Crosscut Saw is Live! My cover of Albert King’s Crosscut Saw was actually released back on August 31st and I had meant to send this out to you earlier but I’ve also been in the process of rebuilding…..and I mean completely rebuilding my online music store and that ended up taking a lot more time and effort than I figured in advance! Be sure to check out my new music store. So anyway — here is Crosscut Saw — enjoy!
Last year…. I was into adapting classical music to the blues or putting blues into classical with my release of my newest CD, “Bluesy Bach & Friends”.
This year I have been getting into pure blues, especially electric blues and even more specifically as played by Albert King, Freddie King and BB King. Already released this year are my covers of Freddie King’s “Key to the Highway” and “Hide Away”. Next up to bat is Albert King. And on August 31st my cover of AK’s cover of “Crosscut Saw” will be released.
So…..Many blues artists have contended with the “sinner or saint” struggle and started out in church and moved to the blues, or vice versa! Use this form to Pre-Save “Crosscut Saw” to be the first to hear if this song is about a sinner or saint!
New Playlist: 3 Blue Kings & More: I put a new playlist, 3 Blue Kings & More, up on Spotify with 3 hours of music featuring tunes by all the great kings of the blues: BB, FK, AK and their disciples. Please follow and save the playlist.
Click the Button to Follow me on Spotify……and…then….check out my playlist “3 Blue Kings & More”.
Hey everyone,
I hope you are staying safe and healthy during these crazy times after a virus has turned the whole world upside down. You might even be feeling a little bit blue. I know I have felt that way more than once! Before this coronavirus unleashed itself on the world I was already getting blue……into blues music that is, so the timing of this world situation is ironic. Anyway, I’ve found blues music to both acknowledge pain and misfortune, but also bring hope and joy.
The blues has always fascinated, captivated and resonated with me. My friend Michael, when hearing me say that told me, “Well, yeah, it’s just good music.” That’s definitely true. It’s got groove, feeling and truth. And in spite of it being “blue” I think there is a happiness and sense of hope that is entwined with the blues.
I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and spent a significant amount of time visiting relatives in Chicago, one of America’s blues powerhouse cities. Fort Wayne is also not far from Detroit, the home of much awesome R&B music put out by Motown. So I was steeped in this wonderful sonic brew by virtue of just being there.
I think the blues touches something in all of us, no matter our ethnic or economic background. Everyone goes through trials and tribulations, hope and disappointment of one form or another. And to me, the blues is one way of dealing with that and connecting it to something universal – music – as a way to work through it in a therapeutic way, even if you don’t realize it. Music is therapeutic. But besides all of that, it’s just plain fun.
And recently, because of my ongoing attraction to the blues, and a desire to learn more deeply about some of the primary blues artists, and needing to start somewhere since there are so many artists and styles I decided to begin with “the kings”….BB, Albert and Freddie. I’m also a big, big fan of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan and I knew that the kings were big influences on EC and SRV.
Having said all of that, stay tuned for more as I venture down this blue highway!
Don’t forget to wash your hands!
Chris
