Big Head Blues Club - Songs of Willie Dixon

Big Head Todd has a brand new album “Way Down Inside”.

BHT are joined on tour by the same blues legends that are featured on the album. This includes Mud Morganfield, Billy Branch, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Erica Brown all collaborating to play the songs of Willie Dixon. So it's a little late to make the tour, it's nearly over but I feel compelled to still post. I went to the Denver show and it was pure joy. If you can get to one of these final dates, do it.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters clearly have a love and respect for those old blues that birthed so many great genres. Mud Morganfield will freak you out when he opens his mouth to sing, it's like his father is channeled through him. And I have a particular like for the playing of Ronnie Baker Brooks, his depth and touch are rare and not to be missed in a live setting.

Ronnie Baker Brooks takes the lead and vocals on this beauty and drew a standing ovation in the middle of the Denver show. Check it.

Ben Hemming - Broken Man

Spearman Brewers - One Drink Minimum

Felonius Smith - Before That Rooster Crows

The Ragpicker String Band

Ralph Johnston - Worried Blues

Ralph playing John Fahey's version of Worried Blues by Frank Hutchison

Ralph Johnston - Delta Slider Blues

Now seriously, who gets a song dedicated to their blog?...I do! Ha! It's really an honor to have Ralph do this song and name it Delta Slider Blues. So cool. The tuning is EBBEBD

Thanks Ralph!

Ragtime Ralph - Guitar Tabs

Today I've got a few more guitar tabs for y'all.  The mysterious (or maybe not so...) Paul sent these to me recently.  A small collection of Ragtime Ralph tabs.  Enjoy.


Texas Tomatoes

Late Train Blues

In Memory of Sam McGee

Ghost Rider Blues

         

John Fahey and the Williams Brothers

John Fahey became friends with the Williams brothers who lived on Sligo Mill Road in Takoma Park. Elmer and Harold were born in 1925 & 1924, respectively. In 1966 Fahey was considering issuing an album of the Williams Brothers. (Sourced from "The John Fahey Handbook" by Claudio Guerrieri)

You can read about Fahey meeting and hanging out with Elmer Williams in "How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life" starting at page 267.

Check out the D.K. Wilgus Collection at the Ethnomusicology Department of UCLA (http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/) has various unreleased Fahey material including a tape with the Williams Brothers, as mentioned in the DOD discographical notes recorded by Richard Spottswood.

From the Dance of Death liner notes:

...early 1959 Spotswood's ancestral home, Westmoreland Hills, Md.
JOHN FAHEY, ELMER & HAROLD WILLIAMS, KELLY
John - g=1, Elmer - g=2, voc. & g=3, Harold - voc. & g =4
On Doing An Evil Deed Blues - 1 Railroad Bill - 3,1
Buckstonk Blues - 1 Easy Ridin Buggy - 3,1
Brenda's Blues - 1 One by One - 3,1
John Henry - 2,1 If You Feel Like Your In Love
Blues in E - 2,1 Don't Just Stand There 3,1
Blues in C - 2,1 Tell Me Who's Been Fooling You - 4
Add vocals by Elmer, Harold and Kelly at various times
Rock Is My Pillow
The War is Over
So far as I can determine, these are the only known recordings by the Williams Brothers and Kelly. Their home was once located on New Hampshire Ave just beyond the DC line, presently the site of either a Safeway or a highway. By wise and judicious placement of modern highways, the local governments of suburban Maryland have increased property values by simultaneously creating easy access for modern transportation and by ridding the countryside of unsightly negro and poor white shacks. As a result of this policy there seem to be no negroes or farmers left in the lower half of Montgomery county. The suicide rate is rising. -

These are incomplete and some cut off in the middle, too bad, pretty good stuff.

Thanks to JohnFahey.com for the Dance of Death liner notes and Malcolm Kirton and Richard Swan for pointing these out to me.

Access the material here:
http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/Search.do?selectedFormats=all&selectedProjects=30&viewType=1&keyWord=fahey

In addition you should find some other interesting material, the Rev. Rubin Lacey with Fahey on guitar, interviews with Blind Johnnie Williams and Rev. Ishmon Bracey.

Charlie Parr - 30 Minute Music Hour

Charlie Parr

     

Charlie Parr - Backslider Album Download

From "Backslider: The Music of Charlie Parr"

"Charlie says this is the end of the line for Backslider,... He's generously allowed for it to be posted as a free download..."


