Gosh, this brings back the summer of 2006. I was a teenager, and worked on the expansion of a cemetery near my home town - half a hectare of open field, and it was hot as Hell. I worked alone and listened to the blues I had recorded on cassettes from CD:s in the library, including Bukka White, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Son House and all the legends. Days were spent burning my skin and listening to the blues in the cemetery, and evenings learning to play slide guitar at home. Nostalgic.
Sounds great. I'm 73 and grew up with Lightnin Hopkins and Muddy Waters etc. Saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee when I was young here in Australia. As the years went by I was lucky enough to catch Houndog Taylor and his Houserockers, BB King (twice) Albert King, Buddy Guy, etc. Australia has always attracted the world's musicians. Saw Dylan and the Hawks ( The Band) here on Dylan's famous 1966 world tour. I was 15. Lost track of musicians I've seen. From the Stones (twice) to Eagles to Dire Straits. Joe Cocker ( twice) Dylan heaps, Springsteen, Young, James Taylor, even Chuck Berry's piano player! JJ Cale, Clapton, Pink Floyd. Even the original Bee Gees in 1970. Sometimes I would borrow the ticket money so my partner and I could go! The best concert I saw was Led Zeppelin.
I do the same but working hard in tobacco plantation...i know it was way harder for a slave in 1920 but you could feel that sense of cooperation and common evil of hard work, soothed by the blues sound. I'm Italian and so I also had to study the slang, translate the stories told in the songs, study the protagonists of the genre. Furthermore, in the center of my little village where I live, the "blues made in Italy" is celebrated once a year, one of the largest non-profit shows in Europe to raise awareness of the genre and pass on its origins.
Back in 1971, Bukka, Jimmie Stagger, and myself sat up all night long singing 20 verse versions of this song, drinking Old Charter whiskey until dawn. Miss ya, Booker. Doctor Hamfat
It's so incredible to have this video available to the public. I've wondered for years how he played this song so distinctly and now I can just watch it happening in front of me
John Fahey apparently gifted the National guitar used in the video to Mr. White...we owe more to Fahey than has ever been acknowledged...Cheers!!! RC Johnston.
Clapton, The Who, the Stones, all did old blues tunes they "stole" from the original artists but what really brought these original blues guys to the spotlight was the folk revival in the early 60's and then Newport in '65 was the icing on the cake.
This is brilliant - I am from Ireland and our country does not have the blues. BUT I got into listening to it in 1988 and have been addicted ever since. This is real deal, this is what music is. And Bukka White is the real deal.
As an 2nd generation Irish American, ( still have much family in Omagh, Cork, Tipperary, and Donegal), don’t discount the influence that Gaelic culture and music had on much of Southern Culture. Out of all the Celtic diaspora in that area, at that time, ( the Welsh, Ulster Scot’s, Scot’s) the Irish were the most likely, and frequently to engage with the African American community. Hence why so many southern African Americans have Irish last names. Certainly not saying the plight of African Americans and their Irish counterparts was on parity, oppression wise, but there’s some definite overlap that went on.
@@resomony I know Rory is Irish and he did many great albums and backed many great blues singers and blues based singers. Blues exists in Ireland but it is not promoted enough is the problem. It is all pop and modern country music that gets promoted these days!
I am so happy to see the amount of views this has. Though it is still relatively small compared to others on youtube, it is still astonishing and heart warming! This is probably the most constructive use of a knife as well
XsilentXbladesX unique is my experience with Bukka. He reminds me of a powerful freight train speeding down the track. Love this piece and Aberdeen Mississippi blues.
This is the second vid of this guy I've checked out - never heard him before - and man, he's awesome! Really percussive guitar style, and a voice like Howlin' Wolf, but gentler in a way. Fans of raw slide guitar blues might like "Rosetta West - Underground."
I'll count him as one of the greats, but sadly, one of the greats almost completely forgotten due to the passage of time and the myriad of guitarists that have come and gone since his day. Regardless, his talent is obvious. Crazy good!
Three poor boys we was travelin--three brothers travelin,poor boys--Three poor boys we got bulldogged--and they put us poor boys in the county farm**And then mother she got nervous--?? lets call up on that phone--I decided not to telephone--to let her know ?? the county farm**And then mother she got worried--She started doing somthing wrong--after the sun done gone down--and my little sonny aint made it back home--well the sargent told my mother--it would take two hundred dollar bills-----
I took my little cousins barbie doll guitar and tuned it to where the strings played a chord, and then took my ipod, pressed it against the strings, and played the guitar like this. First time ever playing guitar....and it was fun as hell. I love Bukka White, he inspired me to do that.
