Why Do Everything Happen To Me?" in addition to "The Thrill Is Gone."  Hawkins' version made it to #6 on the R&B charts in 1951, but King's version has long eclipsed it.  Hawkins' bad luck streak continued with King's release because he was not credited at the composer on early pressings of the record.  Not much is known about the rest of Hawkins' life, other than he passed away in the early/mid 70's.  Here's the original version of "The Thrill Is Gone."

For Something New, check out this smoking hot track from JJ Thames' brand new release, Raw Sugar on Grady Champion's DeChamp Records.  Regular FBF visitors met Ms. Thames a couple of years back when she sat down with us for Ten Questions.  We thought she was on the way to becoming a big name in the blues world with her powerful and versatile vocals, but Raw Sugar verifies that great things are ahead for this wonderful and talented lady.  Raw Sugar was produced by Eddie Cotton, who co-wrote many of the tunes with Thames and provides some exceptional guitar work throughout.  A lot of the tunes deal with the effects and aftereffects of a failed relationship, and Thames really pours her heart into these tunes.  She recently won her third consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year award at the 2016 Jackson Music Awards.  Check out "I'm Leavin,' just one of the standout cuts on Raw Sugar.

For Something Borrowed, let's check out the above-mentioned Eddie Cotton from this year's Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, as he covers the legendary Albert King's blues standard, "I'll Play The Blues For You."  Cotton remains one of the best kept secrets in the blues, but this clip shows that he's quite a performer as a singer in an Al Green mode and one of the finest guitarists currently practicing.  So sit down, take your shoes off and let your hair down while taking in one of the blues' finest performers.  When you're done, head over to iTunes or Amazon or wherever you buy your music and check out some of Cotton's excellent recordings, including his most recent, One At A Time, which to these ears is his best studio release yet.

For Something New, look no further than one of the genre's most familiar anthems, "Down Home Blues," from the late, great Z.Z. Hill, who would have been 81 years old today (September 30, 1935).  Hill recorded the song for Malaco Records back in 1982, and it became one of the best known blues songs ever and has become a regular part of many soul-blues artists' set lists.  The album Down Home, which included "Down Home Blues," stayed on the Billboard Soul Chart for almost two years.  Sadly, Hill didn't get to enjoy success for very long because he passed away in April of 1984 from a heart attack.  Hill had been in a car accident a couple of months earlier and a blood clot formed after the accident, causing the heart attack.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #15

Time to revisit one of Friday Blues Fix's most popular topics, but with a twist this time around.  For readers that are new to the blog, Something Old represents a blues artist from the Old School of blues.....could be from the 1920's through the 1980's.  Something New represents either a relative newcomer to the blues or a new album that you might enjoy.  Something Borrowed can be either a blues artists covering a song from a different genre (rock, country, jazz, etc....) or an artist from another genre covering a blues song (depending on which way I remember to do it).  Something Blue is an artist who we consider to be the epitome of the blues.  Got it?  Good!  Let's get started.......

Big Bill Broonzy

For the twist, we're going to focus on one particular song......."Key to the Highway."  This song was written by Charles Segar and Big Bill Broonzy and released by Segar on Vocalion Records in 1940.  Broonzy explained the song's development by stating that both were singing different variations of the song around the same time while performing in the Deep South.  Broonzy said that "practically all blues is just a little change from the way they were sung when I was a kid......You take one song and make fifty out of it.....just change it a little bit."  I'm not sure how far that reasoning would get these days in the wake of the "Blurred Lines" lawsuit, but that does sum up a lot of blues songs past and present.  Broonzy recorded his version in 1941 for Okeh, backed by Jazz Gillum (who also recorded the song in 1940) on harmonica, Horace Malcolm on piano, an unknown bass player, and Washboard Sam on, you guessed it, washboard.  Most later versions followed more closely to the Broonzy version, as you will see.  For Something Old, FBF presents both versions for your listening pleasure.

The Derek Trucks Band

For Something New, here's the Derek Trucks Band's version of "Key to the Highway," taken from the band's 2009 swan song, the live Roadsongs.  The song has been a regular part of Trucks' live shows, with both the Derek Trucks Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band, therefore keeping the song on the radar for new blues fans to hear.  While TTB is one of the most popular bands in the blues world today, it was really cool to watch and hear Trucks develop his sound over the years with his earlier band, eventually adding the excellent vocals of Mike Mattison to the mix.  Mattison still contributes vocals to the TTB and recently released his own solo album.

