Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 1:00:07 GMT
Roy Rogers doing a great version with what appears to be a 12-string resonator, which is unusual, and fitted with a pickup, which is very unusual . . .
This is Son House, a favourite of mine. In this picture he's using a 'National' steel resonator. This is the same guitar (but a different model) that you see on the famous Dire Straits album cover for 'Brothers In Arms'. Edward James 'Son' House was a master bluesman who has influenced hundreds of players, but who is most important to me because he taught Muddy Waters, and GOD, oops sorry, I mean Robert Johnson, to play . . .
Joe Bonamassa, who I have saw several times now, and is a superb guitar player. He stays just on the right side of descending into "stunt playing", whilst still giving virtuoso displays . . .
He is a cousin of Muddy Waters and was taught to play guitar by Mississippi Fred McDowell. He was a convicted and jailed murderer, and a sharecropper for most of his life. Just like John Lee Hooker (one of his idols) he wasn't restrained by mundane, ordinary stuff like timing, he would add or subtract beats in a measure when he felt like it, and in most of his stuff used either a single repetitive chord, or a very simple bass pattern of chord changes. BTW, without R.L. Burnside, we wouldn't have The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Lonesome Shack, etc, etc.
Here's John Hammond (Jnr.), who I'm a big fan of, and also saw live (at the Ferry). I've probably mentioned this before, but there is a special link between Hammond Jnr. and Robert Johnson (A.K.A. - God). John Hammond Jnr.'s father spent weeks in the Mississippi delta looking for Robert Johnson to invite him to 'headline' his "Spirituals to Swing" concert in New York's Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately Johnson had died before Hammond could find him. . .
This is another unbelievably good guitarist whose idol is Mr. Johnson. Someone who Ian knows personally, guitarist of the original heavily-blues-influenced Fleetwood Mac. Try to listen to his Robert Johnson homages, "Hotfoot Powder" and "The Robert Johnson Songbook", . . .
This is how it should be done, brief and to the point, with utterly superb guitar playing. When I think of how long ago Johnson lived, and died, we really are truly blessed that we have any songs at all, never mind 29 in total. 29 songs from just two recording sessions to let us hear the true heart and soul of the blues, and a guitarist that Clapton, Hendrix, Page - and any other top guitarist you can think of - ranks as their best guitar player!
This is Son House, a favourite of mine. In this picture he's using a 'National' steel resonator. This is the same guitar (but a different model) that you see on the famous Dire Straits album cover for 'Brothers In Arms'. Edward James 'Son' House was a master bluesman who has influenced hundreds of players, but who is most important to me because he taught Muddy Waters, and GOD, oops sorry, I mean Robert Johnson, to play . . .
Joe Bonamassa, who I have saw several times now, and is a superb guitar player. He stays just on the right side of descending into "stunt playing", whilst still giving virtuoso displays . . .
He is a cousin of Muddy Waters and was taught to play guitar by Mississippi Fred McDowell. He was a convicted and jailed murderer, and a sharecropper for most of his life. Just like John Lee Hooker (one of his idols) he wasn't restrained by mundane, ordinary stuff like timing, he would add or subtract beats in a measure when he felt like it, and in most of his stuff used either a single repetitive chord, or a very simple bass pattern of chord changes. BTW, without R.L. Burnside, we wouldn't have The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Lonesome Shack, etc, etc.
Here's John Hammond (Jnr.), who I'm a big fan of, and also saw live (at the Ferry). I've probably mentioned this before, but there is a special link between Hammond Jnr. and Robert Johnson (A.K.A. - God). John Hammond Jnr.'s father spent weeks in the Mississippi delta looking for Robert Johnson to invite him to 'headline' his "Spirituals to Swing" concert in New York's Carnegie Hall. Unfortunately Johnson had died before Hammond could find him. . .
This is another unbelievably good guitarist whose idol is Mr. Johnson. Someone who Ian knows personally, guitarist of the original heavily-blues-influenced Fleetwood Mac. Try to listen to his Robert Johnson homages, "Hotfoot Powder" and "The Robert Johnson Songbook", . . .
This is how it should be done, brief and to the point, with utterly superb guitar playing. When I think of how long ago Johnson lived, and died, we really are truly blessed that we have any songs at all, never mind 29 in total. 29 songs from just two recording sessions to let us hear the true heart and soul of the blues, and a guitarist that Clapton, Hendrix, Page - and any other top guitarist you can think of - ranks as their best guitar player!