Topic: What style of blues are these, and where can I find instruction?

[Westside Ryan]

This is kind of a strange question but I am really in love with the style of the tunes "Jelly Jelly" and "Sporting' Life Blues" as done by Dave Van Ronk.  I was wondering how one would label this sort of blues?  I would call jazz blues for a lack of another "label".  I was also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of some lesson DVDs that cover this style (if they exist)?  I already own Dave Van Ronk's lesson DVD.
Thanks much,
Ryan

Jelly, Jelly

Sporting Life Blues

[daddystovepipe]

Check out Stefan Grossman's Guitarworkshop for lessons and concert dvd's
http://www.guitarvideos.com/artists/dave-van-ronk

[Rivers]

If I had to categorize it I think of DVR's style as 'Folk Blues' with 'Ragtime' sensibilities. You can easily discern elements of all three, and other elements like chord melody, which I suppose gives a jazz feel, but since that's implied already by the 'ragtime' tag it's probably redundant.

Also the time and place it comes out of is sort of another way of pigeon-holing it, NY Greenwich Village, Folk & Blues Revival, 1960s

Categories are always going to be imperfect although you have to classify it somehow in, for example, iTunes. It's really just 'DVR music', a mishmash. I say that in a loving way, possums.

[Westside Ryan]

Check out Stefan Grossman's Guitarworkshop for lessons and concert dvd's
http://www.guitarvideos.com/artists/dave-van-ronk

Thanks, but I am well aware of the Guitar Workshop DVDs and own many titles.  I actually have both DVR concert DVDs and his lesson DVD.  I am not specifically looking for DVR lessons, but lessons in the style of the two songs above. 

Categories are always going to be imperfect although you have to classify it somehow in, for example, iTunes. It's really just 'DVR music', a mishmash. I say that in a loving way, possums.

I realize that catagories are not perfect and normally I hate putting labels on things, but I don't know of any other way to track down more of the same type of music and/or DVD lessons or tab books.  I should have also made it more clear that I am not specifically looking for DVR stuff, but tunes/lessons that are a similar style to those above.  Maybe I should have used some song examples from other artists as well, but it was just easier for my grab the two DVR videos. 

[Westside Ryan]

Thanks for the input Rivers!

[Rivers]

I deleted my post because I think I missed your point first time arround. I'll redo it based on the question you're actually asking! 

[Rivers]

OK. What do we have here. A lot of altered, extended chords in various inversions, and a solid picking technique. Call it jazz-inflected blues, it's just music really. If you take a piano blues from the Twenties and arrange it for guitar you can at minimum get a rough framework with 3 chords, altering them in the right places with a dominant 7th.

That's just the beginning of the journey. After rereading the thread I think Ryan you're wishing to expand your chordal vocabulary. You can already fingerpick real good so you're ahead of most people. Now you want to expand your chordal horizons and work this into your repertoire. Is that correct?

[Westside Ryan]

Well I wouldn't say that I am a great fingerpicker.  I'd say that I am mediocre and improving all the time (when I have time!), but I do like to work on pieces that really move me as they motivate.  I think that you are spot on with your "label" of "jazz-inflected blues" and I think that expanding my chordal horizons might be what I am looking to do.  It is interesting that you brought up the 20's piano blues, because I was looking for some more examples of what I would like to work on and all I could come up with were piano blues from the '20's!

[bnemerov]

Ryan,
John Miller, Duck Baker and Mike Dowling are all knowledgeable players and teachers when it comes to expanding the harmony of blues, rags and other roots-based music. Their websites will give you a look at the teaching options and recorded materials each has on offer.
best,
bruce

P.S. Dowling is a Wisconsin native and returns a couple of times a year (usually to play at Cafe Carpe). I think you'd be able to contact him for a face-to-face lesson; he can certainly show you enough to keep you busy until his next visit to cheeseland. 

[Westside Ryan]

@bnemerov: Thanks for the information!  I had no idea that that Dowling was a Wisconsin native!  I've been to Cafe Carpe a few times as my girlfriend and a few of my friends have played there.  It's a great little place to see an acoustic show.  I'll have to check out there schedule again.

-Looks like he's going to be there on Dec 31st, it's too bad that I'll most likely be out of town then!  Tickets are probably sold out already anyhow!

[Laura]

I was also wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of some lesson DVDs that cover this style (if they exist)?  I already own Dave Van Ronk's lesson DVD.
Thanks much,
Ryan

Ryan, Do you have Fred Sokolow's lesson on Bessie Smith? DVR did a lovely version of "nobody knows you when you're down and out" which Fred teaches on this lesson along with some other great tunes which I would say was in a similar, if not slightly more simplified style.

http://youtu.be/klTsPePoTQo

[Westside Ryan]

Ryan, Do you have Fred Sokolow's lesson on Bessie Smith? DVR did a lovely version of "nobody knows you when you're down and out" which Fred teaches on this lesson along with some other great tunes which I would say was in a similar, if not slightly more simplified style.

Thanks Laura!  No, I do not own this title but I will in a couple of days!  This looks GREAT!  I can't believe I've somehow missed this DVD?  Thanks again!