Every Day I Have the Blues

I woke at 6 this morning, which yes, now that you mention it, is officially "the crack of dawn" in Spain. It's pre-dawn, in fact. I've crashed late and risen early all week, leaving til morning the finishing of the day's document for my residency. But this morning I woke to find an e-mail from John, and a fabulous musical breakfast:

Six versions and a great post on a classic, Going to Kansas City,at Tuwa's Shanty and the Roots Canal. A six version multigenerational jam, from Little Willie Littlefield to Little Richard to the Beatles, where everybody takes a chorus.

He's posted his favorite version, also mine, at the end of the post:
Joe Williams with Count Basie.

I saw Joe Williams perform a couple of times at the Regatta Bar in Boston years ago. If you don't know him and you're a fan of the blues or big band jazz or just enjoy rich, heaven sent voices ("dulcet tones", mother would say), go discover Joe Williams. The man lets out his first note and I melt; every ounce of tension just gets up and walks. And yes, he's won this morning's Kansas City contest here in Salamanca, too.

Here you can sample Williams and Basie: Scroll down to Smack Dab in the Middle, then, although the sample cuts out before the vocal, check out Every Day I Have the Blues which will be my form-filling soundtrack this morning. Last, have a quick listen to Jimmy's Blues.

Enjoy! I hope to be back here later today.
Meanwhile, thanks to John's inspiration, I am going to plug in a Joe Williams and Count Basie CD and go back to deciphering the Declaración Censal.