A poster on the Blindman’s Blues Forum found this video of Butch Cage and Willie Thomas playing Forty-Four Blues at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival. These guys are on fire!

Forty-Four Blues

Poking around later, I found these as well:

Ragtime duet (instrumental)

Gonna Get The Children…

unknown title

The more I listen to Robert Wilkins, the more amazed, awed, mesmerized I become. He has such a unique sound, even in a musical field that seems full of idiosyncratic characters. His “I Do Blues” is just an incredible masterpiece of timing and tone. Wilkins wasn’t exactly a virtuoso guitar player, but frankly, when a guy can sing and play with such sensitivity and a sense of interplay, who gives a damn about being a virtuoso?

I’ve probably listened to this song for close to fifteen years and have sussed out the guitar part three or four times along the way. Only in the last week or so have I found the courage to try singing it. Incidentally, I played this song on a six-string Fraulini Angelina with white oak back and sides.

A breakneck schedule at work has pretty much relegated me to “solo guitarist/singer” status for the time being, at least until I can get things back under control and start playing with Kim on a regular basis again. Maybe then I’ll be able to convince her to record something. If my work situation continues to degenerate, I’ll probably make the best of it by trying to work out “Getaway Blues,” next. That one’s a killer!

This is a pretty rough recording - I decided to take the first go and post it, just to avoid obsessing over it. It feels like a real accomplishment to get inside this song, and get the accompaniment to breathe (a bit anyway) under the vocal. I’m not trying to apologize for it, but it’s not without its share of clams & I’m looking forward to getting further inside the song. If you happen to be looking for “poreless music,” well, you came to the wrong place.

i-do-blues.mp3

Here are the lyrics to Wilkins’ original recording, which I strongly urge you to seek out if you haven’t already heard it. Unfortunately, the Yazoo and Document releases of his music may be out of print by now, but checking around will probably turn up a copy.

I Do Blues - Robert Wilkins

Oh woman I do, woman, God knows I do
Woman I do, woman, God knows I do
I do more for you than any poor man can do

I done did everything woman, but die for you
I done did everything woman, but die for you
Want you to tell me what more, woman, do you want me to do

Woman, I done done all I know to do
Woman, I done done all I know to do
I done did everything woman, but lay down and die for you

Now, if you don’t want me, give me your right hand
Now, if you don’t want me, give me your right hand
I’ll go to my woman and you can go to your man

You better come here woman, sit down on my knee
Better come here woman, sit down on my knee
Oh and talk all night, tell poor Timmy what you please

Want you to tell me something give my mind some ease
Want you to tell me something give my mind some ease
I can’t be satisfied, woman, and I can’t be pleased

Because I’d rather be dead, buried on my face
Because I’d rather be dead, buried on my face
Than to love you woman, you treat me this-a-way

But I don’t want nobody, baby don’t want me
I don’t want nobody, baby don’t want me
I’d rather be somewhere friends, [bended] on my knee

I got something to tell you, tell you before I go
I got something to tell you, tell you before I go
Meet me down at the station and kiss me before I go

Because I’m going up the country, coming here no more
Because I’m going up the country, coming here no more
Oh I love you woman, but you always treat me so

Yesterday’s the day that you walked away
Yesterday’s the day that you walked away
Oh you told me you was going, you was going to stay