A playlist featuring some originals and my versions of artists that have been a great influence for my playing like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Eddie Boyd, Freddy king, Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Boy Williamson or Little Walter to name a few. 

Classic Delta & Chicago Blues

A cover of the superb Fats Domino song "I'm Walking" that I recorded in 2012 in London using a handheld Boss BR Track recorder.

If my memory serves me right I played percussion banging on an empty Cohiba box...

Ramblin' Matt: Vocals, Fender Stratocaster, Electric Bass, Harmonica and Percussion. 

I'm Walkin'

Written and Arranged by Mateo Garcia. Londres, 2012

"Cinco años de amor (Five years of love)"

I´m here wasting time, watchandolo pasar despasito
Thinking of where you are y con quien andarás está noche
I wonder if you still sometimes remember me, same that I can´t forget about you, cause tus recuerdos los llevo tatuados en el corazón

And I don´t wanna think, I just wanna drink otro trago
Son dos tequilas more and a double shot camarero
I´m gonna drink again for the love that´s lost and the things that just couldn´t be,
Son muchas cosas las que un hombre pierde en cinco años de amor

And here we go again, it comes that time again, la despedida
I wish you well my love cause you´ll always be my querida
Red tears in my wine, dripping from my eyes por la rabia de verte partir, because your memories are like puñales in my corason.

(Bridge)

And all the love and the things that we´ve done se las lleva el recuerdo, and all the promises that we made are gone with the wind. So I bid you farewell my love, que te vaya bonito.
Son muchas cosas las que un hombre pierde en cinco años de amor

(Solo)

I´m here wasting time, watchandolo pasar despasito
Thinking of where you are y con quien andarás está noche
I wonder if you still sometimes remember me, same that I can´t forget about you, because your memories are like puñales in my corason.

(Bridge, to end)

Cinco Años de Amor

Recorded in our home studio in Valencia, Matt wrote this song based on some personal experiences of his wild years, musically pays tribute to one the bands that he admires most, The Flamin Groovies of the Shake Some Action days.

HOUSE OF THE BLUES 

Mmm....Sometimes, brother 
When you feel like a motherless child 
Your piston seems to burn no steam 
And you're running out of gas 

There's a hole in your boot, cause you've been ramblin 
Ever since you pawned your car 
And it feels like years since the last time 
You held a dollar in your hand 

(Chorus) 

And it feels like the heavens are falling over you 
And there ain't a joint in town where your credit stills good 
But if you have a heart that keeps on beating 
We have a place for you 
Come and join us in the house of the blues 

(Guitar Lead) 

And it's been three nights that you've been seen 
Begging for a friend to pay you company 
But the only one who hears you 
Is that bottle of JD 

There's a light that shines down the avenue 
And the door is never closed for a guy like you 
You can buy a dream for a buck or two 
And you'll be the hero no matter what you do 

(Chorus) 

So if it feels like the heavens are falling over you 
And there ain't a joint in town where your credit stills good 
But if you have a heart that keeps on beating 
We have a place for you 
Come and join us in the house of the blues 

But if you have a heart that keeps on beating 
We have a place for you 
Come and join us in the house of the blues 
Come and join us in the house of the blues 
Come and join us in the house of the blues
credits
from Rambler´s Romance (LP 2014), released June 17, 2014 
Music & Lyrics by Sara Gee / Ramblin Matt 

RAMBLIN MATT - Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitar, Bass, Drums, Backing Vocals 



House of the Blues (Sara Gee & The Ramblers)

This song came to me like a revelation I a whole, arrangements included meanwhile I was enjoying a Big Lebowski type of bath listening to an album that keeps on bringing light to me evrey time that I listen to it, The Southern Harmony and the Musical Companion, of the Black Crowes. Based on first hand life experiences like most of my material.
lyrics
RAMBLERS ROMANCE 

I've been up and I've been down 
Done my share of being round 
From the green of Tennessee to the African blue sea 
I've been busy with the business of being me 

