Sister, you been on my mind

I have been remiss.

I suck.

I really REALLY suck.

You see, I have failed to bring to your attention one woman I know is more important to the world of guitar than any other.

Neophytes  pay heed:  I am not talking about Orianthi (although I need to see her live, she is quite impressive), or Joan Jett, or Lita Ford, or Nancy Wilson, Samantha Fish, or Ana Popovic or....

Nope.  I'm talking about the true Godmother of Rock 'n Roll.  I'm talking about Sister Rosetta Tharpe. 

She was a monster...born in 1915 she was ahead of her time and there has never been anyone like her since.   She was raised in the church, sang and played guitar there from the delicate age of 4 and by the ripe old age of 6, she was already "on tour" with her mom as a traveling evangelist.   She was considered a prodigy. She certainly was en enigma.  A young black woman playing guitar was not a sight often seen in a church, much less elsewhere.  Hell, no young white woman was playing guitar like that at the time, and it would be decades before they really did.

But this is not a biography, so let's fast forward through her short-lived marriage(s), by the time she was 23, she recorded her first record, and the music world will never be the same.  Chuck Berry, Elvis, even Johnny Cash said she influenced them. It is so easy to hear why.  Our only view of her is from old videos that have surfaced on YouTube over the years.
She had swag before swag was born. Pure attitude and sass, she absolutely owned the stage.  Confidently making sounds with the guitar rarely heard at that time (in the 20's , 30's & 40's) much less from a woman. (GASP!)

Didn't It Rain
That's All 

Her confidence on stage was something to behold, her command of the guitar was more than impressive.  The audience totally engaged.  Even watching the old video her style was completely enthralling.  It was a mixture of gospel, blues and on the edge of early rock.  By the late 50's and early 60's she had already reached a cult status.  Evident in every video I could get my hands on.  The crowds loved her, appreciated her, and you know every young woman wanted to be her - because she was beyond cool...she picked up a guitar and the synergy was palpable.  The audience leaned us, drawn to the woman that demanded attention because anything else meant you had no pulse.

Watching her made me want to play.  She was so damn good, effortless. Her playing, singing and performance had eyes riveted to the screen.  Kinetic.  She was kinetic.  This ball of energy that lit up the room with sound and passion.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe .  I watched her play, then pulled up some video of Jimi Hendrix and knew I found someone else she had inspired.

So, tonight, before you decided to turn off the electronics, delve into the music tunnel, ride the Tube, hit the links and climb into the magical world of one bad ass woman on guitar.

This is one Sister we all wish we had a chance to know.

1915-1973
 

To Love the Guitar

OK, the first thing you need to know: I do not talk about the technical aspects of how a guitar is built.
I talk about the sound, the way it makes me feel and how it has a magic that is totally, uniquely its own.
To Love the Guitar is simply to learn to listen to it.
In the hands of a master it is orgasmic
In the hands of a beginner, it is frightening with potential

The power of the universe is vibrated through the strings


The men and women that play well are my heroes.
There is nothing sexier than a man with a guitar. 
It is a relationship that we mere mortals are permitted to be a part of in an aural voyeuristic moment.

I fall a little bit in love with each of them as they manage to bring to life something made of wood and metal. 
On many occasions, the sound makes me weep. 

David Gilmour comes quickly to mind as I type that.

I will talk about musicians, they way they play and move me.
Whether I see them live, or listen to their music from vinyl or digital (preferably vinyl) I will be sharing with you my thoughts as my eyes close and my heart soars along the frets with their fingers.

I love it all: Electric, acoustic, Slide, Dobro, 6 string, 12 string and beyond
If it moves me, I will write about it.



I hope you find something here that makes your heart beat faster, your breath come a little more quickly, and make you feel just a little more alive than before your visit.

Welcome