New Roads
The Blues Meets the Cello

A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of
Master of Music in Contemporary Performance (Production
Concentration)
Supervisor: Casey Driessen
Additional Committee Member: Liz Teutsch
By
Scott Peters
Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus
Valencia, Spain
July 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments

iv

I.

Introduction

1

II.

Blues Evolution and Corresponding Recordings

2

a. The Shrouded Origins of the Blues

3

b. The Mississippi Delta: Spiritual Slide Kings

4

c. “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day”: Robert Johnson & Adaptation 6
d. Piedmont Blues: Southeastern Fingerpickers

7

e. “Police Dog Blues”: Blind Blake & Adaptation

8

f. Gospel Blues: An Omnipresent Undertone

9

g. “Holy Again”: Original Composition of Gospel Blues in Modern Setting

10

h. Early Chicago Blues: Preparing for Amplification and Ensemble

11

i. McKinley Morganfield and My First Live Blues Performance

12

j. “Last Goodbye”: Steadiness of Ensemble and Corresponding Freedom on the
Cello
14
k. Commercialization and Dissemination of the Genre in the 1950’s

15

l. Revival and Transatlantic Interpretation in the 1960’s

16

m. “The Mayall Medley”: Adapting the Harmonica to the Cello for British Blues
17
III.

Reflection

18

IV.

Next Steps

20

V.

Professional Contribution

21

VI.

Conclusions

22

VII.

Bibliography

23

ii

VIII.

Discography

27

IX.

Appendix: Charts and Transcriptions

29

iii

Acknowledgements
It has been such a blessing to be able to attend Berklee Valencia and share this experience
with so many wonderful musicians and people. First of all I would like to thank my mother and
father for helping me to experience this wonderful place and for always supporting my musical
aspirations. Also I send my thanks to my sister Lyndsey who has been my musical compatriot
and supporter from our earliest years. Additionally, I would also like to thank Christi Scott for
her undying support throughout a long school year.
It has been such an honor to learn from Casey Driessen all year. As a musician, educator,
advisor and mentor he is second-to-none. Thank you for your support of my project. I would also
like to thank Liz Teutsch and Paul Pacifico for their advisement in regards to my project.
To my classmates in the Contemporary Performance program and the other programs, I
greatly appreciate the camaraderie and the memories. A special thanks to those who have
performed on, produced, recorded, or helped mix this project: Stephen Haiden, Clifford Bond,
Ricardo Osorno Chavez, Sam Amos, Matthew Struthers, Kevin Reierson, Chris Marsanico,
Darro Chea, and Evan Pott.
Finally, to those who have invested in my musical education at many different stages of
my journey, regardless of my age or stylistic leanings: Dr. Beth Cantrell, Daniel Laufer, Stephen
Hancock, Kathleen Kee, Linda Cherniavsky, Drew Austin, David Hancock, and many others.
Thank you!
I am so grateful for everyone listed and the many more that I could have listed. Thank
you all!

iv

I.

Introduction
When one speaks of ‘the blues,’ they enter into a unique space in the story of Western

music and culture, paying homage to both a monumental musical genre and a quasi-indescribable
feeling of mystique and etherealness. While the average listener will associate the music with
sadness – just as the everyday speaker will use the expression with melancholy – the music and
its culture hold something that reaches much deeper. Unmistakably rooted in the AfricanAmerican South, the music covers everything from everyday misfortunes, social inequality, and
even a reckoning with the afterlife. Music enthusiasts and journalists, although disagreeing on
minutiae, have concocted theories concerning the origin of the genre. But the soulful sound, the
painstaking story, and the rich culture seem historically consistent and somewhat omnipresent.
A white, educated, and admittedly privileged cellist such as myself does not seem to have
a place in this story. Or so I thought a year ago. The only connection I had to this mystical music
was the fact that I grew up in the South. But even then, my unmistakably urban upbringing in
Atlanta was a far cry from the rural and hallowed grounds of the Mississippi Delta that saw the
rise of Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, and Muddy Waters. However, my soul has
always yearned to communicate the honest and sensitive sounds of the blues that resonate deeply
within me, even despite the chasm between my world and that world.
Now I stand in the wake of the collision course of my Culminating Experience journey. I
took the blues head-on, immersing myself in the music as much as one possibly could without
simply packing up and moving to Mississippi. In short, the purpose of my project was to
incorporate the sound of the blues into my own sound. The first stage of my project involved
extensive academic research and included overview of texts, videos, and recordings. Through

1

such a process I sought to become an academic expert in the history and evolution of the genre.
But for the second stage of my project (and more importantly for my development as an artist) I
searched for a new musical voice, primarily on the cello (but also as a vocalist). After many
hours of trial and error, I discovered new ways to play my instrument that better reflected the
unadorned raw emotions of the music. And following that, I recorded five songs (two original
compositions and three adaptations) that covered five different subgenres of the blues and
properly documented my newfound sound.
The concept of the project was confusing to many upon first interaction. Oftentimes,
when mentioning ‘blues’ and ‘cello’ in the same sentence I received a puzzled look. Some have
gone so far to offer their doubts about the combination. And in all fairness to the doubtful, the
combination is relatively unexplored. My rebuttal is quite simple, though, in that the cello is my
vessel of musical expression. And to express the music within me, I must find a way to utilize
the vessel. I have learned to play guitar and sing, both more traditionally associated with the
blues, but it was important to me to apply this music to the instrument I have played ever since I
was three years old. Thus, after ten months of this project, I have taken the deepest emotions and
sounds of the blues inside of me and placed them on the cello.
II.

Blues Evolution & Corresponding Recordings
Through research, listening, experimentation, and recording, I am now able to play the

cello in an entirely different way that more authentically expresses the blues. Thus, I consider the
breadth of my Culminating Experience to be a resounding success in my development as a
musician. There are certainly times when my tone reverts back to my classical training. But
nevertheless, by giving myself benchmark subgenres to imitate in my recordings (after
thoroughly researching and listening to them beforehand), I have ventured into new territory for

2

the instrument. But in order to properly present my musical development, I must also detail the
historical evolution of the music that I followed throughout my Culminating Experience. That
research will now be presented alongside analysis of my recordings for chronological
consistency.
a. The Shrouded Origins of the Blues
Aligning properly with the mystique of the genre, no scholar can state with certainty how
exactly the blues evolved into a musical idiom. By analyzing where most musicians first heard
the blues, it seems that the music started to take shape between 1890 and 1910 in the American
South.1 In the second decade of the 20th century, W.C. Handy and other composers began to pen
‘titular’ blues such as “Memphis Blues” (1912) and “St. Louis Blues” (1914), the latter of which
demonstrated the now-standard twelve bar harmonic progression.2 But in the words of revered
Texas-turned-California bluesman T-Bone Walker (regarding “St. Louis Blues”), “That’s a
pretty tune, but it’s not the blues. You can’t dress up the blues.”3 Instead, the general consensus
of scholarship is that Mamie Smith’s 1920 recording entitled “Crazy Blues” was the first proper
blues recording.4 Incidentally, that song also launched the race record industry, focusing on
African-American music as a commercial product.5 Other ‘classic blues’ vocalists such as Bessie
Smith and Ma Rainey would follow the release of “Crazy Blues,” but this vaudeville-inspired
subgenre would decrease as the Great Depression hit. The stereotypical ‘bluesman’ image of a
guitarist sitting on his porch became cheaper to record,6 and that – combined with increased

