This is the fourth in my series of New Orleans-style 12 bar blues piano improvisations: a spontaneous one-take recording built on the same rolling left-hand bass pattern as before, but with a new set of melodic ideas. There’s something about this style that feels grounding, energising and liberating all at once. I love the Carribbean influences in the syncopated second line rhythms of this style, and I incorporated a nod to Chicago blues voicing style with some Mixolydian triads.
In the New Orleans second line tradition, grief walks with rhythm, not erased, but lifted. It’s a celebration of life, and a way of playing the way home. I was feeling my way through these themes.
For this video, I didn’t plan anything in advance. I just sat down and played early this morning and decided to see what comes out.
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