Son House - Death Letter

Son House performs Death Letter Blues.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Blues
• SonHouse
• CountryBlues

[meadowmarc89]

"The Son House Movie," starring Morgan Freeman... pass it on...

[Nittacci]

Man, he's teaching that guitar a lesson.

If I tried to play like that my right hand would be shred to tatters.

[MacaDamion8899]

He aint givin those strings an mercy

[skankdude5]

@skankdude5 "We"=earthlings. By the 1960s, Muddy Waters said white people couldn't play his music, cuz the Delta-informed timing was so different...of a different era, style, and age. He also said he couldn't find by that time black people that could play it either, though he did have the white Bob Margolin as his guitar player, so to him (and me), music is colored blind. That said, it was the primarily white Newport Folk Festival that rediscovered so many forgotten musicians, white and black.

[Maafa1619]

@skankdude5 Who is this "we" of whom you speak, white man?

[tshippy36]

@meadowmarc89 damn good idea!!

[skankdude5]

The right hand illustrates the African approach as drum-like rhythmic, where European was melodic. Also, that, as Teavis said, there was a culture of "solo" players who, w/o media, knew of each other even if one was in Mississippi & the other in Texas, and they would eventually meet. Their legend preceded them. This right hand is so different than anything contemporary---it's loose & floppy yet dead-on percussive, getting all kinds of polyrhythms. We were lucky to "rediscover" him in the 60s.

[vintageleon76]

This is a work of art.

[Odin029]

@Steavis I don't know if its a shame. Back in the old days Son House didn't just play solo. He traveled and played with WIllie Brown and even a young Howlin Wolf. In the early 40's Alan Lomax recorded him with a 3 piece band. Personally I think Son sounds energized by having a second guitar who can follow him and add to the song. LIke 'Finally a young man who get's it!'

[fIRsTRATmAN]

This music is alive, you can feel it in your bones while it touches your soul. You cant feel this in any so called modern blues. These guys played the blues, theyre gone but their music lives on. I love this music and Son House is one of my fav's, what a legend. I feel so bad, i wish he had a better life. May peace be with you Son House where ever you are, see you in heaven my brother.