Jurica...first things first. Your blues experience is not so dissimilar to mine.
Although I have been hearing blues on and off I wasn't crazy about it. A friend of mine is more of a blues connosieur and we headed out to New orleans this year for jazz, blues, gospel, ..the works. Since then I am more into it. I have a tribute album to Huddie Leadbetter by Odetta and she is truly fantastic. I'll have to listen to Blind W. McTell but I'll take Dylan's word on it: "Nobody can sing the blues like...."
Yeah...I am talking of Rabindranath Tagore ....and I am quite quite surprised that you know about him. I have only tapes of his music (i.e. sung by others)...I also know that there exists some very early stuff of him singing his own songs. I can understand 70-75% of the words (I am ethnic east indian) and the rest I can figure out by the context.
You probably think this song is about you....
Kush and all, The Blues I think is the root of all our popular music apart from the purist English/Irish folk. Many of the British (and of course American) rock bands from the 60s & 70s took their inspiration from the early blues players. In particular guys like Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker. Robert Johnson was of particular interest to Eric Clapton, Keith Richards & Mick Jagger, Peter Green and John Mayall. Van Morrison was brought up on blues records that his father brought home from American ships that docked in Belfast.
Steady Rollin' Man from Clapton's Ocean Boulevard and Love In Vain by the Stones are Robert Johnson songs. He was quite the innovative guitarist for his time and research into his life story reveals a tragic tale. He was shot down as a young man (late 20s?) over a dispute re a lover. Legend has it he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroad for his talent.
A greater appreciation for the blues or a liking of it can be gained by actually playing the blues on an instrument. Blues is something that you do, you live it, it becomes a part of your being. I also think blues is more accessible if life has been tough and you go through the school of hard knocks. I cannot imagine the wealthy silver spoon set really appreciating the blues.
Gordon Lightfoot is another singer/songwriter I have followed closely for many years and like Leonard I think he is beyond categorisation. His music draws on folk, pop, rythm and blues, and rock genres. He is a real craftsman at the song lyric while Leonard is more the song poet. Interesting that Canada has produced such diverse talent as Gordon, Leonard, Joni Mitchell, Niel Young and Bruce Cockburn. Didn't Steven Stills also have his origins in Canada?
I wonder what interest folks from Britain, the U.S. and elsewhere have in the songwriters of Australia?
Cheers Witty Owl.
Steady Rollin' Man from Clapton's Ocean Boulevard and Love In Vain by the Stones are Robert Johnson songs. He was quite the innovative guitarist for his time and research into his life story reveals a tragic tale. He was shot down as a young man (late 20s?) over a dispute re a lover. Legend has it he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroad for his talent.
A greater appreciation for the blues or a liking of it can be gained by actually playing the blues on an instrument. Blues is something that you do, you live it, it becomes a part of your being. I also think blues is more accessible if life has been tough and you go through the school of hard knocks. I cannot imagine the wealthy silver spoon set really appreciating the blues.
Gordon Lightfoot is another singer/songwriter I have followed closely for many years and like Leonard I think he is beyond categorisation. His music draws on folk, pop, rythm and blues, and rock genres. He is a real craftsman at the song lyric while Leonard is more the song poet. Interesting that Canada has produced such diverse talent as Gordon, Leonard, Joni Mitchell, Niel Young and Bruce Cockburn. Didn't Steven Stills also have his origins in Canada?
I wonder what interest folks from Britain, the U.S. and elsewhere have in the songwriters of Australia?
Cheers Witty Owl.
Kush, I've read Tagore in English. He translated some of his work himself, but they say (people like you, who know both languages) that he did himself disservice with this translations. But there's quite enough left still. I'm sorry I can't enjoy his work the way you can... But nevermind! You'll never enjoy Arsen Dedic! 
Witty, my friend (the blues freak) indeed plays the blues, lived (just like me) his teenage days in a land devastated by war, but he preferes electric blues, I prefer acustic. He thought me to play some blues, and we played together a few times. It was fun. It's just that he's so much better musician than me. I also like Robert Johnson a lot! How could he die when he only recorded, what, 24 songs!?!
