STAR BLUES on 11th September 2011 at 22:00

Harp Maestro Bob Corritore is also a blues-dj and club owner: his Rhythm Room club is celebrating 20 years this upcoming Sunday - as tribute to the quality of blues acts playing there , often with award winning recordings, we had a preview on STAR BLUES last night. So it was Mojo Buford, Kim Wilson, Robert Lookwood Jr and Bob himself brought good stuff to our show. Robert Cray and Bob Margolin will there in Phoenix at  the weekend for sets during the celebrations.

Given yesterday's date it was fitting that our "1001 Blues" feature did Big Jack Johnson with his the title track off  his 1998 MC album "We Got To Stop This Killing". Our feature usually goes back at least twenty years but there seemed to be no good reason to ignore the sentiments of the guitarist known as the Oil Man.

Candye Kane was also on hand later in the show for her "Jesus and Mohammed" song that celebrates the similarities rather than seeks to perpetuate differences. She has not been well lately and is on the mend, her spirit has never been more spot on than in this keenly observed piece. The Kent label has a new anthology of Bobby Marchan's solo sides, he's known for his work  with Huey Piano Smith and for writing the b-side to Slade's first hit single, this new cd shows what a fine interpreter of soul ballads he became, as evidence we included his version of "Meet Me In Church" done first by Joe Tex.

During the week, I've been contacted with enquiries on Etta Baker and the Stones instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue" (the address of Chess Records building in Chicago). Mick and the boys closed the show and while I'll leave Ms Baker for another week, I put in a nice finger picking piece in the style of Mississippi John Hurt from Bernie Pearl.

There's more of the same but very different next Sunday at 10pm (BST), you were great company last night until next week take care of yourselves and take carre of those that take care of you

		Gotta Boogie John Lee Hooker 8 Gaz's Rockin' Blues Various Artists ACE I'll Play The Blues For You Geater Davis 24 Take Me To The River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977 Various Artists Kent (U.K.) Tool Bag Boogie Duke Robillard Band, The 10 Low Down And Tore Up Duke Robillard Band, The STONY PLAIN Let's Have A Natural Ball Johnny Dyer 4 Jukin' Johnny Dyer Come On In R. L. Burnside 8 Not The Same Old Blues Crap Various Artists FAT POSSUM In My Younger Days Mojo Buford 8 Rhythm Room Blues Various Artists HIGHTONE Meet Me In Church Bobby Marchan 1 Get Down Get With it Bobby Marchan Kent (U.K.) We Got To Stop This Killin' Big Jack Johnson & The Oilers 1 The Best Of M.C. Records Various Artists M.C. RECORDS I Ain't Hurt (Bernie Pearl) Bernie Pearl 13 Sittin' On The Right Side Of The Blues Bernie Pearl Major Sundown San Diego Bob Corritore, Tomcat Courtney, Eddie Taylor, Jr., Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Brian Fahey 8 Harmonica Blues Bob Corritore Delta Groove Sitting On Top Of The World Robert Cray Band 6 Cookin' In Mobile Robert Cray Band VANGUARD Smokin' Joint Kim Wilson 7 Smokin' Joint Kim Wilson MC RECORDS Feel Like Blowin' My Horn Robert Lockwood Jr. 2 The Legend Live Robert Lockwood Jr. M.C. RECORDS Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On Gaye Adegbalola 5 Gaye Without Shame Gaye Adegbalola Hot Toddy Building a Home Persuasions, The 1 Live At McCabe's Guitar Shop Persuasions, The Jesus And Mohammed Candye KaneBob Brozman 10 Guitar'd And Feathered Candye Kane Ruf Riverside Jump Tiny Grimes 9 The R'n'b Years 1951: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1951 Various Artists BOULEVARD VINTAGE Johnny`s Thunderbird Johnny Heartsman 18 Bay Area Blues Blasters Various Artists El Cerrito Lucky, Lucky Man Henry Gray 5 Lucky Lucky Man Henry Gray Blind Pig Got to Get Back (To My Baby) - The Bo-Keys (Feat. Otis Clay) Bo-Keys (Feat. Otis Clay), The 2 Got To Get Back! Bo-Keys, The Sad As A Man Can Be Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm 17 Trail Blazer Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm CHARLY All Along The Watchtower Taj Mahal 9 Hanapepe Dream Taj Mahal 2120 South Michigan Avenue Rolling Stones, The 7 12 X 5 Rolling Stones, The UMG

STAR BLUES on 4th September 2011 at 22:00

The death of David Honeyboy Edwards gave us a chance to celebrate the work and influence of “the last of the Mississippi Delta bluesmen”. Instead of presenting a straight biography in time order we chose instead to showcase different stages in his career alongside some of his influences and some blues greats he worked with. The playlist reflects the wealth of talent touched by Honeyboy.

