Katie Webster- PUSSYCAT MOAN

Katie Webster who was often referred to as 'The Swamp Boogie Queen' or 'Two-Fisted Mama' was a master of the boogie-woogie, blues piano and PussyCat Moan is a great example of her energy and talent.

Katie WEBSTER - the Swamp Boogie Queen

In a documentary she described her music as a kind of gumbo.  It's got some soul, some blues, some zydeco, some gospel, some country stirred with Texas and Louisiana influence.  It all comes together and she together in what Katie calls - Katie Webster gumbo..  

She was known around the south and played with many artists, but I think most notably she was the opening act for Otis Redding for a couple of years.  I just can't imagine how good that would have been.

I got to see her with Detroit blues singer Thornetta Davis, and Bonnie Raitt in a Women of the Blues concert. 

What a great show that was.

Have a listen to this version which comes from a tribute to Alligator Records performance

PussyCat Moan

Foy Vance - MAKE IT RAIN

Make it Rain was written by, and performed here by Foy VANCE.  This version is from Live at Bangor Abbey which is located in his home town in Northern Ireland.

This song was made famous by Ed Sheeran.  As the story goes, Foy was touring and opening for Ed Sheeran a few years ago and at that time  Ed, who is a big fan of Sons of Anarchy connected with the producers and agreed to do a song for the show. Ed immediately thought of Make It Rain, which Foy performed often as part of his opening set..  Arguably it was the first two lines of the sang that made Ed think it would fit the show perfectly. - 

"When the sins of my father 

  weigh down my soul" 

Foy VANCE - Make it Rain

This song went on to be a hit for Ed Sheeran after being included in SOA.  - and nothing against his version - I prefer Foy's original

This version is from Live at Bangor Abbey - an old monetary in Northern Ireland.  

Make it Rain - Live at Bangor Abbey

The Record Company - HARD DAY COMING DOWN

The Record Company 

From the album Give it Back to You, which was nominated for a Grammy.


Rock 'n' Blues - Acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums, some good ol' hand clapping and a harmonica... what else do you need for a tough on your luck song like this.

If you like this then you might also want to listen to On The Move from the same album

The Record Company is a three piece band that keeps it pretty basic.  I first heard them on the tv show SUITS, and then as an opening act for John Mayer.  


This link is to a 'living room concert' version

Click here

Rev. Gary DAVIS - SAMSON AND DELILAH

 

Rev. Gary DAVIS

Rev. Gary Davis was born in 1896.  He travelled the south as a blues and gospel singer and was credited with a very unique finger picking style that went on to influence many.  He only used this thumb and first finger to play the guitar.  

While this post is about Samson and Delilah, I have included a link to Hard Walkin' Blues at the end of this post which shows a video of this unique stylings.

The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and many others credited 'Blind Gary' as the influence to a number of their songs.   

Samson and Delilah was covered by groups as diverse as the Grateful Dead and Peter Paul and Mary -  although for some reason the latter changed it's name to If I Had My Way.

LINK: Here is the original version of Samson and Delilah. 

LINK: Here is the Grateful Dead version

LINK: Here is Peter Paul & Mary version

LINK: Hard Walkin' Blues

John Mayer- WHERE THE LIGHT IS

This track is is for blues enthusiasts.  John Mayer has recorded country, pop, blues, rock, singer-songwriter, and has played with everyone from BB King  to Barbara Streisand to Keith Urban to Alicia Keys to Ed Sheeran.

If Eric Clapton can call him ' a guitar master'  and 'truly gifted'-- who can argue.

I like a lot of his stuff,  from all different genres  but his stuff from the John Mayer Trio still remains my favorite.   This particular track is 10 minutes of pure classic blues.

Listen here

Lyle LOVETT and this Large Band - CHURCH

This song hits all the checkmarks for me.  I have always liked Lyle's clever lyrics and smooth delivery.  

I got to see him in concert in Ann Arbor.  He came out, stood still and just played song after song - without a lot of distraction - he just let the music speak for him... It was a great night.

Samantha came along to the concert.  She would have been in middle school at the time.  She wasn't a big Lyle fan, but she loved this particular song.  I distinctly remember telling her that this concert was just Lyle Lovett and a few people it wasn't Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, so I didn't think he would necessarily sing CHURCH.

She confidently said ' He will'

I went on to say that he had a large selection of songs to pick from so the odds are he might not sing CHURCH

She confidently said ' He will'

And then I told her Joshua Judges Ruth - the album that Church was on was not his current album, therefore even less likely he would play Church

She confidently said ' He will'

So,  we did go along to the concert. Samantha was the youngest person there by some 25-30 years, but she sat and listened intently.   About 90 minutes into the concert, it looked like it was going to wrap up, and Samantha told me to just wait.   And then Lyle broke into Church.  The crowd who had been attentive, and fairly laid back, rose from their seats, started clapping and there were smiles all around.

