She'll Grow Back: Stagger Lee Saturdays - Axe Masterson

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Stagger Lee Saturdays - Axe Masterson

Axe Masterson (MySpace interview) is a Vermont blues/folk musician who's been playing live and in the studio for over 25 years. In 2007, he recorded an album as tribute to the Lomax field recordings, with a version of "Death Letter Blues" (a song best-known recently for the White Stripes' version) and, of course, his version of Stag.

Musically, this is a peppy but stripped-down version, just Axe's vocals, harmonica, and some lovely slide guitar. The lyrics are similarly stripped down -- we don't get to hear about any gambling, or a bulldog, or Stag's adventures in hell, or how all the women weeped and moaned.

The CD is out of print, so the buy link down there goes to MP3 downloads at [redacted], the MP3 downloading service I personally prefer, and one which USED TO send a high percentage of proceeds back to the artists. ([redacted] has given me no money to say this; I just think they're great.)

5 comments:

CD said...

So i'm in Nawlins this past weekend, ambling through the Quarter, and what should my ears hear but the dulcet tones of Stag? Couldn't tell you who was playing, but i smiled nonetheless.

Mark H. Besotted said...

Excellent.

And welcome back -- the comments section hasn't been the same without ya.

CD said...

Getting married really takes a chunk out of one's web surfing time, i'm learning.

axe said...

I personally would like to thank you for the kind words and review on your BLOG of My Version Of "Stagger Lee"...aXe MaSteRsoN

Mark H. Besotted said...

You're ever so welcome, sir. And I would like to personally thank you for being the first musical artist (not counting the guy I knew for years before he recorded anything) to comment here -- now that's a real honor.