Re: Songwriting, Kim, etc...

[Gatorharp@xxxxxxx]

coquiblues@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
<< Lester Butler of the Red  Devils wrote some great tunes, IMO (and covered 
great tunes as well). The  guy from Tarbox Ramblers has written some good 
tunes as well. i'm still  waiting for another album by them. Keb' Mo' is 
another one. Stevie Ray 
 Vaughan wrote some great music. Taj Mahal. Satan & Adam wrote great blues 
 for our time, as someone else pointed out earlier. Otis Taylor too. i know 
 there's more, i'm just forgetting them momentarily. >>

man, i thought i was the only one here who had heard otis taylor.  folks have 
mentioned paul delay and lee sankey. kelly bell from baltimore has written 
some good stuff (www.phatblues.com), updating the music in an honest 
way...the nighthawks mark wenner played on his second album (harp content).  
ian collard is a good songwriter, if we're talking harp players.  and the 
above mentioned lester butler, i think was a strong modern blues songwriter.
i suppose the two things i like most about these folks, and those like them, 
is that, first, their music acknowledges the thirty-five to forty years that 
has happened since what is considered the golden age of blues.  some people 
seem to enjoy the replication of the vintage sound, but i've always 
considered that an artistic deadend. the second is that while there is a 
sense of humor in their music, every song isn't a punchline.  i know lots of 
folks love the good-timey party type stuff, but i've never been able to enjoy 
it much.
i'll also second something that benoit said, that i also find it hard to 
seperate the components of something, and appreciate a singular aspect of it, 
and not like the rest of it.  a great harp solo in an otherwise poor setting 
isn't much fun for me to listen to.

steven j gatorman