Topic: Taj and Ry tribute to Sonny and Brownie

[MarkC]

Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder have a new album coming out of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee songs:

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks for the heads up. Man, Ryland got old.

[Johnm]

That's what happens when you don't die, Blues Vintage. Your turn will come.

[Rivers]

Cool. I was listening to Taj's Giant Step / Old Folks At Home album just two days ago for the first time in a long time.
It improves with age, and had, in my opinion, a significant influence when it first came out.

I'm more than stoked he and Ry are releasing a new album.

[Rivers]

And MarkC, I think you meant to title the thread "Taj and Ry tribute to Sonny and Brownie"

I'll put it down to your advancing years.

[MarkC]

Whoops, that was my mistake. Now fixed.

[Rivers]

I corrected my correction.

[MarkC]

Thanks for the heads up. Man, Ryland got old.

Taj is almost five years older, but black don’t crack.

[MarkC]

I'll put it down to your advancing years.

Just as long as they keep advancing, I’m OK with it!

[waxwing]

It's kinda disturbing that the most they could say about Brownie was that he could set a solid rhythm for Sonny to play all the notes over. "That was his gig," says Ry. I mean, these guys are guitar players? Well, rock guitar players, I guess.

Wax

[Stuart]

Thanks for posting this, Mark. I was fortunate to see Sonny and Brownie in concert in the early 70s and I was also able to meet and talk with them during their breaks and after the show. They were both very friendly and Brownie told me how he became friends with Andy Griffith in NYC during the 50s, IIRC, and that Andy gave him the D-18, the one with the top crack that's in the photos. I could tell it met a lot to him.

I agree with Wax, re: Brownie's guitar playing. He had all the complexity he needed to sound great, IMHO.

As I've written before, I met Ry in the early 70s at UVM. There was a small scale Blues fest with a workshop in the morning. Thinking it would be jammed, I got there early and left my guitar home--I'd just be one of a zillion guys with their guitars, so why bother? When I got there the place was empty and Ry was standing there, so I went over and introduced myself and told him I really enjoyed his music. Naturally, I didn't know what he knew and didn't play like he played, but I knew enough to carry on a conversation without coming off as pretentious. During the workshop he was very helpful, sharing his knowledge about instruments, playing, etc. I remember him saying that slide weigh (finding the right bottleneck), string gauge and height were something one had to keep experimenting with until it felt and sounded just right. I guess he would know.

[Rivers]

Great story Stuart, thanks for sharing.

Wax, I agree with you, that was a dissonant comment on Brownie's playing. Ry's his own player though, not a rocker, he's way above that level. He might feel compelled to revisit that comment sometime down the line.

[MarkC]

Wax -
Those comments about Brownie’s playing had me scratching my head. I have to assume they both know better, and that what came through in the video was due to a lot of editing. At least I hope so.

Stuart -
Thanks for sharing those memories. Very cool about Andy Griffith giving Brownie that guitar.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I had not watched the video, just because I didn't think the project would be my cup of tea, but all of the comments in this thread about Brownie's playing being spoke of slightingly by the two musicians made me curious. I watched the portion where they speak of his playing, and I think that rather than speaking slightingly of his playing they both give it very high praise and respect. Those guys are both experienced enough and have played in enough configurations to know that being able to play time well is a much rarer skill than is the ability to play fancy stuff. And in truth, their assessment of Brownie's instrumental role in the duo is spot on, I think--establishing and maintaining the groove and giving Sonny a chance to shine on the fills and solos, with occasional solo opportunities for Brownie to show he could do that too, but in the main--MAKE THE GROOVE HAPPEN. They don't dis Brownie at all--if they thought his musicianship was inferior, the thought of doing a tribute album would never have appealed to them. I don't think either of them needs to re-think what was said in that regard, apologize or put it in any way other than the way they put it.
All best,
Johnm

[waxwing]

Taj: "He wasn't makin' a lot of notes, Sonny had ALL the notes, runnin' 'round." [his emphasis]

Brownie also did the singing. Any mention of that?

So Brownie was the singer, the rhythm guitar, and the lead guitar (and not sparingly). Sonny played harmonica and hooted. You can say having good time was Brownie's most valuable individual contribution, but it wasn't half of the whole that he gave to the group. Not to mention having to put up with... well.

Look, I'm not dissing these guys personally. Taj is cool, and I like Ry's playing a lot. I met Ry while I was on the lighting/sound/stage crew for a full band Rita Coolidge gig at an insurance company barbecue on the company owner's ranch up in Sonoma in the '90s. Apparently Ry was hanging out with her at the time. I remember we talked about a 16" turkey vulture primary feather I found walking in the hills during a break. He was very laid back and available. But I think the editing, the way they are talking, the gist of that promo ends up being that Sonny Terry was a god of a harmonica player with a guitar player side kick for rhythm. Oh, and they played really good songs, Like "Pick a Bale of Cotton".

I kinda think they were trying hard to sound like a couple down home boys when they are really Hollywood types. They could have been a lot more eloquent. I agree with you, Johnm, I shouldn't have watched it either.

Wax

[Johnm]

They didn't speak of the vocal division of labor, between the two players wax. Both of them sang, too. Sonny sang a lot, actually. I'd still contend that no disrespect towards Brownie was either expressed or intended. 

[Rivers]

Having watched it again I agree with MarkC who suggested it was likely a bug in the video editing suite that accounts for Brownie not getting his fair dues, a sin of omission in other words.