This version features the fantastic Large band, with some great backing vocals... I hope you enjoy

Play - Lyle LOVETT and his Large Band - CHURCH

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - WHILE WE CRY

It's hard to believe that I have been a Kenny Wayne Shepherd fan for 25 years. 

Another Louisiana native, Shepherd was discovered at a young age and came on to the blues scene.  I was watching one of those news magazine shows one evening and the story was on a 'new crop' of guitar players who were coming on the scene.   'Monster' Mike Welch, Jonny Lang and  Kenny Wayne Shepherd.  

I have fortunate enough to see them all play live and while they were all great shows, I will not forget when a friend of mine called me one day to tell me that Kenny Wayne was doing a show not far from where he was living at the time - in New Jersey.  So off we went and the show delivered... and I was particularly moved by While We Cry.  I had heard the songs many times before....but there was something about this performance of this song that was just magical.

If you are not familiar with Kenny Wayne,  Blue on Black, Somehow Somewhere Someday, and King's Highway are a few good ones to get you started..

Have a listen to 

While We Cry

______

Nathaniel RATELIFF & The Night Sweats - HOWLING AT NOTHING

This week it's going to be a little different.  Tamsyn sent in this Unsolicited Song Recommendation.  It comes with a twist.  She submitted Howling at Nothing by Nathaniel RATELIFF & the Night Sweats AND she recommended a cover by Walk off the Earth.  I was not familiar with them so thanks for the intro Tamsyn.


She went on to ask which I preferred... and gave no hint of which was her favourite.   I am a fan of covers. I like when others interpret the song differently and some of my favourite tunes are covers.  (I also really like alternative versions of tunes by their original artists.). 

For this song, Walk of the Earth had some nice vocals and I liked it, but I was leaning towards the original. It was a toss up so I waited a week and listened again... Then I remembered there was yet another version of this song that I had heard that I liked (I have a friend who is a huge Rateliff fan so I have heard a bit of this stuff).  It's also by the Night Sweats but it's an acoustic stripped down version - which in my opinion lets the vocals shine more.

So in the end my selection is #3 and alternative version of   Howling at Nothing - Mokum Sessions


But you decide.  Here is the original

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Howling at Nothing

and here is the cover by Walk off the Earth Howling at Nothing 

Lonnie Brooks - ZYDECO

Blues infused Zydeco  

Lonnie BROOKS

My Mother-in-Law gave me this album for Christmas one year.  Way back when giving albums was still a thing. 

 Lonnie's music has been described as Voodoo Blues, Chicago Blues, Swamp Rock, Cajun ... just to name a few. 

Louisiana Lightning, or Bayou Lightning as he was often called had a long career and passed away at the age of 83.

This number, as should be obvious by its name is an upbeat number that I hope you like.

Click here to hear Zydeco 

Joe Bonamassa - WOKE UP DREAMING

To no surprise for anyone who knows me...it's about time for a little Joe Bonamassa.

I have been a fan of Joe's for a long time.  I like his acoustic stuff, his hard driving bluesy style, his duets, his live albums, his concerts... ok enough..

But I thought I would start with this one.   Woke Up Dreaming has been around since 2003.

Joe did an acoustic concert in the Vienna Opera House and I remember buying this as one of those few - 'bought it before I heard it CD's'.  If I remember correctly I think this one of the last CD's I bought.

I like this because it's not only a great song, but it's just Joe and an acoustic guitar.

Joe Bonamassa - Woke up Dreaming

and then...
he did a version of this with a acoustic guitar and Tina Guo on cello doing some crazy call and response stuff.  While this was my introduction to Tina Guo she is probably more well known for her electric cello and specifically for the opening theme of Wonder Woman.

I am sure this isn't for everyone but if you have a few minutes I think this is well worth a listen

Joe Bonamassa and Tina Guo - WOKE UP DREAMING

DISTURBED - The Sound of Silence

Marshall suggested this one. Over the years he has sent me a few recommendations and this is my favourite. I like covers or alternative versions of songs by their original artists, especially when they respect the original but put a different spin on it. This one is powerful, emotive and very very well done. It was new to me but I see that it's had over 600million views so I guess I was very late to the party.

David Draiman, the lead singer for Disturbed noted that marriage and having a child normally mellows people out. In his case it made him angrier at the what he saw going wrong in the world.

This is one of the few covers of Simon and Garfunkel songs that Paul Simon commented on. He is a big fan of this version. Paul Simon has been pretty open about song origins and I find it interesting to see where artists get their inspiration. I, like many of my generation, associated this song with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It always seems to be connected as the song came out around that time and could easily be interpreted as a commentary for the time.

In an interview Simon said he wrote it long before that. He claims that he needed a quiet place to write.  He used to go into his bathroom, turn on the water faucet for background and then turn off the lights and play in the dark. He felt at peace in that environment and looked forward to his time alone writing songs.... and so it started..”Hello darkness my old friend... I’ve come to talk with you again”

Click here for The Sound of Silence

Sister Rosetta Thorpe - DIDN'T IT RAIN

After a few weeks and a dozen posts, I can't thank you enough for your feedback.  Listening to, and finding new artists and songs has always been fun, but now it's a great distraction that I sometimes need.  I am very happy that people are submitting some song recommendations.  There is a Submit button in the right hand column.