Derek & the Dominos

Over the years, "Key to the Highway" has been recorded by scores of blues artists, ranging from country blues artists like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to jazz musicians Count Basie (with Joe Williams) to urban bluesmen like Jimmy Witherspoon and B.B. King, to rockers like Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Steve Miller and Eric Clapton, who recorded the song as part of Derek and the Dominos for his classic 1970's release, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.  Interestingly, their version of the song developed spontaneously after Clapton and Duane Allman had heard Sam Samudio ("Sam the Sham" of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs) singing it in a nearby studio while Layla was being recorded.  They started playing it while messing around in the studio and producer Tom Dowd overheard and told the engineers to start recording (which is why the song fades in at the beginning).  That impromptu performance ended up being one of the best songs on an album full of great songs.  We'll file Clapton's interpretation under Something Borrowed.

Little Walter

For Something Blue, let's go to my favorite version of the song......the one recorded by Little Walter Jacobs in August, 1958 for Checker Records.  Big Bill Broonzy died in 1958, and apparently, Jacobs recorded the song as a tribute to him, and what a band he had backing him.....Muddy Waters, Luther Tucker, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon.  This version was the most popular, spending over three months on the Billboard R&B chart, peaking at #6.  It was one of his last charting hits, and it's really great to hear the combination of Spann's piano, Waters' slide guitar, with Walter's world-weary vocal and harmonica.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #13

Here we are again, revisiting one of FBF's most popular topics.  To recap, for those new to the blog, Something Old represents a blues artist from the Old School of blues.....could be from the 1920's through the 1980's.  Something New represents either a relative newcomer to the blues or a new album that you might enjoy.  Something Borrowed can be either a blues artists covering a song from a different genre (rock, country, jazz, etc....) or an artist from another genre covering a blues song.  Something Blue is an artist who is considered the epitome of the blues.  Everybody on board?  Then, let's get started......

For Something Old, here's Booker T. Washington White, a.k.a. Bukka White, who was an influence on his young cousin, B.B. King.  White was born in 1909 and learned to play guitar at the age of nine from his father, who worked on the railroad for a living.  A meeting with Charley Patton sealed the deal for White on being a musician, and he spent much of his early years riding the rails from the Delta to St. Louis, and playing parties and joints for tips.  He also played baseball, spending some time in the Negro Leagues with the Birmingham Black Cats, and also took up boxing as a professional.  In 1930, he recorded several songs in Memphis, both blues and gospel, under the name Washington White.  

In 1937, White shot a would-be assailant and ended up spending three years at Mississippi's notorious Parchman Farm.  Prior to his incarceration, he recorded two songs for Lester Melrose on the Vocalion label, one of which, "Shake 'Em On Down," became a hit while he was in prison.  Upon his release, he recorded twelve additional songs for Vocalion.  This songs are regarded as some of the most powerful blues ever recorded, with White ruminating on prison, isolation, loneliness, and misfortune.  Many of these songs were covered by other artists like Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, etc.....down the road, but White virtually disappeared soon after these tracks were recorded, serving in the Navy, then settling in Memphis, working in a factory.  Though he was thought to be dead by many new fans who had found his music, he was rediscovered in the 1960's by a pair of fans who, based on his song, "Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues," sent a message to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi."  White had a relative who worked in the post office and got the letter to him in Memphis.

White's later recordings didn't approach the power and majesty of his Vocalion work, but they were inspired and effective nevertheless.  He was pretty prolific, recording and playing for many years until his death in 1977, his slide guitar and robust vocals virtually intact from his early years.  Check out White's first hit, "Shake 'Em On Down," and be sure to listen to some of his other tunes when you get a chance.

For Something New, here's a taste of Eddie Cotton's most recent CD, Here I Come.  The title track features some mighty fine guitar work and Cotton's vocals, which bring to mind 70's Memphis-styled soul.  Here I Come is one of two new releases on Grady Champion's new DeChamp Records (the other being JJ Thames' debut, which we discussed at FBF with her a few weeks back).  Why Cotton isn't a bigger deal in the blues world is a mystery because he certainly possesses the total package as an entertainer......great singer, guitarist and songwriter.  Hopefully, that mystery will be solved once and for all if more fans get their hands on this disc.  It's a great mix of blues, soul, and funk.

For Something Borrowed, let's check out Johnny Winter's fiery cover of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," from Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival a few years ago in 2007, with backing from Derek Trucks and his band.   Although the song is Dylan's, I think that Winter made this song his own over the years and this performance is pretty impressive.  You can see the band members shaking their head and smiling in amazement and wonder at some of Winter's guitar fireworks on this version.  The guitarist had been battling some health problems before this performance, but you never would have guessed it by watching him play.......just a jaw-dropping performance from one of the all-time greats.....eight solid minutes of guitar heaven.

