Sunday 29 April 2012

STAR BLUES on 29th April 2012 at 22:00

Ramalama humdinger ding-dong - Mark Lamarr has done it again for VEETONE: volume twelve in what I hope will be a never ending series of rocking and bopping humdingers. I promised two but delivered more. We also danced and diddled to Jesse Fuller and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, though the Mighty Mark Peters' jigs were just with us in spirit. The Drops are part of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations for the Chieftains whose style of folk effortlessly melds together the different traditions.

Gaye Agdebelola (Mizz A) has a brand new project aimed at young children I'd guess: it offers 14 shades of blue from acoustic slide to rock via doo-wop and New Orleans backbeat. She's also been canny in her choice of words to put over subtle messages on eating your veg and recycling. The song "Please Please" was done James Brown style proving that polite good manner will win out in the end. We wish her well for the sentiments and for making blues accessible - not at all so difficult you have to join a club.

Candye Kane is pretty poorly but in great spirits: she has a big op coming up and we send her big hugs for success and a steady recovery. (Not that she'll listen to me to take it easy). Lady Bianca is another blues artist swimming against the mainstream tide, she got a nice write up for her latest album "Servin' Notice" and so we had a cut last night.

The Humdingers disc is joined by one themed around Ike Turners work in the studio for others and one of our choices was Tina's cover of a great blues classic. The same outfit (Ace) has put out a survey of sides done for the King label and Albert Washington got an airing to prove how under-recorded has was. On the new front, Anders Osborne is on Alligator with an eclectic mixture of what the music press calls roots-music these days. Same label, big voice (at times filling the void left by Solomon Burke) we at last played a track from Curtis Salgado's disc on the same label. "Hellfire" from Joe Louis Walker is current front runner for STAR BLUES' album of 2012, up to now Joe has been wilfully his own man even if that meant turning away from easier commercial alternatives - he's pulled it all together this time out for some magnificently brutal singing and playing that reminded me of Buddy Guy c1961.

Our 1001 Blues feature included the 1967 project by Luther "Snake" Johnson called "Mud in your Ear": the Douglas label has put it out on cd as a Muddy Waters album even though Muddy doesn't appear on all tracks and only contributes guitar (vocals are done by Luther or harp-man Mojo Buford). These were the sessions Muddy's band did immediately before the "Electric Mud" album. No further comment on the latter in these pages. James Armstrong brought something new (look up "class" in the Dictionary, you'll see a picture of Armstrong there) and Willie Mabon brought something old. Didn't need to borrow anything and we had plenty blue. Same again next week suit you? Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you


