Lindsay Hannon (vocals/ukulele)
Another Monday night blues session by Lindsay who's rapidly becoming the authority on the subject - her and the late Alan Lomax.
Tonight's subject was the Devil which Lindsay seemed to be overly familiar with (joke!) so we heard Mary James' Go Away Devil; Go to Sleep Little Baby - a mix of versions by Harriet McLintock and Bessie Jones - Leadbelly's The Gray Goose and Sonny Boy Williamson's Dealing With the Devil, the latter number accompanying herself on ukulele.
As always, Lindsay introduced each number with historical chapter and verse before giving it her own distinctive take.
Given the subject matter, I assumed that she'd make reference to Robert Johnson .whom, it is reputed, sold his soul to the Devil at a crossroads in Mississippi. In anticipation, I had a story to tell ...
Well, I'll tell it anyway.
A few years ago I read a crime novel by Ace Atkins - Crossroad Blues. The basic plot was about a blues historian trying to track down some unknown Robert Johnson recordings. After finishing the book, I made a mental note to see if I could find a CD of Johnson.
A few days later, I chanced to be in The Bridges, a shopping mall in Sunderland, where there was a stall selling CDs and, you'll never guess, the very first CD I saw was Robert Johnson's King of the Delta Blues - I think it was the only blues record on the whole stall!
It was uncanny and it made me wonder if he really did sell his soul to the Devil!
Apologies Lindsay for digressing, you were great as usual and I look forward to next Monday's livestream.
Lance
No comments :
Post a comment