STAR BLUES on 5th July 2015 at 22:00 - uniquely, willfully, purposely, deliberately different

We've more tunes in the bag tonight than we can possibly play in two hours - if nothing else proving that UNCUT magazine are a little premature in announcing the death of our music upon BB's passing. Rude health from the down home simplicity of James Cotton's award winner from ten years ago to the pre-war mastery of Blind Willie McTell. It's all here.

We took a moment to play a Mighty Sam McClain song from his 2009 album: his unique, rich voice was stilled on 16th June and in truth I don't know of a bad record by him. James Cotton turned 79 this week and his graceful yet urgent harp was never better than on the heartfelt three-hander he did for Verve with Joe Louis Walker and Charlie Haden. Our other dip into the birthday book found Champion Jack Dupree on one of his 1940 sides issued on Okeh.

While over in the piano tent we heard Memphis Slim - I mused that considering his music was some of the first I found, he isn't a regular contributor. Still can't explain why; there's a fabulous photo of him in Francis Wilford Smith's back garden inexplicably holding a penny farthing bicycle.

Roy Gaines and Gorgeous George Stancell (both respectively out of the JSP stable at the time) set out our stall for proceedings. I almost posed a silly question at the start of our second hour following the robust guitar soloing on "Texas" track off the fairly-rare album done by Long Jong Hunter and Tom "Bluesman" Hunter: I almost ventured that they are the only pair of  brothers in this game (then I remembered Syl and Jimmy Johnson). Called it an honourable draw.

Three new anthologies on Jasmine caught our attention, each one with the very first output  of its star (Don Covay, Joe Tex and JB Lenoir). The first two started out with gospel in their voices aimed at covering Little Richard, but who soone developed individual styles ideal for R&B. The Lenoir set has 22 unissued cuts in addition to his hits from 1950-1960.

Fans of blues guitar were further delighted by tracks on Otis Rush, Johnny Shines, Little Joe Blue, Ray Agee and Earl King; harp lovers got Sydney Maiden and the second Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Willie Littlefield did piano duties. As for blues singers, not doing too bad when you can call on Wynonie Harris, Tiny Topsy and the sock selection from Evelyn Freeman. (This is the choice show highlight for our challenge that if you can find another track on UK blues radio as good as this, I will eat my socks).

What we do ain't pretty, thanks for your kind invite to your place to let us do it - we're already cooking up more trivia tomfoolery and blues as good as these for next Sunday at 10pm (BST). Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label
Bluesman For Life	Roy Gaines	1	Bluesman For Life	Roy Gaines	JSP
Mississippi Woman	George Stancell	8	Gorgeous George	George Stancell	JSP Records
thats fair play	johnnie bassett	4	blues insurgents	johnnie bassett	cannonball
lift me up	mighty sam mcclain	9	lift me up	mighty sam mcclain	telarc
Meet Me In Church	Joe Tex	2-28	yum yum yum. The early sides	joe tex	jasmine
Pony Time	Don Covay	18	Rockin' And Doowoppin' - The Early Years	Don Covay	Jasmine Records
She'll Be Sorry	Tarheel Slim	7	Too Much Competition	Tarheel Slim	sundown
Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day	Blind Willie McTell	2	Statesboro Blues	Blind Willie McTell	INDIGO
c c rider	Lead Belly	10	Goodnight Irene	Leadbelly	MUSIC CLUB
Dynaflow Blues	Johnny Shines	3	Ramblin' Blues	Johnny Shines	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION
Wild As You Can Be	Mary Ann Fisher	7	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
I Ain't Mad At You	Bobby "Mr Blues" Merrell	13	The Last Shout	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
miss you so	Tiny Topsy	1-10	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
didn't it rain	evelyn freeman	1-11	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
two trains runnin	james cotton	9	deep in the blues	james cotton	verve
One Foot In Texas	Long John HunterTom 'Bluesman' Hunter	2	One Foot In Texas	Long John HunterTom 'Bluesman' Hunter	DOC BLUES
Double Trouble	Otis Rush	13	Good'uns : The Classic Cobra Sides	Otis Rush	BLUESIDE
love is a gamble	Ray Agee	7	West Coast Blues 2 (1952-1957)	Ray Agee
Packin' Up	Earl King	11	The Ace Story - Volume 5	Various Artists	ACE
You Keep Me Yearning	Arbee Stidham	1	Tired Of Wandering	Arbee Stidham
I've Been Down For So Long	J. B. Lenoir	1-27	i wanna play a little while	J. B. Lenoir	jasmine
You Keep My Nose To The Grinding Stone	Little Joe Blue	16	Little Joe Blue - Greatest Hits	Little Joe Blue	collectables
I Got To Know	Eddie Bo	13	Baby I'm Wise	Eddie Bo	ACE
Grandma Plays The Numbers	Wynonie Harris	11	Don't You Want To Rock? The Acetate Masters	Wynonie Harris	ACE
I Ain't Drunk	Lonnie The Cat	7	Speak Easy - The Rpm Records Story Volume 2 1954-57	Various Artists	Ace Records
Once Was Lucky	Little Willie Littlefield	2	Boogie Blues And Bounce : Modern Recordings Vol. 2	Little Willie Littlefield	ACE
Gamblin' Man Blues	Champion Jack Dupree	1	New Orleans Barrelhouse Boogie	Champion Jack Dupree	COLUMBIA
Diggin' My Potatoes	Memphis Slim	12	That's Blues	Various Artists	THAT'S BLUES
Hurry, Hurry, Baby	Sydney Maiden	3	The Flash Records Story	Various Artists	ACE
Flat Foot Sam	Tv Slim	6	Rhythm & Bluesin' By The Bayou - Rompin' & Stompin'	Various Artists	ACE
Work With Me	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	3	Work With Me	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	CHARLY

