Battle of the Bands Result: Angelique Kidjo wins 4 to 1

 Angelique Kidjo uniqueness won over Zakk Wylde's sonic acoustic guitar version of Jimi's "Voodoo Chile." Getting back to normalcy in my blogging we celebrate winners and the fact that I didn't pitch a shutout in my first Battle since August. 

                                             Here she performs her African hit "Agolo"

"Mother Nature" featuring Sting

I will be back on the first with a new Battle of the Bands and in the days between I hope to post a few more posts. Until then enjoy!

Battle of the Bands: Voodoo Chile

 I've been away for a bit. Even that with a couple of stabs at these Battle of the Bands I haven't truly been back to blogging. So maybe "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" might be more fitting. Oh well here we give it a stab with Jimi Hendrix's blues classic "Voodoo Chile." 

I know it has been a while, but the rules remain the same. I will present the original. Then two challengers are given, and you let me know which cover version you like the best in the comments. 

There are a lot of choices for covers for any song played by Jimi. He is a legend of the guitar and an influencer of many who followed. Zakk Wyld is a great metal, hard rock guitarist. Paring Zakk with Les Paul's Trio is eclectic enough, but for him to perform the song on an acoustic guitar adds another wrinkle. The song certainly continues to rock. Angelique Kidjo interprets the song with a more modern, world music twists. 

                                              Jimi's version...

                                             

                                                 Contender One: Zakk Wyld with the Les Paul Trio

Contender Two: Angelique Kidjo

Let me know who wins!

Monday's Music Moves Me: Born in November

 It's Monday time for Monday's Music Moves Me and today's theme is musicians born in November! 

Let's start the party!

Jimi Hendrix born 11/27/1942

"Purple Haze"

Tina Turner 11/26/1939

"The Best"

Jeff Buckley 11/17/1966

"Last Goodbye"

Miranda Lambert 11/10/1983

"The House that Built Me"

Joe Walsh 11/20/1947

"Ordinary Average Guy"

Miley Cyrus 11/23/1992

"The Climb"

There are many more but I thought I would get this party started with a six pack of songs!

Battle of the Bands: Sixth Year Anniversary Edition

Today marks my sixth year anniversary of doing the Battle of the Bands. It is great that this blog hop is still going on with a strong group of bloggers. The bitter sweet thing is the bloggers who have come and gone. The important thing to me is the blog hop is still fun to do. I used to worry about running out of material but that hasn't become an issue.

On this Battle I am going back to guitar driven, blues influenced classic rock! Not too far off from my first Battle which featured a Rolling Stones song. This one features a tune from Jimi Hendrix called "If Six was Nine." I could very well still be doing the Battle of the Bands when this become a 9th year anniversary. 

The Original Jimi Hendrix...

Okay the original used in a movie clip from "Easy Rider"

Let's Rock!

Contender One: Wolfmother

Now that your awake let's keep rocking with contender Two.

Contender Two: Lenny Kravitz

The Battle of the Bands is interactive. Your part is to vote for who you liked the best in the comments Wolfmother or Lenny. You can say why, have fun in the comments too! However please vote!

I count up the votes in a week or so and write a post announcing the winner. I hope you enjoyed and I will be back soon!

Songs for the 4th of July

Opening up my blog with shred master Michael Anthony Batio performing "The Star Spangled Banner"

Bruce Springsteen with "Independence Day"

Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA"

The Beach Boys "Surfin' USA"

James Brown "Livin' in America"

"America the Beautiful" Keb' Mo

CCR "Fortunate One"

Simon & Garfunkle "America"

Martina McBride "Independence Day"

"Born in the USA" Bruce Springsteen

Happy 4th of July! Feel free to share your 4th of July song in the comments!

I will sign out the way I started this post..

Jimi Hendrix

A to Z and Battle of the Bands: M is for Manic Depression

It's time foe a Battle of the Bands and it's late and manic. It's also time for the letter M. My theme has come out as Music. Put it in my scrambled brain blender and a really talented guitarist friend shared "Manic Depression" and that's how this thing kind of works.

One of my favorite Jimi Hendrix songs is "Manic Depression"..

Here is Jimi doing his song live...

Time for some contestants.

Contestant One: Kings X

Contestant Two: Jeff Beck and Seal

King's X or Jeff Beck and Seal? Vote in the comments and let me know!

Monday's Music Moves Me: Songs That Have A Name in the Title

Well it is Monday afternoon so I will try to find some obscure ones. Monday's Music Moves Me and the theme is songs with a name in the title.

