já aqui falei de henry saint clair fredericks, que adoptou o nome de taj mahal e que é para mim um dos maiores cultores de azuis de todos os tempos. porque quando ouço este longo e pausado azul, assim que se começa a notar aquele bandolim penso sempre: devia haver alguém que inventasse uma coisa assim, só que cantada em português - e com a nossa guitarra. mas depois há uma voz que me diz: olha que já se inventou, chama-se fado.

I woke up this morning I looked around for my shoes

You know I had those mean old walkin' blues


Yeah, I woke up this morning I looked around for my shoes

Girl, I had those mean old walkin' blues

Some people tell me that worried blues ain't bad


It's the worst old feeling I ever had


People tell me that worried blues ain't bad


It's the worst old feeling, uh child, I ever had

Looks you ran to the ocean and the ocean runs to the sea


If I don't find my baby, don't bury me


Went to the ocean and the ocean went to the sea


Yeah, if I don't find my baby, oh yeah, don't bury me

Minutes seem like hours and hours seem like days


Since my baby started her low down ways


Minutes seem like hours and hours seem like days


Since my baby, uh, started her low down ways

I woke up this morning, people, I looked around for my shoes


You know I had those mean old walkin' blues


Yeah, I woke up this morning I looked around for my shoes


Yeah, you know I had those, uh, mean old walkin' blues

já aqui falei nos azuis especiais de taj mahal. este é uma cover de uma velha canção de fats domino 
e não foi só a letra que ficou diferente e maior que a do original: henry fredericks toca-a num tempo 
mais lento e consegue trazer até nós a atmosfera bluesy de um lamento à beira-nós à beira-delta.

I'm goin' to the river,

Gonna jump overboard and drown

Because the girl I love

She just done let me down

Now when she left me,

I bowed my head and cried

I never thought I would be,

I would be the one to cry

If you see my mama,

Tell her good-bye for me

I'm tired of livin'

Livin' in misery

este azul foi escrito pelo lendário blind willie mctell e gravado inicialmente em 1928. 
existem inúmeras covers - a dos allman brothers é famosa - mas nenhuma é tão intensa quanto a de henry saint clair fredericks, que a gravou para o seu disco de estreia quarenta anos mais tarde. sou capaz de ouvir isto dez vezes seguidas.

"Yes now, wake up mama, turn your lamp down low.
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low.
Have you got the nerve to drive poor papa Taj from your door?

Woke up this mornin' baby, I had them statesboro blues.
Statesboro Georgia, that is.
Woke up this mornin, had them statesboro blues.
Looked over in the corner, well my baby had 'em too.

Mama died and left me reckless, Papa died and left me wild,
I ain't good lookin baby, but I'm someone's sweet angel child.
Going to the country, baby do you want to go?
I know if you can't make it, your sister Lucille say she wanta go.

You know I loved that woman better than any woman I'd ever seen.
Yes I loved that woman better than any woman I'd ever seen.
She treat me like a king, I treat her like she was a doggone Queen.

Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low.
Wake up mama, turn your lamp down low.
Have you got the nerve to drive papa Taj from your door?"

já aqui falei de henry fredericks e da sua abordagem pessoalíssima a este género que povoa as minhas segundas feiras...
uma grande ideia, esta de pintar a caixa de correio de azul.



Gonna move up to the country
Paint my mailbox blue
Gonna Move up to the country
Paint my mailbox blue
Put some flowers on it baby
Paint some trailin' vines and dew

You know I'm leavin' LA baby
Don't you know this smog's got me down
I'm leavin' LA baby
Don't you know this smog has got me down
I'm goin' up to the country
Where there ain't no doggone smog around

Well, come here baby
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
Well, come here baby
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
Well, you be my woman
And I'll be your city-boy, country man.

I'm gonna move up to the country
Gonna paint, gonna paint, gonna paint, my mailbox blue
Move up to the country
Gonna paint my mailbox blue
Put some flowers on it honey
Paint some trailin' vines and dew

não há nada a fazer, adoro os azuis de taj mahal.

filho de mãe cantora de gospel e pai pianista de jazz, nascido no harlem em nova-iorque, o menino henry saint clair fredericks podia ter sido qualquer outra coisa no mundo da música, mas preferiu desde cedo cantar azuis e ouvir world music.

diz-se que adoptou o nome por sonhar muito com gandhi e com a índia, mas isso não sei...
apenas sei que os seus azuis são únicos e diferentes de todos os outros e que os ouço desde sempre.



I went upstairs to pack my leavin' trunk
I ain't see no blues whiskey made me sloppy drunk
I ain't never seen no whiskey the blues made me sloppy drunk
I'm going back to Memphis babe where I'll have much better luck

Look out mama you know you asked me to be your king
She said "You kiddin' man if you want it keep it hid
But please don't let my husband my main man catch you here
Please don't let my main man my husband catch you here"

The blues are mushed up into three different ways
One said "Go" the other two said "Stay"
I woke up this mornin' with the blues three different ways
You know one say "Go baby I want to hang up"
The other two said "Stay"

Wake up mama I got something to tell you
You know I'm a man who loves to sing the blues
Now you got to wake up baby mama now
I got something I got something to tell you
Well you know I'm the man I'm the man
Oh yes and I love to sing the blues