St Jame Infirmary Blues

I recently found this article vis a link over at Expecting Rain.com. It is an article about Robert R Harwood's new book on the history of the St James Infirmary Blues, which has long been one of my all time favorite blues songs (I've even recorded it myself!). Harwood says of the song:

There is something mythical about St. James Infirmary. It seems to have always been here, although in its present state it is perhaps a hundred years old. The late American trombonist Jack Teagarden called it "the oldest blues song I know," but it's also jazz, country, pop . . . it even migrated to modern classical music. A number of people claimed authorship in the early days, but when blues singer Mattie Hite released her interpretation in 1930, the composer credit was to "Everybody" -- and that's about as accurate as it gets.

More information about the book can be found on Harwood's website, from which I found a great blog on Pre-War Blues called 'Honey, Where You Been So Long?' Not only does the blog post mp3s of hard to find blues tunes, they've recently posted a huge anthology of virtually every version of St James ever recorded: So Young So Cold So Fair & Standing Pat



----------------
Now playing: Blind Willie McTell - Dying Crapshooter's Blues
via FoxyTunes

A moment of fame

Recently Bill Miller of JohnnyCash.com has been running a Johnny Cash song contest on the his on-line radio show. I entered with my ukulele rendition of "Delia" and was happy to hear a clip of it played on the show this week! There are a lot of other very good entries, so I don't know what my chances of winning are, but I do know that I am the only entry with a ukulele in it :D

Update:Since the show I was on is no longer current I thought I'd provide a direct link to the archived episode (all past episodes are listed on the bottom of the main Radio Show page. The one my song clip was played on is Show #44

Leonard Cohen

On 10 March 08 Leonard Cohen, one of the most talented poets and lyricists of our time, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Lou Reed:

Singing the Blues

I just posted a couple new Elijah Wilbury songs to my EZFolk page. The first is my version of the St James Infirmary Blues:



The second is an original blues song based on St James, which I call The Lost Love Blues:



The Lost Love Blues
Lyrics by John W. Leys, Music by Elijah K. Wilbury

Intro: Dm-A7-Dm-Gm-A7-

Dm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm

Dm A7 Dm
I went down to the station
Gm A7
Headed for I don't know where
Dm A7 Dm
I saw an old man layin by the dustbin
A7 Dm
With a pain he couldn't help but share

I asked him what the matter was
And what path to this place had led
He looked up with bleary eyes
And these were the words he said:

“I was looking for my lady
In the house where her parents dwelt
Not suspecting what I'd find there
And the hand that I'd been dealt.

Her parents sat on cushionless stools
The mirrors were covered and blind
And no sign there was of my true love
Who in this world I would never again find

Oh my sweet Lord, please bless her
Wherever she may be
I could search the whole world over
And never find one as sweet as she

I rent my shirt o'er my blood-pump
And dropped down to my knees
Asking the Lord of Hosts above me
'Save me if you please!'

It was raining when they buried her
In a plain box five feet long
Six Rabbis were her pallbearers
With Six Cantors to sing her songs

Not a flower colored the garden
Her family tree dressed in black
18 traveled to the graveyard
Only 17 came walking back”

His eyes rent open my breastbone
My soul for his love did cry
To hear of that wicked day
That he saw his future die.

And as he finished his sad story
He drew one last ragged breath
I pray he finds that lost love
Out there on the other side of death.

Outro: Dm-A7-Dm-Gm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm-A7-Dm

Tom Dooley

I just posted a new song to Elijah Wilbury's EZFolk Page. Its my rendition of the old Folk Song "Tom Dooley". The song is based on the real life murder of Lorie Foster in 1866. Civil War veteran Tom Dula was hanged for the crime in 1868.

More information about the development of the song and the story behind it can be found at Tom Dula.com.

Rachel, Don't You Weep: The Video

This is a song I first did quite a while ago & reworked earlier this year. Its a rewritten "Jewish" version of the traditional spiritual Mary, Don't You Weep. You can check out the 'studio' version on Elijah Wilbury's EZ Folk Page.

What if Hank Williams Were Jewish?

He may have written this:

Chanbalaya

When Dove's Cry

My Buddy Tony III has started posting some music video's to YouTube. Below is his rendition of Prince's When Dove's Cry:

Check out more of his videos at his YouTube Page & his music at his myspace page (or his other myspace page!)

San Francisco Bay Blues

Jackson

Justine and I duet on Jackson:

End of the Line

Tangled Up In Blue

My first experiment with video. More to come!

Let it Be

Some more SingSnap fun. My girlfriend, Justine, and I duetting on the Beatles' "Let it Be"

Mr Grinch

Lately I've been playing with singsnap.com, an online karaoke site. This one turned out well enough that I wanted to share :) ... If so inclined you can check out my other recordings there by visiting my profile. Enjoy!

Series of Dreams

This has always been one of my favorite Dylan songs. I ran across the video on YouTube and had to share it!

Strummer of Love

I recently ran across this cool Uke related article from the Times On-Line via Expecting Rain:

Strummer of Love

Bob and Eric at the Crossroads

Dylan Looks at 40

Dylan sings Buffet. How cool is that?

The Wilburys Are #1 in the UK, Australia, et al.!!

Congrats to all my Wilbury cousins! Let Thy Wilbury Done!

From George Harrison.com:

THE TRAVELING WILBURYS’ 1st UK No 1
Nearly twenty years after the creation of the band and over a decade
since their music was last available, legendary supergroup The
Traveling Wilburys are at number one for the first time ever. Selling
over 110,000 units in its first week of release, The Traveling Wilburys
Collection, shot straight to the top of the UK album charts today.

On hearing the news, Olivia Harrison said "Here’s to George, Roy and
the Boys, my favourite guys. Congratulations Wilburys."

Also debuting at number 1 in the UK iTunes charts, The Traveling
Wilburys have taken the digital age by storm. The albums can be
downloaded for first time as part of the ‘digital bundle’ version of
The Traveling Wilburys Collection, which includes the video content and
a sixteen page interactive booklet with liner notes and photography of
Harrison, Dylan and friends. In addition, newcomers to this iconic rock
band can download a free introductory seven-minute video sampler via
iTunes.

As further testament to their enduring popularity, The Wilburys are
storming the charts across the world, with the Collection going in at
number 1 in countries including Australia and Ireland.

Someday...