“Country Blues” is the brand-new release from Preacher Boy! Purchase direct from CDBaby (digital download or CD) between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and pay only $4.99!
“Raw, powerful, foot-stomping interpretations of country blues classics as only Preacher Boy can deliver them. Accompanied solely by his 1936 National Resophonics, the Alt Blues pioneer pounds out songs by Bukka White, Blind Willie Johnson, Charley Patton, and more.”
“A devious storm of gothic Americana and gritty country blues.”
The Preacher Boy Trio, live at Aptos St. BBQ: featuring Zack Olsen & Virgil Thrasher (photo by Ulises Gonzalez)
Tonight’s show was groovy as f&*k—The Preacher Boy Trio was Con Funky Adicional.
Cheers to Zack Olsen (drums) and Virgil Thrasher (harmonica) for blessin’ me with the music tonight. I was so honored. Thanks to Aptos St. BBQ fer havin’ us … such a good home for this music.
So, I’ll run ya the whole set list down below, and some lyrics as well, but here’s a lil’ foursome of raw live tracks straight from the stage to give ya the Con Funky flavor:
If I Had Possession Over My Judgement Day
(if you don’t see the embedded music player below, please click here to stream)
i start every show with it, and so you see it listed every time, but i never offer recordings of it, but I will do tonight, cuz this was a particularly struttin’ version of the cut …
New Red Cedar Blues
(if you don’t see the embedded music player below, please click here to stream)
essentially pretty much a new song—i did try and roll out an early arrangement of it a few months ago, but it weren’t happenin’ yet, so ’twas shelved and woodshedded, but the thing came back with a vengeance tonight … lyrics at the end of post…
A Thief For Every Bible
(if you don’t see the embedded music player below, please click here to stream)
this is essentially a new song as well, tho it’s born of some pre-existing components—the final lyric is actually a combo of two earlier songs that never quite coalesced independently, as well as a new 1/2 chorus, and the music is a complete re-arrangement of a long-ago track that crawled back out from under a rock and said, “play me as a slide guitar rhumba in a minor key, and I’ll be yer baby tonight … and so, said yes …
Blister and a Bottle Cap
(if you don’t see the embedded music player below, please click here to stream)
I include this cuz it’s just f&*kin’ epic. Nearly 8 minutes of AltBlues Con SwampFunk
And here are lyrics for the new songs in town:
New Red Cedar Blues
off the banks where the rapids flow
learn a lil’ somethin’ ‘bout what i know
raccoon is as raccoon does
learn a lil’ somethin’ bout what i was
and the good witch of the river
from deep down in the water
asks for you to give her
your wish upon a quarter
flashin’ silver that you feed her
oh, if you get lost …
come on home to red cedar
the thunder sends the lightnin’ first
after that, the cloud bursts
its buckshot through the shadows
to the water’s black staccato
and the good witch of the river…
oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’
oh my darlin’, look behind you
in a cavern, in a canyon
if you get lost, i’m gon’ find you
oh, if you get lost …
we left the lake to greet the sun
and got some walkin’ done
back to red cedar
follow the leader
and the good witch of the river…
oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’…
A Thief For Every Bible
rats thin and dried, and the noose you tied
and it’s a bad day comin’
it’s a whistle and a pig
and i can hear the drummin’
sweet bitter tea, and the howlin’ three
got an itch for hemlock
they sold the black mariah
and bought an auction block
hey hey, it’s something to wrap your head around
somethin’ good ‘bout to rise up, somethin’ bad ‘bout to go down
hey hey, somethin’ even you have never seen
gon’ be a thief for every bible, and a drunk for every dream
soot sweet and thick, and the broken brick
i hear the claws a-climbin’
a crow inside an overcoat
said somethin’ ’bout simon
and so simon said, god bless the dead
and the rest can go to hell
tell the pig to get his whistle
and tell the rat to ring the bell
hey hey, it’s something to wrap your head around…
hey there gun, tell the seventh son
we ’bout to build a railroad
i know you like the water clear
as dew upon a cane toad
i’m drinkin’ buttermilk , all by myself
been in the cups on rye
i make the fine look ugly
i make the ugly look fine
hey hey, it’s something to wrap your head around…
and here’s the full set list from the evening’s entertainment:
The Preacher Boy Trio: featuring Zack Olsen & Virgil Thrasher
Live at Aptos St. BBQ, 7.16.2016
if i had possession over my judgement day (robert johnson, arr. pb)
i just hang down my head and i cry (mance lipscomb, arr. pb)
down the drain (pb)
cornbread (pb)
the cross must move (pb)
catfish (willie doss, arr. ob)
setting sun (pb)
casey bill weldon (pb)
comin’ up aces (pb)
down and out in this town (pb)
a person’s mind (pb)
my car walks on water (pb)
new red cedar blues (pb)
a little more evil (pb)
revenue man blues (charley patton, arr. pb)
dead, boy (pb)
motherless children (blind lemon jefferson/mance lipscomb/dave van ronk, arr. pb)
The inestimably excellent Virgil Thrasher brought his groovily moody and soulfully squallfull harmonica to the stage this evening, and together we ran down a set list which—upon retrospecting—I rather dig.
