Category: Blues

Remembering Hubert Sumlin

Hubert Sumlin at the Long Beach Blues Festival...
Hubert Sumlin

One of the world’s finest guitar players, Hubert Sumlin, passed away on December 4 at the age of 80.  He was best known for his time as Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player.  He was respected enough to placed at number 43 on the Rolling Stone list of the “100 Greatest Guitar Players Of All Time”.

Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf

He began playing guitar at the age of 6.  He started playing with Howling Wolf in 1954.  He played on “Howlin’ Wolf” which was named as the number 3 guitar album of all time by Mojo magazine.  In his career, he was nominated for 4 Grammys, never winning.   A great player, who will of course, live on through his many recordings.  Please enjoy these videos of a superb musician.  Turn it up and LOVE THE BLUES.

 

Live at the BB King Blues Club

Live in 1964 with Howlin’ Wolf

With Sunnyland Slim on Piano – 1964

 

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Remembering Coco Robicheaux

The famous Rue Bourbon, or Bourbon Street, is ...
Bourbon Street

New Orleans is poorer in its music scene this week.  Coco Robicheaux, (real name Curtis Arceneaux) mainstay of the local music scene passed away at the age of 64.  He apparently suffered a heart attack at one of his favourite spots, The Apple Barrel on Frenchman Street in the quarter.  He played there on a regular basis.  A self taught blues guitar player, Coco began his career on Bourbon Street at the age of 17.  As the story goes, he found his first guitar in pieces on the street.  He repaired it and began learning to play.  It worked well, as he became a top tier player in New Orleans.  In his career, he recorded 6 albums and appeared on several TV shows and movies.  He recently appeared as himself on an April 2010 episode of “Treme“.   Speaking of “Treme”, this is a must watch show, seen on HBO and HBO Canada.  Attached track is a song called “Cottonmouth” and features Coco on guitar and Hubie Vigreux on percussion.   It was recorded live at a blues bar in Hawaii.

Coco Robicheaux – Cottonmouth

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My Philosophy Of Music

Frank Sinatra at Girl's Town Ball in Florida, ...
Frank Sinatrra

 

For those of you that follow my ramblings, you may have noticed that I post a lot of entries about music.  You may find it odd that a travel blog does this on such a regular basis.  The truth is, I find it hard to accumulate my thoughts and generate regular travel posts and I choose to fill these creative lapses with other people’s creativity.

I have had a life long obsession with music and have become slightly philosophical about it.  For example, the following videos.  What do they have in common.  Figure that out, and I believe you will understand my tastes in music.

 

Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”

 

 

Clue 1 – I normally cannot even listen to country music, however, I do make the odd exception, and this is one of them.

 

John Mayer Trio – “Vultures”

 

 

Clue 2 – Supposed pop artists have other sides.

 

Hudson Ford – Crying Blues

 

 

Clue 3 – Just because you never heard of it, doesn’t mean the music is uninteresting or bad.

 

And finally

 

Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon

 

 

Now it is time to connect the dots.  Lady Antebellum, John Mayer Trio, Hudson-Ford and Frank Sinatra.  I do not like country, but I really like Lady Antebellum’s song, John Mayer, notorious pop artist, Hudson-Ford, obscure 70’s group, and Frank Sinatra, classic crooner, as far from rock as one can get these days.  The common thread is simply that each and every one of these is GOOD. Good is, well, good.   Nothing, even genre, can transcend great songs.  All of these are, in my mind, well written and well performed.  Great players make great music.  Even if you don’t like the type of music, certain songs can pull you in, solely by just how well done they are.  I have learned over the years not to dismiss or be prejudicial towards any form of music and to listen closely for what may be, or not be, something that could be the next big tune on my iPod.   I would hate to miss that song.

Remembering Doyle Bramhall

Doyle Bramhall, Texas singer-songwriter and drummer passed away on November 12, 2011.  He was 62.  Doyle had an outstanding pedigree,  He played with The Chessmen while in high school.  This was Jimmie Vaughn‘s band.  This band opened for Jimi Hendrix in 1969 in Dallas.   He later joined with Jimmie to form Texas Storm.  Then life in music became ultra serious.  He went on to join The Nightcrawlers, a band that included Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmie’s younger brother.  He then wrote Dirty Pool, which appeared on Stevie’s first album Texas Flood.  Then came “Life By The Drop”, a masterpiece that appeared on Stevie’s classic album “The Sky Is Crying”.

A superb musician, he played drums on the Vaughn Brothers only album.  Writing a song like Life By The Drop puts him in pretty good company as a songwriter. He is survived by his son Doyle Bramhall II, another talented musician.

The music starts about 30 seconds in, Doyle is on drums.  Mike Keller is on guitar and sounding great!

A live version of Life By The Drop, sung by Doyle.

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Remembering Earl Gilliam

Statue of Lightnin' Hopkins in Texas

 

Texas bluesman Earl Gilliam passed away in October at the age of 81.  Earl was an inspired piano player who played with many gifted people over the years, such as Lightnin’ Hopkins, Albert King, Albert Collins, and Joe “Guitar” Hughes.  The video attached is HOT.  A live show in Holland in 1995 with the legendary Joe “Guitar” Hughes.  Earl is on piano.  Love the blues, especially with gifted musicians as this band was.