Track.Title Track.ArtistSort Index Album.Title Album.ArtistSort Label Released
Somebody Loan Me A Dime Fenton Robinson 17 The Devil's Music Various Artists INDIGO 20090201
Two Can Play Your Game Marquise Knox 3 Here I Am Marquise Knox APO Records 2011
Somewhere Down The Line Albert Washington 6 King Royal Grooves Various Artists BGP
A Woman Or The Blues Curtis Salgado 11 Soul Shot Curtis Salgado Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. 2012
Someday You Gotta Pay Willie Mabon 12 The Seventh Son Willie Mabon charly blues masterworks 1993
Guitar Blues Jesse Fuller 5 The Lone Cat Jesse Fuller ORIGINAL BLUES CLASSICS
Boodle-De-Bum-Bum Carolina Chocolate Drops 4 Leaving Eden Carolina Chocolate Drops Warner Music 2012
Watch Dog Muddy Waters Blues Band 10 Mud In Your Ear Muddy Waters Blues Band DOUGLAS
They Ain't Lovin' You Vernon Guy with Jessie Smith 3 Ike Turner Studio Productions Various Artists ACE 2012
Cool Love (Cascade 5909) Joe Johnson 12 R&B Humdingers Volume 12 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records 2012
Please Please Please Gaye Agdebelola 5 Blues In all Flavours Gaye Agdebelola Gaye Agdebelola 2012
Midnight Garden Stomp Rusty Bryant 2 R & B Humdingers Vol. 12 Various Artists VEETONE
Soul Shines Larry McCray 4 Delta Hurricane Larry McCray POINTBLANK 1993
I'm On To You Joe Louis Walker 9 Hellfire Joe Louis Walker Alligator 20120131
Somebody Got To Pay James Armstrong 2 Blues At The Border James Armstrong Catfood 2011
Stealin Lady Bianca 5 Servin' Notice Lady Bianca MAGIC-O
Trouble Blues Fats Domino 15 The Imperial Singles Volume 5 Fats Domino ACE
Lonely Road Blues Champion Jack Dupree 19 Two Classic Albums Plus Singles Champion Jack Dupree AVID
Dig A Little Deeper In The Well Eric Bibb 2 Deeper In The Well Eric Bibb Dixiefrog 2012
Dig A Little Deeper In The Well Eric Bibb 2 Deeper In The Well Eric Bibb Dixiefrog 2012
Can You Stand The Test Of Love Knut Reiersrud/Mighty Sam McClain 2 One Drop Is Plenty Knut Reiersrud/Mighty Sam McClain Kirkelig Kulturverksted 2011
Tracking My Roots Anders Osborne 7 black eye galaxy Anders Osborne Alligator 2011
Little Tiger H Bomb Ferguson 17 R&B Humdingers Volume 12 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records 2012
Five Long Years Tina Turner 23 Ike Turners Studio Productions Various Artists Ace 2012
Harlem Nocturne Viscounts 2 Very Best Of Burlesque Various Artists CHARLY
Created: 29/04/2012 23:58:09

Sunday 22 April 2012

STAR BLUES on 22nd April 2012 at 22:00

Back a couple of years we did a Blues in Britain themed STAR BLUES and for St George's Day we returned there last night. With a number of big names and enthusiastic sidemen the Sixties on this side of the pond had its own "Blues Boom" while the popularity of the genre waned Stateside. Some of them went on to have unexpected success on the singles charts: Pete Wingfield played piano for Jellybread and their rambunctious go at Huey Piano Smith's bout  of Pneumonia; Jona Lewie Stopped the Cavalry a while after he did "Boogie Woman" under his given name of John Lewis.

Neither Led Zeppelin nor the Stones needed introduction or explanation and it was a treat to hear both Paul Jones (Manfreds) and Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers) playing blues covers as if their very lives depended on it. Clapton wasn't first axenman in that job, Roger Dean predated him and recorded with John Mayall "Live At Kooks Kleek" the open track chosen was later a hit for Katie Melua "Crawlin Up A Hill". (BTW I'm pretty sure the album was cut in a studio with overdubbed audience)

Alexis Korner would've had a birthday this past week and his earliest influence on blues hereabouts got an outing through a version of "Early in the Morning" that had ace folk bass player Danny Thompson and a fruity vocal from the great Herbie Goins. Maggie Bell and Jo Ann Kelly flew the distaff flag  and brother Dave laid out some impressive credentials with his 1968 contribution.

Sonny Boy Williamson cut a striking figure in four-quarter suit and a briefcase of harps, he recorded in London in 1963 with the Yardbirds as backing group and ten years later Jim Simpson of Big Bear used native players to brief visiting bluesmen from the States in 1973 and 1974 - as examples we had Boogie Woogie Red and Lightnin Slim. No British survey of Sixties blues could leave out Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label and we had Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack and Duster Bennett to show the depth of talent on offer.

