Smoke 'Em All

Colin Linden is a Canadian treasure -- a singer / songwriter / guitar-meister with deep roots in traditional blues and ragtime. He was the first person I ever heard who could play ragtime on a guitar and I thought it was astonishing. Since then I've found a few other ragtime guitar players and guess what? They're all astonishing.

He plays some rockin' slide guitar but (of course, with his ragtime background) he's spectacular without the slide. Here's a sample:



We also have a live version. The mix is not great and the camera angle isn't great either, but we're here for the performance.

Barrelhouse at midnight the piano moans
Like a runaway freight train so far from home
Hammer down that turnaround and ball the wall
That mighty boy
That mighty boy
He’d smoke 'em all

Left hand like thunder right hand of gold
Tough like Chuvalo with Ray Charles soul
Line up all the rounders and watch them fall
That mighty boy
That mighty boy
He’d smoke 'em all
He’d smoke 'em all

I’m laughing on the inside cause I know the drill
Just let him up and set 'em up for the kill
Never heard nothing heard nothin' like him north of the 48th
Never seen nothin' like him in the 50 states

This ain’t no cautionary tale
Nobody got mad or went to jail
But you only live one time so have a ball
That mighty boy
That mighty boy
He’d smoke 'em all
He’d smoke 'em all
He’d smoke 'em all

Speaking of performance, here's a longer video -- a whole set starting with "Smoke 'Em All".



I would say it's difficult not to enjoy this, but that's just me. If you have a different opinion, that's fine. Just go away! ;-)