STAR BLUES on 5th January 2014 at 22:00

On what would have been his 85th birthday we mark the passing of Rockin' Tabby Thomas; he made some fine singles for Excello and for many years ran the "Tabby's Blues Box" club in Baton Rouge La. He won a talent contest after his discharge from the forces in 1951 and cut a handful of singles on different labels over the next couple of years. In 1959 local students had a project to discover local players which lead to his signing by Jay Miller and the label debut "HooDoo Party" and its followup "Popeye Train". He stayed a while with Excello and its offshoots and his singles are prized by soul collectors (There's a fascinating bio and discography on the SirShambling web site). In 1980 he founded the Blues Box club and ran that for around 20 years in his home town where he hosted touring artists of the stature of B. B. King when they queued three times round the block. He had to stop playing after a car crash and subsequent stroke in 2004 but he carried on singing. Judging by the number and warmth of words I've read and heard, he was well-loved and will leave a huge hole in our music.

New Years Day 30 years ago was similarly remembered for the death of Alexis Korner (he was Radio 2's Paul Jones R&B Show before Paul Jones. I believe he was another denizen of late Sunday nights (not sure if was as into his white tee-shirts though)). We played a rare track from 1964 which was done in session for the BBC with the fruity voiced Herbie Goins and grainy sax of Dick Heckstall Smith in accompaniment. Alexis' radio show was often graced with the harp demonstration piece done by Charlie Musselwhite for Stefan Grossman's Kicking Mule - Charlie has a new live album cut last August at the Juke Joint Chapel on Highway 49 out of Clarksdale and he's lost none of his sparkle. He'll be 70 on January 31st.

Another 70th birthday we should have marked ws that of Jo Ann Kelly (5th January 1944) who both sang and played guitar as if she came from the Delta and nothing like she looked.

We also had the first offering from two guys calling themselves "the Blues Doctors"; they're both professors from the University of Mississippi in Oxford. They hustled a gig at a local bar, of which this album is a good blend of covers with a quartet of originals from harp nan Adam Gussow. You will know his name as half of the long running Satan and Adam pairing. We chose the instrumental working of a song written by the Crusaders' Joe Sample.

I got the latest issue of Living Blues a tad before New Year and it has (among other things) a remarkable piece of research by Jim O'Neil - he's been looking at the story of Casey Bill Weldon and at evidence of the relationship Bill was thought to have had with Memphis Minnie. Some research books say they were married. However Jim puts forward a case for mistaken identity (by accident or design) - he posits Memphis Minnie being married to Will Weldon from Arkansas who played with the Memphis Jug Band. We played tracks from each of the three and there's do doubt there are distinctive characteristics in guitar style between both men. Jim presents a pretty convincing case, the full piece is in Living Blues #228 (Dec 2013 edition)

The timing of the arrival of the magazine made for a last minute update to my annual GARY BLUES ALMANAC publication (we like to show a list of projects reviewed in LB and in Blues&Rhythm magazine). If you've not got your copy of the ALMANAC, please contact me via the radio station email address. Its an e-publication in PDF form and this one is volume 5. It gives us a chance to unveil the annual STAR BLUES award winners. (See last blog). Another great excuse to play tracks by Bobby Rush, Billy Boy Arnold and from the Delmark stable.

Turns out my Otis Rush disc was mispressed and we didn't get his version of Little Red Roster, but those Cobra sides are little gems so you can't go too far wrong. Distinctive guitar from Robert Ward and the lascivious Wynonie Harris vox were two other highlights, the latter as a mark of respect to a batch of persisssstent rain we can't shake off. Amos Milburn and Ernest Lane did piano bits for us and the Zion travelers were in the gospel tent.

I'm aiming to be back with more next Sunday at 10pm (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 in Louisiana	Raful Neal	2	I Been Mistreated	Raful Neal	ICHIBAN
Master Charge	Albert Collins	6	Ice Pickin'	Albert Collins	Alligator
Red Beans	Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson	1	I Want To Groove With You	Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson	Rounder Records Manufactured and Distributed By Co
White Fox	Robert Ward	5	Twiggs County Soul Man	Robert Ward	BLACK TOP
A Real Good Time	Eddie Clearwater	21	Mark Lamarr's Roc-King Up A Storm	Various Artists	WESTSIDE
i ain't the one	bobby rush	3	dopwn in louisiana	bobby rush	deep rush
put it where you want it	blues doctors	1	roosters happy hour	blues doctors	harmonica blues
The Blues Overtook Me	Charlie Musselwhite	7	juke joint chapel	charlie musselwhite	henrietta
Roberta	Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated	17	At The Cavern	Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated	CASTLE
Blue and Lonesome	Ernest Lane	1	The Blues Is Back!	Ernest Lane	ACOUSTIC MUSIC
Empty Arms Blues	Amos Milburn	36	Blues Barrelhouse And Boogie - The Best Of	Amos Milburn	Capitol
beautiful city	zion travellers	2-5	gospel celebrities	various artists	fantastic voyage
Red Headed Woman	Baby Face Leroy Trio	40	King Of Chicago Blues - Esssential	Muddy Waters	INDIGO
Little Red Rooster	Otis Rush	18	Good'uns : The Classic Cobra Sides	Otis Rush	BLUESIDE
Hoodoo Party	Tabby Thomas	18	Louisiana Swamp Blues	Various Artists	FLYRIGHT
Popeye Train	Tabby Thomas	2	It's Your Voodoo Working: The Best Of Excello	Various Artists	universal music operations
Roll on Ole Mule	Tabby Thomas	3	Genuine Excello R'n'b	Various Artists	ACE
Outskirts of Town	Casey Bill Weldon	8	Roots Of Van Morrison	Various Artists	CATFISH
Goin’ Back to Texas	Memphis Minnie	17	History Of Rhythm And Blues Part One	Various Artists	Rhythm and Blues Records
Turpentine Blues	Will Weldon	10	Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Atlanta	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
Lost Lover Blues	Blind Boy Fuller	16	Messed Up In Love And Other Tales Of Woe	Various Artists	Blue Label / SPV
John Henry	Pop Staples	22	Ultimate Staple Singers: A Family Affair	Staple Singers, The	Kent (U.K.)
move back to the woods	billy boy arnold	13	walter davis project	various artists	electro-fi
hey hey baby	lurrie bell	1	blues in my soul	lurrie bell	DELMARK
Messed Up (Cobra 5012)	Harold Burrage	14	R&b Humdingers Volume 14	Various Artists	Vee-Tone Records
Take Me Out of the Rain	Wynonie Harris	22	Mr. Blues	Wynonie Harris	PROPER
Take Me in Your Arms	Lazy Lester	23	I'm A Lover Not A Fighter	Lazy Lester	ACE
Real Lovin' Mama	Floyd Dixon	2	Wailin' Daddy	Maxwell Davis	Fantastic Voyage

Created: 05/01/2014 23:41:11