Aretha & Piano

Today's listening: a demo recording of "I Never Loved a Man the Way that I Love You."  It's the first cut on "Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign."  While I started out life as a completist, as time passes I'm falling more and more into the camp of, "If it wasn't released in the first place, there's probably a reason."  Time and time again I buy the box set and listen to the alternative takes of some well known masterpiece, and I almost always come away knowing that the right cut was released and the right cut left in the vault.

This cut is a different animal.  It is mostly just Aretha, voice and piano.  Her voice is a bit rough and she is feeling out the song, figuring out the spaces.  That low-down just behind the beat groove is not quite in place.  But those two pieces -- her voice and her piano -- could cool the earth, and the demo setting adds an element of intimacy that is as powerful and honest as anything I've ever heard.  Love is indeed dirty business, lowdown, personal, humiliating, exhilarating, dirty, dirty business.

Stay Donkey.

Gearing up for IBC 2012

The Donkey has been saddled with the honor of representing the Spa City Blues Society in the solo/duo category at the 2012 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Today I submitted my registration.  I can guarantee that I have never sweated so much over 600 characters, or over whether my picture was 900X600 at 300 dpi.  I'm a lowdown swamp donkey, after all!  What do I know about dpi?  But we do these things on pain of losing an all important single point in the competition, and I know from previous experience that every point matters.  You can check out all entrants at the IBC website, http://www.blues.org/.

And my 600 characters (not counting spaces, fortunately)?  Here they are:

Down at the Ohio Club on Central Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ben “Swamp Donkey” Brenner slings his National guitar. We are on the low side of the road, where Dylan meets the Delta and Big Bill and R.L. Burnside share a bottle. The Donkey digs in, works his slide, plays another song. Notes roll and tumble and slide into the wild American night. “The blues,” he sings, “ain’t nothin’ but a good Donkey totin’ too much load. Don’t confuse me for no mule!”  The juke approves, and you are drawn to a woman you can’t not look at, red dress, bare back, one arm up, all hips. She is getting Donkey. This is the music of bluesabilly kings and tonkeyhonk queens. It’s Donkey time. You should get Donkey too. 

King Biscuit Time!

The twighlight scene on Cherry Street. I got to get me a Turkey leg. Michael Burks, Marsha Ball (how does she play with her legs crossed?), and Dr John and the lower 911 Band. The sign says:Be Polite! Its King Biscuit Time on the low side of the road.

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