Musical Ramblings

Sväng Rocks !

Just discovered this Finnish harmonica quartet called Sväng. Awesome. This is a medley, so make sure you watch through all of it!

MMM#2: Junior Wells

Okay, it's Wednesday morning. So sue me.

But not before you've listened to this awesome and touching version of Worried Life Blues by Junior Wells (he calls it Oh Lordy, Lord). I've left the banter in, it's so Junior Wells. This is from a 1966 gig with the Myers Brothers on guitar and bass and Fred Below on drums.

What I love about this track is how wonderfully laid back it is. Worried Life Blues (a song originally "did" by Big Maceo, as Junior puts it) is often sung in an anguished manner, but not in this instance. Instead, Junior makes it sound like a man who's resigned to his fate, which is - if anything - even sadder. Junior's voice is rich and warm, very moving. Louis Myers' guitar is the epitome of great blues guitar, before it became about showing off. Simple lines, wonderful tone.

You can find a different yet equally delightful version of Worried Life Blues on Junior Wells' Coming at You.

As you will have noticed, I've decided to drop the grid for now, I find it a little clumsy and it cramps my spontaneity. I'll have to give that a rethink.

Stevie Wonder's Harmonica

The News & Observer published a great article by David Menconi about the legendary Stevie Wonder which focuses particularly on his harmonica playing. It's entitled Harmonica of Wonder. Speaking of Stevie Wonder, do you know For Once in My Life? Click below and you will.

Temporary Indisposition...

If you've tried to access any of the podcasts recently, you may have found out that you couldn't any more. That's because the files were hosted on a friend's server with ample bandwidth, and that server has just been cut off indefinetely. I will secure server space within the next few days.

Meanwhile, I apologise for the inconvenience...

Madcat in Rio

This is normally the kind of blues instrumentals that I find boring these days, but there's something electrifying in Madcat's playing - and his stage presence - that brings a smile to my face.

Rediscovering Led Zeppelin

In a way, I guess I always dismissed Led Zeppelin as just another blues rock band. I know it sounds anathema when said like that, but it took me ten years since I first heard a Zeppelin album to "get it". On the surface, one of the things that displeased me was Plant's voice, I can't quite figure out why now. I think a deeper reason, looking back, is that I was going through my whole discovery of blues over these years and it was easy and hip to see Led Zeppelin as a derivative band.

A couple of weeks back I purchased their new compilation boxed set Mothership and I've been listening to the two CDs collecting ten years of carreer quite a bit since then. Obviously, it's the very definition of a good compilation that it tends to focus on the most interesting stuff (bad compilations focus on the most popular stuff, but in this case, I'm not sure there's a difference). Page's sound on Communication Breakdown, the heavy, somber bass line at the front of Dazed and Confused, the stunning guitar on Since I've Been Lovin' You, the powerfully mean drum backbeat on When the Levee Breaks, Plant's alternately delicate and forceful vocals on Nobody's Fault but Mine... None of this is derivative!

How could I have missed that for so long ?

Milteau Youtube Channel

As one of my readers pointed out last week, JJ Milteau has opened a Youtube Channel, featuring concert videos but also little tunes filmed solo on the road (quite literally). There are nine vids up there now, but no doubt more will come up soon. This one is - to me - one of the most representative of Milteau's current mastery of tone. It's romantic as hell, and I still love it. That's saying something!

MMM#1 - Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

Starting this monday I'm launching a new feature on this blog called Monday Morning Music. Each monday morning, I'll upload one track from a bootleg just to share some good music. In addition, I will put to good use the matrix I theorised about a year ago that I called the body analogy. I think it's much more relevant as applied to single tracks rather than whole albums, let me know what you think.

This monday morning, the music is Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Karl Denson is a wonderful jazz saxophonist, flautist and singer from the west coast whose work has been in the acid jazz / funk arena for over a decade. He plays with the renowned Greyboy Allstars, but also heads his own band called Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. KDTU as they are often called only has one album out, the excellent The Bridge.

Check out your mind is featured on that album. I think it's a Miles Davis cover, although I've never heard the original. One of the things I love about this song is the way Denson uses the flute, kinda romantic at the beginning - which gives it its heart (1) - but the song builds up gradually and, as it picks up intensity, it's now coming from the bottom, hence the guts (2). The long and intricate guitar solo is both powerful and a little brainy, hence head (1). But overall, the song grooves as hell, which is why it's highest rating is legs (3).

Joe Powers and JJ Milteau play together at Utopia

Wish I coulda been there...

Harmonica Hero!

An advert for the upcoming video game Harmonica Hero, modelled on the hit success Guitar Hero ! Yeah !