So hit the Backslider...
   
   

The 78 Project - Rev. John Wilkins

The 78 Project on the Road: Reverend John Wilkins - "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me" from The 78 Project on Vimeo.
   

Samuel James - And For The Dark Road Ahead

Samuel James new release out September 18th from NorthernBlues Music
   

Unknown Bards: The Blues Becomes Transparent About Itself by John Jeremiah Sullivan

Jennifer Renninger

Late in 1998 or early in ’99—during the winter that straddled the two—I spent a night on and off the telephone with a person named John Fahey. I was a junior editor at the Oxford American magazine, which at that time had its offices in Oxford, Mississippi; Fahey, then almost sixty and living in Room 5 of a welfare motel outside Portland, Oregon, was himself, whatever that was: a channeler of some kind, certainly; a “pioneer” (as he once described his great hero, Charley Patton) “in the externalization through music of strange, weird, even ghastly emotional states.” He composed instrumental guitar collages from snatches of other, older songs. At their finest they could become harmonic chambers in which different dead styles spoke to one another. My father had told me stories of seeing him in Memphis in ’69. Fahey trotted out his “Blind Joe Death” routine at the fabled blues festival that summer, appearing to inhabit, as he approached the stage in dark glasses, the form of an aged sharecropper, hobbling and being led by the arm. He meant it as a postmodern prank at the expense of the all-white, authenticity-obsessed, country-blues cognoscenti, and was at the time uniquely qualified to pull it. Five years earlier he’d helped lead one of the little bands of enthusiasts, a special-ops branch of the folk revival, that staged barnstorming road trips through the South in search of surviving notables from the prewar country-blues or “folk blues” recording period (roughly 1925–1939).
Read it all HERE
Thanks to The Essayist for posting.
Thanks to Tyler for finding it!

Doc Watson Live in Greenwich Village 1962

Arthel “Doc” Watson, legendary North Carolina guitarist and iconic American musician died Tuesday.  He was 89 years old.

I love to play Deep River Blues, it's a favorite of mine.  I happen to play it just a bit slower than Doc, haha.  Here's a nice solo set from back-in-the-day that recently showed up.

Doc Watson
Gerdes Folk City
Greenwich Village
New York City, NY
12-00-1962

01 That's All
02 Black Mt. Rag
03 Farewell Blues
04 Blue Smoke
05 Deep River Blues
06 Dill Pickle Rag
07 Spike Driver Blues
08 9 lb. Hammer
09 Sittin' On Top Of The World
<flip>
10 //House Carpenter
11 Brakeman's Blues
12 I Am A Pilgrim
13 John Henry
14 Blue Smoke

Download the show, MP3 256mbps

The Terry Robb Band - MUDDYVISHNU

Review by Andrew Stranglen

The first thing that struck my mind when I heard the opening title cut of The Terry Robb Band's new album 'Muddyvishnu', was how much the tune reminded me of the guitar savvy of the late Jimi Hendrix. High praise I know, but this album deserves high praise. Rock solid from start to finish, or should I say Blues solid? Jazz solid? Fusion is what defines this effort. And a seamless effort it is. 

Muddyvishnu is released on Terry's own label Psychedelta Records, 

whose goal is 'bringing roots music into the future', along with redefining the genre known as 'American Primitivism', aka: 'American Primitive Guitar', a genre description coined by the legendary John Fahey.

Vishnu is one of the Hindu Trimurti of Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Preserver), and Shiva (The Destroyer). 'Muddyvishnu', an apt title choice given the Psychedelta Records mission statement.

On the youtube link above Terry is interiewed on the street outside before a gig, in it he explains the title Muddyvishnu as "Muddy Waters meets Mahavishnu" (as in Mahavishnu Orchestra). The comparison of Terrys electric guitar playing to John McLaughlin, or even Jimi Hendrix for that matter is in no way a stretch. He's been described as a musician's musician, a guitarist's guitarist, and as evidenced by 'Muddyvishnu', such descriptions are wholly justified. 

But back to the album for a minute, 11 total tracks, seven of which  are T. Robb originals. The last track is entirely acoustic Lap slide (#11 The Refreshing), and No. 7 (Ju Ju) which begins acoustically and sweetly transitions to electric guitar. The other nine tracks feature Terry playing hotly!, jazzily!, fusionally!, bluesy! electric guitar, expertly backed up by Adam Scramstadt on guitar, Dave Kahl on bass, and Jeff Minnick on drums. This is not your average ho-hum blues band. 

