... tax year starting so a young man's fancy is form-filling
... big vote starting with much hot air and bally-hoo
However -- What really mattered last night was the range of blues that started out on vinyl for our playlist; we also did Robert Lockwood's centenary: deservedly marking it with a fair sized handful of tracks. Lockwood was a uniquely gifted stringsmith with an audible jazz tinge in his guitar tone. He had a sound that fit with rural or urban blues. I speculated that he'd have gone by "Robert Lockwood Jr" rather than "Robert Jr Lockwood" because the second form was a way of linking him to Robert Johnson's legacy. I read several times how he grew weary at fending off questions about Johnson from those barely interested in Lockwood. There's a project he did for Trix that i'd hoped to include yesterday but our selection covered five decades and measured his influence. Two other Bob's at the top of the shop made for an unusual opening salvo. Covington's album is subtitle "the Golden Voice Of" - no argument here without even mentioning the fluid guitar breaks.
Mitty Collier is an ordained minister these days - with a record deal over at Dial Tone - and her brief career in secular music provided the cover of a song carrying a Willie Dixon credit. The Kansas Joe McCoy standard piece rarely gets an outing these days and it made for a neat framework with Lottie Kimborough around a short tribute to John Renbourn who'd died during the week. Along with fellow traveller's Bert Jansch and Davy Graham, Renbourn brought many to the blues during the early Sixties folk revival. By no means a blues artist in the strictest sense, his skill alone was excuse enough for us to say thanks to him.
Seasick Steve has a new album with surprisingly catchy pop choruses - his sound is rooted in a tradition which includes Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker; they are in the show but we'll pass on Steve. The birthday book had Johnnie Walker (now 70) who showed me when I started out that it was alright for a jock to actually enjoy the music he played, we tipped our headgear to Eric Clapton a week early (ditto 70). When you're talking guitarists you start with T-Bone Walker (you can pretty much stop there as no other player has ever or will ever get close). We had his classic piece "Alimony Blues" from a new set on Jasmine. We challenged you to hear a better performance before next Sunday's STAR BLUES. That one will be live round your place at 10pm (BST) on Easter Sunday. It will mark 50 years since the release of B B King's "Live at the Regal" album. 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 |
I Hate Taxes (1040 Blues) | Robert Cray | 1 | I Hate Taxes | Robert Cray | MERCURY |
Better Watch Your Step | Robert Covington | 3 | Blues In The Night | Robert Covington | |
WALKING BLUES | Robert Lockwood Jr. | 1 | i got to find me a woman | Robert Lockwood Jr. | VERVE |
I'M A BLUESMAN | Mojo Buford | 5 | State Of The Blues Harp | Mojo Buford | JSP Records |
My Babe | Mitty Collier | 9 | I Had A Talk With My Man : Blues Classics | Mitty Collier | BLUE CITY |
Mad Blues | Lightnin' Hopkins | 18 | (1946-1960) | Lightnin' Hopkins | STORY OF THE BLUES |
When The Levee Breaks | Kanas Joe McCoy | 12 | Let Me Tell You About The Blues: New York | Various Artists | Fantastic Voyage |
Kokomo Blues | John Renbourn | 14 | The Essential: The Best Of John Renbourn | John Renbourn | Castle Pulse |
Rolling Log Blues | Lottie Kimbrough | 10 | The Great Women Blues Singers | Various Artists | RETRO |
I Miss You So | Faye Wilson With Johnny Otis Orchestra | 22 | That's Your Last Boogie! | Johnny Otis | Fantastic Voyage |
I Hate To Be Alone | Roy Hawkins | 11 | Rhythm ... And Blues! | Various Artists | WESTSIDE |
RAISE A RUCKUS TONIGHT | Buster Brown | 13 | I'M GOING BUT I'LL BE BACK | Buster Brown | Jasmine |
Broken Hearted Blues | Buddy Guy | 17 | Deep Feeling | Various Artists | Fantatsic Voyage |
Right Now Baby | Roy Gaines | 13 | Groove Records Story | Various Artists | One Day Music |
(I'm Gonna) Dig Myself A Hole [MERCURY 1951] | Robert Lockwood Jr. | 7 | Down Home Blues Classics - Chicago (1946-1954) | Various Artists | BOULEVARD VINTAGE |
Little Boy Blue [1941] | Robert Lockwood Jr. | 18 | Classic Slide Guitar | Various Artists | CATFISH |
We're Gonna Ball Tonight | Robert Lockwood Jr. | 8 | Just The Blues | Robert Lockwood Jr. | BULLSEYE BLUES |
Mr. Downchild | Robert Lockwood, Jr. | 11 | Delta Crossroads | Robert Lockwood, Jr. | TELARC |
I Smell Trouble | Bobby 'Blue' Bland | 23 | It's My Life, Baby: The Singles - As & Bs, 1951-1960 | Bobby 'Blue' Bland | Jasmine |
LET'S GO AGAIN (Where We Went Last Night) | Hank BallardMidnighters | 9 | Let's Go Again | Hank BallardMidnighters | Jasmine |
Good Man Blues | Roy Brown | 15 | Pay Day Jump - The Later Years | Roy Brown | ACE |
Have A Little Mercy | Sugar Boy Crawford | 17 | Kings Of New Orleans R'n'b | Various Artists | MUSIC CLUB |
Vicious, Vicious Vodka | Amos Milburn | 23 | Down The Road Apiece - The Best Of | Amos Milburn | ALADDIN |
Bell Boy Boogie | Todd Rhodes | 14 | The R'n'b Years 1947: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1947 | Various Artists | BOULEVARD VINTAGE |
ALIMONY BLUES | T-Bone Walker | 15 | Get The Blues Off Me | T-Bone Walker | Jasmine |
That Man | Nappy Brown | 22 | The R'n'b Years 1954: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1954 | Various Artists | BOULEVARD VINTAGE |
WHAT A DREAM | Slim Harpo | 13 | I'm A King Bee | Slim Harpo | Jasmine |
Rock House Boogie | John Lee Hooker | 44 | Too Much Boogie | John Lee Hooker | INDIGO |
Du Dee Squat (Criss Cross 110) | Little Luther | 16 | Slabs Of Humdingers Vol. 2 | Various Artists | vee-tone |
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