Here’s the full list of the songs we spelunked in and out of over the course of two solid hours tonight (please click the hyperlinked tracks to hear live, guerrilla-live recordings straight from the stage to vibrating drums:
If I Had Possession Over My Judgement Day (arr. PB, after Robert Johnson)
Rollin’ Stone (arr. PB, after Rev. Robert Wilkins)
Evil Blues (arr. PB, after Mance Lipscomb)
Revenue Man Blues (arr. PB, after Charley Patton)
Levee Camp Blues (arr. PB, after Mississippi Fred McDowell)
Settin’ Sun (PB, from “The National Blues”)
Comin’ Up Aces (PB, from “Demanding To Be Next”)
I Just Hang Down My Head And I Cry (trad., arr. PB, after Mance Lipscomb)
Catfish Blues (trad., arr. PB, after Willie Doss)
Jackson Street (PB, from “Demanding To Be Next”)
The Dogs (PB, from “The Devil’s Buttermilk”)
Obituary Writer Blues (PB, from “The National Blues”)
Down And Out In This Town (PB, from “Gutters and Pews”)
Red Cedar River Blues (PB, new-unreleased)
My Car Walks On Water (PB, from “The National Blues”)
99 Bottles (PB, Demanding To Be Next”)
That’s No Way To Get Along (arr. PB, after Rev. Robert Wilkins)
Casey Bill Weldon (PB, new-unreleased)
You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon (arr. PB, after Dave Van Ronk)
Country Blues walks in Zen Time. Is the musical past impacting the musical present? Of course! So it can be said that the past is here in the present. And of course the present is here in the present. And is the musical present impacting the musical future? Of course! So it may be said that the future is here as well. Thus, the musical past, present, and future are all here now. Country Blues walks in Zen Time.
If you happened to have read the post from December 8th, you would have read of—and perhaps even listened to— my performances of a suite of songs written a century ago. And if you read this post—and perhaps even give a listen to the recording below—you’ll discover a song written in the last week. Past, present, future. Country Blues Zen Time!
Before continuing, may I just say, if you DID read that post, or listen to those songs, and/or if you DO read this post, or listen to this song, thank you!
So, here ’tis. A brand-new song, performed for the first time (just click the song title/link below to stream the live recording). And I should say, whoever “Roger” is, you’re now immortalized in this recording! (listen through to the end, and you’ll see what I mean!). And note, this is a guerrilla-raw live recording:
off the banks where the rapids flow learn a lil’ somethin’ ‘bout what i know raccoon is as raccoon does learn a lil’ somethin’ bout what i was
and the good witch of the river from deep down in the water asks for you to give her your wish upon a quarter flashin’ silver that you feed her oh, if you get lost … dip & swing to red cedar
the thunder sends the lightnin’ first after that, the cloud bursts its buckshot through the shadows to the water’s black staccato
and the good witch of the river from deep down in the water asks for you to give her your wish upon a quarter flashin’ silver that you feed her oh, if you get lost … dip & swing to red cedar
oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’ oh my darlin’, look behind you in a cavern, in a canyon if you get lost, i’m gon’ find you oh, if you get lost …
we left the lake to greet the sun and got some walkin’ done follow the leader back to red cedar
and the good witch of the river from deep down in the water asks for you to give her your wish upon a quarter flashin’ silver that you feed her oh, if you get lost … dip & swing to red cedar
oh my darlin’, oh my darlin’ oh my darlin’, look behind you in a cavern, in a canyon if you get lost, i’m gon’ find you oh, if you get lost …
Preacher Boy: A Citations-Included Scholarly Performance Review, and Guerrilla-Raw Recordings From The Show
I have been fortunate to receive a great many press reviews over the years. Most of them have actually been quite favorable, for which I’m grateful. Some even remarkably so. Many have been funny, some almost frighteningly spot on, and virtually all have had something insightful to contribute.
