There is one question no man wants to be asked though last night's STAR BLUES offered a suggestion during our piano blues feature...
The timing of the show meant that we were able to survey the great wealth of blues love songs about good men lovin' bad women and good women lovin' bad men. Top of my list was "Sweet Black Angel", the Lucille Bogan song done in 1956 by BB King and the Maxwell Davis Orchestra - a real celebration both lyrically and instrumentally with BB at his utmost and nothing whatsoever to do with the downbeat depressing stereotype of the genre. Brook Benton's "I'll Take Care of You" was a big hit by Bobby 'Blue' Bland and his warm reassuring voice wraps around you like the softest of blankets in the wildest winds. Magic Sam was on hand for "All Your Love" and Howlin' Wolf was "Howlin' For My Baby" in 1951.
We indulged ourselves with seven minutes from the Layla double album of love songs for Derek and the Dominoes version of Freddie Kings "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" - can there ever have been a more poignant rendition of the last line about "best-friends gal" in the light of Eric Clapton's trouble in woo-ing Patti Harrison away from Beatle George? Eric also gave us our gospel offering with "Give Me Strength" from his 1974 comeback project "461 Ocean Boulevard". At listener request we also did Gary Moore's version of "Need Your Love So Bad", we often play the Little Willie John original or the Fleetwood Mac cover but rarely do we go to Moore's controlled rework. Willie's "Fever" was present too so the circle stayed neatly intact.
Somehow Andrew Junior Boy Jones album on Electro-Fi slipped under the radar at the tail end of last year and I tried to make amends by including "Just Playing The Blues" last night. Coco Montoya has played with Albert Collins and John Mayall before his recent solo success, he'll have a new album out next month and we played the title track "I Want It Back" on yesterday's STAR BLUES. The project finds him in somewhat reflective mood and in the capable production hands of Keb Mo.
Chaps - if your lady ever asks "Does my bum look big in this?" Fear not, those Uppity Blues Women, Saffire have a suggestion: "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH BUTT". Go on I dare you. While you contemplate those wise words, I'll say thanks for giving me the chance to spend time with you yesterday and I hope we can be together again this upcoming Sunday at 10pm for two hours more blues, news, reviews and tomfoolery in a white tee-shirt. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Gary Blue
PS Please let me know how you got on with that answer, though neither I nor anyone else at STAR BLUES or UKRD will accept any responsibility etc etc...
Monday, 15 February 2010
Monday, 8 February 2010
STAR BLUES on 7th February 2010 at 22:00
With tracks from 6 new albums, 4 Grammy Winners, 3 birthdays and an obit, the STAR BLUES show last night gave evidence of a very busy blues scene in this new decade. The Grammy awards were announced last week and yesterday was our first chance to celebrate with the winners: the five disc set of Complete Recordings of Little Walter deservedly won in Best Historical category, neatly following his induction into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of fame in 2008. Ramblin' Jack Elliott took the Traditional prize for his collection of Depression-era songs from which we took "Richland Woman" last night. Buckwheat Zydeco got recognition with the award for best Cajun & Zydeco album for his splendid Alligator set "Lay My Burden Down". In December it was announced that Michael Jackson would get a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, somewhat overshadowing the same honour to be bestowed on 95 year-old Honeyboy Edwards. We marked his glorious career with a down-home track he did in 2007 for Earwig.
