I’ve been listening to Let It Bleed extensively this week. The recording is several decades old but holds up amazingly well.
The recording I am drawn to the most on Let It Bleed is the blues classic by Robert Johnson, “Love In Vain”. A haunting song about a love that is just out of reach.
“We changed the arrangement quite a lot from Robert Johnson’s. We put in extra chords that aren’t there on the Robert Johnson version. Made it more country. And that’s another strange song, because it’s very poignant. Robert Johnson was a wonderful lyric writer, and his songs are quite often about love, but they’re desolate.” – Mick Jagger, 1995
The Rolling Stones have always honored the blues since their very early days as teenagers. Mick Jagger spoke about his dedication and love of the blues at the “In Performance at the White House” last week.
Jagger told the audience about loving the blues from an early age, when he often saw Sonny Boy Williamson perform in England. The harmonica player, he said, took note of the blues-loving young bands like the Rolling Stones: “Those English boys, they want to play the blues real bad,” he said. “And they do – real bad.”
The Apollo Theater in Harlem has been the showcase venue of late. The blues are getting the much due respect and attention it deserves as is rock and roll.
Howlin’ for Hubert
Last month, on the evening of February 24th, there was an event held that honored the late blues great Hubert Sumlin.
The evening was a benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America, which supports 6,000 musician emergency cases each year. A fund has now been established in Hubert’s name which will help jazz and blues legends in crisis. It was Hubert’s wish that no musician need to go through what he did – die in poverty due to lack of health care.
One look at this poster shows you why this was the hottest ticket in town last month.
From what I have read around the Web and watched on YouTube there were several great collaborative sets. The collaboration that pleased me the most was James Cotton on the mouth harp, Eric Clapton on guitar and Keith Richards on guitar, handling the vocals on Spoonful. It was Richards’ first major musical performance since the last Rolling Stones tour ended five years ago.
Robert Johnson at 100
Next Tuesday, March 6th, the Apollo hosts the event, Robert Johnson at 100. A musical tribute to Robert Johnson with various artists celebrating his 100th birthday. This special evening is a fundraiser to assist with the building of the Blues Hall of Fame by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Robert Johnson at 100 tribute at the Apollo Theater March 6 will include Macy Gray, Chuck D, Living Colour, James Blood Ulmer, Savion Glover, Pedrito Martinez Group, Otis Taylor, Sarah Dash, Dough Rollers, Sugar Blue, The Harlem Blues Choir, and The Rev. Steven Johnson, grandson of Robert Johnson. They’re joining previously announced artists The Roots, Shemekia Copeland, Bettye LaVette, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Sam Moore and Todd Rundgren. Directed by Joe Morton, the night will be led by Musical Director Steve Jordan and special guest Jeffrey Wright.
“Robert Johnson’s story is the fabric of myth,” comments producer Joe Morton. “His music continues to weave its way, beyond the blues, into and through almost every other popular genre today. Our concert is a celebration of the man, the myth, and the omnipresent influence of his music.
Later on the same week on Friday March 9th, in celebration of its tenth anniversary, SiriusXM Radio presents Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live in concert at the Apollo Theater, performing songs from the forthcoming albumWrecking Ball. The concert airs live nationwide on Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio, Channel 20.
This show is exclusive to Sirius XM subscribers only (which we are…). Due to finances and situation we are limited to listening to the broadcast on SiriusXM. But we doubt the show will have any limitations that night
Guy Davis is a venerable, hard-working blues artist. He just self-released his newest CD, The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues.
“There is no tale so tall I cannot tell it, nor song so sweet I cannot sing it.” Guy Davis
The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues features a number of Guy Davis original compositions, as well as songs by such blues icons as Robert Johnson, Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy. The album is a “road story” in the truest sense. Guy Davis performs the stories and songs in character as “Fishy Waters,” who traveled throughout the south meeting a host of vivid characters and creating a lasting impression that is at times humorous and playful, at others mysterious and sometimes intensely powerful
The Adventures Of Fishy Waters: In Bed With The Blues is a story containing several smaller stories: a mixture of stories, tall tales and music. The subjects are survivors, not victims. The culture is Black. The music is Blues. The message is human.
Order your copy and your name will go into a drawing for the Grand Prize: two tickets to see Guy do that very same show live at the Crossroad’s Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ, on a date of your choice! The show runs the last two weekends of February.
Your order must be received by midnight on January 30th in order to be entered in the drawing.
You can purchase Guy Davis’s CD, The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues here.
It was a privilege to witness Todd Rundgren and his band live in concert last night at Infinity Hall in the beautiful hills of Northwestern Connecticut. The mountain night air was a pleasurably cool 65 degrees added to with a slight breeze.
Rosemary and I had another marvelous meal at the Infinity Bistro. You owe it to yourself to dine there before the show, the food is top notch. We took our usual seats in the mezzanine overlooking the concert hall and stage.
This 300 seat venue has great acoustics. The sold out audience was filled with devout Todd Rundgren fans, many of whom knew each other, which added to the ambiance of the evening
Todd suffered from a head cold due to air conditioning exposure but like the wizard and true star he is he soldiered on admirably with a well structured two hour performance.
Todd was very animated, dancing and jumping about. I enjoyed his guitar work.
You will find more Todd Rundgren concert photos here on Flickr.
SetList – To the best of my ability as I don’t know Todd’s catalog as well as I should….yet…;)
1. Real Man
2. Love of the Common Man
3. Buffalo Grass
4. Robert Johnson song…
5. Determination
6. Lucky Guy
7. Can We Still Be Friends?
8. Love Is the Answer
9. Espresso (All Jacked Up) – Thank you @NearlyHuman
10.It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
11. Drive
12.Flaw
13. Whatever Happened
14. Medley: 1)I’m So Proud
15. 2)Ooh baby, baby
16. 3) Sha la la Means I Love you
17. I Want You
18. When the Shit Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd
19. I Saw the Light
Encore
20. Hello It’s Me
21. A Dream Goes on Forever
The 
