Topic: Fourth Street Mess Around

[Rivers]

I've been putting Fourth Street Mess Around together after being inspired by Sausage Grinder's version and revisiting the Memphis Jug Band original. Plus I need some 'new', to me at least, material.

My question is this, and anyone that has worked on it probably knows what I'm going to say. After the cool intro the verse starts pitched at E flat minor and resolves to G flat. Accepted internet wisdom, if that's not an oxymoron, is to play it out of Dm resolving to F, at least on the guitar. The recording is pitched a semitone higher, in other words.

So far I'm not picking up any clues from the recording telling me the guitar is playing in a closed position E flat m / G flat, or tuned up a semitone, or capoed, and playing out of an F shape. I believe you could play the guitar part either way, with a capo, closed position, or tuned up for pitch.

An ancillary question, since my copy of D&G's Blues & Gospel Records is missing believed buried somewhere around here, can somebody tell me who's playing guitar on this? It's subtle and grows on you.

[Johnm]

Hi Rivers,
The guitarist is capoed to the sixth fret.  This makes the minor section a relatively simple rocking between an A minor position and an E7 position (relative to capo placement), and puts the resolution to the relative major into a C position rooted at the ninth fret of the fifth string, giving you the Gb pitch to which you alluded.  If you listen to the rendition with that capo placement in mind, you realize the guitarist is playing a lot of C position cliches, especially in the treble.  I wish you joy working it all out.
All best,
Johnm

[Pan]

Can somebody tell me who's playing guitar on this? It's subtle and grows on you.

Hi Rivers,

according to D&G that's Will Shade on the guitar.

Cheers

Pan

[Rivers]

Thanks guys.

Re. capo 6, I'm flabbergasted, that's cheating!

[arlotone]

The guitarist is capoed to the sixth fret.

That makes sense. With this in mind, I looked at the three other songs the Memphis Jug Band recorded that day. Will Shade is the guitarist on all of them, and seems to be playing...

Jim Strainer Blues: capo on 8, A position (key of F)
Cave Man Blues: capo on 6, E position (key of Bb)
Fourth Street Mess Around: capo on 6, C position (key of F#)
It Won't Act Right: capo on 6, E position (key of Bb)

I guess it was just a capo kind of day.

[Parlor Picker]

And was the "capo" actually a pencil and elastic band?? We may never know...