Rock and Roll

1960 the year in which the Studebaker Hawk I saw this morning was manufactured, was a big year – the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam and Elvis returned from Germany. Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry and Duane Eddy all released records. Also featured in 1960 was the great Chester Burnett, or Howlin` Wolf who had been making records for since 1951. Wolf had a great ear and since `55 had been working with the awesome guitarist Hubert Sumlin. It`s likely that Hubert Sumlin`s electric playing brought Chicago across the Atlantic and into the hands of the Great British Blues Players such as the incandescent trio of Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton – all members briefly of The Yardbirds.

Blues Boy King

Ever wondered where it`s at ?
It`s right here…check out the crossover between B.B.King here and Clapton`s live performance from the 1980 album Just One Night in Budokan. If you were going to buy ONLY ONE Clapton you need to buy about six…and don`t forget in a similar way to Hendrix, Clapton`s guitar prowess has overshadowed his songwriting genius…

Inspirational blues

Hi, I`m seeking inspiration whilst recording through exploring abandoned buildings in the presence of a psychic investigator. There`s obviously a supernatural tradition innate to the blues lyric and the historical context from which the early blues pioneers emerged.

It`s a subject of great interest both for its pseudo religious supranatural leanings and the degree to which this tradition has been perpetuated through different media to this day. The lone artist, soaked in liquour or absinthe, an artist struggling with, for or against the elements or humanity in defiance of tradition, change, oppression -a freedom fighter channelling the forces of good or evil through a talismanic or demoniacal engagement to the guitar. A vocal tradition hoodoo-esque, incantational, evangelical, proselytising, confessional, mean, base or sexual. What do you want your blues to be?

You can view the photos here.

An incantatory, elemental, almost Amerindian element to the blues, a rhythmic, hypnotism and hoodoo-esque quality exists in all of John Lee`s blues and he`s a severely underrated icon perhaps to my mind. Spot the Robert Johnson stylistics and hear the cold, dirty earth under his feet. It`s wake up time so ruminate upon your past, present and future…it`s all here…

Swamp Blues

Slim Harpo delivers the languid swamp blues Louisiana sound with as little effort as it apparently takes here on King Bee which was later covered by almost everybody including Englishmen The Pink Floyd

If you`d like to take the swamp outta the blues and head into jazz experimentalism start with Captain Beefheart`s Diddy Wah Diddy and head into the space of Trout Mask Replica and Bat Chain Puller.

The Art of Guitar

IMHO, there are ways to shred and burn on the guitar that far surpass the egocentric simplicity and slavery to technique of that whole guitar school, speed focussed, sweep picking, notes for notes sake playing that occurs in a vacuum devoid of taste, subtlety and emotion.

Real guitar shredding is emotive, not mechanical, slick or polished unless it needs to be as part of the expression – e.g. a Freddie King Lick an Albert King bend, a Clapton phrase, the Leslie West tone, Hendrix` sustain etcetera…..