Blues, Bluegrass, and Beyond: April 2013

Saturday, April 20, 2013

St. James Infirmary Blues on Piano

Sheet Music. Photo Original

Another mournful folk song similar to The House of the Rising Sun would be St. James Infirmary Blues. St. James Infirmary is another sad song depicting a drunken gambler who is forlorn due to the loss of the woman he loved in a hospital named St. James. Much like The House of the Rising Sun, St. James Infirmary Blues is the product of an 18th century English folk-song, possibly a Joe Primrose. The original version of this song was named The Unfortunate Rake, and occasionally, The Unfortunate Lad, and The Young Man Cut Down in his Prime. The early rendition of this tune discussed the life of an English soldier who frittered his money away on alcohol and prostitutes. The song ends when the soldier dies due to complications of a venereal disease. When the song migrated to America, the tune instead dealt with the loss of a significant other or one's own struggle with gambling and alcohol addiction. Strangely, however, the song, St. James Infirmary Blues was named after an English leprosy hospital in London that closed its doors in 1532. During the 1800's the song would be transcribed in different ways, played in major and minor keys, and even evolved into songs such a The Streets of Laredo.

Click here to listen to Louis Armstrong's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Cab Calloway's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Arlo Guthrie's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Eric Clapton's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Joe Cocker's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Doc Watson's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Click here to listen to Hugh Laurie's version of St. James Infirmary Blues.

Since 1900, the song has been recorded dozens of times by famous musicians. The song has also adapted a certain tonality that each musician tweaks and augments to fit their own style. The first known recording of St. James Infirmary Blues was by Louis Armstrong in 1928. Since then the song has been recorded by legends such as Cab Calloway, Bessie Smith, Son House, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Hank Williams Junior, Jerry Lee Lewis, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Eric Clapton, Doc Watson, Van Morrison, James Booker, Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, Joe Cocker, Danny Barker, Jerry Reed, and many others. Recently, the song has been recorded by Hugh Laurie and in February of 2012 was played by Trombone Shorty, and Booker T. Jones as an instrumental version at the "Red, White, and Blue" concert at the White House in Washington D.C. Below, check out my piano version of this song and St. James Infirmary lyrics.

St. James Infirmary Blues Lyrics

It was down in Old Joe's barroom,
On the corner by the square,
Drinks were being served as usual,
And a goodly crowd was there.

When up steped old joe McGuinny
His eyes were bloodshot red,
As he poured himself more wiskey,
This is what he said:

I went down to the St. James Infirmary,
I saw my baby there,
Streched out on a cold white table,
So sweet, so cold, so fair.

So Let her go, let her go, God bless her,
Wherever she may be,
She may search this wide world over,
but she'll never find a sweet man like me.

There are sixteen cold black horses,
Hitched to her rubber tired hack,
There are seven women goin' to that graveyard,
and only six of 'em are coming back.

When I die, want you to dress me in straght laced shoes,
A box back coat and a Stetson hat,
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain,
So the boys know I died standin' pat.

I want six crap-shooters for my pall bearers,
And a chorus girl to sing me a song,
Put a jazz band on my hearse wagon,
Just to raise hell as we roll along.

Now that you'v heard my story,
pour me one more shot of booze,
And if anyone comes askin' about me,
Tell 'em I got, Saint James Infirmary blues.

The House of the Rising Sun - A Stride and Swing Blues Piano Version

Piano Keys with Metronome and A-Style Mandolin. Photo Original

Today, I would like to share my stride and swing/blues version of The House of the Rising Sun with the world. Stride and Swing is one of my favorite genres of music to play on piano. Stride and swing is a type of early jazz. It was the next generational step of the ragtime genre hailing from the early 20th century. Unlike ragtime however, stride and swing was heavily influenced by blues roots and gospel. During the 1920's and 1930's, stride and swing was at its height in popularity in the growing cities of New York and Chicago. This style of music developed in traditionally black areas such as Harlem, New York. During the Harlem Renaissance, legendary pianists such James P. Johnson, Thomas "Fats" Waller, and Art Tatum, to name just a few, developed the stride and swing genre from blues, ragtime, and their own musical acumen. These musicians integrated with other legends of the time such as Bessie Smith, "Dizzy" Gillespie, and Cab Calloway. The genre of Stride and Swing later led to the Big Band music of the 1940's, and served as an inspiration to many future pianists such as Little Richard, Ray Charles, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Eventually, stride and swing would also serve as a forerunner to Boogie Woogie and modern 4-beat jazz.

Click here To check out a book that teaches stride and swing playing styles.

Piano Keys. Photo Original.

Stride and swing, like its earlier relative, ragtime, is rhythmic, percussive, and usually features a driving beat. Stride and swing left-hand accompaniments usually incorporate a single bass note, or bass octave or tenth, followed by a chord, while the right hand plays syncopated melody lines with blues based embellishments, fill patterns, and riffs. Much of Stride and swing isn't written in sheet music. Stride and swing pianists often would play popular music in stride style. Sadly, since many of these pianists would improvise when playing, sheet music for their songs has never been transcribed.