Fresh from the shrink-wrap came Michael Roach, Eric Bibb, Mahalia Jackson, Lucky Peterson, Erick Hovey and Jimi Hendrix. The latter is from a project of previously unissued stuff, though I am pretty sure there are more to come.(If you have the Alan Douglas produced items that Polydor put out in the 70s, you'll know what I mean as those tracks were cut at the same sessions). Messrs Bibb and Roach will most likely be vying for the same pocket money but you really should try to hear both men celebrate a long-lost art form as songster -blues-troubadour. Lucky Peterson is now on the JSP label, he's still a "youngster" we think he's been around a while because Willie Dixon found him at age three playing keyboards. The instrumental piano piece "Lucky's 88" got him into our piano blues spot. A survey of Mahalia Jackson's work from 1951 is out next month on the new Superbird label - the first dozen tracks are long out of print last out on Columbia and Del Taylor's guys have added five more songs to the set. She ofcourse held down the Gospel tent. Erick Hovey did the seemingly impossible by being tight yet loose; his singing and playing style is laid back in the best JJ Cale tradition, yet his band is as tight as the proverbial ducks rear-end.
Jody Williams just turned 75, Otis Clay will have a birthday this week and Johnny Guitar Watson would have celebrated too - music from all on STAR BLUES yesterday. The obit. came in first thing in the morning - Sir John Dankworth's death was announced by his wife, Cleo Laine. Though much of their work lies outside our purview, I found an old 60's EP to show mastery on "T'Aint What You Do". I have a small personal recollection of Cleo and Johnny coming to my primary school when I was five or six. They were generous in their enthusiasm for making music at the earliest opportunities for every child. We won't see his like again.
This upcoming week I'll try to show how many blues love songs there are and if you want to request or dedicate anything, please let me know. I hope we get chance to spend another two hours together this Valentine's day at 10pm (GMT) from the home of the 9-5 No Repeat Workday, your Cambridge & Ely's Star Radio - Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
Gary Blue
Fresh from the shrink-wrap came Michael Roach, Eric Bibb, Mahalia Jackson, Lucky Peterson, Erick Hovey and Jimi Hendrix. The latter is from a project of previously unissued stuff, though I am pretty sure there are more to come.(If you have the Alan Douglas produced items that Polydor put out in the 70s, you'll know what I mean as those tracks were cut at the same sessions). Messrs Bibb and Roach will most likely be vying for the same pocket money but you really should try to hear both men celebrate a long-lost art form as songster -blues-troubadour. Lucky Peterson is now on the JSP label, he's still a "youngster" we think he's been around a while because Willie Dixon found him at age three playing keyboards. The instrumental piano piece "Lucky's 88" got him into our piano blues spot. A survey of Mahalia Jackson's work from 1951 is out next month on the new Superbird label - the first dozen tracks are long out of print last out on Columbia and Del Taylor's guys have added five more songs to the set. She ofcourse held down the Gospel tent. Erick Hovey did the seemingly impossible by being tight yet loose; his singing and playing style is laid back in the best JJ Cale tradition, yet his band is as tight as the proverbial ducks rear-end.
Jody Williams just turned 75, Otis Clay will have a birthday this week and Johnny Guitar Watson would have celebrated too - music from all on STAR BLUES yesterday. The obit. came in first thing in the morning - Sir John Dankworth's death was announced by his wife, Cleo Laine. Though much of their work lies outside our purview, I found an old 60's EP to show mastery on "T'Aint What You Do". I have a small personal recollection of Cleo and Johnny coming to my primary school when I was five or six. They were generous in their enthusiasm for making music at the earliest opportunities for every child. We won't see his like again.
This upcoming week I'll try to show how many blues love songs there are and if you want to request or dedicate anything, please let me know. I hope we get chance to spend another two hours together this Valentine's day at 10pm (GMT) from the home of the 9-5 No Repeat Workday, your Cambridge & Ely's Star Radio - Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
Gary Blue
Monday, 1 February 2010
STAR BLUES on 31st January 2010 at 22:00
I only ever make two promises for a STAR BLUES show, the first is the white tee-shirt (I do have a few) and the second is blues in all shades. Happy to oblige on both counts last night. Our major feature was the music of the Blue Horizon label, original home to Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack. In the Sixties Blue Horizon was a by-word for quality and renowned for being the UK outlet for otherwise hard-to-find imports from the States. The guy that discovered Madonna has just relaunched the label and will offer digital downloads and has a lot to live up to.
