I recently heard the song “goin to the country gotta get away” on internet blues radio, and am pretty sure the whistle was used on it. The same song Country joe sang @ Woodstock. Anyone know where I can get the sheet music for this online or any other blues tunes for that matter?
Could it be flute?
Btw, methinks at Wodstock it was Canned Heat not Joe McDonald.
see http://www.bboogie.com/Canned_Heat.htm . Complete with flute.
Here are words and chords: http://lachlanirvine.tripod.com/songsg/id7.html
I think it probably was flute. In the '20’s delta style Canned Heat were copying, a riff like that might have been played on pan pipes but it sounds a bit smooth for pan pipes on the Canned Heat recording. It definitiely wouldn’t have been whistle but would sound fine played on one.
it was performed by Henry Thomas and was the pan pipes were indeed used. A good article below if you can click on it 
http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/HenryThomas.htm
No wonder I picked it. I actually have the Henry Thomas version but had forgotten that it was by him.
Canned Heat did do this tune- There’s was
“Goin’ up the country, Baby don’t you wanna go?
Goin’ up the country, Baby don’t you wanna go?
Goin to some place where I never been before…”
I had that on …8 track 
Country Joe and the Fish were most famous for their Woodstock performance of-
Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag
"Now come on all of you big strong men ,
Uncle Sam needs your help again,
Got himself in a terrible jam,
Way down yonder in Viet Nam,
So pack up your books and pick up your guns
We’re gonna have a whole lotta fun…
I’ll spare you all the recitation of the rest of this snappy little tune, which for some reason is still burned in my feeble brain, taking up space that could be used to remember where I put my Jeep keys…
Check out the pbs series on the Blues playing this week. Tonight’s film showed someone from somewhere around the 20’s who was playing what looked like some tiny little pan pipe like instrument- then showed the African one.
I guess in general a good way to learn
blues is to play along with good blues people.
I find it hard to play blues alone,much easier
accompanied. BB King does great stuff usually
in Bb.
St. Louis Blues, Troublin Mind, standards like
that play fine.
I would suppose most Lightening
Hopkins will do. The flute/whistle
can really work on the blues, slides
and ornamentation help us to bend
notes, wail, etc.
I wonder if anybody knows if Canned Heat took crdit for this song? A couple of years ago, I bought a Smithsonian Blues compilation and one of the songs on it was 'Going to the country" note for note. Recorded in the '20s I believe. I don’t remember offhand who the artist was or the name of the tune, but I can check when I go home tonight.
They actually did: all their records mention (Alan) Wilson as only author…
My friend and I were messing around on guitar and low d. We tried the blues, but it just didn’t sound right …
Little John
What key were you trying to play in, Little John? Low D should be OK for E or A.
Actually, a low D might be a bit unwieldy and a high D a bit shrill for blues although with practice you could get around both problems. For playing in E, I’d be inclined to use an A whistle. Those in between whistles (G, A, Bb) seem to me to be most satisfying for blues.
Has anyone been watching the documentary about the Blues on PBS?
The 1st night showed a guy who “Blew cane” which was a cane flute about a foot long with maybe 5 or 6 holes, i mean this thing wasn’t in the key of nuthin but the sound he got out of it was incredible. This was “real folk Blues”, pressboardshack, truck on cinderblocks type blue.
Anyway the series is in seven parts and I’m sure they’ll rerun that installment
Blues in E works OK on the low D.
Certainly do a lot of it on the flute on the street..
Just have your friend do the basic blues on the
guitar and play along. It’ll be there…if
not PM me, please. Best