Sunday 9 August 2015

STAR BLUES on 9th August 2015 at 22:00 with bent knees and straight back, using both arms

we're following H&S guidance bringing you blues. As if we'd do it any other way. Johnny Shines and Walter Horton have been the advanced guard and they're in good company round your place. Even the mighty Liza Tarbuck on Radio2 is an advocate of Mr. Horton - her Saturday extravaganza closed with "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" off his Blind Pig album.

I'll not dwell on the Johnnie Bassett selection other than to remark - after playing his song - that Lady Blue has only provisionally let me back in the house; and its because JB was a class act. Look on YouTube to see him lovingly coax honey from his guitar. He tucked in after the offspring of one of Chicago blues' finest, Eddie Taylor. His new album is on Wolf and gave us a fine opening salvo. There's a resurgence in interest in harp-master Charlie Sayles; his JSP stuff is reissued and positively reviewed in Living blues magazine, he also has a cd on Fetal with Tony Fazio which shows off good skills from both men. an early return is likely on our playlist.

Eugene Hideaway Bridges is absurdly gifted in all departments and his new one is a contender for album of 2015. He plays so lyrically and effortlessly - we brought the title song in evidence. A big man whose voice can whisper and roar. The year has so far been good for singers, not the  least of which Wee Willie Walker whose time has surely come. Starting in the 60s he has always been an expressive singer - now on Jim Pugh's label and in close collaboration with Rick Estrin and Kid Andersion, together they've crafted a real gem full of lush arrangements. Living Blues loves it too the cd has the award in the current edition. Finis Tasby came from the same era as Willie and his solo albums deserve as much attention as the work he did front and centre for the Mannish Boys.

In 1992 producer Ron Levy put Jimmy McCracklin with Lowell Fulson, added in the house band and horns creating a fine project by Fulson  on Bullseye. WC Clark, another man noted as much for voice as guitar, covered Clarence Carter for the robust opener to his album on Alligator. Similar in name only, harp playing William Clarke shared a label but not much else. He did a version of a Muddy Waters song that just showed how much he was under-rated and how much he is missed.

Ace records has put out two delicious surveys this month: one goes to the Ric, Ron and Show-Biz labels to dig out complete singles records by Tommy Ridgely and Bobby Mitchell. You won't get far if you're serious about Louisiana music without coming across these two. The other set is the first volume of stuff done for the Kent label after 1958 - the imprint was created by the Bihari Brothers to replace Modern and RPM. Of thefour songs we chose, surely no-one was fooled by the "Betty and Dupree" artist credit. Wafer thin veneer to disguise Etta James and Harvey Fuqua.

I doubt my interest in blues would have grown in the same way without having heard Scrapper Blackwell. I'm pretty sure I first came across him through the Paul Jones R&B show in the days pre-war blues got played on BBC. He was an admirable foil to Leroy Carr who wrote the song they brought for us. The Sleepy John Estes song came from 1929 and I felt obliged to conclude with T-Bone Walker. (Who am I kidding, no excuse needed). T-Bone was lamenting having to sneak past a woman that sleeps very lightly. Perhaps a distant cousin of Lady Blue after my choice of Johnnie Bassett track?

Tune in again next Sunday at 10pm (BST) to see if I got away with it. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of yoy.


