Bobby "Guitar" Martin

The first song on the JUKE JOINT BLUES EP was completely inspired by Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues.

At a very young age I became fascinated with the guitar and started to learn as a young teenager. I discovered Eric Clapton and started to learn by playing along with his early records. I didn’t know what The Blues were or had even heard of them, I just knew I really loved what Eric Clapton was doing. I listened to his records over and over trying to duplicate what I heard on my guitar.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and The Dominos is one of my favorite albums. It led me to Duane Allman and that slide thing he was doing. I had no idea what it was but I fell in love with it. I found a double album entitled “Duane Allman An Anthology” and the fourth song on side three is “Mean Ole World”, an outtake from The Layla sessions. It is Eric Clapton and Duane Allman playing on resonators. I didn’t know what it was but I was completely fascinated by it and have chased that sound my entire life……the stomping of feet, the resonator slide playing, that Delta Blues sound.

That all led me to Robert Johnson, The King Of The Delta Blues. I have listened to all of his recordings repeatedly and still marvel at what he was doing. I still have no idea how he played some of the things he did. I set out to write a Delta Blues song in honor of Robert Johnson and the way he was recorded. I tuned my resonator to open E and started messing around. The signature lick presented itself first and led to the words…..Whiskey and Women, got me drunk and wrecked my life. It took me a couple of weeks of playing the song to finish the lyrics and get the slide riffs just right.

Whiskey & Women

Got me drunk and wrecked my life

Whiskey & Women

Got me drunk and wrecked my life

Robbed me of everything

Including my wife

Sure had a good time

Most of which I can’t recall

Sure had a good time

Most of which I can’t recall

If you’re gonna fall

Might as well have yourself a ball

Have a natural ball

Oh woe is me child

All the sin and misery

Oh woe is me child

All the sin and misery

If I don’t change my ways

Might not be too many more days

Many more days

When it came time to record the song I wanted to set up to do the video at the same time. My given name is Robert and I am a Jr so I thought it would be cool to have my Dad do the voice of the engineer you can hear in the beginning of the video, “Hello Robert, come on in. Get yourself set up in the corner there and let me know when you’re ready. There’s some shine in the mason jar there…..in case you wanna loosen up. Ok son….one…two…three…..”

Just like Robert Johnson walked into a hotel room in Dallas Texas and recorded most of the music we have from him. In the corner of the room so the sound would bounce off of the corner walls back into the single mike they used to record him. Only he faced into the corner, I faced out for the sake of the video.

I used a single Shure Super 55 Deluxe Supercardoid Dynamic Vocal Microphone ran into the other room just like in the Johnson recordings. I played a newly acquired Recording King Swamp Dog Metal body resonator. It was perfect for this song.

The song and video are a tribute to Robert Johnson and the early recording technique of placing one microphone in a room and placing everything around it according to how loud you wanted it in the mix. You can view the video on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/MSOL3OhOpJs?si=gZsvE3EsAdYkXev2

And now on to the second song on JUKE JOINT BLUES, “Covid-19 Blues”.

Thanks for supporting me on My Delta Blues Americana Adventure.

Bobby

www.bobbyguitarmartin.com

This here’s the true story of Hambone’s Baby and how she came to be mine.

Once upon a time in a beach house far away from today, I got a call from my buddy Hambone who happens to be one bad hamma-jamma (Harmonica player extraordinaire). Hambone and I would get together whenever we could to cool some brews, fire up some BBQ, and play blues til the moon made way for the sun. We hadn’t been getting together as much as we used to since I’d made the move to the coast, so it was always a treat when Hambone would come to visit. And this time he had something he wanted to show me. I assured him I was going to be home and he should come right away. I can’t stand suspense and Hambone was being extremely cryptic about whatever it was he wanted to show me. He said “Perfect, I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Waiting……waiting…..waiting……

I finally heard Hambone’s old Ford truck coming up the street and went outside to greet him. Hambone is a big ole southern boy with a big boomin voice. “BOBBY!” he’s yelling before he even gets in the driveway. “HAMBONE!” I yell back as he pulls in. Hambone jumped out of the truck and gave me a big ole bear hug and said ,”Man have I got something to show you!” He grabbed a guitar case out of the truck and we headed inside. Being the Southern Gentleman that I am, I wait until a couple of beers have been had and gossip has been caught up on before I mention the guitar case. “Oh yeah..”, he says,” Now, you’re gonna love this” as he reaches for the guitar case. As he opens it up he starts to explain how he got “Baby” in a trade for some sunshine moonshine (Florida home brewed liquor for the uninitiated). “I thought of you when I saw her”, he says as he pulls out the most beautiful resonator guitar I ever laid eyes on. He grins from ear to ear as he hands “Baby” to me and says, “Go on, play her.”

I was in love right away. I always wanted a resonator and she was perfect. I grabbed my moonshine slide, tuned “Baby” down to Open G and started in on some “Walking Blues”. We spent the rest of the night playing blues Hambone, “Baby”, and I. When it came time for Hambone to head back to the country he said,” Now when I got Baby, I knew the first thing I was gonna do with her was bring her by and let you two get to know each other. I’m gonna leave her here with you for a while til next time we get to visit.” “Hambone, are you sure about that?” I asked secretly hoping he was indeed sure about that. He assured me he was. We said our goodbyes and for the next six weeks “Baby” and I became real good friends.

Then I started to feel guilty about holding on to “Baby” so long. I called him and left him a message. Several days went by and I left him another and said,”Hambone you gotta come get “Baby” because I’m getting way too attached to her and she needs to go back home with you.” Hambone called me back finally and said he was coming by in a couple of days for another round of Blues & BBQ. And a couple of days later he did. And we drank some brews, ate some BBQ, and played Blues til we had our fill.

When it was time for Hambone to go I said ” Now Hambone, don’t forget “Baby”. I love her but she’s yours and she needs to go back home with you.” Hambone looked at me with a big ol’ smile on his face and said” Now Bobby, I had no intentions of ever taking her back home. When I saw her that day that boy brought her in for some ‘shine I knew exactly what I was gonna do with her. If I’d a given her to you you’d have said, now Hambone I couldn’t take that. But I knew if you and “Baby” got acquainted for awhile you’d grow to love her and wouldn’t want her to leave. She’s your “Baby” now……..take good care of her.” Hambone gave me a big ole bear hug and headed off into the sunrise in that ole ford truck. And “Baby” and I have been together ever since.

Names & certain particulars have been changed to protect the guilty.

Luv ya Hambone!

Thanks for supporting me on My Delta Blues Americana Journey!

Peace

Bobby

http://www.bobbyguitarmartin.com

Bobby "Guitar" Martin

Walkin' With The Blues

WHISKEY & WOMEN

Hambone & Baby