Top and tail of the show came from birthday boy Charlie Musselwhite a skilled practitioner of the harp, agile and fluid he is much in demand for his own work and sessions. His "Harpin On A Riff" was only ever done as a tutorial piece for Stefan Grossman's Kicking Mule label but Alexis Korner picked up on it for his Radio1 blues show. I heard it and took it to my Desert Island a few years ago when I was asked.
The Grammys were on last night but there'd been no results by close of my show but congrats now go to Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Derek Trucks' Band who won in Traditional and Contemporary Blues categories respectively. Expect some further kudos on next weeks show. Also in the news is Etta James who is ill in hospital and we wish her all the best even if the recovery will be slower than she'd like. Bruce Iglauer was on facebook just before the show and his label Alligator will have new albums by the Holmes Brothers and Guitar Shorty out in March - so some good things to look forward to.
Julian Temple has a film being premiered tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd) and out for general release on Friday: "Oil City Confidential" is all about Canvey Island and the greatest live act of all time, the original lineup of Dr. Feelgood. The thought of Lee Brilleaux, Wilko Johnson, Big Figure and John B. Sparks on the big screen is mouth watering and would have been unheard of during their heyday - it wasn't what the band were about. Three tracks last night brought it all back for me and quite a few others - about as far away from X-Factor as you can get with real sweat and passion.
Speaking of the next show (this upcoming Sunday at 10pm GMT from the home of the 9-5 No- Repeat Workday) we will have tracks off brand new albums by Eric Bibb, Michael Roach and Erick Hovey. The week after it'll be a chance for you to dedicate something on a Blues Love Song Special for Valentine's Day. All that blues, news, reviews, gossip and tomfoolery - in a white tee shirt. Until we get chance to spend another two hours together, take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
Gary Blue.
Top and tail of the show came from birthday boy Charlie Musselwhite a skilled practitioner of the harp, agile and fluid he is much in demand for his own work and sessions. His "Harpin On A Riff" was only ever done as a tutorial piece for Stefan Grossman's Kicking Mule label but Alexis Korner picked up on it for his Radio1 blues show. I heard it and took it to my Desert Island a few years ago when I was asked.
The Grammys were on last night but there'd been no results by close of my show but congrats now go to Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Derek Trucks' Band who won in Traditional and Contemporary Blues categories respectively. Expect some further kudos on next weeks show. Also in the news is Etta James who is ill in hospital and we wish her all the best even if the recovery will be slower than she'd like. Bruce Iglauer was on facebook just before the show and his label Alligator will have new albums by the Holmes Brothers and Guitar Shorty out in March - so some good things to look forward to.
Julian Temple has a film being premiered tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd) and out for general release on Friday: "Oil City Confidential" is all about Canvey Island and the greatest live act of all time, the original lineup of Dr. Feelgood. The thought of Lee Brilleaux, Wilko Johnson, Big Figure and John B. Sparks on the big screen is mouth watering and would have been unheard of during their heyday - it wasn't what the band were about. Three tracks last night brought it all back for me and quite a few others - about as far away from X-Factor as you can get with real sweat and passion.
Speaking of the next show (this upcoming Sunday at 10pm GMT from the home of the 9-5 No- Repeat Workday) we will have tracks off brand new albums by Eric Bibb, Michael Roach and Erick Hovey. The week after it'll be a chance for you to dedicate something on a Blues Love Song Special for Valentine's Day. All that blues, news, reviews, gossip and tomfoolery - in a white tee shirt. Until we get chance to spend another two hours together, take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
Gary Blue.
Monday, 25 January 2010
STAR BLUES on 24th January 2010 at 22:00
I've long thought that every parent has a responsibility to their children to let them have good music while growing and the best legacy to leave them is the ability to then go on to choose for themselves. So on any given evening you'll find music by Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Bland, T-Bone Walker and Sister Rosetta Tharpe round at the Blue's place.
