Big Harp #3020 (Photo credit: mhwlng)
The song, “Everybody Pays,” in this video is on a great new album by Big Harp and if you love “Everybody Pays,” you will love the CD, “White Hat.” Stefanie Drootin-Senseny and Chris Senseny make a great sound together.
Do you feel it? I do.
kenne
Texas Johnny Brown
I. J. Gosey
Images by kenne
February 22, 2003, Blues lovers and legends in Houston gathered at Houston’s Mr. Gino’s Lounge in the memory of blues/jazz great, Kinney Abair. Now that it’s almost the 10th anniversary of Kinney’s death, I’m sharing my images of the Mr. Gino’s event. Some of the musicians in the photos are Joe ‘Guitar’ Hughes, I.J. Gosey, Ashton Savoy, Mike Stone, Pee Wee Stevens, Sonny Boy Terry and Texas Johnny Brown. Many other legends were in attendance, but not necessarily in my photos.
That evening we were also remembering AJ Murphy, who had a heart attach and passed away after giving a eulogy for his close friend, Kinney.
AJ Murphy
kenne
(To review other Blues posting on the blog, use the search function for “blues” on the home page, left column.
The Weary Blues
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,
Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,
I heard a Negro play.
Down on Lenox Avenue the other night
By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light
He did a lazy sway. . . .
He did a lazy sway. . . .
To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.
With his ebony hands on each ivory key
He made that poor piano moan with melody.
O Blues!
Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.
Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man’s soul.
O Blues!
In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone
I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan—
“Ain’t got nobody in all this world,
Ain’t got nobody but ma self.
I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’
And put ma troubles on the shelf.”
Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
He played a few chords then he sang some more—
“I got the Weary Blues
And I can’t be satisfied.
Got the Weary Blues
And can’t be satisfied—
I ain’t happy no mo’
And I wish that I had died.”
And far into the night he crooned that tune.
The stars went out and so did the moon.
The singer stopped playing and went to bed
While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.
He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead.
Somewhere between reading Rainer Maria Rilke and listening to Ray Wylie Hubbard’s latest CD, “The Grifter’s Hymnal,” the following just flowed out — as usual, no rewrite, you get what you see.
THE BODY SLOWS ME DOWN
The body slows me down,
but the blood still flows,
the soul hasn’t slowed
fostering a deep and
necessary intimacy with life.
The body slows me down,
but I count my blessing
without a 60-cycle hum,
freed from habitual
trains of thought.
The body slows me down,
but the poets still, please
with a taste of bittersweet chocolate,
burning through the words
manifested in music.
The body slows me down,
but my mind leads the
way to an enigmatic mystery,
seeking a Rilke Maria’s moment
freed by Ray Wylie’s applause.
The body slows me down,
but I keep running
from the ghosts that
keep on coming
around the bend.
The body slows me down,
but it’s a dividing outline
is no longer there
providing a membrane
between inner and outer worlds.
The body slows me down,
but I can still hum
Polk Salad Sally,
framing cosmic image
descending from invisible heights.
The body slows me down,
but I still use my imagination
to inspire conscious thinking,
allowing “the damn fox
do what a damn fox does.”
— kenne
“The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days.”
— Ray Wylie Hubbard
He Ain’t Heavy . . . — Image by kenne
The Head and The Heart — Source: The Head and The Heart website
Things that make my day:
“Body Pulsating To A Blues Melody” — Image by kenne
Child of The Blues
Child of the blues,
When will I master the song,
When will it be my time to sing?
Will the word be out on the street?
My body pulsates to a melody.
The face of music is tempting the spirit.
If the music doesn’t start
What can we say or do?
Since dawn, I have listened.
Since dawn, still baying at the moon.
Should I watch for a sign?
Will the song be for all seasons?
The vibrations get stronger and stronger.
Will I begin to shake, rattle and roll?
How long before the music starts?
Will the word be out on the street?
kenne
Source: Google Images
Music is the language of the world, by which we are all connected, and the self is formed. The series, “Playing for Change,” is a modern example of how peoples of different languages and cultures are all moved by music. One of my favorite songs is Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” and is one of the “Playing for Change” series.
At this time of reflection and resolution, I share so we may all resolve to seek freedom through peace.
kenne
Redemption Song — Bob Marley
Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
‘Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it’s just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfill the Book.
Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.
—
/Guitar break/
—
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
‘Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it’s just a part of it:
We’ve got to fulfill the book.
Won’t you have to sing
These songs of freedom? –
‘Cause all I ever had:
Redemption songs –
All I ever had:
Redemption songs:
These songs of freedom,
Songs of freedom.
