On a more positive note.

I'm sure someone has probably suggested it, but Stefan Grossman's How to Play Blues guitar record was very good for my playing. there are some fine dissections of the blues styles. It will be particularly good if you want to get to grips with the more tricky finger picking styles - gary davis, Blind Blake, Robert Johnson - that sort of thing. It will get you started.

stefan has his detractors - you have to mix it in with going to see people who play these songs - just to get the feeling, but he and Aurora Block did a fine piece of work here. Obsession is the name of the game. None of this twenty minutes a day nonsense.

Strangely enough there isn't a blues in major E or A - of the kind favoured by Lightning Hopkins. A strange ommission by Stefan,from what is otherwise a faultless project. Listen to Lightning - its the only way!

if robert Johnson really is your man, you won't do much better than Scott Ainslie's video that he did for Starlicks. Scott is a great player - try and see John Hammond live for that feel, try an get a dvd of him.

the thing about Johnson is the writing, which is exquisite. About a couple of years ago I had the privilege of seeing two fine English slide players Bryn Haworth and Kevin Brown finish their set with Travelling Riverside. It was sinply one the best musical things I've ever heard in my life.

Sorry I lost my temper earlier. but you should respect people who put their lives a on the line with music and do their best. Youngsters and BBC folk dj's would do well to learn the value of that.

all the best

al