He was born into a sharecropper family in June 1915 and got his nickname from a sister. He ran with Big Joe Williams and was a friend of Robert Johnson. These links were the focal point of most interviews with Honeyboy; he patiently retold the stories with good recollections of detail as befits the chronicle of history. Much of it was written down in an award winning autobiography “World Don’t Owe Me Nothin’ published in 1997. I note that this out of print book is keenly sought at premium prices now Honeyboy is gone.”

He came to these shores early in the Naughties with Robert Lockwood, Homesick James and Pinetop Perkins and he outlived them all. Just like Pinetop he never felt dressed without a hat: both men worked right to the end (\Edwards up until April this year). Can’t think of another living blues artist who recorded pre-war; Alberta Adams is 94 but I don’t know of any studio work she did before the second War.

I was never fortunate enough to meet him, those that did have responded warmly in the last week with tributes to his generosity. As he got older the more famous he got but you shouldn't overlook his earliest sides, if you can find them: he did seven sessions in the Fifties and only nine songs got issued. I’m looking for a copy of his 1953 session for Chess that includes his version of “Drop Down Mama” – even that didn’t surface until 1970.

It’s never easy presenting an obit show but David Honeyboy Edwards made the finest music as source.

Next Sunday at 10pm (BST) STAR BLUES will be back with me in a white tee shirt and two armfuls of blues and tomfoolery, hope you can come along. Until then, take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

..

One More Mile To Go	Sugar Blue	11	Crucial Harmonica Blues	Various Artists	Alligator
Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	8	Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	Earwig Music Company, Inc.
Baby Please Don't Go	Big Joe Williams	5	Baby Please Don't Go	Big Joe Williams	Blue Label / SPV
The Army Blues	David Honeyboy Edwards	7	Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	Earwig Music Company, Inc.
Terraplane Blues	Robert Johnson	14	Reborn And Remastered	Robert Johnson	ROUGH GUIDES
Cool Drink Of Water Blues	Tommy Johnson	22	Broke Black And Blue	Various Artists	PROPER
Drop Down Mama	Sleepy John Estes	18	Let Me Tell You About The Blues; Chicago - The Evolution Of Chicago Blues 1925-1958	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
Drop Down Mama	Honeyboy Edwards	10	Blues, Blues (1975)	Honeyboy Edwards	DOCUMENT
Long Distance Call	Muddy Waters	20	Reborn And Remastered	Muddy Waters	ROUGH GUIDES
Everything Gonna Be Alright	Magic Sam	1	West Side Guitar 1957-1966	Magic Sam	FLYRIGHT
Ride With Me Tonight	Honeyboy Edwards	4	I've Been Around	Honeyboy Edwards	32 BLUES
Long Tall Woman	Elmore James	22	The Traveling Record Man: Historic Down South Recording Trips	Various Artists	ACE
Black Cat Blues	Lightnin' Hopkins	22	Jake Head Boogie	Lightnin' Hopkins	ACE
Catfish Blues	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	4	World Don't Owe Me Nothin'	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	EARWIG
Goin' Down Swingin'	Homesick James	18	The Bluesville Years. Vol 2: Feeling Down On	Various Artists	PRESTIGE
Too Many Drivers	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	8	World Don't Owe Me Nothin'	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	EARWIG
Who May Your Regular Man Be	David 'Honeyboy' EdwardsCarey BellSunnyland Slim	24	Delta Bluesman	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	INDIGO
Little Boy Blue	Walter Horton	8	Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Memphis	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
Saints Gotta Move	Bobby Rush	10	Folkfunk	Bobby Rush	Ruf
Apron Strings	David Honeyboy Edwards	1	Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	Earwig Music Company, Inc.
Nine Below Zero	Sonny Boy Williamson	9	King Biscuit Time	Sonny Boy Williamson	ARHOOLIE
Sweet Black Angel	Robert Nighthawk	16	Chess Blues	Various Artists	CHESS
Bluebird	Howlin' Wolf	17	Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog	Howlin' Wolf	MCA
Crawling Kingsnake	David Honeyboy Edwards	2	Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	Earwig Music Company, Inc.
Just Like Jesse James	David "Honeyboy" Edwards	1	Crawling Kingsnake	David "Honeyboy" Edwards	not-given
Smoky Mountains	David Honeyboy Edwards	10	Roamin' And Ramblin'	David Honeyboy Edwards	Earwig Music Company, Inc.
West Helena Blues	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	1	World Don't Owe Me Nothin'	David 'Honeyboy' Edwards	EARWIG