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Author Topic: Blind Blake's Rag  (Read 6363 times)

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si

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Blind Blake's Rag
« on: December 27, 2005, 07:14:28 AM »
This is Blind Blake's Rag which was arranged by Joe Cainen and tabbed by Steve McWilliam, see http://www.consult-eco.ndirect.co.uk/guitar/tab.htm
Was this written by Blind Blake? Or written by Joe Cainen in the style of Blind Blake?
There is another totally different tune also called Blake's Rag which John Jackson plays, that is actually an instrumental version of Blind Blake's Dry Bone Shuffle.
Si

Offline Prof Scratchy

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2005, 08:59:02 AM »
Isn't this called St Louis Tickle, or somesuch? Not Blake, but pretty fine picking just the same!Thanks for posting this.
Prof S

Offline Stuart

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2005, 09:28:58 AM »
There are definitely elements of "St. Louis Tickle" in there (cf. Dave Van Ronk's and Pat Sky's versions, as well as "Buddy Bolden's Blues" by Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band), but as the Professor says "fine picking just the same."

Offline SteveMcBill

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2005, 09:47:22 AM »
Hi Si,

Nice job on the playing - perhaps you can increase the speed just slightly ? Very nice to see some bits of your own coming out in places too - very enjoyable.

Anyway, as to whether it is Blind Blake - I suppose the answer has to be a guarded - no ! If you look in the comments part of the TablEdit file (Click on the 'N' at the bottom of the TablEdit display) you will see that this was Joe's take on an arrangement by Ralph McTell. Ralph used to play (and still does play) this tune around the Folk Clubs of Cornwall and beyond in the 1960s. Very few people (at least in Britain) had worked out any accurate Blake at that time. The arrangement is concocted from a number of Blake's melodic licks and ideas combined with bits from other contemporary tunes BUT does not contain the double thumbed dancing bass for which Blake was/is rightly acclaimed and which gave his tunes their particularly unusual bounce. In Ralph's own words on his web-site he says 'I rattled off ?Hesitation Blues? in one take and also the wrongly titled "Blind Blake?s Rag? This was an amalgam of tunes I had learned in Paris from my friend Gary Petersen.' Do check out Ralph McTell and see if you can hear his version of this (it has altered and improved over the years) and he has a couple of CDs of country blues material out now as well as his more well known more folky stuff - nonetheless an excellent player though not usually as raunchy as many of the players on Weenie. Try over at: http://www.mctell.co.uk/? and? http://www.ralphmctell.co.uk/? and check out the CDs entitled "Blue Skies, Black Heroes", "Stealin' Back" and "National Treasure".

However, from the way you played the tune you seemed to have enjoyed it (great) and your playing sounds really good and tasty !!

Cheers and keep on pluckin'.

Steve ?:)

Offline a2tom

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2005, 06:03:55 AM »
I tried to learn St. Louis Tickle years ago, well before I was capable of it.  You've inspired me to have another go.  At least the Van Ronk version has some nasty fingerings especially up the neck.  I don't know what you're playing up the neck, but it sounds great.  I love the bit of Maple Leaf Rag in there.

I like the relaxed feel, but I wonder if you ever do play it a bit more up tempo with a bit more bounce, too?

Enjoyed that very much.

tom

Offline Roscoe

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2006, 10:02:59 AM »
Hi. When I down loaded your tune it had a very high pitch squeal. Any idea why that might have happened? Liked the tune tho. Thanks.

Offline SteveMcBill

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2006, 12:27:51 PM »
Hi Roscoe,

I take it you mean that the midi file had a squeal on it ??

I just tried playing the midi file (newly downloaded from the site) myself and didn't get any squeal. However, the first few notes of the file were played back at a high speed as the Win Media Player software tried to catch up with itself. It makes me wonder if the squeal you heard was just the software compressing the first 10, 20 or 30 notes into a very short time period. All I can suggest is stopping the player and re-starting it by hand (click the play button) after the file has completely downloaded).

Hope that helps.

Cheers, take care, keep on pluckin' and have a great 2006.

Steve? :)

P.S.: Ahhh, you were referring to Si's MP3 file - now I understand.

si

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2006, 06:15:03 PM »
The mp3 recording I uploaded does have a whine throughout, it is very high frequency probably audible on some computer speakers not others. I recorded with a cheap mic into soundcard using Audacity. I have tried turning off all nearby electrical appliances and unplugging bluetooth transciever but haven't identified cause yet. Apologies for the whine and thanks for all your comments. Si

Offline Rivers

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2006, 09:38:48 AM »
I've noticed external USB-powered devices, in my case speakers, can be whiney.

Offline SteveMcBill

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2010, 03:17:33 AM »
Please note:  the old address (URL) for these tabs (www.consult-eco.nirect.co.uk/guitar/tab.htm) no longer exists !!!!!

All of the tabs, plus new ones added, can now be found over at:

http://www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/tab.htm

Cheers and enjoy.

Steve

Offline SteveMcBill

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2012, 07:52:35 AM »
Here is a YouTube rendition of the same tab (Blind Blake's Rag by Ralph McTell) - (really a mix of St. Louis Tickle and Buddy Bolden's Blues) played by Ray Norris from Orkney:



Cheers

Steve
http://www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/friendstab.htm

Offline Mr.OMuck

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2012, 02:00:00 PM »
Pretty , elegantly played.
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.
Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuckOVision

Offline ArthurBlake

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Re: Blind Blake's Rag
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2013, 05:38:40 AM »
This is Blind Blake's Rag which was arranged by Joe Cainen and tabbed by Steve McWilliam, see http://www.consult-eco.ndirect.co.uk/guitar/tab.htm
Was this written by Blind Blake? Or written by Joe Cainen in the style of Blind Blake?
There is another totally different tune also called Blake's Rag which John Jackson plays, that is actually an instrumental version of Blind Blake's Dry Bone Shuffle.
Si

As far as I can tell that is Jelly Roll Morton's tune, "I thought I heard Buddy Bolden sing"
I met a woman she was a pigmeat some
Big fat mouth, I followed her home
She pulled a gun and broke my jaw
Didnt leave me hard on, I didnt get sore

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