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world’s asleep,
the questions run too deep
for such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won’t you sign up your name, we’d like to feel you’re
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world’s asleep,
the questions run so deep
for such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
Source: LyricsFreak
“. . . for such a simple man.” As a young man, I loved the music of Supertramp and the album, “Breakfast In America.” (1979) The album was released about twenty years after the photo on the right was captured. Now, some thirty additional years, I still love the music, but more importantly the words, such as those in “The Logical Song.”
The questions continue to run deep, but I’m no longer shackled by being so dependable, clinical, intellectual and cynical. Now I’m free to be more radical, liberal, fanatical and even criminal. In a way, the song is a story of innocence and idealism lost — it’s time to regain it!
— kenne
Jonn Del Toro Richardson & Rich DelGrosso at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — Image by kenne
Some people are hard to live with,
the source for many a blues song.
But the blues is easy to live with,
especially in the woods of east Texas.
Ken & Mary know that for sure,
attracting friends and their guests,
year after year to their Blues Project,
sharing the best blues anywhere.
Returning again this year, Rich DelGrosso sang,
“Hard To Live With,” with Jonn Del Tero Richardson.
Their latest CD, nominated by “Blues Blast” magazine for
“Best Traditional Blues CD of The Year!”
Nominated among blues legends,
very deserving of the honor,
with new songs taking traditional blues
to a new creative level.
kenne
Ken & Mary Harris with Kenne & Joy Image by kenne
Joy and I are on a special trip to Houston to spend time with family and friends and we are being blessed with great fall weather — the folks here need it after the summer they have experienced. (We brought it with us from Tucson!)
One of the things we will be doing while here, which will include both family and friends, is attending our great friends “Ken & Mary’s Fall Music Festival” — for over fifteen years called “Ken & Mary’s Blues Project.” As announced in a previous posting, this year’s music will be provided by two friends and super blues musicians, Rich DelGrosso and Jonn Del Toro Richardson. Their latest album (Time Slips By) deputed #4 on The Living Blues Radio Chart back in February. As always, there will be other musicians sitting in as the evening goes on.
kenne
Diunna Greenleaf — Image by kenne
Last year in September we were at the Bisbee Blues Festival where one of the groups was Bob Corritore’s Rhythm Room All Stars. This year, we miss the Bisbee Blues Festival so we could be at the Rhythm Room’s 20th Anniversary in Phoenix, where one of the performers was our good friend from Houston, Diunna Greenleaf. The anniversary event was Friday through Sunday, with Diunna appearing Saturday night. So, Joy and I were there for some great Blues and to see Diunna. On the stage with Diunna was Bob Corritore, Bob Margolin, Mookie Brill and Brain Fahey. As one might expect, the room was SRO, making it more challenging to get some good photos and video. Here’s some of what I was able to get. Enjoy!
kenne
Images by kenne
“Music Festival Time” (Ken Harris Screen) — Image by kenne
Rhythm Room All-Stars at the 2010 Bisbee Blues Festival – Image by kenne
(Image to the right: Diunna & Joy — by kenne)
Video by kenne
I didn’t say much about it, other than, “We should go and see her.” Even then, we almost forgot about her being in Tucson last night. Who’s this “her”? Maria Muldaur, that’s who?
Muldaur was in town as part of the “Rhythm & Roots” series, which usually is outside in the Plaza Palomino Courtyard, but moved inside to a packed house due to the colder than normal evening weather. Most of her song selection was from her new CD, “Steady Love.” The music from this latest CD just adds to the difficulty for me in deciding on my favorite Maria Muldaur CD, of which she has produced 39 since the ‘60s – she is one hard-working woman!
Image via Wikipedia
Having loved her music since first hearing her sensual sexy voice singing, “I Am Woman,” it was Peggy Lee’s version which I first fail in love. But, it was Marie’s version that really turned me on. When you listen to Maria, you can see why “I am Woman” has become her theme song – she is one hell of a woman. Today, I think of Marie as one of the best blues singer around. You can’t talk about blues or roots music, without her name being part of the discussion.
On her new CD, Muldaur has selected blues (Bobby Charles classic “Why Are People Like That,” Sugar Pie DeSanto’s “Soulful Dress) and gospel (Eric Bibb’s “Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down,” Stephen Bruton’s, “Walk By Faith”) songs that reflect the difficulties of dealing with everyday life.
When the kids are cryin’ and the bills are due
And you wonder what you have gotten into
And you think the whole deal is not to be
Give her steady love, you’ll find out how hot a woman can be
Steady Love – Greg Brown
Maria and her Red Hot Bluesiana Band did a masterful performance, especially considering the sound man never was able to get his act together. After sending several body language signals, she politely said, “Don’t make me beg!”
If I had made a request at last night’s performance, it would have been for her to do Mississippi John Hurt‘s, “Richland Woman Blues,” which is the title track from her 2001 CD. I love the “down-home” picking originally done by Hurt and John Sebastian with Muldaur – in this case not “any dude will do!”
kenne
Share this:
Like this: