Our Slender Man is looking for a golf buggy to help at the Charity Golf day – he’s got his bats and balls but after the shapes he’s thrown lately, he’s aggravated an old Macarena wound. His fans on STAR BLUES are worried.
To salve their concerns we had a feast of guitar dexterity last night, including instrumental pieces by Elizabeth Cotton and Martin Simpson. Cotton didn’t start recording until she was 66 and she won a Grammy for her live album aged 90; Simpson is a folk player whose music I discovered while researching the FREEWHEELIN’ show earlier this month and the track I chose came from a gospel album he did in 1994. The other song in the gospel spot was Professor Alex Bradford’s “Too Close To Heaven”, a rousing song delivered with melismatic swoops and shouts.
I somehow missed Pinetop Perkins’ 97th birthday on 7th July and there’s two things about him you should know other than his lovely florid piano style: he is never seen without a hat, nor is he ever found without the most beautiful women at his side. Ladies Man. Certainly true in 1978 for his support on Koko Taylor’s version of Floyd Dixon’s “Hey Bartender”. We made a swift return to Mitch Wood’s “Gumbo” album for a rollicking run through of “Too Many Drivers” – the album pays tribute to Smiley Lewis and the New Orleans rhythm & blues era.
As usual the Cambridge Folk Festival has some blues artists on the bill: Seasick Steve, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Holmes Brothers are but three – and all made an appearance with tracks last night. Robert Cray was in town last week and his new album is in shops this week – recorded in Mobile Alabama it has a go at the Mississippi Sheiks’ song “Sittin’ On Top Of The World”, something I’d not heard him try before. It had fine interplay of his guitar with the keyboards skills of Jim Pugh. A couple of rock’n’roll ladies dropped in: Ruth Brown who’s been before and Erline Harris whose stuff is as rare as hen’s teeth was with us for the first time. She’s also on the cover of the new issue of Juke Blues magazine. (Other blues publications are available).
With Lightnin’ Hopkins, Smokey Wilson and Sonny Boy Williamson, we’ll modestly claim the best selection of blues available anywhere on the planet last night. If you’d like to be with us to see if we can do the same again this upcoming Sunday at 10pm (BST), we’ll be pleased to have your company. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
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