Battle of the Bands Results: Stevie Ray Vaughan is King of the Nursery Rhyme

The recordings were done arguably at Buddy Guy's and Stevie Ray Vaughan's prime. A lot of people around my age have Stevie Ray among their top guitarists. Buddy Guy is a blues legend and one of the best blues guitarists of all time. I'm not surprised Stevie won but I thought it would be closer.

It was a "Cold Shot"

"Pride and Joy"

"Lenny"

Well I will be back with a new Battle June 1!

Battle of the Bands: Mary Had a Little Lamb

 Welcome to another Battle of the Bands. I started the year with some rock anthem battles, then I settled into a jazz grove. In April I went with 50's rock and modern millennial pop before returning to jazz. What in the wide world of music am I going to select this time around? Let's do a famous nursery rhyme. Wait let's have two great guitarists perform said nursery rhyme. 

Just in case you need a refresher on "Mary Had a Little Lamb" here is an example of the tune...

As you know I will present two contenders giving us their interpretation of this classic nursery rhyme. You my awesome readers and listeners tell me which one you like the best in the comments. My job is pretty easy I count up the votes like I am counting sheep and announce a winner in a week or so in a new post.

Contender One: Buddy Guy

Contender Two: Stevie Ray Vaughan

Which one did you like the best Buddy or Stevie? Let me know in the comments and I will see you soon!

Remembering Albert Collins

Albert Collins the famous blues singer and astounding guitarist past away. I was lucky enough to see
Albert Collins in concert before his death when he opened for John Lee Hooker.

Two late greats, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins performing "Frosty"..

Here Albert performs "Iceman"...

"If Trouble was Money"...

Hope you enjoyed this blues break. I'll be back soon with a new post!

Stevie Ray Vaughan: Gone 25 years

25 years ago today back on August 27, 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a helicopter crash and the world lost one  heck of a guitar player. It was a sad day for me and my music loving friends. Stevie Ray Vaughan was quite popular among the folks I hung out with. He was leading a blues rock revival and his music was frequently heard over the radio. I marked the 20th anniversary of his death with a simple blog post, My blogging skills progressed and I added another tribute the following year including him performing "Little Wing" and "Pride and Joy." You can visit that post here.

This time I would like to share a song his brother did as a tribute to Stevie called "Six Strings Down"..

Yes his brother Jimmie Vaughan is a good guitarist who I have seen with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and solo opening for the likes of Eric Clapton and B.B. King, However, he never reached the popularity of his younger brother Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie's passing was a "Cold Shot"...

I don't think there is another guitarist who could play Jimi Hendrix like Stevie Ray Vaughan. In a past post I shared Stevie performing "Little Wing." This time around I will share Stevie doing "Voodoo Chile"..

Let's keep the "House a Rockin'" as we celebrate the late Stevie Ray Vaughan..

I'm going to wrap this celebration with "Couldn't Stand the Weather"..

Thanks for visiting my Stevie Ray Vaughan celebration. I hope you enjoyed. What are your favorite Stevie Ray Vaughan songs? Memories? Feel free to share in the comments, I will be back soon with a new post.

Happy Birthday to Stevie Ray Vaughan

Today is the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan's 60th birthday. It has been two years since I devoted  a blog post to Stevie so I guess I am due to create another post. Here is a link to that post only one song out of three has lasted this long.

Here is an interview with Stevie..

Part of remembering someone is to hear about them in their own words. Plus fans may get some insight. A great thing about artists is their art lives on. Below he performs "Voodoo Chile"

Could you imagine him playing on one of the Experience Hendrix tours?

Above he plays his own song "Texas Flood" and below "Life by the Drop"

I think that song is a nice way to wrap up a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan as I remember him on his birthday.

Happy Birthday Fender Stratocaster

Today in music history May 15, 1954 the Fender Stratocaster was officially released. One of the most popular guitars ever made and often copied.

Here is a video comparing two 1954 guitars...

Here is Buddy Guy playing a Fender Stratocaster, live in concert (photo copyrighted by me, Mike Spain)

Buddy Guy is probably the musician who should have influenced my liking of the Stratocaster.  But this guy is the one wh really turned me onto this guitar...Jeff Beck

This guy probably turned the whole world onto Stratocasters...

Of course there is this guy as well...Eric Clapton. here he is talking guitars..

Here is a look into the man behind Fender, Leo Fender's office...

