More and more new releases include a vinyl format which can only be a good thing, and March right here is all about music that was created for 78 45 or 33 rpm on black plastic. Little Walter was on our playlist three times, one apiece with Big Crawford on bass adding support to Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers, and a magnificent piece under his own name that was anything but mellow. During the week I'd heard Z Z Top give their treatment to it and needed to remind myself of the grace and brio of Walter's axe. We dipped into the Chief recordings of Junior Wells with Earl Hooked and Willie Dixon but his harp was buried in the mix on Universal Rock.
Rogers was one of five artists with first name Jimmy and is certainly the best known. In a different strain of our music, Jimmy Liggins purveyed an engaging form of jump blues and Jimmie Lee Robinson was dubbed Prince of the Blues and shown wearing a turban on the front cover photo for his recordings on Chicago's Bandera label. Jimmy Nolen was a caustic player able to carve stinging solos and is oft overlooked; Jimmy Johnson was chosen by Bruce Iglauer to open his three album project which showcased the growth of Chicago blues since Sam Charters original survey on Chicago the Blues Today.
On a night for great players we had the already much missed Bobby Parker and Neal Pittman (who was backed by Cookie Stark and Tan Mahal), Taj had already been on show with his reading of Statesboro Blues taken from his eponymous full label debut on Columbia. The scorching slide there was the work of Jesse Ed Davis - and according to brother Gregg interviewed for a BBC4 documentary on Muscle Shoals studios - the inspiration which drove Duane Altman's slide prowess.
Hadda Brooks was beautiful elegant woman who could dust those keys nine ways till Sunday, as a mark of her significance during the first year of the Bihari's Modern imprint in 1945 she is the face for the artwork on the current survey. We're played Varetta Dillard before though her place in my collection is shamefully scant, something I fully intend to put right. From the same era we put in a seminal piece of John Lee Hooker and noted the album No Friend Around is still the first stopping off point for anyone who is serious about JLH. Over in Philadelphia, the nimble skills of Dan Pickett turned to a song from Sonny Boy Williamson, and though he often covered work by others he too had a unique style.
Tabby Thomas died at the start of the year and it was nice to be able to go to another of his earliest rockin' sides and Eddie Lang was our first choice from a new anthology of Ric Ron records out on Ace. We didn't confuse him with the urbane jazz guitarist of nearly the same name, though you may if you spend too long on Wikipedia. At the moments in my time growing up, I always seemed to find something by the man known as 'the Voice' : Bobby Blue Bland and there are dozens of great reminders of his prowess. The A and B sides of his Duke records are out on Jasmine (the same source gave us our Willie Mahon and Eddie Boyd selections last night).
Our current playlists are from the vinyl area and our commitment to showcasing the Current blues artists who still play in the old fashioned way marks out STAR BLUES as wilfully different, and we make no apologies. Thank-you for the very kind words on Britain's Other Blues show; back next Sunday at 10pm if you'll have us, 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 |
you move me (single) | robert cray | 1 | in my soul (album) | robert cray | provogue |
Statesboro Blues | Taj Mahal | 2 | Taj Mahal | Taj Mahal | COLUMBIA |
Got to Move | Elmore James | 6 | Complete Chess Chief Fire Recs. | Elmore James | CHARLY |
Crosscut Saw | Otis Rush | 2 | Tops | Otis Rush | DEMON |
Bottle Up and Go | Neal Pattman | 11 | Prison Blues | Neal Pattman | MUSIC MAKER |
Shake That Thing | Kokomo Arnold | 13 | Old Original Kokomo Blues : His 20 Greatest Song | Kokomo Arnold | WOLF |
Decoration Day | Dan Pickett | 20 | Shake That Thing!: East Coast Blues 1935-1953, | Various Artists | JSP Records |
No Friend Around | John Lee Hooker | 7 | No Friend Around | John Lee Hooker | RED LIGHTNING |
Wipe Your Tears | Jimmy Nolen | 15 | Scratchin'-Federal 52-56 | Pete 'Guitar' Lewis-Jimmy Nolen-Cal Green | charly R&B |
Tear Drop Blues | Jimmy Liggins | 25 | The R'n'b Hits Of 1948 | Various Artists | INDIGO |
Pretty Mama Blues | Ivory Joe Hunter | 19 | Roots Of Rock'n'roll | Various Artists | PRISM |
Ridin' the Boogie | Hadda Brooks | 11 | Modern Music: 1945 | Various Artists | ACE |
Mercy Mr. Percy | Varetta Dillard | 3 | The R'n'b Years 1953: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1953 | Various Artists | BOULEVARD VINTAGE |
Roll on Ole Mule | Tabby Thomas | 3 | Genuine Excello R'n'b | Various Artists | ACE |
easy rockin' | eddy lang | 11 | ric and ron story vol. 1 | various artists | ace |
Universal Rock | Junior Wells | 6 | Junior Wells 1957-1963 | Junior Wells | Chief |
serves me right to suffer | Jimmy Johnson | 2 | Living Chicago Blues, Vol. 1 | Various Artists | Alligator |
long distance call | muddy waters | 4 | Chess Blues Classics 1947-1956 | Various Artists | MCA/CHESS |
That's All Right | Jimmy Rogers | 3 | Chess Blues Classics 1947-1956 | Various Artists | MCA/CHESS |
Snow Cone - Part 1 | Albert Collins | 12 | The Cool Sound Of Albert Collins | Albert Collins | BLUE CITY |
Shade Tree Mechanic | Z. Z. Hill | 18 | The Last Soul Company | Various Artists | Malaco Records |
No Blow No Show | Bobby 'Blue' Bland | 9 | It's My Life, Baby: The Singles - As & Bs, 1951-1960 | Bobby 'Blue' Bland | Jasmine |
Low Down Dirty Shame | J. B. Lenoir | 20 | J. B. Lenoir | J. B. Lenoir | ROOTS |
Times is Hard | Jimmie Lee Robinson | 6 | Bandera Blues And Gospel From The Bandera, Laredo And Jerico | Various Artists | ACE |
No Feelings for You | Slim Willis | 8 | Dave's Anthology Of Chicago Blues - Vol. 1 | Various Artists | |
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning | Mississippi Fred McDowell | 9 | The First Recordings | Mississippi Fred McDowell | Rounder |
Night Latch Blues | Yank Rachell | 23 | 20th Century Blues | Various Artists | CATFISH |
dont drive me away | bobby parker | 9 | various artists | ||
I don't know Five long years Mellow Down Easy |
Willie Mabon Eddie Boyd Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs) |
1 1-21 1 |
Willies Blues Blues is here Chess Blues |
Willie Man on Eddie Boyd Various Artists |
Jasmine Jasmine CHESS |
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