The year 2009 is shaping up for a bumper crop of new releases and STAR BLUES had more than its fair share last night. Pride of place went to the new one from Bob Dylan whose song "My Wife's Home Town" sounded as if it was made for Howlin' Wolf circa 1961 there's plenty more on "Together Through Life" for future shows. That promised outing for Sixties Brit-blues legend Gordon Smith closed the first hour of the show, his brand new album is just like being made welcome by a good friend you've not seen for a while. Hot on his heels came two very stylish ladies, Sarah Potenza rocking out on "Crush" from her debut album and Imelda May made a long-overdue return to the show with her heavily-played single "Big Bad Handsome Man" - any resemblance to our own Mighty Mark Peters is purely coincidental, or is it? She was lead voice to the Blue Harlem outfit who were a past favourite of the show in another time, another planet. Imelda will be at the Cambridge Folk festival in July and we'll get chance to do more closer to the time.
Other new albums got first plays: Joe Price, Jay Tamlin Band, Steve Howell, Insomniacs, the History of R&B survey and Roger Cotton, yet more new ones made a second showing: Louisiana Red, Omar Kent Dykes and the Aretha Franklin anthology. The live Sunday night STAR BLUES is now pre-eminent for new releases in Britain.
To balance the new ones, it was a privilege to include classic sides from Rev. Gary Davis and Bob Hall in the gospel and piano blues spots respectively. That nice Mr Darling who lives at no. 11 got his battered red briefcase out this week so it was right to include Stevie Ray's go at the George Harrison song "Taxman" that the Beatles did on "Revolver". The point of the lyrics was to protest at 95% top-rate tax and we haven't got there yet...
Gary Moore was in Cambridge on Saturday so in memory of the gig, he started proceedings off with a vigorous duet with Albert Collins and a brand new band from Italy took us out of the show into Monday morning with a bold interpretation of Presley's "All Shook Up". God willing I'll be up for some more at ten next Sunday on FM and streaming on-line at www.star107.co.uk - I'll be pleased to have your company - until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Gary Blue
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