[Guitar plays softly] Man: Roll camera's please.

[Guitar plays softly] [light bulb surges] ♪ (He plays guitar) ♪ ♪ Lakota John (sings- New Orleans Town Rag): ♪ Headed down to New Orleans.

♪ ♪ Where they tell me it's a quaint little town.

♪ ♪ When I got on down to New Orleans, there was pretty ♪ ♪ girls from all around.

♪ ♪ (guitar plays happily) ♪ ♪ They were, downtown dancing on street corners.

♪ ♪ They were uptown swaying with that sound.

♪ ♪ My things sure seems different, Way down here ♪ ♪ in New Orleans Town.

♪ ♪ Yes, sir.

♪ (plays upbeat guitar music) Oh, Yeah.

♪ That's right.

♪ ♪ Hopped in my old car headed down the lonesome road.

♪ ♪ Just to leave these blues behind.

♪ ♪ Lord it's a long cold winter, yeah back home.

♪ ♪ Man it's time I'm riding high.

♪ ♪ ♪ Headed down to New Orleans.

♪ ♪ Where they tell me it's a quaint little town.

♪ ♪ But when I got on down to New Orleans, There was ♪ ♪ pretty girls from all around.

♪ ♪ Yes, sir I'm gone.

Whoo!

♪ ♪ (plays guitar energetically) ♪ ♪ Lakota John: I am Lakota John.

I am a Piedmont and ragtime, finger style blues guitarist from North Carolina.

I am Lakota, Sioux, and Lumbee.

Sweet Papa John: I'm Sweet Papa John.

Blow harmonica, sing, dabble the guitar a little bit.

My roots are Tuscarora and Lumbee Tribe.

We're just picking and grinning, man having a good time.

Lakota John: Yeah the first guy I'm gonna talk about is Charley Patton.

That guy was- they call him the father of the blues.

Sweet Papa John: They put their phrase on him but yeah the guy was steady driving hard.

Lakota John: And I think he was a Choctaw.

S ome people say Choctaw, some people say Cherokee descent.

Sweet Papa John: Listening to all of that and uh- Lakota John: Running across Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd and kind of back tracking.

Where did they learn from?

Well I can go back 20 years and then hear this dude play something similar.

Eventually I found myself at roots music.

Learning about the Native influence in this type of stuff with the chanting and then the drums, and then the banjo coming over from Africa, and then all that being thrown in together.

Then you have people like Charlie Patton that through all of that in and was just jamming.

(He plays guitar) (He plays harmonica) Lakota John (sings- She Caught the Katy (and Left Me a Mule to Ride)): ♪ She caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ And left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ ♪ She caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ And left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ ♪ Now my baby caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ She left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ The train pulled out and I swung on behind.

♪ ♪ Oh I'm crazy about her.

♪ ♪ That hard headed woman of mine.

♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah, my baby she's long.

♪ ♪ Great gosh almighty she's tall.

♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah my baby she's long.

♪ ♪ Great God almighty she's tall.

♪ ♪ ♪ My baby she's long.

♪ ♪ My baby she's tall.

♪ ♪ She sleeps with her head in the kitchen.

♪ ♪ And her feet's out in the hall.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm still crazy 'bout her.

♪ ♪ That hard headed woman of mine.

♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah, I love my baby.

♪ ♪ And she's so fine.

♪ ♪ I wish she'd come and see me some time.

♪ ♪ She don't believe I love her like I love life.

♪ ♪ Look what a hole I'm in.

♪ ♪ She don't believe what I'm sayin' ♪ ♪ Kid look what shape I'm in.

Huh-huh.

♪ ♪ ♪ She caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ And left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ She caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ And left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ ♪ Well my baby caught the Katy.

♪ ♪ She left me a mule to ride.

♪ ♪ The train pulled out and I swung on behind.

♪ ♪ Yeah I'm crazy about that hard headed woman.

♪ ♪ Hard headed woman of mine.

♪ ♪ Lakota John: Piedmont blues guitarists, they were typically by themselves.

They were kind of like a one man band.

Sweet Papa John: When you break out the- I mean it gets equipment intensive.

You know, electric guitar you need an amp.

Now it's loud so you got to put a bass with it and then drum, you know a drummer.

You're incorporating a lot more people and a lot more equipment.

Lakota John: And then in a way I'm getting away from the roots.

Like I would never try to cover 'Sweet Child of Mine' because of the guitar beginning lick.

There may be like keyboard in back or some cymbals and stuff.

I don't have that.

And so when I'm just playing the lick, the part that's memorable of the song, then everyone, "Oh my god that's Sweet Child of Mine."

I don't have that so there's a hole in the song.

I need to scratch that song.

I'm not covering that one.

I want someone to say, 'Well, you know I heard that song but I didn't hear it like that.

Either he brought that to life or he did a different take on that.

♪ I like that version .'

(he plays guitar) ♪ Lakota John (he sings- Pride and Joy): ♪ Yeah you heard about love givin' sight to the blind.

♪ ♪ My baby's lovin' cause the sun to shine.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little thang, she's my pride and joy.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy.

♪ ♪ Yeah I love my baby, my heart and soul.

♪ ♪ Love like ours won't never grow old.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little thang, she's my pride and joy.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy.

♪ ♪ Let's hear it now.

♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah I love my lady, she's long and lean.

♪ ♪ You mess with her, you'll see a man get mean.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little thang, she's my pride and joy.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy.

♪ ♪ Yeah I love my lady, my heart and soul.

♪ ♪ Love like ours won't never grow old.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little thang, she's my pride and joy.

♪ ♪ She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy.

♪ ♪ Yeah she's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy.

♪ ♪ Lakota John: At first I really didn't care for the San Francisco Bay blues.

But my ex, girlfriend at the time, she loved that song.

I was playing it at gigs and the more I was working with it and the more instruments and ideas, and the older I got and the more I learned.

I'm like, "What?

Wow this song is great."

Sweet Papa John: People seem to enjoy it.

Lakota John: People seem to, it's a fun song.

And it's high energy, upbeat, and I really dig it so.

A tune by Jesse Fuller.

♪ (he plays guitar) ♪ Lakota John (sings- San Francisco Bay Blues): ♪ I got the blues from my baby left me by the ♪ ♪ San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ A big ocean liner came and took her away.

♪ ♪ I didn't mean to treat her bad, she was the best gal ♪ ♪ I ever have had.

♪ ♪ She made me cry when she said goodbye.

♪ ♪ She made me want to lay down and die.

♪ ♪ I ain't got a nickel and I ain't got a lousy dime.

♪ ♪ And if she don't come back, I think I'll lose my mind.

♪ ♪ If she ever comes back to stay, it's going to be ♪ ♪ another brand new day.

♪ ♪ I'll be walking with my baby by the San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ (he plays bazooka with guitar) ♪ ♪ (he plays harmonica) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sitting on the back porch wondering which way to go.

♪ ♪ The gal that I'm crazy about, ♪ ♪ she don't love me no more.

♪ ♪ So I guess I'll catch a freight train, ♪ ♪ because I feel so blue.

♪ ♪ I'll ride it until end of the line, ♪ ♪ thinking only of you.

♪ ♪ Lord, I aint got a nickel, I aint got a lousy dime.

♪ ♪ And if she don't come back I think I'll lose my mind.

♪ ♪ If she ever comes back to stay, it's going to be ♪ ♪ another brand new day.

♪ ♪ I'll be walking with my baby down by the ♪ ♪ San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ (he plays harmonica) ♪ ♪ (he plays guitar) ♪ ♪ ♪ Meanwhile in another city, just about to go insane.

♪ ♪ I thought I heard my baby, ♪ ♪ the way she used to call my name.

♪ ♪ If she ever comes back to stay, it's going to be ♪ ♪ another brand new day.

♪ ♪ I'll be walking with my baby down by the ♪ ♪ San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I'll be.

♪ ♪ I'll be strolling with my sweetie by the ♪ ♪ San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ God knows what I'm talking about.

♪ ♪ I'll be strutting my stuff by the San Francisco Bay.

♪ ♪ Lakota John: Kid Man Blues is a tune by Big Maceo Merriweather.

He was an awesome artist from the, from back in the day.

Sweet Papa John: I first heard Kid Man Blues with a collaboration of Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton.

I said, "Hey man, maybe you'll give a listen to this.

I believe that you can tweak it and make it a Piedmont type rhythmic song.

Lakota John: And that's typically what happens with a lot of songs.

I will hear a song that will primarily consist of horns.

And then I'm like, "Well okay I know what key they're in and I've been playing long enough that I can figure out what key works for me and what way I want to make it sound.

♪ (he plays guitar) Lakota John (sings- Kid Man Blues): ♪ I had a woman, I had a woman.

♪ ♪ She had a mouth full of shiny gold.

♪ ♪ I had a woman with a mouth full of shiny gold.

♪ ♪ Oh that woman made trouble everywhere she'd go.

♪ ♪ ♪ She had a man on her man and a kid man on her kid.

♪ ♪ She had a man on her man and a kid man on her kid.

♪ ♪ She had so many men until she couldn't keep it here.

♪ ♪ ♪ I left that woman, one morning, just about ♪ ♪ the break of day.

♪ ♪ I left that woman, one morning, just about ♪ ♪ the break of day.

