Topic: Miller's Breakdown

[blueshome]

The Luther Huff track has a very Tommy Johnson feel to it.

[uncle bud]

The Luther Huff track has a very Tommy Johnson feel to it.

Yes, it's very Maggie Campbell. That's a cool one, Johnm, I don't remember giving it much attention before (though it was on the late great Weenieology Post-War Blues Disc 2 along with "Rosalee" by the same duo)

[Johnm]

Huh, I had completely forgotten "Bulldog Blues" was on that Weenie compilation, uncle bud.  For years the only tune I associated with Luther Huff was "1951 Blues", which is a great tune also.  I especially like the intensity of the mandolin player's tremolo on "Bulldog Blues"--he's just screaming!  And the piece does have a strong Tommy Johnson feel as you and Phil pointed out.
All best,
Johnm

[Lastfirstface]

It seemed to me from a little googling around that Luther Huff was the one playing mandolin on that recording. Is that right? I'm always looking for more blues mandolin listening.

[Johnm]

Hi Lastfirstface,
I found similar information googling--I don't know who would have been playing the guitar part in Spanish, perhaps Percy Huff, and as for the second guitar part, I don't have any idea.  Thanks for bringing that up.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have a new puzzler for you.  Continuing in the Luther Huff vein, it is his "1951 Blues".  Here is the song:



Nineteen-fifty, Lord, was not my year
Nineteen-fifty, Lord, was not my year
I hope blues and trouble, boys, hurry and disappear

Woman I was lovin', nineteen-forty-eight
Woman I was lovin', nineteen-forty-eight
She was a married woman, she couldn't keep her business straight

Had no woman, nineteen-forty-nine
Had no woman, nineteen-forty-nine
I'm going to get me a woman, boys, or run my fool self blind

Make that better, nineteen-fifty-one
Make that better, nineteen-fifty-one
Says, I'm going to make that better, boys, in nineteen-fifty-one

Had no woman, nineteen-forty-nine
Had no woman, nineteen-forty-nine
I'm gon' get me a woman, boys, I'm run my fool self blind


The questions on "1951 Blues" are:
   * What playing position/tuning was used to play the song?
   * What is the progression of the song, expressed either in the position in which it was played, or expressed numerically (I, IV, V)?
   * Where and how is the signature lick that falls in the third and fourth bars of each phrase fretted and played?
   * Where does the seconding guitar fret the bass run that is played in the tenth bar of each verse?

As always, please use only your ears and your instrument to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers before Wednesday morning, February 11, so that plenty of people have a chance to listen and come up with their own answers.  Thanks for participating.

All best,
Johnm

[Bunker Hill]

It seemed to me from a little googling around that Luther Huff was the one playing mandolin on that recording. Is that right? I'm always looking for more blues mandolin listening.

FWIW Percy Huff was interviewed by Gayle DeanWardlow and published in Blues Unlimited 56 (Sep 1968) - in 1998 reprinted in Chasin? That Devil Music (pp. 112-114) and includes as nice photo of Percy.

[rein]

I had a longer reply but it seems to have got lost in the mail when I was timed out by the time I posted it  but in short: tuning : spanish structure, intro IV riff(I) IV riff V bass run (I) riff
riff based around the 7th chord on the 3rd fret of the 2nd and 1st string, 4th note on the 2nd string 1st fret and a slide from minor to major 3rd on the 3rd string frets 3 and 4.
Bass run is based around a I chord so (in Spanish) 5th string open and 4th fret, 4th strin open and frets 2 and 3.
Lets hope I didn t ridicule myself on my very first post, but I had fun, thanks a lot. Rein

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Welcome to Weenie Campbell, rein, and thanks for participating!  Any other takers for the puzzler on Luther Huff's "1951 Blues"?  Come one, come all!
All best,
Johnm

[Prof Scratchy]

D standard. IV/I/IV/i/V/IV/I. For the signature lick I think he holds down a first position D chord over which he plays on the first string E>Fsharp>G>Fsharp, all notes apart from the E having a triplet feel. The seconding guitar plays also in D: str/fr 5/0>5/2>4/0>4/2>4/3>4/2>4/05/2>4/0.

[pete1951]

This seems to fit Spanish (G) very well. (as I only play in Spanish that could just be me) The chords are almost Rollin` and Tumblin` (usually an extra bar at the end so more 14 1/2 rather than 13 1/2) so each verse starts on the IV.
Very interesting, the starting riff (to my Robert Johnson obsessed ears) is like Preachin`the Blues backwards!

[Old Man Ned]

I'm getting D standard too.
The form is 12 bar (ish)
IV | IV | I | I |
IV | IV | I | I |
V  | IV | I | I |

For signature lick, I'm getting the D shape, first slid from the Db position into D
then a sort of brush strum triplets, first catching the G on the first string, then 2 brushes of the regular D chord
then triplet of the regular D chord, followed by another D chord triplet, but only catching the A and D on the 2nd & 3rd strings.

