I recorded myself performing Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” about four years ago, and I happened to record it again last week while I was running through my solo repertoire. This performance is backed by the same recorded arrangement I used four years ago, so it’s easy to compare the performances.

When I do so, I hear immediately that I play and sing this tune a lot better now than I did five years ago. Very gratifying to know that I’m not on the decline yet. Or at least gratifying to so delude myself.

The second thing I hear is that the arrangement works well, and the “slide guitar” patch I set up on the Digitech RP500 works as intended. Just love having that big monster at my feet. Also worth noting that, while the RP350 I used for the first recording is a very nice piece of gear, the RP500 is nicer.

RP500 top center, with JamMan stereo looper to its right. That's where all the big sounds on this piece come from.
RP500 top center, with JamMan stereo looper to its right. That’s where all the big sounds on this piece come from.

In addition to the RP500, I’m using a Fireball V mic. The signal from the RP500 goes to a Digitech JamMan Stereo looper, where it’s mixed with the vocal mic and the prerecorded music (bass, drums, harmonicas) and output as a mono signal to a Peavey KB2 amp. The audio is recorded by a Zoom H4 positioned a few inches from the grill of the Peavey. I applied a little EQ and limiting to the recorded audio; otherwise, what you hear is what I played, in the order I played it.

Enjoy this rockin’ blues. I sure did.

Mississippi Queen performed by Richard Hunter