[Harp-L] 'Summertime' and the livin' is hard and spellchecked again?



I enjoyed the chat re:'Summertime' - playing with 'feel' rather than marvelling at 'speedy flashy' head tripping technique.
 One thing I like to incorporate into my shows is the fact that 'the blues' is not some kind of glossy coffee table book written for middle aged white guys. 
As witnessed in the lives of legendary men like Howlin' Wolf or even Bo Diddley, the facts are that they had years of poverty and struggle, "working for 50 cents" as the Wolf said... plus there's the awful condition of being 'black' guys in a very racist society. The 'pain' is intensely portrayed in the faces of 'The Tail Dragger' and Little Walter. We also hear the irreverent rebellious sense of fun and raunchy humor. Real lives of sex, gambling and drunkenness or other addictions are also the literal facts?
 A black mans women was a very important component to the African Americans sense of worth, from what I understand.
 Muddy Waters songs really show a sense of sexy focused interest in young mistresses, as do  tunes from Sonny Boy Williamson II when he sings about living with and training up an 11 yr old girl on his tune  'Once upon a time'.
Personally I like to really explore and understand the lyrical content of the blues songs. The idea of a 'black opera' like Porgy and Bess being created and performed for a segregated mainly conservative wealthy white audience is indeed an amazing breakthrough from the Vaudeville Black and White minstrel variety of entertainment. 'Summertime' is remarkable for several reasons. Firstly that it has become such a homogenized jazzy standard for whites and the fact that it's actually from the point of view of the negro Nanny. "your daddy's rich and your ma she's good looking" "Hushh !! little baby Please don't cry !" shows a fearful and hopeless connotation if looked in this context.
The fact that it's written by a Jew is notable too.
Anyway it's obviously become one of the all-time great and famously well known melodic songs and is always a excellent excuse to break out in the minor key and seduce the conservative audience. So U.S. HarpL readers, on that note I'll wish you all a really positive result at the upcoming 2008 elections. Hopefully you all get off your backsides and vote for 'real' change. It's been direly needed since the sixties and the 'green revolution' is the way to financial, environmental and socially health. 
The greed, violence and ignorance has infected the planet for much too long and hopefully we are not going to be too late to stop the rot from the corporate gamblers, petroleum and arms mogals or those self righteous, hipocritical, simple minded Cult of Crucifixionists. 
The premise that men should end out on street busking for dimes to survive is totally unnecessary and avoidable.  
I believe 'empathy' and a sense of fun is a magical ingredient to creating really meaningful soulful music especially through harmonica, be you 'tanned' or pale.



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