STAR BLUES on 30th September 2012 at 22:00

Cora Mae Walton was born on 28th September near Memphis, she married and they moved to Chicago with "35 cents and a box of Ritz crackers". Success didn't come quickly or easily, she had a gig at Sylvio's club in 1963 when Willie Dixon walked in. He got her signed to the Chess label and believed the song "Wang Dang Doodle" was right for her. She didn't care for it as a novelty piece, it was an immediate commercial hit despite the earlier go by Howlin' Wolf. Those Sixties sessions had the cream of the crop like Buddy Guy and Matt Murphy though she wasn't scared off - her distinctive style was packed with menace and aggression and Dixon rated her as the best he'd ever come across.  We took two from those first sessions for Chess and a later guest outing for Bob Corritore whereby she lost none of her power in first rate company. She won 25 WC Handy Awards, equivalent to Oscars, more than anyone else. Our 1001 Blues feature hardly seemed big enough.

More distinctive vocals from Lawrence Lebo who moves effortless from blues to jazz and back on her third EP which chides us "Don't Call Me Larry". She has a lovely sweet voice and a refreshingly sparse arrangement for her own songs with none of the usual showing off on guitar.  She's also another (like Bob Corritore) who does a lot behind the scenes to keep the blues alive in all its forms. Gaye Agdebelola used to be in  Saffire (the Uppity Blues Women) she was positively glorious on her coming-out album "Gaye Without Shame" demonstrating very nice slide guitar skill backed by Bob Margolin in his living room!

We kept a promise to return to the Chicago club date BB King did in 1966 for his "Blues Is King" album to play the previously unissued "Going Down Slow" remarkable for the force of B's vocal rather than his prowess with Lucille. Z. Z Hill would have also had a birthday, as would Little Buster - two of the finest soul blues singers that reinvigorated interest in our music in the African American communities.

Ranie Burnette was recorded by Fat Possum and he came from the school defined as "Mississippi Hill Country Blues" by RL Burnside. His album is worth looking for. Tommy McClennan cut over 40 sides for Bluebird between 1939 and 1942 -- all of them cleaned up and reissued by the Document label. Within in a trice we changed styles to get some Wicked Pickett and the talents of George Jackson (if you see his name as writer, singer or producer its as good as a guarantee).

Blues Matters! magazine appears every month like clockwork and usually focuses on the edge rock has with blues and beyond. Cover star is an impish Robert Cray with broad mischievous grin and nifty titfer. Lady Blue thinks he looks cute and quite sexy - I have the exact same hat and she thinks I look like a Brussels sprout and refuses to go out with me if I wear it. Go figure. We played his new single to announce he'll be in Cambridge at the Corn Exchange on 8th March next year. In the same magazine there's an article as a spirited defence of an ill-thought out attack on Bob 'the bear' Hite. So we added to the rebuttal by including a track from "Hooker 'n' Heat". Another tactic could have been a bottle of earwax cleaner and some F-sized speakers to showcase top-class Canned Heat. You choose.

Tom Jones is blessed with a remarkable set of pipes and he employs them on gospel pieces these days. he co-wrote "Traveling Shoes" with guitarist and producer Ethan Johns. Our weekly spot is a natural home when he's on this kind of form. Piano duties fell to Henri Herman of the Cadillac Kings whose live album is a terrific sample of a British band firing on all cylinders celebrating jumpin R&B. Toby Walker will be in Bury St Edmunds on 3rd November, his graceful playing on a Eugene Powell piece was delightful. Before we knew it the time was up and I hadn't had time to play Drink Small who will soon be playing with Ironing Board Sam - remind me next week at ten pm (BST) 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
Down Home Blues	Z. Z. Hill	2	Best Of	Z. Z. Hill	MALACO
Goin' Down Slow	B. B. King	1	King Of The Blues	B. B. King	MCA
Hungry Woman's Blues	Gaye Adegbalola	3	Gaye Without Shame	Gaye Adegbalola	Hot Toddy
Lonely Nights	Clarence Edwards	1	Swampin'	Clarence Edwards
Whatever I Am You Made Me	Koko Taylor	9	Koko Taylor	Koko Taylor	MCA / CHESS
What Kind Of Man Is This?	Bob Corritore, Koko Taylor, Bob Margolin, Little Frank Krakowski, Bob Stroger, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smi	1	Harmonica Blues	Bob Corritore	Delta Groove
I Love A Lover Like You	Koko Taylor	18	Wang Dang Doodle	Koko Taylor	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION
Blue As I Can Be	Tommy McClennan	19	Cross Cut Saw	Tommy McClennan	DOCUMENT
Hungry Spell	Ranie Burnette	7	Hill Country Blues	Ranie Burnette	FAT POSSUM
I Got My Eyes On You	John Lee HookerCanned Heat	10	Hooker 'N' Heat. The Best Of ... Plus	John Lee Hooker	SEE FOR MILES
(Won't Be) Coming Home - Album Version	Robert Cray Band	1	Won't Be Coming Home - Robert Cray	Various Artists
I'm Crazy About My Baby	Jimmy Johnson	4	Tobacco Road	Jimmy Johnson	STORYVILLE
I Got A Problem	Phillip Walker	11	Working Girl Blues	Phillip Walker	BLACK TOP
What Can I Do (Somebody Tell Me)	Little BusterSoul Brothers, The	1	Right On Time	Little BusterSoul Brothers, The	BULLSEYE BLUES
Three Time Loser	Wilson Pickett	1	Have Mercy! The Songs Of Don Covay	Various Artists	ACE
Save Me	George Jackson	10	Let The Best Man Win	George Jackson	fame / kent
Traveling Shoes	Tom Jones	8	Spirit In The Room	Tom Jones	ISLAND
It's Not The First Time	Lawrence Lebo	3	Don't Call Her Larry, Vol Iii	Lawrence Lebo	Unsigned
mean ol frisco	Cadillac Kings, The	8	Gonna Tell Your Momma	Cadillac Kings, The	33 records
hamar boogie	Cadillac Kings, The	9	Gonna Tell Your Momma	Cadillac Kings, The	33 records
Hacksaw Rag/Cincinnati Flow Rag	Toby Walker	12	Live At The Bottleneck	Toby Walker	Powerhouse Records
Better Man	Eli Cook	2	Ace, Jack & King	Eli Cook

Created: 30/09/2012 23:54:50