I was all set to unveil the story of my first record in my collection but the clock had other ideas. A tale for another day. We'll be back next Sunday at ten pm, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you



Track.Title Track.ArtistSort Index Album.Title Album.ArtistSort Label
Have You Heard John Mayall's Bluesbreakers 7 Clapton Is God: The Cream Of Early Eric Clapton Eric Clapton Castle Music Uk
Talk To Me Baby Fleetwood Mac 27 Hoochie Coochie Men : A History Of British Blues Various Artists INDIGO
As The Years Go Passing By Maggie Bell 2 Best Of Maggie Bell ANGEL Air
Come On Rolling Stones, The 1 Rolled Gold Plus: Very Best Of The Rolling Stones Rolling Stones, The ABKCO
I Got My Mojo Working Manfred Mann 3 The Best Of The Emi Years Manfred Mann EMI
When You Got A Friend Dave Kelly 7 Me And The Devil / I Asked For Water T.S. McPhee & Friends BEAT GOES ON
My Little Cabin Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)Yardbirds, The 13 Clapton Is God: The Cream Of Early Eric Clapton Eric Clapton Castle Music Uk
Flood In Huston Savoy Brown 1 Shake Down / Getting To The Point Savoy Brown BGO
Woke Up This Morning Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated 10 Hoochie Coochie Men : A History Of British Blues Various Artists INDIGO
Ride With Your Daddy Tonight Brunning Sunflower Blues Band, The 2 Hoochie Coochie Men : A History Of British Blues Various Artists INDIGO
Levee Camp Holler Jo-Ann Kelly 8 Black Rat Swing Jo-Ann Kelly CASTLE
Every Little Bit Hurts Spencer Davis Group, The 3 The Best Of The Spencer Davis Group Spencer Davis Group, The ISLAND
Hideaway Chicken Shack 2 Blue Horizon Story Vol. 1 Various Artists CBS
Too Long Gordon Smith 5 Blue Horizon Story Vol. 1 Various Artists CBS
Gallows Pole Led Zeppelin 6 Led Zeppelin Iii Led Zeppelin Atlantic
Boogie Woman John Lewis 4 Me And The Devil / I Asked For Water T.S. McPhee & Friends BEAT GOES ON
Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie 'Flu Jellybread 17 Blue Horizon Story Vol. 1 Various Artists CBS
Walking In The Park Lightnin' Slim 16 American Blues Legends 73 / 74 Various Artists INDIGO / BIG BEAR
After Hours Boogie Woogie Red 2 American Blues Legends 73 / 74 Various Artists INDIGO / BIG BEAR
Crawling Up A Hill (Version 2) John Mayall 1 Plays John Mayall: Live At Klooks Kleek! John Mayall Universal/Decca
Jumping At Shadows Duster Bennett 11 Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Duster Bennett SONY
John Henry Jumps In Paul Lamb 4 Harmonica Man Paul Lamb CASTLE
That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch Jon 'T-Bone' Taylor 1 Bop Brothers (And Sisters) Jon 'T-Bone' Taylor ABACABE
Created: 22/04/2012 23:50:50

Friday 20 April 2012

STAR BLUES on 15th April 2012

Squadron Leader "Binky" Blue did a good deed by taking in a parcel for his next door neighbour. He promptly tripped over it, broke his hip and is pretty poorly in hospital with pneumonia. I took some tomfoolery and a white tee shirt to him to remind him that aerobatics need a plane. 

Update 19th April:

(My Dad) Squadron Leader "Binky" Blue didn't make it, he died tonight. Thanks for all the messages of kindness.

------------------------------
We chuckled about my white STAR BLUES upper body garments - it seems tomfoolery could well be hereditary after all.

Monday 9 April 2012

STAR BLUES on 8th April 2012 at 22:00

Easter was an excuse to base our STAR BLUES around a neat anthology put out by the Sunday Times twenty years ago. Can't recall if I sent a postal order with or without tokens but I got 4 discs bound into a long-form hardback book. Most if not all the selections came through Columbia as was (Sony these days) meaning Big Bill Broonzy, Son House, Champion Jack Dupree, Taj Mahal and so on. Their tracks picked themselves on our playlist.
I doubt the Sunday Times intended the offer to be an evangelical piece but it would be great to think those 4 discs turned a few folks towards our music. Kim Wilson leads the Fabulous Thunderbirds on the late Jerry McCain's song and Screamin' Jay Hawkins rendered a magnificently atmospheric original of 'I Put a Spell on You'. Peppermint Harris was another with his own song - 'I Got Loaded' - surprisingly later covered by Robert Cray, who will be coming to the UK in the summer.

