"Blues with a Feeling" is a blues song written and first recorded by Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea and His All Stars in 1947,[1] as the B-side of "Slowly Goin' Crazy Blues". Although the original release was commercially unsuccessful, the song later became an important hit for Little Walter, with whom it is usually identified.
Rabon Tarrant, a drummer with saxophone player Jack McVea's band, wrote "Blues with a Feeling" and also provided the vocals.[2] The song was performed as a mid-tempo twelve-bar jump blues that features sax and trumpet soloing over a strong backbeat. The opening verses reflect on lost love:
Blues with a feeling, that's what I have today Blues with a feeling, that's what I have today Gonna find my baby, yes if it takes all night and day.
In its "Advance Record Releases" column, Billboard describes the single on Black & White Records as "slowly goin'".[3] The notice appears on May 10, 1947, about one month after McVea's number two hit "Open the Door Richard" exited the chart.[3][4] However, "Blues with a Feeling" did not reach the chart.[4]
Little Walter rendition
Little Walter follows much of McVea's verses and arrangement, however, he updates the song in his own style.[2] It is performed as a slow blues with Walter playing a distinctive harp intro and accompaniment to his vocals.[2] When Little Walter recorded "Blues with a Feeling" in Chicago on July 23, 1953, he was backed by one of the classic Chicago blues bands.[5] Sometimes known as the Aces, Dave Myers and Louis Myers (or possibly Jimmy Rogers) provide guitars, with Willie Dixon on upright bass, and Fred Below on drums.[5] Walter biographer Tony Glover notes the "nice interplay between the guitar and the harp... with Below providing momentum with his shuffling brush work, and an effective stop-time vocal verse from Walter near the end".[2]
Checker Records, a Chess Records subsidiary that issued most of Walter's recordings, released the song as a single in 1953.[5] According to Glover, Checker choose the second of two takes, largely due to a faulty audio connection which affected the first.[2] The single debuted on two of Billboard'sR&B charts on October 10, 1953, eventually reaching number two on the Juke Box chart and number six on the Best Seller chart.[4]
The song is found on many Little Walter compilations, including his first, Best of Little Walter (1958), the comprehensive The Essential Little Walter (1993),[5] and, as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection, His Best (1997). An alternate take, recorded in September 1953, was released on Blues with a Feeling: Chess Collectables, Vol. 3 (1995).[6] Unlike most of Walter's alternate takes, this later recording differs little from the original.[6]
Legacy
Little Walter's adaptation of "Blues with a Feeling" has been identified as a blues standard and a "necessary passage of every beginning harmonica player" by blues historian Gérard Herzhaft [fr].[7] Music writer Mary Katherine Aldin notes that it "has been cited by a number of his imitators as the song that inspired them to take up harmonica".[6] Harmonica instructional book author Winslow Yerxa identifies it as one of the best-known "tried-and-true harmonica tunes" and one of six blues favorites.[8][9]
Although "Blues with a Feeling" was written and originally performed and recorded by Tarrant, Little Walter usually receives the credit for the tune.[6] Many subsequent releases also credit him, leading Aldin to call it "maybe Walter's most covered song".[6]
References
^Original record labels give the band name as "Jack McVea and His Door Openers". McVea had previously had a hit with "Open the Door, Richard". See also Billboard, May 10, 1947, page 122.
