Tuesday, September 9, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 371 #415)

My Babe!!!

Joe and Shoji announced our new song of the session, My Babe written by Willie Dixon and a hit for Little Walter. This is clearly a secular version of the Sister Rosetta Tharpe song, This Train. Take a popular tune, adapt, make it yours, this is the blues!

And Little Walter certainly made it his - stamping his amazing harp solo on it which breaks with the sixteen bar form and goes to twelve bar, swinging over a jazzy ii/V turnaround thanks to Robert Junior Lockwood on guitar.

Shoji reviewed the standard 16 bar form that people know from songs like When the Saints Come Marching In. Notes from looking at that form:
  • Remember that the second 8 bars of the standard 16 bar form are essentially the same as a standard 8 bar blues.
  • My Babe substitutes the one chord for the five in bar 14 - Shoji surmises that Dixon made this change because the guitar riff throughout the song is a two bar riff and it needed the same chord on both of bars 13 and 14.
Great tune and there's so much more to learn in studying it!

News from Shoji!!!

Shoji Naito put together this must-have list of must-learn blues standards. If you're looking for ways to build your set list or learn some of the essential blues standards, start with this list. Thanks, Shoji!

Shoji also wants to announce there is a new Jimmy Rogers book out: Blues All Day Long.

Class Notes
  • Last night was the first night of a new session. Due to the Labor Day weekend, it runs seven weeks instead of 8. Welcome to our new students!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew