Just like in Blumfontaine, it was a football free zone for STAR BLUES last night. There was a competition for two tickets to see Robert Cray (congrats to Tony who not only knew BB King is the "King of the Blues" but was first out of the hat), more new albums a 95th birthday and a Christmas record.
I had chance to tell the story of Calvin Leavy who died on 6th June, the poignancy of dying in prison forty years after writing about it was palpable. The full story is in Juke Blues magazine (#52) and "Cummins Prison Farm" remains a classic blues single for all that. Top of the shop we had tracks from the latest offerings on Blind Pig from John Nemeth and Magic Slim - at the tale end one of Jeff Healey's final jazz sides conjured up the very best work from Django Reinhart, his dextrous playing was a real delight.
Dave Honeyboy Edwards is 95 today (28th June), he is still active and his distinctive plaintive voice and guitar were helped by the harp of Bobby Rush on a 2007 session for the Earwig album the celebrates his career. I already have made a note to get his autobiography "The World Don't Owe Me Nothin'". There is a connection back to Robert Johnson but Honeyboy deserves his own place in blues history. We were in the Crescent City for Champion Jack Dupree and Professor Longhair and in Memphis with Al Green for the gospel spot. The Rev. Green's voice is a mere gentle breeze in a field of gossamer.
I noted that our very own Slender Man, the Mighty Mark Peters, was online but his head must have been in his hands when I did my annual first play of a Christmas record - no other station has yet started their festive selection for 2010, so I started the ball rolling with Clarence Carter's "Back Door Santa". In truth Carter just reworked the familiar Back Door Man theme with sleighbells and wickedly lascivious "Ho Ho Ho"'s.
I have a special folk and roots show on Friday 2nd July to mark this years Cambridge Folk Festival, with a pair of tickets and a cd to give away. I hope you'll be able to spend three hours from 7pm celebrating acts on this years bill and those from years gone by. Plus I'm back next Sunday 4th at 10 with more STAR BLUES, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
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