Been a broken man all my days 
But what I own it's yours to take 
Never knew very well what's the use of being a rich man 
If your soul is full of greed and outta rest 

This is a ramblers' romance, just a ramblers' romance 
Alright, mmmmm 

I've been high and also stoned 
And I've drank whiskey til I drowned 
I spent ten long years shooting brown shit down my gullet 
And I made it half alive and mostly sound 

Found redemption on the road 
Playing my guitar everywhere I go 
If you drop me a dollar I'll sing you a song, loose a hundred and you'll get me singing all night long 

Up on a plane, down in a boat 
On a train or walkin', limpin' or dragging myself out 
Jumping oceans, flying mountains, crossing rivers, driving roads I learned myself how to be a rollin stone 

This is a ramblers' romance, just a ramblers' romance

from Rambler´s Romance (LP 2014), released June 17, 2014 
Music & Lyrics by Sara Gee / Ramblin Matt 

RAMBLIN MATT - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Dobro, Electric Bass, Cowbell, Shakers, Percussion, Backing Vocals 




Rambler´s Romance (Sara Gee & The Ramblers)

Just a little song written by Matt as a tribute to one of our main men, Mr. Johnny Cash & his Tennessee Two, Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant. In this case Matt plays the part of them three and lovely Sara adds beautiful backing vocals. A bar song, a drunken song, a tender song. 

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Vocals, Rhythm, Chikka-Boom and Acoustic Guitars, Double Bass, Scratch and backing vocals. 

Sara Gee: Backing Vocals

There are times in the life of a man 
When things get very hard to understand 
When love turns into sorrow and joy turns to pain 
And all you got is the sweet morning rain 

Morning rain come and take away my pain 
Morning rain dripping down my window frame 
Like my teardrops keep-a-fallin, like the kisses that I´m blowing 
To your health, your happiness and grace 

Like th eknife cuts the butter on a tray 
Like a lion drives its claws into a prey 
Like a hammer on red iron, like a child´s hand on wet clay 
Please rain on me and wash my blues away 

Waitress come and sit with me tonight 
Come and pour me some brown liquor into a dirty glass 
Come and sing with me way downlow 
Any old blues or a sad Hank Williams song 

Morning comes and the wind makes me sway 
As I´m walking and stumbling on the way 
Ain´t no use in being mad, ain´t no gain on feeling low 
So bring it on and let the good times roll 

Waitress come and sit with me tonight 
Come and pour me some brown liquor into a dirty glass 
Come and sing with me way downlow 
Any old blues or a sad Hank Williams song

from The Heroin Dress (LP 2013), track released October 4, 2013 
Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Music and Lyrics



Morning Rain (Ballad of a Lonesome Drunk) (Sara Gee & Ramblin Matt)

Written by Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia 

From the live sessions at "House Rent Boogie" excellent show dedicated to the Blues of Radio Resonance FM in London, hosted by Nikki Brooks. 

I wrote this song as a tribute to Big Bill Broonzy, and I play it alternating bass lines and melody picks with reminiscences of Hey, Hey and Key to the highway, using a borrowed old Martin D-100 

Recorded Resonance Radio Studios, London. May 2012

from Bad Reputation (Valencia​/​London 2013), released December 24, 2013 

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (Martin D100) and Footstomping

Hey, Momma

The first track that Matt wrote for Sara and it narrates step by step what happened when these music lovin´ souls met for the very first time. 

Music and Lyrics by Mateo Garcia

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Vocals, Guitars, Harmonica, Backing Vocals. 

Recorded in Studio One, London. June 2013
lyrics
I got up one morning here in London town, got my suitcase ready, got my old guitar 
And a plane to catch to sunny Spain, to the Mediterranean and to my friends 
A couple of gigs to play and nothing to care 

There was a jam session down in Peter Rock and my good mate Danny told me, come along! and I said to myself why not? I´ll see you later on 
I was feeling good but a bit insecure so I got ob my pink tie and my rock and roll clothes, and I said to myself, here we go to conquer the world! 

