Deja Blooze: January 2010

Blues Terminology

The "blues" as we know them today are in essence a musical account of the lives, the loves, the trials and the concerns of black people during the early years of the 20th Century. Even though the roots of "the blues" can be traced back to the mid 19th Century, this modern style of music is considered a blend of field hollers and the gospel music heard in black church choirs. Blues music concerns, at its core, stories told over a simple chord progression where emotion is the key ingredient fueled by a steady beat that repeats the chant of sorrow, inequity, hard living and the plight of lost souls. The poetry and format of the blues first came into view around 1910 and gained broader popularity in 1912 with W.C. Handy's "Memphis Blues".

During the twenties, the blues became a national craze. Records by leading blues singers like Bessie Smith and later, in the thirties, Billie Holiday, sold in the millions. The twenties also saw the blues become a musical form more widely expanded on by the likes of Son House, Blind Willie McTell, Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson. Johnson has gained mythological status over the decades and is considered the man whose music and persona broadened the influence and appeal of the Delta blues. Legend has it that Johnson, so badly wanted to play blues guitar, that he sold his soul to the devil one night on a dusty Mississippi crossroad in return for acquiring guitar mastery.

During the decades of the thirties and forties, the blues spread northward with the migration of many blacks from the South and entered into the repertoire of big-band jazz. The blues also became electrified with the introduction of the amplified guitar. In some Northern cities like Chicago and Detroit, during the later forties and early fifties, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, and Elmore James among others, played what was basically Mississippi Delta blues, backed by bass, drums, piano and occasionally harmonica, and began scoring national hits with blues songs. At about the same time, T-Bone Walker in Houston and B.B. King in Memphis were pioneering a style of guitar playing that combined jazz technique with the blues tonality and repertoire.

Regardless of the truth of the Robert Johnson legend, the blues emerged into the mainstream of popular music as a result of Johnson's recordings and still influence players today. Deja Blooze is just one example of the long lasting effect of those early delta players and the potency of their musical creations.

Below are some traditional blues words and phrases that you will hear in the lyrics of songs in the Deja Blooze song bag. They are traceable to African American tradition and experiences in the southern U.S., primarily in the delta region of Mississippi.

Barrelhouse: A cheap drinking spot and more often than not a place for dancing. The term "barrel house" originally referred to buildings where barrels of alcoholic beverages could be found. The meaning of the term later changed to refer to the rowdy style of music that was played at such places.

Biscuit or Biscuit roller: Food themes and metaphors are very common in rural blues music. An attractive young girl was called a biscuit and a good lover was referred to as a biscuit roller.

Easy Rider: The term easy rider is a blues metaphor for a sexual partner. Originally it referred to the guitar a traveling bluesman hung on his back . The term "easy" refers to women and men lovers differently. In reference to a woman it is usually an expression of admiration; with a man it generally carries a negative connotation i.e. reckless or unfaithful.

Hoodoo: A term referring to something that brings bad luck; it was common among southern blacks who preferred it over the word voodoo.

Monkey: Generally refers to a desire for or addiction to drugs or less frequently in reference to an on-going encumbrance or problem.

Nation Sack: "Nation" is generally considered short for "donation". Nation sacks were worn on the belts of traveling preachers to hold the donations they collected. Prostitutes along the Mississippi River eventually adopted this accessory, wearing it under their skirts and between the legs. The jingle of coins worked as a sort of calling card for potential customers.

Rambling: To roam or wander aimlessly from place to place.

Rider: A girl friend, or a sexual partner. Riding is one of the more common metaphors for the sexual act in blues.

Riding the Blinds: The passageway between two railway cars covered wither with canvas or leather in an accordion design. Wandering musicians or hobos sneak onto a passing train and ride for free. That was riding the blinds.

Salty: Generally refers to having "a strong sexual drive" for someone.

Spoonful: This term is considered to have two separate meanings. The first is related to a "spoonful" of liquefied heroin. The second is a sexual reference concerning the amount of a man's "seed."

Stingaree: In blues music this term is a euphemism for the sexual organs, usually applied to women. It is believed to originate from the aquatic stingray with its large sharp barbed dorsal spines near the base of the whip like tail capable of inflicting severe wounds.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Deja Blooze Live at WICA on Youtube

Deja Fans,

My wife took a rough video of our encore at the WICA show and I offer here the links to that video. It is in three parts because of the size of the files so watch them in the order presented at your leisure.

WICA Concert & New Deja Product

Hello Deja Fans,

Well, the Deja Blooze concert at WICA as part of their Local Artist Series is now history and what an evening it was. The show was sold out and the crowd was enthusiastic beyond belief. The guys in the band were spirited and ready to play the blues and what a performance they gave, especially on relative short notice.

In conjunction with the event, a new Deja CD was released--Alone with the Blooze, $12.50--featuring 9 original songs written by David Gregor, a commemorative Deja Blooze t-shirt, $20.00, and an original poem broadside in tribute to Robert Johnson, $10.00. All items are available through me at gregorbooks@gregorbooks.com.

The sold out event was a huge success. The four musicians accompanying me were in rare form and delivered the goods in spades. While many in the audience had at some point had a previous Deja experience the WICA show was a totally different performance--specifically designed for the concert venue. The 19 song set began with a single voice with minimal guitar accompaniment delivering my own version of the traditional blues spiritual John the Revelator, then adding my harp player for an original song I wrote paying homage to M.L. King followed by our version of The Sky is Crying with me playing electric slide and Levi Burkle on bass. We then brought out guitarist David Licastro to play slide on another traditional spiritual that I arranged and wrote lyrics for called Someone's Calling My Name. We brought out our piano player Larry Neubauer for our up-tempo version of James Oden's Going Down Slow. We finished the first set with a Robert Johnson tune and two written by me--Lonesome Woman Blues and Long-Legged Blues. After a short break the full band launched the second set with four of my songs: We all Gotta Change, Look What Love Has Done, Photograph Blues and Goodbye Blues then slid into an extended version of Willie Dixon's Spoonful. We paid tribute to Robert Johnson with a medley of "I'm a Guitar King/Crossroad Blues" followed by a soulful version of "Jacksboro Highway" and a lively version of "Good Rockin' at Midnight". We ended the program with Johnson's "Travelin' Riverside Blues" and Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" as an encore. The crowd was enthusiastic and very generous with their vociferous applause. It was a great evening of music interspersed with tidbits of blues history and lore that made for a full evening of the blues.

The show was recorded (audio only) and if all went well, I will be making that recording available. So stay tuned. Our collective thanks to all who attended and made the show a rousing success.

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Monday, January 18, 2010

Deja Blooze Live at WICA on Youtube

WICA Concert & New Deja Product

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Followers

Deja Blooze Blog

Robert Johnson

Blues Terminology

Blog Archive

About Me

Monday, January 18, 2010

Deja Blooze Live at WICA on Youtube

WICA Concert & New Deja Product