"Anybody singing the blues is in a deep pit yelling for help." - Mahalia Jackson at Rick Saunders breaks his silence
On my first or second night after arriving in London I heard about a night called, Not the Same Old Blues Crap, and you know I got a bit upset when I saw it, almost offended. That's my music you're talking about. You punks!
Ha! OK, the blues is a loaded word in itself, meaning different things to different people. Sure, I agree – there are too many boring Budweiser advertising types play their three chords at their 5oth birthday party... blah.
If that is you, no need to read any further.
Still here? Good. Then you'll like Honkeyfinger's new album called Invocation of the Demon Other. It is listening in the n'th dimension. This is what the harp sounds like very far away in another galaxy. The minor blues keys in distortion twanged the aorta vessel in my heart so much it hurt.
That's pretty much my working definition of the blues (when you're thinking evil).
A few songs grabbed me by the neck and wouldn't let go: Margarine Man, Trouble, The Sloth, True Believers and Burning Skull blues, amongst others.
If you know, love, or ARE the blues you will have your minds opened to possibility and your ears reconfigured. Run, don't walk.
And if you are in Minneapolis, check him out at the Deep Blues Festival at Lake Elmo, July 19.
Link: Great myspace page and website.
Link: Blues in London: interview with Honkeyfinger
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