Wednesday Is Blues Day?

Lonesome Sundown - I'm a Samplin' Man

Wednesday is blues day here at "Get on Down ...," as your ever-lovin' Stepfather of Soul has a touch of the blues today. Fortunately, there are always "happy blues" out there to enjoy when one is having that "sad feeling," and a trip down to swamp blues country is just what the doctor ordered!

Lonesome Sundown (real name Cornelius Green) recorded for Excello at the famed Crowley studios of J.D. Miller, although his overall sound wasn't as swampy as labelmates Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim and Lazy Lester (jeez, the names that came out of Crowley in those days). His best known record was "My Home Is a Prison" (available on quite a few comps of Excello material), but "I'm a Samplin' Man" is a personal fave of mine. This loosey-goosey piece of good-timing finds Sundown crowing about his prowess with the ladies while the band lays down a rambling, rhumba-tinged groove. His brayed "I'm a samplin' man" from the choruses actually was the first portion of the tune I ever heard, as, if I recall correctly, the line was sampled for use in the follow-up to Brainfreeze, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's Product Placement.