Topic: Almost afraid to Love - Georgia White

[matt milton]

This is me getting to grips with the video function on my Nikon Coolpix P7000. The built-in mics are pretty bad - the sound overloads, distorts and compresses in a really annoying way (the loudest sound overwhelms quieter ones) and the external mic jack input is hissy as hell.

Still, here's me playing an old Georgia White song on a Macaferri D-hole guitar (Saga Gitane) about a fortnight ago at a local gig in South London.

[zerobob]

sounds good to me

[sustaireblues]

Now that was mighty fine Matt!
A very different sounding song, love your vocals and picking, not to mention the very dramatic angle and lighting.

Thanks for posting,
Joe


ps....only bitch, from a personal perspective, the camera angle makes stealing licks almost impossible for a hack like myself.   

[sustaireblues]

Just had to give this another listen Matt, and I still love it!

Quite a performance if you ask me. Maybe it just doesn't fit most folks idea of "country blues", but it sure works for me.

I'd like to hear more!

Thanks for posting up,
Joe

[Rivers]

Excellent. I'd like to hear you take on some Skip James material, you certainly have the vocal range and should recognize that not everyone can do that. Thanks for posting.

[matt milton]

Just had to give this another listen Matt, and I still love it!

Quite a performance if you ask me. Maybe it just doesn't fit most folks idea of "country blues", but it sure works for me.

I'd like to hear more!

Thanks for posting up,
Joe

yeah, I was a bit hesitant to post it up actually because it's more on that "jazz blues" tip than country blues. More the Georgia White, Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith school of jazzy blues diva. 

Do you know the Georgia White version? That's what I modelled it on. (Although there's also a great version, but very different, version by Mississippi Joe Callicott) The Georgie White version has some amazing guitar on it, I don't know who played it, but it's very unusual. And there are some great lyrics in those songs. Very melodramatic and OTT. I'm intending to do some more filming soon - I really want to get a few more gigs in London and elsewhere.

I normally don't sing that high BTW. It's just that I'd been taking singing lessons recently and my teacher's always getting me to sing higher up.

[dj]

The Georgie White version has some amazing guitar on it, I don't know who played it

Georgia White's version was recorded April 1 1938 in New York City with Lonnie Johnson on guitar and an unknown bass player.  Bob MacLeod's composer file gives no composer credit for the song.

[Johnm]

Hi matt milton,
I missed this when you posted it and it is really a fine job.  You sing it well, and kudos on your arrangement--not all that many players would have chosen to play it out of B, and without having heard the original I'm pretty sure that most of the harmonic ideas are your own.  Very nice!
All best,
Johnm