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My first experience with a talking machine... had been back in Helena, Montana, in 1897. I had made a record with my minstrel band on an old cylinder machine - W.C Handy, from Lost Sounds by Tim Brooks

Author Topic: Adventures in Spanish  (Read 31502 times)

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Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #60 on: August 25, 2006, 11:46:54 PM »
Hi all,
I recently picked up the new JSP set, "Rev. Gary Davis and the Guitar Evangelists, Vol. 2", and it includes the complete recordings of Joe Taggart.  After listening to it, I believe that he used Spanish tuning to accompany himself on every one of his tunes on which he played guitar (a few of his early performances are done as a capella duets with his wife).  That makes 27 titles played in Spanish.  His last four recorded numbers duplicate songs he had recorded earlier in his career.  Of particular instrumental interest are several duets he recorded with Josh White:  on "There's a Hand Writing on the Wall" and"I've Crossed the Separation Line", Taggart carries the bass line and chordal strumming in Spanish while Josh fills out the sound in the treble with his customary nifty playing in Vestapol, capoed up a ways.  Two especially beautiful cuts, "Been Listening All The Day" and "Goin' To Rest Where Jesus Is", find Taggart joined vocally and instrumentally by an unnamed fiddler, whom Frankie has identified from a tuning anomaly (his two highest strings are tuned in fourths, not fifths) as the probable fiddler on "Coal River Blues".
I think there is a very good chance that Taggart used a flat-pick for his playing.  His attack of his bass runs really sounds as though he is playing them with a pick.  His strings never sound like they are being grabbed either--just strummed.  Some of what he plays sounds reminiscent of Roosevelt Graves, though less sophisticated.  Really, Taggart sounds terrific on pretty much everything he did, including the a capella duets with his wife.  He has a wealth of excellent material, too.
All best,
Johnm 
« Last Edit: August 26, 2006, 12:00:07 AM by Johnm »

Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #61 on: September 18, 2006, 02:20:50 PM »
Hi all,
On the Document "Texas Field Recordings" CD, Pete Harris does his "Square Dance Calls" out of Spanish.
All best,
Johnm

Offline uncle bud

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #62 on: January 20, 2007, 08:04:35 PM »
A couple Peg Leg Howell tunes in Spanish that haven't been mentioned in this thread, but have in his lyrics thread, are

Ball and Chain Blues
Broke and Hungry Blues


Offline Coyote Slim

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #63 on: February 07, 2007, 12:36:22 PM »
I just wanted to ask...
Almost all of R.L. Burnside's songs are in spanish. Are they not?
and please correct me if I am wrong or if any of them are in Open D
(or E)  Long Haired Doney
Poor Black Mattie
Walkin Blues
Skinny Woman
Meet me in the bottom
Jumper on the line
ect, are all these in open G? (just not on pitch or exactly at G...)

Also, isn't John Lee Hooker tuned to spanish on alot of his numbers?
...


"Jumper on the Line" is in standard, E-position.  There's a video of him on youtube playing it.  "Poor Black Mattie" and "Walkin' Blues" are in Spanish.  I'm not familiar with the others.

Yes, John Lee Hooker played many of his tunes in Spanish (check out the "Hobo Blues" video on Youtube).  I love those early recordings of him with all that feedback.  One of my favorites is an instrumental called "The Devil's Jump."

Big Joe Williams played exclusively in Spanish tuning.
Puttin' on my Carrhartts, I gotta work out in the field.

Coyote Slim's Youtube Channel

Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #64 on: April 06, 2007, 12:31:38 AM »
Hi all,
I was listening to the JSP "Memphis Shakedown" set tonight and caught the following Jack Kelly songs, all of which have at least one guitar playing in Spanish:
   * "Highway No. 61 Blues"
   * "Highway No. 61 Blues No. 2"
   * "Country Woman"
   * "Cheatin' Woman"
   * "Cold Iron Bed"
   * "R.F.C. Blues"
   * "President Blues"
   * "Doctor Medicine"
"Doctor Medicine" sounds a bit different from the others, for on it the guitar that is playing in Spanish is capoed very high (seventh fret), and the second guitarist, flat-picking in D position in standard tuning, dominates the sound.  The most distinctive thing about Jack Kelly's playing in Spanish was the voicing he used for the IV chord:  X-0-2-2-1-0.  In fretting the second fret of the third string, Kelly inserts a sixth into his IV chord that gives it a very pretty and distinctive sound.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Coyote Slim

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #65 on: April 06, 2007, 11:10:04 AM »
I just wanted to ask...
Almost all of R.L. Burnside's songs are in spanish. Are they not?
and please correct me if I am wrong or if any of them are in Open D
(or E)  Long Haired Doney
Poor Black Mattie
Walkin Blues
Skinny Woman
Meet me in the bottom
Jumper on the line
ect, are all these in open G? (just not on pitch or exactly at G...)

