Snakedocs

My old band, the Memphis Snake Doctors (snake doctor is a dragon fly--country slang) now have a new site: http://www.memphissnakedoctors.com . They used my graphics from the Sun Studio CD, and the MP3's are ones I recorded with them.

The tough part is seeing some of the venues they've played since my departure which I would have loved to play. Can't have it all. I am vain enough that I always hope they miss me. They said they did when I was in Memphis last summer and we had a little jam session.

Looks like I'll be there again next week, provided I get the all clear from Dr Pokeye tomorrow. I doubt there will be a chance to jam, but maybe there will be. I hope so. At an rate I plan to leave with the amp I used at that jam. I'm trading a very nice Mesa Boogie Blue Angel for it. G1 sold it to me at a bargain, and now I'm trading it back to him for the Bassman rig which is more primo for harp. It should all be OK.

If you go to the site, hit the "about us" link, and there you will find the mp3's you can stream. On Chain of Fools I am there but very much in background, which was appropriate on that song. On the others the harmonica is way more up front. The keyboard guy on Fools was very good. He's played with all kinds of names which I forgot.

I should not be reading and writing much yet. Just thought I'd give them some publicity here in case anyone is curious. And feed my own ego, since the crazy purple dragonfly stuff was what I drew, and the harp on the mp3s being mine warms my heart.

Now I know I am an ego maniac because I find myself wishing they had more pictures of me instead of the new guy, Gary. I'm in one pic which says something about Sun studio. Sad to be so starved for attention. My mountain group, Copper Creek, likes to post pictures of me on their facebook accounts, but I am not very big on FB. I think it is the devil.

Often, gossip which you may prefer not be there gets put out and in my odd life, it can be a bit troublesome at times. Even so, I wouldn't mind if we had more chance to play. Maybe in the coming year we will.

Blues Union

Once again, I was thinking.

"Why would you do that?", you may ask. Often times, it is fun. That's why.

It started with pictures and video of people trudging around in a circle chanting in unison, with signs that said things like "solidarity" (nothing else, just that????), and "tax the rich" (again, WTF???)

It struck me that most of those things deal with high class problems like pensions, health insurance, more vacation, or possibly it is just a hobby for some people. The camaraderie and all that.

"These are not people who have the Blues", a voice inside my mind lamented. I had to agree. They got no idea bout the trouble I seen.

What about a Blues Union, I thought. What would the signs say and what would they chant?

The first thing that came to mind, which could be on a sign, and/or chanted, is the list of the basic essentials familiar to every bluesman. It is universal:

LOOSE SHOES
TIGHT P***Y
AN' A WARM PLACE TO S**T

Don't blame me. I am only one who's got the blues from time to time. I didn't invent the thing.
However it would be a most effective and natural chant for Blues Union members.

HEY HEY HO HO
THAT CHEATIN WOMAN GOTTA GO
-Another good blues chant. It's universal, and a bit of a double entendre, which is always fitting in Blues speak.

My Union could come up with plenty more.
Woke up this mornin
thought I was deaf
that screamin mama finally left

If we go with the megaphone call and response, it might go like this:

megaphone: what we been?
Union crowd: down so long
megaphone: how it look?
union crowd: like up to me

My personal story is a simple one. This picture, which I first saw at the Factotem's, tells my story quite elegantly, I think

I wondered what the blues union should be called?
In keeping with the tone and spirit of most unions I thought IBS would be appropriate International Bluesters in Solidarinosc

Weak, perhaps. Maybe WGBU, not catchy, We Got the Blues Union.

Don't assume that just because I use the term, "bluesman", that it excludes them wimmins--cheatin or not.

The wimmins maybe get blues too. Matter of fact, some play 'em like I know they got em. It's what we call a universal pronoun-bluesman. No one who is really living the blues is politically correct. Can't be done.
No blues men or wimmins are politically correct. So don't be listening to no NOW or PETA or other do-gooder group try to tell you different. Good sex and heartbreak just don't know no political corrections.

Thank you song

Now I'm a guitar man. Like my new ax? Even has valley girl comments from the wang bar.

And another from back in a previous life at the King Biscuit fest. I like this one because the videographer didn't aim the cam too much at the pavement or port-o-lets on this one. I do remember I was just getting over a cold or the flu and felt less articulate than usual but I had fun that day. Articulate works best on a blues harp. I also like ths because a couple of photographers took my picture. That makes you feel important even if they usually get 86'd.