Bobby will be 80 this Wednesday and STAR BLUES had a nice opportunity to wish him well with a full sampling of his vocal gifts and show evidence of his importance in music - from the age of the 78 to the age of the download. His recent career got a boost in 2008 as the subject of Mick Hucknall's tribute album and we had Mick's go at "I Pity The Fool" by way of introduction. Bobby's classic Duke recordings were also on show with "Farther On Up the Road" and "Two Steps from The Blues", the latter being graced with meticulous arrangements from Joe Scott. His work for Malaco (where he still records) included the lovely sensitive reading afforded the Larry Addison song "Members Only". The feature was rounded out with one of the duet pieces Bland did with BB King in the Seventies: their version of Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll". Van Morrison has long been a fan of Bobby's and STAR BLUES did not pass up the chance to hear Van's live rendition of "Ain't Nothin You Can Do". Bobby has a warm, throaty style that is comforting even in the deepest heartache, a pleasure akin to lying in front of an open fire on a winter's evening wrapped in sheepskin.
At the top end of the show, Nick Curran was in the songbook of Nappy Brown for "Don't Be Angry" and we wished Nick well after his diagnosis of mouth cancer and the prognosis is good I understand. Teeny Tucker had a birthday and she wanted to hear her dad's "Hi-Heel Sneakers" while Kenn from Scotland asked for some Mick Green - I was more than happy to oblige on both fronts.
Francis Wilford-Smith died in December and in addition to being a broadcaster and champion of piano blues, he had a formidable collection of 78s. I believe he was compiling a major anthology of boogie woogie and blues that will be released later this year. STAR BLUES had a classic 1954 piece from Memphis Slim in Francis' honour. The other member of the piano pair was Mike Sanchez with a splendid romp ("Let The Loving Begin") off his "Women and Cadillacs" album. Over in the Gospel tent, Blind Willie Johnson spoke to us across the ages with "Lay Your Love On Me" with gruff vocal and deft slide playing. We had a 1940 offering from "The Guitar Wizard" Tampa Red and the two hours were up in a trice.
I couldn't have asked for better company and I thank-you as always for your hospitality and kind invitation. With God willing, we will have the chance to spend another two hours together at the Home of the 9-5 No-Repeat Workday, Cambridge and Ely's Star Radio next Sunday night at 10pm (GMT). I hope you can be there, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Bobby will be 80 this Wednesday and STAR BLUES had a nice opportunity to wish him well with a full sampling of his vocal gifts and show evidence of his importance in music - from the age of the 78 to the age of the download. His recent career got a boost in 2008 as the subject of Mick Hucknall's tribute album and we had Mick's go at "I Pity The Fool" by way of introduction. Bobby's classic Duke recordings were also on show with "Farther On Up the Road" and "Two Steps from The Blues", the latter being graced with meticulous arrangements from Joe Scott. His work for Malaco (where he still records) included the lovely sensitive reading afforded the Larry Addison song "Members Only". The feature was rounded out with one of the duet pieces Bland did with BB King in the Seventies: their version of Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll". Van Morrison has long been a fan of Bobby's and STAR BLUES did not pass up the chance to hear Van's live rendition of "Ain't Nothin You Can Do". Bobby has a warm, throaty style that is comforting even in the deepest heartache, a pleasure akin to lying in front of an open fire on a winter's evening wrapped in sheepskin.
At the top end of the show, Nick Curran was in the songbook of Nappy Brown for "Don't Be Angry" and we wished Nick well after his diagnosis of mouth cancer and the prognosis is good I understand. Teeny Tucker had a birthday and she wanted to hear her dad's "Hi-Heel Sneakers" while Kenn from Scotland asked for some Mick Green - I was more than happy to oblige on both fronts.