For Something Blue, let's check out Mel Brown.  Mel Brown backed some legendary blues stars over the years, including a lengthy stint with Bobby "Blue" Bland, Johnny Otis, Sonny Boy Williamson, Etta James, and Albert Collins.  He released a series of albums in the late 60's/early 70's that perfectly melded blues, funk, and jazz and are considered collector's items today.  He served for several years in the 80's as a member of Antone's house band in Austin, and even learned to play piano in the process.  He eventually relocated to Canada, where he enjoyed a late career boost with some fine recordings for Electro-Fi Records.  My favorite of his "comeback" releases was Neck Bones & Caviar, which has some really nice moments, one being Brown's cover of Muddy Waters' "Woman Wanted."  Brown, who passed away in 2009 at age 69, played a lot of different styles over his career, but his sound was always rooted in the blues.  Check out some of his consistently strong catalog, along with some of his recordings with Bland and others, when you get a chance and prepare to be impressed.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue #12

Once again, it's time for one of FBF's most popular topics.  For those new to the blog, Something Old represents a blues artist from the Old School of blues.....could be from the 1920's through the 1980's.  Something New represents either a relative newcomer to the blues or a new album that you might enjoy.  Something Borrowed can be either a blues artists covering a song from a different genre (rock, country, jazz, etc....) or an artist from another genre covering a blues song.  Something Blue is an artist who is considered the epitome of the blues.  Pretty simple and straightforward, right?  Let's proceed.....

For Something Old, let's go way back to the 1920's and a singer named Sam Collins, or Crying Sam Collins.  Collins was born in 1887 in Louisiana, but was raised in McComb, MS, so he learned to play the blues in south Mississippi, not in the Delta.  He recorded in the late 20's and early 30's, with his earliest recording, "The Jailhouse Blues," being released in 1927.  He sang in a falsetto voice for the most part and was a fine slide guitar player.  He recorded under several different pseudonyms, including Jim Foster, Jelly Roll Hunter, Big Boy Woods, Bunny Carter, and Salty Dog Sam.  He wasn't well-known during his life (he died in 1954), but when interest in country blues was rekindled in the 60's, he was represented on several albums released during that time.  I first heard him on a couple of the Yazoo Records collections on Mississippi blues artists and he was one of the 36 artists featured on the Yazoo/R. Crumb card series, Heroes of the Blues (see picture).

The song we're featuring today should be a familiar one, "Midnight Special Blues."  Collins recorded his version in 1927 for Gennett Records, but the song dates back to the 1800's, originally believed to be a prisoner work song referring to a passenger train called the Midnight Special.  The song has been recorded numerous times, but most people are probably most familiar with the versions by Leadbelly, or Creedence Clearwater Revival, or Johnny Rivers (whose version was used as the theme song on the 70's late night music program, The Midnight Special), or maybe Andy Griffith's version on his TV show in the 60's.  A country band first released it in 1926, but Collins was the first to release it as a blues song.  Just do a YouTube search for "Midnight Special" and you'll be surprised at the number of artists that have recorded the song.

For Something New, let's look to James Armstrong.  Armstrong's story is an amazing story of success, tragedy, perseverance, determination, and resurgence.  We will be taking an extended look at Armstrong's life and music in the very near future.  He will be releasing his fifth studio release next week (February 18th) for Catfood Records, called Guitar Angels, and I can tell you that it is a great album.  He's a talented and imaginative songwriter, a soulful singer, and his guitar playing is a wondrous thing, given what he's been through over the years.  Check back in a couple of weeks to read more, but in the meantime, check out a clip of the title track from Armstrong's new CD.

For Something Borrowed, let's go to Memphis for one of my favorite bands, the Daddy Mack Blues Band.  The group released a collection of rock covers several years ago, called Slow Ride, in 2006.  If I remember correctly, Daddy Mack had not even heard the majority of these songs prior to this session, which just amazed me because he nails all of them.  I really liked this version of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman," because it got that raw, greasy, grungy Memphis blues feel to it.  You can almost feel the sweaty Memphis summer heat and smell the BBQ when you hear it.  Usually, I'm not a real fan of these "blues artists doing rock" recordings, but Daddy Mack and the band (with help from harmonica ace Billy Gibson) really transform these songs, or maybe they just focus on the blues aspects of each tune and bring it to the forefront.  Either way, it's a great listen that's worth tracking down.

For Something Blue today, let's go with Magic Sam.  Today (February 14th) would have been his 77th birthday.  We can speculate till the cows come home about what Magic Sam would have done had he lived, would he have crossed over to the soul/R&B field or gone in some other direction, but we will never know for sure.  Fortunately, he left us with a lot of fantastic music to enjoy, and more keeps turning up, like Delmark's recent release of a performance at the Avant Garde in Milwaukee (discussed here a few weeks ago).  Let's sign off today with Magic Sam's blistering version of Freddy King's "San-Ho-Zay," from that performance.