Hobbies - Music & Art

Slide Guitar

"Shake Your Hips"

... playing slide guitar & singing Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips" in 2004 in Baton Rouge (Slim's home town). Slide work is pretty percussive on this one, but a bit more delicate on the Fred McDowell medley, below. This is in the Weekend Warriors program put on by the local music store. You go to an organizing meeting, form into a band, rehearse for 8 weeks, and then play at a local club. We turned down all the agents offering us record contracts ... and it was lots of fun!

"Fred McDowell Medley"

...playing slide guitar on a medley of Fred McDowell songs, through Bonnie Raitt, in 2003 in Baton Rouge. ... Sorry the video quality here is a bit rough...

I had the opportunity to meet and play with Fred in 1970 when he came to my college for a concert. I was assigned to shepherd him around for the day, and we sat together for a couple hours with two guitars and he tried to show me how to play slide his way. I say "tried" because I didn't really get it till a couple years later. Later that evening, I was able to sit in with him on harmonica in a small jam session. It was a wonderful experience!

Harp

"Pistol"

...playing harp & singing Charlie Musselwhite's "Pistol in your Face."
Not a happy theme, but a great beat...

"Juke"

...playing harp on Little Walter's "Juke" in 2004 in Baton Rouge. Walter said this was just his opening number when he'd start a set, & it was always different. Said he got his ideas on this from the big bands of the 40s. I think it's interesting to listen to it as a big band piece rather than a Chicago blues. A challenge to take on the most important harp recording in the Chicago canon. Happy I didn't totally embarrass myself...

Animations and Art

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