This is what I call pure music. There is no digital recording, no reverb, no voice enhancements, no dancers, not even backup singers just music pure and simple. How refreshing that is . . .
I saw Sleepy John in Copenhagen's Las Vegas jazz club in the 60s. He was with Hammy Nixon, and I was 3 feet from him! They'd played as part of a big tour of old country and city blues singers, at the main concert hall, but we couldn't afford that so we went to the deserted Las Vegas in the hope that they'd come on there after. That's how we got to see most of the blues singers, plus Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Thelonius Monk and loads more. Good days.
Wow, so lovely Ed Fred to tell us and share your memory! Blessings in the sky! Thelonius Monk is one of my favs, even Miles and Ben Webster plus Clifford Brown and Chet Baker and dussins more... Peace & Love!
One of the greatest bluesmen, in my opinion, with the undisputed master of blues mandolin, Yank Rachel. With harp virtuoso Hammie Nixon, they were transcendental.
shut up. you don’t know squat about the blues. you are an appropriator only here to to hear guitars and shit. this is a man singing his soul shut the fuck yo about instruments
frankie12string 😯 This is one unique!!!!! blues who's on mandolin? never heard any thing quite like this, the mandolin is haunting with Estes voice! now this is REAL blues old school😯CIAO
Yank Rachel! My hero. Never saw live footage of him till now. Massive influence on me 1965-8. Every time my band plays "she Caught the Katy" I tell the crowd "This is by Yank Rachel'. FABULOUS
To the comment below re: using a Strat instead of a mandolin .. you didn't know him. Yank played my Strat a few times (he also played guitar) but he was the quintessential Blues Mandolinist. People such as Ry Cooder, John Sebastian, etc. pretty much worshipped his style. Yank lived in Indianapolis (since the 1950s) He had amps and he plugged in. People wanted him to play without amplification now and then and he would do it for old times' sake (for folk festivals, etc.) .. but he liked technology too. He had two awesome Polytone amps and when we went out gigging, he used them .. He was a great man and I was so fortunate to get to play with him growing up and until he passed in 1997.
Sleepy John always seems as if he might leave us or slide into some other dimension at any moment. He doesn't feel fully engaged in our useless here and now.
@sizzledeyes Its also used extensively in Blue Grass and other rock'o billie music. It fits right in with this song. Even Zeppelin used the mandolin in some of there songs.
@thinkbigize otis rush is the guitarist in the background - sleep is playing the guitar here though - his strumming style isn't very dramatic but it has a full sound don't it?
Thanks for posting this!!! I was only an eight year old kid, just starting to take guitar lessons, when this was filmed, --and I feel privileged to have heard and seen this at all~~ Pure music, adulterated only in that it was recorded on a stage, and not outdoors under the trees on a summer night. Anyone know where this was recorded? Thanks.
Santa played a song with Sleepy John Estes over 50 years ago and his partner, Hammie Nixon, encouraged him to continue. ruclips.net/video/S_gNXeBy1P4/видео.html
yep but sleepy john used his kisser rather than his paws. you can tell it startled him at 4:04. Unconventional, but still an effective way to push it away i guess. these guys are bad ass
![Sleepy John Estes & Hammy Nixon • “Down South Blues/Clean Up At Home” • 1964 [RITY Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8mvzSve5uz4/mqdefault.jpg)
![Sleepy John Estes & Hammy Nixon • “Down South Blues/Clean Up At Home” • 1964 [RITY Archive]](/img/tr.png)
This is my great Uncle so proud and blessed to have know him
He was a giant
he was born about fifty miles away from me. they put on a show on johns' porch every may in brownsville honor him
This is what I call pure music. There is no digital recording, no reverb, no voice enhancements, no dancers, not even backup singers just music pure and simple. How refreshing that is . . .
This is the first time I've seen him other than in pictures
Pure
Amen!
I saw Sleepy John in Copenhagen's Las Vegas jazz club in the 60s. He was with Hammy Nixon, and I was 3 feet from him! They'd played as part of a big tour of old country and city blues singers, at the main concert hall, but we couldn't afford that so we went to the deserted Las Vegas in the hope that they'd come on there after. That's how we got to see most of the blues singers, plus Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Thelonius Monk and loads more. Good days.
Wow, so lovely Ed Fred to tell us and share your memory! Blessings in the sky! Thelonius Monk is one of my favs, even Miles and Ben Webster plus Clifford Brown and Chet Baker and dussins more... Peace & Love!
you guys rock, nice going
You're a lucky man.
One of the greatest bluesmen, in my opinion, with the undisputed master of blues mandolin, Yank Rachel. With harp virtuoso Hammie Nixon, they were transcendental.
shut up. you don’t know squat about the blues. you are an appropriator only here to to hear guitars and shit. this is a man singing his soul shut the fuck yo about instruments
The longest living bluesman
I was in awe of this video when originally posted 14 YEARS AGO. I still keep coming back to this haunting, yet relaxing song.
