Arguably the instrumental bridge to rock and roll music, the primal, repetitive urgency of what’s known as ‘the Bo Diddley beat’ is the blues condensed to its rhythmic essence. That may or may not be why Buddy Holly used the pattern as the basis for composing his “Not Fade Away,” but that hardly matters considering how infectious it is. Likewise, it’s no wonder the Grateful Dead applied it to so many extended set closers over the years, covering the aforementioned tune of the late lamented rocker and emphasizing that cadence? In this 1973 video, Bo himself plays it without irony or self-congratulation, embroidering upon the pattern to a great extent but hardly more so than the pianist. The effort the author expends is quite clearly grounded in how he and the audience are caught up in this visceral trance.
