Patsy Cline, black & white blues; Guitar Zack

6.25.07

Monday, June 25, 2007

The blues and country music have always had a lot in common -- all you have to do is listen.


Patsy Cline

I was reminded of this Saturday night while watching the CLO production of "Always ... Patsy Cline" at the Cabaret at Theater Square, and listening to Marlana Dunn do a very credible job singing songs that Cline made famous, as well as the other way 'round (Just a thought, but it might be fun to hear Dunn test her chops on a few blues tunes).

Pay close attention to Rich Gibson's pedal steel guitar and you'll hear its bluesy heritage.

It's interesting to read the liner notes to Cline's "Greatest Hits" album and see the references to several songs as blues, even though this album was one of her most sophisticated in its musical presentation.

But the ties that bound country and blues go way back.

Here's a passage from the PBS River of Song Web site, talking about the black and white musical mix from the Mississippi Delta:

"The plantation system, built with the labor of African slaves and later worked by African-American sharecroppers, spawned a population in which blacks were the majority and, though their political power was brutally curtailed, they were a dominant influence on music. All the musicians to come out of this area, whatever their race, have been deeply affected by black traditions. Also, despite segregation, this is an area where black and white musicians have traded tunes and played together for generations, from the days when Mississippi John Hurt was working at dances with the white fiddler W. T. Narmour to the Stax studio scene that produced the Memphis Horns.

"The mixing was by no means easy, and in no way negated the racial problems that surrounded it, but it made for a unique musical world of white blues singers, from Jimmie Rodgers to Elvis Presley, and black country musicians, from the Mississippi Sheiks to Charley Pride. While their music was often marketed in separate catalogues, classified as "race" or "hillbilly," in reality the styles always overlapped. Every black musician we talked to in the Delta spoke of listening to white country music, and every white musician gave credit to the overwhelming influence of the blues. The result is a true fusion music, shared with variations by different generations and ethnic mixtures of players."


	Gene Autry.

One example of white country blues that always fascinated me was Gene Autry's attempt to be another Jimmie Rodgers back around 1930, when Autry recorded country blues.

There's a CD collection of some of these, issued by Columbia/Legacy in 1996 called "Blues Singer 1929-1931: Booger Rooger Saturday," and it's a fascinating listen, not to mention a fascinating title. Autry picks and yodels, and even wrote a few himself, including "Wildcat Mama Blues" and "High Steppin' Mama Blues." [Listen to the opening of 'High Steppin' Mama']

So the next time you hear "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," imagine how it would sound like as a Gene Autry blues.

A BeerNotes FootNote

One of the more appealing features of the Cabaret theater is that you can eat and drink during the show. And they offer a variety of craft beer and imports.

It may not have have been a standard feature of the Patsy Cline era, but BlueNotes and BeerNotes enjoyed a Baltika 6 porter during the show. Almost as delicious as the music. Try one when you find it. Ask for it to be served with a brandy snifter. Remember, drinking any good beer from the bottle is a beer felony.

So... "Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome/Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret!" -- Welome to the cabaret!

Better late then never department

Zack Wiesinger, 20, formerly of West Mifflin, came in second in Guitar Center's King of the Blues Challenge June 16 in Los Angeles. Here's an item from the Guitar Center Web site (Zack is second from the left in the picture under the winner).

Thanks to Paul Baughman for tipping us off, and coming up with an exclusive interview with Zack's mother, included here:


	Zack Wiesinger

I got some info for you from Zack's mom. The forwarded message is below.

"Just got back in the 'burgh. Had a super fun visit with Zack.

He played great! Even though he had to play first, according to the crowd's response we thought for sure he had won. On the way to the after party, one of the judges told him it was soooo close. 2nd out of 4,200 isn't bad!!

"Please add also that Zack is leaving for Europe on Monday, June 25th! He is opening up for Steve Vai's Tour with a solo set. Please see: www.Vai.com, under "News & More" or "Latest News" "Postcard" dated May 29th.

"He is at rehearsals right now and so excited. Talk soon, call us anytime! -- Char"

Congratulations, Zack. You can take the bluesman out of the Burgh, but you can't take the Burgh out of the bluesman.

First published on June 24, 2007 at 8:37 pm