[Harp-L] Blues groove

["Steve York" <bandbase2@xxxxxxxxx>]

"think of blues as a groove, not as lyrics. Yes Chuck Berry played a text
book blues progression but he usually played straight eights ala country
western rather than the swing eighth that the blues folks use. So when you
mix and match swing like heck and play a little behind the beat."

 I agree with the essence of your post but disagree about Chuck Berry. I
have played bass for Chuck. The drummer and I decided to swing everything
and Chuck loved it! The only tune he played eighth notes on was "No
Particular Place To Go" which is an out & out shuffle.He played very
deliberate 8th notes a little behind the beat against our shuffle on that
one. He plays grooves  in the cracks between swing, shuffle and 8th notes.
Of course he has had many back up bands over the years that played 8 note
grooves behind him, but having worked with him, I am convinced that swing is
is large part of his vision. Listen to his classic guitar riffs. They are
all derived from swing big band horn riffs!

 I have worked extensively with old- school blues and jazz drummers and they
all play swing and shuffle simultaneously - usually swing on the ride cymbal
and shuffle on the snare. To me this is the rhythmic link between blues and
jazz.

Keith Richards pointed out, particularly in reference to Chuck Berry, that
in the early days upright bassists would swing the grooves. Later, when
guitarists started playing electric bass they approached bass from a guitar
stand-point and played 8th notes on bass. This is evident on Chuck's later
records. As Keith said, when guitarists started playing bass, "rock & roll "
lost the roll and became "rock"   Thanks for reading a bassist's point of
view! 


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