1

Francis Davis, The History of the Blues: the Roots, the Music, the People (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2008),
Ibid, 58-59.
3
Ibid, 60
4
Ibid, 57.
5
Ibid, 62.
6
Ibid, 83.
2

3

interest in field recordings from folklorists such as John and Alan Lomax – helped launch the era
of what is often called ‘country blues.’78
b. The Mississippi Delta: Spiritual Slide Kings
While the Texas wanderer Blind Lemon Jefferson became the first acoustic blues
musician to achieve commercial success,9 it was in the Mississippi Delta that the blues were
most strongly incubated.10 The area itself, located in the northwestern corner of the state,11 was
unsettled until after the Civil War, when an early migration of African-Americans to fertile soil
occurred in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.1213

Figure 1: The location of the Mississippi Delta within the state (shaded green). “Mississippi Yazoo Delta” from
Wikimedia Commons.

7

Ibid, 33.
I find that ‘country blues’ takes on a wide variety of connotations, but for the most part I associate the term as a
larger subgenre containing blues music of only acoustic instruments and oftentimes only one performer.
9
Lawrence, Cohn, ed., Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians (New York: Abbeville Press
Publishers, 1993), 37. Jefferson’s song “That Black Snake Moan”, recorded in 1926, helped open up the recording
industry to country blues artists (from Davis, The History of the Blues, 37 and 286).
10
Davis, The History of the Blues, 23-24.
11
“Map of the Counties in the Delta,” Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, accessed June 27, 2017,
http://www.msdeltaheritage.com/counties/.
12
Davis, The History of the Blues, 33.
13
Ibid, 46.
8

4

Additionally, the popularity of players from that region, from Charley Patton and Son House to
Robert Johnson, suggests something unique about Delta blues. And indeed, despite the
geographical questions surrounding the truest origins of the blues, scholars often agree that it
was in the Mississippi Delta where “the blues evolved from field hollers, work songs, spirituals,
ragtime songs, country reels, and Anglo-Scottish ballads.”14 Francis Davis writes, “Something
about the Delta inspired introspection on the part of men whose lives allowed little time for it.
Folks there tell you it’s on account of something in the water, and that whatever it is, it also gave
birth to the blues.”15 The Delta holds the greatest stake in the evolution of acoustic blues, and
thus received the greatest weight of my acoustic research.
The first notable musician from the Delta was Charley Patton, a “mentor, role model, and
waymaker for many other Delta bluesmen.”16 With a rough baritone vocal tone and a mastery of
the guitar both rhythmically and as a knife-slide player, Patton helped launch the popularity of
the Delta blues.17 Patton recorded over 50 songs between 1929 and 1934, and helped launch the
careers of Willie Brown and Eddie “Son” House by bringing them along to recording sessions.
Other virtuosic singer-guitarists such as Nehemiah “Skip” James and Bukka White (the uncle of
B.B. King)18 rounded out the first generation of great Delta bluesmen, all setting the precedent
for the subgenre by symbiotically combining rough and moaning vocal timbre with a pulsing and
whining slide guitar.19 The second half of the 1930’s, though, was defined by a bluesman whose
legacy has undergone a regrettable lack of tangible documentation, despite an unprecedented

14

Ibid, 23-24.
Ibid, 45.
16
Cohn, Nothing But the Blues, 41.
17
Ibid, 42, 47.
18
Ibid, 51.
19
Davis, The History of the Blues,113-115.
15

5

popularity of portfolio. Armed with a voice somewhere in between joy and pain,20 legend tells us
that a year after being ridiculed by Charley Patton and Son House, this guitarist returned to the
Delta scene as a virtuoso. His name was Robert Johnson, and he may or may not have sold his
soul to the devil during that year off.21
c. “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day”: Robert Johnson & Adaptation
Johnson’s catalog of recordings defined the Delta sound and eventually was adapted into
some of rock n’ roll’s most famous songs.22 And as the champion of the most influential acoustic
subgenre of the blues, Robert Johnson and his sound was one that I had to incorporate into my
project. Throughout my period of research I found myself drawn to his song entitled “If I Had
Possession Over Judgment Day.” Although the song appears to be an amalgamation of different
Delta songs (particularly borrowing from Hambone Willie Newbern’s “Roll and Tumble
Blues”),23 Johnson’s original recording showcases many of the most notable musical aspects of
Delta blues. His haunting, high-pitched vocals sit high above the constant rhythmic pulse of the
guitar, while his manner of playing slide alongside dark lyrics and occasional extra beats give a
timeless suspension to the mood of the song.24 These musical intricacies are the challenges I
faced in interpreting this song (and the sound of Delta blues) into my own playing.
The first step taken towards emulating this sound involved actually re-tuning my cello.
Upon advice from my advisor Casey Driessen, I began to experiment with cross-tunings similar
to those in Appalachian fiddle music. Eventually, I arrived at ‘Open D’ by raising the lowest two
strings a whole step from the standard tuning of C-G-D-A to the new ‘judgment tuning’ of D-A20

Feel Like Going Home, directed by Martin Scorsese, featuring Corey Harris (Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions
and Reinbek, Germany: Reverse Angle International, 2003), DVD.
21
Davis, The History of the Blues, 2.
22
Ibid, 133.
23
Ibid, 100.
24
Robert Johnson, “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day,” composed by Robert Johnson, adapted from
“Hambone” Willie Newbern “Roll and Tumble Blues,” recorded November 1936 – June 1937, on The Complete
Recordings (Sony BMG Music Entertainment 4672462, 1990), Spotify.

6

D-A.25 Then, the overall resonance of the cello revolved around a tonality just as the guitars of
the Delta did, and it became easier to slide up and down the instrument while barring multiple
strings at once. Rhythmically, I employed short (often down-stroke) bowings to get the chopping
sound of Johnson’s strumming, and tried different fills that could give further support and
contour to the melody. In addition, in order to gain the accurate feel of the metric timelessness, I
transcribed Johnson’s rendition of extra beats and followed a similar pattern to give pacing to the
vocal melody (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Transcription of a typical verse's meter in "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day" and the eventual
framework for my recording. Song is charted in the Nashville Number system. See full Nashville Number chart in
Appendix.

