otis gibbs

(Left to right) Grant Showbiz, Peter Dunwell, Otis and Andy James enjoying cake backstage. Photo by Billy Bragg.

Photo by Peter Dunwell.

Photo by Peter Dunwell.

Photo by Peter Dunwell.

I was asked to make a list of my ten favorite blues tracks for a blues magazine in the UK. I personally hate top ten lists, so I chose to simply list ten great tracks. If I had to make another list tomorrow morning it might be completely different. I might add some Charlie Patton or maybe even some Nat King Cole. Please feel free to tell me I’m crazy. You might be right!
Thanks for giving a damn,
-Otis

Allen Ginsberg would often ruffle people’s feathers by calling Bob Dylan one of the all time great blues singers. I understand and agree with the point he was trying to make. I’m a firm believer that there is a lot more to blues music than noodling pentatonic scales over a 12 bar progression. Blues has more to do with translating raw emotions and common experiences in a way that resonates at a gut level with the listener. This is why I believe the music of people like Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits is the natural continuation of the blues. On the other hand, the endless wanking of the Clapton and Stevie Ray clones of the world, leave me bored to tears. While I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to woodshed and develop their technique, it sometimes starts to resemble an athletic event more than music. It should be obvious by now that I like my art to be imperfect and dare I say, human. Now that I’ve drawn a (friendly) line in the sand, here’s a list of ten blues tracks that ring true to me. These are in no particular order.

“She’s Nineteen Years Old” -Muddy Waters
This is Muddy at his best! I love the muscular and confident delivery when he sings “I’m gonna say this to you and I don’t care if you get mad.” This track has one of the finest endings of any song I’ve ever heard. I can only imagine how he must have brought the house down in the smoky night clubs of Chicago.

“From Four Till Late” -Robert Johnson
This was the first of his songs that stood out to me. I love the lyrics and guitar playing. “A woman is like a dresser, some man’s always going through her drawers.” That’s some funny stuff! And what is “an apron overalls?”

“Death Don’t Have No Mercy” -Reverend Gary Davis
I’m in love with his guitar playing, so I was tempted to list one of his instrumentals, but this song is just perfect. The version from the Newport Blues Festival is chilling. “You look in the bed and find everybody gone”. Who can’t relate to that? I haven’t heard many songs that match the raw emotional power of this track.

“Sittin’ On Top Of The World” -Howlin Wolf
Lots of people have taken a stab at it, but Howlin Wolf owns this song. There’s never been a more identifiable voice in any genre and he shines on this track. This is also my girlfriend, Amy’s favorite version, and I’m a firm believer that Momma knows best!

“Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan)” -Bessie Smith
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Delta I couldn’t get this track out of my head. I kept hearing the lazy, drunken horns matched against her huge voice singing painfully, “my heart cries out for muddy water.” It was a fitting soundtrack to that moment in time.

“Strange Fruit” -Billie Holiday
I can’t imagine a more haunting track. She closed her shows with this and audiences around the world were left speechless. Few songs have had the same impact. It became the anthem of the Anti-Lynching Movement, which lead to the Civil Rights Movement. There are many great Billie Holiday tracks, but the greatness of this one just can’t be denied.

“Tappin’ That Thing” -Yank Rachell
I have fond memories of seeing Yank play live around Indianapolis, Indiana when I was younger. I can remember women getting up to dance to this song, while Yank sang and played. It was obvious that he was a real, honest to God bluesman and that he was something special, but I had no idea of how fortunate we were to have him living in our town. This song is an example of how fun and upbeat the blues can be. The risque lyrics could make a gangsta rapper blush.

“Ride On Josephine” -Bo Diddley
A Bo Diddley song is always gonna have a great driving rhythm to it. I love his songs with the trademark “Bo Diddley Beat”, but this one stands out just a bit more to my taste. It swings and makes you want to move, and it’s one of those rare blues songs with a big sing along chorus. Bo sounds great singing the story, while the guitar pushes everything along. I’m also a sucker for a good song about a car.

“That’s How Strong My Love is” -Otis Redding
From the opening measures of the track it becomes obvious that this is a truly great band. Then one of the greatest voices of all time comes in and lord have mercy! I love everything about this track. It’s a love song that doesn’t leave you feeling cheap, or pandered to. You can’t listen to this without being moved. I’ve been going back to this song since I was a kid and I keep finding different things that I love about it. That’s the mark of a great track.