track.title track.artistsort index album.title album.artistsort label duration writercredit
Baby Please Come Home Eddie Taylor Jr. 7 Stop Breaking Down Eddie Taylor Jr. WOLF [ 3 mins 21 secs ] Eddie Taylor Jr.
I Love a Good Woman (But I Like the Bad One's Too) Johnnie Bassett & The Blues Insurgents 5 I Gave My Life To The Blues Johnnie Bassett & The Blues Insurgents [ 3 mins 29 secs ] Johnnie Bassett & The Blues Insurgents
Everybody's Got Something to Say Charlie Sayles & The Blues Disciple 6 Charlie Sayles and the Blues Disciples Charlie Sayles & The Blues Disciple CDBaby [ 3 mins 57 secs ] Charlie Sayles & The Blues Disciple
Hold On A Little Bit Longer Eugene Hideaway Bridges 2 Hold On A Little Bit Longer Eugene Hideaway Bridges [ 4 mins 32 secs ] Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Working Man Lowell Fulson 1 Hold On Lowell Fulson BULLSEYE BLUES [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Lowell Fulson
Mean Old World Finis Tasby 6 What My Blues Are All About Finis Tasby Electro-Fi [ 6 mins 55 secs ] Finis Tasby
Shim Sham Shimmy Champion Jack Dupree 9 Two Classic Albums Plus Singles Champion Jack Dupree AVID [ 2 mins 45 secs ] Champion Jack Dupree
Shim Sham Shimmy Billy 'The Kid' Emerson 21 Boppin' The Blues : Stars On Sun Various Artists CHARLY [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Billy 'The Kid' Emerson
Barrelhouse When It Rains Big Bill Broonzy 11 History Of Rhythm And Blues Part One Various Artists Rhythm and Blues Records [ 2 mins 53 secs ] Big Bill Broonzy
Read Between The Lines Wee Willie Walker 1 If Nothing Ever Changes Wee Willie Walker [ 3 mins 19 secs ] Wee Willie Walker
Let's Have A Ball Ray Charles 5 Mess Around Ray Charles PROPER [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Ray Charles
Snatching It Back W. C. Clark 1 From Austin With Soul W. C. Clark Alligator [ 0 mins 0 secs ] W. C. Clark
evil William Clarke 4 the hard way William Clarke Alligator [ 3 mins 22 secs ] morganfield
Double Eyed Wammy Tommy Ridgley 5 In The Same Old Way: The Complete Ric, Ron And Sho-Biz Recordings Tommy RidgleyBobby Mitchell ACE [ 2 mins 29 secs ] Tommy Ridgley
Well I Done Got Over It Bobby Mitchell 17 In The Same Old Way: The Complete Ric, Ron And Sho-Biz Recordings Tommy RidgleyBobby Mitchell ACE [ 2 mins 24 secs ] Bobby Mitchell
Honey Bee Billy Myles 8 Solid Stroll Vol. 3 Various Artists LUCKY Gal [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Billy Myles
Rough Dried Woman Big Mac 13 Dave's Anthology Of Chicago Blues - Vol. 1 Various Artists
[ 0 mins 0 secs ] Big Mac
Sneakin' And Hidin' Johnny Shines 3 Johnny Shines Johnny ShinesWalter Horton Testament [ 3 mins 53 secs ] Johnny Shines
Lone Town Blues Junior Brooks 3 The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions Vol. 1 Various Artists ACE [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Junior Brooks
Pea Vine Special Big Joe Williams 7 Baby Please Don't Go Big Joe Williams BLUES ENCORE [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Big Joe Williams
Goin' Down Slow Robert McCoy 4 Bye Bye Baby Robert McCoy DELMARK [ 2 mins 57 secs ] Robert McCoy
Unlock The Lock Jimmy Nelson 3 Unlock The Lock - The US Kent Records Story Various Artists ACE [ 2 mins 43 secs ] Jimmy Nelson
If It Ain't One Thing Betty And Dupree 15 Unlock The Lock - The US Kent Records Story Various Artists ACE [ 2 mins 19 secs ] Betty And Dupree
love you baby bobby bland 21 Unlock The Lock - The US Kent Records Story Various Artists ACE [ 2 mins 43 secs ] bland
Dance The Thing Floyd Dixon And His Orchestra 12 Unlock The Lock - The US Kent Records Story Various Artists ACE [ 2 mins 39 secs ] Floyd Dixon And His Orchestra
V8 Baby Tommy Brown 18 Jump 'N' Jive Various Artists METRO [ 2 mins 56 secs ] Tommy Brown
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out Billie & Dede Pierce 14 All That Blues Various Artists ORIGINAL BLUES CLASSICS [ 4 mins 10 secs ] Billie & Dede Pierce
Midnight Hour Blues Scrapper Blackwell 13 Hard Time Blues Scrapper Blackwell ABM [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Scrapper Blackwell
The Girl I Love She Got Long Curly Hair Sleepy John Estes 14 Drop Down Mama Sleepy John Estes ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Sleepy John Estes
Lone Wolf J. B. Hutto 7 Pet Cream Man J. B. Hutto ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION [ 0 mins 0 secs ] J. B. Hutto
She's The No-Sleepin' Est Woman T-Bone Walker 55 The Original Source T-Bone Walker PROPER [ 0 mins 0 secs ] T-Bone Walker
The Fat Man Fats Domino 14 The R'n'b Years 1950: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1950 Various Artists BOULEVARD VINTAGE [ 2 mins 37 secs ] Fats Domino
Change My Way Of Livin' Clarence Spady 3 Nature Of The Beast Clarence Spady EVIDENCE [ 0 mins 0 secs ] Clarence Spady
Created: 09/08/2015 23:51:25

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