Finally, when I recorded vocals for this song I was nearly shouting, trying to get the pain and
character out of my voice that Johnson has. Overall, this cover was a fantastic gateway through
which to enter the world of the blues and all the musical elements of the Mississippi Delta.
d. Piedmont Blues: Southeastern Fingerpickers
While the Delta will always be the best-known home of early acoustic blues, other
regions had their own interpretations. One unique subgenre came from the coastal Southeastern
region of Georgia and the Carolinas and is now referred to as Piedmont Blues. Taking more
25

I have taken the liberty of naming the tuning, just as fiddle tunings are named, given that no precedent exists in
the world of the cello.

7

influence from folk and ragtime music, this style featured a number of guitar virtuosos (such as
Blind Blake and Blind Willie McTell) who deftly mixed complex fingerpicking patterns with
simple blues form and harmony and a wistful mood.26 Personally, I became interested in this
genre both because of its roots in and around where I grew up (Atlanta, Georgia), and because
the rhythmic applications of these grooves onto a bowed instrument would provide a rather
interesting challenge.
e. “Police Dog Blues”: Blind Blake & Adaptation
Indeed, the groove proved to be the hardest adaptation of Piedmont blues onto the cello.
For this case study I selected Blind Blake’s “Police Dog Blues” and sought to emulate both the
rhythmic groove of the song and the juxtaposition of harmony between bouncing bass notes. I
recorded multiple different grooves and edited the recording together to include an overall
development of the rhythm, but in the future it is a cover that can be drastically strengthened by
my incorporation of percussive bowing into the rhythmic structure.27 The tune proved, once
again, to adapt better to the cello when the instrument was cross-tuned, since Blind Blake’s
original composition features open guitar tuning. Originally I experimented in my ‘judgment’
tuning of D-A-D-A, but the tonality felt too dark for both the tune and my voice. The lyrical
content concerns a man who gets scared away from an affair because the girl has a mean police
dog outside her house.28 Thus, the slight playfulness felt more natural a half step up, despite the
challenge of now not having any of the four strings tuned to my muscle memory. My cello was
now tuned Eb-Bb-Eb-Bb (‘Open Eb’ or ‘holy tuning’29 a half step above “If I Had Possession

26

Ibid, 119-121.
This technique on the cello is quite new for me and I intend to focus heavily on it upon leaving graduate school.
28
Blind Blake, “Police Dog Blues,” composed by Blind Blake, recorded May 1928 – August 1929, on Complete
Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1928-1929) (Document 5026, 2000), Spotify.
29
Unlike Judgment tuning, this name does not reflect the tune it was used in as much as the overall timbre of the
tuning. I think that the tighter strings sound less ominous and more church-like.
27

8

Over Judgment Day”), and I greatly enjoyed the brighter and tighter timbre of the strings and my
voice. And similar to my rendition of “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day”, I used interlyrical riffs to enforce the groove and mood of the song. Overall, this song presented a tougher
rhythmic structure to adapt to the cello, but nevertheless proved to be a valuable exercise in retuning and bowing patterns.
f. Gospel Blues: An Omnipresent Undertone
Entrenched in many early acoustic blues songs is an honest reckoning with spirituality, at
a time where the African-American church was growing and “[embracing] eclectic musical
expression.”30 Many of the performers were either preachers-turned-rebels (Son House)31 or vice
versa, but there were also a few performers who consistently combined the early roots of gospel
with the grit of the blues. One such performer was Blind Willie McTell, mentioned previously as
a leader of the Piedmont Blues movement. The Georgia 12-string guitar virtuoso combined the
rhythmic bounce of Piedmont blues with passing chords that occasionally more resembled
Gospel music than a standard 12-bar blues.3233 However, the greatest of the gospel bluesman was
Blind Willie Johnson, a Texas street preacher who utilized drones and slide technique to give a
moaning interplay between his coarse voice and his guitar.3435 Johnson’s songs have influenced
Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and the Grateful Dead, and his wordless moaning dirge “Dark Was
the Night, Cold was the Ground” has been called “the most soulful, transcendent piece in all
30

Cohn, Nothing But the Blues, 108.
Davis, The History of the Blues, 108-109.
32
Ibid, 116 and 122.
33
The song “Pearly Gates” exemplifies this, featuring a distinct “B” section to the melody in the lyric “This short
life will soon be over / And my vision will be told.” Harmonically, all throughout the song McTell employs tonic
chords in the first inversion to get to the subdominant. The harmony is more applied and fluid than a 12-bar blues
(recorded in 1949, re-released Atlantic 82366-4, 1975).
34
Ibid, 118-119.
35
In the song “It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, standard blues harmony is employed but always with the tonic in the
bass. That harmony combines with the difference in register between Johnson’s voice and his thumbing bass notes
to give the illusion of three different simultaneous voices (recorded 1927-1930, re-released Columbia/Legacy 65516,
1998).
31

9

American music” by Ry Cooder. 36 It was included on the Voyager Golden record alongside
Bach and Mozart to represent “the diversity and culture of life on Earth.”37
g. “Holy Again”: Original Composition of Gospel Blues in Modern Setting
Artists like Johnson and McTell have had an unmistakable impact on my life. Growing
up in the southern church, I felt an instant connection with these musicians who could musically
grapple with eternity all while maintaining the soul of the blues. Thus, as I sought to emulate this
style of blues-gospel fusion, I wrote an original song entitled “Holy Again” which combines
longing religious lyrical content with bass-walking harmony and the use of a drone. The song
begins with a rubato rendition of the melody (largely suspended over the tonic)38 and then
employs a simple (yet not a 12-bar blues) harmonic structure. The groove of this tune was
adapted into a relatively modern swing feel, but the elements of the gospel blues still form the
foundation. The harmony is detailed in the lead sheet below.

Figure 3: A segment of the lead sheet “Holy Again.” Note measures 11 and 13 as divergences from standard blues
harmonic structure. Full lead sheet is included in the Appendix.

36

Shane Ford, Shine a Light: My Year with “Blind” Willie Johnson (lulu.com, 2014), back cover, accessed June 28,
2017. Google Books,
https://books.google.es/books?id=X4lGAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA181&dq=blind+willie+johnson+led+zeppelin&hl=en&
sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjw4rq19N3UAhXDFz4KHUYdDHgQ6AEINzAD#v=onepage&q&f=false.
37
Ibid.
38
Compositionally, this introduction was how I wrote the melody and implied harmony of the song.