Created: 06/07/2015 13:50:03

STAR BLUES on 28th June 2015 at 22:00 (BST) Willie Dixon was born 100 years ago: twenty of his songs

barely do justice to the influence of his gifts. According to his autobiography there are 521 songs in his canon; that doesn't take into account the dozens of sessions he played proper stand-up bass on, countless times acting as producer. He worked for both Chess and Cobra labels (among others), and he had two of his own.

In a colourful life he started out singing gospel and was a useful boxer, winning a Golden Gloves title. When Led Zeppelin included his 1962 song for Muddy Waters called "You Need Love" into a track on their iconic second album, he sued, got an out of court settlement and the song writing credits amended on all subsequent versions of the Zep album. If that wasn't enough, the money was used to help set up the "Blues Heaven Foundation" charity (now administered by his family). It's probably better left to the listener to fire up a search engine to get more detail. Pretty sure the legal niceties are the reason the movie hasn't been commissioned (the plot is terrific).

His "Signifying Monkey" was a big sheet music seller before the Big Three cut a record of it and we went to his final solo album called "Hidden Charms" stuffed full of his own songs on silvertone. (The following project "Ginger Ale Afternoon" was a soundtrack).
We inadvertently chose a poor copy of Charles Clark's version of "Hidden Charms" - the fidelity probably through the radio may not have been great: sorry (sourcing old vinyl does that sometimes).

I was away from the bridge for just two weekends and look what happens: the blues died. Well it did if you read Uncut magazine. Patent nonsense easily rebuffed when you consider Mavis Staples had just done a terrific set from the stage of Glastonbury. I also have a handsome heap of brand new albums for airplay audition arrived while I was away. Classical music didn't die when Beethoven died.. Sure BB King was a gifted musician who continues to influence so many other players, his real loss is that of a humanitarian of grace, patience and understated wisdom. Celebrate what he did and what we have now. I struggle each week trimming my playlist into a two hour slot: the blues will be dead when I can't find enough good stuff (not while I have so much).

We paid tribute to Big Time Sarah and Wendell Holmes who died this month; Wendell's passing is particularly poignant given band-mate Popsy Dixon's recent death and the lovely cover feature in the newest Living Blues magazine. His version of "Beast of Burden" showed off a smoky voice and textured guitar and organ.