I also remember how I didn't like jazz. It was distant and uninteresting music to me, until I started to play it. I started to learn some songs the way other people played them, and in time started to like it. Now I listen to jazz all the time. But I still can't improvise very good. I guess I never had talent for music.
Witty, my friend (the blues freak) indeed plays the blues, lived (just like me) his teenage days in a land devastated by war, but he preferes electric blues, I prefer acustic. He thought me to play some blues, and we played together a few times. It was fun. It's just that he's so much better musician than me. I also like Robert Johnson a lot! How could he die when he only recorded, what, 24 songs!?!
I also remember how I didn't like jazz. It was distant and uninteresting music to me, until I started to play it. I started to learn some songs the way other people played them, and in time started to like it. Now I listen to jazz all the time. But I still can't improvise very good. I guess I never had talent for music.
Yes....many songs that i've heard as rock music is very clearly blues based. I've been told to "feel the lyrics & music" and "not think about them" to enjoy them. WO....you may have a point about blues being a sort of way of life....you have to really live it. I really felt it as the music of the people on my recent trip to New Orleans. Well, I'll just have to get hold of some Robert Johnson and Blind W. McTell.
Re' the classification issue....I can see that as one zooms in more and more within a type of music good artists are unto themselves and defy categorization. It is like an album...often all the songs in an album sound the same. However, if one spends some time with it and listens closely enough, each song is unique. Similarly with an artist...the sound an artist's music at some level can be broadly categorized, i think. However, if you listen to him/her closely and over a period of time then he will for the individual listener defy categorization.
Jurica...I have noted your Jazz agent thread on the other section. I will respond in due course of time, the moment when ideas crystallize and inspiration strikes.
Witty Owl...a few years ago someone gave me a CD of poems of Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson sung by aussie country singer Slim Dusty. Have you heard it ? It is very country and about the bush and outback etc etc. I really liked it.
Re' the classification issue....I can see that as one zooms in more and more within a type of music good artists are unto themselves and defy categorization. It is like an album...often all the songs in an album sound the same. However, if one spends some time with it and listens closely enough, each song is unique. Similarly with an artist...the sound an artist's music at some level can be broadly categorized, i think. However, if you listen to him/her closely and over a period of time then he will for the individual listener defy categorization.
Jurica...I have noted your Jazz agent thread on the other section. I will respond in due course of time, the moment when ideas crystallize and inspiration strikes.
Witty Owl...a few years ago someone gave me a CD of poems of Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson sung by aussie country singer Slim Dusty. Have you heard it ? It is very country and about the bush and outback etc etc. I really liked it.
Slim Dusty?? 
Ah well, what can I say. He is an icon in Australian country music. No one else has done it for as long as Slim has. You have to give credit to the man for his contributions though he really is not my taste in music. I have learned to play one or two of his songs (strictly for country audience 
) such as 'Pub with no Beer'.
Many years ago I set a Banjo Patterson poem to music in a folk/country style, 'At the Melting of the Snow'. I haven't played it for years.
Re the blues; the development of Stevie Ray Vaughn's music is an interesting tale. He played his guitar incessantly. He also hung around the blues clubs hoping to meet up with some of his guitar heroes such as Albert King and Buddy Guy. He also had a passion to be at least as good as his older brother Jimmie whom he much admired. Stevie was one who 'lived' the blues. What a tragedy he left us so young due to a helicopter crash!
Eminem?????????????
Cheers Witty Owl.
Ah well, what can I say. He is an icon in Australian country music. No one else has done it for as long as Slim has. You have to give credit to the man for his contributions though he really is not my taste in music. I have learned to play one or two of his songs (strictly for country audience ) such as 'Pub with no Beer'. Many years ago I set a Banjo Patterson poem to music in a folk/country style, 'At the Melting of the Snow'. I haven't played it for years.
