Police Dog Blues (Blind Blake)
Many musicians name Arthur "Blind" Blake as the greatest of all the ragtime guitar players. According to Woody Mann, even the Reverend Gary Davis exclaimed "He had a sporting right hand". Here is one of Blind Blake's more popular tunes and it is a story song and one can't help believe it is most likely true. The song was recorded by Blake in 1929 in Chicago where Blind Blake sang on the streets. I use the same tuning as Blake, an open E tuning. Tune your guitar down to open D and capo at the second fret to avoid too much tension on the guitar neck. My cover is not an exact transcription of Blake's recording but I did try to cop the intro and many of his licks into my versions. "Police Dog Blues" has been covered by a multitude of blues guitar players but I recommend you go right to Blake's original recording. I also recommend Roy Book Binder's cover as well. Blind Blake died in 1934 at the young age of 38 after contracting pneumonia.
About Roy Book Binder
Roy Alan Bookbinder, known professionally as Roy Book Binder, was an American blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller. A student and friend of the Reverend Gary Davis, he was equally at home with blues and ragtime. He was known to shift from open tunings to slide arrangements to original compositions, with both traditional and self-styled licks. His storytelling was another characteristic that made his style unique.
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