                                             Grateful Dead "Loose Lucy"

Could have done a whole post with Grateful Dead so many names Casey Jones, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Althea, Jack Straw and more.

Jimi Hendrix "Dolly Dagger"

Some one probably got this one "Alison" by Elvis Costello

Jimmy Buffet "Frank and Lola"

Jerry Garcia (away from the Dead) "Rueben and Cherise"

I will leave you with this earworm...

"Hey Mickey" from Toni Basil

See you again soon!

Monday's Music Moves Me "Patriotic Songs for the 4th"

This week's theme is Patriotic Songs for the 4th of July for Monday's Music Moves Me. I'm participating this week so let's get started.


Ladies and Gentleman The Star Spangled Banner performed by Jimi Hendrix..

The Grateful Dead "U.S. Blues"

One of the best blues men out there today Keb' Mo' with his version of "America The Beautiful"

Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA"

"Stars and Stripes Forever" performed by the U.S. Army...

Hope you enjoyed! I wish you a safe and fun filled 4th of July.

Monday's Music Moves Me: Songs with Colors in the Title

Finally in this New Year I am able to fit in another Monday's Music Moves Me. This week the theme is songs with colors in the title..



Music is an art and there is a lot of colors in the music.  So come and join me on this colorful journey of music..


The Rolling Stones "She's A Rainbow"..

The Psychedelic Furs "Pretty in Pink"..

Led Zeppelin "Black Dog"

UB40 "Red, Red Wine"

Bad Company "Silver, Red and Gold"

Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze"

See the full list of participants at Xmas Dolly's blog. Also check out my Battle of the Bands post.

Thanks and have a great Monday!

Monday's Music Moves Me: Songs with Male Names

Last week was so much fun! I'm back for more.



I'm stealing the above switch, because sometimes it is so true. Sometimes you just have to turn the switch on.

Today's theme is songs with male names. I'm not going to try to get them all. I will highlight a few and encourage you to visit the other participants for more.

"Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" Warren Zevon

"Uncle John's Band" The Grateful Dead. So many from that band to use Tennessee Jed, Casey Jones, St. Stephen to name a few...

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" Paul McCartney and Wings

Led Zeppelin "Boogie with Stu"

Led Zeppelin "Poor Tom"

Jimi Hendrix "Hey Joe"

Lynyrd Skynyrd "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" 

 

Eight is enough.."Buddy Holly" Weezer

Stay tunes for tomorrow's Battle of the Bands post for more music!

My 5 Favorite Black Guitarists

Back in August I did a list of my favorite five guitarists. You can read that post here. I'm sure I could exchange a few names on that list at anytime depending on my musical taste at the time. Since, it is Black History Month I thought it would be fun to list my 5 favorite Black guitarists. Some of them were on my 5 favorite guitarist list.

Here it goes...

1) Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was at the top of my other list two.

2) Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy is incredible he was number three on my other list but he moves up to number two on this list.

3) Prince

He is one of the guys I can't believe I left out of my first list. He could be the very best at guitar when he wanted to be, but he was such an artist and musician that he didn't always stick with the guitar.

4) Hubert Sumlin

He was a sideman, the guitarist for Waters and the Wolf.

5) Wes Montgomery

Ending the list is so hard. Should I include one of the King's? Albert Collins? Maybe Slash? The influential Chuck Berry? Oh well I went with jazz

Who would you have added into the list? Well I will see you soon with a new ost

My Top Five Guitarists

A friend of mine posted this on facebook. After the first three it gets harder. I like a whole lot more than five. Wow! My list has changed in the last 5 years dramatically. Here are mine with examples.

1) Jimi Hendrix

2) Jeff Beck

3) Buddy Guy

4) Steve Morse

5) Tommy Emmanuel

Celebrating The Birthday of Jimi Hendrix

I've blogged about Jimi Hendrix in the past and I will blog about him in the future. Most recently I posted about his passing 45 years ago in September. The last time I marked his birthday was in 2013. Mentioning these posts because they contain more music than what I am going to post today.

I mentioned music so I guess I should start the celebration.

"Voodoo Child" done live in 1969 from Stockholm...

Here is Jimi with "One Rainy Wish" off the vinyl..

Here is Jimi with "Somewhere"..

Jimi died way too young at 27. Thankfully he left behind a legacy that was caught in his recordings. Feel free to share your Jimi Hendrix favorite songs in the comments. I'll be back soon with a new post.

Jimi Hendrix: 45 years gone

45 years ago today a talented and very gifted guitarist passed away at the young age of 27. They called him Jimi Hendrix. Through his short career he left behind a legacy that has continued to gather fans and his place as a rock legend has been cemented.

