This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 The Flood’s eclectic repertoire can routinely pivot from an R-rated blues or hokum tune to a some sweet family-friendly ballad. Even a lullaby might pop up from time to time, like this lovely Irish melody. And we toss in the banshee for free!

 

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 One of the song we’ll be bringing to Sal’s Speakeasy for this weekend’s gig was a monster hit on the radio in the early 1960s. 

 
But actually it was written almost a hundred years ago, an iconic jug band tune of the era. Here’s our take on “Walk Right In.”

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 We first started doing this song more than 40 years ago, and since then, every configuration of The Flood has made its own version of “The Dutchman.” 

 
Lately we’ve tried something news, adding a bit of banjo to the accompaniment. Tell us what you think about that. And don’t hold back, now. One thing we’ve learned about banjos — they’re used to some fairly brutal criticism!

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Our approach to this old prison work song is different from most. 

We take our inspiration from a creative version that singer Eric von Schmidt recorded back in 1961. For us, Ric’s melody not only gives Danny, Sam and Randy a lot of room for imaginative soloing, but also an opportunity for vocal harmonies at the end of each verse. 

This, then, is The Flood’s version of “Lazarus.”

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Randy Hamilton brought us this song. 

Not long ago, he and his buddy, Flood guitarist Dan Cox, came in the room on a rainy night like last night, sat down, tuned up, and almost immediately the song fell into a groove. 

 

Along with Danny, Sam St. Clair found a special voice for soloing, and “Good Time Charlie,” with Randy’s lead vocals, landed solidly in our repertoire.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 We always try to come up with a couple of new tunes for our monthly gig at Sal’s Speakeasy in Ashland. Here’s the latest, with Randy rock solid on that harmony and he, Sam and Danny just cooking on the solos. It’s our take on “Deep Ellum Blues.”

Remember, we’re at Sal’s Speakeasy this weekend, 1624 Carter Avenue in downtown Ashland, Ky. We play from 6 to 9 this Saturday night. And best of all, the beautiful Michelle Hoge is driving in from Cincinnati just to sit in with her old band mates. It’s going to be an epic evening. Come out and party with us!

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Danny Cox learned his version of this song from a recording by his hero Chet Atkins on his 1965 "More of That Guitar Country" album. 

This is a Flood track recorded at a recent gig at Sal’s Speakeasy in Ashland, Ky. Here you’ll hear Dan and harmonicat Sam St. Clair trading choruses on the tune as we call folks back to the bandstand to begin our second set. 

By the way, The Flood will be back at Sal’s next week. We’re playing Saturday, April 22, from 6 to 9 and, as a special treat, our dear friend, Floodster Emerita Michelle Hoge will the joining us as the evening’s guest artist.