MAY 12, 1992 THE RETRIEVER / PAGE 9

Video series features transcendent sounds Dante's Cakewalk continued... Tapes include good ol' singin' and wailin' and even the Godfather of Soul (from FICTION, page 8) spiritual. "Baby Please Don't Go," into a nique, he creates a booming guitar lap for a rousing slide fest, using (from VIDEO, page 7) Sonny Terry follows Davis, good time, jook joint boogie dance sound. Ahh... the power of the a thin metal bar in place of the search through the pages. "Hm- after the obligatory, albeit unne- track, driven by the heavy, solid amplified guitar. Tossing a little traditional bottle neck or hollow hmm-hm daa-da-daa-daaaa... Ah! world/ethnic and folk types of cessary Taj Mahal intro, with a rhythm of his thumb pickin', and flash into his playing, delving into metal slide. He also comes off with Here we go! The greatest scene ever music. rousing set of horsin' 'round, countered by his mellow vocals. heavy rock 'n' roll-type breaks, a good bit of humor as he eggs in literature or drama!" He cleared Each of the three following singin' and wailin' on his blues Pronouncing kind of an inverse complete with bended single, himself on during the solo sections his throat of a slimy viscous cream, videos features 1) transcendent harp. Terry looks very much like philosophy to that of the prodigal sustained notes, Hopkins needs no with a whooping "Yeah" and a took another sip of his Irish coffee sounds from not one, but two, someone's Grandpa, but he plays son theme, Lipscomb reveals rhythm section. He is the king of whistle or two: "Get on with it and incanted the words: early blues artists; 2) an hour long with the vitality of a man half his during a bout with illness, "I Done rhythm, and one of the few early now." sepia-toned film document of top He who hath no stomach to this age. There is unrestrained power Had My Fun If I Don't Get Well bluesman, whose songs and Lastly, Warner/Reprise Video quality sonic and visual clarity; 3) in his vocal cords, and perfect fight No More." Apparently, he's done sound, every seasoned rock player has just released a vital perfor- introductions by extraordinary, timing in his rhythms, as he takes been satisfied and ain't afraid to Then let him depart. knows fully well. mance of James Brown and his His passport shall be made! rootsy musician/composer Taj solos and creates glorious melody, d>e. Additionally, he lays down The Son House/Bukka White Mahal (reading verbatim from the and unbelievable vibrato, slappin' some cool little runs between blistering band, captured live in For we would not die in that collection is a pip (as they might man's company liner notes of the video packag- and blowin' an unaccompanied songs and chats candidly with the say back on the farm). This is Santa Cruz in 1979. He is in rare ing); 4) a rare glimpse at the roots harmonica. form, or maybe it's prime form. That hasn't the courage to die audience, closing with the classic, where you'll find the quintessen- with us. of a nearly extinct, traditional He blows a cool rendition of "Night Time Is The Right Time tial Mississippi Delta sound, and Regardless, this is an hour-long form of early Black American "EZ Rider," which he said he first To Be With The One You Love." the deep, dark struggle between video you must see, and it's only "Now there's the shit, my good culture and art: the rural blues. "heard from Huddie Ludbetter," choosing the path to God, through $13! man. That's what it's all about. On the Rev. Gary Davis/Sonny aka folk hero Lead belly, a church spirituals, or goin' the way of the IVe never seen James gettin' We're writers right?" No answer Terry collection, Davis kicks song, "Beautiful City," taught to Devil, the harbinger of the blues. 'down with it so super bad, one from Blythe. None but a face of things off amid the atmospheric him by his Mom, and the fluid, The dark shadows of the back just can't help but get off o' one's reverent anticipation. Smarte studio shadows. He's decked out rousing jam, "I Got My Eyes On lighting in the studio for Son butt and groove wid 'im. And now noticed this and continued, laugh- in dark shades, his big bald head You Honey, You Can't Get House's performance gives the I know why everyone says that ing self-righteously. "Damn right! glistening in the lights. He sits Away," where he lets out a scene a mystical air. Suited in a Prince stole his moves from We don't need God, or gods, or slouched way back with a huge, "Whoo!" and a "Yeah!" at the dark jacket and string bow tie, James. I'm talkin' everything: Buddha, Vishnu, or Shnishnu or acoustic Gibson resounding close. He relays candid stories with the weary, thoughtful eyes of from the way he flips the mic stand Whoknew. All we need is Willie! against his barrel of a gut with about the origins of some of the a preacher, and no upper front around in the "Red Corvette" Billie Bob! The Speare. That man every pick and tap of his thumb tunes, i.e. the spirited "My Baby teeth, House imparts his wisdom video, to his hair, foot shuffles, is a god. Let us follow him." and index fingers to the strings. Changed The Lock On The to the small audience: "The Bible funky spins and splits. The total Ah. Saved by the Great One It astounds me how much ground Door," about the time he stayed is a good book to read and rip-off of style and performance again. The bearded Englishman he can cover picking with only two out late one too many times, and knows." He supposedly knows the is truly startling. with the earring and the funny fingers, and with such precision... came home to find (You guessed precise number of words in the Anyway, the understated light habits who built the big woodenraw At times his mournful wails are it!) that his woman had changed Good Book, as well as the number show and less slick and chaotic theatre. Globe. He had the balls. wonderfully