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Author Topic: One of a Kind--and Great  (Read 18373 times)

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Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #60 on: June 01, 2016, 09:51:50 AM »
I glad you enjoyed that song, Forgetful Jones.  If you like that one, look for another one by Jesse Thomas called "Another Friend Like Me".  It is another terrific number.
All best,
Johnm

Thanks for the suggestion Johnm. I like how all the solos in this song are completely different from each other.

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #61 on: June 01, 2016, 09:58:58 AM »
I hope this song qualifies as One-of-a-Kind...it's certainly great. The original recording of Sleepy John Estes "Special Agent" always seemed a little different to me. Maybe it's that killer signature riff?  I think it's cool the way he plays the riff differently the first time it comes around.

I've never really had much luck playing this song in any authentic kind of way. I sometimes struggle hearing what's going on when there are two guitars.

I know this song was also discussed in the vocal phrasing thread, so I know I'm not alone in my appreciation for this tune.


The last line of the song is one of my favorite in country blues: "I got to do some recording, and I oughta be recording right now"
« Last Edit: June 01, 2016, 10:01:04 AM by Forgetful Jones »

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #62 on: October 02, 2016, 06:26:34 PM »
I'm not sure if parts of songs that seem One-of-a-kind count, but John Byrd's Narrow Face Blues has a couple things that stand out to me. The first :08 of the intro is fantastic! The triplets sound like something more common with electric guitar. I also find it interesting that the washboard cut out only :25 into the song. That seems like it may be unique as well. Cool song all around.



Offline frankie

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #63 on: October 03, 2016, 04:10:38 AM »
Seems like Washboard Walter is the singer on "Narrow Face Blues" (how's that for a weird title?). It doesn't sound much like John Byrd's voice, anyway:


Offline Johnm

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #64 on: October 03, 2016, 09:35:24 AM »
Nice pick, Forgetful Jones!  Boy, John Byrd was a powerhouse on twelve-string guitar.  That was Washboard Walter singing on "Narrow Face Blues", as frankie suggested.  In the first verse, is he singing?
   You can talk about grey liver, but narrow face is what I crave
All best,
Johnm

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #65 on: October 03, 2016, 01:01:59 PM »
Thanks for the information Frankie & John! This past year, thanks in part to this forum, I've come across so many great artists that I had never heard before. John Byrd is one of them. I just checked out another post that lists more of his recordings with other artists.

Offline Forgetful Jones

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #66 on: March 17, 2017, 08:25:31 AM »
Hello all. I took advantage of the recent sale on JohnM's instructional videos, and I fell in love with Peg Leg Howell's "Turtle Dove Blues" from the Atlanta Guitar vid. Wow!! This is absolutely one-of-a-kind and great. There are some beautiful sounds in this song that I've certainly never heard anywhere else. I'm fascinated by it, and it's really fun to play. I'm still hammering out the small details of the song, but it's coming along nicely. And it's in the key of F to boot! This is also an example of me "discovering" a song that I already had in my collection, but didn't realize what a gem it really is.
By the way, it's well known here but bears repeating... JohnM, you are truly an amazing player and teacher. Thank you for everything you do!

« Last Edit: March 17, 2017, 08:27:16 AM by Forgetful Jones »

Offline Johnm

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #67 on: March 17, 2017, 01:42:43 PM »
I'm glad you're enjoying "Turtle Dove Blues", Forgetful Jones.  It really is a beauty, and so unusual.  Thanks for the good words, too.
All best,
Johnm

Offline Johnm

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #68 on: April 19, 2020, 05:56:36 PM »
Hi all,
Here's one that I think qualifies for this thread:



Certainly Jim Jackson never recorded another song remotely like it.

All best,
Johnm

Offline btasoundsradio

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #69 on: April 20, 2020, 10:15:34 AM »
I do believe that Old Dog Blue comes from the pre blues minstrel banjo tradition, here is Dink Roberts of VA, playing it on banjo:
Charlie is the Father, Son is the Son, Willie is the Holy Ghost

Offline Johnm

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #70 on: February 06, 2022, 03:43:25 PM »
Hi all,
If ever a tune and performance deserved this designation it would be Jesse Thomas's "My Heart Is A Rolling Stone". Neither he nor anyone else, to my knowledge, ever recorded another piece remotely like it. Add to that the fact that if his birthdate has been correctly recorded, he was around fifteen years old at the time he recorded it, and you have yet another layer of uniqueness. Here it is:



All best,
Johnm

 

Offline jpeters609

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #71 on: February 06, 2022, 03:56:10 PM »
The sources I have at hand indicate Jesse as being born in 1911. But no matter: 17 or 18 years old is also impressive!
Jeff

Offline Rivers

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #72 on: February 06, 2022, 05:27:17 PM »
My Heart is a Rolling Stone is very unusual. The only thing that sprung to my mind with a similar displacement of expectations in the changes department was J.B. Lenoir's Down In Mississippi. Jesse's song is very bouncy and in a major key, J.B. Lenoir's song is dark, slow and mainly minor or modal though.

Offline Johnm

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #73 on: February 07, 2022, 08:35:39 AM »
Hi Jeff,
I'm almost certain Bo Carter did not have a song that followed this form or structure. Just about all of Bo's more Pop Blues material had a 32-bar form, whereas Jesse Thomas went for a very unusual 16-bar form, unlike any I've encountered elsewhere. Perhaps the sense of similarity arises from Jesse Thomas using Bo's favorite DGDGBE tuning to play "My Heart Is A Rolling Stone", giving the song a similar sonority to some of Bo's tunes.
All best,
Johnm

Offline jpeters609

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Re: One of a Kind--and Great
« Reply #74 on: February 07, 2022, 08:59:17 AM »
I bet that's it. Thanks, John.
Jeff

 


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