Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Any other takers for the John Lee Hooker, J B Lenoir and Sampson Pittman puzzlers?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It appears that everyone who intended to respond to the John Lee Hooker, J B Lenoir and Sampson Pittman puzzlers has done so, so I will post the answers.

For John Lee Hooker's "Graveyard Blues":
   *  His playing position/tuning was Spanish tuning, as all who responded had it--well done!
   * John Lee Hooker, at the front end of his rendition, from :00--:03 is going from the open third string to the third fret of the fourth string, back and forth, articulating everything with his thumb in the right hand, by the sound of it, and dragging his thumb through from the fourth to the third string.
   * From :58--1:03, John Lee Hooker is hammering repeatedly in the treble from the first fret of the second string to the third fret of the second string.

For J B Lenoir's "Mississippi Road":
   * His playing position/tuning was D position in dropped-D tuning
   * The two chords that J B Lenoir rocks between in the treble at the beginning of his rendition are a D chord, fretted 2-3-2 on the top three strings, from third string to first string, and a G6, fretted 0-0-0 on the first three strings.
   * In his verse accompaniments, J B never ventures above the third fret on the treble strings.

For Sampson Pittman's "Highway 61 Blues":
   * His playing position/tuning was Vestapol tuning, as all who responded had it--well done!
   * At the very beginning of his rendition, Sampson Pittman is fretting the third and second strings with his slide, first at the twelfth fret, playing a I chord and then at the fifth fret, playing a IV chord.  Prof Scratchy had this identified right on the money.
   * Sampson Pittman played the ascending/descending line from :59--1:01 as follows:  He hits the open third string on the + of beat one.  On beat two, he plays a triplet, going from the first fret of the third string to the third fret of the third string and then brushing the unison third fret third string and open second string.  On beat three, he plays another triplet, going from the open second string to the open first string and back to the open second string.  On beat four, he plays another triplet, walking down the third string from the second fret to the first fret to the open third string, resolving to the open fourth string on the downbeat of the next measure.

Re John Lee Hooker, I'm curious--does anyone know of any of his songs that he played in anything other than Spanish or E position in standard tuning (Natural in Robert Belfour's parlance)?  I think, like Robert Belfour, he may only have played in those two tunings/positions.  As for J B Lenoir, he seems to have developed an affinity for dropped-D tuning around the time he made the "Alabama Blues" album, as several tunes on that record used that playing position/tuning.  Sampson Pittman seems like one of those players whose recorded repertoire is trickling in, a tune at a time, on youtube.

Thanks to Prof Scratchy, blueshome and Old Man Ned for participating in the puzzlers, and I hope folks enjoyed the songs.  I'll try to find and post some more puzzlers soon.

All best,
Johnm   

[Prof Scratchy]

I'm not aware of any John Lee Hooker songs in tunings other than Spanish and E Standard. I saw him in a small club in Yorkshire in 1964, accompanied by the Groundhogs. Every tune was  in E! The Groundhogs played the 1 1V and V chords whether he liked it or not, and mostly he didn't!

[Johnm]

Thanks for the story, Prof!  I can easily believe he wasn't thrilled about having IV and V chords added to all of his songs, willy-nilly.  I reckon the V chords may have been especially irksome.
All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

All of Pittman's recordings can be found on the cd Detroit Blues. He really is a good slide player.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the tip, Phil.  Is that the JSP "Detroit Blues" set or some other release?
All best,
Johnm

[blueshome]

Sorry John, it's called Detroit City Blues on Revolver. I downloaded it. It also has the LOC Calvin Frazier sides.

