John Lee Hooker - Tupelo

This is a live performance by blues legend John Lee Hooker playing his classic song "Tupelo" live on acoustic guitar. The song is about an actual flood that occurred in the Mississippi Delta around 1936 and destroyed many homes and killed many people. The song captures the desperation, describes the mood and tension of the situation and tells of people turning to religion to save them from the flood.
It's a great sad and tragic song by Hooker. It shows just how powerful simple guitar playing and a voice like his turns out to be artistic and beautiful.
Floods, hurricanes and bad weather are often the subject of blues songs. As is also the case with "Hurricane Beulah" and "Texas Flood".
It's a really good song inspired by the tradition of self-accompanied Delta blues which Hooker mastered to perfection. This is a man in his element doing what he does best: Singing and playing the blues.

Enjoy ; )

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Tin Pan Alley (Sunnyland Slim)

The first video is a live performance by blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan playing the classic blues song "Tin Pan Alley" live at the Rockplast festival in Loreley Germany in 1984.
The song was written by Texan blues and rhythm and blues musician and record producer Bob Geddins. He owned many independent small record labels over the course of his life. And is probably most famous for having many of his songs mistakenly attributed to other artists.
Stevie Ray Vaughan's version appeared on his 1984 record "Couldn't Stand the Weather". He has been playing a version of this song since the very early stages of his career, but this was the first studio recorded version done by Vaughan and Double Trouble. In fact there's an early live version of this on Vaughan's 1992 released album of a radio broadcast from 1980 "In the Beginning".
The other version of this I've embeded beneath is a version by Delta Blues pianist and singer Sunnyland Slim. He started his career in the Mississippi Delta, but moved to Chicago later in his career. He was born in 1907 and died in 1995. He had a very powerful voice and was rumoured to break microphones with it, and toured through Europe in the 60's riding the waves of artists such as Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters on the European blues boost of the 1960's.

It's a very good song, and both live versions are very good. I really love Stevie's. It's so energetic, fast paced and laid back at the same time, just seems effortless on his part. An amazing performance, he really brings his own flair to this song, and I love it.

Enjoy both versions ; )

The White Stripes - Ball and Biscuit

This is a performance by legendary alternative/blues/garage rock band The White Stripes. They could probably be attached to even more genres. They perform the song "Ball and Biscuit" from the album "Elephant" released in 2003. The band consists of Jack White on guitar and Meg White on drums. That's it, two members, and two instruments. The weird thing is that it's kind of a genius thing, because it really works. The song "Ball and Biscuit" is clearly a song deeply inspired by the very early acoustic blues the likes of Robert Johnson and Son House, but in an electric version. Jack has, by many, been said to have revitalised the guitar, and I kinda understand what they mean. He draws influence from multiple genres, and innovatively mixes them all into his own, mostly electric sound. In many ways doing the same thing as Clapton was doing when he recorded Crossroads.
This song is delightfully simple, simple rhythm and simple chord structure, with a slightly more difficult solo. It's reminiscent to the old Delta Blues because it's so simple, there's no bass, and Meg White's simple drumming is kinda like a foot tap of a self accompanied acoustic blues man. Jack also has to play the bass part, the rhythm part and the solos. This makes for a very interesting and innovative trade of playing, it makes him unique. This is a great song, and it pays tribute whilst still being new and innovative, well done Jack!

Enjoy ; )

Roy Rogers - Walkin' Blues

This is a performance by slide guitarist Roy Rogers. The song was originally composed and recorded by blues legend Robert Johnson. It was released as a B-side to Johnson's song "Sweet Home Chicago".
It's a pretty classic song, and it's been covered by a lot of artists such as Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and Rory Gallagher.
I love Roy's version, he's just so good with that slide, and comes closest to capturing some of the original. Both Rory's and Clapton's versions are much slower than the original, and are good in their own right. But Roy's version rocks!

Enjoy ; )