Workshop resources

Here you’ll find resources following up on various uke workshops.

If you have mp3s or youtube links you think would be helpful to others for  my tunes, send them to me and I’ll post them here as well. You can also send me your tablature and corrections at [email protected]. The original tunes are for your use only-don’t disseminate them as I don’t have copyright.

Ukulele Daily!

Del Rey

You Run and Tell Your Daddy

This song comes from St Louis guitarist Charlie Jordon. He was a great guitarist-and a bootlegger. I have found the guitarists of St Louis in the ’20s and ’30s great sources for uke blues-they often play capoed up, and they seem more focused on the treble side of the guitar. Get a copy of St. Louis Town-1927-1932.

Charlie Jordon plays You Run and Tell Your Daddy on guitar 1937:

Del Rey plays it on uke 2007:

Up The Country

Barbecue Bob’s version:

Del Rey’s uke version of Up The Country:

Keep It Clean

Charlie Jordan:

and Del Rey’s Keep It Clean on uke:

K.C. Moan

The Memphis Jugband:

Del Rey at The Jumping Flea in Rotterdam teaching the “uke jugband” KC Moan parts :

Rocking Chair Blues by Rabbit Muse

Del Rey plays Rabbit Muse’s Rocking Chair Blues up to speed

Del Rey plays Rocking Chair Blues slowly.

 Rocking Chair Blues lyric pdf

Rabbit Muse plays Rocking Chair Blues

Apolo

D1

A few years ago at Port Townsend Blues Festival I invited Cheick Hamala Diabate to come teach the ukes something. I figured since his Malian style of guitar was often capoed way up it would translate in an interesting way to uke. He taught us to play “Apolo”. Ukuleles really can play everything (at least as long as he was with us!)

Listen to Cheick Hamala play uke on Apolo:

Apolo

AN NY KONY KADY-APOLO

DENY-KOUN SIGUI KANYI APOLO

AN ALA LEENO ILA DIY ALATAN

(Thanks to George for the mp3 of the chic Cheick!)

Memphis Style Music for Ukulele

The jugband and blues styles of Memphis in the 1920s and ’30s fit well on the ukulele. There are parts to get from the mandolin, the harmonica and even the guitar (!) Here are the originals for the tunes I’ve adapted from the MJB (Memphis Jugband), Gus Cannon, Frank Stokes, Memphis Minnie and Bo Carter that sit well on uke. To start, here’s a great youtube playlist with a selection of my uke versions from various workshops, kindly complied by UK ukster Liz Panton.

Followed by original versions from Back In The Day…

Tapping That Thing MJB

Mississippi Waltz  MJB

Bottle Up and Go  MJB

Bottle Up and Go lyrics (there’s plenty more-or make some up!)

I love my baby, she loves me too

Don’t give a goshdarn what she do

You gotta bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Oh you high flyin’ women,

Lord you gotta bottle up

I took my baby in the new V8

Step on the ’celerator don’t make me late

You gotta bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Oh you high flyin’ women,

Lord you gotta bottle up

I’ll tell my mama, tell my pa

Can’t say yes but I won’t say no

You gotta bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Bottle up and go, beedle-um-bum

Oh you high flyin’ women,

Lord you gotta bottle up

You May Leave (Satisfied) MJB

Nice slow uke version of You May Leave (But THIS Will Bring You Back)

You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back The Memphis Jugband

My poppa was a jockey so I learned to ride behind You know by that I got a job anytime You may leave but this’ll bring you back

I walked around the corner to the peanut stand My gal got stuck on the peanut man
You may leave but this’ll bring you back

You quit me pretty baby ’cause you couldn’t be my boss A rolling stone don’t gather no moss
You may leave but this will bring you back

A nickel’s worth of meal, and a dime’s worth of lard Will beat anything in the rich man’s yard
you may leave but this’ll bring you back

Now I’m satisfied, satisfied My todalo shaker’s right by my side Now, you may leave, but this will bring you back, back, bring you back!

I Don’t Want That Junk- Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe

I Don’t Want That Junk Outta You!

