Topic: What tunes are you working on?

[Rivers]

I was in that class with you lindy, I have a cassette recording of it. I need to digitize it. Illinois Blues was my obsession for a while, need to revisit it. John and Phil really had a great version of it going on, standout moment from my first PT trip.

[Parlor Picker]

Great - thanks!

[Rivers]

This thread has been dormant for a while.

Port T got me back to focusing. For a couple of years prior to the workshop I'd been working on all kinds of stuff, but it wasn't really 'working' as such, it was transferring my playing (and bad habits) to new songs and genres.

I've been slightly obsessed with Blind Boy Fuller's playing since I got back, cribbing from Ari's vid. I doubt I'd have gotten as far as I have in this lifetime without the video. Fuller was a genius, I have come to realize.

So what are you working on?

[lindy]

Yeah, I'm also trying to ride the wave of focused enthusiasm since the workshop, but gotta balance it with enjoying the 90 days of prime weather that we're limited to in the Pac NW.

Three tunes this month: Callicott's version of Rollin' and Tumblin', Hayes McMullan's Looka Here Woman, and Son House's Depot Blues (which I didn't get from the workshop).

Also spent an hour messin' with the Robert Pete Williams material I got this year and several years back from PT. My conclusion: that stuff requires serious woodshedding time, best saved for those days when the sun only shines for 8-9 hours up here. For now, it's time to go hiking, and pick up some tunes that are more accessible.

[uncle bud]

I've been working on some banjo. Revisiting Darling Corey, Mike Seeger's version. Also revisiting John Jackson's if Hattie Wants to Lu, Let Her Lu Like a Man, as I was missing a bit. Just started to attempt to figure out Roscoe Holcomb's Willow Tree, as I thought it might be fairly easy, despite never having played in Roscoe's style. Wrong.

Also fooling around with Patton lap stuff. And some Carter Family tunes. Thumb-lead is fun!

[Rivers]

It's a pleasant 85 degrees in Austin today after a few weeks of 100+, we're heading into the nice fall weather patch right now.
Good woodsheddin' time when it's really hot here so I've been playing a lot.

Andrew your playing on Spurge's banjo that afternoon was really good, everyone thought so. Particularly since you haven't been playing it that long, you're streets ahead of me.

[uncle bud]

It's a pleasant 85 degrees in Austin today after a few weeks of 100+, we're heading into the nice fall weather patch right now.
Good woodsheddin' time when it's really hot here so I've been playing a lot.

Andrew your playing on Spurge's banjo that afternoon was really good, everyone thought so. Particularly since you haven't been playing it that long, you're streets ahead of me.

It's sure a fun instrument. I love the form-from-chaos nature of it. I've got a long ways to go.

[Johnm]

I very much agree with what you said about the appeal of thumb-lead playing, uncle bud.  I find myself gravitating towards it quite a lot, and especially like it for playing hymns, like Washington Phillips songs in open tunings.  Of course it works wonderfully well on a variety of Old-Time songs, too.
All best,
Johnm

[WayneS]

Willie Brown's "Future Blues."  (Not his arrangement.)

Uncle Bud, you mentioned that you were "Also fooling around with Patton lap stuff."  Which songs are those?

[uncle bud]

All of 'em! Well, not quite, but because his slide tunes are mostly in the same tuning (Spanish, with the exception of Spoonful), there is a lot that is duplicated across various songs -- setting aside the question of whether the majority of them are indeed played lap style. So I have worked on quite a few to varying degrees: Tom Rushen, Magnolia Blues, I'm Going Home (or Prayer of Death Part 1, depending on whether I play the intro), It Won't Be Long, Hammer Blues, Oh Death, and Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues.

With the exception of Bo Weavil, which is a bit trickier, they are fairly basic from a technique standpoint, and the thing I find requires work is to integrate the vocal and guitar so that everything is coming from the same place. Sometimes this means I am doing something that is more rightly called my own take on the song or arrangement, other times I am trying to stick pretty close to the recording. All very satisfying, and it can be quite trancey for the player.

[MuddyBuddy]

I am working on the Mississippi Sheiks song, I've Got Blood in My Eyes for You. Great song, but I wonder if anybody knows where this expression comes from or what it means? I have never heard it before.

thanks,
Bert

[frailer24]

Blind Willie McTell's Kill It Kid is a doozie!

[NotRevGDavis]

Tampa Red's "Things 'Bout Comin' My Way" things are starting to click with this tune as far as the chord changes and recognizing the progression of chords that aren't full chords. Does that make sense?!?

[frailer24]

Makes perfect sense.

[papa john pio]

Jelly Roll Blues - Furry Lewis
Church Bell Blues Take 1- Luke Jordan
Wandering about E positions
cheers