Blues Strike The Rock

As you walk downtown St. John's you might be privileged enough to hear a faint sound in between the usual Irish ballads and traditional Newfoundland songs that we grew up listening to and love. If your lucky enough you may be able to hear a sound from the deep south coming out of the Fat Cat. Its the sound of legendary blues musicians Scott Goudie and Denis Parker. The two of them are engulfed in the blues, setting the guitar on fire. They have been playing the blues for years and are world renowned for their talent and reputation in the blues community. They have knocked elbows with greats such as Albert King, Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Skip James, etc. I was extremely fortunate to have discussions with Denis and Scott after meeting them at The Pub where they established as a great watering hole after a performance the both of them had at the Garrick Theater. I only wish I had a better setting for a conversation than at work where when someone wanted a drink I had to rush away and grab what that person wanted, being the bartender obviously it was my job but it made for quick conversations and bits and pieces of experiences they both had. At first meeting Scott he handed me a signed copy of his new album Acoustic Live, hearing that I was a blues enthusiast he was more than happy to give me the album.
Out of any genre of music I have to say the blues strikes me as the purist, truest, calming music there is. It gives fullness to the soul, you can hear a blues song written by someone who is not in it for the money or the fame. He writes it cause its his expression of himself. He takes a guitar or harmonica and plays a song that sounds so simple but no one can play it like he played it cause its his song/soul. That is why the blues is so hard to play, because you can't just strum the chords and sing the song, you really have to feel it and make the audience feel it as well which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. On this album Acoustic Live Scott Goudie makes you feel it, his guitar work is second to none. He has flawless guitar picking on his spanish style guitar work on Santana's El Farol and his own song Renata is simply wonderful, I can hear influences from Santana and Carlos Montoya in the song. His renditions of the late great Robert Johnson song's Preachin' Blues, Love In Vain, and Last Fair Deal are a sure testament to his talent and understanding of true blues purists, not alot of people can take Jonhsons songs and make it their own, The Stones overdid it with Love In Vain in the 60s with Jaggers wine being a little too much, but here Goudie gave proved that he was one of the greatest slide guitarist alive today. Elmose James' Yonders Wall is a showcase to his slide guitar work. You can also hear a tad bit of influence of Leo Kottke and Ry Cooder on songs like Louise (Leo Kottke's version i've been listening to for years and can't get enough of), Blind Willie Mctell's Delhia, and The Rolling Stones No Expectations. Probably the most stunning and favorite song of mine on the album probably because I never heard it before was Tony Joe White's Rainy Night In Georgia which is a mixture of blues and soul, a fine mixture indeed. I can't say enough good things about this album and if your a true blues fan like I am there's no way you can not like this well put together live performances of Scott Goudie's great acoustic work. Hes a treasure to Newfoundland performers and I am happy and privileged to have met the man. So now alongside my Skip James, Rev. Gary Davis, Bukka White, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf albums there now sits Scott Goudie with his head held high.

Rather Be The Devil

When you think of the blues you think deep voiced, manly, so low it makes you just cry in your hands. Skip James goes the other route, he takes it high, so high that its depressing in its self. Sounding whiny and depressed. His distinctive voice got him recognition from thousands of fans at the Newport folk festival in the late 60s. Devil Got My Woman is a song about a woman that is so mean and low down, he would rather face the devil himself than deal with her. The blues at its best.

The Son Is Shining

One man has a spot on top of the blues world. He’s not a multi millionaire like Eric Clapton. He’s not covered by millions like Robert Johnson or Willie Dixon. He’s not considered the greatest guitar player to ever live like Jimi Hendrix or Page. In retrospect he didn’t see much fame at all until in his later years and not much then.  His name is Eddie James House Jr., more commonly known as the great Son House.

House was born on March 21, 1902 in Riverton Mississippi. By the age of 7 he and his mother left his father and moved to Tallulah, Louisiana. There a young Eddie House was determined to become a Baptist preacher and by the age of 15 he began his preaching career. He rejected the church’s firm stance against blues music; House was attracted to it and taught himself the guitar by his mid-20’s. Inspired by a traveling musician named Willie Wilson, Son House traveled around Mississippi and Tennessee with such legendary blues musicians such as Charley Patton,  Robert Johnson, Willie Brown and Fiddlin’ Joe Martin.

To give House more of a blues credibility he spent 2 years at the Parchment Farm State Penitentiary. He spent all of 1928 and 1929 in the prison after allegedly killing a man and receiving a 15 year sentence. The story goes Son House was working a juke joint one night when a man came in and started shooting everyone. House got shot in the leg then shot and killed the man. It was self defense but Son still did the time.

Son’s early recordings can be heard on Paramount in the 1930’s and later he was recorded by Alan Lomax for his Library of Congress recordings in 1941 and 1942.

After that he faded into black. He was rediscovered in the 1960 after the huge country blues revival. He was found after a long search in the Mississippi delta region by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spiro. They could not find him in the delta but later found him in Rochester, New York where he has lived since 1943. He had been working for the New York Central Railroad there and hasn’t played music in years. He had no idea that so many great musicians had been listening to his early recordings and built a career from his style.

