Topic: Statesboro Blues "with great drive and some original and unexpected moves"

[Carlos Funk]

Hey thanks for your comments.  I've enjoyed some of your videos on youtube over the years as well.

Your comment about the man threatening to tell Greg Allman about your version of Statesboro reminded me of coming out of Antigua last year with Steve James in the car after a couple of gigs he did there on the way back to my place at Atitlan.  We were talking about some old Stones numbers and I had the bad luck to announce that "It's All Over Now" was a Jagger/Richards song.  Man, did Steve jump all over my case about that.  His eyes more than rolled around in his head.....I thought he was gonna banish me from the friggin' kingdom.

The lesson....keep your mouth shut unless you know what the heck you're talking about.

[LB]

LOL, yeah I can just see Steve wiggling around in his seat getting excited. He's hilarious and usually has something witty to say but this stuff is endless. No way you can know the end of every thread.. but it's just fun chasing these loose ends down.

[Carlos Funk]

Thanks so much Toby.  I've, er uh, well been listening to your two versions of Feet's Too Big that are on youtube, that I downloaded while I was visiting my mother in the states this month.  My father, who died three years ago, was a huge Fats Waller fan and inundated us with his stuff, and that, and Hold Tight, are especially big favorites of mine.  Man, some of the original video of him that's on youtube.  That man had it all going on!  What a great collection of chicks!  Has life gotten better, or did it top out with him....or what?  I just got to thinking about that stuff and started looking around.

Anyway, it consequently got me searching for a version that I could do on guitar and yours are the only ones....well the only ones that I'm interested in.  Not to say that they aren't fantastic, because they are.  Great arrangement and great vocals...super fun stuff!!  And watching them has gotten me into studying some of the Mike Dowling swing material that I've got that I've never quite "gotten".  Which is what I've been doing for the last few days....and trying to work out what you're doing on that arrangement.  Somehow, my diminished chords don't sound like yours, and the second chord....not an A minor, but something??  Anyway, I'm not totally lost, but I sure could use some help.  A great coincidence, that you comment on my video when I'm here trying to study yours...what a gas!  Anyway, any chance that I could get some help with this?

[Carlos Funk]

Oh yeah, that helps a lot.  I was playing A minor as that second chord, knowing that it just wasn't doing it. That c diminished, with the Gb base is just what gives it that chunk chunk feel.  It's rainy season here in Guatemala, so I'll just chunk away at that for a few weeks, see if I can't work out an arrangement.  Thanks so much!  Ever thought about doing Hold Tight?  I could see you havin' some fun with that one!

By the way, saw that you were playing at some weekend type festival somewhere, forget the exact place and name, in SE Pa when I was just up there this month.  Thought about going, but was visiting Mom, twas a good drive, and it was something like $40 for the day, so I let it slide.  But I am gonna do a post on my blog for the people who have seen me play here in Guate, to put them on the look-out for players like you who might just show up at a venue near where they live.