Our pal Sara Murphy told us about this challenge on PRI's Studio 360 to mark the centennial anniversary of the publication of W.C. Handy's "Yellow Dog Blues." 

As Studio 360 puts it: "W.C. Handy was called “the father of the blues” — he gave himself the title and put it on his letterhead.... He was the first to publish a body of songs identified as blues, based on lyrics and melodies he heard in black Southern communities. If he didn't father the blues, he took it under his wing, introduced it to the rest of America, and made it a star."

When we listened to an early Bessie Smith recording of "Yellow Dog Blues," we were inspired by the challenge to both honor the original song and put our own spin on it. Here's what we came up with. That's Sara singing lead. Another pal, Joel Wu (of the band Two Dragons and a Cheetah (www.facebook.com/twodragonsandacheetah), came over to play percussion. On guitars, banjo, bass, harmonies and recording/mixing duties is Addieville's Robert Higgs (www.facebook.com/Addieville). And on cello, violin and harmonies is Addieville's Dayana Yochim.

Yellow Dog Blues (Featuring special guest vocalist Sara Murphy, percussionist Joel Wu)

01 Big Trouble Little Pipes

02 Orange

03 Halley's Comet

04 Drawing Circles

Robert Higgs + Dayana Yochim. Two American kids doing the best they can. 

Addieville

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