Monthly Archives: October 2011

The blues is the secular music to tell the African-Americans their history. Largely this is a tale of woe. But there are also blues with an ironic and humorous lyrics. “You can just type new words over the 12-bar harmonic scheme and improvise,” said the singer T-Bone Walker, “and you have a new blues.” Apart from content makes the default clock and the blues chord progression as the most popular common theme at meetings of players, even if the come from different genres. Sun Wynton Marsalis tells in his book “Jazz, my life,” as he played with Itzhak Perlman at spontaneous sessions, Stevie Wonder, Paco de Lucia blues. Even with a Turkish folk musician “us with a completely unknown instrument” it worked. “The blues,” says Marsalis, “probably came into the world so that together we can make music and understand each other.”

With actors playing music that’s another thing. Real multi-talent is rare – such as Scarlett Johansson proved lasting, as they used to Tom Waits songs were the worst. Now Hugh Laurie assaults, better known as a TV doctor House, at the venerable Southern blues. The CD “Let Them Talk” was the record company persuaded him, he admits. According to the motto: Prominent goes before talent. Actually, yes he could not really good, has once said Laurie. At least, as far as his singing skills, the correct diagnosis.

The air is heavy with smoke and smell of wine on the tables of the guests is hardly any room for sheer whiskey glasses, wine bottles and snack plates with pickles, olives and salt stuff. And three men enter into jeans and T-shirt on the small stage, everything.
With about 40 spectators the large living room against a clock shop is well stocked at night. To pink tablecloths often sit together several generations. “A Rembetiko evening is perfect for the whole family, because all love the songs,” says the student Stella Kerasidou. As if to prove sings half the pub the next song “Malista Kirie” with.
On stage, there is a clear division of roles: Guitarist Dimitris Sphiggos is responsible for the rhythmic foundation on which can let off steam bouzouki player Christos Mitrentzis. Concentrates of the observed gallop of his fingers on the fretboard, the Plektrumhand rattling pace over the strings in the madness. If a song requires less time virtuosity, he smokes a cigarette while playing, which then bounces up and down in rhythm. Singer Dimitris Domenikiotis sits between the two on his bar stool, one hand on the mic, the other on the thigh, and is the permeability in person. No matter how wild their work the other two instruments, the singing is always the calming influence in this music.