Re the blues; the development of Stevie Ray Vaughn's music is an interesting tale. He played his guitar incessantly. He also hung around the blues clubs hoping to meet up with some of his guitar heroes such as Albert King and Buddy Guy. He also had a passion to be at least as good as his older brother Jimmie whom he much admired. Stevie was one who 'lived' the blues. What a tragedy he left us so young due to a helicopter crash!
Eminem?????????????
Cheers Witty Owl.
WO....while I generally like country music as much or more than rock music, in this case I was really struck by Henry Lawson's poems on that double CD. While it is titled Poems by Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson there are 23 by Lawson and only 4 by Paterson.
I think what fascinates me about jazz/blues is that there is no self-conscious or overt intellectualism. This is not to say that I dislike the latter but just that I find this aspect fascinating that the artistic integrity is maintained while essentially remaining music of the masses. there is no or lesser self-conscious motivation to be different or to have a message. I find this true to a lesser extent of a couple of Austin folk artistes too.
Re' Lightfoot - in addition to being a truly fine songwriter I think he has a gift for poetic song titles. Consider titles like Approaching Lavender, Magnificent Outpouring, Long Thin Dawn, Endless Wire and many others.
On that note Dylan has some pretty unremarkable song titles (e.g., Lovesick, Sugar Baby etc ).
Jurica...I guess anyone who knows more than one language will appreciate that translations can never substitiute for the original....mainly coz' there are untranslatable (maybe i just invented that word) ideas.
Nusrat's 10-12 minute songs usually are repetitions of 4-8 lines of verses building up to a musical and lyrical crescendo and each line is one of incomparable beauty in its original form. No amount of translation can do justice to it.
Coco...thanks for the inclusion but my jazz/blues knowledge is quite limited at the moment. I am learning much from WO and J here while boldly spouting my own half-informed ideas. Nevertheless, this is an enviable position to be in as it will keep me preoccupied for the next few years exploring, understanding and eventually truly appreciating jazz/blues.
I think what fascinates me about jazz/blues is that there is no self-conscious or overt intellectualism. This is not to say that I dislike the latter but just that I find this aspect fascinating that the artistic integrity is maintained while essentially remaining music of the masses. there is no or lesser self-conscious motivation to be different or to have a message. I find this true to a lesser extent of a couple of Austin folk artistes too.
Re' Lightfoot - in addition to being a truly fine songwriter I think he has a gift for poetic song titles. Consider titles like Approaching Lavender, Magnificent Outpouring, Long Thin Dawn, Endless Wire and many others.
On that note Dylan has some pretty unremarkable song titles (e.g., Lovesick, Sugar Baby etc ).
Jurica...I guess anyone who knows more than one language will appreciate that translations can never substitiute for the original....mainly coz' there are untranslatable (maybe i just invented that word) ideas.
Nusrat's 10-12 minute songs usually are repetitions of 4-8 lines of verses building up to a musical and lyrical crescendo and each line is one of incomparable beauty in its original form. No amount of translation can do justice to it.
Coco...thanks for the inclusion but my jazz/blues knowledge is quite limited at the moment. I am learning much from WO and J here while boldly spouting my own half-informed ideas.
Nevertheless, this is an enviable position to be in as it will keep me preoccupied for the next few years exploring, understanding and eventually truly appreciating jazz/blues.
Last edited by Kush on Wed Aug 06, 2003 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thank you Jo. I briefly looked it over and i think it is an excellent site. The forum is really interesting with a Blues thread too. I am sure there are other forums for other styles of music out there. Thanks again.
I paste the link to the forum:
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/
p.s. For any who may be interested, I'd strongly recommend 'Trumpet Evolution' CD by Cuban horn guru Arturo Sandoval. I've seen him in concert and he is a very versatile jazz musician.
I paste the link to the forum:
http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/
p.s. For any who may be interested, I'd strongly recommend 'Trumpet Evolution' CD by Cuban horn guru Arturo Sandoval. I've seen him in concert and he is a very versatile jazz musician.