The album that really sold me on Jimi Hendrix was given to me by an art professor when I was spinning tunes at a college radio station, It was his Blues album.

Here is Jimi unplugged....

Might not be my favorite album by the guitarist but it is the one that elevated him among my favorite guitarists, Of course everyone knows Jimi could rock. Here he is with "Purple Haze"..

Here he is with "Dolly Dagger"..

What is your favorite Jimi Hendrix song, album, memory? Feel free to share in the comments. I will 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.

Battle of the Bands Number 7: Hey Joe

I'm back for my seventh installment of Battle of the Bands. Here is how it works:

Listen to the song clips in the blog post. In the comment section vote for the one you like the best. Feel free to explain why you voted the way you did. The battles take place on the first and 15th and winners will be announced on the 7th and 21st. I will normally post the winner in the comments. Of course have fun and enjoy!

If you are still looking for more musical fun after you vote, you can check out these sites for more battles:

Far Away Series

Your Daily Dose

DiscConnected

Tossing It Out

STMcC Presents "Battle of the Bands"

A Writer's Life in Progress

Curious as a Cathy

The Creative Outlet of StratPlayer

The Sound of One Hand Typing

Alex J. Cavanaugh

This rounds song:

Who knows where this song originally claim. Most agree Billy Roberts penned the song so for a point a reference I will use his version.

So many versions to choose for in a battle of bands..

First Challenger

Seal is such an incredible vocalist and David Gilmour is a guitar great. Enjoy their version..

Second Challenger

The late great Roy Buchanan..

Both versions probably draw more from the Jimi Hendrix version than Billy Roberts or any of the earlier versions. Buchanan is perhaps a more undiscovered guitarist. I was going to use underrated guitarist but everyone I know who knows of him raves about him.

Anyway these are my picks for this competition. Vote in the comments!  Feel free to share your favorite versions as well since this song has been done once or twice!

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 Buddy Guy

I celebrated Buddy Guy's birthday last year with this post. Buddy Guy is such a great guitarist ,musician of influence and a living blues legend he is certainly worth blogging about again. The recent passing of Johnny Winter has reminded blues lovers that life is fragile for aging blues men so certainly we should celebrate when we can.

Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy "Let Me You"..

Jeff Beck's intro certainly says it all! Here is a picture of Buddy Guy with Johnny Lang the first time I saw him..(Photo by me)



I watched him perform at the Experience Hendrix tour and you can read my review here. Below Guy performs with Jimi Hendrix on this Stormy Monday Jam..

The next time I had the privilege of seeing Buddy Guy was at Wolf Trap with John Mayall what a treat!
You can read that review here. Below is from that show with a new teenage blues phenom Quinn Sullivan..

Taking you home with "Sweet Home Chicago"

Happy Birthday Buddy Guy! A blues master who is still going strong into his upper 70s amazing!

The passing of Alan Douglas

Alan Douglas was a record producer who passed away this weekend. He is best known for his production of Jimi Hendrix after the guitarist death. They included the Gold album "Crash Landing," "Midnight Lightning," a trio of important live concert albums, "Nine to the Universe," and "Blues."

"Captain Coconut" from "Crash Landing"

The "Blues" album really elevated Jimi Hendrix  in my mind up to the top few guitarists in my head. Here he performs "Once I Had a Woman"

Alan Douglas worked with Hendrix while he was alive encouraging him to explores jazz. Even paired Hendrix with Timothy Leary. Douglas also work with The Last Poets, Miles Davis and Lenny Bruce to name a few.

The Last Poets "When the Revolution Comes"

Alan Douglas talks about Jimi and a book who helped put together in this interview..

Alan Douglas thank you for changing my opinion on Jimi Hendrix, may you rest in peace.

Happy Birthday Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is a blues legend sometimes referred to as The King of the Blues. Today his his birthday.
  Robert Johnson influenced blues players and rockers years after he passed away in 1938.

Eric Clapton performing "Hellhound on my Trail"

The Rolling Stones "Love in Vain"

Led Zeppelin "Travelling Riverside Blues"

He did more than influence rockers, he was a rocker! Born in 1911 and died in 1938. Robert Johnson was a member of the 27 Club way before their was a 27 Club. You know the 27 Club the list of rockers who died at 27 including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and sadly too many more.

Sweet Home Chicago..

He lived the myth life. The devil and crossroads legend. His affairs. His drink. All add into a rock and roll persona years before rock had been invented.

This is probably the most famous Johnson cover Cream "Crossroads"

Happy Birthday Robert Johnson..