“Levee Camp Blues” -Son House
Son House was one of those rare artists that could meld man and guitar into one pure instrument, and as he aged he grew closer to the source. This song is a perfect example of that. The Alan Lomax recordings are beautiful, but later versions of “Levee Camp Blues” pulsate and throb with every slide and moan. It’s easy to see why he was so influential to later generations after listening to this track.

I’ve played a couple of gigs at this store in the last few years and it’s always been a great time. The town is wonderful and Terry is fabulous! It’s definitely worth a visit.

This ended up being a lot of fun, but it started out a bit awkward. I stood there for a while while the host had a conversation with his guests in Dutch. I had no idea what they were saying (I don’t speak Dutch) so I just stood there for a while waiting to hear my name. There’s never a dull moment while traveling. I played a few more songs for the show. If anyone is interested I might post them for you.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

I saw this wonderful roadside treasure in Einhoven a couple of days ago. I have no idea about the history of it, but whomever is behind this is my kind of person! I’m ashamed to admit that i didn’t get a chance to photograph it myself, so I pulled this pick off of the city website.

I’ve played three shows so far and they’ve all been excellent. I played Ottersum on a Sunday, Eindhoven on a Monday (SOLD OUT), and Deventer on a Wednesday. All of these gigs were very well attended by people who had to get up and go to work the next day. Even though the gig was early in the week, these folks still came out to enjoy the show. There are a lot of things wrong with music these days, but the people at these shows are everything that’s right about music. Thank you for coming out and having a good time with me. I truly appreciate it!

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

Grave in Exeter Cathedral. If anyone knows anything about this grave please fill me in.

Graffitied wall in Belfast. Yet another reason to love the Irish!

I’d drive this sucker all over Nashville. I wouldn’t feel great about it on the highway but I’m sure it’s safer than a motorcycle.

Peter Dunwell took this photo of Billy and I in London. I like this one for a few reasons. 1) It’s a nice shot. 2) Billy looks great with that Gibson and I think they should give him this guitar. 3) I look like the guy that is always standing on the side of the stage looking tough while Run DMC or MC Hammer busts out the rhymes.

This was a party for “Jail Guitar Doors”. It’s a very cool organization that Billy set up to send guitars into prisons. It’s a way to reward the best behaved inmates and give them something constructive to work on while they pass time. It has a very good track record of helping rehabilitate inmates and is spoken highly of by wardens in the UK. You can learn more at http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk/

Your guess is as good as mine?

Self portrait backstage in Belfast.

This is me on stage at the beautiful, Empire Music Hall in Belfast.

Another grave in Exeter Cathedral.

I have no idea who this is and I’ve never seen the show, but I can say with confidence that this has to be the best ventriloquist act of all time!

****Edit****The lovely and talented Grant Showbiz sent me this little bit of knowledge.

the man with the teeth is not a ventriloquist,but,a guy called Ken Dodd & he’s holding a Diddyman from Knotty Ash…..He is the last of the great Music hall comedians & is about 80 years old now.He’s very funny & does 3 hour sets-yes,even longer than Billys…..He was put on trial for tax evasion about 10 years ago.& basically amused the judge out of jailing him……well worth a google

Someone sent me this photo of Billy and I on stage at Shepherds Bush Empire in London (photographer unknown). If you took this photo, please let me know and I’ll credit you or pull it down.

This was also sent to me by an unknown photographer. It’s a crowd shot of Shepherds Bush Empire in London. If you took this photo, please let me know and I’ll credit you or pull it down.

Thanks for giving a damn,

-Otis

*****More to come******

These were shot at a living room show that I played in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. I drove four hours to Atlanta, taped the Paste session and then played a really fun House Concert. I slept for 5 hours and then drove 8 1/2 hours to Orlando to play this show. I was very happy that this turned out to be a great show with some very swell folks. After this show, I drove 4 hours , then slept 6 hours and then began the 12 hour drive home. If you’ve ever been curious what life on the road is like, this is a little taste of it.

I’d like to send a special thanks to the Coble family for hosting the show and to Keith Alan Morris for putting this film together.
Thanks for giving a damn,
-Otis

I did a session with Paste Magazine while I was in Atlanta a couple of weeks back. I can’t figure out how to embed the video so, you’ll have to follow the link to check it out.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2009/02/live-at-paste-otis-gibbs.html

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Otis Gibbs and Billy Bragg singing “Sin City” at Guildhall, Southampton, 30/11/08

I came outside and found this little guy trying to find sunflower seeds in my empty bird feeder. I was wondering where all of the seeds were going!