But what I didn´t know, cause it wasn´t in the script it was the girl with the sunshine in her eyes, wearing a red dress and she could sing the Blues like Bessie Smith, and she got something in her eyes that made her free. 

Over went the gig, we sat down and talked, we had a few hard drinks and we went home...each on our own. But then at home no fucking way to sleep with her sweet face popping in and out of my dreams, so I decided to ask her out, and come to my gig 

It was Sunday evening, ten minutes to start and here she comes walking, shining like a star and she sang a song with me and she stole my heart. And then some of our best friends took us in their car and they took us a picture dropped us at the bar and we drank nothing but water and talk until dawn. 

And then she took me home and it wasn´t in the script, she was the girl with the sunshine in her eyes, and she spread her wings all around my arms and she slept with me with her head in my heart, and all her sunshine came shining down on me. 

And the morning came and we had a fling, and I had a plane to catch and the time on a string so it was a goodbye kiss and a taxi for me. Heading for the airport with pain in my pants and the taste of her lips I was surely missing her smell and the sun in her eyes 

But what I didn´t know, cause it wasn´t in the script it was the girl with the sunshine in her eyes, wearing a red dress and she could sing the Blues like Bessie Smith, and she gave me love and she set me free. And she shared with me the sunshine in her eyes

from The Heroin Dress (Valencia / London 2013), released October 1, 2013 





The Girl with the Sunshine in her Eyes (Sara Gee & Ramblin Matt)

Written by Mateo "Ramblin´Matt" García 

Written about a real life experience that I had when I was flying back to Spain through Amsterdam, coming from Miami via Detroit in a KLM flight. "She was a dolphin trainer, I am a rolling stone but when we got together...the plane began to roll 

Recorded at El Saler Recording Hut. December 1988

from Jumping Blues (Valencia / Chicago 1998), released December 20, 1998 

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Vocals, Fender Precission Bass 
Silver Borrás: Guitar, Slide 
Joloc: Guitar 
Jon "Psycho" Luna: Drums



KLM Flight Blues (Blackmailers)

I wrote this track about the day that Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas on November 1963. 

Aparently, and the Warren Comission agreed he shot JFK, tearing the American Dream in pieces. 

But...did he? I wrote him a song, I really think he deserves it. 
Do you?

THE BALLAD OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD 
(Music & Lyrics by Mateo Garcia) 

Here's the Ballad of a man that could had been king 
But he lived like a pawn and died like a wimp 
Was the bullet of a mobster with the name of a jewel 
Whit his hands tied in cuffs that the police had give him 

He's a bad, bad man tell the parents to their children 
He's a lonesome nut thinks LBJ and his men 
That the man was a Communist, spy for the Russians 
That he supported Castro, down in New Orleans 

(chorus) 

Lee Harvey Oswald was his name 
And he was just a patsy (a pawn in the game) 
But everybody says that he shot JFK 
Three shots in six seconds and a life to waste 

He killed freedom with a shotgun 
And raped the American Dream 
He scattered his brains in Texas 
A magic bullet did the trick 

He could have lived in glory, with interviews in jails 
And all the papers guessing if he really was the man 
Write a book, shot a movie and get all the rights 
But the only right he got was a bullet in his gut 

It was November down in Dallas, when Lee was on the run 
Til they got him in the movies, and cuffed him on the ground 
Police Brutality! He screamed but no one heard 
Cause he was the bad man, that shot JFK 

Lee Harvey Oswald was his name 
He said he was Qjust a patsy (a pawn in the game) 
But everybody says that he shot JFK 
Three shots in six seconds and a dream that ends 

He killed freedom with a shotgun 
And raped the American Dream 
He scattered his brains in Texas 

(Spoken; ...and JFK was dead, dead...)

from The Ballad of Lee Harvey Oswald (Single, Valencia 2015), released January 13, 2015 
Music and Lyrics by Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia 

RAMBLIN MATT - Vocals, Melodija Menges 1948 Acoustic Guitar, Harmonca

The Ballad of Lee Harvey Oswald

Inspired by Lonnie Johnson´s style. From the Dallas (TX) sessions, June 20th 1937

I'm a drunken hearted man 
my life seem so misery 
I'm the drunken hearted man 
my life seem so misery 
And if I could change my way of livin' 
it t'would mean so much to me 


I been dogged and I been driven 
eve' since I left my mother's home 
I been dogged and I been driven 
eve' since I left my mother's home 
And I can't see no reason why 
that I can't leave these no-goods womens alone 


My father died and left me 
my poor mother done the best that she could 
My father died and left me 
my poor mother done the best she could 
Every man likes that game you call love 
but it don't mean no man no good 
Now, I'm the drunken hearted man 
and sin was the cause of it all 
spoken: Oh, play 'em now 
I'm a drunken hearted man 
and sin was the cause of it all 
And the day that you get weak for no-good women 
that's the day that you bound to fall

from Songs From The Delta (London 2011), released May 1, 2011 

Music & Lyrics by Robert Johnson 
Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Vocals and Acoustic Guitar (Drop D tuning)


Drunken Hearted Man

Written by Mississippi John Hurt 

For this song I tuned a Martin D100 to Open E and fingerpicked around the melody playing the bass with the thumb in the6th and 4th string. It was recorded for the "Hour of the Blues" in BBC Radio of London I will always remember the City of London covered in snow that morning when I took the 38 Bus to the West End. Memories lie in songs, songs are made of memories. 

Recorded Live at BBC Radio Studios, London. December 2011

Yeah, I did all I can do and I can't get along with you 
I'm gonna take you to your mama 
Pay day, pay day, pay day 

Well, the rabbit in a log, I ain't got no rabbit dog 
And I hate to see that rabbit get away 
Get away 

Baby, did all I can do and I can't get along with you 
I'm gonna take you to your mama 
Pay day 

Just about a week ago 
I'm gonna keep my skillet1 greasy if I can 
If I can, if I can 
(You know what happened to me) 

Well, the hounds is on my track and the knapsack on my back 
I'm gonna make it to my shanty 
'Fore day, 'fore day, 'fore day 

Baby, I did all I could do, an' I 
I'm gonna take you to your mama 
Pay day 

Well, and I ain't got no rabbit dog 
Lord, I hate to see that rabbit get away 
Get away 

Baby, did all I can do and I can't get along with you 
I'm gon'

from Bad Reputation (Valencia​/​London 2013), released December 24, 2013 
Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (Open E)

Payday

"Hideaway" Written by Freddy King 

I met Jonas Polidoro in London, he was from Naples, Italy. We used to get together in my house in Dalston and spend a few hours every week playing old classics using my Melodija Archtop guitar from the 1950s and my Dobro Hound Dog resonator. In those days I was attending Music College in Covent Garden and I had put behind electric guitars for a while to focus on fingerpicking Delta and Chicago Blues in acoustic instruments. 

We used to get out busking with nasty weather and good spirits around Carnaby Street, Soho and Oxford Circus in London and you could hear us any given evening playing our Blues and collecting coins and wrinkled notes. 

We made these recordings that I am now sharing in one of those cold and grey evenings of London at my home, using a small BOSS BR recording unit and they are presented as they were captured. We did the recording just for the sake of it and I am not partial for music to stay stored in a cold hard disk, I rather share it since the quality is not bad, even though very far from a real studio recording. 

Then one day we took separate ways due to life and I haven't heard of him again. Hopefully I will through these four songs that you can hear and download for free. 

Recorded in Dalston, London. Autumn 2011

released November 11, 2015 

Ramblin Matt: Melodija Menges Archtop Guitar 
Jonas Polidoro: Dobro Resonator 

Hideaway

The iconic tune that gave start to the "deal with the devil" myth. From the Gunter Hotel sessions, San Antonio (TX) November 27th 1936

from Songs From The Delta (London 2011), released May 1, 2011 
Music & Lyrics by Robert Johnson 
Mateo "Ramblin Matt" García: Vocals & Slide Dobro Resonator (Open A)

Crossroads Blues

Sara and Matt playing an all stripped, acoustic cover of the Delbert McClinton old tune. 

