[MyMartinTenor]

Working with a female singer friend on some jump blues &/or swing type material that can be handled at blues jams. We're both impossibly sick of playing "rock me baby" and "red house" every F*&**'ing night that I want to go to a jam.

Obvious restriction is a nice simple 12-bar structure. Yes, I know that more complex is possible at some of the jams, but I'm trying to see what I can find in a 12-bar first. Candidates so far are:

Route 66 (classic)
Fine & Mellow (Billie Holliday, great slow tune)
School Days (Louis Jordan)
Buzz Me Baby (Louis Jordan)

Can folks help with some other good candidates?? I'm out trolling the waters of the old 40's jump stuff, but would love to hear if you've got ideas.

Thanks!
Erik

 

[BrianMitchellBrody]

Ramblin' On My Mind by Robert Johnson.

 

[rleitch]

If you want to do some Louis Jordan, I'd definitely check out the cd of covers BB King did a few years ago. I've stolen 5 or 6 from there.

 

[DTExpress]

Jump Jive n Wail

 

[Pete Thomas]

Roll With Me Henry (Etta James)
Big Fat Mamas
Anything by Julia Lee:

 

[MyMartinTenor]

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming! Very helpful!

 

[JL]

Get some CDs by "Roomful of Blues," Wynonnie Harris, and Louis Jordan. That will give you a load of material to start with. You'll have to pass up some really good stuff by those artists if you need to limit it to the 12-bar form, but you'll find plenty of 12-bar blues with clever hooks & head arrangements.

I know exactly what you're talking about getting away from the usual blues jam fare. The good news is, there is a ton of stuff to mine from the jump blues era that doesn't get played at those jams and has a different feel. You need a GOOD drummer, though, who knows the genre. So that might be a limiting factor at a jam. There's nothing worse than counting in a jump or swing tune and the drummer plays the wrong groove.

 

[rleitch]

Ultimately...the person singing has to choose it (at least that's been my experience).

5 months--2 weeks--2 days is another great Louis Prima one.

 

[MyMartinTenor]

Thanks guys! Keep 'em coming, this is great stuff.

Ultimately...the person singing has to choose it (at least that's been my experience).

Yep. I'm throwing these ideas off to her. Right now, she's just trying to build a book of 12 bars so that she can do the jams, build her chops, and study practice study practice etc.