STAR BLUES on 3rd July 2011 at 22:00

Two hours is just not enough to do proper justice to the number of new projects as well as the full heritage of blues. Mike Zito's "Greyhound" is a decent followup to his award winning "Pearl River" and those lovable rogues, the Cadillac Kings", are back with a boppin' vinyl 45 single the like of which we've not had for many a year. Susan Wylde is classically trained and her new album is her first foray into our music; Paul Wassif started in a punk band and has moved on via Beth Orton and Bert Jansch to a lovely guitar based sound that attracted both Bert J and Eric Clapton to sit in on acoustic axes. What with another handful of burlesque, a return visit to Tracy Nelson and to Seasick Steve and a live recording by Candye Kane and Sue Palmer, we were really up against it last night.

My blues excavations turned up a Charles Brown project that had Bonnie Raitt's shimmering slide guitar, and an anthology of Vietnam War songs that yielded Big Amos Patton on harp produced by the legendary Willie Mitchell. Though the conflict has moved onto another country the sentiments are eerily appropriate even now. Tom Principato's new album gave us a tasty sampling of him in a jazzy frame of mind, elsewhere he's helped by Sonny Landreth. In the Alligator back catalogue I found Johnny Heartsman, John Jackson and a poignant set of live recordings made by Johnny Jones and Billy Boy Arnold: both men on great form at an unrehearsed 1963 gig doing a set of old blues numbers to less than fifty people. The booklet notes reckon these to be Jones' final recordings.

Our "1001 Blues" feature was about the 1956 film starring Jayne Mansfield: "the Girl Can't Help It" with music from Fats Domino, the Platters, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and our main-man Little Richard. The corny plotline wouldn't win prizes with an ending you could see coming a mile off but the soundtrack and on-screen performances have never been bettered. STAR BLUES on 24th July will be an updated telling of all the tales so far, together with a free e-book. I'm also on Thursday 14th July: I'm Freewheelin' with a look at this years Cambridge Folk Festival - as well as the usual tomfoolery in a white tee shirt on Sunday nights. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Num	Track	Artist	Album
2202	Red House	Jimi Hendrix	[3]:Blues - Jimi Hendrix
2206	The Gift	Joe Louis Walker	[4]The Gift - Joe Louis Walker
2212	Got To Find My Baby	Johnny Heartsman	[6]Touch - Johnny Heartsman
2213	I'm Tore Up	Billy Gayles	[13]The Very Best Of Burlesque - Various Artists
2216	Mojo In My Hand	L. C. 'Good Rockin'' Robinson	[20]Let's Have A Blues Ball! - Various Artists
2219	Every Little Bit Hurts	Charles Brown feat Bonnie Raitt	[7]Someone To Love - Charles Brown
2229	Eight Ball Jack	Cadillac Kings, The	[2]Betty Lou - Cadillac Kings, The
2233	The Girl Can't Help It	Little Richard	[8]The E.P. Collection - Little Richard
2237	Girl Friend Blues	Crown Prince Charlie Waterford	[1]1946-1950 - Crown Prince Waterford
2245	Southbound Train	Paul Wassif feat. Eric Clapton w. Bert Jansch	[11]Looking Up Feeling Down - Paul Wassif
2251	Motel Blues	Mike Zito	[6]Greyhound - Mike Zito
2255	Bukka's Jitterbug Swing	Bukka White	[7]Hard Times And Heartaches - Various Artists
2302	This Time I Know Featuring Theodis Ealey	Theodis Ealey	[10]Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue -- Live! - Tommy Castro
2306	In The Light	Susan Wylde	[7]In The Light - Susan Wylde
2309	Walkin' With Mr Lee	Lee Allen & His Band	[12]The Very Best Of Burlesque - Various Artists
2315	Shoot My Baby	Tracy Nelson	[3]Victim Of The Blues - Tracy Nelson
2318	Red Cadillac & Black Moustache	Steve Howell	[3]Since I Saw You Last - Steve Howell
2329	Going To Vietnam	Big Amos	[5]A Soldier's Sad Story: Vietnam Through The Eyes Of Black America 1966-73 - Various Artists
2330	I Hear My Black Name Ringing	Johnny Jones	[9]With Billy Boy Arnold - Johnny Jones
2334	Dragnet For Jesus	Sue Palmer & Candye Kane	[2]One Night In Belgium - Sue Palmer & Candye Kane
2343	45 Jump	Eugene Hideaway Bridges	[10]Rock And A Hard Place - Eugene Hideaway Bridges
2346	Chesterfield	John Jackson	[4]Front Porch Blues - John Jackson
2349	Travelin' Alone	Eric Clapton	[1]Clapton - Eric Clapton
2354	Days Gone	Seasick Steve	[11]You Can´t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks - Seasick Steve