Bacon & Eggs

Mercy Dee - Red Light

“I got a little rooster, I bought a little duck

I put em in a bottle and you outta see them…..”

This song kills me.  Really funny, straight up blues, with some great sounding harmonica.  Enjoy.    

Before Dilla and 9th Wonder.

Big Joe Turner - “Tomorrow Night”

Damn this song is crazy.  The pocket that this beat creates is reminiscent of a beat by J Dilla or 9th Wonder - but its some laid back rhythm and blues from the late 1950s.  

I HAVE BED BUGS!

No, no I don’t have bed bugs.  BUT my office did, and this became the theme song.  IF you have bed bugs, have had bed bugs or are scared of getting them, listen to this song by Brownie entitled, “The Bed Bug Song” and have a giggle!

Jake

The Most Kick-Ass Stevie Wonder Song You’ve Never Heard

Okay, so maybe you have heard “Sugar”, and if so you’re lucky!  If you haven’t you’re about to join the group of us who have added this song to the list of some of the ubiquitous Stevie greats like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, “Uptight”, “Superstition”, etc, etc.

Speaking of these tunes, how is it that “Sugar” is not among our standard Stevie songbook like these other songs are?  Its easily as catchy, fierce, and beautifully arranged.  I mean the drums alone are enough to knock off your kitten mittens. 

This fairly unknown Stevie tune needs to be shared, lord help us!  You know?  Spread some love like stinky cheese (if you want it I’ll email it to you - sirjakus@gmail.com)

Jake

Johnny “Guitar” Watson - In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)

This version was sent to me by my good friend Milo and phew, I’m glad he passed it my way.  It has that real slow southern drone with the horn section backing up Watson.  Can’t really say to much about this track besides the fact that it kills!  Enjoy, thanks Mr. Milo!

Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell - When The Sun Goes Down

This version of “In The Evening Blues (When The Sun Goes Down) is more twangy than the last two.  The way Carr sings draws up this character who has a whole lot of sorrow, but drinks their blues away and in doing so gains a happiness in that drunken stupor.   This song makes me want to drink whiskey, sit out on a porch somewhere and sing broken notes to the passerbys. 

Jake

Count Basie & Joe Williams - In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)

Man, this version is so good and so different from the Wynonie Harris version.  Where Harris has a more gritty feeling - belting notes with confidence as if his lover might hear them and return - Williams sings more melancholy with flourishes of instrumentation around his phrases that seem to reach out and support this crestfallen character.  As always, Count Basie’s band is killing and at the very end they blare out along side Williams in a dramatic fashion.  

Jake

In The Evening Blues (When The Sun Goes Down) - Wynonie Harris

After hearing this song for the first time, I have kept my eyes and ears open for it.  I don’t know what it is, because its just a simple blues, but it has been resonating with me lately.  The melody is so mournful but its catchy for some strange reason.  For these next three posts I am going to post some versions of the song I particularly like.  If you know of any other versions, please let me know!

Jake