The run at the 10th bar, I think Prof Scratchy has it spot on.

This tune sounded really familiar and sure enough, I've got it on Downhome Delta Blues 1949-1952 an album that was no stranger to my turntable some years ago but I haven't listened to in ages.  Guess which is the next album that going on :-)

[Gumbo]

I'll go for D standard, too.

G/ D/
G/ D/
A G D/

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Thanks to all who participated in the "1951 Blues" puzzler.  It's neat to see some first-time responders too, welcome!  It looks like everyone who was likely to post has done so, so here are the answers:
   * Playing position was D in standard tuning, as several of you had it.  One of the aural clues that can often help to identify the sound of D position in standard tuning is that the D chord in standard tuning voices its third, F#, on the second fret of the first string.  So often when playing in D position, when players go to the IV chord they voice the seventh of the IV chord, F, at the first fret of the first string; then when they return to the I chord, that F note resolves upward by half-step to F# in the D chord.  You can hear that movement in "1951 Blues" happening between the IV7 chord that begins each of the first two vocal phrases and the signature lick which follows it.
   * Chord progression is as a number of you had it:   
    |    IV    |    IV    |    I    |    I    |
    |    IV    |    IV    |    I    |    I    |
    |    V     |    IV    |    I    |    I    |
   * The signature lick is likewise pretty much as a couple of you had it.  Here it is, situated relative to the pulse:  On beat I, third fret of second string is pinched with the bass.  + of beat one, the bass alternates.  On 2-uh, he goes from a slide into the second fret of the first string then to the third fret of the second string, probably moving the entire D shape to get the slide, as has been suggested.  On the + of beat two, the bass alternates.  On 3-uh, he goes from the third fret of the first string to the third fret of the second string and on the + of beat three he alternates his bass.  On 4-uh, he re-slides into the second fret of the first string and then hits the third fret of the second string, and on the + of beat four he alternates his bass.  On beats two, three and four, the rhythm is two sixteenth notes in the treble followed by an eighth note in the bass.  It is not a triplet--there is no swing or shuffle feel.  The time is straight up and down, all duple in feel.
   * The seconding guitarist's bass run is exactly as Prof. Scratchy had it:  open fifth, second fret fifth, open fourth, second fret fourth, third fret fourth, second fret fourth, open fourth, second fret fifth.

One of the things I especially like about the ensemble sound in "1951 Blues" is the way the guitars are right on top of each other.  I know the well-worked out sounds of duos like Stokes & Sane, Tarter & Gay, Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe are much-admired, and deserve to be, but I also think there's something to be said for the wild musical "puppy pile" sound you get by throwing caution to the winds, often happily occupying exactly the same musical space, playing by feel, and just blasting.  It may not be nifty, but man, is it alive!

I'll try to find another puzzler soon.

All best,
Johnm 
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've got a new puzzler for you:  "Home Again Blues", by Frankie Lee Sims, from 1948.  This performance is one I think of as being "cover-proof", which is to say, having a combination of qualities that I doubt anyone other than Frankie Lee Sims will ever be fortunate enough to put together in such a way again.  Nonetheless, it is so strong, and interesting and rewarding to listen to, it seems a good song to spend some time with, and possibly use as a source for ideas.  Here is Frankie Lee's performance:



I went down home, boys, where the weather suits my clothes
I done fooled 'round here in Dallas, boys, 'til I'm done got cold
If you see my woman, please 'od, tell her I said to hurry home
Boy, I ain't had no real lovin', my God, boys, since my old woman's been gone

Ain't that a shame, low-down dirty shame?
Boys, ain't that a shame, low-down dirty shame?
Boy, to love a sweet little woman, boy, and you're scared to call her name

Baby
SOLO

Well, If I'd a-listened, what my Mama said
I'd a-been at home, boys, sleepin' in my Mama's bed
But you know how boys and girls nowadays, they won't pay their mother no mind
Because they gone all night, your mother's in her back door cryin'

Baby, baby, baby, hear me callin' you?
Baby, can't you hear this black man callin' you?
Well, I'm goin' down the country, woman, God know what more can a black man do

Here are the questions on "Home Again Blues":
   * What playing position/tuning did Frankie Lee Sims use to play the song?
   * What is the form of the first verse he sings, mapping out chords and the length of time he spends in them, as expressed in bars?
   * Where does he fret the passage from :10-:12?
   * Where does he fret the fill from :57-:59?
   * Where does he fret the fill from 1:32-1:35?

Please use only yours ears and your instruments to arrive at your answers, and please don't post any answers prior to Tuesday morning, February 17.  Thanks for participating, and I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.
All best,
Johnm