Tired Chicken Gus Cannon

Tired Chicken explained on ukulele

Law’s Gonna Step On You Bo Carter

Downtown Blues The Memphis Sheiks (Frank Stokes and Dan Sane)

Here is a video of me explaining the Downtown Blues uke parts slowly-thanks to the Oxford Ukulele club.

Here are the lyrics (slightly modified by me)

Downtown Blues #2
Frank Stokes and Dan Sane

I’m going downtown gonna stay round there till dark (2x)
You don’t like my treatment make you another stop

I don’t drink whiskey crazy about my beer (2x)
I feel so good must be a brand new year

It’s nine yards carry me to your back door (2x)
If the times keep tough I won’t make that trip no more

When you lay down at night you go to sleep and try and take your rest (2x)
You get the call 4:45 wake up great god and try and do your best

What makes me know my good gal likes me so (2x)
She always takes her time does her work everywhere she goes.

The Berkeley Days

The Berkeley Days: Fingerpicking a fiddletune  using re-entrant tuning

Here’s a tune from Walt Koken and my chart for playing it on uke. I take it slow-the numbers at the bottom of each chord shape are the right hand picking order. Slow uke version:

and here’s the original by Walt Koken (sorry about the kid noise; I recommend you buy his excellent album Banjonique on itunes for a kid-free listen!)  :

Mama Don’t You Think I Know

Here’s Papa Charlie Charlie Jackson’s version,

Here’s my C tuned uke version.

Here is a C tuning pdf

Here is my baritone uke version.

Baritone uke pdf chords.

Rocks and Gravel by Mance Lipscomb

Rocks and gravel/Makes a solid road/A do right woman/Satisfy my soul

I got a gal up country/She won’t come to town/Got one in Corpus Christi/But she’s water bound

I’m going out west/See my ponies run/If I win any money/Gonna give my baby some

That’s your tone Daddy/Everytime you come/”Got no money-Certainly soon have some”

“Here’s my dollar/I made it in the rain/It’s my last old dollar/You can spend it just the same”

“I’m going to New Orleans Daddy/Buy a new pair of shoes/You’ll find me on Trafalgar st/When your train comes through”

“I don’t see why/You treat your daddy mean/Staying up all night /On that low down benzedrine “

my version

 Mance’s version  of Rocks and Gravel

Going To Germany

Gus Cannon plays I’m Going To Germany

Del Rey Plays I’m Going To Germany slow

Del Rey plays I’m Going To Germany up to speed­

Haunted Blues by Memphis Minnie

This house is haunted and I can”t live here no more x2
every night just about twelve, I can hear something tipping ‘cross my floor

Every morning I hear something knocking on my door x2
that’s how I know this house is haunted and I can’t live ere no more

Late last night I heard someone talking on my telephone x2
musta been that haunt cause there wasn’t nobody but me alone

BREAK

I was told to take a horseshoe and hang it up over my door x2
then I wouldn’t’t be bothered with that doggone haunt no more

I got to do something I’m tired of going from door to door x2
since my man been dead he been running me every where I go

Haunted Blues PDF with chords

Memphis Minnie plays Haunted Blues in Bflat

Haunted Blues on ukulele in C

Gay Cattin’

Gay Cattin’ by Charlie Jackson

Gay Cattin’ on baritone uke

Gay Cattin’ baritone chord pdf

See See Rider

Ma Rainey’s Original See See Rider

Del Rey on ukulele for the Austin Uke Club

pdf of chords

Black Cat Blues

Video of Black Cat Blues on uke

Black-Cat-Blues lyrics pdfDownload

Sitting On Top of the World

Was all the summer, and all the fall,
Just trying to find my little all in all
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

Was in the spring, one summer day
Just when she left me, she’s gone to stay
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

An’ you come here runnin’, holdin’ up your hand
Can’t get me a woman, who can just kill a man
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

It have been days, I didn’t know your name
Why should I worry and pray in vain
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

Goin’ to the station, down in the yard
Gone get me a freight train, work done got hard
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

The lonesome days, they have gone by
Why should you beg me and say goodbye
But now she’s gone, I don’t worry
I’m sitting on top of the world

Texas Blues Papa Charlie Jackson

Here’s Charlie Jackson’s version.

Guitar, Ukulele and a unique world-view…