This week I am posting a recommendation from my good friend Tony.  Tony and I have similar tastes in music, both live in the Toronto area and we take the opportunity to share music and go to the occasional concert together.  One of my highlights last year is when we saw  Wild Tchoupitoulas and others in the New Orleans Take Me To The River tour and then Joe Bonamassa in the same week. 
This year our musical outings are curtailed, so this blog this blog serves as a surrogate for sharing music and artists we like.
Tony send me a few recommendations, but this first one came from a comment he made on my Throw Back Thursday.  I put in ZZ Top's Blue Jean Blues from the '70s in last week.  While I thought that was 'throwing back' far enough Tony suggested going back another decade to 1964 and the roots of Rock 'n' Roll.
His recommendation is Sister Rosetta Thorpe's Didn't it Rain.  Sister Rosetta was a blues/gospel singer who really came into mainstream success in the '60s with her unique electric guitar playing and gospel/rock/soul songs.   Her performances heavily influenced the entire UK Blues movement and she is often referred to as the god-mother of Rock'n'Roll by people like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. You can also hear a lot of Sister Rosetta's influence in tunes by Elvis, Carl Perkins and Little Richard.. just to name a few
Tony also provided the interesting bit on Hugh Laurie Factoid below... thanks.

Click Here to watch Didn't it Rain

Factoid ... Hugh Laurie (yes "House") made album with this as the title track. The singers on his rendition are amazing: Gaby Moreno and Jean McClain. Hear this version here:  

Click here

Bettye LaVETTE - I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVE NOT GOT

Rachel introduced me to Bettye... and I am thankful for that.  Great voice... and I really like a good a ccapella tune - especially with a voice like this.

I was surprised that Rachel - with her command of the english language would recommend a song with a double negative in the title.. but I let it go.. 

Click here  

to listen to I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got.

 Click here 

if you want something more traditional ....  a great cover of Joan Armatrading's Down To The Ground

Eric Bibb - WITH MY MAKER I AM ONE

I was listening to an acoustic blues channel on Spotify when Eric BIBB came on.  the track was Destiny Blues

I was curious enough to do a little more digging in.  I found that I liked a lot of his music.

With My Maker I am One is a gospel influenced acoustic blues number that is on heavy repeat around the house.

I thought I would like to see him live and found out that he moved to Finland - not what I think of as the hotbed of acoustic blues and gospel.. but there you go

To listen to one of the few songs that Sue likes on my playlist... 

listen here..

Charles Bradley - CHANGES

Charles Bradley, a soul singer covers Black Sabbath.  That piqued my interest enough to take a listen. It's a James Brown/Otis Redding inspired versus of the Sabbath classic.    I like covers when someone really makes it a different song...   

Have a listen...  Click here

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa - NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS

While this is a duet with Joe Bonamassa, it really is just a showcase for Beth Hart's vocals.  

This cover of the classic Nutbush City Limits is unlike a lot of the other duets Beth does with Joe there isnt' a lot of back and forth, or guitar answering the vocal (a la their fantastic version of I'd rather go blind)

This one just just flat out fun Rock 'n' Roll


Click HERE

Vintage Trouble - BLUES HAND ME DOWN

I have been a fan of these guys for a couple of years now.  Would love to go to one of their shows if they ever come this way.  While the song is a little more laid back than their usual stuff I decided to post this one. If you want some upbeat Soul/Classic R&B/Rock energetic performances go check these guys out.

Shows What you Know is another great track. And I do recommend the Bomb Shelter Sessions.

\

Click here to watch

Leon BRIDGES - Take me to the River

Leon Bridges - Coming Home

Leon is a throw back to the soul singers of the '60s.  I have always been a big fan of Stax Volt, Otis Redding, Al Green and the great singers of the sixties.

Leon is smooth - more like Sam Cooke than Otis.  There are several good tracks on this album but The River is certainly my favorite..

Here's a link to the video


Click here to watch

Cynthia Erivo - I'M HERE

Cynthia Erivo - I'm here

While 2016 was the year of Hamilton on Broadway, Cynthia ERIVO's performance in The Color Purple was unbelievable.   
During the performance we saw she got 3 standing ovations during the show.. and she deserved it all.

Her performance was truly one of the best I have seen ever...  Just to give you a sense of it, here's a youtube link to her performance on the Colbert show.  Imagine if you can ... seeing the same performance in a theatre in New York .. on a hot summer day .. with Cynthia belting out this performance 50 feet away... unbelievable...  

I am very fortunate to have seen this and Hamilton on our New York Birthday Surprise Getaway weekend.

Watch the YouTube video here.