The Sunday Times covered a few other bases: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Moore as well as Leadbelly and Blind Boy Fuller; Big Joe Turner and Amos Milburn. We hope you got an idea of the range of blues styles that fit on a Sunday Night at 10pm: the set from two decades hence sounded as good last night as when the postie popped them into my box. All sorts of blues and tomfoolery - and a BRAND NEW white tee-shirt, next week until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.


Tuff enuff. Fabulous Thunderbirds
Shake your money maker. Fleetwood Mac
I got loaded. Peppermint Harris
Frankie and albert. Taj Mahal
I wanna be loved. Muddy Waters
I put a spell on you. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
St james infirmary. Georgie Fame
Wimmin from coast to coast. Lightnin Hopkins et al
Worrying you off my mind. Big Bill Broonzy
Rag mama rag. Blind Boy Fuller
Every morning. Keb Mo
Good morning miss brown. Taj Mahal
I'd rather go blind. Chicken Shack
Boogie my way back home. Gary Moore
Gamblin man blues. Champion Jack Dupree
Jumpin tonight. Big Joe Turner
Sax shack boogie. Amos Milburn
Drop down mama Mississippi Fred McDowell
I live the life I love Mose Allison
Hand me down my old walking stick Big Joe Williams
Wimmin from coast to coast Lightnin' Hopkins et al
Wall of Denial Stevie Ray Vaughan
I got my mojo working Mike Bloomfield
Packin' trunk Lead Belly
Dont leave me baby. Lowell Fulson
Rag mama rag Blind Boy Fuller
Cheap tequila. Johnny Winter
Mean Woman Blues Allman Brothers
Created: 09/04/2012 21:32:39 

Monday 2 April 2012

STAR BLUES on 1st April 2012 at 22:00

March 27th was a remarkable anniversary that we put at the centre of STAR BLUES last night, Sam Phillips formed Sun Records that date in 1952. With 60 years of back catalogue available. it was a daunting challenge to choose an hour or so's worth in celebration of blues from his label.

He only set out to have make recordings with his brainchild The Memphis Recording Service based at 706 Union Avenue Memphis - his main competitor at the time had a decent living by taping parties and weddings. Sam wanted to also capture local musicians, particularly country, gospel and blues artists. One of his earliest successes has often been described as the first rock'n'roll record: "Rocket 88" masterminded by Ike Turner and credited to sax man Jackie Brenston. Trouble is it led to many of Sam's artists moving to Chicago to work with Chess direct. And when Sam couldn't get the Chess brothers to take more of his output, he was forced to start his own label: Sun. He intended a recording featuring Walter Horton as the first issue and gave it a catalogue number Sun 174 ("Blues in My Condition" b/w "Sellin' My Whiskey" credited to Jackie Boy & Little Walter) - only a fragment of the b-side remains on cd - but poor feedback made him keep the record back, so the first single was Sun 175.(Johnny London's "Driving Slow").

Jim Buillet was an early financial partner and Sam bought him out in 1954, the same year he sold Elvis Presley to RCA Records for $40000 (the Colonel got $35k and Elvis the rest in back royalties). I speculated Sam's hand was forced in light of resolving urgent cash flow challenges?? He never publicly regretted the trade and he often asserted Howlin' Wolf to be the greater talent. Our survey touched all those bases and more, well known like Little Milton and Jerry Lee Lewis as well as lesser know spirits like Eddie Snow.  Phillips' problem however as time went on was not being able to replace Presley, Johnny Cash, Lewis and others with big names to keep the tills ringing. He sold the label to Shelby Singleton in the late Sixties. His blues legacy was rich and we only touched it lightly last night.

