By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
RONA BLUES PLAYLIST
T
hese are challenging times as the
Covid-19 pandemic has touched all
corners of the globe, all countries,
and all societies. The quarantine forces us
inside to piece together new routines
around an uncertain situation. Music has
always been a refuge in fearful circum-
stances, and blues literally evolved from
pain, so there’s no better time to listen to a
blues playlist than now. Blues songs have
chronicled many epidemics and disasters,
from the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918,
which lasted until 1920 and affected 500
million people, to the Delta floods of 1927,
which was one of the worst natural disas-
release for all of us wondering about this
question.
"Ain’t Nothing You Can Do" -
Bobby “Blue” Bland
You can ignore the directives and go
out and mingle and touch people, but you
also risk the real chance of getting sick and
infecting others. Or you can follow the
guidelines, stay at home, and practice
social distancing. But besides these choic-
es, there’s not much we can do about
Covid-19. Recorded in 1964 and released
in 1974 on the album of the same name,
Bobby’s rich baritone expresses the dilem-
Howlin' Wolf
ters in U.S. history. The music offered an
emotional outlet as people battled through
the difficulties.
This curated “Rona Blues Playlist” col-
lects blues songs from different eras; from
the 1930s up to today, songs that speak to
the circumstances that we are dealing with
because of the virus. Some of these tunes
may be familiar, others not so much, but
they all offer perspective and solace dur-
ing this time.
"Come On In This House" -
Magic Sam
There is no sound more enlivening
than the guitar playing of Samuel
Maghett. Recorded live in 1963, the track
appears on Magic Sam Live (Delmark,
1981). The urgency is palpable in his
crooning: ”Oh lord/lord/lord/ I’m beg-
gin' you/I’m beggin' you/to come on in
this house/yeah, this ‘ole house.” Sam is,
of course, pleading with a lover, but these
lyrics serve as an apt directive for social
distancing.
"Baby How Long" - Howlin’ Wolf
Howlin’ Wolf voices the question that
we all feel. How long will we be locked in
our homes and separated from the greater
community? Howlin Wolf recorded this
plaintive Chicago blues classic in 1954,
and it appears on Moanin’ in the Moonlight
(Chess, 1959). Wolf churns out tasty harp
licks
before
bellowing
“How
long/baby/how long/how long/how
long/ baby/how long/ how long.” The
longing in his voice offers a musical
ma with evocative flair: “When you lose
your love one/it makes you feel so
blue/and
then
you’ve
got
a
heartache/and there ain’t nothing you can
do.” The upbeat rhythm, paired with his
smooth vocals, can't help but uplift spirits.
"Waiting for The Tide To Turn" -
Robert Cray
Being holed up in the house, waiting
for the numbers to fall, and the pandemic
to end is the order of the day. Robert Cray
recorded the essential anthem for our
plight on 1983's Bad Influence (High Tone).
Bob lays out the situation; “My nights are
long/ I’m all alone/my money’s short/ so
I’m sticking close to home/and wait-
ing/waiting for the tide to turn/time will
bring on some changes/that’s one thing
that I’ve learned.” This is some clear
advice to follow.
"Beer Bottle Boogie" - Koko Taylor
So you’re at home all the time, what do
you do? Well, there are a variety of
options. The Queen of the Blues offered
up an interesting suggestion from her 1985
album, **Queen of the Blues (Alligator).
Belting over a contagious boogie, Koko
declares that beer and dancing are great
pastimes. “Well I don’t like beer /when it
goes too fast/don’t like foam/and a
muggy glass/you pour it out slow/and let
the beats come on/I drink good
beer/when I go home/I got the beer bottle
boogie you know/the beer bottle boogie
for sho’/everybody's doin’ it/beer bottle
boogie now.”
Continued on page 18
14 illinoisentertainer.com april 2020