'Conversation With The Blues' Song Book & Audio Samples

Musicians

vocal & harmonica: Michael Pickett guitar: Shawn Kellerman, Teddy Leonard, Kevin Breit mandolin: Kevin Breit resophonic guitar: Michael Pickett bass: Steve Chadwick, Leo Valvassori Hammond B3: Bill McCauley piano: Doug Riley additional keys: Doug Romanow, Bill McCauley drums: Gary Craig, Marty Cordrey, Paul Brennan doumbek: Marty Cordrey percussion: Rick Lazar saxophones: John Johnson trombone: Gord Myers trumpet: Dave Dunlop violins: Lenny Solomon, Norm Hathaway viola: Arturs Janson cello: Richard Armin string conductor: Doug Riley background vocals: Jackie Richardson, Liz Tilden, Troy Adams, Louise Pickett, Michael Pickett

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Conversation With The Blues
On a good night the interplay between musicians is like a conversation. This analogy works well. A primary icon of the blues is the solo voice and it matters little to the singer if anyone hears his voice.
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Big Train
I've had the title phrase kicking around in my head for some time and I tried various musical styles 'til I settled on this one, which is an inconsistent 18 bar form. The horns and background voices give it a real lift. "The blues is all right".
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Love Don't Mean It
John Lee Hooker meets J.J. Cale.
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The River
I owe a huge debt to Taj Mahal. This groove came from his "Natch'l Blues" and I've never heard anyone else use it, which surprises the hell out of me. I intentionally led one lyric into the next.
1 min MP3 clip

When I Lay My Burden Down
Really an R&B feel with a Gospel lyric. I had to record it twice to get it right.
1 min MP3 clip

Look Out At The Weather
I wrote this one thinking of S.R.V. and Muddy and the delta south of Memphis, where the sky and weather are tangible things that you can feel.
1 min MP3 clip

Cecil & Spadina
I wrote this on a canoe trip camped on the north shore of Georgian Bay near Killarney. I "came up" at Grossman's, learned to play there. This one owes something to both Taj Mahal & Brownie Mcghee. Done in one take. The doumbek (hand drum) was added the last day we were in the studio. Thanks Marty. Say hey hey.
1 min MP3 clip

Don't Matter To Me
The harp usually takes just a solo role but I like to back up other players when I play.
1 min MP3 clip

Bad Love
Wrote this on my front porch in the summer. Louise wrote the hook. The vocal is the first take. I didn't realize 'til much later that I actually got to play guitar with Shawn Kellerman and Kevin Breit. Wow!
1 min MP3 clip

Junk Thang
I like playing in f.
1 min MP3 clip

Mother Earth
1 min MP3 clip

Night Comes
This one is also live off the floor. I heard Molly Johnson and Doug Riley play this at the Montreal Bistro one night, it knocked me out and they both asked me to record it. Doug said he originally wrote it for a guy. Molly has just released it. Thanks guys. Molly, hope I got the title right.
1 min MP3 clip