[Harp-L] Hooker's bars (was Practicing)

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ron Perry, who was John Lee Hooker's bassist for more than a dozen years (now with Susan Tedeschi), said words to the effect of,  "John Lee would sometimes play 12 bars, then 3, 6, 8 - man, we'd be chasing all over the place to keep up with him, and he just played what he felt."  Ron loved "John Lee" and enjoyed playing that style.  Even though it frustrated him to a degree, seems he enjoyed the challenge, and of course the music!  

-Dave Fertig

--- On Mon, 9/1/08, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A lot of the Delta/Country Blues has uneven meter peppered through it. 
John Lee Hooker used to always do his changes when he wanted.. And
sometimes, it was as we'd expect within the 12-bar frame and sometimes, it
was beyond anyone else's ability to expect/anticipate. 
I've even heard a few Howlin' Wolf tunes where he'd get a groove
going
similar to Smoke Stack Lightnin' and then change the chords "as the
spirit
led him". 
Brad Trainham