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.
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