10

Creatively, I am pleased with the way the song has developed, but it has since developed even
further since recording. I have performed the song live with a band and now play it a faster
tempo with a modulation at the end. This version carries more momentum and contrast for
listeners. This change reveals the need for a longer workshop stage on my songs before I record
them, but I also believe that both the recorded and the live versions represent an engaging way to
present acoustic blues music on the cello to a modern audience. The biggest challenges of this
song were arranging the groove and the moving parts of a band into a concrete, full arrangement,
but fortunately that challenge is always surmountable with excellent musicians in tow. This was,
interestingly enough, the first song I recorded as the lead singer of my own music this year.
h. Early Chicago Blues: Preparing for Amplification and Ensemble
While both the Piedmont and Gospel blues subgenres remain somewhat external to the
oft-trodden path of blues history, each presents an interesting fusion of typical acoustic blues
with elements of other traditional genres. Thus, each case study was a useful exercise for me to
develop newfound sounds and styles for my instrument and voice. But as time passed in the
history of the genre, the music moved north towards Memphis and Chicago alongside AfricanAmerican urban inter-war migration.39 There, the music eventually gained amplification and a
band. It was only fitting that I follow the same path with my project.
Historically, the origin of ‘urban blues’ or ‘electric blues’ or ‘Chicago/Memphis blues’ is
not as clear as some might think. Popular thinking seems to pit the 40’s as the decade where the
blues hopped aboard a northbound train from the Delta and all of a sudden became an electric
genre. But truthfully, the seeds of a future urban market for the blues were already growing
during the golden age of country blues. Tampa Red’s “It’s Tight Like That” may have sounded
39

Davis, The History of the Blues, 8.

11

very ‘country’ in size and sound, but it was actually recorded in Chicago in 1928 and achieved
commercial success.40 Tampa Red seemed to have one foot in each of the ‘rural’ and ‘urban’
doors, and indeed many other artists and songs were similarly positioned.41 In fact, Francis Davis
states that it is quite difficult to draw definitive distinctions between urban and rural sounds after
1928 because the two worlds were mixed,42 concurrent with the evolving migration.
In addition, other influences were certainly at play in the development of an urban sound,
especially the piano. The development of blues piano styles was undoubtedly more limited to
cities due to the static nature of the instrument, and certainly one can trace the stylistic evolution
of the instrument to its eventual inclusion in electric blues bands. Barrelhouse-style players
Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, and Roosevelt Sykes all laid the groundwork for the
boogie-woogie movement later championed by Meade Lux Lewis, Jimmy Yancey, and others.43
And in addition to instrumental variety, the music found new manifestations outside of the South
and Chicago. The exploits of bluesmen that moved out to California in the late 30’s (virtuosic
entertainers such as T-Bone Walker and Lowell Fulson) had a far-reaching impact on the
transition between acoustic solo country blues and electric ensemble urban blues.4445
i. McKinley Morganfield and My First Live Blues Performance
The path, though, that I followed along my research and recordings involved the blues’
foremost protagonists. In 1941, folklorists Alan Lomax and John Work ventured south looking
for the legendary Robert Johnson and ended up recording a young man working on Stovall’s

40

Ibid, 136-138.
Ibid, 138.
42
Ibid, 140-141.
43
Ibid, 148-153.
44
Ibid, 162-163.
45
The evolution and history of both blues piano and blues from other regions certainly necessitates greater academic
treatment but unfortunately extends beyond the scope of my five-subgenre focus. In addition to blues piano and
Western blues, the state of Texas has had a strong impact on the development of the acoustic (and eventually
electric) genre and only received occasional reference in the scope of my analysis and recordings.
41

12

Farms named McKinley Morganfield.46 Two years later, Morganfield would uproot his farmhand
life and move to Chicago. Morganfield became known as Muddy Waters, and then in 1948 his
song “I Can’t Be Satisfied” became an overnight radio sensation on Aristocrat Records.47 But
even though the song was a huge commercial success and helped propel Muddy, Aristocrat
Record (later Chess Records), and the entire Chicago electric blues movement to the next level,
the song once again operates between the ‘country’ and ‘urban’ spheres. Twenty years after
Tampa Red’s Chicago recording “It’s Tight Like That,” the standard for commercial success was
still not full amplification.48 Featuring only a hollow-body electric slide guitar and an upright
bass, “I Can’t Be Satisfied” has a stripped-down feel. But the addition of the bass adds an
unmistakable two-beat groove to the country feel.49 Perhaps it is the addition of camaraderie and
ensemble that propelled this single to commercial success in 1948 and helped prepare Chicago
for an era of amplification.50
Incidentally, “I Can’t Be Satisfied” also represents my first foray into the world of
singing and playing the blues on the cello, at least in the chronological context of my academic
year. During my fall Performance Forum class, I prepared a cover in November of this
monumental song for myself to sing and play cello accompanied by a backing band. It was the
first time I lead a band on cello, it was the first time I sang lead and played at the same time, and
it was the starting point of developing a personal authentic blues tone. The song has now
appeared in my live repertoire twice in Valencia. But this song represents only the beginning of
the Chicago (and Memphis) urban blues movement. The music expanded greatly into the 1950’s

46

However, Johnson had already passed away in 1938. Ibid, 126.
Ibid, 175-179.
48
Ibid, 138.
49
Muddy Waters, “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” composed by Muddy Waters / McKinley Morganfield, recorded in 1947,
on His Best 1947 to 1956 (Interscope/MCA/Chess, 1997), originally released in 1948, Spotify.
50
Ibid, 179.
47

13

to include drums, bass, piano, guitar, and often harmonica. With the steadiness of a band, blues
vocalists now had much more freedom to be virtuosic and expressive, and instrumentalists were
also able to freely improvise without having to self-accompany. The result was a sound that
would lay the groundwork for most popular genres of the second half of the 20th century.
j. “Last Goodbye”: Steadiness of the Ensemble and Corresponding Freedom on the
Cello
The band framework of the 1950’s saw a much clearer evolution of the blues into the
urban electric sound that has become widespread listening material even today. And after three
recording experiences in country blues styles, I sought to record an original song in the slower
style of ‘soulful electric blues.’ This would be my fourth subgenre, despite being quite a wide
subgenre. Inspiration came from the simple but powerful guitar lines of B.B. King in “3
O’Clock Blues”51 and the reflective and emotional vocal tone of Howlin’ Wolf and Duane
Allman on both of their renditions of “Goin’ Down Slow.”5253 Both songs are relatively
straight-ahead 12-bar blues harmonically, with a slow and heavy swing that conveys more of a
12/8 meter than 4/4. Consequently, I wrote a song entitled “Last Goodbye” to emulate the
1950’s steady swing sound of Chicago and Memphis blues bands. The lyrical content of the
song deals with a man on his deathbed saying goodbye to his faraway lover, and the steadiness
of the band allows the piano and the cello the space to emotionally respond to vocal lines. Also,
vocally I had more freedom to improvise in between phrases (and during the cello solo). This
allowed me to experiment with my voice to find ways to moan and hum improvisations in
between lyrics. Compositionally, there are harmonic substitutions to the general 12-bar
51

B.B. King, “Three O’Clock Blues,” composed by Lowell Fulson, 1946, recorded in 1952, on Ladies and
Gentlmen…Mr. B.B. King (Universal 5339086, 2012), Spotify.
52
Howlin’ Wolf, “Goin’ Down Slow,” composed by James Burke Oden, recorded in 1961, on Howlin’ Wolf (“The
Rockin’ Chair Album”) (Vogue 600111, 1962), Spotify.
53
Duane Allman, “Goin’ Down Slow,” composed by James Burke Oden, recorded April 1968- October 1971, on
Duane Allman: An Anthology (Mercury/Virgin EMI, UMC 663, 1972), Spotify.