...


"Jumper on the Line" is in standard, E-position.  There's a video of him on youtube playing it.  "Poor Black Mattie" and "Walkin' Blues" are in Spanish.  I'm not familiar with the others.




Just wanted to jump back in and say that "Long Haired Doney" is indeed in Spanish.  I like the rhythm on that song.
Puttin' on my Carrhartts, I gotta work out in the field.

Coyote Slim's Youtube Channel

Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #66 on: April 07, 2007, 09:56:53 PM »
Hi all,
I agree with you Slim, that "Long Haired Doney" is a great tune.  I hadn't listened to that "R.L. Burnside's First Recordings" on Fat Possum for a while, so I dug it out, and found that he did the following non-slide pieces on it in Spanish:
   * "Skinny Woman"
   * "Poor Black Mattie"
   * "Long Haired Doney"
   * "Peaches"
   * "Hobo Blues"
Pretty much everything on the CD is superb, and while the playing is quite good, I think R.L.'s singing was sensational on it--occasionally unearthly (in a really good way!). 
All best,
Johnm

Offline Coyote Slim

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #67 on: April 09, 2007, 01:13:44 PM »
Indeed, John!  That CD is on my list of "Things to buy when I get some extra money."  It's a tough decision sometimes ... "Beer or CDs?"   :D
Puttin' on my Carrhartts, I gotta work out in the field.

Coyote Slim's Youtube Channel

Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #68 on: May 03, 2007, 12:04:22 AM »
Hi all,
I just picked up the recently released JSP set, "When The Levee Breaks--Mississippi Blues", and am listening my way through it.  Boy, is there a lot of great stuff on it!  I found a song there in Spanish that I had never previously remarked upon:  Jelly Jaw (J.D.) Short's "Snake Doctor Blues".
Edited to add:  Short's "Barefoot Blues", from the same set, is also in Spanish.
All best,
Johnm
« Last Edit: May 03, 2007, 07:22:29 AM by Johnm »

Offline banjochris

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #69 on: October 29, 2007, 05:16:13 PM »
Just listening to Henry Townsend on the Document "St. Louis Country Blues" set, and realized that "Don't Love That Woman" is in Spanish.
Chris

Offline GhostRider

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #70 on: October 30, 2007, 08:54:18 AM »
Hi all:

I've been on a bit of a Memphis Minnie kick lately.

I've always liked the accompanyment to "What's the Matter with the Mill?" in Spanish (the lead part), but the lyrics are sort of lame. Just recently I came across another, latter,  Memphis Minnie piece with a very similar accompanyment, "Call the Fire Wagon", also in Spanish (I think).

Do any of you others know of any other MM pieces with the "What's the Matter with the Mill?" accompanyment in Spanish?

Alex

Offline GhostRider

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #71 on: November 15, 2007, 10:05:58 AM »
Do any of you others know of any other MM pieces with the "What's the Matter with the Mill?" accompanyment in Spanish?

Alex

Asked and answered. I found another one, "I'm Talkin' About You - No. 2". May be the best of the three.

Alex

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #72 on: November 15, 2007, 11:28:20 AM »
Do any of you others know of any other MM pieces with the "What's the Matter with the Mill?" accompanyment in Spanish?
As a complete and utter irrelevant aside, I own a pretty beat up Columbia 78 of Bob Wills performing this from a 1936 Vocalion session (he recorded it three times after that) the composer credit - T. Duncan & B. Wills - say no more!

Offline banjochris

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #73 on: November 15, 2007, 06:04:50 PM »
To continue the digression -- Wills also recorded a lot of material from the Hokum Boys/Big Bill too, early on. He's also one of the very few performers who includes the fiddle-solo bridge from the Sheiks' "Sitting on Top of the World" -- which you can see on YouTube.
Chris

Offline Johnm

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Re: adventures in spanish
« Reply #74 on: February 20, 2008, 05:32:59 PM »
Hi all,
I just listened to "Erie Train Blues", recorded by Milton Sparks with Walter Davis accompanying him on piano, and realized Milton Sparks was playing the song out of Spanish.  The two St. Louis musicians sounded great together.  I was curious--does anyone have the Document CD of the Sparks Brothers, DOCD-5315?  Based on the sound of this tune, it seems like it might be a real find.  For anyone who has the CD, what do you think of it?
All best,
Johnm 

 


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