A Taste of Blues
Rather than trying to choose a single representative track for all the blues artists I heard (and didn't hear) at the blues festival, I decided to stick with seven favourites and put in two or three songs from each.
If you have any problems with downloading the mix, or if the link expires, just let me know.
The mix (69 MB)
1/ A Man Like Me (Mojo Webb)
I just can't help grinning when I hear the opening chords of this. Mojo has an energetic, outgoing stage presence, but is sweetly humble in person. He may be slightly mad, but only in the good way ;).
While he sometimes has a band, on this track (and indeed all of his songs in this mix) Mojo plays every. single. instrument.
2/ Burn Your Bridges (Lightning Jack)
If you can't get all bluesy about the environment going to crap, then what? I'm not a big fan of mopey music, even in the cause of the environment, so Jack Ceriani's foot-stomping tirade is right up my alley. It's all about the beat, baby.
3/ Candy Stand (Hat Fitz)
Imagine a long, wild, bushranger beard, a gorgeous handmade guitar, and a growling, soulful voice like a set of bellows. That's Hat Fitz. I think of this song as a companion piece to Mississippi John Hurt's Candy Man Blues - it's certainly related, whoever it's originally by.
4/ Can't Be Satisfied (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
On the rhythm & blues side of things, we have Sweet Baby James on guitar and Rob Eyers on drums/percussion. It's probably evident by now that I favour the more upbeat (-sounding) blues ;).
5/ Can't Take It (Collard Greens & Gravy)
I'm not sure what I expect someone with that voice to look like, but it's not Ian Collard. Is it not often the case?
6/ Come On In (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
James and Rob again, bringing blues with a funky edge.
7/ Daniel (The Blues Preachers)
The Blues Preachers are very much about the older sound, with gospel and rags as well as pre-War blues. A lot of the blues they sing is about hard times, and they're not afraid to get political in their own songs (but more on that later).
Daniel is a song sung in slavery. I think there's a bit of anger in there (why *not* every man?), but there's also hope - if God has intervened before, it can happen again, and when it does I'm out of here.
Incidentally, the main vocalist here? Singing and picking at (not strumming) his guitar, easy as breathing. Beautiful.
8/ Divin Duck (Hat Fitz)
Just his voice and his guitar. Man doesn't need anything more.
9/ Dollars n Cents (Rosie Burgess)
Rosie is more on the folk end of the many-and-varied blues styles. And a bit of a social activist, too ;). It's amazing how cheerful she can make a harmonica can sound.
10/ Nobody's Fault But Mine (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
Just to prove that James and Rob do the slow stuff too, lest you think they're all about catchy beats.
11/ Out In The Desert (Collard Greens & Gravy)
A magnificent demonstration of the Collard Greens & Gravy sound - Shortie's drumming, James's guitar-playing, Ian's harmonica and vocals. The song to see performed live.
12/ Railroad Trax (Lightning Jack)
This is closer to the sound of Lightning Jack's live performance, which was just him with guitar and stomp box.
13/ Roadkill (Rosie Burgess)
It's a song angsting about roadkill. How could I not include it?
14/ Stomping Around (Rosie Burgess)
And here her activist stripes are showing again. Enough wishy-washy fence sitting - take a stand.
15/ Telephone Blues (Mojo Webb)
Heh. Pick up that phone, baby...
16/ Trimmed & Burning (The Blues Preachers)
Harmonies to make the hair at your nape stand on end.
17/ Trouble (The Blues Preachers)
And here is one of their originals, speaking about the state of the world, and insular political rhetoric in Australia. Banjos rain from the travel zone, indeed...
18/ Two (Mojo Webb)
And what better man to close with than Mojo again. The tracks are alphabetical, yes, but only because it was basically how I was going to order them :).
If you're in Australia and get a chance to see any of these guys, go see them (most of them have regular gigs in a capital city). And of course, if you like 'em, get their CDs or what have you - I think all of them have websites, if you want to go straight to the source. Hope you find someone you enjoy!
