Blues, Stomps, & Rags #1
I notice that not much is happening by way of blues here, so I decided to start posting a blues or blues-related tune a week (allowing for "the best-laid plans of mice and men...") for blues mandolin and banjolin (mandolin-banjo or whatever) players and fans. I don't have the skills to include notation or tablature. I just want to share tunes for your enjoyment and inspiration. In order to see how much interest there is in this topic, I'd appreciate if Cafe members who want me to continue doing this could hit "Thanks", not because I want thanks but so I can get an idea of how many people care.
To start with, here's "The Jackson Stomp" by the Mississippi Mudsteppers, with Charlie McCoy (not the contemporary Nashville Charlie McCoy) on banjolin. This tune, with lyrics, is also known as "The Lonesome Train that Carried My Gal Away." It's available under one or the other title on both of Steve James's "Learn to Play Blues Mandolin" DVD's, and in Rich DelGrosso's book with CD, Mandolin Blues.
Enjoy.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
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