MEMPHIS MINNIE AND BAND DONE BARRELHOUSE PIANO CARTWHEELS DOING THE JOE LOUIS STRUT
She was renowned for being one of the most powerful purveyors of blues music along the Chicago greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin`
Wolf and Big Bill Broonzy.
She cut a tough persona which she probably would have needed being a black woman trying to be accepted in what was then a very white dominated racist American society.
She was also a very tough competitor as a musician, her blues guitar and unique contralto voice made her a crowd favourite in amongst the hardcore audiences of Chicago blues joints.
I can always picture Al Capone smoking a cigar with his hoods in some smoke filled bar in the ghettos of Chicago everytime I listen to some of Memphis Minnie`s tunes.
Because her songs were recorded so long ago, long before rock and roll came to town, they are a bit rough and unpolished.
I suspect the album I have of Memphis Minnie comes off an old 78 recording. She is best known as the songwriter of `When The Levee Breaks`, 40 years after she wrote it the giants of blues rock Led Zeppelin covered it on their fourth album.
Her version of the song is a lot like Leadbelly, real fair dinkum acoustic pick blues, very old but very influential. My favourite song of Minnie is a rollicking barrelhouse piano gem which is on the greatest hits album I have, it`s called JOE LOUIS STRUT.
The song was recorded on the 22nd August, 1935, making it the oldest song I have ever reviewed on this blog. It sounds like it was recorded live, very rough around the edges and Minnie talks her way through the song instead of singing it.
Her backing band, whoever they were, were egged on by a boisterous Minnie to roll out the JOE LOUIS STRUTT and basically have a damn good time.
I don't think there are any words to the song, but whoever was jamming that day in the club where Memphis Minnie was did not need vocals.
JOE LOUIS STRUTT is one of the great pieces of barrelhouse piano, despite the fact it was recorded 76 years ago I believe it is one very cool piece of music which any piano player or affectionio should adore.
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