I think I’m going to put on a little (maybe hour-long) concert at the end of the school year for my dorm. I do play guitar in public occasionally, but not much, and I figure I might as well cut loose since I’m going to graduate soon. It’ll be mostly blues stuff, and I’m looking for ideas - I’m trying to give myself a lot of time to learn the songs. Some more modern tunes will probably be included as well.
I’ve already got a bunch of ideas. So far I’m thinking about If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day (Robert Johnson), The Same Thing (Willie Dixon), Catfish Blues(Muddy Waters), 44 Blues (Howlin’ Wolf), Blues like Midnight (Willie MacTell) among others. I’ve got to learn a couple of those. But I’m looking for other suggestions, and other points of view. I’m not trying to confine myself to well-known songs or classics or anything. What else should I take a look at?
Born Under a Bad Sign - I’ve heard Albert King’s version Dust My Broom - Elmore James Hesitation Blues - ??? (I’ve heard Hot Tuna perform it, but I don’t know the songwriter) Parchment Farm - take your pick, everyone covers this song Three O’Clock Blues - BB King Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker (a good classic)
To open some eyes, try to find some blues songs that have been covered by more well known artists and play the originals. i.e. Instead of Cream’s version of Crossroads or Spoonful, play the originals (Robert Johnson & Willie Dixon).
The list is endless, but I will try to stay focused:
Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King (and Cream) - Frank#2 is right; it’s a great song and classic blues.
T-Bone Walker - The Hustle Is On - a jump blues classic - if you haven’t got The Complete Imperial Recordings of T-Bone Walker, this will be a great excuse for you to buy it and at $11, it’s a steal.
Some Steve Ray would be great - just one song - remember his acoustic version of Pride and Joy from MTV Unplugged? Doing that or Cold Shot would be a hit because his stuff is pretty well known. There is a trick to play each of those songs - he is doing a Texas Shuffle with the patented SRV Upstroke - that pretty much everybody I have seen play them gets wrong. If you are interested, email me and I can tell you how to play it correctly (I learned from an amazing guitarist who played with Jimmie Vaughn years ago).
Again, there are tons, but I will limit myself to a few. Each of these has a great groove that if you can get into really makes them go. I have played them acoustically and people really get into them.
I’ve always liked St. Jame’s Infirmary.
In a kind of life is meaningless, I’m gonna slit my wrists kind of way.
I would try to avoid having too many songs with ‘Blue’ in the title. It just seems like it could turn into a joke.
There are two types of music: Blues, and Zip a Dee Doo Dah. (Townes Van Zandt said that, not me)
Here’s a couple suggestions:
Cocaine Blues (Johnny Cash and TVZ country blues)
Loretta (another TVZ song. I really like TVZ)
Folsom Prison Blues
Blue Eyes (Gram Parsons)
And may I suggest some Leadbelly?
Midnight Special (The CCR version is more popular, but this is the original)
Where Did You Sleep Last Night (you may have heard this on the Nirvana unplugged CD)
And then some standards:
Gallows Pole
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
I’m a Man
See? There’s T-Bone Walker - he’s the best! (even though that’s his signature song, it’s not on that Imperial collection - he recorded it on another label. Don’t worry, though - that collection is still amazing stuff.)
There’s a whole sub-genre of “filthy blues” like “Big Fat Woman,” “Strokin’,” “Sixty Minute Man,” “Please Warm my Wiener,” “Let Me Play with Your Poodle,” etc.
“Gin Bottle Blues” by Lightnin’ Hopkins and “I’m a King Bee” by Slim Harpo could work for you, although Harpo’s tune may need the harmonica in there.
Josh White (Sr.) released an album once, “Josh at Midnight” that has some music you could do. “One Meat Ball” and the spiritual “Takin’ Names” should work well for a solo guitar player, if that’s what you are going to do.
Those are some very good choice so far… I don’t think I’ve ever heard Folsom Prison Blues, but shortly before I started this thread I checked the lyrics and was intrigued, so I’ll have to find myself a copy.
I think the fact that a bunch of people named songs I was thinking about and didn’t write is a sign that I may be on the right track. T-Bone Walker is indeed the man, and Leadbelly is worth thinking about too. Not sure how much justice I can do to his songs vocally, but I’ve got time to figure that out.
Sam Stone already beat me to Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters.
Check out the Macambo side of Love You Live by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry’s Around and Around is there and Mannish Boy and I can’t remember the other 2 tunes.
One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer by John Lee Hooker, and apologies to purests, but even more of a crowd pleaser is the George Thorogood version One Bourbon/House Rent Blues. The other Thorogood I recomend would be It Wasn’t Me (“I met a German girl from England going to school in France, said we danced in Mississipi at an Alpha Kappa dance - it wasn’t me”. Trust me, it would be a dorm pleaser)