Blues...

[Saxophonics]

What are some of your favorite 8-bar and 12-bar Blues pieces, in any form (i.e.: AABA, etc...)?

[tenorman canada]

Usually an AABA form is 32 bars.

[Saxophonics]

I mean what are the names of your favorite Blues charts?

[saxmanglen]

C Jam?

[Martin Williams]

When the band leader says "Make up a head in Key X and we'll follow you"

those ones are fun

[martysax]

After playing for years in various electric blues settings, both with my own bands and on various "Jam" stages in the Boston/Cambridge/Revere/Slummerville areas:

I find the best blues is anything, as long as the drummer isn't on downers and the guitarist isn't on meth.

The bass player, you don't want to talk to the bass player. He has a knife.

The piano? You can't hear the piano, don't worry about him. You'll never see him again either.

The waitress? NO!

[knighttrain]

Bring It On Home to Me
Fool For Your Stockings
Rock Me Baby

[rleitch]

One of my favourites to play--although it's a little quirky on the turn--around so it's good if the band has heard it a few times--is Eddie Vinson's "Old Maid Boogie." It's an unusual head in that it's not "bluesy" sounding on its own, but if the band stays in the right groove it sounds really "old school" and kind of humorous too, to match the lyrics. I'm starting to do some Vinson stuff on tenor, but I'm finding it a bit strange playing in C rather than G (i.e. concert Bflat).

I also really like Red Top and Choo Choo Ch'Boogie, Red Headed Woman, and I've been trying to come up with my own head for Corinna Corinna.

I seem to go for the novelty type heads:)

Rory

[Dave Dolson]

I like the oldest blues as written or performed by those who wrote them (or stole them then had them published under their name) . . . some of them are -

WILD MAN BLUES (Louis Armstrong and Ferd Morton)
TISHOMINGO BLUES (Spencer Williams)
DOWN IN THE BASEMENT (Ma Rainey)
IN THE PINES (Huddy Ledbetter)
TERRIBLE BLUES (Clarence Williams, recorded by Williams, and by King Oliver, to name two old jazzers)
AUNT HAGAR'S CHILDREN BLUES (W.C. Handy and Lt. J. Tim Brymn)
MEMPHIS BLUES (aka MR. CRUMP, W.C. Handy)
DALLAS BLUES (second oldest published blues, 1912, Hart Wand and Lloyd Garrett)

I played them all today during practice. I like a "blues" with a melody, lyrics, and chords beyond the standard 12-bar themes. DAVE

[saxmanglen]

I can't believe I've gotten this much interest in a thread over 4 years old! But hey, we've all had the blues at some time. :D

[Dave Dolson]

Yeah, Glen, you re-started this. I only get the blues when it rains. HEY! There's another blues-tune!

I left out a few . . .

RIVERSIDE BLUES (written by the father of Gospel music, Rev. Thomas A. "Georgia Tom" Dorsey , and recorded by King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band)

JAZZIN' BABIES BLUES (Richard M. Jones)

PERDIDO STREET BLUES (don't know who wrote it off-hand, but it was recorded by Johnny Dodds and later by Bechet and Armstrong together)

BURGUNDY STREET BLUES (pronounced BurGUNdy, written and performed by George Lewis)

DAVE

[renaissance_man]

After playing for years in various electric blues settings, both with my own bands and on various "Jam" stages in the Boston/Cambridge/Revere/Slummerville areas:

I find the best blues is anything, as long as the drummer isn't on downers and the guitarist isn't on meth.

The bass player, you don't want to talk to the bass player. He has a knife.

The piano? You can't hear the piano, don't worry about him. You'll never see him again either.

The waitress? NO!

LOL!!! I have no idea what any of that means, and I love it! That's incredible!

Anyway, I'd have to add Kenny Garrett's Computer "G" from his album Black Hope.

[jazzbluescat]

Toe Jam?

[58tenor]

Driftin' & Driftin'

High heel Sneakers


Walkin' the Dog


Busted


One Mint Julep

[saxjd]

Stormy Monday

[knighttrain]

Yes - Stormy Monday - thanks - Love that one.

[hakukani]

Early in the Morning-Louis Jordan

But my favorite has yet to be written:

I didn't wake up this mornin'