Lately, as I had mentioned above, I crafted my own stride and swing rendition of The House of the Rising Sun. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this song is probably over 200 years old. Originating from 16th century England, the song has notoriously told the story of a destitute woman. Other versions of the song depict a brothel to which there is no escape. The song was revamped in the early 20th century in the southeastern United States, now featuring a new setting in New Orleans. The song has been played and recorded by blues, bluegrass, rock n'roll, country, jazz, and metal artists alike. Therefore I decided to share my stride and swing version of the famous tune on this site. Check out the video and sheet music I have posted below.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Fishman Loudbox Artist Acoustic Amplifier Review

Click here to visit Fishman's website.

Acoustic instrument amplifiers are a breed apart in comparison with their cousins designed to amplify electric instruments. Today, I want to discuss the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier, but before I do, let's learn a little about amplifiers in general.

The Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Photo Original.

Learning about amplifiers can be a complicated business. There are countless different types of amplifiers, and the list of differences between them could stretch on indefinitely. For the sake of attempting to keep this site interesting, we will only discuss the differences between amplifiers designed for musical instruments. Amplifiers were first used to increase the decibel level of music in concert halls. Since concert halls were large drafty facilities, amplifiers helped to spread the music onstage all throughout the facility. Until the 1990's, amplifiers functioned using horn-loaded bass bins. As the new millennium approached, amplifiers were manufactured to include sub-woofers for main sound projection. Today amplifiers could be broken down into a few categories:

Click here to check out the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier.

Standard Amps- Standard amplifiers such as the Fender "tweed" style and Gibson amps can include tube amplifiers and built-in reverb and vibrato units. These type of amplifiers were created during the 1940's and were used with much success throughout the 1950's and 1960's. Today, these amplifiers are the perfect choice for blues and slide guitarists, country musicians, soft rock artists, and Rockabilly musicians. This amplifier is also perfect for harmonica players, traditional rock musicians, and anyone who wants to create a classic or 1950's sound.

A Gibson Combo Amplifier. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Amplifiers- Hard rock and heavy metal amplifiers are designed for, as the title suggests, hard rock and heavy metal music. These amplifiers can also be useful to Southern Rock musicians. Featuring either tube amplifiers or transistor amplifiers these amplifiers are powerhouses for gain, distortion, and loud noise effects. These amplifiers can be kept in cabinets, and have been used by famous musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. One of the main producers of hard rock and heavy metal amplifiers is Marshall.

A Mesa-Boogie Mark IV Amplifier. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

Bass Amplifiers- Bass amplifiers are designed for bass guitars and upright basses. Typically, these amplifiers include 12 or 18 inch speakers, and may produce pitches of 40 Hz. Larger and more powerful bass amplifiers of 300 or more watts often are provided with external metal heat sinks and fans to keep the amplifier cool.

An "Orange" Brand Bass Speaker Cabinet. Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

Acoustic Amplifiers- Acoustic amplifiers are best suited to folk, bluegrass, and acoustic genres of music. Theses amplifiers are usually used in conjunction with acoustic/electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, accordions, and other acoustic instruments. A hefty power supply of 100 or more watts helps these amplifiers create a "clean" sound. Normally built using class D amplifiers, these amps typically aim for a flat response. Modern acoustic amplifiers also feature anti-feedback, reverberate, and compression devices. The flat response rate of acoustic amplifiers is what really sets it apart from its electric cousins.

A Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Courtesy of www.fishman.com

The Fishman Loudbox Artist Acoustic amplifier is a fantastic addition to Fishman's line of acoustic amplifiers. At 120 watts, this amplifier is much more powerful than the Loudbox 100. This amp also features anti-feedback and tone fighting controls that help bring out the best sounds in a musician's instrument. One of my favorite features involves the Artist's bi-amplified controls. This amp features two channels that can allow for two musicians to plug into one amplifier. Also, a musician could plug an instrument into one channel and a microphone into the other. This dual purpose amplifier allows for a musician to travel light and carry only one amplifier. At 25 lbs, this amp is also capable of producing quality echo, reverb, gain, and distortion effects. The Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifer can even be used with solely electric instruments and still sound professional. This amplifier is perfect for the performing artist and the novice musician at home. After buying one last week, I can honestly say I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Check out the photos and video below!

Front Control Panel of Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic ampilifier. Photo Original.

Rear Plug-In Panel of the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier. Photo Original.

Click here to check out a review for the Fishman Loudbox Artist acoustic amplifier.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

1936 National Resonator Guitar at Guitar Center and a Brief History of Resonator Guitars

At the Guitar Center in Robinson Township Pennsylvania playing the 1936 National resonator guitar with a glass bottleneck slide. Photo original.

