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Category Archives: Blues
Happy Birthday, Lightnin’
My favorite Lightnin’ Hopkins number:
Your Woman Gone Too?
James Baldwin (1962): In all jazz, and especially the blues, there is something tart and ironic, authoritative and double-edged. White Americans seem to feel that happy songs are happy and sad songs are sad, and that, God help us, is … Continue reading
Albert Murray, RIP
Blessings on Albert Murray, who died on Sunday. He devoted a good part of his writing life to reminding us of the complexities of being an American and celebrating the culture, especially the blues, that makes our lives worth living. … Continue reading
Bobby Blue Bland, RIP
Ever since I first heard him on “Good Morning, Blues,” an early morning radio show in Atlanta, Bobby Blue Bland (who died at 83 on Sunday) has always been to me the quintessence of rhythm and blues. That voice! A … Continue reading
The Messiah Will Come Again
It’s pretty rare to hear a rock guitarist who can really tell a story. Roy Buchanan, the man who taught Robbie Robertson to play, is an exception. For some reason I’ve been listening to an old record of his. I … Continue reading
The Chord of a Coffin
There’s a nice piece in the NYRB about Charles Mingus and the recent box set The Jazz Workshop Concerts: 1964-5. Mingus composed—as he did most things—his own way. He was well versed in theory and composition, yet he used notation … Continue reading
You know what I’m talking about . . .
Our friend Chris Liebig, who has a blog where he says shockingly sane things about school, has been recommending our blog as well as gently nudging us to post things on a more regular basis in January. Knowing that Chris … Continue reading
Posted in Blues, Jazz, Rock n Roll, Soul
Tagged etta james, i'd rather go blind, levon helm, linden arden, van morrison, wide river to cross
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Nina’s Magic
I just came across this slowed-down version of “To Love Somebody.” Nina Simone is such a peculiar singer. At times she can sound completely disconnected from a song. But when she inhabits a song, it feels so laden with meaning … Continue reading
Lady Sings the Blues
Billie Holiday’s Lady Sings the Blues, which I’ve been rereading, famously begins, “Mom and Pop were just a couple kids when they got married. He was eighteen, she was sixteen, and I was three.” The critical consensus on this autobiography … Continue reading
Posted in Blues, Jazz
Tagged Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues, My Man, red dress, truth
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The Bravest Man in the Universe
It’s too long since I’ve been into a new album. There are few musical experiences sweeter than hearing something fresh that you really dig. As luck would have it, Billy and Dad are currently into Bobby Womack’s The Bravest Man … Continue reading
Billy and Dad's Music Emporium 