  

The tunes on Muddyvishnu range from juke-joint blues (#5 Lonesome Home, #9 Sheriff Brown) and smokey late-night wanderings (#3 Idle Moments, #6 Worried About It Now) to the fusion laden Title cut (#1 Muddyvishnu) and the surf-tinged (#10 Sweet Hip), and then there's the Faheyesque closer (#11 The Refreshing) which conjures Misissippi John Hurt, and a number of other original Roots Blues players. Actually, they're sprinkled all over this album! 

This album is repeatedly rewarding listening, I highly recommend it.

It is the absolute best album of this kind that I've ever heard! 

I'll eat my guitar if you don't find something to like, I'm that confident. 

-Andrew Stranglen

Terry has quite a list of musical accomplishments:

http://www.terryrobb.com/biography.aspx

http://www.terryrobb.com/
    

Jack Rose & John Fahey TAB

Just a post of a mish-mash of TABs today.  More from Paul, thank you sir! And some others I found here and there.

First is the excellent little tune Flirtin' With the Undertaker from Jack Rose's Kensington Blues.

Download Flirtin' With the Undertaker

And here we have West Coast Blues, John Fahey's version.  I've got two of these so I'll post them both.  The text one is from Nicolas on the AG forum thank you sir!  I can't recall where I got the other one so if it's yours give a shout so I can give you some credit.

Download West Coast Blues txt

Download West Coast Blues pdf

RC Johnston - The Fahey Project

Greetings Delta-Slider readers.  I’m proud to say that today’s post is the official release of the new RC Johnston effort, The Fahey Project.  Ralph has decided to go with a digital release for his latest and Delta-Slider is the place to get it!  I’m thrilled!  But the same rules apply here as to all of Ralph’s generous releases: feel free to share this far and wide, he wants the music shared.

                        

So without further ado, here is Ralph to tell you all about it.

The Fahey Project:

Hiowdy, and welcome to "The Fahey Project", a dream of mine for over forty years.  If I had recorded "the project" back then, you would have heard poorly played approximations of John's compositions and covers, whereas today you are listening to adequately rendered interpretations, tempered of course by time and experience.

The song selection process was easy: play the stuff that most moves me, even if it takes several versions of a song for me to reach Valhalla.

Hearing John's music for the first time was a definite shock to my shriveled suburban nervous system, but the greatest shock of all was when I heard the orange label version of "Voice of the Turtle".  That edition featured "Bean Vine Blues” with Fahey and (?) on guitars and Joe Bussard and Fahey on vocals.  Along with "Night Train to Valhalla", "Bean Vine Blues" is my ultimate favorite Fahey cut.

Other favorites included are renditions of "Poor Boy", "Tell Her to Come Back Home", "John Henry" and "Farther Along" (John's "duet" with Laura Weber on Laura's PBS TV program "Guitar, Guitar" back in 1969-70).

John influenced my picking style in so many ways by introducing me to the licks of such greats as Charlie Patton, Sam McGee, Bukka White, Frank Hutchison, Weaver and Beasley and a multitude of lesser known but nonetheless great musicians.

I also learned the art of open tunings from John, and the tunings I use on this recording are a testament to that fact:

FADDAD: #s 1, 2, 6

DADDAD: #s 3, 5, 12, 13

DAD: #4

GGDGBD: #7

DGDGCD: #8

DGDGBD: #s 9, 10, 11

Fahey’s music buoyed my spirits as I reached out to explore other musical realms such as surf music, Savage Republic and Quonset’s ethno/industrial sand doomed journeys.

I think about Fahey every day.  He lauded me, he insulted me, but in the end it was all worth it.  John’s music has stood the test of time.  He is a modern classic: ignored by most, but beloved by the few.

My choice of guitars to play on these recordings was a no brainer: Dixie X appears on all cuts except “Night Train to Land O’ Lakes”.  On that song I played Gator X, a 3 stringed cigar box resonator built by Jim Mitchell of Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

Thanks to one and all for your support over the years.  Forty six minutes of music that took over forty years to see the light of day!

Cheers!  Ralph.

You can d/l this as 320-MP3
All artwork you see here, and a little more is included.

 

MP3-109MB

Please come on back and leave a comment about the music!

