STAR BLUES on 25th September 2011 at 22:00

The Rock God, Neil Jones, casts his runes every Sunday night just ahead of STAR BLUES - no surprise then that Led Zeppelin should take massive strides into our playlist kingdom on the anniversary of the death of Bonzo Bonhams: whose finest moment came with a track that carries co-author credit for Memphis Minnie. While the purists in our world will have hung their heads in despair, I hope we made amends later on.

Rita Chiarelli's trek down Highway 61 took her past the (Angola) Louisiana State Prison, her experience with the lifers led to the documentary film "Music from the Big House" wherein the artists shared the stage with the inmates. B B King plays to prison audiences as acknowledgement how thin the line is that kept him out. We also put in that Willie Big-Eyes Smith track held from last week with him on his first instrument, harp. Ray Charles birthday would have been 23rd September and his earliest sides for Atlantic (before "inventing" soul music) had him doing a cover of Lowell Fulson's "Sinner's Prayer". The later sides of Albert King on Stax brought forth the sublime version of "Angel of Mercy" taken off the 10 cd set of Stax singles (vol. 3).

Roosevelt Booba Barnes would have been in the birthday club at the age of 75 on the day. Though he only made his debut album in 1990, he was a good example of a working Mississippi Delta bluesman that Robert Palmer wanted for the film to follow up his definitive "DEEP BLUES" book from 1981. If you get the chance to find his album on Rooster Blues or see his videos on the wobbly-web, you won't be disappointed.

One of the Facebook forums that kindly lets me in discussed Barnes over the weekend, as well as Papa George Lightfoot. He was rediscovered in 1969 in a search for the man responsible for an over-amplified part on the Imperial single "Wine, Women, Whiskey". Surely this has to be the most downhome track ever cut at Malaco in Jacksonville (noted for Z Z Hill, Bobby Bland and so on).

Chris Thomas King and C J Chenier both have new albums that we will come back to after their showing last night - Catfish Keith starts his tour but we've not had his new projects for our turntables. Second helpings served from Bobby Marchan's gorgeous soulful pipes and Johnny Otis' consummate skills, piano from Mitch Woods and Champion Jack Dupree as well as gospel from the Soul Stirrers. Our Honeyboy Edwards celebration talked about a classic performance of "Drop Down Mama" done for Chess in 1953 but unreleased for almost 20 years. Thanks to Dave off the internet, he dug out the piece for us last night. Certainly well worth the wait.

120 minutes just whizzed by on STAR BLUES and it was a real privilege to get an invite to your place with all those blues and a smidge of tomfoolery. If you're up for it, I'd like to come back for more on Sunday at 10pm (BST) - until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.
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When The Levee Breaks	Led Zeppelin	8	Led Zeppelin Iv	Led Zeppelin	Atlantic
Labor Of Love	Robert Cray	4	Midnight Stroll	Robert Cray	MERCURY
Ain't Going To Boss Me	Lucky Peterson	1	Every Second A Fool Is Born	Lucky Peterson
Mississippi Boy	Rita Chiarelli & Inmates Of Louisiana State Penitentiary	3	Music From The Big House Soundtrack	Rita Chiarelli & Inmates Of Louisiana State Penitentiary	mad iris music
Greasy Spoon	Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith	5	Blues From The Heart	Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith	Juke Joint Records
Ain't Gonna Worry About Tommorow	Roosevelt 'Booba' Barnes	11	Deep Blues	Various Artists	Atlantic
She's A Hum Hum Dinger	Catfish Keith	2	Rolling Sea	Catfish Keith	FISHTAIL
New Mean Old Train	Papa Lightfoot George	2	Goin' Back To The Natchez Trace	Papa Lightfoot George	ACE
Louis Collins	Chris Thomas King	9	Antebellum Postcards	Chris Thomas King	21ST CENTURY
Baby Please Don't Go	C.J. Chenier	2	Can't Sit Down	C.J. Chenier	World Village
Sinner's Prayer	Ray Charles	13	Messing With The Blues	Various Artists	ACE
Angel Of Mercy	Albert King	7	The Complete Stax-Volt Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975	Various Artists	STAX
Part Time Love	Magic Slim & The Teardrops	1	Raising The Bar	Magic Slim & The Teardrops	BLIND PIG RECORDS
Drop Down Mama	Dave Honeyboy Edwards	1	Drop Down Mama	Dave Honeyboy Edwards	CHESSs
It Won't Be Very Long	Soul Stirrers, The	18	The History Of Rhythm & Blues, Volume 3 - The Rocknroll Years	Various Artists	Rhythm and Blues Records
Drunk	Mitch Woods	2	Jukebox Drive	Mitch Woods	EL TORO
41 Highway	Champion Jack Dupree	13	Barrelhouse Blues And Boogie Wogie Vol. 1	Various Artists	STORYVILLE
Korea Blues	Fats Domino	10	Early Imperial Singles 1950-1952	Fats Domino	ACE
Everything A Poor Man Needs	Bobby Marchan	7	Get Down With It The Soul Sides 1963-67	Bobby Marchan	Kent
(Don't It Make You) Feel Kinda Bad	Radiants, The	12	Chicago Radio Soul	Various Artists	Kent (U.K.)
Blues Before Sunrise	Elmore James And His Broomdusters	9	The Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956	Elmore James And His Broomdusters	ACE
Robey's Bounce	Johnny Otis and His Orchestra feat. Pete "Guitar" Lewis	13	The Johnny Otis Story Volume 1 Volume 1: 1945-57 Midnight At The Barrelhouse v a	Johnny Otis & His Orchestra	ACE