14

harmonic structure (see Figure 4) but overall the form is a straight 12 bar. It was a challenge not
to play the cello too classically, since there is quite a lot of space for a slow, emotional solo. In
the practice room I had to constantly teach myself to allow each note to speak for itself before
vibrating, as a way to offset the classical tone. In addition, mixing the acoustic cello against
drums and an electric bass was challenging. But overall this was a great exercise in how to use
the cello sparsely but effectively next to my voice with the backing of a band.

Figure 4: The verse’s harmonic structure of “Last Goodbye”, from bar 5 to 16. Full lead sheet appears in the
Appendix.

k. Commercialization and Spread of the Genre in the 1950’s
As urban blues continued to develop, the genre began to reach farther than anyone could
have imagined. Both Chicago and Memphis saw the rise of powerful aforementioned artists
such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King, and cultivated a place for harmonica
players as the leaders of blues bands after the virtuosity of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson
I and Sonny Boy Williamson II.54 Eventually, these cities (specifically Chess Records in
Chicago and Sun Records in Memphis) would foster the impetus for rock n’ roll after each label
54

Davis, The History of the Blues, 186, 193, and 195.

15

respectively signed Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley.55 Those particular blues offspring moved
the American public towards rock n’ roll in the late 50’s and early 60’s, and it would then take
genre enthusiasts and purists to keep the blues alive in the mid 1960’s. These blues fans sought
to revitalize the roots of what was becoming increasingly unrecognizable from the blues’ Delta
roots.
l. Revival and Transatlantic Interpretation in the 1960’s
Before revival was ever intentional, though, the semi-acoustic country blues torch was
carried by Lightnin’ Hopkins and John Lee Hooker in the 1950’s and 60’s, 5657 who often
performed loose solo shows in the style of their predecessors. But effort was additionally made
in the middle of the 1960’s to actually go find the Delta musicians that had such an impact on so
many later bluesmen. In fact, both Skip James and Son House were rediscovered on the same
exact day in 1964, and quickly re-debuted at the Newport Folk Festival after around 25 years
away from music.58 But across the Atlantic Ocean, the blues was just beginning to take hold in
the United Kingdom. After visits from American bluesmen on quick European tours, British
blues took root in social forums such as the Flamingo Club. There and elsewhere, young Brits
that would go on to play in Cream, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, and the
Spencer Davis Group would gather together to learn the blues idiom and apply it to their own
voices.59 Incidentally, this subgenre of British blues is the avenue from which I was first
introduced to the blues. British classic rock artists filled much of my listening discography as a

55

Ibid, 209.
Hooker and Hopkins occasionally played electric or hollow-body electrics, but it was the sound of the music
which felt quite stripped down and the most direct relative of the Delta.
57
Ibid, 216-219.
58
Ibid, 213.
59
Red, White & Blues, dir. Mike Figgis (Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions and Reinbek, Germany: Reverse Angle
International, 2003), DVD.
56

16

teenager, and through them I began to learn the roots of where their music came from. Thus, I
thought it fitting that the fifth recording for my project would come from this British school.
m. “The Mayall Medley”: Adapting the Harmonica to the Cello for British Blues
The bulk of my British blues listening focused on Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, a
monumental album featuring Clapton and the bandleader of the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall.
The record features songs originally by Robert Johnson and Little Walter, but also includes
original material. Overall, Mayall’s harmonica is a driving force, and the band plays in a
manner that pushes the lead instruments further forward. This contrasts with the American
1950’s urban style of bands laying back on the beat to give the leader space. From the
Bluesbreakers album, though, I selected “Another Man” and “Parchman Farm” as case studies
to adapt. The songs largely take place in static harmony, and have somewhat of a jam-rock form
that supplements the players’ undeniable blues language. “Another Man”, in the original
recording, features only Mayall singing and playing harmonica in call-and-response, each voice
on the same simple melody while the band claps along.60 Then, “Parchman Farm” has an
uptempo swing feel that largely takes place over one chord. The whole tune is given structure
by a riff that introduces the song, fills between each vocal phrase, and signals the end of the
harmonica solo.61 Additionally, the song holds historical continuity in the function of my
project since Parchman Farm is the nickname of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in the Delta,
where all the original bluesmen spent considerable time.62

60

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, with Eric Clapton, “Another Man,” composed by John Mayall, recorded in
April 1966, on Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Decca 8448272, 1966), Spotify.
61
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, with Eric Clapton, “Parchman Farm,” composed by Mose Allison, recorded in
April 1966, on Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (Decca 8448272, 1966), Spotify.
62
“Parchman Farm, ” Mississippi Blues Trail, accessed July 3, 2017, http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trailmarkers/parchman-farm.

17

For the recording, I placed these two songs together as a medley, and recorded the whole
song live with a band. This represented a significant accomplishment for me, given that all of
my other recordings have the voice and cello recorded separately so that I could have better
editing control. But for this one, the recording necessitated the wild and loose feel of a live
studio recording. In order to emulate Mayall’s harmonica parts, I tuned my cello D-G-D-G in
order to have better control over thirds on the top strings. This tuning (‘Open G’ or ‘Parchman
tuning’) became the fourth different tuning that I utilized in my five-song recording package
(including standard tuning). But for Parchman tuning, the fourth (as an interval) exists on the
two outside pair of strings as opposed to only one pair in the middle. This was a much more
difficult muscle memory to develop than Judgment or Holy tuning. Furthermore, I tried to bow
extra-harshly in order to imitate the drag and pull of a harmonica. Finally, I also transcribed
Mayall’s harmonica solo from the original recording as inspiration for the undertaking of a
monochord solo. The development of motivic ideas alongside the overall emotional and
energetic development of the band was a difficult concept to get just right in the recording, but
the success of Mayall’s solo served as useful inspiration.
These harmonica imitations were my final stop on the journey of the blues. Obviously
there are many more performers and subgenres that I could also have interpreted. But these five
(Delta, Piedmont, Gospel, Electric/Urban, and British) were selected for their overall
importance to the evolution of the sound and for their relevance to my journey. Overall, I
covered a lot of ground throughout the history of blues music in its various incarnations around
the United States and Europe. But each respective case study and corresponding
experimentation on the cello showed me interesting ways to adapt the sounds to my instrument.
III.

