buddy of mine met RL once after a show. Had a 10 minute conversation with him. Except for something that sounded like, "that's excellent," he has no idea what RL said to him.
RL is a friend of mine. It's "blow" not "blows" and "ring" (or more like "rang") not "rings".
I once took a bunch of state department tourists out to hear RL and Jr Kimbrough. RL started telling stories (he's one of the all-time great old-fashioned story tellers, telling stories with 150+ traditions like "Signifying Monkey") and I found myself doing simultaneous translation from RL's English to the European visitor's English.
The closest I've come to an experience like that was when Honeyboy Edwards played and told stories after a screening of a film about Robert Johnson. But that's not quite the same. How the hell did you come to be friends with RL Burnside?
R.L. was born about 15 miles from where I am sitting and lives about 40 miles from here. I've known him for years.
Weirder still, I was at a screening of a movie purported to be about Johnson at which Honeyboy Edwards was in attendance. It was in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at a conference on Robert Johnson. Someone had claimed that a bit of old film footage was RJ in press reports just before the conference; the film was a blues player on a street in Ruleville MS. Just before the conference, I got hold of a copy and saw at the end a movie poster in the background-- "Blues in the Night."
From 1941 or 42 (I forget which).
Well after Johnson's death.
I was one of the folks on the stage saying it wasn't Johnson. Robert Lockwood (who learned guitar from Johnson when Johnson was seeing Lockwood's mom) said it most memorably: "I don't care how many times you show that, it still won't be Robert Johnson."
Not sure if that's the one Honeyboy was talking about-- he's in several documentaries about Johnson. I highly recommend his memoir, btw.
Can't You Hear the Wind Howl is a decent account of Johnson.
You should be able to see Honeyboy pretty regularly; aren't you in Chicago?
You're right that this all may be passing by-- the scene in North Mississippi has declined a lot in the last 15 years, with the death of a lot of important remaining figures (Frank Frost, Jr. Kimbrough) and the last actual prewar players still in the area (Eugene Powell, Jack Owens) , although there's still great blues to be heard-- check out Willie King.
I was just about to ask you for recommendations. I'm listening to Willie King now (thanks Real Rhapsody!). Any good recent acoustic blues? Good young guys to watch?
Alvin Youngblood Hart when he's in the mood to play acoustic is brilliant. His recordings are somewhat variable--you need to see him live, probably, although I like his records.
The problem with acoustic blues is that it's not how it's played in any part of the black community-- if you want to hear how the music is played to its original audience, it's electric and much more r&b or soul-like except in the most rural jukes like the one Willie plays in.
Here's a small brag-- Willie King was the band at my wedding reception year before last.
buddy of mine met RL once after a show. Had a 10 minute conversation with him. Except for something that sounded like, "that's excellent," he has no idea what RL said to him.
Posted by bg | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 3:58 PM
Now that made me laugh. I wonder what Mr. Burnside thought of the conversation.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 4:00 PM
Considering the inebriation of my friend, RL's experience was probably similar. Or at least that's how I prefer to imagine it.
Posted by bg | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 5:52 PM
RL is a friend of mine. It's "blow" not "blows" and "ring" (or more like "rang") not "rings".
I once took a bunch of state department tourists out to hear RL and Jr Kimbrough. RL started telling stories (he's one of the all-time great old-fashioned story tellers, telling stories with 150+ traditions like "Signifying Monkey") and I found myself doing simultaneous translation from RL's English to the European visitor's English.
Posted by TomF | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 7:49 PM
Now that is supercool. Thanks Tom!
The closest I've come to an experience like that was when Honeyboy Edwards played and told stories after a screening of a film about Robert Johnson. But that's not quite the same. How the hell did you come to be friends with RL Burnside?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 7:57 PM
R.L. was born about 15 miles from where I am sitting and lives about 40 miles from here. I've known him for years.
Weirder still, I was at a screening of a movie purported to be about Johnson at which Honeyboy Edwards was in attendance. It was in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at a conference on Robert Johnson. Someone had claimed that a bit of old film footage was RJ in press reports just before the conference; the film was a blues player on a street in Ruleville MS. Just before the conference, I got hold of a copy and saw at the end a movie poster in the background-- "Blues in the Night."
From 1941 or 42 (I forget which).
Well after Johnson's death.
I was one of the folks on the stage saying it wasn't Johnson. Robert Lockwood (who learned guitar from Johnson when Johnson was seeing Lockwood's mom) said it most memorably: "I don't care how many times you show that, it still won't be Robert Johnson."
Not sure if that's the one Honeyboy was talking about-- he's in several documentaries about Johnson. I highly recommend his memoir, btw.
Posted by TomF | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:16 PM
Damn. They are the last of the great old bluesmen. And people are still making up stories about Robert Johnson.
The screening I attended was in Chicago, and it was this film, I'm pretty sure.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:27 PM
Can't You Hear the Wind Howl is a decent account of Johnson.
You should be able to see Honeyboy pretty regularly; aren't you in Chicago?
You're right that this all may be passing by-- the scene in North Mississippi has declined a lot in the last 15 years, with the death of a lot of important remaining figures (Frank Frost, Jr. Kimbrough) and the last actual prewar players still in the area (Eugene Powell, Jack Owens) , although there's still great blues to be heard-- check out Willie King.
Posted by TomF | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:33 PM
Used to live in Chicago. No longer.
I was just about to ask you for recommendations. I'm listening to Willie King now (thanks Real Rhapsody!). Any good recent acoustic blues? Good young guys to watch?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:36 PM
Alvin Youngblood Hart when he's in the mood to play acoustic is brilliant. His recordings are somewhat variable--you need to see him live, probably, although I like his records.
The problem with acoustic blues is that it's not how it's played in any part of the black community-- if you want to hear how the music is played to its original audience, it's electric and much more r&b or soul-like except in the most rural jukes like the one Willie plays in.
Here's a small brag-- Willie King was the band at my wedding reception year before last.
Posted by TomF | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:44 PM
Here's a small brag-- Willie King was the band at my wedding reception year before last.
That's a big brag! That's almost worth getting married for ;)
Now listening to Hart (Big Mama's Door), and already I'm mesmerized. Thanks.
And I didn't know that about electric/acoustic. Great, even the blues have passed me by.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 8:50 PM
even the blues have passed me by
How long will it be until someone posts a blues couplet incorporating this line?
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 9:01 PM
I've been down so long
Even the blues have passed me by
I've been down so long
Even the blues have passed me by
Time to take my rest
But I'm too old to die.
Does that count?
Too bad we don't have timestamps.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 9:08 PM
getting awfully close to Robert Johnson here--
"Nobody seemed to know me, everybody passed me by."
Posted by TomF | Link to this comment | 02- 7-05 9:14 PM