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For the Taj Mahal album see Blues with a Feeling The Very Best of Taj Mahal For the Steve Hackett album see Blues with a Feeling Steve Hackett album Blues with a Feeling is a blues song written and first recorded by Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea and His All Stars in 1947 1 as the B side of Slowly Goin Crazy Blues Although the original release was commercially unsuccessful the song later became an important hit for Little Walter with whom it is usually identified Blues with a Feeling Single by Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea and His Door OpenersA side Slowly Goin Crazy Blues ReleasedAfter May 10 1947 1947 05 10 RecordedLos Angeles 1947GenreJump bluesLength3 00LabelBlack amp WhiteSongwriter s Rabon TarrantWalter transformed the tune from Tarrant s jump blues oriented style to a Chicago blues harmonica classic It became a blues standard and an important piece for blues harp players Contents 1 Original song 2 Little Walter rendition 3 Legacy 4 ReferencesOriginal song EditRabon Tarrant a drummer with saxophone player Jack McVea s band wrote Blues with a Feeling and also provided the vocals 2 The song was performed as a mid tempo twelve bar jump blues that features sax and trumpet soloing over a strong backbeat The opening verses reflect on lost love Blues with a feeling that s what I have today Blues with a feeling that s what I have today Gonna find my baby yes if it takes all night and day In its Advance Record Releases column Billboard describes the single on Black amp White Records as slowly goin 3 The notice appears on May 10 1947 about one month after McVea s number two hit Open the Door Richard exited the chart 3 4 However Blues with a Feeling did not reach the chart 4 Little Walter rendition EditLittle Walter follows much of McVea s verses and arrangement however he updates the song in his own style 2 It is performed as a slow blues with Walter playing a distinctive harp intro and accompaniment to his vocals 2 When Little Walter recorded Blues with a Feeling in Chicago on July 23 1953 he was backed by one of the classic Chicago blues bands 5 Sometimes known as the Aces Dave Myers and Louis Myers or possibly Jimmy Rogers provide guitars with Willie Dixon on upright bass and Fred Below on drums 5 Walter biographer Tony Glover notes the nice interplay between the guitar and the harp with Below providing momentum with his shuffling brush work and an effective stop time vocal verse from Walter near the end 2 Checker Records a Chess Records subsidiary that issued most of Walter s recordings released the song as a single in 1953 5 According to Glover Checker choose the second of two takes largely due to a faulty audio connection which affected the first 2 The single debuted on two of Billboard s R amp B charts on October 10 1953 eventually reaching number two on the Juke Box chart and number six on the Best Seller chart 4 The song is found on many Little Walter compilations including his first Best of Little Walter 1958 the comprehensive The Essential Little Walter 1993 5 and as a part of The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection His Best 1997 An alternate take recorded in September 1953 was released on Blues with a Feeling Chess Collectables Vol 3 1995 6 Unlike most of Walter s alternate takes this later recording differs little from the original 6 Legacy EditLittle Walter s adaptation of Blues with a Feeling has been identified as a blues standard and a necessary passage of every beginning harmonica player by blues historian Gerard Herzhaft fr 7 Music writer Mary Katherine Aldin notes that it has been cited by a number of his imitators as the song that inspired them to take up harmonica 6 Harmonica instructional book author Winslow Yerxa identifies it as one of the best known tried and true harmonica tunes and one of six blues favorites 8 9 Although Blues with a Feeling was written and originally performed and recorded by Tarrant Little Walter usually receives the credit for the tune 6 Many subsequent releases also credit him leading Aldin to call it maybe Walter s most covered song 6 References Edit Original record labels give the band name as Jack McVea and His Door Openers McVea had previously had a hit with Open the Door Richard See also Billboard May 10 1947 page 122 a b c d e Glover Tony Dirks Scott Gaines Ward 2002 Blues with a Feeling The Little Walter Story New York City Routledge eBook ISBN 978 0 415 93711 5 a b Advance Record Releases Race Billboard Vol 59 no 18 May 10 1947 p 122 ISSN 0006 2510 a b c Whitburn Joel 1988 Top R amp B Singles 1942 1988 Menomonee Falls Wisconsin Record Research pp 261 285 ISBN 0 89820 068 7 a b c d Snowden Don 1993 The Essential Little Walter Album notes Little Walter Los Angeles MCA Records Chess Records pp 4 12 OCLC 29365560 CHD2 9342 a b c d e Aldin Mary Katherine 1995 Blues with a Feeling Album notes Little Walter Universal City California MCA Records Chess Records p 11 CHD2 9357 Herzhaft Gerard 1992 Blues with a Feeling Encyclopedia of the Blues Fayetteville Arkansas University of Arkansas Press p 440 ISBN 1 55728 252 8 Yerxa Winslow 2015 Harmonica For Dummies 2nd ed Hoboken New Jersey John Wiley amp Sons p 299 ISBN 978 1 118 88076 0 The short list of six blues favorites also includes Walter s Juke Sonny Boy Williamson II s Bye Bye Bird and Help Me and Jimmy Reed s Honest I Do and Bright Lights Big City Yerxa page 299 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blues with a Feeling amp oldid 1109430696, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