Reflection

18

When I listen back to audio recordings of me playing at the beginning of the year
compared to now, there is an unmistakable difference in tone and how I convey the emotion of
the blues. Simply put, I knew I loved this vast collection of music a long time ago, but I was not
able to effectively convey such emotions. My training has always been rooted in classical
music, and thus has not translated well to blues. Upon reflection, I am not there yet, tone-wise.
But I can confidently state that I am much closer to where I want to be. There are intricacies of
my tone that occasionally revert back to my classical upbringing with too much vibrato and not
letting individual notes speak. And additionally, there are elements of the blues that I found to
be quite difficult to apply to the cello. Given that I am usually imitating guitarists, I have much
less overall harmonic support for my voice (when playing solo) than the guitarist-singers of my
reference recordings. A bowed instrument with four strings is less effective than one with a pick
and six strings. Challenges such as this were roadblocks in my yearlong journey to apply the
genre to my instrument, but I will continue to face these challenges head-on.
Nevertheless, I am very thankful for this undertaking because I believe that I have laid
the groundwork for where I want to go as a musician. I have gained a considerable wealth of
knowledge about this music after the extensive undertaking of research. Having studied and
listened to hundreds of blues songs from all different periods and places, I now see the
progression of the music and how different sounds and styles will work on the cello. The
recording process of the five different subgenres has given me new tools to work with, such as
cross tunings, harmonica imitations, and soloing techniques. In addition, learning to sing this
music and emulate certain intricacies of different singers (for me, B.B. King, Robert Johnson,
Blind Blake, and John Mayall) has given greater character and versatility to my voice. I have
gotten closer to my ideal sound in all aspects of my musicianship.

19

Another interesting factor of my project, though, has been production, recording, and
mixing. Before this Master’s course I had no experience in production or industry-standard
DAW’s. But for this project, I decided to test the amount of progress I have made by
completing the bulk of the mixing process myself. This was quite a challenge, and it proved
difficult to retain perspective about the overall mix (when certain elements of the tracks are
quite personal to me). However, as I continue to develop new sounds and techniques with which
to play my cello there is still work to be done to figure out how to record and mix the instrument
stylistically. For instance, my instinctual reaction for many of my songs was to oversaturate the
space with reverb, so as to make the cello sound the way I am accustomed to hearing it in recital
halls. This was the most challenging in my original compositions “Holy Again” and “Last
Goodbye.” Thankfully, my peers and mentors noticed this and helped steer me in a more fitting
direction. Lessons such as these will prove very useful for the future. Similar to my overall
sound and playing technique, the production aspect of this music is one where I have progressed
considerably over the year, but still need to focus on improving moving forward.
IV.

Next Steps
Now that the research and recording is complete, I hope to continue pursuing the

underlying vision of the project with even more momentum after leaving Berklee, while adding
in more contemporary versatility and creativity to my sound. While this project involved a fair
amount of experimentation, it was not for the sake of innovation itself, but rather to lay a base for
my future artistry and sound. Throughout the year, in addition to my Culminating Experience
work, I have begun to perform in this style with a band. This is something I will continue to
explore. And as I prepare to move back to the southern United States, I intend to market myself
as an artist who simultaneously sings and plays the cello, specializing in blues and roots rock. I

20

am now armed with a repertoire that I can perform either solo or with a band, and I hope that live
performance can become a focal point of my musicianship. However, it will be imperative to
start writing more music. My experience with songwriting is far too narrow, as it is something
that I have not dedicated much time to throughout my life. And although the blues is a genre
where musicians constantly borrow from one another, it is quite plain to see just how much
Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf’s music is influenced by their own artistry and creativity. I am
interested to see how my artistic identity and sound will develop as I start writing and arranging
more from within as opposed to solely reinterpreting existing material.
Hopefully as I move forward, though, the blues will continue to become the foundation of
my playing. Clearly it is a type of music that resonates deeply within my soul, and I want my
sound to be most recognizable as that. However, I would also like to invigorate my playing with
a touch of other styles as well, such as gospel, rock n’ roll, bluegrass, and jazz, to give further
dimension to my playing. The blues will be the center of it all, but the best artists are ones who
do not allow genre conventions to restrain them. Also, one must consider the archaic nature of
the blues. I do not envision my music successfully reinvigorating such an old genre in its original
form (though I would like to), but I do hope that with the interpretation onto another instrument
(as well as an added flair of different styles), this music can still affect today’s listeners.
Finally, as regards to the actual work and recordings that were created for this project, I
intend on adding it to my portfolio as a way to showcase my newfound sound. It will not be a
full-scale commercial release, as the project has been far more academic than creative for me,
but I do intend to place it on SoundCloud and direct interested parties (both from the industry
side and the listener side) through my Facebook artist page.
V.

Professional Contribution

21

The aim of this project, when considered in the wide spectrum of music, was about
artistic development. But I also hoped to make a professional contribution to (primarily) the cello
and (secondarily) the blues. But, as stated previously, I remained conscious throughout the entire
experience of not marrying the cello and the blues for the sake of innovation. Innovation for the
sake of innovation does not make a meaningful artistic statement. Thus, my focus throughout this
experience was on my own musical voice and how to bring two distant musical items in unison
with another to successfully develop that voice. Nevertheless, it is my hope that if this sound
continues to grow, both the world of the cello and the world of the blues will be impacted.
For the cello, this represents a foray into a new genre for the instrument. Recently, the
instrument has seen a tremendous growth in contemporary music, from the hard rock-classical
crossover sound of Croatian duo 2Cellos to the folk songs of singer-cellist Ben Sollee and the
rhythms of experimental bluegrass cellist Rushad Eggleston. I hope to continue to develop my
sound and thereby place blues cello on the list of viable alternatives to classical music for cellists
everywhere. In addition, for the blues itself this project offers a fresh take. Perhaps the most
notable use of string players in the blues was the Delta group Mississippi Sheiks,63 featuring
authentic blues fiddling on tunes such as “Sitting On Top of the World.”64 But by adding the
cello to that idiom, the possibilities of a sustained bowed instrument with a lower, more
supportive harmonic ability could be a useful asset for the genre. Thus, the collateral effect of
this project (in addition to its impact on my own artistry) could indeed serve both the
instrument’s versatility and the genre’s instrumentation.
VI.

Conclusions

63

Cohn, Nothing But the Blues, 48.
Mississippi Sheiks, “Sitting On Top of the World,” composed by Lonnie Chatmon and Walter Vinson, recorded in
1930, on Stop and Listen (Yazoo YAZCD 2006, 1992), Spotify.
64

22

From the very beginning, it started and ended with a sound. Before the research and the
recordings, my goal was to take the music that resonated the most internally and apply it to the
musical medium that was the most natural externally. The project itself was certainly not the
smoothest road, as the marriage of these polar opposite worlds took patience and constant
experimentation. But after a long period of listening and research, with concurrent recordings
and experimentations with live performances, I am confident in the future of the blues cello.
From singing songs about life and death all by my lonesome just like the Delta bluesmen that I
revere so fiercely to leading a band in classic electric blues standards, this entire journey has
resulted in a transformation that I could not have foreseen when I enrolled in Berklee. I now
believe in the idea more fervently than ever, and I believe much more strongly in myself as an
artist. It will be a proving ground next year for me when the blues cello has to compete in the
actual music industry. But I am quite grateful for the encouragement that I have received from
mentors and peers along the way, and I am brimming with excitement to see the future of the
blues cello and my own artistry.
VII.