Yank & Sleepy = one of dah best Blues duos ever !!!
How many times I keep returning to this video over & over & is a testament to these bluesmen & their music
can't get enough-
Sleepy and Yank! My world stood still!
this needs to be the youtube homepage.
frankie12string 😯
This is one unique!!!!! blues who's on mandolin? never heard any thing quite like this, the mandolin is haunting with Estes voice! now this is REAL blues old school😯CIAO
You rarely see video of Sleepy John... Great suff.
Yank Rachel! My hero. Never saw live footage of him till now. Massive influence on me 1965-8. Every time my band plays "she Caught the Katy" I tell the crowd "This is by Yank Rachel'. FABULOUS
To the comment below re: using a Strat instead of a mandolin .. you didn't know him. Yank played my Strat a few times (he also played guitar) but he was the quintessential Blues Mandolinist. People such as Ry Cooder, John Sebastian, etc. pretty much worshipped his style. Yank lived in Indianapolis (since the 1950s) He had amps and he plugged in. People wanted him to play without amplification now and then and he would do it for old times' sake (for folk festivals, etc.) .. but he liked technology too. He had two awesome Polytone amps and when we went out gigging, he used them .. He was a great man and I was so fortunate to get to play with him growing up and until he passed in 1997.
Lovely blues and bluegrass merger.
gotta love these two. did anyone else notice sleepy john estes bonk his face on the mic when he stood up? good thing ol yank was there
This is what the blues is all about
A Blues Walk in the Valley of the Mandolin!!
Wow....."what's a matter, what's a matter." What a duo!
Awesome real legend real pure blues love it.
I love it !
brilliant . . . still have my LP from the 1960s!!!
one of my fav youtube vids
Sleepy John always seems as if he might leave us or slide into some other dimension at any moment. He doesn't feel fully engaged in our useless here and now.
Like Speedy in The Tailsman
Fantastic. Love it! Singing from the heart.
This is unbelievable !!!
James "Yank" Rachell on that mandolin!
thank you for the music!
Pure blues legends
wow.... you can really hear the AFrican roots here....
Sentimiento puro !!!!!
thinkbigize The guy with the mandolin is Yank Rachell if you're still wondering
Though he so much resembles to Albert King :D
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤
Great Uncle could play
@sizzledeyes
Its also used extensively in Blue Grass and other rock'o billie music. It fits right in with this song. Even Zeppelin used the mandolin in some of there songs.
blues!!!!!
The great Yank Rachell!!!❤❤❤
amazin
Stronger.
@68shamoa Yank is mandolin player, Sleepy John Estes is the guitarist.
blues
hes not only got the blues, hes got nice glasses...
at this point of his life he’s blind...sooooo i’m sure he’d probably rather see like he could back when he was young
Yeahhh Man!!!👌👏
Great！
Sleepy John Estes had the "sleeping disease" that caused people to fall asleep suddenly, it was difficult in the 1940s to get a doctor.
Mandolin is Yank Rachel; guitar is Sleepy John.
Yank SHREDS!!!
listen to Ry Cooder on mandolin!
@thinkbigize otis rush is the guitarist in the background - sleep is playing the guitar here though - his strumming style isn't very dramatic but it has a full sound don't it?
He sure is adequately names. Or today is just Sunday.
Rory Gallagher does some good blues on the mandolin,also
If I wanted to listen to ry cooder I would of spud beau
Holy crap, blues mandolin? Awesome.
Lots of blues by Bill Monroe. Bluegrass may have come up in a segregated society, but there was plenty of integration in music influences.
That’s the late great Yank Rachell on mandolin. You should check out his music.
Thanks for posting this!!!
I was only an eight year old kid, just starting to take guitar lessons, when this was filmed, --and I feel privileged to have heard and seen this at all~~
Pure music, adulterated only in that it was recorded on a stage, and not outdoors under the trees on a summer night.
Anyone know where this was recorded? Thanks.
James Puleo If I’m not mistaken, it was the 1969 Newport Folk Festival.
Came here because of The Loop
Santa played a song with Sleepy John Estes over 50 years ago and his partner, Hammie Nixon, encouraged him to continue. ruclips.net/video/S_gNXeBy1P4/видео.html
That mandolin speaks English, with a blues accent.
Who is the guitarist? Albert King?
Looks like him Lil' bit😂
Who plays mandolin?
Yank Rachell. He recorded from the late 20s to the late 90s.
Who is the guitarist?
yep but sleepy john used his kisser rather than his paws. you can tell it startled him at 4:04. Unconventional, but still an effective way to push it away i guess. these guys are bad ass
who's playing de bandolin
Yank Rachel.
fr la? ?
Yank!!!!
Ray Charles imitation :p
Ahahahahah WTF you don't know shit, son.
Bull
Just a joke i made 12 years ago. This is pure music @@liljimitwofeatherz9735
Yank & Sleepy = one of dah best Blues duos ever !!!