This is one of my all-time favorite songs by Kenny Burrell, a gittarist who I can’t say enough good things about. Although my tastes have changed, I still revere him, he has a way of playing that can get deep inside of me. Although the song started as zzaj, made its way to blues and hasn’t yet produced a rock version that I know of (or is the Frantics’ version rock?), I hope you’ll accept it or, even better, like it.

I’m welcoming requests, if you have a rock favorite that got its start as a blues, I’ll be happy to dig around to find its roots, please let me know. This one kind of reminds me of a really sophisticated take on an antiphonal work song—call and response, so although there’s no direct precedent (that I know of), it goes back.

In Kenny Burrell’s version, the first notes are CC Eb F G C Eb C7#9 (chord), CC Eb F C, C7#9 (chord). He starts on the 8th fret of the low E, goes to the 11th fret then to the 5th string. There are lots of tutorials online of both his and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s version, who plays the same positions but ends up playing in B. It’s one I play all the time; one cool thing you can do is start on a different note in the sequence but keep the rhythm going.

Just about every version below has been my favorite at one time or another.

From the great Midnight Blue, 1963 on Blue Note, with Stanley Turrentine (tenor), Major Holley (bass), Billy Gene English (drums), Ray Barretto (congas).

Junior Wells (harmonica aka Mississippi saxophone), from the immortal Hoodoo Man Blues, 1965 on Delmark, with Buddy Guy (gittar), Jack Myers (bass), Bill Warren (drums).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFt1_bcWdrE

Junior Wells, as above, alternate

The Frantics, Seattle, 1965

Willie Kent (bass) Willie James Lyons (gittar), from Ghetto Live at Ma Bea’s, recorded at Ma Bea’s, 3001 W. Madison (between California and Kedzie), October 17, 1975, released 2011 on Storyville Records, with Big Guitar Red (guess what he plays), Tyrone Centuray (drums).

Here’s a great version by Otis Rush from So Many Roads (live in Japan, 1975), with
Sylvester Boines (bass), Tyrone Centuray (drums). It’s the second song, after “Crosscut Saw.”

Here’s Otis Rush, Live In Europe, not sure if this was recorded or released in France in 1977, can’t find personnel.

Stevie Ray Vaughan from his last studio album, The Sky Is Crying, 1991, with Reese Wynans (keyboards), Tommy Shannon (bass), Chris Layton (drums).