Bibliography from Paper and Presentation

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Davis, Francis. The History of the Blues: the Roots, the Music, the People. Cambridge, MA: Da
Capo Press, 2008.
Eastwood, Clint, dir. Piano Blues. Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions and Reinbek,
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Figgis, Mike, dir. Red, White & Blues. Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions and Reinbek,
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27, 2017. http://www.msdeltaheritage.com/counties/.

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McMillen, Brian. Willie Dixon. Wikimedia Commons photo. Taken 1981. Posted by
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33).jpg.
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26

Wenders, Wim, dir. The Soul of a Man. Seattle, WA: Vulcan Productions and Reinbek,
Germany: Reverse Angle International, 2003. DVD.
VIII. Discography from Paper and Presentation
Allman, Duane. “Goin’ Down Slow.” Composed by James Burke Oden. Recorded April 1968 –
October 1971. On Duane Allman: An Anthology. Mercury/Virgin EMI, UMC 663, 1972.
Spotify.
B.B. King. “Three O’Clock Blues.” Composed by Lowell Fulson, 1946. Recorded in 1952. On
Ladies and Gentlmen…Mr. B.B. King. Universal 5339086, 2012. Spotify.
Blind Blake. “Police Dog Blues.” Composed by Blind Blake. Recorded May 1928 – August
1929. On Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3 (1928-1929). Document 5026, 2000. Spotify.
Clapton, Eric. “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day.” Composed by Robert Johnson.
Adapted from “Hambone” Willie Newbern. On Me & Mr. Johnson. Reprise 4870, 2004.
YouTube.
Europe, James Reese. “Memphis Blues.” Composed by W.C. Handy, 1912. On Really the Blues?
A Blues History, 1893-1959, Vol. 1. Music & Arts WHRA6028, 2010. Spotify.
Howlin’ Wolf. “Goin’ Down Slow.” Composed by James Burke Oden. Recorded in 1961. On
Howlin’ Wolf (“The Rockin’ Chair Album”). Vogue 600111, 1962. Spotify.
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, with Eric Clapton. “Another Man.” Composed by John
Mayall. Recorded in April 1966. On Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. Decca 8448272,
1966. Spotify.
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, with Eric Clapton. “Parchman Farm.” Composed by Mose
Allison. Recorded in April 1966. On Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. Decca 8448272,
1966. Spotify.
Johnson, Blind Willie. “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.” Composed by Blind Willie
Johnson. Recorded December 3, 1927 – April 20, 1930. On Dark Was the Night.
Columbia/Legacy 65516, 1998. Spotify.
Johnson, Blind Willie. “It’s Nobody’s Fault but Mine.” Composed by Blind Willie
Johnson. Recorded December 3, 1927 – April 20, 1930. On Dark Was the Night.
Columbia/Legacy 65516, 1998. Spotify.
Johnson, Robert. “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day.” Composed by Robert Johnson.
Adapted from “Hambone” Willie Newbern “Roll and Tumble Blues.” Recorded
November 1936 – June 1937. On The Complete Recordings. Sony BMG Music
Entertainment 4672462, 1990. Spotify.

27

Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds. “Crazy Blues.” Composed by Mamie Smith and Perry
Bradford. Recorded February 14, 1920 – December 22, 1921. On Complete Recorded
Works, Vol. 1. Document 5357, 1995. Spotify.
McTell, Blind Willie. “Pearly Gates.” Composed by Blind Willie McTell. Recorded 1949. On
Atlanta Twelve String. Atlantic 82366-4, 1975. Spotify.
Mississippi Sheiks. “Sitting On Top of the World.” Composed by Lonnie Chatmon and Walter
Vinson. Recorded in 1930. On Stop and Listen. Yazoo YAZCD 2006, 1992. Spotify.
Muddy Waters. “I Can’t Be Satisfied.” Composed by Muddy Waters / McKinley Morganfield.
Recorded in 1947. On His Best 1947 to 1956. Interscope/MCA/Chess, 1997. Originally
released 1948. Spotify.
Skip James. “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues.” Composed by Skip James. Recorded in 1931. On
Complete Early Recordings. Yazoo, YAZCD 2009, 1994. Spotify.
Tampa Red & Georgia Tom. “It’s Tight Like That, No. 3.” Composed by Rev. Thomas A.
Dorsey and Hudson Whittaker. Recorded January 12, 1929 – June 27, 1929. On
Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1929). Document 5074, 2003. Spotify.
W.C. Handy’s Memphis Blues Band. “St. Louis Blues.” Composed by W.C. Handy, 1912.
Recorded September 17, 1917 – May 1923. On W.C. Handys Memphis Blues Band.
Memphis Archives 7006, 1994. Spotify.

28

IX.

Appendix: Charts and Transcriptions

Full Nashville Number Chart for personal arrangement of “If I Had Possession Over Judgment
Day”

29

Full Nashville Number chart for personal arrangement of “Police Dog Blues”

30

Full lead sheet for “Holy Again”
FORM
Scott Peters
SLOW INTRO OVER A
8 bar intro G7 (in time)
A - Verse 1 & 2
B - Bridge
A - Verse 3 & Piano/Cello Solo
B - 2nd bridge
A - Verse 4 (pizz) & Verse 1 w/ Tag

VERSE 1 (A)
Oh LORD, be my rock, make me
holy again
Holy again, and take away my
sin
Oh LORD, be my rock, make me
holy again
Take this world from my hand
and make me whole

HOLY Again

Melody

A

VERSE 2
Oh LORD, be my light, guide
me safely on
To the land, where joy shall
never end
Oh LORD, be my light, guide
me safely on
Guide this world safely on
to our home

GOSPEL BLUES
h = 80
G7

œ
? bϝ

œ

œ

# œj

œ

œ

˙
œ
bœ

°™˙
¢™

œ

œ

œ

Œ

C7

G7

5

˙

œ bœ œ œ

œ

? ˙™

bœù œ

œ
Œ

Œ

G7

œ œ œ

Œ

G7/B

C7

9

œ œ œ œ

bϝ
? œ œ œ œ
13

˙

œ

œ bœ

œ

Œ

œ œ œ œ

Œ

E¨7

1.
G7

D7
˙

œ
? ˙

# œj

œ

œ œ œ bœ

œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ

œ

˙
Ó

B
2.
G7

17

G7/B

C7

œ
bœ
? Ó

™™ ü w
†

Œ

stop second time
21

œ
Œ

œ

G7

? œ

C7

˙
bœ

œ œ œ œ

œ
Œ

Œ

œ œ œ Œ

Œ

25

œ œ
? œ bœ œ œ œ

D7
˙™

G7
b œj

? œ

nœ

œ
Œ

œ

œ bœ œ œ

œ

C7
first time

˙
œ

œ bœ œ œ

œ

¿
Œ

29

œ bœ œ œ

œ

Œ

Œ

C7

˙
œ bœ œ œ œ

œ œ œ Œ

Œ

A7

œ bœ œ œ

œ
Œ

D7

33

DA CAPO

œ
? œ

œ
bœ

œ

w

œ

œ

œ
Œ

Bridge (B)
Down Here Waiting on You LORD, praying just for
more
Of your light in our lives to guide us on
May this song be our cry to let our old selves die
With you oh LORD we can rise