♪ ♪ Lord knows I packed my suitcase and made my getaway.

♪ ♪ ♪ Oh yeah.

♪ ♪ ♪ Here I am in Chicago and I am doing very well.

♪ ♪ Here I am in Chicago and I am doing very well.

♪ ♪ ♪ If I don't find the woman I love, I'll just live ♪ ♪ alone by myself.

♪ ♪ You gonna weep, weep and moan, fall down on your knees.

♪ ♪ You gonna weep and moan, fall right on your knees.

♪ ♪ You gonna tell the whole world how you mistreated me.

♪ ♪ Lakota John: Georgia Rag is a song by Blind Willie McTell.

But I heard Guy Davis do the song and I kind of fused the two together.

Blind Willie's version and then Guy Davis' version.

I have Lakota John's version.

Very upbeat tune.

Syncopated, rhythmic patterns going on.

A lot of emotion, a lot of feel.

♪ (he plays guitar) ♪ Lakota John (sings- Georgia Rag): ♪ I want to tell you about the Georgia Rag, ♪ ♪ yeah I'm crazy about that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ You know that rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ I been to Alley and Memphis streets, all the ♪ ♪ boys and girls you meet.

♪ ♪ You know that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Yeah sting me like a bumble bee, shake me like ♪ ♪ a leaf on a tree.

♪ ♪ Wild Rag, crazy Rag, doin' the Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ ♪ People come from miles around.

♪ ♪ Yeah they come to Georgia trying to shake it down.

♪ ♪ Doing that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ All the way from Newport News trying to learn those ♪ ♪ ragtime blues, doing that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Yeah sting me like a bumble bee, shake me like ♪ ♪ a ship on the sea.

♪ ♪ It's a wild Rag, it's a crazy Rag, ♪ ♪ doin' the Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Grab me, momma, squeeze me tight.

♪ ♪ Let's mess around for the rest of the night doin' ♪ ♪ that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Come on, momma, let's mess around now.

♪ ♪ Oh that feels too good.

♪ ♪ (he plays guitar) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ They doin' it night and day.

♪ ♪ Tryin' to drive those blues away.

♪ ♪ Doing that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ ♪ Come all the way from Paris France, come to ♪ ♪ Georgia tryin' to learn to dance.

♪ ♪ Doing that Rag, baby that Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Sting me like a bumble bee.

♪ ♪ Shake me like a ship on the sea.

♪ ♪ Wild Rag, crazy Rag, doin' the Georgia Rag.

♪ ♪ Sweet Papa John: Key to the Highway, a guy named Big Bill Broonzy done that song as well as many other folks.

Lakota heard my brother do that.

He used to have that in his repertoire years ago.

It sounded so nice, Lakota borrowed that particular style.

I threw a little harmonica on it.

Lakota John: There's many influences.

So I may listen to a song from the 20's and then hear someone from the 60's do it and I'm like- I have my version.

All these pieces they come together- Sweet Papa John: Borrowing from different sources.

Lakota John: And really if you think about it I think that that's how really everything is formed.

I mean from food to cars to- I mean because everyone has to learn from someone and eventually make it theirs.

♪ (They play harmonica and guitar) ♪ Lakota John (sings- Key to the Highway): ♪ Yeah, I got the key.

♪ ♪ Yeah to the highway.

♪ ♪ I'm billed out and bound to go.

♪ ♪ Yeah, I'm gonna leave here running.

♪ ♪ Cause walking is way too slow.

♪ ♪ Lord I'm going back, yeah to the border.

♪ ♪ Woman, where I'm better known.

♪ ♪ Yeah cause' you haven't done nothing, darling.

♪ ♪ But drove a good man away from home.

♪ ♪ Lord when the moon peeps over the mountains.

♪ ♪ Girl, I'll be on my way.

♪ ♪ Yes sir I'm gonna roam this old highway.

♪ ♪ Until the break of day.

♪ ♪ ♪ (plays harmonica) ♪ ♪ Yeah it's so long, ♪ ♪ so long baby because I got to say goodbye.

♪ ♪ Lord, I'm going to roam this old highway until the day I die.

♪ Lord, I got the key to the highway, I'm billed out ♪ ♪ and bound to go.

♪ ♪ Lord, I'm gonna leave here running; Because walking ♪ ♪ is way too slow.

♪ ♪ Let's hear that slide now.

♪ ♪ ♪ Lord, I got the key to the highway, Yeah I'm billed ♪ ♪ out and bound to go.

♪ ♪ I'm gonna leave here running; Because walking ♪ ♪ is way too slow.

♪ ♪ Alright harmonica, alright.

♪ ♪ ♪ Go on and take it on home now.

♪ ♪ (he plays harmonica) ♪ ♪