@747t. I have the deepest respect for the cultural bonds that keep you connected to your ancestry - there's no substitute for Knowing who we are - and your knowledge of traditional african music(s) is clearly apperent. Regarding African rhythms being difficult, I've never found any rhythms difficult. Prob'ly why I took up Bass. Difficult to write on a graffitti wall but I've heard many more African styles than American/African. Finish this sect. in answere to a query from you; J.B.= James Brown!
Players like Skip James did use minor open tunings regularly, songs like Devil Got My Woman / Hard Time Killing Floor Blues among many were recorded in crossnote tunings like Open D Minor, DADFAD, or crossnote Open E minor EBEGBE.
thats right...it'll do good to remember that the blues was the 'pop' music of its day, meaning that everyone played it, and wanted to be just like their favorite pop star (in this case, someone like blind lemon jefferson)...now if pop music is really a refection of the society's values, then our society is in a pretty sad state. we no longer value quality or originality. we are happy enough to settle for less.
Players like Skip James used minor open tunings, songs like Devil Got My Woman / Hard Time Killing Floor Blues among many were recorded in crossnote tunings like Open D Minor, DADFAD, or crossnote Open E minor EBEGBD.
I have a real nice dvd of 'The Howlin' Wolf Story' which features Bukka with Wolf at a concert and on his own. Son House is on it too. Check it out, not difficult to find as far as I know. Also has Wolf's daughters talking about (amongst other things) the warm friendship he had with The Stones and Clapton.
Alvin Youngblood Hart does it with the same guitar arrangement but different lyrics - his version is called "Rest Your Saddle" and it's on his excellent "Big Mama's Door" CD.
Thanks for the info on bukka/booker. Reminds me of the Flannery O'Connor editor that had her write down notes of what she wanted to tell him since her Georgia accent was so thick.
I've had God bless me with a near mint condition 1930 National Triolian with the original case for only 1,000 dollars. It is the most beautiful looking and sounding instrument in my guitar collection.
Bravo, monsieur, et que Dieu repose sur vous, vous qui m'avait révé 2 fois salle pleyel paris 17 è autrefois,,,,,super jpr jean-paul raillat et voilà!!
@pfflyers1 this guitar has just been used by eric bibb to make an album called bukka's guitar or booker's guitar . he used it just for the album..check it out. it still had a set list stuck tothe side of the guitar.
Well I respect your opinion much more. However, still in my eyes, my music connects my people to our homeland. It is what has kept our souls free and culture intact since our bodies were taken into bondage. The pentatonic scale we sing in and the licks we play on the guitar are the same that we sang back in Africa and played on the Banjo, and before that on the Akonting, the Xalam, Banjar, Kora, Bolon, Ngoni...
@747t. I appreciate your graciousness in mellowing out a little. Regardless of what may appear to you from what I wrote, I'm just a musician which means I've spent my life playing with other musicians. A couple of points; I played in NYC from 1980 to 1993. I played with Top, Influential Bluesmen. If you want a VERY SHORT list of them there are some listed on my site (fly jugband - bio). That was electric mainly, tho' not exclusively. I then spent 5 years in New Orleans.......
Some of the original duolians didn't have a truss rod, so high tension plays havoc with the neck. It's actually best to even tune them down a full step when you aren't going to be playing it for a while, too.
thank you for posting this comment. I completely agree with you that music today is horrible. Someone needs to bring back the music and remove the noise thats arond today.
@muirhouseterrace HIs full name is Booker T. Washington White, he is/was still known to many as 'Bukka' - kind of a nickname. to my knowledge he never actually 'changed' his name.
I agree, but makes me smile to think of Jagger as watered down! I read the Fred McDowell liked the Stones as they got him a big cheque for covering his stuff. Unfortunately, just before he died.
BB King's older cousin, he lent BB 10$ to buy his first guitar. Booker told me this in 1971 and a few years later BB verified to me that it was true.
10 dollars was a lot. respect to the greats. he plays better with a nail than 90 percent of the guitarists now.
Gosh, this brings back the summer of 2006. I was a teenager, and worked on the expansion of a cemetery near my home town - half a hectare of open field, and it was hot as Hell. I worked alone and listened to the blues I had recorded on cassettes from CD:s in the library, including Bukka White, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Son House and all the legends. Days were spent burning my skin and listening to the blues in the cemetery, and evenings learning to play slide guitar at home. Nostalgic.
