STAR BLUES on 2nd October 2011 at 22:00

With Lady Blue "in the house" my white tee shirt was pristine and very well behaved. Birthdays were due for past legends Albert Collins and Koko Taylor, as well as for Billy Branch and Duke Robillard (both very much still with us). Harking back to the Fifties Whiteboy James' front cover photo has him attended to by five maidens in white tee-shirts and red shorts (of course I said nothing untoward), he has an infectious retro style.

We dug out some lap-steel in response to a short piece in Blues & Rhythm magazine about Hop Wilson: thus came Otis Grand and Joe Louis Walker ass well as a sublime instrumental example of the sacred steel genre by Sonny Treadway in the gospel spot. I don't think I've included any Jimmy Blythe before on STAR BLUES but he was very welcome with his great boogie piece in the piano blues feature. The blues purists will applaud the inclusion of Tampa Red but a few of them will have listened through gritted teeth as he got out his kazoo, as he so often did when recording for RCA Bluebird. We guarantee a kazoo free zone between 10 and midnight next Sunday, hope we can spend two hours together again round your place. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Travellin' South	Albert Collins	4	Iceman	Albert Collins	POINTBLANK
Daylight At Midnight	Travis Haddix	5	Daylight At Midnight	Travis Haddix	EARWIG
Eugene Hideaway Bridges 04 Baby I Like	Eugene Hideaway Bridges	4	Rock And A Hard Place	Eugene Hideaway Bridges	ARMADILLO
Gold Brick Bar	Whiteboy James And The Blues Express	7	Extreme Makeover	Whiteboy James And The Blues Express	RIP CAT
Travelin' Alone	Eric Clapton	1	Clapton	Eric Clapton	Reprise/Warner Music Japan
Railroad Bill	Etta Baker	2	Railroad Bill	Etta Baker	MUSIC MAKER
I Stay Blue All The Time	Big Bill Broonzy	21	Four Classic Albums - Plus!	Big Bill Broonzy	AVID
Wang Dang Doodle	Koko Taylor	5	Koko Taylor	Koko Taylor	MCA / CHESS
I Don't Want To Hear About Yours	Hubert Sumlin	8	Black Top Blues-A-Rama	Various Artists	BLACK TOP
Further Up The Road	Bobby 'Blue' Bland	16	The 3B Blues Boy. The Blues Years : 1952-1958	Bobby 'Blue' Bland	ACE
Where's My Money?	Billy Branch AND Sons Of Blues	1	Where's My Money?	Billy BranchSons Of Blues	EVIDENCE
Playhouse Blues	Floyd Jones / Eddie Taylor	11	Masters Of Modern Blues	Floyd JonesEddie Taylor	Shout
Hop On It	Joe Louis Walker W. Otis Grand	7	Great Guitars	Joe Louis Walker	VERVE
Mercy Mercy Mama	Duke Robillard Band, The	3	Low Down And Tore Up	Duke Robillard Band, The	STONY PLAIN
I Smell Trouble	Little Johnny Taylor	11	The Galaxy Years	Little Johnny Taylor	ACE
Big Leg Mama	Dennis Binder	2	Hole In That Jug	Dennis Binder	EARWIG
Travelin' At The Speed Of Love	Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women	8	Havin' The Last Word	Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women	Alligator
Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down	Maria Muldaur	11	Steady Love	Maria Muldaur	STONY PLAIN
Don't Let The Devil Ride	Sonny Treadway	1	Sacred Steel: Traditional Sacred African-American Steel Guitar Music In Florida	Various Artists	Arhoolie Records
Down To The River To Pray	Alison Krauss	6	A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection	Alison Krauss	Rounder
You Got To Do Better	Tampa Red	4	Bluebird Recordings	Tampa Red	RCA
Chicago Stomps	Jimmy Blythe	2	A Porttrait Of Boogie Woogie	Various Artists	GALE
What's On Your Worried Mind?	Otis Spann	14	Live The Life	Otis Spann	Testament
Playing In The Park	Frank Goldwasser W. Phillip Walker	11	Blu Ju	Frank Goldwasser	CROSSCUT RECORDS
Love Cruiser	Super Chikan	10	Sum' Mo Chikan	Super Chikan	Chikan Howse Records

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.
.

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

STAR BLUES on 18thSeptember 2011 at 22:00

STAR BLUES draws on traditional and vintage recordings along with the best of the new breed and our show last night certainly ticked all those boxes. Charlie Musselwhite is in fine form these days and he came along to help George Thorogood on his new album of covers done first for the Chess label (Hence the project title of 2120 South Michigan Ave.). Charlie added a bit of light and shade to George’s boyish enthusiasm take on “My Babe” to ease in to our show after Rock God Neil Jones at ten.

