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1. PERFORMANCE NOTES

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Procedure: Integrate sample landmark songs/artists and sample riffs as well as references to the Blues Timeline handout to accompany the following comments:

Popular music over the last 100 years has been driven by the blues & C/W (white guys' blues).
Woven into all forms of pop, folk, gospel, jazz, rock, country.
Many form variations -- many great riffs and rhythms

Over the past 50 years we've enjoyed playing a wide variety of styles and genres:
rock 'n' roll, country, big band, folk, western, old time, rock, bluegrass,
pop, gospel, country rock, originals, cajun . . .  and every combination of the above. . .

but we keep returning to the music that forms the bedrock of so many of the music styles we enjoy
. . . the Blues.

My first influences, when I started to learn guitar and songs back in the '50s,
were largely blues-based, although I didn't realize it at the time.

I grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies -- not exactly the heart of black blues culture.
I didn't have access to the records or airplay of the blues greats
but the music on the records I played day and night owed a great deal to
. . . the Blues.

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Two Bridges to Blues Roots for me were
Elvis and Sam Phillips' Sun Records artists from Memphis and
Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Band from the UK in the '50s.

. . .  these and many more of their songs were . . . the Blues.

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Elvis's success launched the birth of a music form that would change the world: rock & roll.
This "new" music form was really just a fusion of blues, country and gospel.
Indeed the main criticisms of this new R&R music were actually of
the elements that make a good blues song or performance:

simple chord structure and words,

repetitive lyrics and hooks,

heavy backbeat

"muh babee dun me wrong" themes,

racy lyrics full of double entendres,

many references to street life (booze, drugs, sex, sin)

slurred southern accents,

slang and bad grammar,

over-reliance on distorted guitars and pounding pianos,

singer-penned lyrics,

gospel/blues screams,

suggestive body movements,

sometimes far out clothing styles

gospel choruses. . .

all characteristics that every blues aficionado looks for in . . . the Blues.

My music listening marathons, guitar practice sessions and
record-buying frenzy now branched out to encompass a wildly eclectic mix of performers
-- but the fuel that propelled most of the music created by these artists was
. . . the Blues:

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The other major influence at this time came from the UK:
Lonnie Donegan and Skiffle Music
This Scottish singer became obsessed with American blues records --
even old blues artist Lonnie Johnson inspired Donegan to adopt the first name Lonnie.
He had a string of hit records and sold-out concert appearances
based on American blues songs instilled with a British music hall and folk flavour:
Inspired a whole generation to take up guitar -
and was a big influence on the birth of Rock n Roll --
many Brits including the Beatles -- acknowledge Donegan and the skiffle craze -- and Elvis.
Skiffle: washboard, tea chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, comb and paper, guitar, banjo
a sort of jug band style having beginnings in 1900s in US
but revived by Chris Barber's Trad Band
Lonnie the banjo player did a vocal and it became a great hit
Soon Skiffle groups all over the UK including the Quarrymen (Beatles)

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Added to the mix was a long parade of recordings by:

Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and the Comets, all the Rock-a-Billy guys, a whole parade of one-hit-wonders, Louis Armstrong, Paul Whiteman, Jimmie Rodgers, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, the Staples Family, Lonnie Mack, Bob Dylan and many of the artists from the folk craze.

When the British Invasion with The Stones, Beatles, Animals, et al arrived it started to dawn on general audiences . . . and myself . . . that the driving force behind so much of the popular music we had been listening to since the mid-'50s was
. . . the Blues.

Largely unrecognized old blues singers, many of whom had spent a lifetime living a hand-to-mouth existence on the road or playing dingy juke joints came out of relative obscurity or retirement to receive long overdue recognition, and, in some cases, to salvage some of the royalty payments that had been denied them for so many years. The world had finally recognized an important roots music
. . . the Blues.

REFS: Galaxie Blues on Cable ~ Satellite Radio ~ Internet Downloads ~ Many CD compilations ~ Many small clubs

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SO. . .
My two bridges to Blues Roots were:
Elvis and Sam Phillips' Sun Records artists from Memphis and
Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Band from the UK in the '50s.

