The 2009 Blues Foundation Music Awards are coming up soon. I love the announcements and exposure for the blues and always find a few new tunes and musicians by combing through their nominees. My favorites are always the new acoustic blues I find so I’m happy to be able to share with you the 2009 Acoustic Album of the Year Nominees. And the winners are:
Mountain Men was formed when a guitar playing Mr. Mat from France and harmonica playing Barefoot Iano from Australia joined forces in 2005. Their first album “Mat with Iano - Mountain Men” was released in October 2005 and when the stock was depleted they decided not to re-release because their style was evolving so quickly. However, you can get still get it directly from Barefoot Iano’s website. I’ve been waiting for their new release for a while now but I just can’t hold back on sharing this music any longer. Check this out:
Whew - now I bet there’s a few of us waiting for that new album to be released. The album was due to be released in spring of 2009 so I’m hoping it will be any day now.
For those who can’t understand the“Mr Mat …. Mountain Men” Myspace.com page (it is in French), I can tell you that the duo states they draw on influences of the pioneers of blues including Robert Johnson, Son House, Charlie Patton and Skip James as well as new bluesmen including Keb Mo’ and Eric Bibb. Thats a fine list of influences and I have to respect the fact they mentioned this list of people in particular. The styles and sounds can be heard through out everything I’ve heard by them.
While you and I may not have heard much from these people I can tell you that those who have been aware of them have paid them the recognition they deserve. Mr. Mat … Mountain Men went from meeting in 2005; recording in 2005; wining the band challenge at the 2006 Blues Sur Seine festival in France; invited to perform at the 2007 Montréal Festiblues and then represented France in in the Blues Foundation 2008 “International Blues Challenge”. That’s a pretty impressive progression from from 2005 to 2008. I can’t wait to hear their new album and I’ll be sure to announce it to everyone so stay tuned.
Being an acoustic guitar blues musician and fan myself I am in awe of Mr. Mat’s playing and vocals so I’ll leave you here with this solo performance:
I’m pretty fascinated by the banjo and the blues. Steve Martin used to joke about it - you can read up on my banjo musing here. When you think of Piedmont blues you can sort of imagine the link with banjo playing and the blues but, when you listen to Gary Davis even on his guitar you’ll really see the connection. Check this out:
The Reverend Gary Davis brings a unique style to the blues which has inspired at least six books that I know of. He has been praised by such greats as Taj Mahal and Bob Weir and said to influence the likes of Gerry Garcia and gave lessons to Ry Cooder. Gary Davis songs have been recorded by Jackson Browne and Bob Dylan to name but two. Whats also impressive about Reverend Gary Davis is the way he preserved the gift of his music not only by leaving a legacy of recordings but by giving instruction to so many. It was said that he gave lessons that could last all day and in his later years even re-recorded some of his early material for the benefit of future students. You have to love that!
Here are some previews of songs by Reverand Gary Davis.
There aren’t that many banjo playing blues players around and that makes Reverend Gary Davis’ contribution all the more valuable. I think the man knew he had something to give and I hope you’ve enjoyed this little bit that I am able to pass on. For more information on Reverand Gary Davis see http://www.reverendgarydavis.com/.
Steve Martin used to joke about it how you can’t play a sad song on the banjo. Then he’d play a stereotypical sad blues tune on the banjo and crack everyone up. At the time I remember joking about banjo blues with friends. The joke was on me though. In fact the banjo is a blues instrument and the sound can be beautiful and mournful at the same time.
Robert Palmer’s excellent book Deep Blues documents the instrument and the word banjo back to an African tribe known as the Wolof. The Wolof people were commonly captured as slaves and brought to the southern United State in the days of the slave trade and were a great influence in the evolution of southern music. Palmer also documents other influential instruments brought over from Africa as well as the fact the guitar did not come into common use for blues until the 1920s. Before then and especially early in the evolution of the blues the banjo was a much more commonly heard instrument.
For the history buff here is an excellent video by Mike Seeger showing what those early banjos looked and sounded like.
I don’t want to start the ongoing debate regarding frailing vs clawhammer style playing but suffice to say that playing the banjo’s drone string in a driving rhythmic style, or alternating bass note picking, and plucking of the other strings in a finger picking style are common techniques in acoustic blues that may be inherited from the banjo influence on the blues.
Unfortunately there are a limited number of banjo picking blues players but Reverend Gary Davis was good enough to leave a legacy of recordings so sit back and enjoy these previews courtesy of Amazon.com
Blind Lemon Jefferson was born in Coutchman, Texas, in July 1897 to the best of anyone’s knowledge Lemon was actually his real name and he was born blind. Jefferson supported himself and possibly a family playing his own compositions on the street corners of Dallas. It must have been wonderful to stroll along the street and hear such amazing talent.
Jefferson recorded with Paramount Records making 79 records but it was his brief stint with Okeh Records that resulted in “Black Snake Moan”, “See that My Grave is Kept Clean” and “Matchbox Blues” which are his most memorable recordings.
Not much more is really known about Blind Lemon Jefferson except for his significant influence on musicians that followed. Leadbelly recorded “Blind Lemon Blues” in honor of their friendship and Blind Lemon may well have been the reason Lightin’ Hopkins appeared on the blues scene. Lemon is said to have personally encouraged a young (8 year old) Sam Hopkin’s. Credit is also given to Blind Lemon for influencing future greats including Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith.
Here is a little MP3 widget to give you a taste of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s talents.