Late addition to the playlist came in the form of a lovely piece of playing with Toby Walker in the songbook of Blind Boy Fuller. Toby’s understated album is a little gem that we’ll go to again. Still can't believe the classic Stax soul arrangement that Eli Paperboy Reed gives Lemmy's "Ace of Spades" but when we play it the phones get busy for all the right reasons!

Freddie Kings birthdate slipped by on 3^rd September and we went to one of his Shelter recordings which showed off his muscular playing on the original of a piece that many rock/blues players cover these days. Namesake, but no relation, B B king had his 86^th birthday on Friday 16^th and with the live version of Gambler’s Blues  demonstrated why he was so far ahead of the pack in the Sixties. Celebrations were somewhat tempered with news of the death of Willie Big-Eyes Smith and so soon after his friend and musical partner Pinetop Perkins. Smith had two spells in Muddy Waters band and founded the Legendary Blues Band. He started as a harp player  and recently he returned to it as his instrument of choice. I’ve held back some of his solo sides but he got a showcase as sideman to Koko Taylor and one of his compositions from the multi-award winning album “Joined at the Hip” hid did with Pinetop. A few weeks before he died he must have smiled that big grin as his son Kenny got a gong from Living Blues magazine as Best Musician (Drums).

From the 1950s Jimmy Anderson was Naggin; Sonny Boy Williamson and Mighty Joe Young did things from the 1960s and one of the songs Jimmy Johnson but for Bruce Iglauer’s Living Chicago Blues project moved ourfocus to the 1970s. Our 1001 feature came from the last session Big Maceo did at the piano before his stroke  - the definitive version of Chicago Breakdown. Any significant remnants of the Jelly Roll Morton piece had long gone as far as I could tell.  The Blind Boys of Alabama have done duty in our gospel spot before but Bishop Dready Manning was in the tent for the first time with the “Gospel Train”. I got his track from Music Maker as I did the closing rocker by Beverley Guitar Watkins.

Next Sunday at ten (BST) we’ll have more STAR BLUES fare, thanks in advance for the kind invite to your place. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.

.

My Babe (Featuring Charlie Musselwhite)	George Thorogood	10	2120 South Michigan Ave	George Thorogood	Capitol
Me And My Guitar	Freddie King	4	Texas Cannonball	Freddie King	SEQUEL
Serves Me Right To Suffer	Jimmy Johnson	10	Living Chicago Blues Vol. 1	Jimmy Johnson	Alligator
W.C. Handy Sang The Blues	Roy Gaines	6	New Frontier Lover	Roy Gaines	SEVERN
What Kind Of Man Is This?	Bob Corritore, Koko Taylor, Bob Margolin, Little Frank Krakowski, Bob Stroger, Willie "Big Eyes" Smi	1	Harmonica Blues	Bob Corritore	Delta Groove
Chicago Breakdown	Big Maceo	14	20th Century Blues	Various Artists	CATFISH
I've Got Mine	Pink Anderson	12	All That Blues	Various Artists	ORIGINAL BLUES CLASSICS
Sylvie	Lead Belly	2	Goodnight Irene	Leadbelly	MUSIC CLUB
Sylvie	Louise SetaraLadysmith Black Mambazo	9	Still Waters	Louise Setara	EMI / MANHATTON
Early In The Morning	Mighty Joe Young	16	Legacy Of The Blues : Maxi Sampler	Various Artists	SONET
I'm His Wife You're Just His Friend	Ann Sexton	3	Sound Stage Seven Story	Various Artists	CHARLY
Ace of Spades	Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves	1	Ace Of Spades	Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves	not given
Gambler's Blues	B. B. King	2	Great Moments With B. B. King	B. B. King	MCA
Dog House Boogie	Seasick Steve	5	Dog House Music	Seasick Steve	Bronzerat
Iko Iko	Dr. John	1	Gumbo	Dr. John	ATCO
Take It Easy	Pinetop Perkins	9	Crucial Chicago Blues	Various Artists	Alligator
Grown Up To Be A Man	Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith	1	Joined At The Hip	Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith	TELARC
I Saw The Light	Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Hank Williams, Jr., The	12	Various Artists	Various Artists	not given
Gospel Train	Bishop Dready Manning	64	Music Maker	Various Artists	Music Maker
My Younger Days	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	22	Work With Me	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	CHARLY
Naggin	Jimmy Anderson	8	Louisiana Swamp Blues	Various Artists	FLYRIGHT
Keep On Truckin' Mama	Toby Walker	5	Shake Baby Shake	Toby Walker	VANGUARD
Street Singer	Ray Bonneville	9	Rough Luck	Ray Bonneville	BLUESIDE
I'm Gonna Rock Some More	Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins	41	Music Maker	Various Artists	Music Maker