He toured frequently in the US and Europe as the revival was growing and growing. Playing the Newport Folk Festival alongside of Mississippi John Hurt, Rev Gary Davis, Bukka  White, Skip James, Mississippi Fred Mcdowell, etc. They were loved everywhere they played alongside such amazing artists as Bob Dylan, Pete Seegar, Joan Beaz, Dave Van Ronk, etc.

The success of the touring took a toll on House. He started having a drinking problem and it showed at the Newport Folk Festival one evening. A dear friend of his and great blues musician Howlin' Wolf was performing on stage. Son was horribly drunk and making a lot of noise off stage to a point where Wolf stop playing to tell House that all he cared about was whiskey. Also that he could have had a great career but he threw it all away.

Drinking really distorted his style and had an effect on how House played. He couldn’t play like he did on those field recordings by Alan Lomax. To help him out Producer John Hammond Sr. asked Canned Heat guitarist Alan Wilson, who was a huge Son House fan,  to teach Son House how to play like Son House. So Alan went to work and the result was the Columbia recording The Father Of The Delta Blues – The Complete 1965 Sessions.

House later moved to Detroit, Michigan where he retired once again in 1974. Ill health plagued him and House died as a result of cancer of the larynx on October 19, 1988. The Detroit Blues Society performed benefit concerts to raise money to raise a fitting monument on his grave. RIP.

The influence of Son House can be seen everywhere in the music world. From Gary Moore to Andrew Bird to The White Stripes to Warren Haynes and Govt Mule. Lynyrd Skynard’s song  Swamp Music was a  tribute to Son House.

Long live the memory of the greatest blues musician to ever sing of love and pain. To ever write of whiskey and murder.  Be it belting out field hollars or Gospel tunes or just deep and dirty gut wrenching blues. The master of the slide guitar with just using a broken bottle neck as well as a great a capella  singer as heard in John The Revelator and Grinnin In Your Face. He could do it all before anyone knew what it was.

Boomer's Story is worth reading

This is by far one of my favorite albums to just sit back and enjoy with a cup of coffee. Its one of those morning albums that takes you back to a time where everything was so simple and sweet. Its a happy album and Ry's guitar work is at its peak greatness on this album. Alongside Into The Purple Valley this album put the name Ry Cooder on the turntables of many. 1972 was a good year for Cooder, there must of been something he was drinking to put out both albums alongside each other and both to just blow peoples minds.

The first track is the title track Boomer's Story. Traditional songs have always interested me. Be it gospel, hollars, blues, folk, etc. I can never get enough of them, they just make me feel comfortable and warm. As soon as you hear the first few guitar licks on Boomers story you feel that this album is going to be good. Then as Ry's soothing voice starts singing you can just sit back on enjoy. The song like alot of tradtional songs is about heartach of a lost love and the life of a hobo. Its sad but sweet as you get more and more into the song you feel so bad for Boomer but somehow it makes you feel good. Great song.

As Cherry Ball Blues rolls in you can really hear Ry's beautiful guitar work. Written by Skip James (Devils got my woman, I'm so glad) it really say's it all without saying anything at all. Its just a wonderful instrumental and the blues really shows through in the guitar work.

Crow Black Chicken is a comedic song. It seems like Ry had a blast while recording it in the studio. There's beautiful slide work scattered throughout the song that truely makes the song work.

Ax Sweet Mama is a true blues song. Written by Sleepy John Estes it was recorded a number of times sometimes as a different name (drop down mama). The blues is and always will be Ry's forte. He really shines on this song between his slide work and yelling those blues out like a true down and out 50s blues hero.

Maria Elena. The name Leo Kottke comes to mind as I listen to this. Its such a slow beautiful song. I can just see myself somewhere in Italy dancing the night away with my sweetheart in my arms. It just shows how different of a style Ry has. Going from a deep blues song as Ax Sweet Mama to this wonderful soft spanish style melody. Its wonderful to me when I find an album that has so many styles from the same musician. Beautiful is all i can say for this song and it lives up to it greatly.

The Dark End of the Street starts off side two of Boomer's Story. The sound of so sad. I can hear a little bit of Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven in there. This song can bring a teary eye to a lonely heart. Even as an instrumental, Ry does not have to say a word in this song. The story is sadly told by his guitar.

Rally Round the Flag climbs in next. With Randy Newman playing piano on this war song. Its just Ry's voice and Randy's piano that starts off this song. Slowly but surely Ry's acoustic starts making its way into it. You can barely hear it but it pairs beautifully with the piano. Again another sad song as is most songs of war. But even though it is sad it is still beautiful.

Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer shows up next. Again its a very old tune that Ry seems to love. His soft voice go well with the simplicity of these old tunes. They may sound simple but as you listen closely to his guitar twang and twist in and out of note to note you can see how not so simple these are.

President Kennedy is the only tune that Ry does not sing on. Actually its the old dark voice of blues legend Sleepy John Estes. The pain in this mans voice truly shows on this tune. I'm a huge fan of the blues and Estes holds his own in this packed full of talent genre. Listen to this song and see why.

Last but not least is another tradtional train song. Good Morning Mr. Railroad Man sounds alot like a Woody Guthrie song that mated with gospel song. Its a great ending to an album that i can listen every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of.

I couldn't help but write a long blog for this album. There are so many great things to say about it. Every track on this album is just simply amazing and I fell in love with it after I first droped that needle to that last crackle at the end.