You heard 'em at home say gamblers just don't loose out ain't ya? We all taken' a chance when we play one of them numbers and it don't come out like we want it - but play 'em anyhow... Keep on bettin'...you're bound to win. That's when you gonna play policy all over again - Lightnin' Hopkins Policy Blues
The track is from Delmark LP 626, Blues Piano Orgy; Bob Koester's notes explain the title -- "The [Montgomery] sides presented on this album were recorded at the old Decca studio in Chicago in 1947, under the supervision of blues-hip jazz collector Robert Stendahl, who sponsored the recordings with his army pay. They are among Brother's best, [but] were prevented from release at that time by the bankruptcy of Disc records."
Thanks for that information, Al. The only other thing I could think was that Little Brother had been inspired by "The Red and the Black". It's good to have the actual source of the title. All best, Johnm
« Reply #1489 on: November 12, 2017, 04:25:21 PM »
We have quite a few videos of R.L. Burnside in this thread, but I don't think we have this one of him playing at a local N. Mississippi picnic, getting the crowd to dance in the dirt all by his lonesome.
« Reply #1490 on: November 13, 2017, 07:44:37 PM »
Just bumped into this. Not youtube, but pretty cool nonetheless. R.L. Boyce on Jools Hollander's show on the BBC
Several weenies here met R.L. at Port Townsend sometime in the 1990s, it was my first year there and it totally blew my mind. R.L. was traveling with the Othar Turner Fife & Drum band if I recall correctly and may be related to Othar but I don't know for sure.
R.L. got first prize in my mind for the best Mississippi patois, I could not understand a single word he said. Cool guy. I have a shot of him looking much younger if I can find it.
« Reply #1491 on: November 14, 2017, 02:59:37 AM »
Thanks for the RL Boyce Rivers, he's looking and sounding just great - apparently getting some of recognition he deserves. He's been coming to New York to play John Brown's Smokehouse but I've managed to miss him - here's footage of him with Jesse Mae Hemphill in his youth:
« Reply #1492 on: November 14, 2017, 03:57:58 PM »
Thanks Harriet, great vid! Yeah, it was nice to see R.L. on the BBC clip, still out there, playing real good. Amazingly long fingers, great time, syncopation and damping, voice is better than I remember. The backup guy on the telecaster gets very high marks for tone, and for not missing the changes.
That Port Townsend event was an epic house party year in John Cephas's digs on Officers Row. Good times.
But that confuses me somewhat. I'm sure Othar wasn't at PT that year, he was there the second time I went. R.L. was there the same year as Jerry Ricks. Ah well. Maybe Peter McK can shed some light. All the years combine, they melt into a dream.
« Reply #1498 on: November 18, 2017, 09:45:22 AM »
I just listened to this again - what a strong player, and a really good selection of tunes. I didn't know much about Shirley Griffith, so I looked up the liner notes, which were unhelpful, but I did find this great quote from Art Rosenbaum, who also recorded him:
Quote
?I recall one August afternoon shortly after these recordings were made; Shirley sat in Scrapper Blackwell?s furnished room singing the Bye Bye Blues with such intensity that everyone present was deeply moved, though they had all heard him sing it many times before. Scrapper was playing, too, and the little room swelled with sound. When they finished there was a moment of awkward silence. Finally Shirley smiled and said, ?The blues?ll kill you. And make you live, too.?"
Yes, thanks for posting Shirley's album, Dominique. That opening track, "Shaggy Hound Blues", is about as good as it gets. All best, Johnm
Wow! Thanks for pointing that one out guys. It's been lurking in my collection for years but I'd not studied it closely. I just gave it a spin with guitar in hand and you're right John, Shaggy Hound Blues is perfect. What I picked up on was the equal accenting on each of the 4 beats of the bar for much of the song. Great fun to play, I don't have anything like that in my repertoire but may do soon!