That Canadian publication that likened my singing to “Motorhead’s Lemmy singing the blues?” That was awesome.
The Seattle newspaper that described my music as “dark, beautiful, desperate, and soulful?” I loved that.
And of course, getting reviewed by Rolling Stone was pretty special, though getting a nod from Living Blues may have even topped that, given that I pretty much grew up reading that magazine. Still hard to believe I ended up in those hallowed pages.
The point being, I’ve been lucky that so many generous individuals have elected to write about my music. But a scholarly article, complete with citations and the like? That’s something new for me.
Yet that’s exactly what has transpired. Jonathan Dryden, one of the finest musicians working today–a true piano virtuoso–and a deep musicological student of all things Americana, has penned what I think is a rather extraordinary article based on a recent Preacher Boy performance, and focused on a suite of turn-of-the-century songs that feature in my rather ramshackle repertoire.
I am humbled beyond imagining by this piece of prose, and honestly hesitated to even share it. Well, at least I hesitated for a second or two. Truthfully, I couldn’t wait to share it. I am proud and humbled both, and genuinely stunned to find what I do so deeply understood, so “gotten.” Mr. Dryden is as sensitive and intelligent a writer as one could hope to be on the receiving end of, and I am so grateful to have been considered in this fashion.
Here is an excerpt from this paper:
“Compared to Len Spencer’s jerky and hurried version from the 1910s [Preacher Boy’s] pace was leisurely but well-timed. In his hands, the song didn’t sound one hundred-twenty years old. It was fresh and exciting, and the lyrics weren’t dated. He played it in a modern shuffle rhythm, alternating between G major and minor from beat to beat in the opening four measures instead of the traditional G major throughout. Where there had only been a tonic and dominant chord in the song, he found ways to insert sub-dominant and relative minor chords that brought out the melody and lyrics even more than a plain rendition would have done.”
For my versions of the above, I am indebted to recordings by Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt, Leon Redbone, and Dave Van Ronk.
And for this post, and the story it contains, I am indebted specifically to Jonathan Dryden. Thank you, sir! And I am of course indebted to all at Aptos St BBQ, upon whose stage I had the pleasure of performing these songs. I am also indebted to anyone who has been gracious enough to write about me and/or the music I play. And finally, I am indebted to the music that came before me, and the musicians who made it. Deep bows to all.
Joseph Spence. Yep. That’s right. Joseph Spence. Caribbean Country Blues. Trust me. And here’s the best way to get your head wrapped around the gloriously bent and magic acoustical muttering beauty of this strange and incredible artist. Listen to his version of Sloop John B. Because you know the song, but you have NEVER heard it like this. And it’s so, so phenomenal … I mean, literally cool beyond imagining. Seriously. Dig this.
Dock Boggs. I am a firm believer that proper Country Blues needs to occasionally be a bit creepy. And there is little music in the world that is more creepy than Dock Boggs’ original version of Sugar Baby.
Freddie, by Mance Lipscomb. Mance is associated with a great many fantastic things, and rightfully so. But not often with one chord drone songs. And let’s digress for a moment to note that one chord drone songs are the ultimate measure of a musicianer. And Country Blues does it best. Yeah, take that, modal jazz! (which I happen to love, btw). Anyhow, Mance hypnotizes on this one, so dig:
And here’s one from the newden days. Chris Whitley (RIP) laying into Spoonful with the Billy Martin & Chris Wood, the esteemed Medeski, Martin & Wood rhythm section. Just when you thought an ol’ blue chestnut like this one couldn’t be reimagined successfully, here comes this motherfu&*er of a rendition. This, people, is modern country blues. Not … that other stuff. This.
To be continued, but please. Listen to this music. Listen to this Country Blues.
The Pocket is strictly authentic. I love it. The sound is actually mighty mighty for an oilcan crib, the souls behind the bar are extremely soulful, and Patron Papa Jerry is of a broken mold and more … poet laureate of the pub, dig?
Yeah, man. The wisdom.
I had the great pleasure of rollin’ in recently with The National Blues — Virgil Thrasher on the horizontal reed hammer, Zack Olsen on the tub n’ thumps — and we carved three sonic hours out of the night-funk, including a slice of sour cherry drama by the name of “A Little More Evil” …
7 1/2 minutes of crescendo murk mud menace, prognosticated via slide baton on wail cans and thub-tumpers …
Preacher Boy | The National Blues 