Stevie Ray on a Friday...Hell Yeah

Well the day is starting off with great promise.

First of all, it's Friday. Second, I got a nice nod from some friends in high places...or maybe low places...whatever. It's put me in a good mood. And we all know, while the attitude doesn't change much, the world is a much calmer place when Kat is in a good mood.

Feeling the need for some blues AND some rock.  One choice for that...Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Stevie Ray is perhaps the one artist whose passing I lament the most. After giving up the demons, his work was better than ever. Before getting sober, there were times when he was too drunk to sing, so he would sit down at the edge of the stage and...just play. And no one complained. The man was phenomenal. It hurts the heart to think of what might have been.

Texas born and bred, I'm not giving you the details of his life. It's all there, look it up. I just want to pick out some music.

For a fine Friday...or any other day/night/afternoon, I give you Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Start with some blues...

"Texas Flood" 
"The Sky is Crying"
"Sweet Home Chicago"..with a few friends: Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughn and Robert Cray

Kicking it up a bit...

"Love Struck Baby"
"Couldn't Stand the Weather"
"If the House is a Rockin'" ...this one's for Jim ..nice nod today for you too.

and will she include "Little Wing"  yet AGAIN?  Indeed I will.

Rock it...

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Rest And Listen Under My Little Wing

Today we will finally go through my slight obsession with one song..."Little Wing"

Don't ask me why this song so invades my musical judgement. All I know is that until yesterday, I did not think there could be a bad version of it. To me it is just magical. Jimi Hendrix it has been said, wrote the song for his mother. It has been covered countless times...wonderfully.

"Well she's walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that's running round
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams and fairy tales
That's all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind."


I've seen the original lyrics to "Little Wing" and it seems no artist has ever sung the words as written. Fine by me. The variations on the theme just make each version more memorable. So whimsical, so joyful.

"It's alright she says it's alright
Take anything you want from me,
Anything."

Then there's the guitar.
To hear the interpretations gets my head spinning in twenty directions...all of them good. Except for the one I listened to yesterday. I'm going to include it with the tastes as a cautionary tale...this is not "Little Wing", this is unrecognizable crap.

So here we go with just a few great versions, an interesting one by the Coors and one shit one by very talented Japanese guitarist Kumi Adachi. Some of her stuff is amazing, this isn't.


Kumi Adachi "Little Wing" ... I think
Stevie Ray Vaughn "Little Wing"... the ultimate instrumental version
Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood "Little Wing"... saw them do this live at MSG. Still get tears as I think about how good it was.
Sting "Little Wing"... pure vocal, not quite the guitar emphasis, but a fine blend of instruments
The Coors "Little Wing"... like you've never heard it
and...
Jimi Hendrix "Little Wing"...where it all started

Nothing's sweeter than that.

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