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Blues Thread


eagle87

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To me the greatest difference to old blues vs. modern blues guitarists is the raw feeling from the old guard. The new guard is to technical, too obsessed with precision and technique whereas the old guard literally fucked the guitar. They did not care if they missed a note, nor did they care if in the process of improvising the song fell apart, they had so much passion and ferocity that they painted a canvas of music akin to a great painter. The new guys are just photographers IMO. Give me Gatemouth or give me death!!!

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I need to email those clips to my son; he will be as interested in how those guitars were constructed as he will be in the music itself.

Thank you Mad Screaming for the great wake-up music this morning.

Got into the blues young when I first heard Bobby Jr. Lockwood play a set back in the early 70s. Is he the step son of Robert Johnson? Can anyone dispute/confirm this?

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Got into the blues young when I first heard Bobby Jr. Lockwood play a set back in the early 70s. Is he the step son of Robert Johnson? Can anyone dispute/confirm this?

How great it is that you got to see Robert Lockwood Jnr.play!

I've seen Robert Lockwood Jnr. in one doco on Robert Johnson where he said he was RJ's stepson.Lockwood's mother was involved with Johnson but there's no record of a marriage.

Born in 1915, Lockwood was one of the last living links to the glorious Johnson legacy. When Lockwood's mother became romantically involved with the charismatic rambler in Helena, AR, the quiet teenager suddenly gained a role model and a close friend -- so close that Lockwood considered himself Johnson's stepson. Robert Jr. learned how to play guitar very quickly with Johnson's expert help, assimilating Johnson's technique inside and out.

Johnson was a reputed ladies' man to whom women "were like motel or hotel rooms," in the words of Johnny Shines, who frequently travelled with him. However, in May of 1931, during his stay in Hazelhurst, he married Calletta "Callie" Craft, an affectionate woman, twice married with three children. With Callie, Robert established a pattern that he was to follow in the coming years wherever he went. Seeking out older, often less attractive women, or a homely young girl, for whom there would likely be no competition, he would exchange his attentions for their kindness and a place to stay. One researcher found at least half a dozen women who had relationships of this kind with Robert, most of them lasting two or three weeks. Whilst many blues artists got nothing but a meal or free booze for their work, Robert usually had a little money too, which appealed to many local ladies.

Robert Johnson's birth year has been recorded as 1911,and Robert Lockwood Jnr's as 1915.

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To me the greatest difference to old blues vs. modern blues guitarists is the raw feeling from the old guard. The new guard is to technical, too obsessed with precision and technique whereas the old guard literally fucked the guitar. They did not care if they missed a note, nor did they care if in the process of improvising the song fell apart, they had so much passion and ferocity that they painted a canvas of music akin to a great painter. The new guys are just photographers IMO. Give me Gatemouth or give me death!!!

I know just what you mean: Sheppard, Bonamassa, etc. are all just a bunch of shredders like Vai and Satraini. All flash and speed, no feeling, no guts, no soul! But there's still lots of good "real blues" being made today! Check out Cedric Burnside (RL's grandson) and Lightning Malcolm, the Juke Joint Duo!

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How great it is that you got to see Robert Lockwood Jnr.play!

I've seen Robert Lockwood Jnr. in one doco on Robert Johnson where he said he was RJ's stepson.Lockwood's mother was involved with Johnson but there's no record of a marriage.

Robert Johnson's birth year has been recorded as 1911,and Robert Lockwood Jnr's as 1915.

Thanks for the great information! I've always loved the blues and in Cleveland there were always a lot of it around. I vividly remember the night I first heard Lockwood play. Last time I saw him was around 2003. There are many imitators, but when you hear a real bluesman, it's something quite special. Give me a blues room and a blues master every time.

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Thanks for the great information! I've always loved the blues and in Cleveland there were always a lot of it around. I vividly remember the night I first heard Lockwood play. Last time I saw him was around 2003. There are many imitators, but when you hear a real bluesman, it's something quite special. Give me a blues room and a blues master every time.

I hear ya! :)
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What do people think about the documentary series on the blues that Martin Scorsese produced about 10 years ago? I saw it on Netflix and liked discs 1, 2 and 6. I think it's disc 6 that has Clapton (who talks but doesn't play guitar) and Beck (who plays guitar but doesn't talk). I learned a lot and the old clips of John Lee Hooker, Son House etc. were great.

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What do people think about the documentary series on the blues that Martin Scorsese produced about 10 years ago? I saw it on Netflix and liked discs 1, 2 and 6. I think it's disc 6 that has Clapton (who talks but doesn't play guitar) and Beck (who plays guitar but doesn't talk). I learned a lot and the old clips of John Lee Hooker, Son House etc. were great.

I haven't seen the documentaries, but I read the companion book by Francis Davis, which I enjoyed very much.

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