Topic: Adventures in Vestapol

[Johnm]

Hi All,
In response to Alex's suggestion that there be a thread parallel to the "Adventures in Spanish" one, here goes--as in the spanish thread, let's include non-slide pieces only.  Delta numbers are okay for inclusion, I think, because there weren't that many of them (at least I think there weren't).  I'll just get things started.
1) Old Timey Rider-Clifford Gibson
2) Joe Turner Blues-Bill Broonzy
3) Steamboat Whistle Blues-John Jackson
4) Knoxville Blues-Sam McGhee
5) If You Don't Want Me-John Hurt
6) Dinner Blues-Bo Carter
All best,
Johnm

[GhostRider]

Howdy:

I'll Add:

1. Police Dog Blues and Down in the Country - Blind Blake

2. Little Woman, You're So Sweet - BB Fuller

3. That's No Way to Get Along - Robert Wilkins

I'm not sure, Is Sweet Jivin' Mama by Blind Blake in Open D?

edited : sorry about the Kassie Jones brain cramp.

Hard to tell, 'bout a man like me,
Alex

[uncle bud]

Kassie Jones is in spanish.

Re. Sweet Jivin' Mama. That's an odd one, sounding in A, but played in open D (I think Woody Mann has a different tuning for it, which we can dispute ). Going from memory here, so may be completely wrong.

[outfidel]

Also

John Henry -- Etta Baker/Josh White/many others
Payday - MJH

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Some more to add to the list--
1. K.C. Blues--Hobart Smith (whew!)
2. The Train That Carried My Girl From Town--Doc Watson, from the old Watson Family album on Folkways.  I think it's the best thing Doc ever did, and that is going some.
3. Big Chief Blues--Furry Lewis
4. Weary Lonesome Blues--Roy Harvey and Leonard Copeland
5. Ice and Snow Blues--Clifford Gibson
6. Vastapol--Elizabeth Cotten
7. Good Gal--Josh White
8. Cigarette Blues--Bo Carter
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

Josh White:

Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed
I Don't Intend To Die In Egypt-land
Lord, I Want To Die Easy

Georgia Yellow Hammers:

Rip Van Winkle Blues

[Rivers]

I'm very partial to Henry Townsend's early capoed up National modal stuff esp.
Mistreated Blues
Sick With The Blues
Henry's Worried Blues
Poor Man Blues
Long Ago Blues

Relying on memory here, will check tomorrow if those are all in Vestapol.

[Johnm]

Hi Mark,
I reckon those tunes, all of which are great, as you say, are cross-tuned, EBEGBE.  It's sort of like what Bo Carter did with his G tuning, DGDGBE, it lets you keep all the chordal shapes on the top three strings intact from standard tuning and get the index hammer to the major third at the first fret, third string, when playing in E.
All best,
Johnm

[GhostRider]

Hi all:

Maybe I'l start "The List"

Clifford Gibson
Old Timey Rider
Ice and Snow Blues

Big Bill Broonzy
Joe Turner Blues

John Jackson
Steamboat Whistle Blues

Sam McGee
Knoxville Blues

John Hurt
If You Don't Want Me
Pay Day

Bo Carter
Ain't Nobody Got It
Ants In My Pants
Baby, When You Marry
Backache Blues
Blue Runner Blues
Bo Carter Special
Cigarette Blues
Dinner Blues
Don't Mash My Digger So Deep
Fifty Fifty With Me
Flea On Me
Got to Work Somewhere
I Love That Thing
It's Too Wet
I've Got a Case of Mashin' It
Mashing That Thing
Mean Feeling Blues
New Auto Blues
Pig Meat Is What I Crave
Ram Rod Daddy
Sorry Feeling Blues
Sue Cow

Blind Blake
Police Dog Blues
Down in the Country

Blind Boy Fuller
Little Woman You're So Sweet

Robert Wilkins
That's No Way to Get Along

Hobart Smith
K.C. Blues

Doc Watson
The Train That Carried My Girl From Town
Sittin' on Top of the World

Furry Lewis
Big Chief Blues

Roy Harvey and Leonard Copeland
Weary Lonesome Blues

Elizabeth Cotton
Vastapol

Josh White
Good Gal
Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed
I Don't Intend To Die In Egypt-land
Lord, I Want To Die Easy
John Henry

Georgia Yellow Hammers
Rip Van Winkle Blues

Blind Connie Williams
"Philidelphia Street Singer" Inc. Milky White Way

John Byrd
Old Timbrook

Scott Dunbar
Memphis Mail


But really Johnm, don't you know any obscure ones?

[lindy]

Isn't most--if not all--of the stuff Blind Connie Williams recorded on "Philadelphia Street Singer" in vestapol?

Lindy
-->who is re-visiting "Milky White Way" this week and enjoying every minute of it.

[Johnm]

Hey Lindy,
You've got that right.  Without checking, I think every single tune Connie Williams plays on guitar on that CD is in Vestapol, and he had some great stuff in that tuning that not even Josh White had.  That "Milky White Way" is a beauty!
All best,
Johnm
P.S.  I'll try to get some obscure ones for you, Alex.

[Yves]

Bo Carter

Don't mash my digger so deep...

Yves

[Rivers]

Hi Mark,
I reckon those tunes, all of which are great, as you say, are cross-tuned, EBEGBE.  It's sort of like what Bo Carter did with his G tuning, DGDGBE, it lets you keep all the chordal shapes on the top three strings intact from standard tuning and get the index hammer to the major third at the first fret, third string, when playing in E.
All best,
Johnm

Thanks for the insight there John, I did a double take at first until I realised I usually refer to cross-note as E minor / Bentonia. Key thing I've found with Henry's modal stuff is to minimise/eliminate the 3rd In open E/D I've learned where to kill the third dead and can approxiamate the minor tuning pretty good since you don't hear the 3rd (G) much.

The other Henry trick I just love is to go for what I call 'the unison treble whine', bending the 2nd string while the top E sounds open. Played this for another guitar player once who said "man, that is really depressing". Made my day.   

How did I get here. Alvin Youngblood Hart played Skip James's Illinois Blues in one of his classes at Port T. The assembled Weenies expected him to be in cross note tuning, he was actually in Vestapol. Did a good job with it; I couldn't make it work that way. This lead on to Alvin's modal style in general, Henry & Skip tunes being cited as major influences.

Could well be Alvin just prefers to 'Vestapol' those minor tuned songs. There is one 'Henry-ish' riff I do (also learned from AYH) that would only seem to work in Vestapol. I will study up and report back.

[Johnm]

Hi Mark,
You make good points about Alvin Hart and your own experiences playing in Vestapol and open E minor.  They can both be played "against type".  I've been working on some new accompaniments in open D minor in which I fret the first fret of the third string the entire time and never hit the third string open.  I suppose someone could say, "Why don't you just play it in Vestapol?  It would sound the same and be easier to play."  For some reason though, it feels and sounds better to me in the minor tuning.
Incidentally, I heard Alvin Hart do a Henry Townsend number on "Prairie Home Companion" at some point this past year, and it was terrific, the best thing I've ever heard him do.  And I've heard a lot of other good things from him!
All best,
Johnm

[poozmeister]

Hi - kinda new to the forum.? I was at PT this past summer and had a great time.? I think Barbecue Bob's "Poor Boy A Long Way From Home" is Vestapol.? I haven't actually heard his version though, only the Fahey cover which is in Vestapol (and sounds much like the song Vestapol)

Take care,
Pat D.