Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live

Subject: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 14 Jul 20 - 09:40 PM

On Thursday night, I'll be doing another Facebook Live show, singing and playing some acoustic blues on mandolin and banjos. This will be the sixth show in a series that I've done since isolation.

The show starts at 9pm eastern time.

You don't have to be my Facebook friend to watch. Here's the link to the show:
https://www.facebook.com/events/205038457529382

Here are a couple sample songs from my last show.
Brownie McGhee's Heart of Sorrow
Howlin' Wolf's No Place to Go

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 17 Jul 20 - 10:28 AM

If anyone wants to see the whole show from last night, here's the archive:
https://www.facebook.com/paulspafford/videos/10158544523368288

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 20 - 01:30 PM

Nice set!

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 18 Jul 20 - 02:03 AM

Thanks so much!

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: cnd
Date: 18 Jul 20 - 06:07 PM

Mandolin Paul playing a banjo! That's unexpected!

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 12:13 AM

Really should’ve rethought that handle, eh?

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 05:06 AM

Yes a change of title could have saved people tuning in expecting to hear blues. Perhaps "Thursday Night Acoustic"

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 10:50 AM

Sounded like blues to me.

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 01:57 PM

Really, Hootenanny? What happened to "agree to disagree"?

The songs don't sound exactly like the originals because I interpret them. It's part of the folk process (folk with a small 'f').

While I don't put myself in the same skill level of any of these masters of course, listen to how Son House, Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters all play Walkin' Blues (which at least the first two say they've written), and then also listen to how it's played by R.L. Burnside, Taj Mahal, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, Keb Mo, and anyone else who has covered it.

Are they all exactly the same? Nope. Are they all playing the blues? Yes they are. Listen to guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa. They're doing a more updated heavier form, but they're still playing the blues too.

As with any genre, there is an evolution. That's because people who may not have grown up in the same conditions/regions have decided it's fantastic music, and they want to play it. If I were to try to play these songs exactly like the original guy did (if we could ever find who wrote the first version), it would sound terrible, and it wouldn't be a prefect recreation (I don't possess those skills). That's what juke boxes, CDs, records, and streaming are for.

So, like others before me, I put my own spin on it, with the instruments/skills at my fingertips.

You've said nothing other than my banjo version of 40 Days and 40 Nights didn't sound exactly like Muddy's version with an electric guitar and full band. Would you like to present your arguments?

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 02:40 PM

Paul,

My apologies It didn't register with me that I had already passed my opinion on your description of your efforts. I thought that was someone else spreading "fake blues" I must have still been asleep. It was still early.

Some of the people that you mention above I would not describe as blues singers but copyists. I have had the pleasure of seeing many blues men from Broonzy onwards, have met House and Muddy on several occasions and brought Buddy Guy and Little Walter to the UK each for the first time. Plus booked tours for several others.
That doesn't make me an expert of course but as Carey Bell's wife used to say "I do know shit from Shinola".

Did I really say your "banjo version of 40 Days and 40 Nights didn't sound exactly like Muddy's version with an electric guitar and full band" ?

Don't be put off by criticism, as another well known bluesman used to say "knock yourself out".

Have fun

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 02:53 PM

Yep, you'd already done that. And here's where you said that about 40 Days and 40 Nights (on the announcement thread for the show before this one): /mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=168042#4058544

In that original thread, you did say that you weren't criticizing my singing or playing, and I appreciate that. But you still haven't said anything to back up your opinion other than "I know shit". Point stylistically to what makes my music not the blues. Again, I'm not comparing myself to people like Muddy or Son House, I'm just looking for why you think that. If you know shit, then you could have some important points that I could incorporate into my playing.

I'm not sure what the problem would be with "copyists". If new people don't try to play this music, and try to breathe their own life into it, then we confine the blues to museums and scratchy old recordings (I love scratchy old recordings!), and we kill it as a living, breathing art form.

But yep, mostly I was just wondering why you were trotting this out again. :)

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 02:56 PM

Oops! Messed up when creating that link. Trying again:

Link to old thread

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 05:37 PM

Well I don't see that phrase in the post to which you refer.

Go back and read it again.

I did apologise for commenting on your claim for a second time thinking that you were someone else.

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 20 Jul 20 - 07:17 PM

I’m done arguing with someone who refuses to back up sweeping statements, and then moves on to gaslighting.

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 02:17 AM

Regardless of disagreements, I hope you keep posting links to your performances here, Paul, because I've been enjoying them!

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: MandolinPaul
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 10:28 AM

Thanks, Wayne. Yep, I'll keep posting the links here. :)

Subject: RE: Thu night acoustic blues, Facebook Live
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 12:28 PM

Cheers!