Joe Satriani - Cool #9

This is a live performance by guitarist Joe Satriani playing the song "Cool #9" live. The performance is from the "Satriani: Live" DVD. It also features bassist Dave LaRue laying down the funky bass and doing a little solo too.
The song is the opening track to the album titled "Joe Satriani" from 1995. That album showcased a more laid back attitude and a bluesier sound than all of Satriani's previous recordings. "Cool #9" is also a laid back funk blues kind of thing, but Satriani still plays in that ultra technical style through parts of it.
It's a great funky little instrumental by a great guitarist.

Enjoy ; )

Louis Jordan - Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby

This is a clip from the 1944 film "Follow the Boys". In this film there's a performance sequence of the song "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby".
The song was originally released by Louis Jordan in 1944 as a b-side. It became a hit and reached high positions in various charts. The song was co-written by Billy Austin. The phrase "Is you is or is you ain't" dates back to the 1920's where it first appeared in a story by Octavus Roy Cohen who wrote humorous black dialect fiction, racist fiction basically.
The tune has over time become a jazz standard and it has been recorded by such artists as: B.B. King, Diana Krall,Bing Crosby,Nat King Cole, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

It also gained fame through being featured in a 1946 "Tom and Jerry" short titled "Solid Serenade". That is the clip above this text. It's a fun little clip. The title card of the cartoon is in the image below.

It's a great little jazz tune, sure to pick you up if you're feeling down, cause this is swingin'!

Enjoy ; )

George Harrison - Beware of Darkness

This is a live performance by George Harrison playing the song "Beware of Darkness". He's backed up by a big band, and Leon Russel also comes in and sings part of the lyrics.
The song was originally released on Harrison's solo album "All Things Must Pass" which was the first ever triple LP by a solo artist. "Beware of Darkness" was written by Harrison.
This performance is from The Concert for Bangladesh which was a benefit concert arranged by Harrison and Ravi Shankar. Click here to read more detailed about The Concert for Bangladesh.

The clip above is yet another version of the song. This is the version from the Concert for George. The song is sung by Eric Clapton who I think does a great job and really does the song justice. This was the first time I ever heard the song, so forgive me for being a bit biased towards this version.
What really makes this song special though, are the lyrics. They're so innocent and pure. A quality that a lot of Harrison's work has, and one of the reasons why he's such a great song writer.
It's a great song with a beautiful set of lyrics, listen to both versions, it's worth it.

Enjoy ; )

Chuck Berry - No Particular Place to Go

This is a live performance by American rock 'n' roll artist Chuck Berry playing the song "No Particular Place to Go" live on a French TV show. I don't know exactly when it's from, but the footage is in black and white, so I'd guess about the 1960's.
The song was initially released in 1964 through the Chess Records record label.
It's a great classic rock 'n' roll song, and a great piece of performance footage of Berry. It's black and white, but they get a lot of close-ups and semi close-ups of Berry's playing and expressive animated face during the performance. A great little piece of performance footage of one of the best rock 'n' roll artists of all time.

Enjoy ; )

Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Lead Belly)

This is a live performance by American grunge band Nirvana playing the song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". The performance is from the band's MTV Unplugged performance from 1993.
The song is an American folk song which dates back to around the 1870's. It is also known under the alternate titles: "Black Girl" and "In the Pines". The person who is most commonly associated with the song is Huddie Leadbetter aka Lead Belly. He recorded various versions of the song throughout the 1940's and it is also this version that Nirvana covers and re-interprets in their own way. (Original Lead Belly version embeded below).

The song has been done by a long list of artists, including: Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Hole, Grateful Dead, and Dolly Parton.
I love both versions and I really think that what Nirvana did was very interesting. They took Lead Belly's original arrangement of the song and used it with the set-up of two guitars, bass, drums, and a cello. It sounds beautiful and it definitely captures some of that beautiful energy of the original recording. A great acoustic performance.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Bonamassa - Burning Hell

This is a live performance by American rock and contemporary blues artist Joe Bonamassa playing the song "Burning Hell" live. The performance is from the 2006 Rockpalast festival in Germany. This performance was released on DVD. This was one of the last concerts Bonamassa played with his old three piece line-up band.
The song was originally released on Bonamassa's 2003 album "Blues Deluxe". It's a great slide guitar number by Bonamassa and I really love the groove Bonamassa has going with his band, especially towards the end of the performance. It's a great performance by a great, tight, and awesome three piece band.

Enjoy ; )

The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler

This is a live performance by the infamous British rock 'n' roll and blues band The Rolling Stones playing their song "Midnight Rambler" live. The performance is from a concert in India from 2003 and it was raining heavily which can also be seen in the concert footage.
The song is from the band's 1969 album "Let It Bleed". The lyrics take the viewpoint of a rapist/murderer, and Keith Richards has referred to the song as "a blues opera". The song was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. On the original studio recording Richards played all of the guitar parts, mainly using standard tuning, but also open E tuning for some parts. Mick played the harmonica on it, Bill Wyman played bass, Charlie Watts played drums, and Brian Jones was credited as percussionist.
I think it's a really good performance, I love the tempo shifts in it, Jagger's harmonica playing and just the whole feel of it. Really seems very loose and a lot like a jam. A great performance of a really great song.

Enjoy ; )