Runco's Weekly Music - Muddy Waters - I'm Ready

There is just something about the blues of the 40's and 50's that is very special. It's almost the result of what some have described as a 'perfect storm.' As I understand it, during the early to mid 1900's each plantation in the south would have a group of black workers from a number of different regions of Africa.
The interesting thing is that each of those parts of Africa were very different and had their own unique music style - and music over there was a huge part of their lives -- So over the years (1700's - 1900's), as African communities came together in America... styles were mixed. Some regions of Africa were very percussive, others into string instruments, others had very unique vocal styles, etc. When you blend all this together you end up with things like... a guitar player using the top end of a broken glass bottle as a guitar 'slide' -- to emulate a harsh, 'gritty' sound that was actually the preferred vocal sound of a particular region of Africa... doing call and response -- a custom of another region - between guitar and vocal, all the while playing in a percussive style from another region, and potentially even borrowing some aspects from European music... which the blacks learned to play so that they could be the entertainment at white people's parties and so forth.

The stories behind blues musicians are also great. Muddy Waters, for example... was poor and worked on a plantation, and was basically known as a popular musician around his community... since he used to play at all the weekend parties were men basically got hammered and gambled. One day he was outside and this guy Alan Lomax that used to travel around the Mississippi delta region recording blues musicians ran into him out on the street... and so he recorded him right then and there, outside.
Lomax played the track back for Muddy Waters, and after hearing himself for the first time he said, 'I can do it,' realizing that he was in fact as good as he thought he was.

So a few days later he packed his stuff up (basically his guitar) and left for Chicago -- which was like the other side of the world to the people of the south. There he slowly developed a name for himself playing in clubs and bars, doing his thing, innovating, playing everyday... and sometime later Muddy is touring w/ Eric Clapton and -- b/c of people like Muddy Waters - blues is an international art.

And on top of that, he's a great dresser... how legit is his outfit in the first pic...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Runco's
• Weekly
• Music
• runco
• blues
• muddy
• waters

[TheChelseacat]

Harp player has gotta be the great Little Walter. Best blues player on any instrument.

[wisesatyr72]

He speak for all men..

[MrBluesrules]

I'm ready for the weekend. It's my birthday tomorrow, I'll be drinkin TNT, bad whiskey and smokin dynamite, and bad wimmin I hope they're ready for me.

[ajc148]

Thanks for a great post with great info.

[tehUBERn00blet]

Everything comes together great in this song. Good beat, great singer, funny lyrics.

[Blinddogjax]

@xpmark1 James Cotton I believe

[cjoey39]

You can say this one or that one but when it comes down to it you know Muddy the man!! Joey Vaughan "World Blues Attack"

[skiingbuzzard]

Love this song so much

I'm drinking TNT! I'm Smokin Dynamite!

[chgodong]

It takes a whole lot a lovin' o make me feel good...

[7458BudInhaler]

Damn son Muddy is Gangsta, he goes hard.

I'm ready for you I hope you're ready for me!