Swampland Gets The Blues

Posted: Mar 02, 2007 Ain’t nothin’ like the blues. From the distant wail of Son House, to the darkness of Robert Johnson running from the Hell Hound, the blues are pure magic. In no other style of music can a song about “shootin’ your woman down because she cheated on you” make you feel so good.

I was first in line today for the new movie Black Snake Moan, staring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. Filmed in Memphis with a definite Delta look and feel, it’s a really good adult (stress that word, adult) film about a retired juke joint singer who ends up taking in a young white girl who has been beaten up and tossed out of the car in front of his house. Jackson sets about teaching her the wickedness of her ways.

Jackson does an admirable job of singing the blues, and even learned to play guitar for the movie. His jam at the juke joint is red hot and smoking.

The film opens with some fine vintage footage of Son House, and closes with a dedication to the memory of R.L. Burnside. Very cool ending to a pretty dog gone good movie. (Three out of five stars)

Say you like the blues? Well brothers and sisters, do we have a treat for you. We have now archived a pickle barrel full of blues interviews and features, right here at swampland.com

Read our interview with the Queen of The Blues herself, Koko Taylor or her friend Bernard Allison, son of Luther. There’s an interview with Oklahoma blues man Ace Mooreland, as well as a memorial to the guitar great.

We have interviews with guitar greats like John Hammond, Dru Lombar, Sonny Landreth, Lee Roy Parnell, Ray Brand (as well as a Memorial to Ray), Mojo Collins and Tony Smotherman.

Need more blues? What about Carolina blues icon Mac Arnold, the great Delbert McClinton and Jimmy Hall. There’s an interview with Janis Joplin’s sister Laura, and a Memorial to Janis written by her friend and band mate Sam Andrew.

We have archived interviews with young bloods like Luther Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars (read a second interview with Luther here), Mudcat, and Bloodkin, and classics like Rev. Pearly Brown, Taj Mahal and the great Floyd Miles.

All the blues you can use. Check ‘em out, and don’t forget to comment at the bottom of any page that moves you to do so.

I’ll talk more tomorrow. I’ve got a meeting down at the crossroads.

Keep it Real. Keep it Southern.
Buffalo