[alyoung]

The Revolver issue is Vol 1 is a four-CD set called Detroit Blues (Revolver 06988), issued in 2009. Sampson Pittman's L of C recordings were also issued (in 1992) on CD Laurie LCD-7002, The Devil Is Busy. And for those who remember or still use vinyl, Flyright LP-542, I'm the Highway Man (1980 .... ah, those were the days) has tracks by Pittman and Calvin Frazier.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the discographical information, Phil and Al.  Incidentally, I've been transcribing Sampson Pittman's lyrics to his "Highway 61 Blues" in the last puzzler, and am stuck on the last bit of the lyric break with which he opens his second verse.  I'd very much appreciate some help with the bent bracketed portion of the lyrics.  Thanks for any help with that.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

Not convinced, Johnm, but I think he sings, "The blues was on my breakfast, Baby..." which seems kind of odd. Out of curiosity I checked the Concordance and Mr Taft has 22 examples of "breakfast", all with something like "eat my" or "cook my" in the line. But "frying" at the end of the line replaced by the guitar lick would make a good rhyme for "crying", eh?

Wax

[jpeters609]

I think I agree with Wax: it sounds like "the blues was on my breakfast, baby." But I'm not 100% sure. "The blues was on my breakfast TABLE" would make more sense, but I think I hear a "b" and not a "t." I am sure, however, that the first two lines are:

I said, yes, I believe I WANT to go
I said, yes, I believe I WANT to go

[Johnm]

Thanks very much, wax and Jeff, for the help with Sampson Pittman's lyrics.  I believe "breakfast, baby" is the missing phrase in the second verse of "Highway 61 Blues" and I'm hearing "want to go" in the first verse, as well.  I will make the changes.  Thanks so much, guys!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
It seems like it's time for some new puzzlers, and it has been a while since we had ones in which the only object was to name the position/tuning being used by the player, so let's do these ones that way.  The first puzzler is from Jack Owens, and here it is, his "Keep On Groaning":



INTRO

Keep on grumblin', 'bout the low-down way I do
Keep on grumblin', 'bout the low-down way I do
Well, if I treat you dirty, baby, please treat me dirty, too, ohh, dirty, too

Why'd you wanna leave, then, even shake my hand
Why'd you wanna leave, then, wouldn't even shake my hand
That's all right, baby girl, some day you will understand

Wish you would, baby, give up your low-down ways
Wish you would, now, give up your low-down ways
You don't quit your foolin', baby, want you to drop your low-down ways

Gwine to hire, good girl, no lawyer down
I ain't gwine to hire, good gal, no lawyer down                                 
Gonna stay right here, baby darling, until they's drag me down

SOLO

Gonna stay right there, baby girl, darling, until they drag me down

   * What playing position/tuning did Jack Owens use to play "Keep On Groaning"?

The second puzzler is from Frank Hovington, and it is his "Chimney Hill Breakdown".  Here it is:



   * What playing position/tuning did Frank Covington use to play "Chimney Hill Breakdown"?

The third puzzler is from Bill Jackson, and it is his "Freight Train Blues".  Here it is:



I hate to hear that engine blow, "Boo-hoo"
How I hate to hear, engine blow, "Boo-hoo"
'Cause every time I hear it blow, feel like riding away

I have the freight train blues and boxcars on my mind
I have the freight train blues, boxcars on my mind
I'm gonna leave this town, my baby has turned me down

Well, I asked the conductor, "Let me ride the blind?"
Well, I asked the conductor, "Let me ride them blinds?"
He said, "I'm sorry, son, but you know this train ain't mine."

Now, when a woman gets the blues, she runs to her room and cries
Now, when a woman gets the blues, runs to her room and cries
But when a man gets the blues, catch the train and ride

   * What playing position/tuning did Bill Jackson use to play "Freight Train Blues"?

Please use only your ears and your guitar to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers before 8:00 AM your time on Wednesday, September 6.  Thanks for your participation and I hope you enjoy the songs.

All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

For Jack Owens "Keep On Groaning" I'm hearing Open G.  There's parts of this that remind of Skip James Special Rider.

Frank Hovington's "Chimney Hill Breakdown" is tormenting me.  I've thought C, possibly F or maybes G.  I'll spend a bit more time on this one.

Bill Jackson's "Freight Train Blues" I'm hearing in G standard.

[Prof Scratchy]

I'll say cross note for Jack Owens, C standard for Frank, and A for Bill Jackson.