Nina Simone

Nina Simone

Oil - 20X20

Nina at the piano

Oil - 20X20

Nina Simone sang a mix of jazz, blues and folk music. A civil rights activist, she wrote songs promoting the Civil Rights Movement.

In many ways, Simone's music defied standard definitions. Her classical training showed through, no matter what genre of song she played, and she drew from many sources including gospel, pop and folk. She was often called the "High Priestess of Soul," but she hated that nickname. She didn't like the label of "jazz singer", either. "If I had to be called something, it should have been a folk singer because there was more folk and blues than jazz in my playing"...

Let's go to Hell

Koko Taylor

"Queen of the Blues"

Koko Taylor got her nickname "Koko" for her love of chocolate.
Born in Tennessee in a sharecropper family, she started as a Gospel singer then soon came to the Blues.
She headed for Chicago in the 1950s where she met Willie Dixon.

She was signed by Chess records, performing songs such as "Wang Dang Doodle", "I Got what it takes" or "Love me to Death".

Listen to: Wang Dang Doodle

Johnny winter

Winter's own musical legacy began as a five-year-old playing clarinet in Beaumont, Texas. He continued on the instrument for four years but had to quit when an orthodontist informed the youth that he had a serious overbite.
So thank you Mr Orthodontist cause Johnny started playing ukulele and then guitar !!!

Here's a groovy rock song, no amazing guitar solo here, just good fun ...

Listen to: Ain't That Kindness

More Hooker and socks

 

.. Still crazy 'bout his socks... and the opportunity to post one more chilling song... with mean mean voice announcing I'm in the mood for LOVE baby... oooohhh !!!

Mississippi John Hurt

Mississippi John Hurt
The sweetiest man alive but...
No musician ever applied a gentler touch to songs of murder, sex, and salvation than Mississippi John Hurt

Born July 3, 1893, Hurt lived a quiet life as a farmer and laborer, playing occasional parties and fish fries until 1963. He was rediscovered in Avalon, a consequence of having named it as his hometown in a record made thirty-five years before. Hurt enjoyed great popularity during the blues revival of the 1960s, making television appearances, playing folk festivals, and recording albums. Exceptionally well liked by all who came in contact with him, he became the most famous of all the rediscovered 1920s bluesmen, eclipsing in his fame the celebrated Son House and Skip James.

Richland Woman Blues

Big Bill

Big Bill Broonzy (June 26, 1893 – August 15, 1958) was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly African-American audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound.

Listen to: Long Tall Mama

Stavin' Chain

 

.. Obscure folk blues but a few pictures full of soul... Wilson Jones aka Stavin' Chain... don't know much about him... some recordings for the Library of Congress but really low quality... Only for curious cats...
Scratch your ears !!!

Sonny Boy Williamson II

Aleck Ford Miller aka Rice Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II (he "stole" this name from Sonny Boy Williamson I who was one of the best known harmonica players at the time... sounds kinda crazy but maybe he was!!!)

Charismatic showman with great humour and one of the primary influences on modern blues harmonica...
Great figure of the King Biscuit radio show, he played with many blues artists and toured in Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival and English bands like the Yardbirds.
Some think of him as one of the most original and colorful poets of the blues and as one of the greatest harmonica players.
He wasn't the real bad guy but with serious booze problems... a dangerous man carrying weapons, with explosive temper and who could be nice and tender then burst into anger without warning...
Not someone you could really trust but "At least he didn't kill anybody!"(Nor I guess...)

Muddy Waters

Father of Chicago Blues, McKinley Morganfield aka Muddy Waters was a main influence for blues musicians and rockers as well.
His electrified delta blues bursted through the Chicago scene in the early 50's and hit everyone with powerful sound, massive slide attack, soulful voice and killer macho songs.
Paradoxically my favorite album is an acoustic one: Folksinger recorded in 1964... huge primitive sound, basic playing and tremendous voice. And my favorite song Good Morning Little Schoolgirl:
 

BoomBoom

 

Mister Boogie Chillun

Crawlin' King Snake

 

John Lee Hooker

 Detroit guitarist.

Hooker rarely played on a standard beat and could change tempo and chords in such an anarchic way, making it so hard for eventual backing musicians.
He recorded many songs alone playing guitar and foot-stomping on a wooden pallet. His style influenced many rock musicians from The Animals to the MC5 or ZZ Top.
Songs such as Boom Boom or Boogie Chillen became huge hits and were covered so many times.

Besides, I really like his socks.

Blues is the roots

.. "Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits" said Willy Dixon...such a wise man I guess... and a good synthetis of
today's american music.

Handyman for Chess records in the 50's, he acted as well as session musician, songwriter or producer and wrote many blues standards such as Little Red Rooster, My Babe or Ain't Supertitious.
He worked with the greatest from Muddy Waters to Howling Wolf and left such an imprint on modern blues.

Bedroom Blues

.. Mance Lipscomb I guess... but who was he playing for ?
Supercool blues: here's a song called "Take Me Back" (I first heard a Corey Harris's cover of this one) ...
Real soothing blues, sounds a bit like Mississippi John Hurt stuff...

JB Lenoir

JB Lenoir recorded one of my favourite acoustic albums: Alabama Blues

Sleepy John Estes

.. strange voice and blues poetry...

Bukka White

.. muddy bottleneck, rough blues and resonator guitar... back to the roots...

Hounddog Taylor

.. six fingers at each hand and a smile like a knife... sharp enough to cut one on a drunken night...




.. some good time music...

Howlin' Wolf

.. Chester Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf... deep chilling voice on tribal rhythms...


.. one of my favorite tracks from the London sessions...Who's been talking? ...

leadbelly

.. Huddie Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly... powerful singer and great figure of the blues...
playing a 12-string Stella loud and clear...


.. in the pastel above we can imagine him playing John Hardy: he recorded a version of this song with a button accordion... something strange and rather hypnotic...



listen to an extract of John Hardy by Leadbelly...