CAUTION: If blues ain't your music thing and/or you fret over spiders do not enter!



The Video

Audio Only


Mountain biking and hiking our homestead trail often leads to collisions (mostly in the face!) with spider webs…and that gave thought to this write

For those not familiar with North America’s black widow spider she has a red hour glass on her belly and has the rather unfortunate habit of consuming her mates who are rather drab in appearance And she is quite venomous (in the literal sense).

Thanks to Janice for agreeing to let Bud photograph her trying out a “come hither” expression and then doctoring up the photo! She laughed so much that I didn’t think we had a chance to get the shot.

And big thanks to Peter for the guitars!

Your time to both listen and comment is always appreciated.

Janice: vocal and melody
Peter: lead guitar, rhythm guitars and arrangement
Bud: lyric, arrangement, audio/video production, mix and mastering

If so inclined here’s the techy stuff:

Vocal > FX: Nectar 2
Drums > RD BluesRockWaves / FX: CLA Drums & EMT 140 Plate Reverb sim
Bass > RT 564 Blues Monday / FX: Waves Bass Rider & Waves CLA Bass
Guitar Rhythm > RT 565 Blues Monday
Organ > MIDI SuperTrack / Sound: Logic Pro B3 w/ Blues preset & Logic Direction Mixer
Neutron 2’s masking feature was used on all tracks.

Equipment: Logic Pro X, Rodes NT1 mic & Scarlett USB interface
Mastering: Waves LinMB, Ozone 8 EQ, Ozone 8 Maximizer and Izotope’s Tonal Balance

Black Widow
C 2018 B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham

they call me the black widow
i’ve had seven husbands
they call me the black widow
i’ve had seven husbands
look at this web ain’t it grand?

see how it hangs watch it shimmer
i have plenty of room
see how it shines crawl right in
i have plenty of room
i’m needin’ another bride groom

solo

lemme show you my hourglass
cause I know how you feel
lemme show you my hourglass
i know how I make you feel
you’ll make me a fine meal

they call me the black widow
i’ve had seven husbands
they call me the black widow
i’ve had seven husbands
look at this web ain’t it grand?

i’ve had seven husbands
look at this web ain’t it grand?

Wonderful blues !
A great sensitivity in Janice's voice, in Peter's guitar and in Bud's arrangement. Christian

What an hourglass! Spin that web, baby. You know how I feel.

Hot stuff. Bluegrass to blues isn't a trick for Janice. Smokin' guitar and tasty production. A big, fun listen.

Thanks Chris. We all appreciate it!

J&B

Janice, Bud and Peter,

When I saw/heard the preview of this the other day, I said "Holy crap! Wait until this hits the forum!" Everything about this is beyond awesome. Peter's guitar just smokes, although in a calm and controlled way. The man has a great touch and soul for the music. Of course Janice's voice is a such a treat to all ears. And that Bud guy knows how to turn the knobs.

Super!!!

Alan

Powerful blues the guitar work puts the cherry on the top.
Great performance all round. Rob

This was a fun project and it was yet more fun reading this. Thank you!

J&B

First of all what a cool video. So well done. this song just oozed the blues. Incredible vocal and backtrack. Peters guitar was just awesome. Tone and angst in the playing was so cool to listen to. Super collaboration. Well done...

Super job! Great kick drum and bass. Wonderful mix and production.

Great vocal and solo guitar performances!

And well written lyrics around the theme

I got seven kinds of joy listening!

Janice & Bud (and Peter F.),

Some very cool blues you have going on here. Terrific vocal and killer guitar work. Just classic sounding stuff. Kudos to all involved!

All the best,

Deej

Thanks Alan. We’ve had time for very few J&B projects this year so we are even more happy that you like this. Peter sent us what was intended as a scratch solo track and we immediately said YES. Keep it!

J&B

This, in my opinion, is possibly the best blues song that has ever been posted to this forum, loved everything about it!

Peter just absolutely nails the guitar, absolutely perfect! Great "feel", great tone, great chops.

Love the production and mix on this, Bud, and the lyrics are fun too.

And Janice has got it going on big time!!

Listened on soundcloud a few days ago, enjoyed watching the video this time around

Well done guys and gal!

Great execution of the blues! all the pieces were right-on! vocal, excellent...guitar solo, excellent...choice of the BIAB elements, perfect...couldn’t think of anything to improve on this...thanks for the great listen,

And I’ll be super careful when I’m walking in the woods from now on!

Lord have mercy,

"Let me show you my hourglass

I know how I make you feel"

that's worth the price of admission in itself (so to speak)

gorgeous blues, like a silky Stormy Monday

Peter always plays great solos but this one is my favorite after one listen

and the mix is pro all the way, everything fits and balances so nicely

Fantastic vocal Janice

Awesome!

Kenny

Thanks Christian it was a pleasure to back up Janice & Bud on this one.

Peter

Oh, yeah.

PB&J channeling ABB!

What a sound! The organ is killer. Peter's guitar is superb! Cool bite.

