Sunday 9 September 2012

STAR BLUES on 9th September 2012 at 22:00

If you were driving in Boulder Colorado at 11 minutes past four yesterday afternoon, two things: a) if the driver in front was behaving like a brussel sprout you ought to be slowing down a bit cos he's probably a relative of mine b) how cool was it to be letting the good times roll with Louis Jordan? It was eleven elven in Cambridge and Ely for Britain's Other Blues Show and we'd already marked birthday book roster members Freddie King, Jimmy Reed and Otis Redding. We remembered the Charles Shaar Murray quote which compared Jimmy's songs to eating peanuts - really tasty and needing another straight away. Some of his Vee-Jay work ought to be in every blues fans collection. King was massively influentual with his full-frontal no-prisoners approach; Eric Clapton says he learned just about everything from Freddie.

The 1965 album "Otis Blue" was at the heart of our 1001 blues feature. Two sessions on 9th and 10th July that year yielded eleven tracks - just over half an hour's music - for what one reviewer called "the most complete album of all time". No argument here. His third album, with popularity riding high, here was a chance to include covers of the Stones, Temptations and Sam Cooke. Nustled in that company was a stunning vocal on B B King's "Rock Me Baby": once the big O did a version of a song, it was his evermore. Actually when you think it was Booker T & MGs with Otis on lead vocals does it get better than that anyway, Cropper's biting guitar and marvellously understated drumming of Al Jackson...

We did gospel with Lurrie Bell and Joe Louis Walker from Bell's brand new album and an approach to vocal and slide going back as far as Blind Willie Johnson. The other gospel warning came from John Lee Hookers 3rd recording session when Eddie Burns fierce harp really challenged the stompin foot and guitar of the Boogie Man. Hooker cut an album with Canned Heat and their 1970 "Future Blues" snuck onto our playlist. A really bluesy go at "Trouble Blues" from Fats Domino and a 1947 Little Johnny Jones piece were in our piano tent. The songs of Otis Taylor and George Jackson and some Bayou Boppin provided themes for spanking new collections on Ace and Kent - the good stuff just keeps coming.

Our show next week will be wall to wall B B King, classics rarities and oddities *PLUS* a 1960s live performance that will knock your socks off: his recent efforts have cast him as ringmaster, back in the day he was Chairman of the Board. Until 10pm (BST) next Sunday take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Track.Title Track.ArtistSort Index Album.Title Album.ArtistSort Label
Name Of The Game Boo Boo Davis 6 Name Of The Game Boo Boo Davis BLACK & TAN
Upside Your Head Omar Kent Dykes 2 Big Town Playboy Omar Kent Dykes Ruf
Chip Off The Old Block Johnny Jones 2 Can I Get An Amen Johnny Jones SPV
Earl Gaines Sittin' Here Drinkin' 10 Champion Records The Singles Collection Various Artists SPV
Ohio Bound Big Lucky Carter 9 The Complete Goldwax Singles, Vol. 1 1962-1966 Various Artists Kent
Future Blues Canned Heat 14 The Very Best Of Canned Heat Canned Heat EMI
Rock Me Baby Otis Redding 15 100 Hits Legends - Otis Reading Otis Redding DEMON
Naggin Jimmy Anderson 8 Louisiana Swamp Blues Various Artists FLYRIGHT
Tee-Na-Na Dicky williams 2 The Ace (Ms) Story Volume 4 Various Artists ACE
satisfied woman satisfied man vernon garrett 16 pounds of soul Various Artists kent
The Chokin' Kind Allen Toussaint 7 What Is Success: The Scepter And Bell Recordings Allen Toussaint Kent
linda gail rob bernard 4 boppin on the bayou various artists ace
The Welfare (Turns It'sback On You) Freddie King 19 Texas Sensation Freddie King CHARLY
Big Boss Man Jimmy Reed 4 Good Times, Bad Times Various Artists MOJO MAGAZINE
Ugly Papa Julia Lee 5 Snatch And Grab It - Essential Julia Lee (Vol. 1) Julia Lee INDIGO
Let The good times roll louis jordan 18 best of louis jordan best of jazz
Shelby County Blues Little Johnny Jones 43 The Aristocrat Of The Blues Various Artists MCA/CHESS
Trouble blues fats domino 15 imperial singles vol 5 fats domino ACE
A Man Is Nothing But A Fool Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee 7 Cripple Creek Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee NOT Music
It's A Blessing Lurrie Bell 4 The Devil Ain't Got No Music Lurrie Bell ARIA
Burnin' Hell John Lee Hooker 8 Boogie Chillen John Lee Hooker INDIGO
After Awhile Papa Lightfoot 69 Down Home Blues Classics Various Artists BOULEVARD VINTAGE
i feel good all over sam butera 22 handy man - songs of otis blackwell Various Artists ace
mini skirt mini george jackson 1 let the best man win george jackson fame / kent
a bomb bop mike fern 1-1 wild streak vol 2 various artists veetone
baby what you want me to do jimmy reed 10 you dont have to go jimmy reed orbis
i'm tore down freddie king 1-12 r&B spotlight 61 various artists fantastic voyage
Created: 10/09/2012 09:06:06

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