Sunday 9 March 2014

STAR BLUES on 9th March 2014 at 22:00 with more vinyl treasures

Up and running with a preview of Robert Cray's new album "In My Soul" and vinyl all the way into the Midnight Hour. There's a new line up based around bass player Richard Cousins and the songs will hark back to the era of classic soul on Stax etc. Cray has long been a favourite player though he is long overdue a focus to a project his gifts deserve.

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
Created: 09/03/2014 23:41:45

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