all gys forgett mostly the piano-players who often use minior beginnings ( cow cos`s alabama strut, roosevelt sykes: thanks but no thanks) or one time greatest minor blues: lil johnson: that bonus done got thru montana taylor : i cant sleep
Ma Rainey's "Down in the Basement" features minor harmonies/chords. After an intro style verse, the structure and harmony of the song is very reminiscent of Tampa Red's "If You Want Me to Love You".
Another early blues in a minor key: Blind Richard Yates aka Uncle Charlie Richards singing "Sore Bunion Blues", one of those sore feet songs that seem to have been popular among blues singers. Recorded in 1927, it's on Document's Male Blues of the Twenties Volume 1, DOCD-5482. Piano accompaniment by Louis Hooper.
Bunions, bunions, won't you hear my plea Bunions, bunions, won't you hear my plea Stop your achin', let my poor feet be
And it turns out Sore Bunion Blues was recorded first by Monette Moore in December 1924. It's the same song but her version backed by the Choo Choo Jazzers is not actually done in a minor key like Blind Richard Yates did his 3 years later. He was probably looking to give it more gravitas.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2010, 10:09:55 AM by uncle bud »
Hi all, The McGee Brothers version of "Salty Dog Blues" has A minor and D minor chords in it, and Sam McGee's "Franklin Blues" has a D minor chord in it. All best, Johnm
Walter Davis uses what sounds like a repeating inversion of a IV minor chord resolving to a I chord in What Have I Done Wrong, a duet with Henry Townsend. Boy, what a tune.
I'm just listening to Bull City Red doing "Black Woman And Poison Blues", an 8 bar blues in the Crow Jane style, and I think he plays a minor V chord to the second half of the 7th bar. I think he's playing from the E -position capoed or tuned up to around G, and the chord shape I'm hearing is something like X-2-0-2-0-0, so with the high E string open, technically this would be a "V minor 11th" chord, if I'm not mistaken? It's a pretty sound.
Edited to add: He seems to be playing the same progression on his "Mississippi River" too, although there appears to be some confusion wether he or Blind Boy Fuller is playing the guitar. Does anyone know of BBF using the V minor chord on another tune?
« Last Edit: December 12, 2011, 05:31:12 PM by Pan »
The 2012 Tefteller calendar CD includes The Harum Scarums who do Come On In (There Ain't nobody Here But Me). It's a rag with Big Bill Broonzy on guitar playing real good, Mozelle Anderson vocals, Georgia Tom Dorsey on piano & vocals.
Verse starts on Am, with a really nice change up to to A7, finishing up as a C rag. It's a whole lot of fun and definitely worth stealing.
Pianist Harold Holiday recorded as Black Boy Shine and his "Married Man Blues" uses I minor and IV minor chords, resolving the usual way through a V chord to a major I chord.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2012, 11:03:05 AM by uncle bud »