This year is shaping up to be a bumper year for new blues releases of real quality and substance - and STAR BLUES is the place you'll hear them first in Britain. Last night I was lucky enough to play tracks from the new albums by Otis Taylor, Fiona Boyes, Woodbrain and Johnnie Bassett. Otis' album has Gary Moore in a sympathetic supporting role (free of rock-blues excess) and the project ably demonstrates the relevance of the music in the 21st century by dint of very personal lyrics. Fiona goes from strength to strength and now occupies the middle ground previously the domain of Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt - anything with her name on is well worthwhile. Woodbrain are a new name on the scene and do what the North Mississippi Allstars did when they started: they take the blues form as the starting point for mixing in different styles across the ages. Not to the taste of a purist but something for when you'd like a change.
As for Johnnie Bassett, his is the cleanest most economical style of playing possible and he sings just like Lou Rawls. He's a very dapper gent in sharp suit, bowtie and pristine white shoes and he plays the most beautiful instrument - semi acoustic classic design Gibson with f-holes in a burnished cedar colour. More photos on the booklet cover next time please.
Piano came courtesy of Otis Spann and a session he did for Sam Charters at Prestige. It was actually the Muddy Waters Band - who did the date to earn enough money for coach fare home from a gig at Carnegie Hall, NY - but no-one was supposed to know as Muddy was still signed to Chess. Muddy didn't sing but you'd know his guitar (and James Cotton's harp) anywhere. My other piano blues was a pre-war item by Leroy Carr, an artist deemed most influential of all time by Living Blues magazine. Over in the gospel tent we had Blind Willie Johnson and "John The Revelator", a song known to most by virtue of Ackroyd and Belushi(2) in the Blues Brothers 2000 film.
More blues in a white tee-shirt (esp. for the webcam) next Sunday at 10 on FM and online at www.star107.co.uk I hope we can spend more time together - until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
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