Tuesday, April 17, 2012

What Did You Miss This Week??? (Week 264 #307)

Goin' Away Baby!!!

As we continue to follow the Sonny Boy Williamson/Little Walter trail, Joe brings us this week to the Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter tune, Goin' Away Baby. Originally done by Sonny Boy as Lord, Oh Lord Blues, Little Walter strips away the second scale degree in his playing and lays down hard-driving, confident blues scale playing. He plays the melody behind Rogers and busts out for the hook part of the tune.

Joe describes this as a 27 bar song - three sections of 8+1 bars. You'll notice it is a variation of the Rollin' and Tumblin' blues form. An alert band will feel the melody and as a result feel the extra bar in the form, but you first have to find an alert band! The onus is on you, the melody-maker and vocalist to be sure the melody is clearly defined so people can follow you through this tricky tune. If you waver, you're sunk!

Shoji demonstrated a fall-back plan and that is that you can make this song work over a more well-known form like Big Boss Man. The B1 band played Big Boss Man and Shoji played the melody on harp - it can work!

Rhythm and Chording Resources!!!

As a follow-up to discussion in the Rhythm and Chording class yesterday, students should check out these two tunes:

Born In Hard Luck by Chris Bouchillon

Arkansas Hard Luck Blues by Lonnie Glosson

New Release!!!

This new disc sounds terrific - Billy Boy Arnold Sings Big Bill Broonzy!

First off, Billy Boy is a living legend on harp and vocals and a great friend of B1! Secondly, Big Bill Broonzy was one of the founders of the Old Town School of Folk Music! And lastly, check out the amazing lineup of talent on this recording:

Billy Boy, Vocals and harp
Eric Noden, Acoustic guitar, producer
Billy Flynn - Electric guitar, mandolin
Beau Sample - Acoustic bass
Rick Sherry - Washboard, percussion, clarinet


Class Notes

  • The next B1 Harmonica Recital at the Harlem Avenue Lounge will be May 12, 2012. Save the date and start working on your performance material. Sign up sheets will be due NEXT WEEK, April 23 and should definitely have your bio on them. Note too that Joe encourages you to make your song choice so that you're playing songs you "own" and can "perform". Come out ready to entertain!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew