We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Standing Between Darkness And Light (EP 2018)

by RAMBLIN MATT

supported by
Alfred Quinn
Alfred Quinn thumbnail
/
1.
John The Revelator 02:54
lyrics
buy track
Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Wrote the book of the seven seals You know God walked down in the cool of the day Called Adam by his name But he refused to answer Because he's naked and ashamed Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Wrote the book of the seven seals You know Christ had twelve apostles And three he led away He said, "Watch with me one hour, 'Till I go yonder and pray." Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator Wrote the book of the seven seals Christ came on Easter morning Mary and Martha came down to see He said, "Go tell my disciples To meet me in Galilee." Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator Who's that writin'? John the Revelator Tell me who's that writin'? John the Revelator Wrote the book of the seven seals
2.
Dark Was The Night (Cold Was The Ground) 03:20
lyrics
buy track
Instrumental, Slide in Open D
3.
Devil Got My Woman 05:45
lyrics
buy track
You know, I'd rather be the ol' devil Well, I'd rather be the devil Then to be that woman' man You know, rather be the devil Than to be that woman' man You know, I'm so sorry You know, so sorry That I ever fell in love wit' you-ooo-hoo-oo Because you know you don't treat me Baby, like you used ta do-hoo You know, I laid down last night You know, I laid down last night And I thought to take me some rest But my mind got to rambling Like a wild geese from the west You know the woman that I love The woman that I love I stol't her from my best friend But you know he done got lucky An he done got her back, again You know, I used to cut your kindleing You know, I used to cut your kindleing Baby, then I made you some fire Then I would tote all your water Way, way, way, from the bogy brier You know, my baby she don't drink whiskey My baby, she don't drink no whiskey An I know she ain't crazy about wine Now, it was nothin' but the ol' devil He done changed my baby's mind

about

It was a very common matter in the Blues, when this genre appeared way back in the late 1800s, that the Blues was disregarded by the Baptist communities as "Satan's music", due to its association to bad and fast women, illegal moonshine liquor and busy Juke Joints oozing devil's rhythms, performed mostly by travelling musicians, being plenty of them in those days, always jumping trains or hitch hiking to find new towns to play.

So, due to their religious upbringing, a good number of future bluesmen and blues women had a deep association to the church and its music, because their parents were Preachers or Choir singers, and because the church was the center of the black community in those years. Some would torture themselves, resourcing to heavy drinking, thinking that their souls were lost and in the hands of the devil, who so recurrently appeared in many songs.

There were three of them, all three cornerstones of the early Blues, who had indeed a very much tortured life due to this facts, and to them I want to remember and honor with these recordings, that are dedicated to Blind Willie Johnson, Son House and Skip James, three artists who spent the most of their lives stumbling between darkness and light, between the church and the devil´s music.

All three were ordained preachers and in a moment or other stray from the church, Son House and Skip James were "re-discovered" after nearly 40 years of obscurity and petty jobs in the 1960s by Dick Waterman, Pete Guaralnick and some more white students and enjoyed a second career up to their deaths, being the headliners of festivals like Newport, playing around the Coffee Houses circuit and having the chance to record a few albums before they passed.

Blind Willie Johnson wasn't born blind, the story is that a step mother burnt his face with lye. With the years he developed a unique style of playing and the most of his songs are of religious nature, since he also was a preacher, but he also had a heavy drinking habit and it caused him more than one big problem with the church. He had the fortune of having his wife with him, you can hear her singing in some of Johnson´s side, but she also took care of bookings, money and was a great support for Willie.

Fortunately for us, Blues lovers, the music won the prize and their music is now timeless. I hope that you will appreciate these songs, that I perform with respect and as a way to give back the thanks to the first authors who brought the Blues to the World...even if the price that they had to pay was their own Souls!

credits

released July 16, 2018

Mateo "Ramblin Matt" Garcia:

Vocals, Acoustic Guitar in Open Dm, or "Bentonia" tuning, Dobro Resonator in Open D (Vestapol) and Open G (Spanish) tunings, ceramic bottleneck and a Jim Dunlop metal thumb pick.

Recorded in Stereo with no overdubs using a ZOOM NH2 Stereo recorder, mastered with Audacity and Wave Labs using a MacBook Air, in Denia July 2018, except "Devil Got My Woman" recorded and edited in London in 2012, using a BOSS BR recorder.

This album is dedicated to my hero, my mentor and my best role model ever, my father.

license

tags

about

Ramblin Matt image

Ramblin Matt Valencia, Spain

Mateo Garcia, aka Ramblin Matt. Valencia in 1966. Delta Blues, Rockabilly and Southern Rock are the genres that he favors, alone or with his different bands since the 80s in Spain, 90s in the US (Chicago) and between 2006 and 2013 in London. His current project along Sara Gee has produced three albums and he has released "Early in the Morning" with friend and superb harmonicist Danny Boy Sánchez. ... more

contact / help

Contact Ramblin Matt

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

Ramblin Matt recommends:

If you like Standing Between Darkness And Light (EP 2018), you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now