If you want to write off our music, you should probably note our next planned holiday is 15th November. Before then - Sunday in fact - I'm plotting more trivia, tomfoolery and good old-faashioned blues, be good to have you along. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
one bourbon one scotch one beer	John Lee Hooker	4-20	chess blues	Various Artists	mca	[ 2 mins 50 secs ]	John Lee Hooker
Iou Blues	Bobby 'Blue' Bland	17	Ace's Wild!	Johnny Ace	Fantastic Voyage	[ 3 mins 12 secs ]	Bobby 'Blue' Bland
Overworked and Underpaid	Selwyn Birchwood	7	Don't Call No Ambulance	Selwyn Birchwood	Alligator	[ 4 mins 6 secs ]	Selwyn Birchwood
turn me round	mavis staples	9	we'll never turn back	mavis staples	anti
just about to lose your clown	breezy rodio	3	so close to it	breezy rodio	wind chill	[ 2 mins 32 secs ]	mcRae
Beast of Burden	Wendell Holmes	7	Paint It Blue : Songs Of The Rolling Stones	Various Artists	Ruf	[ 4 mins 46 secs ]	Wendell Holmes
Long Tall Daddy	Big Time Sarah	1	Wild About That Thing - Ladies Sing The Blues	Various Artists	DELMARK	[ 4 mins 55 secs ]	Big Time Sarah
Statesboro Blues	Guy Davis	13	Juba Dance	Guy Davis (Featuring Fabrizio Poggi)	Dixiefrog	[ 3 mins 56 secs ]	Guy Davis
big meat shakin on the bone	Toby Walker	1	hand picked	Toby Walker	band in the hand	[ 2 mins 44 secs ]	Toby Walker
signifying monkey	big three trio	3-13	bullet records story	various artists	spv		willie dixon
i live the life	willie dixon	6	hidden charms	willie dixon	silvertone	[ 3 mins 13 secs ]	willie dixon
Black Angel Blues	Robert Nighthawk	2	Weak Brain Narrow Mind	Willie Dixon	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 3 mins 3 secs ]	willie dixon
Seventh Son	Willie Mabon	19	The R&b Years 1955 Vol.2	Various Artists	BOULEVARD ENTERTAINMENT	[ 2 mins 52 secs ]	Willie dixon
Broken Hearted Blues	Buddy Guy	17	Deep Feeling	Various Artists	Fantatsic Voyage	[ 3 mins 12 secs ]	willie dixon
Young Fashioned Ways	Muddy Waters	8	Messin' With The Man	Muddy Waters	Essential Music and Marketing Ltd	[ 3 mins 0 secs ]	willie dixon
Hidden Charms	Charles Clark With The Willie Dixon Band	29	Goin' Down To Eli's (The Cobra And Abco Rhythm And Blues Anthology 1956-1958)	Various Artists	WESTSIDE	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	Willie Dixon
When the Lights Go Out	Jimmy Witherspoon	3	Weak Brain Narrow Mind	Willie Dixon	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 2 mins 51 secs ]	willie dixon
29 Ways	Willie Dixon	16	Chicago Bound: Chess Blues, R&b And Rock 'N' Roll	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 11 secs ]	Willie Dixon
Shake for Me	Howlin' Wolf	24	The Back Door Man	Howlin' Wolf	Essential Music and Marketing Ltd	[ 2 mins 13 secs ]	willie dixon
forty four	Howlin' Wolf	4	The Back Door Man	Howlin' Wolf	Essential Music and Marketing Ltd	[ 2 mins 13 secs ]
Do Me Right	Lowell Fulson	6	Complete Chess Recordings	Lowell Fulson	MCA/CHESS	[ 2 mins 30 secs ]	willie dixon
You Know My Love	Otis Rush	8	Weak Brain Narrow Mind	Willie Dixon	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 2 mins 40 secs ]	willie dixon
Too Many Cooks	Jesse Fortune	10	The Way I Feel	Various Artists	FLYRIGHT	[ 2 mins 55 secs ]	willie dixon
Crazy Mixed Up World	Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs)	21	Blues With A Feeling	Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs)	ROOTS	[ 2 mins 20 secs ]	willie dixon
Pretty Thing	Bo Diddley	7	Jungle Music	Bo Diddley	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 2 mins 0 secs ]	willie dixon
Whatever I Am You Made Me	Koko Taylor	9	Koko Taylor	Koko Taylor	MCA / CHESS	[ 2 mins 40 secs ]	willie dixon
Third Degree	Eddie Boyd	6	Weak Brain Narrow Mind	Willie Dixon	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 3 mins 15 secs ]	willie dixon
Violent Love	Big Three Trio, The	2	Tribute To Willie Dixon	Various Artists	CHARLY	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	willie dixon
pain in my heart	willie dixon	3	Tribute To Willie Dixon	Various Artists	CHARLY	[ 3 mins 0 secs ]	willie dixon
Mellow Down Easy	Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs)	11	Weak Brain Narrow Mind	Willie Dixon	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 2 mins 41 secs ]	willie dixon

Created: 29/06/2015 13:26:44

STAR BLUES congratulations due to Blues & Rhythm magazine: 300 issues is the longest running blues magazine in English.