Francis Wilford-Smith died in December and in addition to being a broadcaster and champion of piano blues, he had a formidable collection of 78s. I believe he was compiling a major anthology of boogie woogie and blues that will be released later this year. STAR BLUES had a classic 1954 piece from Memphis Slim in Francis' honour. The other member of the piano pair was Mike Sanchez with a splendid romp ("Let The Loving Begin") off his "Women and Cadillacs" album. Over in the Gospel tent, Blind Willie Johnson spoke to us across the ages with "Lay Your Love On Me" with gruff vocal and deft slide playing. We had a 1940 offering from "The Guitar Wizard" Tampa Red and the two hours were up in a trice.
I couldn't have asked for better company and I thank-you as always for your hospitality and kind invitation. With God willing, we will have the chance to spend another two hours together at the Home of the 9-5 No-Repeat Workday, Cambridge and Ely's Star Radio next Sunday night at 10pm (GMT). I hope you can be there, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Monday, 18 January 2010
STAR BLUES on 17th January 2010 at 22:00
When I first went to school I was in a class of thirty pupils and that was the whole world as far as I knew, moving to Big School had 1200 in total which was way more than I could count. At my first football match there were 19023 in the crowd all standing shoulder to jostling shoulder. Even though I'm older and wiser now I can't get my head round ten times that number just taken in an instant in Haiti.
So - at the risk of being fired for encouraging listeners not to phone or text a radio station - I asked folks instead of calling to make even the smallest donation to http://www.dec.org.uk/ or the Red Cross during last night's STAR BLUES show.
We had a short musical tribute to writer and singer Bobby Charles including his original version of "Later Alligator" complete with authentic Louisiana feel. Brand new albums from Little Joe McLerran, Will Taylor and Electrofied were on offer as was an advance preview of local favourite Danny Bryant's new cd due on 8th February. On it he covers a John Hiatt song and supplies all the other songs himself. I'd like him to sound a bit more like Danny Bryant and less like Walter Trout but he is well established now with this his 7th outing. Ray Bailey has the album of the month in the new Blues & Rhythm magazine and he gave us a very fluid demonstration of his axe skill - as did Tony Fazio on "Bad Case of the Blues" by Electrofied. To prove yours truly (in his white tee-shirt) does indeed bring you blues in all shades within ten minutes we also had the bel-canto pleasure of Big Joe Turner and the deft guitar work of Robert Wilkins whose "No Way To Get Along" was converted into "Prodigal Son" by the Rolling Stones.
Over in the piano tent, Big Joe Duskin raised the tempo for his "Cincinnatti Stomp" and birthday boy Henry Gray gave us "Cold Chills". Gray made his name in sessions at Chess and twelve years in Howlin' Wolf's band (check out his playing on "Goin' Down Slow"), he will be 85 on Tuesday and still plays live in Pheonix with his band The Cats. Also in Phoenix is the KJZZ radio station that has a blues show hosted for over 25 years by Bob Corritore. There's an album "Broadcasting The Blues" that celebrates his milestone including a nice down home performance from Lazy Lester. Bob has also compiled an anthology of Phoenix acts from 50's and 60's that I'll feature on next weeks show. That one will celebrate the upcoming 80th birthday of the artist known as "The Voice", Bobby Bland. I hope you'll be able to come along for two hours more blues, news, reviews and tomfoolery (if I haven't been fired) this Sunday at 10pm (GMT) on 107.9/1 FM and from www.star107.co.uk. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that care care of you
Gary Blue
So - at the risk of being fired for encouraging listeners not to phone or text a radio station - I asked folks instead of calling to make even the smallest donation to http://www.dec.org.uk/ or the Red Cross during last night's STAR BLUES show.