 Tracklist:

1. Pea Vine Apocalypse Then
2. Variations on John Henry Variations
3. Edgar Allan Poe Boy
4. Night Train to Land O’ Lakes
5. Blind Thomas’s Blues
6. Pea Vine Apocalypse Now
7. Night Train to Great Neck
8. On the Shady Side of the Desert
9. Takoma Two Step
10. The Wonderful Waltz I Heard on That Day
11. Jolly Joe’s Fonotone Blues #2
12. Tel Her to Go Back Home
13. I Love My Blind Joe Death Steam Engine Tattoo

           

Mary Flower

Good little interview with Mary Flower.  Check it: Mary Flower – Interview and Music

Here's a song from Mary's latest CD, Misery Loves Company, one I highly recommend.

 

And then there is this little gem.  I love it and it's on my list of songs to learn!  

   

   

KRFC PRESENTS: COLORADO BLUES SOCIETY'S INAUGURAL JOHN-ALEX MASON SCHOLARSHIP FUND BENEFIT CONCERT, Friday Dec. 2nd 2011

Simulcast LIVE on 88.9FM KRFC & krfcfm.org

Friday Dec. 2nd 2011

$10 Suggested Donation

Doors 8pm

Broadcast 9pm

Road 34 Tavern - 1213 W. Elizabeth St., Ft. Collins CO 80521

RONNIE SHELLIST

CASSIE TAYLOR

JASON DOWNING (Musketeer Gripweed) & FRIENDS

Colorado bluesman, John-Alex Mason (November 30, 1975 - October 19, 2011) was beloved and respected throughout the blues music community, and that was particularly true here in Colorado. Since his sudden and unexpected death this Fall, many in the state have been looking for a way to honor his memory and help continue the educational work he felt was so important.
John-Alex Mason took high school students from Colorado Springs to Mississippi for extended field trips that sometimes included visiting Memphis and New Orleans. 
The Colorado Blues Society, a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization, will use the money raised in John-Alex Mason's memory to further the blues music education of young Colorado artists.

KRFC volunteers and staff are hard at work compiling interviews, videos and photos of John-Alex Mason for the live show and simulcast in the week leading up to the event. If fans or acquaintances have a memory they would like to share, KRFC invites them to post it on their Facebook page <facebook.com/krfcradio> or email <andrew@krfcfm.org>. Silent Auction items may be sent to KRFC c/o John Alex Mason Scholarship Fund; 619 S. College Ave. #4; Ft. Collins, CO 80524. Social Media can reference this event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/189511134465495/

More information on John-Alex Mason:

Artist's EPK: http://www.johnalexmason.com/media/epk/

Death Announcement: http://www.gazette.com/articles/mason-12513-colsprings-alex-john.html

<230.png><http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1of_nAPm6MU>

More information on 88.9FM KRFC, Fort Collins:

KRFC's "Live local; listen local" mission is to make great radio that is local, non-commerical and volunteer powered. This is KRFC's first live remote broadcast since launching an all-new daytime format with a 3-day live broadcast from Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest in August. The new daytime mix format has doubled the amount of Colorado music played alongside national artists, driving a dramatic increase in new members and listeners in a just few short months.

More information on Colorado Blues Society:

<http://www.coblues.com/>

The Colorado Blues Society is dedicated to increasing awareness of and appreciation for the Blues as an indigenous American Art form (and the wellspring from which all contemporary popular American music originated).

Programs and Services Offered:

CBS sponsors Blues in the Schools programs, in which musicians present music and information to students at all levels (kindergarten through college). CBS offers programs in American social history, women in blues, language arts, conflict avoidance, storytelling and even math.

CBS also donates Blues-related materials (books, videos and CDs) to public libraries and offer educational programs in conjunction with those donations. Because many musicians learn to perform during jam sessions, CBS sponsors blues jams in several Colorado locations. CBS also works with other nonprofits, such as The Blues Foundation, Volunteers of America, Hudson Gardens,Swallow Hill Music Association, the Business of Art Center in Manitou Springs, and Performance International. CBS members number approximately 583 and range in age from 17 to 75. Some are professional musicians; most are fans of the music and culture of the blues.

CBS also publishes a newsletter, The Holler, and maintains a web presence at http://www.coblues.com.  The purpose of the newsletter and web site is to provide information to members and the public about blues-related events in Colorado.

CBS works with local nonprofits, civic organizations and businesses to strengthen the awareness and appreciation of the blues as an art form.