Sounds great. I'm 73 and grew up with Lightnin Hopkins and Muddy Waters etc. Saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee when I was young here in Australia. As the years went by I was lucky enough to catch Houndog Taylor and his Houserockers, BB King (twice) Albert King, Buddy Guy, etc. Australia has always attracted the world's musicians. Saw Dylan and the Hawks ( The Band) here on Dylan's famous 1966 world tour. I was 15. Lost track of musicians I've seen. From the Stones (twice) to Eagles to Dire Straits. Joe Cocker ( twice) Dylan heaps, Springsteen, Young, James Taylor, even Chuck Berry's piano player! JJ Cale, Clapton, Pink Floyd. Even the original Bee Gees in 1970. Sometimes I would borrow the ticket money so my partner and I could go!
The best concert I saw was Led Zeppelin.
I do the same but working hard in tobacco plantation...i know it was way harder for a slave in 1920 but you could feel that sense of cooperation and common evil of hard work, soothed by the blues sound. I'm Italian and so I also had to study the slang, translate the stories told in the songs, study the protagonists of the genre. Furthermore, in the center of my little village where I live, the "blues made in Italy" is celebrated once a year, one of the largest non-profit shows in Europe to raise awareness of the genre and pass on its origins.
@@alexdebuawhere in Italy is the show?
Back in 1971, Bukka, Jimmie Stagger, and myself sat up all night long singing 20 verse versions of this song, drinking Old Charter whiskey until dawn. Miss ya, Booker. Doctor Hamfat
It's so incredible to have this video available to the public. I've wondered for years how he played this song so distinctly and now I can just watch it happening in front of me
Such a gifted guitar player often feel he was one of the 2 or 3 top underrated Blues guitarist to walk the Earth.
John Fahey apparently gifted the National guitar used in the video to Mr. White...we owe more to Fahey than has ever been acknowledged...Cheers!!! RC Johnston.
I have to agree. Also worth noting, Bukka owned this guitar since the 40s.
No, Booker got that guitar in the 40's.
Fahey was a wild, gifted, kind and irritating man according to guitar folks I knew years ago...folks who knew him. Love some of his music, too!
Clapton, The Who, the Stones, all did old blues tunes they "stole" from the original artists but what really brought these original blues guys to the spotlight was the folk revival in the early 60's and then Newport in '65 was the icing on the cake.
Way back in 72 i had the great honor to see him in concert - unforgettable
LUCKY!
Holy Shite. When he puts that slide on the strings, the rattling has the effect of a drumset. It's beautiful. This is really a magical performance.
I love this. This is the real deal. No frills. Rough slide playing. So basic, but so passionate.
This is brilliant - I am from Ireland and our country does not have the blues. BUT I got into listening to it in 1988 and have been addicted ever since. This is real deal, this is what music is. And Bukka White is the real deal.
As an 2nd generation Irish American, ( still have much family in Omagh, Cork, Tipperary, and Donegal), don’t discount the influence that Gaelic culture and music had on much of Southern Culture. Out of all the Celtic diaspora in that area, at that time, ( the Welsh, Ulster Scot’s, Scot’s) the Irish were the most likely, and frequently to engage with the African American community. Hence why so many southern African Americans have Irish last names. Certainly not saying the plight of African Americans and their Irish counterparts was on parity, oppression wise, but there’s some definite overlap that went on.
Dude… Irish music is the blues. It’s also the foundation for Appalachian music and modern country. Love Irish music.
Ireland differently has the blues. Drowsey maggie, monoghan jigg ect. The difference is just irish blues.
Seems you don't know Rory Gallager was Irish.
@@resomony I know Rory is Irish and he did many great albums and backed many great blues singers and blues based singers. Blues exists in Ireland but it is not promoted enough is the problem. It is all pop and modern country music that gets promoted these days!
I get chills every time I watch & hear this, even after repeated viewings. That slide and sound from his guitar is just magnificent.
I don't think this would sound any better it was recorded today. Love this sound and his playing style.
Man, a true legend. My memories take me back to Toronto, listening to this great master at some cafe back in the 70's.
Oi Richard eu adoraria tomar café em Toronto ouvindo Booker White , dá para voltar ao passado?? :D
I am so happy to see the amount of views this has. Though it is still relatively small compared to others on youtube, it is still astonishing and heart warming! This is probably the most constructive use of a knife as well
I'm pretty sure it's screwdriver but your point remains
Cuchillo no es ....porque es redondo...!!
