Your Daily Song Fix

Bill Withers was the last of six children born on July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia. He was the only man in his family who did not end up working in the coal mines of West Virginia.  Instead, he enlisted in the US Navy and became interested in writing and singing songs while stationed in Guam.  In 1967, after being discharged, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career. As a self-proclaimed untrained musician, he became known for his story-telling ability and most of his early recordings did not feature a traditional song structure.  “Harlem” does not have a chorus; instead, each verse escalates in a crescendo as the song progresses. Withers uses this structure to build tension and compliment the story he’s telling in his lyrics.

South Memphis String Band are an acoustic blues-folk-country supergroup comprised of Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, Luther Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars, and Jimbo Mathus of the Squirrel Nut Zippers (yes, those Squirrel Nut Zippers). Their debut album, Home Sweet Home, is an old-fashioned, foot-stompin’, moonshinin’ good time that feels like it was recorded on a hot July night on someone’s front porch well below the Mason-Dixon line. Check out “The Carrier Line,” their rendition of a railroad ballad by old-time Mississippi multi-instrumentalist Sid Hemphill.

"I hate conventional blues, but I love myself."

When you hear the break in this song you’ll wonder why this band didn’t do that kind of thing all the time. JSBE provides the kind of music you think you’d play after 15 glasses of whiskey and it feels awesome.  Boogie down + sledgehammer over the face rock  = me dancing/screaming at the top of my lungs.

JoSpence was a member of the Washington-based (What! What!) Pussy Galore.  After the band broke up in 1990 it seems Jon Spencer set out to destroy everything he loved about to the blues.  Thank god I love every minute of it.

SPN

In honor of the New Orleans Jazz Festival this past weekend, here is a New Orleans classic originally written by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford.

Howdy, y’all. I’m Danny. Our gracious host asked me to do some guest posts for Your Daily Song Fix, and I’m happy to oblige. Lately, my tastes have tended toward old blues and country music, so I’ll be delivering that pre-war flavor you’ve been looking for. I hope you enjoy my first pick.

Booker T. Washington “Bukka” White was a blues guitarist born in Houston, Mississippi in 1906. Between 1930 and 1940, he recorded for the Victor and Vocalion labels, as well as for folklorists John Lomax and Alan Lomax. A young Bob Dylan covered this song, “Fixin’ to Die Blues,” for his debut album in 1961. That recording prompted John Fahey and Ed Denson to contact White (by sending a letter to “Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi”), and White continued to record until his death in 1977.

“Fixin’ to Die Blues” was recorded in 1940 for the Vocalion label (which later became the OKeh label; thanks to Stefan Werz’s extensive Bukka White Discography). Robert “Washboard Sam” Brown accompanies White on (you guessed it) the washboard. Brown’s washboard and White’s alternating bass picking pattern create a chugging, locomotive rhythm that supports White’s trainwhistle slide guitar licks and his powerful singing. Check out some of White’s performances on YouTube to get better idea of his strength as a performer.

Here is a great Allman Brothers Band tune live from Woodstock ‘94.

“It Hurts Me Too” is a great song covered by many great musicians. I know I have heard a Soul version of this song backed by female vocal harmonies but I can’t seem to find it on the internet. Does anyone know the version I am talking about? An artist name would be much appreciated. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bobby Womack started his career as lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke’s backing guitarist. Film director Quentin Tarantino used “Across 110th Street” in the opening and closing sequences of his 1997 film Jackie Brown.