We had a short musical tribute to writer and singer Bobby Charles including his original version of "Later Alligator" complete with authentic Louisiana feel. Brand new albums from Little Joe McLerran, Will Taylor and Electrofied were on offer as was an advance preview of local favourite Danny Bryant's new cd due on 8th February. On it he covers a John Hiatt song and supplies all the other songs himself. I'd like him to sound a bit more like Danny Bryant and less like Walter Trout but he is well established now with this his 7th outing. Ray Bailey has the album of the month in the new Blues & Rhythm magazine and he gave us a very fluid demonstration of his axe skill - as did Tony Fazio on "Bad Case of the Blues" by Electrofied. To prove yours truly (in his white tee-shirt) does indeed bring you blues in all shades within ten minutes we also had the bel-canto pleasure of Big Joe Turner and the deft guitar work of Robert Wilkins whose "No Way To Get Along" was converted into "Prodigal Son" by the Rolling Stones.
Over in the piano tent, Big Joe Duskin raised the tempo for his "Cincinnatti Stomp" and birthday boy Henry Gray gave us "Cold Chills". Gray made his name in sessions at Chess and twelve years in Howlin' Wolf's band (check out his playing on "Goin' Down Slow"), he will be 85 on Tuesday and still plays live in Pheonix with his band The Cats. Also in Phoenix is the KJZZ radio station that has a blues show hosted for over 25 years by Bob Corritore. There's an album "Broadcasting The Blues" that celebrates his milestone including a nice down home performance from Lazy Lester. Bob has also compiled an anthology of Phoenix acts from 50's and 60's that I'll feature on next weeks show. That one will celebrate the upcoming 80th birthday of the artist known as "The Voice", Bobby Bland. I hope you'll be able to come along for two hours more blues, news, reviews and tomfoolery (if I haven't been fired) this Sunday at 10pm (GMT) on 107.9/1 FM and from www.star107.co.uk. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that care care of you
Gary Blue
Monday, 11 January 2010
STAR BLUES on 10th January 2010 at 22:00
One of the few down sides to this job is having to pass on news of the deaths of artists and producers that have shaped the music we love. So it was that STAR BLUES had short musical tributes to Willie Mitchell and Earl Gaines last night. Papa Willie was a trumpet player who founded Hi Records that gave the world Al Green, Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles. It also had a very healthy roster of Blues and R&B artists particularly in the early days of the label. To mark the piece we did tracks from Big Lucky Carter, Big Amos Patten, a gorgeous version of Roosevelt Sykes' "Driving wheel" by Al Green and two from Mitchell himself. We will not see his like again.
On New Years Eve Earl Gaines died, the third major loss from the Nashville music scene in almost as many months: Ted Jarrett and Johnny Jones being the other two men. Gaines had a big sonorous voice full of heartache, he had in recent years become a live favourite on the European Festival circuit while his studio work was reactivated by Fred James (well overdue for a knighthood in my opinion for the sheer dedication to these guys and the quality of his songs and guidance). I came to Earl's music fairly late but set about acquiring everything he ever did, nothing disappoints.
By coincidence the Fred James connection extended to the exclusive plays on UK commercial radio for upcoming releases on Sam Carr and the much underrated Charles Walker - both out on Superbird in February, on STAR BLUES last night. We also had Wynonie Harris' version of "Loving Machine" that was ably covered by Paolo Nutini at New Years Hootenanny, as well as the Elvis Presley original of "Little Sister" that Ry Cooder brought to my New Years Day experiment "Another Side of Gary Blue". I'm planning another one but don't tell our Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, mighty Mark Peters. In the meantime I'll be back - God Willing - with more blues, news, reviews and tomfoolery at 10 pm (GMT) next Sunday if you'll have me. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Gary Blue.
On New Years Eve Earl Gaines died, the third major loss from the Nashville music scene in almost as many months: Ted Jarrett and Johnny Jones being the other two men. Gaines had a big sonorous voice full of heartache, he had in recent years become a live favourite on the European Festival circuit while his studio work was reactivated by Fred James (well overdue for a knighthood in my opinion for the sheer dedication to these guys and the quality of his songs and guidance). I came to Earl's music fairly late but set about acquiring everything he ever did, nothing disappoints.
