This track from The Dead South is gloriously difficult to categorise. It has the sounds and vocals of a bluegrass song, the rhythm of a show-tune and the vibe of a blues or perhaps even gospel hit. It’s fantastic. The video alone is well worth the time it takes to watch. It’s simple, catchy, doesn’t […]
Black is the colour is one of the best known folk ballads in The Celtic Isles, being covered by many notable artists, some of whom are shown here. Amazingly, no one knows who wrote it. It apparently came over to the USA from Scotland during the massive wave of migrations that took place during the […]
This lady is multi-talented. She can play. She can write. She can sing. It’s slightly more unusual to see a black person playing bluegrass. There’s no real reason why that should be the case other than that particular genre is descended from Irish and Scots music as carried there by colonials, and few of them […]
John Lee Hooker was one of the older generation of Bluesmen who had their own peculiar style and worldview. They were tough, courteous and principled performers who sang about the trails of life and lessons hard-learned from personal experience. Here is one of his most famous songs. If you enjoyed this, please share
What a voice Howlin’ Wolf has, and what a name! This is one smokin’ hot track from the blues legend. Rebel Voice advises that you keep a bucket of cold water handy when listening to this as you may set your hair of fire. And for god’s sake don’t let the neighbour’s dog hear it, […]
This excerpt is taken from the classic musical comedy, The Blues Brothers. Here we see Jake and Elwood shaking it up with Ray Charles. It’s sometimes easy to forget just how good the music was in this movie. If you enjoyed this, please share
A little guitar greatness from two at the top of the game. If you enjoyed this, please share
Last Car To Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke This is number 13 in the Dave Robicheaux series, set in southern Louisiana. In this installment, the New Iberia detective is drawn into a decades-old case of a popular blues singer who vanished whilst serving time in Angola prison. As is to be expected, such investigations […]
This audio is from one of the best Irish films of them all, the eponymous, The Commitments. The soundtrack is well worth getting hold of, and remember it’s Riding, not Roiding. https://youtu.be/ZEsoq0B1IOo – Be generous, give it a share –
Rebel Voice 