Big Joe Turner

**Al Trujillo** · Nov-07-2017, 9:38pm

So my instructor gave me three Blues songs to find and work on. I've been having a hard time finding 'Big Joe Turner Blues' or 'Joe Turner Blues'....he demo'd it and I really want to learn that song butI'm just not having much luck finding anything.

BTW, my instructor doesn't have a print copy so at this points its pretty much up to me to find it.

The Blues are new to me (as a player) so all the traditional web sources I have for other genres aren't working.

Anyone like to share some web addresses I can poke around in?

Thanks.

**jesserules** · Nov-07-2017, 10:33pm

Old song, many versions. Mississippi John Hurt has a go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buaXDgfh0es

Big Bill Broonzy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f31EzRopJ4

**Al Trujillo** · Nov-07-2017, 11:14pm

Mississippi John Hurt - that really sounds like the instrumental my instructor played today. Thanks!! PS - he couldn't remember it's name either. I'm on my iPhone so can't Google sheet music. Best place to find it?

**Al Trujillo** · Nov-07-2017, 11:21pm

Doing more research. Is Mississippi John Hurt the name of the singer or the song?

**Bill Kammerzell** · Nov-07-2017, 11:33pm

John Hurt was a singer/Guitarist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_John_Hurt

**jesserules** · Nov-08-2017, 3:07pm

Originally Posted by Al Trujillo

Doing more research. Is Mississippi John Hurt the name of the singer or the song?

As willkamm said, MJH is the performer in that link (wonderful traditional blues singer-guitarist).

Joe Turner Blues is the name of the song. WC Handy (composer of St Louis Blues) published a song with that title in 1915, which was very possibly derived from existing traditional sources. Many people have recorded songs with that title, sometimes like the Handy version, sometimes pretty different.

"Big Joe" Turner was a blues singer (1911-1985) who had a number of big hits in the 1950s such as Flip, Flop, and Fly and Shake, Rattle and Roll. I don't know if he ever recorded the song titled Joe Turner's Blues, though.

**Rick Schmidlin** · Nov-08-2017, 3:39pm

Funny I play Joe Turner Blues but it's no about my old friend Big Joe Turner who I used to do lights with The Blasters backing him up.

**Al Trujillo** · Nov-08-2017, 7:38pm

Love that song and my instructor suggested (since I'm not one to pick it up by listening) that I try to find sheet music for it. Just not having any luck. ☹️. I've found a couple of references to WC Handy but can't find anything in print. Any ideas?