 

Remembering Jimmy Norman

time is on my side - car

R&B/Jazz singer and songwriter Jimmy Norman passed away yesterday.  Paying tribute to these greats is fitting, as they created most of what we listen to today, yet they languish without recognition.  A lot of the time they are known only for writing or recording one great song.  All of the time, they were exceptionally talented musicians and songwriters, with a lifetime body of work that demands we pay attention, even if only for a moment in remembrance.  This is why I write these tributes.  Whether we realize it or not, the soundtrack of our life has been written by these people.  Jimmy Norman is a prime example of this.  His body of work includes session work with Jimi Hendrix (Groove Maker, a Norman composition), playing and writing for Bob Marley (Chances Are album), writing for Johnny Nash,as well as having Peter Tosh record some of his songs.  He also was also a member of the Coasters for a while.  His most notable song composition though is “Time Is On My Side” the Rolling Stones classic of the mid sixties.  Not well known, but an important cog in the formative years of our music.  I have included an interview with Jimmy discussing songs as stories, Jimmy doing one of his solo songs “Here Comes The Night” and a video of the Stones doing the classic “Time Is On My Side”.

 

Western Canadian Music Awards

The Western Canadian Music Awards were held in Whitehorse, Yukon on October 23.

Whitehorse on the Yukon river
Whitehorse, Yukon

These awards have been happening in one form or the other since 1995 and were created to recognize musicians from, you guessed it, Western Canada.  A link to all the winners is here.  I have included some video and links to showcase some of the winners in categories I follow,.

Outstanding Blues Recording ~ Little Miss Higgins ~ Across The Plains

Little Miss Higgins was born in Brooks, Alberta, grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and now has roots in Saskatchewan.  The award is for her 2010 album and the song I have attached is “Bargain Shop Panties”.  Lots of Saskatchewania in this tune.

Outstanding Rock Recording ~ The Sheepdogs ~ Learn & Burn

The SheepdogsOn the Cover of the Rolling Stone.  What a year for these Saskatoon players.  They won the contest to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, they will clean up at the Junos and are taking the music world by storm.  In the meantime, they have won Outstanding Rock Recording for their recent album.  The Sheepdogs are riding the wave.  The video is “I Don’t Know” off the album.  I do believe they are channelling Lynyrd Skynyrd or something, what a great song.

Outstanding Roots Duo/Group Recording ~ The Wailin’ Jennys ~ Bright Morning Star

The Wailin' Jennys #0807
Wailin' Jennys

Winnipeg’s Wailin’ Jennys have been around since 2004 and have been creating excellent roots/folk music since that time.  Attached is “Storm Comin'” off the album, performed live at CBC Radio 3.

Listening to Classics – Rory Gallagher

Gallagher on acoustic guitar, March, 1976, Bre...
Rory Gallagher

Reporter:- “Well Jimi, what’s it like to be the worlds best guitarist?”

Jimi Hendrix:- ” I dunno. Go ask Rory Gallagher”

A very telling quote from one of the greats on, well, one of the greats.  The late Rory Gallagher (he passed away in 1995) was an Irish blues/rock guitarist, famous for making his stratocaster purr.  His first major band was “Taste”.  The band toured and opened for acts like Cream and Blind Faith, always adding to his personal reputation.  Once Taste broke up, he began a successful solo career.  He was most well known for his sizzling live performances.  He once said of his playing that it was “in me all the time, and not just something I turn on”.  He died of complications from a liver transplant.  His legacy is one that has been the bane of many, an unrecognized major talent that never received the recognition he so trylu deserved.  The track added here is a scintillating live version of “Bullfrog Blues”, one of his trademark songs.

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Remembering – Bob Brunning

Little known fact time.  Who was the original bass player in Fleetwood Mac.  Bob Brunning of course, the guy I am writing about.   Unfortunately, he passed away on October 18.  Peter Green started up Fleetwood Mac and wanted Mick Fleetwood and John McVie for the rhythm section.  Mick was the Fleetwood and John was the Mac for the band name.  John McVie was with a band and earning a steady income so was not keen on joining up.  Peter then hired Bob Brunning to be the bass player on a temporary (maybe permanent)basis while he waited and hoped McVie would change his mind, which he did a few weeks later.  Bob’s career lasted a few weeks but he did contribute the bass on one song on the band’s debut album (Fleetwood Mac), “Long Grey Mare”.

After leaving Fleetwood Mac, he went on to play with Savoy Brownthen ended up with the blues group “The Lonesome Whistle Blues Band”. which morphed into the “De-luxe Blues Band”.  He was a mainstay of the British blues scene for over 30 years.  The track included here is Bob’s first gig with The Lonesome Whistle Blues Band and is live.  Enjoy the video.  RIP Bob Brunning.

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Remembering – George “Mojo” Buford

Legendary blues harmonica player, George “Mojo” Buford passed away yesterday, October 11, 2011.  He was 81.  His early career consisted of playing in Muddy Waters junior band.  This band covered the Chicago dates when Muddy was on tour.  He eventually graduated to the back up band and began touring steadily.  He then struck out on his own, building his own repertoire.  The attached video is a live version of “Everything Going To Be Alright”.  The second is “Got My Mojo Working” from which he got his nickname.

RIP Mojo.

 

 

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