If you have any problems with downloading the mix, or if the link expires, just let me know.
The mix (69 MB)
1/ A Man Like Me (Mojo Webb)
I just can't help grinning when I hear the opening chords of this. Mojo has an energetic, outgoing stage presence, but is sweetly humble in person. He may be slightly mad, but only in the good way ;).
While he sometimes has a band, on this track (and indeed all of his songs in this mix) Mojo plays every. single. instrument.
2/ Burn Your Bridges (Lightning Jack)
If you can't get all bluesy about the environment going to crap, then what? I'm not a big fan of mopey music, even in the cause of the environment, so Jack Ceriani's foot-stomping tirade is right up my alley. It's all about the beat, baby.
3/ Candy Stand (Hat Fitz)
Imagine a long, wild, bushranger beard, a gorgeous handmade guitar, and a growling, soulful voice like a set of bellows. That's Hat Fitz. I think of this song as a companion piece to Mississippi John Hurt's Candy Man Blues - it's certainly related, whoever it's originally by.
4/ Can't Be Satisfied (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
On the rhythm & blues side of things, we have Sweet Baby James on guitar and Rob Eyers on drums/percussion. It's probably evident by now that I favour the more upbeat (-sounding) blues ;).
5/ Can't Take It (Collard Greens & Gravy)
I'm not sure what I expect someone with that voice to look like, but it's not Ian Collard. Is it not often the case?
6/ Come On In (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
James and Rob again, bringing blues with a funky edge.
7/ Daniel (The Blues Preachers)
The Blues Preachers are very much about the older sound, with gospel and rags as well as pre-War blues. A lot of the blues they sing is about hard times, and they're not afraid to get political in their own songs (but more on that later).
Daniel is a song sung in slavery. I think there's a bit of anger in there (why *not* every man?), but there's also hope - if God has intervened before, it can happen again, and when it does I'm out of here.
Incidentally, the main vocalist here? Singing and picking at (not strumming) his guitar, easy as breathing. Beautiful.
8/ Divin Duck (Hat Fitz)
Just his voice and his guitar. Man doesn't need anything more.
9/ Dollars n Cents (Rosie Burgess)
Rosie is more on the folk end of the many-and-varied blues styles. And a bit of a social activist, too ;). It's amazing how cheerful she can make a harmonica can sound.
10/ Nobody's Fault But Mine (Sweet Baby James and Rob Eyers)
Just to prove that James and Rob do the slow stuff too, lest you think they're all about catchy beats.
11/ Out In The Desert (Collard Greens & Gravy)
A magnificent demonstration of the Collard Greens & Gravy sound - Shortie's drumming, James's guitar-playing, Ian's harmonica and vocals. The song to see performed live.
12/ Railroad Trax (Lightning Jack)
This is closer to the sound of Lightning Jack's live performance, which was just him with guitar and stomp box.
13/ Roadkill (Rosie Burgess)
It's a song angsting about roadkill. How could I not include it?
14/ Stomping Around (Rosie Burgess)
And here her activist stripes are showing again. Enough wishy-washy fence sitting - take a stand.
15/ Telephone Blues (Mojo Webb)
Heh. Pick up that phone, baby...
16/ Trimmed & Burning (The Blues Preachers)
Harmonies to make the hair at your nape stand on end.
17/ Trouble (The Blues Preachers)
And here is one of their originals, speaking about the state of the world, and insular political rhetoric in Australia. Banjos rain from the travel zone, indeed...
18/ Two (Mojo Webb)
And what better man to close with than Mojo again. The tracks are alphabetical, yes, but only because it was basically how I was going to order them :).
If you're in Australia and get a chance to see any of these guys, go see them (most of them have regular gigs in a capital city). And of course, if you like 'em, get their CDs or what have you - I think all of them have websites, if you want to go straight to the source. Hope you find someone you enjoy!