Mastermind: Musician Peter Murchison Gets Quizzed on Old Blues
“Mastermind” is a regular magazine column in which we quiz a Beijing personality on general knowledge as well as on a subject in which they consider themselves to be a specialist.
Contestant: Peter Murchison, Guitar Player and Singer from the Band Zhen Ren (Real Blues)
Specialist Subject: Old Blues
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
1. How long does it take for light from the moon to reach the Earth?
Holy mackerel! I would say it takes three milliseconds if the humidity is not too high. X
2. How many kilometers long is the Trans Canada highway?
5,218 kilometers. About the length of the Great Wall. X
3. Why do fireflies flash?
Too much caffeine, absolutely! X
4. What is the most common element on Earth?
There are two “H”s for every “O” in the water. That’s a lot! I’ll say hydrogen. √
5. How many tentacles does a squid have?
Well an octopus would be eight. I’ll stick with eight. It’s a classic number and a very lucky one here in China. The other answer might be: if they’re properly deep fat fried, does it matter? X
SPECIALIST SUBJECT
6. What plant common in US slave plantations and used by Western African cultures in mourning ceremonies do people speculate the term “blues” originated form?
Yeah, I have no idea at all, because to me the word blues, I just associate it with that minor seventh sound. Nope, no idea at all. Total blank! X
7. What year was the first blues composition copyrighted?
The early stuff I know is like very early ‘20s, but that wasn’t the first commercial stuff. So I would say more like 1910 or 1915. Let’s say 1912. √
8. The composition “A Negro Love Song” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge used what kind of note that is distinctive in blues?
The two distinctive notes would have to be the minor third, and the seventh. Those are the blue notes. If you take the “do”, “mi”, “so”, it’s just such a happy sound. But you take that middle one down just one half note and bang! It changes everything. √
9. Which state did most of the blues musicians who made up the Chicago scene migrate from?
I would say Mississippi. Because that’s where Muddy (Waters) was from and everybody followed him like a magnet. √
10. What did the original blues musicians refer to themselves as?
I believe they referred to themselves as “really poor.” Big Bill Bronzy used to call himself a “Gitar player.” X
Score: 4/10
Final Verdict: Peter’s gotta keep feeding his brain with fried squid to improve his general knowledge, but his foundation in old blues is pretty solid.
Answers: 1) 1.26 seconds, 2) 8,000 km, 3) A chemical reaction related to the mating process, 4) Hydrogen, 5) 10, 6) Blue Indigo, 7) 1912, 8) blue note, 9) Mississippi, 10) Songsters
Catch Peter and Zhen Ren at Jianghu Bar Nov 15 with special guest Steve “Silvertone” Levine.
Watch: Peter and Zhen Ren perform "Guilty"
A version of this article apears in the November 2013 issue of the Beijinger
Photos: Sui
Email: nickrichards@thebeijinger.com
Weibo: @NickRichards尼克
Twitter: @nik_richards
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