We’re Frankie and Kim Basile. Frankie has been playing guitar with varying results since high school and banjo for the last nine years or so. Kim picked up her first instrument, the fiddle, about five years ago. After about three years of playing old-time music more or less exclusively, she decided to take a crack at blues fiddling - an interest happily shared by Frankie. They’ve been listening to blues for a long time, and having a lot of fun interpreting both country blues and old-time music.
The site is just kind of a scratch pad - a way to discuss things we’re interested in or to post tunes that tickle our collective fancy. Here are some links to entries on the site that include songs we’ve posted:
Youtube (really…)
- Squat It
- Rolling Mill Blues
- Flash Light Blues
- Shooting High Dice
- Snigglin’ Blues
- Crow Jane Blues
- You Didn’t Mean Me No Good
- Cold Penitentiary Blues
- Goin’ Up The Mountain
- Cabo Verdranos Peca Nove
- Old Dog Blue
- Shaving A Dead Man
- Elder Greene Blues
- Things About Comin’ My Way
- Carbolic Rag
- That Lonesome Train Took My Baby Away
- Shuckin’ Sugar
- Stop And Listen
- Near The End
- Been Listening All The Day
- Married Man Blues
- Highway No. 61 Blues
- If You Don’t Want Me, Please Don’t Dog Me ‘Round
- I Decided To Go Down
- Low-Down Rounder’s Blues
- Viola Lee Blues
- Sunset Waltz
- Morning Glory Waltz
- Alma Waltz
- Bamalong Blues
- Coal Man Blues
- Baby, How Can It Be?
- That Crawlin’ Baby Blues
- Ain’t Gonna Worry No More
- Leavin’ Town Blues
- One Dime Blues
- Livin’ In A Strain
- The Girl I Love Got Long Curly Hair
- Black Mattie
- Too Long
- The Jazz Fiddler
Kim fiddling, Frankie backing up:
- The Bible’s True
- You Didn’t Mean Me No Good
- Curly Headed Woman
- Duck Shoes Rag
- Lonely One In This Town
Frankie, solo (guitar):
- Prison Cell Blues
- I Do Blues
- Nashville Stonewall
- My Heart Is Fixed
- Don’t Fish In My Sea
- Easy Rider Blues
- East St. Louis Blues
- Church Bells
- Sawmill Moan
- Joliet Bound
- Rambler Blues
Frankie, solo (banjo):
We do have kids - if you know us, you know who they are and that we adore them! We wish we were more active in the local music scene to the extent that there is one, but the demands of work and family make that more difficult and probably less rewarding than it would otherwise be. As it is, it’s fun to play at home and occasionally for and with friends at parties or gatherings - festivals, too.
12 Comments »
04.02.07 @ 7:31 am
I was a blues researcher in the 60s-70s (as well as a guitarist) and must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed your comments on the Mississippi Sheiks, Doc Boggs, and Robert Wilkins. I look forward to expanded sections on Jefferson and Patton.
Keep up the good work!
04.02.07 @ 2:04 pm
Hi Steve - of course, just about most blues nerds who have been reading the notes of Yazoo LPs and CDs looking for clues about the music are familiar with your name. I’m glad you like what you’ve seen… I wish I had more time to maintain the site, but life has a way of putting other stuff first.
Funny that you’d mention Patton, as I’d pretty much decided to drop that part of the site - there’s so much that’s been written already (a fact of which I’m sure you are acutely aware!) that anything I’d say would just be a lame footnote to it all. I would like to do a section on Robert Wilkins as I think I’ve made some observations about his guitar style that I’ve not seen elsewhere, and those might be interesting - just need to put them down on paper. The Blind Lemon section is really calling out to be re-done and expanded (lyrics!), but it’ll have to wait.
Currently, I’m obsessed with Hobart Smith, Dock Boggs and Roscoe Holcomb.
Thanks for the note!
07.10.07 @ 12:40 pm
hello frenz i am very happy to stumple on your sight that makes good msuic of black man american and hillbillie music all makes good smile! thank you both you are american? you look different. here in sarawak not many guitars but we have violen musci two, but sometimes dangerous to go hear as they might eat you.no one plays blue musics. do you also make food i come to hear your concert playing? i can bring my kids if you feed them too yes?
07.13.07 @ 8:39 am
Bongiorno, bongiorno! You must be mie cuzzin. Franky and Kim are hunting ginnie pigs. next tuesday you come for yummy ginnie dinner. you bring kids and we have good time!
07.25.07 @ 8:18 pm
I came toosday but you weere done gone as it is said, and not there. i think you fooled me. my kids nwext time come and eat your kids. i am mad and just because i am 4 feet 7 donot think i am not plenty tough. i will jeck you up you amerikan filthy bum. you play stoopid music dance square anyway.very like ass clown.
07.30.07 @ 9:50 am
Hey Amos - I should know better that to let my cousin Eva set my social calendar. I meant the other Tuesday.
02.24.08 @ 7:45 am
don’t exactly know how I stumbled upon your site, very glad that i Did. Old Southern music lover, my granddaugter has been cast in a play Fences and I was seaching for like the original Old Blue and found it on your site. Thank you so much. It means a lot to be 60 and still keep up a little. Frank and Kim, do not worry about how much time you have to spend on this site. Quality is better than quanity anyday.
04.07.08 @ 9:39 am
Hello from Costa Rica
Keep it up. ya´ll sound good.
I used to pick with RD Hall, Jim Jett, Frank Greathouse (is he dead yet? LOL) etc, in NC years ago.
Pete
06.02.08 @ 7:57 pm
Hello from Manila, Philippines!
Great music, cool info! Thanks for sharing your music. I’m also a big fan of country blues and old-timey (see youtube.com/deltaslim).
More of the un-obvious, deep stuff please!
07.28.08 @ 8:40 am
howdy folks. just wanted to say hello, sounds excellent and that this is the best thing on the interweb. i was fixin to throw it in the tank until i trespassed on your property, thanks for botherin and you ought to contact me
10.31.09 @ 6:29 pm
frankie,
you are one of the true blues revivalists and have such tremendious respect for the music it bleeds out of your guitar and vocals.
i have nothing but praise for your efforts and thanks for the enjoyment i get from your music.
feel and respect are everything. the blues is this country’s jewel and gift to the world.
thanks,
savage
05.24.10 @ 8:00 pm
Hi Frankie,
My name is Vali Racila, I’m Romanian and I just sent you an e-mail message inviting you to play at Sighisoara Blues Festival 2011, Romania.
We watched all your videos and decided that a blues festival like ours cannot miss a real blues band like yours. I’m not gonna say more about you because your music speaks very well for everything.
All I can say is THANK YOU for playing this music, the way you play!!! It’s a joy!
Now, I do hope your answer to our invitation will be YES!
Thank you!
SirBlues! Vali Racila
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