VERSE 3
Draw me near, draw me near, closer unto thee
Unto thee, oh LORD, in your presence I am free
Draw me near, draw me near, closer unto thee
Draw us near and make us how we should be

31

Ó

VERSE 4
Be our peace, be our peace, bring us to our knees
where we see things clear, we're all just sinners
here
be our peace, be our peace, bring us to our knees
When you come back oh LORD I will be there

Full lead sheet for “Last Goodbye”

Last Goodbye
INTRODUCTION

Scott Peters

E7

Fº7

B7/F©

12 œ
œ
& 8 Œ J #œ œJ Œ J œ œJ

G©7

C©‹7

Œ œJ#œ œ#œ #œj œ ™
J

V™ V™ V™ V™
E/B
B7

F©(“4)

B7

E7

VERSE

4

™™ ‰ ‰ œJ#œ œ œj œ ™ œ#œ œ œ œJ#œ œ œ œ œùœ œ ˙ ™
J
J J

& V ™ V ™ V ™ Œ™
B7

Ϊ Ϊ

E7
E7

Fº7

B7

B7/A

8
(v. 1 & 3)

‰ ‰ œJ#œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œJ#œ œ œ œ œù œ œ ˙ ™
J J
J J

∑
&
G©7

Ϊ Ϊ

C©‹7

12
not in solo

& Ϊ
14

F©7

Ϊ

Œ

œ œ #œ #œ œ
#œ

#œ œ œ œ
J

Ϫ

j
œ ‰ #œj

F©7(#5)

B7

& œ™ù

Ϊ

œ™ù nœ œ nœ œj œù

Ϊ

Ó™

Ó™

™™

˙™
FORM
-Intro
- V1 (cello fills, TA: B7 G#7 C#-7 F#sus)
- V2 (pno fills, TA: B7 D7
G7
F#sus)
- Solo
TA: Walkdown
- V3 (stops on first 3 bars, all B7)(TA: B7 E7/B B7
- V4 (TA: B7 B7/A G#7 then TAG last vocal line)
- TAG: Pno walkup from C#-, band out on F#sus
In on B7 E B7(drum cue)

Verse 2
She gave me a good life, and I never
ever seen her cry
She gave me a good life, and I never
ever seen her cy
Maybe she'll remember me sweetly,
until the day she dies

F#sus)

Verse 3
The world is smaller now
When I am looking down
Watching over my baby
And always asking how this came
to be
How did my time come so soon?
Now I'm just a faint old memory,
for my baby to hold on too

32

Verse 1
My time has come, and I never had
the chance to say goodbye
My time has come now, and I never
had the chance to say goodbye
The world done pulled us away, and
I can't find the reason why

Verse 4
I will be waiting, for my woman
to join me over there
I will be waiting, for my woman
to join me over there
Oh don't you seek on after me,
Our time will come by and by
(2x)

Full transcription of John Mayall’s harmonica solo in “Parchman Farm”, transposed to G
Major

Parchman Farm
John Mayall Harmonica Solo, 1:03-2:07
Composed - Mose Allison
Transcribed - Scott Peters
Transposed up a semitone from original F# Major

q=250
Swing

œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ œœœ
? 44 œ ùœ œ œ ùnœ œ ùœ œ œ ùnœ œ ùœ œ œ ùnœ œ ùœ œ œ œ œ

œœœ
œ ˙
3

6

œœ
? œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ

3

11

œj

?

œœœ

œ œœœ
œ nœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ

16

? œ Œ ‰ œœ œœ

œœœ v ˙˙˙ ™™™
œ ˙™

œœœ
œ

œœœ v ˙˙˙ ™™™
œ ˙™

œœœ
œ

œœœ œœ œœ œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ

œœœ œœ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ nœ œ œ
3

œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
n
œ
?
œ
‰ùœJ œ ‰
Œ Œ

21

œ nœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ
œœ œœ ùw
œœœ œ
?
‰ œœ ≈
J

26

31

? œ œ œœœ

œ
œ œ œ œ ≈ œœ œ

w
ùùw

˙˙

œ œœœœœ

œœœ œ œœœœ
ù
œ

36

œœ
œ nœ œ nœ
œ œ
œ nœ œ nœ
œ œ
? œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œùùœ œ œ œ ùœ œ n œ œ œ œùùœ œ œ œ ùœ œ n œ œ
œ n œ œœ n œœ œ œ n œœ œœ œ œùœœ n œœ œœ n œœ œ œ n œœ œœ ùùv w
w
? œ œùùœ œ
ù
ù
ù

41

47

? ùù

w
w

w
w

w
w

w
w

w
w

œœ
œ nœ
œ
œ œ œ œ œœœœœ œ œ œ œ

33

2

œ n œ n œ œœ v w
w
? œ œ œ œ œ ùù

54

w
w

w
ùùv w

w
w

w
ùùv w

˙˙

œœ œœ œœ

61

? œ œ œ nœ Œ œ œ œ œ œnœœnœœ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œnœœnœœ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰
J
J
J
J
66

?

œj

j

œ œ œ œœ œ œ
J ‰
J ‰

œ œ œ
œ œ œ
‰
J
J ‰

œ œ œ œ œ nœœ nœœ

69

œ
? œ ùœ œ œ ùnœ

œœ œ œ œœ nœ
ù
ù

œœ œ œ œœ nœ
ù
ù

34

œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
ù

Chart of form arrangement for recording of John Mayall Medley

PARCHMAN FARM
Uptempo Swing
q=250
MOSE ALLISON
as played by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

Band IN

INTRO

G7

& Œ Œ Œ Œ

Œ Œ Œ Œ
V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V

G7
VERSE

7

Singing-------------------------

Riff---------------------------------------------------------------------

& ™™ V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
13

Singing--------------------------

Riff---------------------------------------------------------------------

& V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V V
Singing--------------------------

Singing--------------------------

19
G7
C7

>
& V Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

>
V Œ

Œ

Œ

V

V

Œ

Œ

Œ

Œ

Riff--------------------------------------------------------------23

G7

& V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

V

INTRODUCTION : ANOTHER MAN (J. MAYALL) FORM
(melody not charted) q=125
Instrumental - claps 2 & 4
V1 "another man"
V2 "from the county farm" add bass
V3 "i don't know his name" add shaker
Instrumental, add double-time feel

PARCHMAN FARM FORM h=125
Intro
V1 "sittin over here on parchman farm"
V2 "puttin that cotton"
Monochord Solo Cue w/ Riff
V3 "sittin over here on #9"
V4 "gonna be here for the rest of my life"

35

V

V

™™