Sar Gee: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar 
Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Dobro Resonator

Since you been gone I've had time to myself 
Haven't even tried to find somebody else 
When you told me you were leavin' it almost came as good news 
It may sound funny but it's true 
I think I'm better off with the blues 

Now I must admit that I miss you sometimes 
Not a day goes by that you don't cross my mind 
But at the same time I think of all the hell you put me through 
Yeah, it's the lesser of two evils 
I think I'm better off with the blues 

I know some day I'll wake up and this blues will be gone 
I'll forget about you and how everything went wrong 
But if you hadda stayed I'd be dead in my tracks 
Now, I still love you, baby, but I don't want you back 

Tonight I'm gonna go down to the sad side of town 
Listen to 'em play the blues when the sun goes down 
And I know just what to say when someone asks about you 

I'll say, yeah, we had our good times 
But I think I'm better off with the blues 
Yeah, if I had to say, 
I say I'm better off with the blues

from The Heroin Dress (Valencia / London 2013), released October 1, 2013 
Music and Lyrics by Delbert McClinton

Better Off With The Blues (Sara Gee & Ramblin Matt)

Sara and Matt cooking the Bonnie Raitt´s signature song from the 70s

Sar Gee: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar 

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia: Fender Stratocaster, Electric Bass, Drums

These men that I've been seeing, baby 
Got their soul up on the shelf 
You know they could never love me 
When they can't even love themselves 
But I need someone to love me 
Someone to really understand 
Who won't put himself above 
Who just loves me like a man 

I've never seen such losers, Darlin' 
Even though I tried 
To find a man who could take me home 
Stead of takin' me for a ride 
And I need someone to love me 
I know you can 
Believe me when I tell you 
You can love me like a man 

They all want me to rock them 
Like my back ain't got no bone 
I want a man to rock me 
Like my back bone was his own 
Darlin', I know you can 
Believe me when I tell you 
You can love me like a man 

I come home sad and lonely 
Feel like I wanna cry 
I want a man to hold me 
Not some fool to ask me why 
I know you can 
Don't you put yourself above me 
You just love me like a man

from The Heroin Dress (Valencia / London 2013), released October 1, 2013 
Music and Lyrics by Bonnie Raitt

Love Me Like A Man (Sara Gee & Ramblin Matt)

Ramblin' Matt: "Chitlins con Carne"(Kenny Burrell)

Here is a demo that I just found of my old London recordings, overdubbing me in a version of the Kenny Burrell classic "Chitlins con Carne" adapted to my stile, being jazz guitar very far away from my guitar skills, just trying and getting better little by little is the name of the game...

I hope you'll like it!

Ramblin' Matt: "Chitlins con Carne" (Kenny Burrell)

RAMBLIN' MATT was born in 1966 in Valencia, Spain and he has been involved in bands and performing since the early eighties. Right now is one half of the upcoming band based in Dénia (Alicante) Sara Gee & Ramblin Matt, with three albums since 2013 along her partner in life Sara Gee. Matt is a composer, arranger, guitar and slide player and singer and his first bands were rockabilly outfits in a time when only few dared to play these type of music in Spain, with bands like The Dalton Brothers and Ruzafa's Incorregibles. He formed Blackmailers with soul brother and gifted guitar player Silver Borras in 1998 after returning of living in the US for five years (Chicago, LA, Austin). Between 2006 and 2013 he has been a performing musician in London with his Vintage Rockabilly trio Los Jailbreakers, as a solitary act or with The Ramblin Matt Trio. He returned to Spain in mid 2013 when he meet Sara in a gig in Valencia and decided to stay for good after a tenure of over nearly 20 years away from his land of origin.

Matt writes his own material and also plays bold and faithful to the original arrangements of country & delta blues classics from the likes of Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Rev. Gary Davis, and Mississippi Fred McDowell among others featuring most of the times only lead vocals and guitar, played with or without slide.

Payday

Ramblin Matt

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