By coincidence the Fred James connection extended to the exclusive plays on UK commercial radio for upcoming releases on Sam Carr and the much underrated Charles Walker - both out on Superbird in February, on STAR BLUES last night. We also had Wynonie Harris' version of "Loving Machine" that was ably covered by Paolo Nutini at New Years Hootenanny, as well as the Elvis Presley original of "Little Sister" that Ry Cooder brought to my New Years Day experiment "Another Side of Gary Blue". I'm planning another one but don't tell our Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, mighty Mark Peters. In the meantime I'll be back - God Willing - with more blues, news, reviews and tomfoolery at 10 pm (GMT) next Sunday if you'll have me. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Gary Blue.
Monday, 4 January 2010
STAR BLUES on 3rd January 2010 at 22:00
Wow, first blues show in a new decade (amazingly coming up on ten years since my first for FM commercial radio too). To mark the event I chose a mixture of old and new on last night's STAR BLUES with originals and cover versions. Many folks have come to enjoy the music through Cream, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers and Fleetwood Mac and are eager to discover the Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Blind Millie McTell and Little Willie John performances that they celebrated. Of the original pieces, probably the least well known came from Henry Thomas, his 1928 "Bulldoze Blues" was very closely followed by Canned Heat for "Goin' Up The Country" that is known as the Woodstock festival theme and was a number 1 hit in 25 countries (only #2 in Britain).
It was nice to go to the Memphis Slim 1948 song "Nobody Loves Me" to show its similarity to B B King's "Everyday I have the Blues" though in truth the song probably goes back to the early Thirties with the Sparks Brothers in Memphis. Similarly the Blind Lemon Jefferson song "Matchbox Blues" clearly worked well for Carl Perkins but had Jefferson heard Ma Rainey use the line "Sitting here wonderin will a match box hold my clothes" three years earlier..? Stevie Ray Vaughan tore through "Sky Is Crying" though you'd be a hard man to say he bested Elmore James' original. No real Gospel on the show last night but a very sensitive reading of "People Get Ready" from Paul Jones out front for the Blues Band while Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler were effortlessly sublime on the original from 1965.
Shameless vote of thanks next to everyone for the kind comments and feedback on "Another Side of Gary Blue", my humble attempt to be Bob Harris or was it Charlie Gillett. The two hours on New Years Day flew past and I hardly knew that Dr Who was on tv at exactly the same time (BBC could've have moved it doncha think?)
God willing I'll be back with some more blues this upcoming Sunday at 10pm (GMT) on Cambridge and Ely's Star Radio (the home of the 9-5 no-repeat workday) and streaming live from www.star107.co.uk - until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you Gary Blue
It was nice to go to the Memphis Slim 1948 song "Nobody Loves Me" to show its similarity to B B King's "Everyday I have the Blues" though in truth the song probably goes back to the early Thirties with the Sparks Brothers in Memphis. Similarly the Blind Lemon Jefferson song "Matchbox Blues" clearly worked well for Carl Perkins but had Jefferson heard Ma Rainey use the line "Sitting here wonderin will a match box hold my clothes" three years earlier..? Stevie Ray Vaughan tore through "Sky Is Crying" though you'd be a hard man to say he bested Elmore James' original. No real Gospel on the show last night but a very sensitive reading of "People Get Ready" from Paul Jones out front for the Blues Band while Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler were effortlessly sublime on the original from 1965.
Shameless vote of thanks next to everyone for the kind comments and feedback on "Another Side of Gary Blue", my humble attempt to be Bob Harris or was it Charlie Gillett. The two hours on New Years Day flew past and I hardly knew that Dr Who was on tv at exactly the same time (BBC could've have moved it doncha think?)
God willing I'll be back with some more blues this upcoming Sunday at 10pm (GMT) on Cambridge and Ely's Star Radio (the home of the 9-5 no-repeat workday) and streaming live from www.star107.co.uk - until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you Gary Blue
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