The girl was BORN to do this. There should be a tour in the works. $$$$$

Impeccable mix.

The ear hangs on from the first note to the last.

Good as it gets.

Oh, yeah.

Thanks for those comments appreciated.
Peter

Thanks Rob...yep, Peter nailed it!

J&B

Three absolute standouts in this song: the lyrics, the impeccable guitar, and the velvety smooth Crow Royal voice.

What a tune! I swear Janice's voice was designed for music like this. The whole thing sounds smoky and lush. Both the instrumentation and Janice's vocals carry some major attitude. Got my toe tapping within a few bars too. And it's pretty dang catchy as well!

Great work, and thanks for sharing

I can tell Janice was totally at home on this one! What superb vocals. Peter's guitar work was right on the money too. A very enjoyable blues work out indeed!


John

Blues ain't so much my music, but if I have to spend the end of my life in a web listening to a blues song, this would be a perfect fit, prototype blues Amazing guitar playing, organ is excellent choice, mix and vocals are top quality.

Janne

Janice, Bud & Peter,
Blues? not my thing Spiders? hate `em... so this giving me goosebumps is a testament to how over-the-top good this is!
All the guitarists here must be thinking "dang that solo is better than anything this side
of electric heaven".
Love the vocals, of course- and that " are you number 8?" teaser at the end.
Brilliant.

Robert

Thanks Scott for those kind remarks. We appreciate it!

J&B

Love it! Janice that inflection on "seven husbands" at the beginning of the song is classic! What a great sounding track. Great vocal, guitar playing and mix. Well done y'all!!

hi guys great job on everything love the vocal lead chops nice thanks eric

And we got seven kinds from reading your nice supportive review. We appreciate it!

J&B




Thanks for the supportive comments! It was a fun project.

J&B

Janice, I'm ready to be husband no. 8 - no doubt, I'm your man !!!!

Wow, what a wonderful blues tune. I wrote here once that I'm not familiar with country music, but the blues has been my guide for more than 50 years now.And this tune is an especially fine blues song - I just love it.

Great vocals, Janice (needless to say) and Bud: You gave the it exactly the arrangement it deserves. Love the lyrics, too !!! And, Peter, you sure know how to use your axe.

Again, congratulations on that one !!!

Stefan

Wow! Coming from a great bluesman those are hugely appreciated and supportive comments. This was a fun project that came together very quickly and we are very happy that you like it. BTW, as I mentioned in a response, Peter's solo was what he called a "demo" ...and we immediately said "keep it!!!"

J&B

Thanks for the very kind review Alan. I appreciated that.

Peter

You all know that I love the blues so you know that I loved this one. Everything is just perfect. The lyrics, Janice's vocal, Peter's guitar all backed with the perfect backing tracks. You all should put out an album/CD of blues songs and have Alligator records distribute it. This is better than some that I have from them.

This was fantastic!

HAHAHA!

Thanks for the kind remarks. We are genuinely appreciative!

J&B

I have been bitten by the Black Widow, AND I LIKE IT!!! Wonderful blues, just dripping with feeling!! Janice knocks it out of the park AGAIN, and Peter makes it CRY!! As good as it gets!!!! Take care. Greg

Appreciate the comments Rob.

Peter

Thanks Kenny! Cool that you mentioned Storm Monday. Probably our favorite blues song is the ABB /w Eric Clapton at the Beacon Theater playing Stormy Monday. And as Peter and I worked up the arrangement I suggested that exact vibe! We came up with a 12 bar arrangement that definitely had some progressions reminiscent of that song. And Peter's solo closed the deal on that feel.
We appreciate you!

J&B

Thanks Scott it was a great track to play on.

Peter

Really great blues guys!
And of course Peter is doing a fantastic job!
Interesting song subject.

Rob and Anne-Marie

Appreciate all those comments Lawrence.

Peter

Lawd, lawd, have mercy, I done got spider-bit...

"Listen up, ya'll! This heah song, "Black Widow", this the kin' a blues dat sneak up behind ya' in the alley, tap you on the shoulder, and when ya' turns 'round, it slap you right upside yo' cotton-pickin' head. BAM! Sho'nuff do! This blues, this blues mail a letter to yo' wife an' tell huh how bad you been cheatin' on huh, see, and then charge you fo' the postage. I ain't lyin'! No, suh. This heah some dan-ger-ous blues, ya'll heah? Dangerous!!! Git on home, now, 'fo yo' Mama find out what'cha been listenin' to, wit'cho sinful self..."

The above comment posted in a form of African-American dialect is not meant to offend anyone. Rather, it simply mimics the kind of repartee one would hear coming from the mouths of blues musicians from the South who moved to my hometown, Chicago, and performed in clubs such as the "Checkerboard" on the south side, or the "Kingston Mines" on Halsted Street on the near North side. And when they played the blues, it sounded like what I heard listening to "Black Widow".

