Corey Harris has absorbed American country blues traditions and plays them as authentically and powerfully as anyone on the scene today. He has also explored the African guitar styles on which much of the blues was based, and on this remarkable instructional session he teaches songs and instrumentals that bridge the gap between the two cultures.
Corey starts by teaching two blues in C: High Fever Blues, his original based on old Charlie Patton/Tommy Johnson style blues, and Blind Blake's more rag-like C. C. Pill Blues. Tuning to open E, Corey gives you a detailed lesson in slide guitar. He covers the traditional Jack o' Diamonds and his original King Cotton, both with improvised variations. Skip James' compelling Special Rider Blues, with its unusual open E minor tuning, reflects the crossover between American blues and African musical style. Corey then goes into two tunes he learned in Mali that reflect both blues and African sounds: the warm, peaceful fingerstyle tune Bajourou from Ali Farka Touré and the flatpicking instrumental Sundiata by Mohamed Kouyate.
Each song will add rich blues to your repertoire and the picking styles and variations will give you the tools to create your own style based on these roots traditions.
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