Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I downloaded "Shame, Shame, Shame" last night to my iPod, and boy let me tell you, it's one hell of a song!

Who likes Jimmy Reed and can point me out some essential songs?

Any of the old VJ sides are a good place to start, Jake. Some that I particularly liked and still do are Goin' To New York, Take Out Some Insurance, My Bitter Seed, Found Love, You Got Me Dizzy, I'm Going Upside Your Head and Baby What's Wrong. Then you've got your required listening in Big Boss Man, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Bright Lights, Big City, I Ain't Got You and Honest I Do.

Most of that stuff has three guitars playing distinct parts, which gives it a very full sound. Also, if you're digging Jimmy, you need to check out Eddie Taylor who played on nearly all that stuff. Happy listening!

Big Boss Man
Baby What Ya Want Me To Do
Honest I Do

Bright Lights Big City is a classic that has been recorded by many artists including The Rolling Stones and The Animals

There's also a Byrds connection, too. They recorded "Baby What You Want Me To Do" live. The track is on the box set "There Is A Season." Pretty cool, Clarence White on the B bender.

JimK

winston wrote:Bright Lights Big City is a classic that has been recorded by many artists including The Rolling Stones and The Animals

They also did a version of Ain't Got You very early in their career. Everyone recorded "Baby What You Want Me To Do" including Elvis and The Everly brothers. Jimmy Reed was one of the first blues artists I ever got into. Big boss Man was my favorite way back.
You ain't so big,
You just tall, that's all

I think it was Eddie Taylor who played the 5 with an open low string, It's part of the trademark Jimmy Reed sound. PeeWee can probably explain it better than me.

Bob, you are indeed correct - Eddie provided the low, open string figures on Jimmy's recordings. What I like to do on these tunes is to play an open E over the V portion of the turnaround - it gives it a very "droney", authentic sound. That's a trick I picked up from listening to Jimmie Vaughan years ago. I believe that Jimmie learned it directly from Eddie Taylor when the T-Birds were the house band at Antone's in Austin back in the early '70s. If you've never heard any of Eddie Taylor's solo recordings, then you owe it to yourself to check 'em out. Great playing and singing. Give a listen to songs like "Big Town Playboy" and "Bad Boy" ( not the Larry Williams song covered by The Beatles ) - essential listening for any Blues guitarist. We play "Bad Boy" in Kurt Crandall's group.

Another common thread to Jimmy Reed material is that double stop turnaround - playing two strings at once with the same value - that's pretty much become cliche in the Blues. Jimmy played it with a fairly lazy feel and left a lot of space. Most guys today play it like you'd hear it on the Blues Brothers soundtrack with a triplet feel.

Here's a little background on Jimmy Reed that will enlighten you about the man and his influence on the Blues -

http://www.bluesharp.ca/legends/jreed.html

Jimmy Vaughn is a master of the Jimmy Reed style, he's one of the best blues players going. I will check out those Eddie Taylor link, thanks.