Topic: Duos/Groups - the memphis sound

[craigmulcahy]

Hello good people of weenie land,

I recently got the wonderful Memphis blues dvd by John Miller and have been working my way through it. (massive thank John)!

I've learnt my first Memphis Minnie song i can't stop playing it.

Anyway, I've been listening to a ton of Memphis stuff and especially stuff with two guitars or other instruments. (as well as constantly listening to pink anderson and simmie dooley)

I just wanted to start a discussion about the sounds these people were knocking out and the theory behind what they were doing. Some of the Minnie duo songs just pound. I just can't get enough of that hard, driving rhythm.

I've heard talk of flatpicked back up. Is this common?

Any discussion very much welcomed.

Craig.

[lindy]

Congratulations on being captured whole-hog by a Memphis Minnie tune, I hope you get a chance to spend time with Del Rey at a workshop someday.

As for your duets question, do a search for various keywords, "duet" "Memphis Minnie" "Kansas Joe" etc., etc., and you'll get a whole bunch of hits. Check out the various threads, and maybe you'll have some more specific questions for everyone to respond to.

Lindy

[jugblowr]

For my money Frank Stokes and Dan Sane are the most pounding Memphis duo of all. 

Stokes' great singing and driving finger picking with Sane's flat picked runs really take me there.

[ArthurBlake]

both duos are great, I think I gotta go for Minnie and Kansas Joe do it for me,,,, magnificent partnership, I am not sure of where some of my other favourites reside,,,,,, I know I love the atlanta duos Like Willie McTell and Curley weaver,,, and throw Buddy Moss and Fred McMullen in,, but  we are talkin Memphis here, Id love to hear of some other fine duos from that area.

[Johnm]

Hi Craig,
I'm glad you're enjoying the Memphis Blues DVD.  In addition to the Memphis Minnie/Kansas Joe and Beale Street Sheiks duets that have already been mentioned, I'd recommend seeking out the following tracks if you're particularly drawn to Memphis duets:
   * Memphis Willie B. and Allen Shaw backing the singer Hattie Hart on "Coldest Stuff In Town"--the playing is great, all three of them sing, and when Allen Shaw comes in singing near the end, it puts it over the top.  What a singer!
   * Yank Rachell and Dan Smith doing "Squeaky Work Bench" and "Gravel Road Blues".  Terrific singing and playing
   * Jack Kelly with Will Batts or Dan Sane--a host of terrific duet sounds
   * Sleepy John Estes with Brownsville Son Bonds or Charlie Pickett.  There are many wonderful duets with Sleepy John and any excuse to listen to his music and hear him sing is a good one.
   * The late Robert Wilkins material, "Jim Canaan", "New Stockyard Blues", and the rest are all duets with a washboard added, and very driving time.
All best,
Johnm
Edited to add:  Oops, I forgot to mention the great duets Little Buddy Doyle played with Willie Tango or Jack Kelly on guitar and Walter Horton on harmonica:  "Renewed Love Blues", "Bad In Mind Blues" and others.

[craigmulcahy]

Hey John,

Thanks for the tips. I'll try and track these down.

Craig