Okay I don't want to be sexist so here is Bonnie Raitt doing her thing on guitar...

Here is how one is made...

Here is another Strat mand David Gilmour..

okay I have to put Stevie Ray Vaughan on this list as well

From blues, rock to country here is Brad Paisley...

and contemporary here is John Mayer...

The thing about a Fender Stratocaster I could go on and on! Happy Birthday Stratocaster!

Celebrating Dick Dale's Birthday!

Today was Dick Dale's 76th Birthday, he is known as the King of Surf Guitar.

He made a name for himself in the 50s and 60s but played with some great ones as well..like Stevie RRay Vaughan...

and covers....

He is one of a kind....

Well I hope you enjoy! You are probably ready to hang ten at the beach now! 

Happy Birthday Elmore James

Today is the late Elmore James 95th birthday. Just going back and listening to his music you can actually hear how many blues musicians he influenced. He was called the King of the Slide Guitar, but his influence went farther than that. This list includes greats like Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks and many others.

Listen to the music and it will sound familiar, you can hear his influence...

Here is another..

and another song...

Well I hope you enjoy and I will have a new post soon

Happy Birthday Jimi Hendrix

Today Jimi Hendrix would have turned 70 years old. It would go without saying I am a fan of the music he created. I like guitars thus I am a fan of his.

I have blogged about him quite a bit this year.

On the anniversary of his death, and one on Experience Hendrix. Okay maybe I haven't blogged about him as much as I thought. Maybe it just feels like it when you add in several posts about Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton.

He is a relevant thought as he was when he was alive. Sunday guitarists Mick Taylor and Jeff Beck joined the Rolling Stones on stage in London. I can't help but wonder if Hendrix was still alive would he be invited to play? What song would he play? A new Jimi Hendrix is scheduled to be released in March.

Here is some footage of Jimi hanging out with The Stones...

Here is an interview I found of Jimi Hendrix that I thought was neat...

A facebook friend of mine and a really good guitarist in his own right shared this video earlier today and I thought I might use the same one...

Just something different you don't really associate Jimi Hendrix with any other guitar but the Fender Stratocaster. However, the video shows him playing a 12 string acoustic.

Just a little ramble of what is on my mind musically today. I'll be back soon with a new post.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Today Stevie Ray Vaughan would have turned 58 years old. The world will never know what kind of blues and rock we missed out with him being gone the past 22 years. I know I kick my self for not seeing the tour with him and Jeff Beck. It would have been nice to see him in concert proper.

I thought I would post some videos and celebrate him on his birthday. Starting off with my wife's favorite..."Pride and Joy"

Here is one of his excellent covers of Jimi Hendrix here he tackles the beautiful "Little Wing"

Stevie in my opinion was one of the best at playing Hendrix. But he had some great tunes all his own...

Anyway enjoy and I will be back with something new soon...

Stevie Ray Vaughan

21 years ago Stevie Ray Vaughan died. He died too young. I blogged about his death last year and you can read it here. It is a shame he passed away and it would have been interesting to see what kind of music he would have came out with.

He was great at covering Hendrix. Here he is performing Little Wing.

He also had some great songs which were his:

Even on the covers he embellished them, added to them and made them his own. However, in doing so he still was able to give a nod to the original artist. Being a blues artist, they all cover a lot of past artists.

Stevie is still missed 21 years later.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

It is hard to believe it has been 20 years to the day that Stevie Ray Vaughan died in that fateful helicopter crash. Sad he had battled past his demons and yet left this world way too soon. Lots of musicians left this world way too soon. Stevie left this world too soon like Jimi Hendrix did. Stevie did wonderful covers of Hendrix's songs like Voodoo Chile and Little Wing. He paid tribute to Jimi with guitars on occasion too. When I was younger, I thought Stevie was one of the few that could really play Hendrix. I've since then discovered Roy Buchanan.

However, Stevie also played with a lot of flash. Just check out the clips from youtube I am adding to the blog. You can only wonder how Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical career would have gone. His music did help the blues as a music genre stay alive. Heck, he helped guitar music stay relevant. In his young live he did get to play with Eric Clapton and tour with Jeff Beck He was a guitarist who garnered the respect of other guitarists from beginners to old masters. Stevie Ray Vaughan is missed and remembered. Hopefully, he is somewhere, playing his Stratocaster.