Louie Bluie
Looks like someone put "Louie Bluie" on Youtube.
Louie Bluie
Looks like someone put "Louie Bluie" on Youtube.
This stuff is great!
Go Long, Mule
great stuff. thanks for sharing. i like to think of myself as a decendent of mr. armstrong in the sense of mandolin students as my first tchr was bruce millard who played with howard for a bunch of years toward the end....he died a couple of days after performing a set with bruce's band at the old store front natick-tcan- so got to see his last time on stage....what an engaging man, talented artist (graphic as well) in so many ways.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! I loved every minute of that show!!
Now THAT was entertaining!
Milan
Wasn't Terry Zwigoff (the director of that film), wasn't he the mandolin player in R. Crumb's band the R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders?
Yes, I knew it.
Terry plays lots of instruments but when he plays with the Suits, he plays bass. Aldo plays the mando for the suits.
Forgive an ignorant gear head, but what mandloin is louie playing. He could probably string up a 2x2 and make it sound great!
My wife and I saw Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong in 1998 at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA. Didn't know who he was when we went in, but it was one of the most extraordinary things I've seen. He was the total package. I think he was in his mid-80's by then, and still cooked along. So relaxed, so easy in his skin, the ideas just flowing from him like a river. Great raconteur, great mandolin player, and he moved beautifully, his own personal rhythm sweeping you up and carrying you with him. Totally mesmerizing.
We still feel lucky to have stumbled upon him that evening. He was just one of those truly gifted, larger-than-life figures, a walking legend.
Doug Hoople
Adult-onset Instrumentalist (or was that addled-onset?)
Thanks for the link! I'd wanted to see this.
"Terry plays lots of instruments but when he plays with the Suits, he plays bass. Aldo plays the mando for the suits."
He plays cello, not bass
Bill Foley
That link is dead. Here is "Louie Bluie" now.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
Yes, indeed about Mr Howard “ Louie Bluie” Armstrong. A Renaissance Man. & to Carl Martin, Johnny Young, & of course, Jethro.
I am doing a Blues Mandolin workshop at this year’s Classical Mandolin Society Convention in Bloomington, Il.
I’m calling it Blues Mandolin Heroes in Chicago. It will feature the music of Johnny Young, Carl Martin & Howard Armstrong, (an honorable mention to Yank) & Jethro, yes, Jethro. He was an outstanding Blues Player, many recorded examples. Plus, I don’t put up a wall between a Blues & Jazz. I’ll play some recordings & some live music, too.
The theme of the workshop is, since the convention is in Illinois, these were the Mandolin greats living & playing in the Chicago area when I picked up the Mandolin. I got to hear & meet them all.
I was (am) a longtime Blues/Jazz fan. I used to go hear all the Blues cats in those days, Muddy, Wolf etc... I heard Johnny a few times as another local Blues guy gigging around. This was before I had picked up the Mandolin. The last time I heard him, he was with the Bob Riedy Blues Band. I might have just begun to play at that point.
Martin, Bogan, & Armstrong I heard many times. The first few times was when the comedy act I was in was the opening act for them at a small club on the North side of the city. So we got to hang out with them & Carl let me play his A4 with the octave strings. So cool. I was just a beginner at that point. They were great & so much fun.
It was during this period that I started my Mandolin lessons with my first Mandolin teacher, Jethro. It was a life changing experience. I believe I still play today because of Jethro. Thank you.
There was once a weekend gig at the Earl of Old Town with the trio of Bogan, Armstrong, & Jethro. Believe me I got a table right up front for that.
I did see Yank a few times in Chicago. I met him & got to spend an afternoon with him at the apartment where he was staying, just hanging, chatting, & playing. Homesick James stopped by & I got to play with him a bit.
I was able to get a seat at the club when they were filming a segment for the Louie Bluie documentary. You can see it in the bonus features. It’s kind of dark, but it’s the segment on stage with Bogan, Armstrong, Banjo Ike, & Yank. They do 38 pistol. A lot of years of Music if you were to add up their ages.
Great experiences that I want share at my workshop at the “Classical” convention. First hand-up close personal experiences. I’m proud to share & not ashamed to drop their names. Don’t want them lost in the dust bin of history.
Not if I can help it, anyway.
Joe B
A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All
Love Howard Armstrong. Don't forget Charlie McCoy and Coley Jones when talking blues mandolin or Yank Rachell.
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