Hi all,
Belton Sutherland was filmed by Alan Lomax, John Bishop and Worth Long on September 3, 1978 near Canton, Mississippi. There are just a few performances by him available, and they are all top notch. "Blues # 2" has him playing in E position in standard tuning, right around C#, which puts him a minor third low of standard tuning. The youtube clip of him says the piece was improvised, and it very well may have been; certain aspects of it were almost definitely improvised. The form is Sutherland's own--one-line stanzas, some of which are repeated for further emphasis. Here is his performance:
INTRO
Well, I feel like holl'in', don't wanta holler, Lord
I got somethin' to tell you, girl, tell it to no crowd
PLAYING A LONG TIME
I want you to love me or leave me, anything you wanta do
I want you to love me or leave me, anything you wanta do
What a strange thing happenin', someday it might happen to you
She's a brown-skin woman, dimples in her jaw
She's a brown-skin woman, dimples in her jaw
If you ever had the blues, know about how I feel
If you ever had the blues, know about how I feel
Feel just like a engine, ain't got no drivin' wheel
All best,
Johnm
Belton Sutherland was filmed by Alan Lomax, John Bishop and Worth Long on September 3, 1978 near Canton, Mississippi. There are just a few performances by him available, and they are all top notch. "Blues # 2" has him playing in E position in standard tuning, right around C#, which puts him a minor third low of standard tuning. The youtube clip of him says the piece was improvised, and it very well may have been; certain aspects of it were almost definitely improvised. The form is Sutherland's own--one-line stanzas, some of which are repeated for further emphasis. Here is his performance:
INTRO
Well, I feel like holl'in', don't wanta holler, Lord
I got somethin' to tell you, girl, tell it to no crowd
PLAYING A LONG TIME
I want you to love me or leave me, anything you wanta do
I want you to love me or leave me, anything you wanta do
What a strange thing happenin', someday it might happen to you
She's a brown-skin woman, dimples in her jaw
She's a brown-skin woman, dimples in her jaw
If you ever had the blues, know about how I feel
If you ever had the blues, know about how I feel
Feel just like a engine, ain't got no drivin' wheel
All best,
Johnm