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2. SAMPLE SONGS AND PLAYING STYLES

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SUN RECORDS GUITAR PRIMER
Walk the Line/Folsom ~ CGF ~ LUTHER Runs  and Damping ~ First Guitar Lessons
    Sun Records Johnny Cash first major hit ~ Luther lesson ~ Walk the Line movie
That's All Right Mama: ~ E ~ FINGER-STYLE E
    Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup wrote and recorded in 1946. RCA's first R&B 45 rpm single in 1948.
    Not a hit until Elvis recorded it as his first record in summer 1954 at Sun Studios
    Scotty Moore on lead -- Bill Black Bass (Bill Black Combo) ~ Elvis on rhythm
    Blue Moon of Kentucky -- Bill Monroe Bluegrass BANJO G
FOLSOM PRISON BLUES ~ E ~ Cash updated ~ I combine Damping/Finger/Rhythm

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Lawdy Miss Clawdy ~ A ~ HIGH CHUG STRIP
Elvis First album ~ 1952 Lloyd Price ~ done by scores after Elvis ~
        Rhythm used by Bill Black Combo later STICK BEAT  E

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You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog ~ A ~ HEAVY SLOW CHUGGIN
    Second great hit "Big Mama" Willie Mae Thornton 1953 Johnny Otis band
    - by Leiber & Stoller - covered by Janis Joplin ~ Also her other big song - Ball and Chain

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Hootchie Kootchie Man ~ A ~ STRIPPER BEAT  ~ STRING BENDS
    Willie Dixon song - Muddy Waters hit

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SKIFFLE & DONEGAN
Rock Island Line: ~ E ~ LUTHER & FAST STROKE
      Leadbelly -- Donegan ~ A Cash early recordings on Sun records Luther Guitar riff - tempo - talking blues
      (Midnight Special  ~ E ~ Leadbelly song ~ Donegan hit ~ Also CCR)
How Long Blues   ~ E ~ SLOW BOOGIE  segue to Guitar Boogie ~ Donegan ~ Leroy Carr 1929

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    (Reconsider Baby ~ E ~ SLOW BERRY)
    1954 Lowell Fulson recording ~ Elvis comeback album after army
    Wild dirty Boots Randolph Sax solo and Elvis on great Rhythm

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What'd I Say ~ E ~ SYNCHO CLAW
    Ray Charles - Gospel influenced "call and response style" electric piano -
    came out of an improv - covered by almost all the Sun artists

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Hi-Heeled Sneakers  ~ C ~ NEWBEAT
    1964 Tommy Tucker - even covered by Dale Hawkins
    Riff - New Beats ~ evolve into faster Slow Down

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Slow Down  ~ C ~ FAST DOWN STROKE C  ~ Larry Williams 1958 ~  Beatles Cover

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    (Suzie-Q  ~E ~ CLAW RIFF TOMS)
    Dale Hawkins ~ James Burton Tele player later with Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Emmylou Harris

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My Babe ~ D ~ DROP D TUNING
Willie Dixon 1955

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Circle Be Unbroken ~ G ~ GOSPEL ROCK HAND CLAP ~ SMOKE
    Gospel Root of much -Much cross over -- many got start in gospel
    Southern Baptist -church singing - handclapping

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SOME JAM SONGS

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FOLSOM PRISON BLUES
LONG BLACK VEIL
SMOKE ON WATER
BEFORE YOU ‘CUSE ME   A
AIN’T THAT LOVIN’ YOU BABY  E
ANYWAY YOU WANT ME "GOIN' UP GOIN' DOWN"  E A
BRING IT ON HOME  F
TROUBLE IN MIND  F  E
FEVER
PUKATAWALKIN’ BLUES  E
ALBERTA / 9 POUND HAMMER
RISING SUN
MATCHBOX / FLIP FLOP & FLY
BONEY MARONY
MONEY
PETER GUNN / GREEN ONIONS / HONKY TONK
SEA CRUISE
SPAIN
WALK RIGHT BACK

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3. EQUIPMENT USED IN THE DEMO

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GUITARS
Fender Telecaster - old standard  - 1964 pre-CBS - solidbody - one of first electrics
Fender Telecaster - Thinline - early '70s - two humbucking pickups - hollow cavity
Fender Telcaster - new J-5 signature model - hum bridge & standard tele pup neck
. . . See CD insert for others in the collection