A first for me on last night’s STAR BLUES with every track coming from a brand new album, boy was I nervous coming round to your place with an armful of stuff barely out of the shrink wrap. As it turned out you made me welcome anyway and there were plenty of good things on offer.
Imelda May is stylish and a rebel in a way that fuses rockabilly with forties jump blues, the title track off her new album “Mayhem” set the tone from the off last night. She was joined with new names Rita Chiarelli and Kirsten Thien, each with confident performances from projects we’ll be bound to go back to before long. The latter was lucky to get on the playlist; her soft-focus photo on the front cover looks more for Marie Claire magazine than for a blues show. Nearly put her to the bottom of the pile as being too glamourous for us? (Then I remembered our very own slender man – Mark Peters – the very epitome of cool suave sophistication at 6 in the morning)
Why Kenny Neal isn’t a huge star I’ll never know, just savour how his fluid playing stretches out on modern blues. The 74 year-old Buddy Guy has “Living Proof” out next week and he came along with two tracks: one with Carlos Santana’s magic, the other a ferocious piece the envy of a 24 year old. I found his music many years ago on a semi-legal cassette tape while in a leaky caravan during a miserable fortnight’s holiday, his axe playing blew me away then. It still does. Clay McClinton’s influence is obvious, but when that is Delbert as dad, he ain’t doing too bad at all. Todd Sharpville looks set to break big in the States; his new double album has cameos from Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker and Kim Wilson. He wrote all but one of the songs and his muscular guitar never outstays its welcome. Did I mention his dad is an Arch-Bishop and David Cameron wanted him to be a Conservative mp? The coalition’s loss is our gain. Lynwood Slim has gone to Sao Paolo in Brazil for his backing band and the results were both jumpin’ and joyous.
Bobby Womack and Aaron Neville both brought covers of Dylan songs and Robert Plant inspired me to include the original “Twelve Gates to the City” that his Band of Joy did magnificently at the Electric Proms. Tiny label Dialtone gave us Hosea Hargrove and the Rev. KM Williams bringing us full circle with authentic rural blues. If nothing else I hope STAR BLUES has given you some ideas for items on Santa’s list and the “normal” programming will be back next Sunday at 10pm. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
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