abrasive, but he the lock on the door. Sonny Terry of books, "39 in the Old Testament video edits, compared with today's He loved his soul. Went shamelessly almost always falls back into a tears up the last song on the tape, and 27 books in the New." At MTV standard, are tame and look forward and told its greatness to the fairly casual vocal tone. He con- an instrumental he played in a times, he rambles incoherently, rather cheesey, like something world. Everyone knows. All in the sistently whips up unparalleled Broadway show for a while, called then starts clappin', shoutin' and from a disco movie of the late 70s. name of art, the name of human melodic invention within the early "Hootin' The Blues." He gets to singin' his gospel. As for the Devil But the music and performances history! He saved me. He has saved blues form, and on one tune, hootin' and grindin' that harp like and God, "They don't commun- more than make up for the lack me before. Me and my cold tosses in some flash by snapping a locomotive ain't nobody gonna icate so well together." But House of head-whirling, thousand steelpen. No, you still dont matter. the fingers of his picking hand, ever slow down. has struggled with the blues/ camera angle shots. The JB horns Respect this. I'm thinking. There it while hammering his other fingers The Mance Lipscomb/Light- spiritual dichotomy and finds blow a deadly funky brew, with goes. Where does that nebulous off and on the fretboard, not nin' Hopkins video lays a little Lightnin' Hopkins is the only himself "regenerated and borned Jim Fox leading the way on alto, black field, crossed by gleaming, unlike many a rawk 'n' roller. On insight into rural Texas blues, electrified artist in the lot. His again." The haunted slide guitar with some impressive solos. Much burning white stars, with an ani- the instrumental variation of the circa 1920 onward. Mance per- amplified acoustic guitar reson- of "Preachin' The Blues" is quite of this is total 100% Grade A JB mated woodpecker's head laughing "Candy Man" theme, you can forms to a small, appreciative ates with a much heavier punch exceptional, where the veteran funk: "Get Up Offa That Thing," gaily in the background, take us? notice Davis'jaw tense, and lower audience, who applaud politely than that of the other rural bluesman details the tale of why "Body Heat," and a blistering 20 Whoa. Okay where do they go now? lip quiver with concentration, yet, after each song, though his laid bluesmen. The booming steel he became a Baptist preacher: "So minute "Sex Machine," where What do they do? More talk. for the most part, his highly back demeanor reminds one more strings really get Lightnin' goin', I wouldn't have to work." James hollers to the band and the Literature. They can talk. proficient technical skill seems of sittin' on the back porch stirrin' bouncin' his knees and wrigglin' Bukka White is a pure blues- crowd precisely as he was paro- "Some say Joyce was more bril- virtually effortless. sounds for the hens in the hen- all over his seat. He looks cool man, inspired by one of the Delta's died by Eddie Murphy in Mur- liant." Blythe was being himself. He Strangely, I recognized good of house, than the typical play-for- too, sportin' a slick pompadour earliest blues celebrities, Charlie phy's first comedy special. Hoots had never heard anyone say 'Joyce traditional American folk melo- the-audience entertainment music and black shades. The robust Patton. He effortlessly slaps, and cheers resound throughout is more brilliant than Shakespeare.' dies I may have sung in first grade, of today. Obviously, Lipscomb sounds of his electrified acoustic picks, slides and hammers hard a the crowd, and while one doesn't Huhmm! Pain huh? Pain in with altered lyrics, of course. The plays for himself, because he feels stand up well against his magnetic National Steel Body acoustic (the get to see the audience, we all simplicity. Poetry. Someone kill me snappy melodies ring out here the blues deep within his soul. vocals. same guitar House used). His know they be up and freakin'. now. Can you believe yourself? with striking lyrics: "Put my hand He employs the same, dextrous, He kicks off his set with "Baby mellow, raspy voice layers beau- Also, JB standards, "Georgia On They say, nice story, nice. on her bosom and she wouldn't thumb/index finger pickin' tech- Please Don't Go" (entirely differ- tifully over the powerful and My Mind" and "Papa's Got A Interesting. say quit, she wouldn't say quit, she nique as Davis, on each of the ent from Lipscomb's version), precise guitar, which comes up just Brand New Bag" are featured I could do that, should do that. wouldn't say quit... tried my best tunes, including a variation on stampin' out the time with his foot, a bit short in the mix on a couple among other grand tunes. IVe seen Probably will. to drown her and she wouldn't say "Sedan Ford," covered countless and makes expert use of heavy of tunes. His steady rhythmic a couple of other videos and TV He just doesn't have the time. So quit..." And just to show his times since by rock bands, and rhythmic accompaniment, as well strums interspersed with slide appearances of Brown's, but IVe simple. Sorry about your job, your religious bent, and musical diver- particularly popularized in the as inventive, single note, solo guitar lines are magnificent. White never seen James Brown do it like kids. That's your fault. That's a sity no doubt also, Rev. Gary 70s by Foghat, as "Chevrolet." He melodies. Using the popular also gets down with some boogie this. This is it. The real James problem. Concoction in the head, Davis then launches into a turns the veritable blues standard, thumb/ index finger picking tech- piano, and lays the guitar on his Brown: Godfather of Soul! erroneous.

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