Hey Everybody - It's Easter time and I have a strange feeling about today. Most holidays hit me with a double message - one that brings joy and celebration for where we are in life this year; another that reminds me of the sorrow and pain that these events can bring to those who are not where they want to be or expected to be in their lives. Not sure why, but it's always been that way for me around holidays that I remember both the good times and the ones that were tough. I've been very fortunate in that the tough times didn't last very long for me. But they lasted enough that I don't forget them, I'm sure this may sound trite to some but on holidays I always get a sense of sadness for those who can't enjoy them; those in rough situations like jail, lost in addiction, homelessness or even in mourning for the first holiday without a loved one. Yes, we often say that many people belong in those situations due to their own belligerence, stupidity or even meanness, but many more deserve another chance - and so many were put in cells by circumstances that were beyond their control; or because our society has made it so tough for so many to get through this thing unscathed.
9 lb new by marty christian
Well, I guess that's why the songs in and around the Blues have given me so much comfort - because in singing about hardship, they offer a key to the way out. Deliverance through soul music. I always have liked B.B. King's live from Cook County Jail - mostly because the music is so incendiary. But also because the condition these guys are in, you can feel the music bringing them joy and enlightenment in a way that little else if anything could do to a large group of prisoners. Reminds me a bit of that scene in Shawshank Redemption when they play the opera song, too - Blues wasn't the first music to touch on the feelings of our soul, but I believe it's roots are as deep as life itself. Of course, I have a lot to celebrate today - and we will! But my celebration often includes music that touches on both sides of happiness like this tune. I've been messing around with some home recording lately and I've been really liking the way this one came out. It's my version of Joe Simon's 9 Pound Steel. Not the perfect Easter song but it probably is for somebody out there - peace and love to you in the new Spring -