Brings tears to my eyes, in a very good way.
im 21 and i try the blues i suck but this is the best video i have ever seen
He makes an acoustic guitar sound like an orchestra. Great music
is made of tin. got named the national guitar and now ; they strip you a lot of money; if you want one.
greatgoshamighty, wotastunning performance ... and priceless footage too.
So Rough and Real. Love it
Sends chills up my spin what a talent this man was and never got the credit he deserved. He plays so effortlessly.
outrageously talented musician. wow. so raw and raucous. it's beguiling.
This is freaking amazing!! I need MOAR!!
XsilentXbladesX unique is my experience with Bukka. He reminds me of a powerful freight train speeding down the track. Love this piece and Aberdeen Mississippi blues.
pure, crisp, heart, clean, good music - no pretense and frills. truly timeless, thanks for the post.
man, how cool! ... he's 1st older cousin of BB King & couldn't teach BB slide :) - I visited Booker White's grave in Memphis
Lol I wish I could play like this! That screwdriver seems like a cool idea for a slide!
This is the second vid of this guy I've checked out - never heard him before - and man, he's awesome! Really percussive guitar style, and a voice like Howlin' Wolf, but gentler in a way. Fans of raw slide guitar blues might like "Rosetta West - Underground."
man this stuff dosent get old, id rate this fr beyond 5 stars maybe 10-12 or even more thats how good this music really is.
Chills down my spine.
This brings tears to my eyes in the best way possible. Bukka you badass.
Such beuatiful energy... such feeling!!! Makes me wanna dance and cry a bit too.
Surely this guy is one of the greats!
I'll count him as one of the greats, but sadly, one of the greats almost completely forgotten due to the passage of time and the myriad of guitarists that have come and gone since his day. Regardless, his talent is obvious. Crazy good!
A great soul and great artist of the highest caliber.
As a son of the South delta blues moves my soul
That picking hand is magic.
I Damn Agree with you this is as pure as pure gets and no modern blues player touches this.
very emotional musical piece.
brilliant, brilliant, brilliant...such talent....thanks for sharing
my fav ever, thanks for sharing this, excellent.
Three poor boys we was travelin--three brothers travelin,poor boys--Three poor boys we got bulldogged--and they put us poor boys in the county farm**And then mother she got nervous--?? lets call up on that phone--I decided not to telephone--to let her know ?? the county farm**And then mother she got worried--She started doing somthing wrong--after the sun done gone down--and my little sonny aint made it back home--well the sargent told my mother--it would take two hundred dollar bills-----
this is so amazing. WOW! Look at this..i love these blues,its such a beautiful art..
Man this is GREAT
Still relevant after so many years 👍
I've been standing too long in a place of poor death. And if you deserve to cry, you should cry now.
Incredible recording and an important part of history.
You won’t find music this catchy now days! RUclips need to add a repeat function!
I want that magic wand
Respect. Thanks for posting. Great video indeed.
Rest in Peace Bukka White.
This is so much fun to try yourself. Amazing!
Yeah! iiiiiihaaaaa ! On en a plus de bonne musique comme cellà ! Bravo et merci pour cette vidéo
i totally agree with your point. modern music lacks the soul, imagination and power that old stuff did, especially the blues.
I took my little cousins barbie doll guitar and tuned it to where the strings played a chord, and then took my ipod, pressed it against the strings, and played the guitar like this. First time ever playing guitar....and it was fun as hell. I love Bukka White, he inspired me to do that.
This is the best music I have ever heard! It's totally awesome! : )
then he rises to the 12th his voice and his guitar perfect together. At one with his strings
Good music is truly timeless!!!!
@747t. I have the deepest respect for the cultural bonds that keep you connected to your ancestry - there's no substitute for Knowing who we are - and your knowledge of traditional african music(s) is clearly apperent. Regarding African rhythms being difficult, I've never found any rhythms difficult. Prob'ly why I took up Bass. Difficult to write on a graffitti wall but I've heard many more African styles than American/African. Finish this sect. in answere to a query from you; J.B.= James Brown!
Players like Skip James did use minor open tunings regularly, songs like Devil Got My Woman / Hard Time Killing Floor Blues among many were recorded in crossnote tunings like Open D Minor, DADFAD, or crossnote Open E minor EBEGBE.
Pet them frets boy! Pick at it now!
