Blue Monday: The Soundtrack of Our Lives

One of the unexpected developments during my two tours in Charleston was a new found love of live music – especially the Blues.   From 2003-2005 I lived in a city with nightlife for the first time in my life.  This was also my first real exposure to live music at every turn.  Charleston is a great city for performers and artists.  Great music is tucked into the nooks and crannies that pepper King, Queen, Market, and High Street.   Cover bands, jazz, rock, reggae, country, and the Blues provided an eclectic soundtrack for my two years in Chuck-town. 

My favorite club, however, was Mama’s Blues Palace on John Street.  The house band Mama & the Misfits was the lovechild of a pair of retired schoolteachers.  Mama and Papa Dupree, their son Jo-Jo, and a group of some of the most talented artists I’ve ever heard blew the roof off that club every weekend.  My friends and I made it a point to check out the show at Mama’s as often as we could. 

It was in that dingy little blues bar on John Street, where we met Del Rae, a jazz singer, piano player, and composer.   Del, who famously hated Stevie Wonder for beating her out for ‘song of the year’ at some point in the late 70’s, was standing the warm up act.  Well into her 80’s by the time we met her, she warmed up the house for an hour every Thursday thru Saturday. 

After her set she’d visit with us early birds and let us buy her a drink.  She was a great old lady.  She was one classy lady (unless you got her talking about Stevie Wonder).  Over the course of our visits, Del taught us that music had to come from the soul, and as long as you had music you could live a long and happy life. 

Mama’s Blues Palace closed in 2004, while I was home for a visit so I missed the last show.  The Misfits broke up, and Mama only rarely played during the last year of my assignment in Charleston.  I am happy to report though, that Mama, Papa Dupree and Jojo are back performing in the clubs of South Carolina under the new name of Mama & The Redemption Band. 

There is an impermanence of life that forces us or allows us to change, adapt and evolve – that’s true in the Blues as well.  No one sings about being blue, always being blue, and staying blue forever.  The Blues are about transitions.  Times were good, now they’re not.  Times are bad, but tomorrow will be better.  I’m suffering, but I have my guitar so it could be worse.   That’s why we come back to the blues, because we are always in transition.   Riding the wild rollercoaster of life, and jamming the entire way.  

Mama and The Redemption Band (formerly Mama & The Misfits)




***NOTE:  I have not had much luck finding any of Del Rae's music (at least not the Del we met).  If anyone is able to point me in the right direction to songs either written or recorded by Del, I would be most grateful.  We have her picture and an autograph -- but I'd like to hear her sing again.  Thanks, NTS.

Blue Monday: Ramble On

This song kicks ass. 

I really was hoping for a much more eloquent opening line.  I tried, but they all seemed flat, and fake.  After several revisions, however, this one just seemed to fit.  It’s honest and exactly what I would say to you if we were talking about music face to face.   Ramble On just simply strikes a chord with me on so many levels. 

For my money, this is Led Zeppelin, at it’s best. 

There is a musical purity that exists with the way this song was constructed and performed.  It reminds me of summer car rides with my dad and brothers with the windows down and the radio up.  Very happy memories.

The lyrics are poetry.

Beyond my utter joy in the Tolkien reference in verse 3, the lyrics possess an epic quality.  They tell a story, a story with which we can all relate – searching, questing, craving freedom. 

Each time I hear this song it speaks to me.

Sometimes our only functional strategy in life is to “ramble on.”  Suffering is not optional, it happens.  The Gollum’s of the world sneak in and sweep away what’s precious.  It’s unfortunate and unavoidable.  This lesson is true if you are 16, 26, or 66.  

All we can do then is follow our hearts and ramble on, singing our song.

Blue Monday, Part I: Soulshine

When I was getting ready to go to college my cousin Steve took me on a road trip to Chicago.  That trip started a tradition of mini-pilgrimages focused on good food and the Blues.  For each subsequent trip a new Blues Mix or Playlist was created specifically to introduce me to a new artist, song, style or writer.  

It was on those trips that caught the Blues. 

Building on this newfound interest, my dad introduced me to Duke Tumatoe & The PowerTrio a local group with a great sound.  Then he shared his collection of Kenny Wayne Shepard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZ Top, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King.   Not all of these are strictly Blues, but Dad helped me to see that they all influence one another.  Seeing this connection helped me deepen my love of the genre.  

Last weekend, Steve and I continued the tradition after a long hiatus, and fell right back into our pattern.   This time, however, I was able to contribute a little more to the conversation as I’ve become a little better versed in the Blues than I was at 18. 

One of the songs, I heard for the first time this weekend was Soulshine, by Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule).  This song has it all.  Well written and performed with all of the soul you’d expect from a performer of Haynes’ caliber.   I think that’s what I love about the Blues, the soul.  It’s hard to fake the feelings, the pain, the suffering.  It’s hard to fake the Blues.     

A friend once asked how I could listen to all of that depressing music all the time.  The Blues aren’t really about the dark and the sad.  The Blues talk about on pain and suffering, but often times the song is about survival, making it through the pain and suffering of life.   The Blues are about the hope for better days. 

The Blues are about the power of the soul to shine through the darkness.  It’s about soulshine.  Better than sunshine, better than moonshine, and damn sure better than rain.

"Now you got to let your soul shine,

Just like my daddy used to say.

He used to say soulshine,

It's better than sunshine,

It's better than moonshine,

Damn sure better than rain.

Yeah now people don't mind,

We all get this way sometime,

Got to let your soul shine, shine till the break of day."

~Warren Haynes

Soulshine video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf0BNlYY_RA

The Real CMA - Country Music Anonymous

Bless me Father, for I have sinned... I listen to country music.

The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. I have a problem. I listen to country music. This is difficult for me to admit because until recently I have never cared for country music. In fact, until about two years ago, I actively mocked anyone who liked country.

Growing up, music was very important to our family. My parents both listened to a variety of music from classic rock to James Taylor; the Beach Boys to classical; BB King to the Irish Rovers and everything in between. Everything, that is, except country. We called country, “deet-deet” music, because we had absolutely no use for it. Catchy lyrics like, “I lost my dawg, mah truck broke down, m’girlfriend runned away… deet… deet… deet…” sum up my entire understanding of country during the first 21 years of my life.

But, even then I made exceptions to the rule with Southern Rock. Lynard Skynard, Charlie Daniels, and certain jams by Mr. Hank Williams, Jr. were acceptable forms of music because I felt that they were more rock n roll that country. In 2003 I moved to Charleston, South Carolina and found myself steeped an eclectic musical setting where blues, bluegrass, country, rock, and punk all blended together. I liked it.

Then I met Katie. Katie loves music, but is a particular fan of country and the more time I spent with her, the more country music I listened to. And while it was because of Katie that I happened to be around country music – I have actually learned to like some of the artists quite a bit. Brad Paisley, Hank Williams, Jr., Billy Currington, The Zac Brown Band… are all great song writers with a good sound – influenced by rock, country, blues, jazz, reggae, etc.

(I still think that older country from the 70s, 80s, and 90s is twangy and not for me, but the more contemporary stuff is good.)

So here I am. I like country music. And I’m not ashamed anymore. Pre-set button #5 in my car is set to a country station; I have four country radio stations saved on Pandora.com; and last week I purchased my first country music CD (Zac Brown Band’s “Foundation”).

My name is Nick, and I like country music.