Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘Elmore James’

Make New Friends In The Exciting World of Tin Futures

Lately we’ve been listening to Charlie Poole a lot in the Porsche. “Absolute country music pioneer,” Bernie says. “And one of the great boozers in music, right up there with Hank Williams.”

I’m a music-lover myself – Roy Eldridge and his trumpet, Elmore James and his slide guitar – but Charlie Poole turns out to be a banjo player and there’s something about the banjo that hurts my ears. Bernie loves the banjo, has talked about getting one more than once. When it comes to ears there are big differences between me and Bernie.

“I think there’s a Charlie Poole festival somewhere in North Carolina every spring. Would that be fun or what?”

I wasn’t sure. First I’d heard of North Carolina, and what if there were lots of dudes playing banjos?

Meanwhile Bernie cranks up the volume. “This is my favorite cut.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdNP9D7wbcM

Are You Lonesome Tonight, Part One

Not long after that, Bernie had the ukulele out and was playing Are You Lonesome Tonight. Not singing; just playing. I love when he plays the ukulele! So did Suzie – I could tell from the expression on her face. 

“Aren’t you going to sing?” she said. 

“Well, uh,” said Bernie.

Come on, Bernie – sing! Bernie’s got a great voice, maybe not like Elmore James or Hank Williams, two of our favorites, but still pretty good. He played a nice little run, and then opened his mouth to sing, but at that moment there was a knock on the door. Bernie went and opened it, and there was Lieutenant Stine. Has he come up already? I know he’s important in Thereby Hangs A Tail. Is that in the stores yet? There’s so much to keep track of!

Lieutenant Stine has a hard, thin face, and watchful eyes, and doesn’t smile much. He wasn’t smiling now. “Need a word with you, Bernie.”

Note to Diane B.: Elvis Gospel is on XM/Sirius Radio Sundays at 8 AM.

Slide

Some question about what happened at the vet’s? I’ll try to remember. Meanwhile, Bernie says that finally there are some economists who believe in a steady state economy instead of growth. “At last,” he says. Do you understand any of this? Not me, but my guess is it has something to do with water and the aquifer. 

Meanwhile, we’re on a case – yes, divorce, which we hate, but right now we’re on a long drive with Elmore James coming through the speakers. The trumpet is my favorite instrument but right behind comes the slide guitar. The feeling that goes from deep in my ears and down my neck all the way to my tail – and then sometimes back up the other way, meeting the next feeling already zooming down! – hard to describe. Bernie sings along – The Sky Is Crying, Mean Mistreatin’ Mama, It Hurts Me, Too. Bernie has a real nice voice – have I mentioned that already? – but Elmore James has a voice a lot like the slide guitar, a voice that does things to me inside.