So, what I'm doin' is testifying to the gutsy, powerhouse, bone-throbbin' blues laid out by "Bud", Ms. Janice, and "PeterF" in their song, "Black Window". Ms. Janice, you most definitely spin a silky, down-and-low web with your s-s-s-seductively venomous vocal. "PeterF", man, you wail so high an' mighty on that 'lectric gee-tar solo that I almost called the fire department to come and get you down out of that tree you ended up in!

Folks, as Mr. Floyd Jane recently remarked in a comment on another forum member's recent song post, "You're killin' it!"

Brushin' off sawdust from where your blues knocked me down on the floor,

LOREN

Thank you floyd for the great review and all the support and counsel through the years. It's hugely appreciated. Regarding the tour...we would be honored to open for you!

J&B

This is about as authentic as it gets. The B3 is a standout in a great mix. The vocal is spot on just like we come to expect from such a great talent as Janice. Peter’ s guitar work is in my opinion his best to date on this forum. Perfect tone and feel for the song. Especially nice was the choice of some unusual notes going into the four chord on the first part of the solo. Also the Buddy Guy like over the top bends was just right for the song. The production and arrangement couldn’t be better and a nice video. It's a little scary to think of Janice as a venomous arachnid but I must say the whole thing was uncomfortably convincing. Great job by all, Tom

Thank you!!! That is very nice of you to say that.

J&B



Thanks Deryk. Janice much appreciates that. The transition from hard core traditional bluegrass to the blues has been a fun journey!!

J&B

Love your video and song... very well done!

Thank you John. Comments like this keep us at it!

J&B

Thanks appreciate the comments.

Peter

Much appreciated.

Peter




Thanks for the encouragement Dave I really appreciate the review.

Peter

Thanks for the encouraging words floyd. Just working out some tricky logistics for the tour......

Peter

Thanks Deryk have to agree with you about Janice.

Peter



Thanks very much,

Peter

Thanks Janne - glad we drew you into some blues!

J&B



Thanks Robert. Given we had two strikes from the get go we are very happy that you like it!!

J&B



Thanks Josie!!! I had a lot of fun singing this. We always appreciate your support,

J&B

Great work on this Janice & Bud, thank you for sharing this! Fantastic selection of instruments here and the instruments are layered nicely. That guitar really does shred! Fantastic work on the vocals, love the use of Nectar here. Always a treat!

Thanks John I appreciate the review.

Peter

Thanks you are too kind Robert.

Peter




Thanks a lot Janne

Peter

Janice, Bud and Peter,

Wonderful Blues!
It's complete, standard and classic!
Janice's singing style perfect fits Blues.
Peter's Guitar is in the best condition.
Great work!
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Janice / Bud / Peter,

This is some really outstanding blues... Stellar slow-burn vocal by Janice with an excellent mix. Fantastic guitar track Peter - loved it!

Bob

Thanks for listening and commenting Eric!

J&B



“Janice, I'm ready to be husband no. 8 - no doubt, I'm your man !!!!”

Hahahaha!

Thank you Stefan! We particularly appreciate your comments given your long association with blues. While we love many genres blues is our home base. Thanks for your time to both listen and comment.

J&B

Thanks Mario! That's a great review especially coming from a blues lover.

CD? You mean those things folks used to push into slots to listen to music?

J&B

nice one

Thanks for the review Stefan much appreciated.

Peter



Thanks Eric

Peter




Thanks a lot Josie.

Peter

Hahahahaha!

Thanks Greg, we always look forward to and appreciate your comments.

J&B

That song is just great, all the way around.
Thanks a million for sharing.

Thanks y’all! Glad you enjoyed a little blues....

J&B

Loren, that's some impressive blues cred you have regarding Chicago and those clubs. One of our absolute most liked blues albums is B.B. King's "Live At The Regal." We miss him. A stunning talent with a gentle soul.

It truly captures the excitement of blues during its height and certainly has some of the repartee that you mentioned.

Thank you so much!!!

J&B

We know you are a blues man and we much appreciate your review. Thanks for mentioning the B3. I simply stumbled into that with Logic Pro. We’re glad you liked the video. It was a hoot getting Janice to pose for the cover shot! And a big thanks for mentioning the mix!

J&B

Thanks for listening and commenting. Glad you liked the video!

J&B



Thanks Joe! Yep, Nectar and Peter did well

We always appreciate your comments!

J&B

To all involved in this offering, it's over the top good! Everything here is excellent! Your productions are always great, but I feel you have raised the bar a little here! Vocals are perfect! Peter's guitar has such a great biting tone (a little darker sound to me ears which suits this track well) and the production is as good as it gets! Thanks, Torrey

Thanks Shigeki. Glad you like the Blues!!!

J&B



Thanks Bob...yep, Peter nailed it!

J&B

Thanks to all those who commented that I didn't get around too. This track generated a lot of interest.
A big thanks To Janice & Bud for inviting me along.

Peter

Thanks y’all for listening!

J&B

Thanks Torrey. Given the quality of your productions your review is deeply appreciated!

J&B