This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 It all began when Charlie took his first stumbling steps — slipping and a-sliding, as it were — in learning some bottleneck technique on his new resonator guitar. Right away, it reminded him of a gospel tune from his youth, but he just couldn’t seem to get it down. 

Then Danny came along, took one listen and started just naturally channeling an old Doc Watson cum Chet Atkins vibe, laying down an absolutely rock solid foundation. 

Sam grabbed his “E” harp and found his groove, Randy jumped in with some beautiful harmony for the choruses, and suddenly “I Am a Pilgrim” landed righteously in the repertoire.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

The Flood’s take on this century-old happy, naughty good-time tune of the Roarin’ Twenties owes much to the song’s re-arousal by the string bands of the 1960s. 

Our version borrows the great Jim Kweskin jug band’s idea of blending the tunes with the Louis Armstrong standard of the same era, “Heebie Jeebies.” 

And in this track, while everybody brings great solos, we all agree that it’s Danny — our newest Floodster — who, as Sam says, “becomes one with Sister Kate.”

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 In music, newness is often a magical ingredient, and everything about this song is new. 

It all started when Charlie brought home yet another new guitar, this time a sweet little Gretsch resonator that he’ll brought always keep in one open tuning or another Playing around with it in Open D, he landed on this old Jackson Browne tune he remember from the early 1970s that just seemed to lay so easily on the strings. 

 
Well, the song was new to Danny and Randy, but true to their Flood nature, they took to it right away, immediately finding ways to enrich it. Listen to Dan’s brilliant solos and Randy’s gorgeous harmonies on the choruses.The arrangement is still evolving, but we wanted to share it here while it still had that new song smell.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

This song pretty much languished in a desk drawer for the past 40 years, ever since Charlie wrote it back in the 1970s. Only recently, as the latest configuration of The Flood started exploring original compositions, did he even think of seeing if it might want a new life. 

 
But wow! He was really moved by how this sensitive re-imagining of the tune by these good people has made the song feel right at home in the 21st century.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 "Misty" has worn many hats in the Floodisphere. 

Back in the 1970s, it was a Ray Stevens-style campy instrumental for Joe and Rog. Then a few decades later, it became a sultry vocal standard for Michelle. 

 
Nowadays the song has returned to its original instrumental roots as a showcase for Vanessa and Danny. This take, from a rehearsal last month, is a classic jazz vehicle, starting with Veezy’s elegant statement of the melody, followed by her and then Dan exploring remarkable nuance among all those lovely Erroll Garner chords.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

Now, the older we get, the more we bristle at that thing we used to say each new year. You know, that “out with the old, in with the new” business? Well, we’re sure glad no one ever applied that silly rule to this great old song. 

The tune might be 150 years old, but it still righteously rocks, as we testify here with swinging solos from everybody in the band!

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Last week was our first outing on this great old jazz standard. 

When we started it, Veezy said she wasn’t sure she was familiar with it. By the time we finished it, it sounded like she wrote it herself!