Recently I have been rekindling my appreciation for resonator guitars. Upon coming across a 1936 National Duolian resonator guitar at Guitar Center, my interest had become sparked once again in resonator instruments. However, before I tell you about my experience, let me give you a brief history of resophonic guitars.

Modern Dean metal-bodied acoustic-electric resonator guitar featuring a biscuit resonator pot and a piezo 'lipstick' pickup. Picture original.

Resonator guitars were originally created in an effort to amplify an acoustic guitar's natural sound before electric guitars were invented. During the early 20th century, acoustic guitars were used in antiquated dance orchestras and brass bands. However, the wind instruments would drown out the sound of the acoustic guitars. In 1927, Slovak luthier, John Dopyera was confronted by a guitarist known as George Beauchamp with a request for a guitar loud enough to play alongside brass and wind instruments. Dopyera and Beauchamp together formed the legendary National String Instrument Corporation in 1927. The first guitars the company produced featured metal bodies and tricone resonators. Tricone resonators consist of three conical aluminum resonators joined by a T-shaped aluminum bar that supports the bridge. In 1928, John Dopyera left National, and started Dobro Manufacturing Company, and began producing resonator guitars called Dobros. In his native tongue of Slovakian, Dobro means "goodness". However, instead of using tricone resonators in his guitars, Dopyera employed a concave resonator known as the 8-leg aluminium spider, which created more sound amplification than National's tricone; could be used in both metal and wood bodies, and proved cheaper to produce. Until the 1940's resonator guitars gained expanding acclaim as other noteworthy companies such as Gibson, Hound Dog, and Regal produced competing models.

Click here to visit National's website.

John Dopyera holding a resophonic violin. Picture courtesy of www.wikipedia.com

Resonator guitars proved to be the perfect instrument for those seeking to play 'Hawaiian' and 'Island' music. During the late 1920's and early 1930's the popularity of Hawaiian music played with a steel or slide on a resonator guitar became a fad. As a result, many companies began to engrave island scenes on their metal-bodied guitars. However, the fad soon disappeared leaving an abundance of resonator guitars for sell at cut rate prices. Due to availability and price of these instruments, they became a favorite for country blues artists in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Blues musicians and legends such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Fred McDowell, and Tampa Red developed new styles of guitar playing using bottleneck glass slides made from wine bottles, brass slides, and resonator guitars. The genre of music they created is known as Delta Blues and Country Blues. These musicians along with resonator guitars laid the foundations of blues, which would later inspire famous names in music such as Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. Look below for a video sample of Delta Blues.

Legendary Blues musician, Son House. Image courtesy of Smithsonian Folk Ways.

Resonator guitars also found a home in Bluegrass music. While the blues-men of the Southeastern United States used mostly round-necked, metal bodied instruments with tricone and biscuit resonators, Bluegrass 'Dobroists' preferred wooden, square necked instruments boasting aluminum spider resonators. The instrument's square neck allowed for the string action to be higher, or in other terms the strings were raised farther off the fret-board. This allowed a musician to use a metal bar called a steel to play the instrument. Josh Graves introduced the resonator guitar into bluegrass by playing his instrument alongside Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. Graves developed a system of finger-picking using 3 fingers that emulated Scruggs's banjo picking style. Other artists such as Jerry Douglas incorporated hard driving rhythms using resonator guitars. Today, the resonator guitar is still a staple of bluegrass music. Look below for a video by Dobro instructor, Troy Brenningmeyer, to hear Josh Graves famous Foggy Mountain Rock.

The Father of Bluegrass Dobro, Josh Graves. Picture courtesy of www.wikipedia.com

As World War II ravaged the world, the American government required National, Dobro, and other companies to end production of their resonator guitars, and instead use their metal in the war effort. When production resumed after the war, the craze of electric guitar ended the popularity of resonator guitars. Postwar resonator guitars were built with thinner resonators and lesser woods, than their prewar cousins. This created a market for prewar instruments and made them more valuable.

Modern Regal Bluegrass Dobro. This instrument features an 8-leg aluminum spider resonator. Photo original.

Click here to view the 1936 National guitar Guitar Center is selling, and to find more vintage instruments.

Recently, Guitar Center has been getting into the market of vintage instruments. The last time I was strolling about the display of acoustic guitars at Guitar Center, as I had mentioned, I came across a 1936 National Duolian steel-bodied, 14 fret, resonator guitar. While the instrument's neck had a few scrapes, this instrument was a gem worth every penny of its $4,000 price tag. The guitar was adorned with an engraved island scene on its brushed steel body. I asked a salesman at the store to remove the instrument from its case so I could try the instrument out for myself. Unfortunately, the clerk left before I had an opportunity to ask him to tune the instrument (I was squeamish to tune it to open G or Vestapol myself, lest the rusty old strings would break). However, even with strings in need of replacement, one could easily tell the superiority of this instrument against that of newer resonator guitars. Its heavier body, thicker neck, and fuller tone boasted of a bygone era. For just a moment, I had the opportunity to hold a piece of history in my hands.

Click here to learn more about vintage National guitars.