We didn't forget it would have been Jim Hendrix' birthday, we left it to our resident rock god to do the honours for us. Our birthday book was open at the pages for John Mayall, Robert Nighthawk and Brownie McGhee instead. Mayall is still active and his steadfastness has put a backbone into British blues; we went to the Crusade album with Mick Taylor last night (this project is often overshadowed by the pair of albums it followed). Brownie McGhee's career was inextricably linked with Sonny Terry even if their on-off friendship was rarely on. He was a tidy player with a warm inviting vocal style which contrasted with the raw country blues stylings of harp maestro Terry.
Robert Lee McCollum recorded as Robert Nighthawk and was a contemporary of Robert Johnson - Nighthawk survived the war and is a glimpse of how Johnson could have made the transition to electric blues. Nighthawk was influential to Elmore James, BB King and many others - he married one of Ike Turner's girlfriends and almost immediately recorded "Sweet Black Angel" a hit for Chess in 1948. It has a magnificent guitar line and is a model for blues as a celebration. His birthday was our 1001 Blues.
The two gospel tunes had Paul Jones and Rev. Blind Gary Davis and it don't get much better than Otis Spann or Leroy Carr on piano. With a further range of blues that included BigWalter Horton and Big Lucky Carter and Big Al Downing you'd think we were exclusively sizeist. Lee Shot Williams died last week and Jimmy Nelson died earlier in the month and the songs we used to mark their passings showed how much they're missed already. Can't believe Jimmy Norman didn't record more often.
The search for the Listener Blues Artist 2011 was officially launched yesterday - last year it was Robert Plant, its all up to you. The restriction is that it must be someone we've played on the show this year. Email, phone, Facebook or old fashioned letter will get your vote in, look forward to hearing from you.
All being well the whole shebang will be back on Sunday at 10pm (GMT), I'll be there if you will. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
| I Guess I Showed Her | Robert Cray | 2 | Strong Persuader | Robert Cray | MERCURY |
| Down In The Bottom | Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings | 1 | The Best Of Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings | Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings | REPERTOIRE |
| Natural Man | J. B. Lenoir | 9 | J. B. Lenoir | J. B. Lenoir | ROOTS |
| I Got A Woman On The Mountain Top | Big Lucky Carter | 3 | Lucky 13 | Big Lucky Carter | WESTSIDE |
| L And N Blues | Memphis Willie B. | 2 | Hard Working Man Blues | Memphis Willie B. | ORIGINAL BLUES CLASSICS |
| Roughest Place In Town | Johnny Fuller | 21 | Let Me Tell You About The Blues: West Coast | Various Artists | Fantastic Voyage |
| (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean | Ruth Brown | 2 | The Best Of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour | Various Artists | CHROME |
| Sweet Black Angel | Robert Nighthawk | 16 | Chess Blues | Various Artists | CHESS |
| Need My Baby | Walter Horton | 17 | Chicago Blues Harmonicas | Various Artists | FLYRIGHT |
| Need Your Love So Bad | James Brown | 3 | Messing With The Blues | James Brown | POLYDOR |
| Here Comes The Night - Jimmy N | Jimmy Norman | 18 | Jimmy Norman; Lee Shot Williams; Johnny Fuller and more | Various Atists | Gary-Blue |
| Ya Ya | Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays | 3 | Cry Wilf! | Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays | BIG BEAT |
| Hadacol Boogie | Jerry Lee LewisBuddy Guy | 19 | Last Man Standing | Jerry Lee Lewis | ARTISTS FIRST |
| Never Make A Move Too Soon | B. B. King | 4 | King Of The Blues | B. B. King | MCA |
| The Years Go Passing By | Larry Davis | 22 | Slow 'N' Moody, Black & Bluesy | Various Artists | Kent |
| Yes, I'm Loving You | Big Al Downing | 3 | Uk Sue Label Story, Vol. 2: Sue's Rock 'N' Blues | Various Artists | ACE |
| Had You Told It Like It Was | Albert King | 5 | King New Breed R'n'b | Various Artists | Kent (U.K.) |
| Oh Pretty Woman | John Mayall's Blues BreakersMick Taylor | 1 | Crusade | John Mayall | DECCA |
| Back in Trouble Again | Lee Shot Williams | 1 | Jimmy Norman; Lee Shot Williams; Johnny Fuller and more | Various Atists | Gary-Blue |
| Resting On Jesus | Blues Band, The | 12 | Stepping Out | Blues Band, The | HYPERTENSION |
| Lord Stand By Me | Rev. Blind Gary Davis | 6 | Gospel - The Ultimate Collection | Various Artists | RED Box |
| Can't Help Myself | Sonny TerryBrownie McGhee | 11 | The Duo | Sonny TerryBrownie McGhee | BLUES ENCORE |
| Half Ain't Been Told | Otis Spann | 8 | My Home Is In The Delta | Otis Spann | ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION |
| Naptown Blues | Leroy Carr | 7 | Naptown Blues | Leroy Carr | ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION |
| Hypin' Woman Blues | T-Bone Walker | 12 | The Complete Capitol/Black And White Recordings | T-Bone Walker | Capitol |
| Mandolin Rock | Johnny YoungJohnny Young | 14 | Mandolin Blues | Various Artists | Shout |
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