Based on Joey’s interest in the Blues Brothers…

I created the Blues For Joey Volume 1.

I’m going to send him the files without any pressure, though I will of course love it if he likes at least a couple of these. I tried to pull a couple from each of my favorites, tried to keep them up tempo and resisted the urge to include my all time favorite blues song “Son House – Death Letter”.

In all 18 tracks:

Albert King – Crosscut Saw
Albert King – Cadillac Assembly Line
B.B. King – So Excited
Buddy Guy – Some Kind Of Wonderful
Buddy Guy – Someone Else Is Steppin’ In
Eric clapton – I’m Tore Down
Eric Clapton – Born Under A Bad Sign
Eric Clapton – County Jail Blues
Howlin Wolf – Three Hundred Pounds of Heavely Joy
Howlin Wolf – Killing Floor
Howlin Wolf – Built For Comfort
John Hammond – I Got Lucky
John Hammond – Baby Please Don’t Go
Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy
Muddy Waters – Rollin’ & Tumblin’
Muddy Waters – I’m Ready
Willie Dixon – The Seventh Son
Willie Dixon – I Ain’t Superstitious

There are obvious classics missing, and no John Lee Hooker whom I love, but I was trying to tailor the collection to what I thought might resonate with Joey at 11 years old. Though he doesn’t know it, he likes the horn filled non-plantation recordings with a slight chicago groove in their sound.

I told him that most fans of the blues start out with contemporary artists, and then, if they really get into it, go back in time to the originals. It’s not that big a stretch from listening to old Muddy and then going back to Robert Johnson and people that were tearing it up on their porches with acoustic guitars and washboards and foot tapping for percussion.

I remember the first time I realized that Willie Dixon wrote “I Can’t Quit You Babe” and “You Shook Me” (with J. B Lenoir) that I had known as a Led Zeppelin songs for so many years. It was an AHA moment that suddenly made the connection for me on the influence of the blues in rock music.

Get “Willie Dixon – I Am The Blues” if you ever get the chance. FANTASTIC.

Anyway…

We’ll see what if any tracks strike Joey’s fancy.

Maybe there will be a Blues For Joey Volume 2.