"Sargeant told my mother, it'd take two hundred-dollar bills to go and buy me off that farm." Damn.
thats right...it'll do good to remember that the blues was the 'pop' music of its day, meaning that everyone played it, and wanted to be just like their favorite pop star (in this case, someone like blind lemon jefferson)...now if pop music is really a refection of the society's values, then our society is in a pretty sad state. we no longer value quality or originality. we are happy enough to settle for less.
thanks for posting , this is one of my favourite videos on youtube
@cowboyintune
so beautifully put......so well said.....
Players like Skip James used minor open tunings, songs like Devil Got My Woman / Hard Time Killing Floor Blues among many were recorded in crossnote tunings like Open D Minor, DADFAD, or crossnote Open E minor EBEGBD.
I have a real nice dvd of 'The Howlin' Wolf Story' which features Bukka with Wolf at a concert and on his own. Son House is on it too. Check it out, not difficult to find as far as I know. Also has Wolf's daughters talking about (amongst other things) the warm friendship he had with The Stones and Clapton.
Blues like showers of rain, Bukka. Amen.
Alvin Youngblood Hart does it with the same guitar arrangement but different lyrics - his version is called "Rest Your Saddle" and it's on his excellent "Big Mama's Door" CD.
Thanks for the info on bukka/booker.
Reminds me of the Flannery O'Connor editor that had her write down notes of what she wanted to tell him since her Georgia accent was so thick.
I've had God bless me with a near mint condition 1930 National Triolian with the original case for only 1,000 dollars. It is the most beautiful looking and sounding instrument in my guitar collection.
Thanks and God bless!
Bravo, monsieur, et que Dieu repose sur vous, vous qui m'avait révé 2 fois salle pleyel paris 17 è autrefois,,,,,super jpr jean-paul raillat et voilà!!
AWESOME
Powerful sound of the earth!!!!!!
@pfflyers1 this guitar has just been used by eric bibb to make an album called bukka's guitar or booker's guitar . he used it just for the album..check it out. it still had a set list stuck tothe side of the guitar.
Bigger than life
Mucho thanks for putting this on.
There are legends, and legends and then there's Bukka with his screwdriver!
Well I respect your opinion much more.
However, still in my eyes, my music connects my people to our homeland. It is what has kept our souls free and culture intact since our bodies were taken into bondage. The pentatonic scale we sing in and the licks we play on the guitar are the same that we sang back in Africa and played on the Banjo, and before that on the Akonting, the Xalam, Banjar, Kora, Bolon, Ngoni...
IM FROM SPAIN ITS VERY GOOD SONG
@747t. I appreciate your graciousness in mellowing out a little. Regardless of what may appear to you from what I wrote, I'm just a musician which means I've spent my life playing with other musicians. A couple of points; I played in NYC from 1980 to 1993. I played with Top, Influential Bluesmen. If you want a VERY SHORT list of them there are some listed on my site (fly jugband - bio). That was electric mainly, tho' not exclusively. I then spent 5 years in New Orleans.......
Some of the original duolians didn't have a truss rod, so high tension plays havoc with the neck. It's actually best to even tune them down a full step when you aren't going to be playing it for a while, too.
awesome!
Lovin the screwdriver slide! I sometimes use wrench sockets or zippo lighters lol
Such a glorious noise....
YOW! Dig that crazy sound!
Thanks very much for this! I didn't know he played it on the lap.
BB King’s uncle. Must run the family.
It runs in the culture, and it's still running.
thank you Antje!, i wanted to know when it was recorded. greetings from Argentina.
thank you for posting this comment. I completely agree with you that music today is horrible. Someone needs to bring back the music and remove the noise thats arond today.
this unbelievable!
かっこえぇー
Great Stuff!!!
@roussos87
You can trace virtually all modern music back to the Blues. It was the song of the Twentieth Century!
i'll never forget someone saying he was using a pencil......
i felt them blues
@muirhouseterrace HIs full name is Booker T. Washington White, he is/was still known to many as 'Bukka' - kind of a nickname. to my knowledge he never actually 'changed' his name.
you might get a remastered version you can buy early blues stuff quite cheaply you tend to find it in the bargain parts of stores here anyway
Damn this guy is GOOOOD!!
the tuning is open A. all open tunings are major you will very very very rarely find a minor tuning for slide guitar.
Thanks for this.
I agree, but makes me smile to think of Jagger as watered down!
I read the Fred McDowell liked the Stones as they got him a big cheque for covering his stuff. Unfortunately, just before he died.