News also came through that Jerry 'Boogie' McCain had died at the age of 81, a master of amplified harmonica who gigged ceaselessly and never made a poor record. We went to his earliest hits on Rex as well as his later period career with the Music Maker organisation. In between he made several fine albums for Ichiban. His discography shown on Wikipedia is scant but in reality there's plenty of really good projects out there to sample his work. The tributes elsewhere remember him with much fondness and he never got the full acclaim his talent deserved.

Music Maker is also the home of Shelton Powe whose new album gave us our gospel spot and we took two more dips into the story of American studios courtesy of Ace. Those couple of hours flew past and I felt incredibly privileged to share my choice of Sun Blues with you last night. I'm planning some more special shows and I hope you'll want to come along - I'm back next week which only makes sense if you're there as well so until then take care of yourselves and tale care of those that take care of you


Track.Title Track.ArtistSort Index Album.Title Album.ArtistSort Label
Good Rockin' Tonight Elvis Presley 11 King Of Rock'n'roll : Complete 50's Masters Elvis Presley RCA
I'm Gonna Forget About You (Matchbox) Ike Turner 25 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Shake A Tail Feather James & Bobby Purify 3 Memphis Boys: The Story Of American Studios Various Artists ACE
Wife Woman And Hoochie Clay Hammond 5 I Kissed Her Gone Clay Hammond Desert Sounds
Boogie is My Name Jerry McCain 1 Boogie Is My Name Jerry McCain
Courtin' in a Cadillac Jerry McCain & His Upstarts 13 It's Your Voodoo Working: The Best Of Excello Various Artists universal music operations
Crazy 'bout That Mess Jerry McCain 12 Strange Kind Of Feelin' Various Artists ALLIGATOR // TRUMPET
Selling My Whiskey Jackie Boy & Little Walter 1 50 Golden Years : Sun Record Company Various Artists FABULOUS
Tiger Man Joe Hill Louis 7 The Sun Story - Vol.1 Various Artists INSTANT
T-Model Boogie Rosco Gordon 22 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Feelin' Bad Little Junior's Blue Flames 147 50 Golden Years : Sun Record Company Various Artists FABULOUS
The Hucklebuck Earl Hooker 22 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Lookin' for My Baby Little Milton 18 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Jelly Roll King Frank Frost 155 50 Golden Years : Sun Record Company Various Artists FABULOUS
Cotton Crop Blues James Cotton 24 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Sweet Home Chicago David 'Honeyboy' Edwards 13 Sun Records - Ultimate Blues Collection Various Artists VARESE
Tiger Man (King of the Jungle) Rufus Thomas Jr. 18 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Just Walkin' in the Rain Prisonaires, The 29 50 Golden Years : Sun Record Company Various Artists FABULOUS
Don't Dog Me Around Eddie Snow 14 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on Jerry Lee Lewis 32 50 Golden Years : Sun Record Company Various Artists FABULOUS
Baby Let's Play House Elvis Presley 14 King Of Rock'n'roll : Complete 50's Masters Elvis Presley RCA
Bluebird Blues Howlin' Wolf 18 Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958 Various Artists CHARLY
Suspicious Minds Mark James 11 Memphis Boys: The Story Of American Studios Various Artists ACE
This Train Shelton Powe 5 Gountry Blues & Gospel Shelton Powe Music Maker
She's Tough Jerry McCain 10 The Ace Story - Volume 3 Various Artists Ace Records
Steady Jerry McCain 23 Tuff Enough - Ace (Ms.) Blues Masters Vol.3 Various Artists WESTSIDE
Can't Find My Way Home Snakes-n-Angels 13 Back 2 The Weasel Ranch Snakes-n-Angels cdb
Created: 02/04/2012 09:00:46