Robert Johnson - Come On In My Kitchen
Robert Johnson is a legendary figure
in the history of the delta blues in the US, and is often cited as a major influence amongst guitarists of era generation. He was born in 1911 in Hazelhurst, MS and for most of his life traveled around the South performing in bars, on street corners, and at dances. He achieved very little commercial success while he was alive; after his death, his music was really brought into the mainstream by the rock and folk musicians of the '60s. Since his life is a bit of a mystery, there is a lot of folklore that has developed around him, particularly the tale of him selling his soul to the Devil at the crossroads, in exchange for being the greatest bluesman. This probably developed because a Johnson's songs reference crossroads, the Devil, and hellhounds, though never specifically in the context of selling a soul for skill.
Listen to Come On In My Kitchen by Robert Johnson here.
This was one of the first songs
of Johnson's that I heard in high school, after purchasing a CD on a bit of a whim. I was blown away by his skill; Johnson had incredibly large hands, which gave him an amazing reach on the guitar, and allowed him to perform things that many are unable to replicate. His songs have an interesting meter, which is never too solid; if he needed to added a beat or two, or remove some, he would. Whatever served the song, he would do, which gives his music an incredibly interesting and 'live' sort of feeling. He also developed a style incorporating slide guitar melodies while also providing the bass parts, which at the time, was very cutting edge and helped define the blues artists that followed.
