Blues and Folk Songs Volume 1

SEATTLE BLUES
After moving from Austin to Seattle and getting settled down, I discovered there was no Seattle Blues. Here y’go. All fixed now. Guitar: D-A-D-F#-A-d
BULLDOZE BLUES
Recorded in ‘28 by Henry Thomas, the Texas singer who played guitar and rack mounted pipes called “quills”. The guitar arrangement here combines elements of both parts. It’s transcribed in the book Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations (Stringletter).
STEWBALL
The race horse Skewbald was foaled in England in 1740 and his track exploits there and in Ireland inspired the germinal ballad which made it’s way to America about a century later. Leadbelly’s version was recorded by Alan Lomax in 1940 with earlier renditions by convict vocal groups preserved (also by Lomaxes) as early as 1933. My slide guitar arrangement can also be heard on “Live Vol. 1” with a standard guitar tuned: D-A-D-F#-A-d. It’s transcribed in Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations. Here, the big 12 string is low tuned to: B-F#-B-D#-F#-B
ALL IN DOWN AND OUT BLUES
Recorded by Uncle Dave Macon in 1937. I learned it from the great singer/instrumentalist Luke Faust. A “bucket shop” in the depression years of the late 1800’s was an establishment that traded small amounts of often worthless stock certificates. See Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations for a this arrangement. Guitar: D-A-D-G-B-e
SNAKE DOCTOR (How Do You Want It Done?)
Bill Broonzy and the lesser known Louie Lasky both cut this great blues theme with similarly powerful guitar parts. The wonderful “alley/Sally” lyric is from Big Bill. My mandolin is tuned: G-D-A-e
COPELAND’S FANCY
West Virginia guitarist Leonard Copeland’s only studio work was a handful of gorgeous instrumental duets with Roy Harvey. I spoke briefly on the phone with him in 1975 about paying a visit…but never did. This instrumental is inspired by his clear, eloquent playing. Guitar: D-A-D-F#-A-d
STACK LEE’S BLUES Part 2
My original recorded version of this ballad in the voice of St. Louis bad man Lee Shelton (transcribed in volume one of Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar) contains erroneous biographical information. This one by way of setting the record straight. Guitar: D-G-D-G-B-d
YO YO BLUES
People got no business covering Barbecue Bob, but this Georgia anthem is so much fun that it’s hard to leave alone.The basic arrangement for 6 string guitar is in Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations with guitar tuned D-G-D-G-B-d. Here, the 12 string is down to: B-E-B-E-G#-b
SUGAR BABE
At the top of the 1960s New York “folk rock” heap were the Lovin’ Spoonful and Jesse Colin Young’s Youngbloods. Fifty years after hearing the latter a places like Café Au Go Go, this song of theirs just popped into my head complete while practicing thumb rolls. Guitar: E-A-D-G-B-e
LUCY MAE
At his home in Crockett, Texas, Frank Robinson regaled me with stories of playing the street there in the ‘40s and ‘50s with Lone Star guitar blaster Frankie Lee Sims – their amps plugged into a power cord run out the hardware store window. I asked him if he remembered “Lucy Mae”. He did. (This one is also in Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations.) Guitar: D-A-D-F#-A-d
MEAN TOWN BLUES
A few years back, Texas guitar authority Teisco Del Rey (Dan Forte) called to ask if I thought this guitar blues from Johnny Winter was special. I said yeah, I figured it was. Then I really got to thinking about it. Guitar: D-G-D-G-B-d

The instruments heard on these recordings:
National Reso Rocket WB (#001)
National RM-1 Mandolin (#007)
Collings C-10 (“Black Annie” #548)
Ralph Bown Custom Long Scale 12 String