Here is a vid from youtube. They are the Blue Riders, and unfortunately some compression was done to fit it into the youtube parameters and the vocals are a little "hissy and distorted". Given that, I really enjoyed mixing the two cultures' music together. For some reason ,when I tried to embed,it said video no longer available.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-gw0TZvabg
Interesting take on Gallows Pole
Re: Interesting take on Gallows Pole
Two of these guys are friends of mine - Ben Andrews (on guitar) and Hugh Feeley (on harp). Ben is a scarey fingerpicker and can play all that old Blind Blake, Willie McTell and Robert Johnson stuff with the thumb holding down the bass line and then play the embelishments over top. He's a great bottle neck player, too. He's originally from Yugoslavia and was adopted at a young age. I haven't seen him around in a while but heard from Hugh that he's having a few problems with some personal demons. Hope he gets back to town soon.
Hugh Feeley is a really nice harp player that I've worked with often in an electric setting; our last date together was back in November. One of the few guys that I know of who can play sax lines on a diatonic harp.
IIRC, this video was shot at Fleetwood's in Alexandria about 13 or 14 years ago. They used to be called The Blue Rider Trio and had my late friend, Jeff Sarli, on upright bass. They produced one CD which is believe is long out of print. Jeff was a special player and was on of the most authentic old school bass guys going. He played with Big Joe & The Dynaflows as well as the Uptown Rhythm Kings here in DC. Later he went on to work with slide monster John Mooney, Bob Margolin, Bill Kirchen, Anson Funderburgh & Sam Myers and Levon Helm. His playing also got him noticed by Keith Richards who hired Jeff to play upright on two tracks on the Rolling Stones' "Bridges to Babylon" CD - his playing kicks off the record with "Flip The Switch". Jeff said that it was the most surreal experience he ever had as a player!
Hugh Feeley is a really nice harp player that I've worked with often in an electric setting; our last date together was back in November. One of the few guys that I know of who can play sax lines on a diatonic harp.
IIRC, this video was shot at Fleetwood's in Alexandria about 13 or 14 years ago. They used to be called The Blue Rider Trio and had my late friend, Jeff Sarli, on upright bass. They produced one CD which is believe is long out of print. Jeff was a special player and was on of the most authentic old school bass guys going. He played with Big Joe & The Dynaflows as well as the Uptown Rhythm Kings here in DC. Later he went on to work with slide monster John Mooney, Bob Margolin, Bill Kirchen, Anson Funderburgh & Sam Myers and Levon Helm. His playing also got him noticed by Keith Richards who hired Jeff to play upright on two tracks on the Rolling Stones' "Bridges to Babylon" CD - his playing kicks off the record with "Flip The Switch". Jeff said that it was the most surreal experience he ever had as a player!
Re: Interesting take on Gallows Pole
Cool stuff Mike. I had no idea who they were, and the harp guy cracks me up, looks like Popeye in the vid. I came to the blues through Gospel and Rock, and hadn't read much on the Celtic/Europe connection in relation to blues, only to jazz. I need to explore some books on the subject.
I have only been really studying the history of the blues since about 2000. I am a real newbie as far as years go, but did a lot of reading to try and get caught up. I just started playing blues seriously this last year. I still have a long way to go! I wish I would have caught the "blues" bug in the seventies!
I have only been really studying the history of the blues since about 2000. I am a real newbie as far as years go, but did a lot of reading to try and get caught up. I just started playing blues seriously this last year. I still have a long way to go! I wish I would have caught the "blues" bug in the seventies!
Re: Interesting take on Gallows Pole
Oh, he's quite a character, Charly - crazy as a loon but has a heart of gold. He'll show up to gigs sometimes looking like he'd just came in from the nearest homeless shelter, dressed in a mix-match of clothes and wearing these big ol' Roy Orbison-type glasses, but he can play the snot out of the harp!charlyg wrote:....the harp guy cracks me up, looks like Popeye in the vid.
Hugh and I go back close to 20 years or so. Back in the day, he was one of the few cats in town who had a bunch of tweed Fender amps from the '50s and had the very first 3x10 Bandmaster that I ever laid eyes on; what a seriously great sounding amp that was! But like most of us during that time, he had a huge monkey on his back and eventually sold off all those amps to keep his habit going. I'm happy to report that he's since cleaned up - as have we all - and is doing well!