Metacafe Header Takeover

Away Down In The Alley - Acoustic Blues - Lonnie Johnson

Tags:
Accoustic Blues Daddystovepipe Fingerpicking Greven Guitar Instrumental Oo
daddystovepipe
  • Affiliate Submitter:
    daddystovepipe
  • International International
  • Comments: 0
  • Views: 362
  • Added: 27-Jan-08

Lonnie Johnson (1894-1970) occupies a unique place in the history of American music. He was the most versatile and sophisticated blues guitarist of the 1920s and 1930s. His uncanny dexterity and sense of harmony enabled him to transcendend stylistic barriers to record classic jazz with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, groundbreaking guitar duets with Eddy Lang, lowdown blues with Texas Alexander, and plenty of blues, ballads and mawkish pop under his own name.
One could consider him as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation. Both founding fathers of the electric guitar, T-Bone Walker and BB King cited him as a major influence.

This piece is a virtuoso improvisation in his favorite key of D major and in the tuning he mostly used between 1925-32 DGDGBE (low to high). His broad range of guitar techniques and musical ideas elevated him way above other solo improvisors of the day. His favorite bend, second string 5th fret is very prominent; the bass notes that he played followed no discernible pattern, and might repeat, alternate or be left out entirely.
More about his style and tab for this piece you'll find in the Stefan Grossman book "Masters of Country Blues Guitar - featuring Lonnie Johnson"

His 1925-32 recordings, on which he plays fingerstyle (he changed his style completely in 1937 and flatpicked from then on) are available from Document records. Contemporary guitarist that know how to play in his style are Ari Eisinger (cd "That will never happen no more") or Gordon Smith (cd "Out of the Bottleneck" out of print sadly).

I've never been able to play this piece "perfectly" so this will have to do, I've also added some licks belonging to other Lonnie Johnson songs.
I'm capoed on the second fret and in DGDGBE (low to high); guitar is a OO made by John Gréven.

There are a few nice examples of Lonnie Johnson on youtube but all are in his more modern flatpick style.

check out my new cd on Youtune Records
http://www.youtunerecords.com/daddystovepipe.html

  1. Categories: Music & Dance
Comments on

Away Down In The Alley - Acoustic Blues - Lonnie Johnson

25 Comments | Add Comment
  • Unsung blues legend ...

    Unsung blues legend is my fave lonnie cd
    its just him on electric recorded in his friend's house

    By jsquared91 [Affiliate User] 1213616514 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Awesome!!

    Awesome!!

    By stockguitar [Affiliate User] 1210349369 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Sadly enough I ...

    Sadly enough I haven't 'everything' of Lonnie's, but I dó have 7 recordings of the master with Eddy Lang: "Two Tone Stomp"(1928), "Blue Blood Blues"(1929),`A Handful Of Rifs´(1929),`Bull Frog Moan´(1929),´Deep Minor Rythm Stomp´)1929,`Hot Fingers´(1929) and `Blue Room Blues´(1929). These amazing guitar duets reminds me of the guitar duets of Memphis Minnie & Joe McCoy(Kansas Joe) in their early recording years (1929/1933). Pesonally I think,the latter duets are even more stunning than Lonnie´s !

    By LizzyDouglas [Affiliate User] 1210305739 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Thanks Lizzy, yes I ...

    Thanks Lizzy, yes I have all Lonnie's vintage recordings - try his duets with Eddy Lang, way ahead of its time!

    By daddystovepipe [Affiliate User] 1210287397 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Resting speechless ...

    Resting speechless after hearing this Lonnie Johnson inspired fantastic guitar playing.
    Ever heard Lonnie's "Playing With The Strings"
    (Recorded Feb.21 Memphis/TN)? You really don't know what your ears are hearing!! In my personal list of best guitarists ever, Lonnie is on NUMBER ONE !!

    By LizzyDouglas [Affiliate User] 1210270313 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Fantastic!!!

    Fantastic!!!

    By Roosterchaps [Affiliate User] 1208794179 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • great as usual. I ...

    great as usual. I am a moron when I try to play "double drop" tuning. well I'm a moron anyway but...Very cool to see big walter AND caetano veloso on your favs list. Are you hanging around in my music room? the guitar sound beautiful as well.

    By rayoll [Affiliate User] 1206271104 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Masterful Daddy! ...

    Masterful Daddy! Interesting info on the DGDGBE tuning too...

    By guitardan102938 [Affiliate User] 1206203769 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I'm really enjoying ...

    I'm really enjoying your videos. Came across them while looking at some Muddy Waters and Rory Gallagher covers of Muddy. I like your brief desciptions of the bluesmen and some of their trademark techniques. Nice one.

    By celestialsphere1 [Affiliate User] 1205341456 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Great as usual ...

    Great as usual Daddy, is that guitar one of your Greven's ?

    By rjtwangs [Affiliate User] 1202820986 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Go Daddy, go!

    Go Daddy, go!

    By Fretkillr [Affiliate User] 1202781784 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • That's really a ...

    That's really a great one.

    By banjochris [Affiliate User] 1202435711 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Wonderful :-)

    Wonderful :-)

    By houndheadhenry [Affiliate User] 1202342747 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Freaking amazing man

    Freaking amazing man

    By luuuxelar [Affiliate User] 1201839198 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Lekker Daddy! te ...

    Lekker Daddy! te gekke sound!!

    By Frenk78rpm [Affiliate User] 1201681280 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • sick!

    sick!

    By FretMonkey [Affiliate User] 1201624780 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • beautifull... just ...

    beautifull... just teach me the way you play!!

    i agree that you do a video about your guitars and their history...

    this is each time a pleasure to heard you.

    By slidingdelta [Affiliate User] 1201537908 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Very well done....I ...

    Very well done....I am mimicking you right now...oh my such tone. I LOVE it. Thanks

    By sethielove [Affiliate User] 1201519076 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • thanks for this one ...

    thanks for this one...love that little guitar and good angle to see your hands

    By Rubydoobiedee [Affiliate User] 1201516681 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Great Daddy!!Love ...

    Great Daddy!!Love the Bio Info you add!!

    By carlguage [Affiliate User] 1201504456 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • where do u get all ...

    where do u get all those coo guitars? u should do a vid. jus shown ur guitars,and there story

    By j3ohnny [Affiliate User] 1201466027 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • iv been a ...

    iv been a subscriber 2u since i started an account w utube,i truelly love the blues and i think your jus inspiring!u got blues runnin n your veins,i wud love 2learn sum blues from u, maby jus sum coo riffs or sumthn.keep jammn brother!!!

    By j3ohnny [Affiliate User] 1201465860 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Sounds Great! Your ...

    Sounds Great! Your not perfectly is better than my best!!

    By lennypurnell [Affiliate User] 1201439874 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • lovely just lovely! ...

    lovely just lovely!I enjoyed it tremendously along with the history bit. Keep up the good work!

    By bluesmanstrat [Affiliate User] 1201426937 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Joy to listen to. ...

    Joy to listen to. Thanks for posting. 5***** G.G.

    By ghostgal30e [Affiliate User] 1201425959 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
25 Comments | Add Comment