.. First issue cover dated July 1984, all our music ditto.

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
hey the blues is alright	little milton	1	greatest hits	little milton	malaco	[ 4 mins 13 secs ]	campbell
The Sky is Crying	Albert King	3	I'm In A Phone Booth	Albert King	STAX	[ 4 mins 0 secs ]	james
yes baby	big mama thornton duet with johnny otis	12	essential collection	big mama thornton	spectrum	[ 2 mins 57 secs ]	otis
double crossing blues	little esther phillips	1	am i that easy to forget	esther phillips	fasmine	[ 2 mins 46 secs ]	robinson
please believe me	percy mayfield	8	specialty sampler	various artists	ace
Something to Remember You By	Guitar Slim	21	Sufferin' Mind	Guitar Slim		[ 2 mins 57 secs ]	Guitar Slim
I've Got Nothing Working Now	Ann Cole	10	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 31 secs ]	Ann Cole
I Can't Understand it	Willie Egans	7	The R&b Years - 1956 (Vol. 1)	Various Artists	BOULEVARD VINTAGE	[ 1 mins 48 secs ]	Willie Egans
I Wonder Who's Boogiein' My Woogie Now	Buddy Johnson	4	Jukebox Hits 1940-1951	Buddy Johnson	ACROBAT	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	Buddy Johnson
tee nah nah	tuts washington	4	louisiana spice - rounder 25 years	various artists	rounder
Just a Poor Boy ( Take 2 )	Roy Hawkins	14	The Downhome Blues Sessions Vol. 5	Various Artists	ACE	[ 3 mins 15 secs ]	Roy Hawkins
Cat Squirrel	Dr. Ross	20	Sun Blues Box : 1950-1958	Various Artists	CHARLY	[ 2 mins 23 secs ]	Dr. Ross
Ground Hog Blues No.Two	Rambling Thomas	12	Classic Slide Guitar	Various Artists	CATFISH	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	Rambling Thomas
gotta move	alexis korner	1	r&b from marquee	alexis korner	castle
Scorched	Varetta Dillard	21	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 43 secs ]	Varetta Dillard
my castles rockin	alberta hunter	6	empty bed blues	various artists	pulse
send me a man	alberta hunter	11	empty bed blues	various artists	pulse
I'm Tough (Tough as I Want to Be)	Phillip Walker	1	The Best Of Phillip Walker	Phillip Walker	HIGH TONE	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	fulson
downhome blues	Z. Z. Hill	2	best of	Z. Z. Hill	MALACO	[ 3 mins 37 secs ]	Z. Z. Hill
Don't Touch Me	Robert Cray	9	Bad Influence	Robert Cray	DEMON	[ 3 mins 25 secs ]	Robert Cray
Pickin' Up the Pieces (Fantastic 101)	Eddie Kirkland	4	45's Collection Prt 059	Various Artists		[ 5 mins 23 secs ]	Eddie Kirkland
Cheating Woman (Fantastic 1007-8)	James Peterson	8	45's Collection Prt 081	Various Artists		[ 3 mins 46 secs ]	James Peterson
Short Dresses	J. T. Brown Feat. Otis Spann	20	Chicago Piano 1951-1958	Various Artists	FLYRIGHT	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	J. T. Brown Feat. Otis Spann
Wanna Be Loved	Willie Bradford	7	Best Of New York On Fire Vols. 3 And 4	Various Artists	FIRE	[ 2 mins 35 secs ]	Willie Bradford
Stormy Weather Blues	Sylvester Cotton	17	Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Detroit	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 46 secs ]	Sylvester Cotton
stone pony blues	charley patton	1-4	story of the blues	various artists	sony / legacy
black snake moan	blind lemon jefferson	1-5	story of the blues	various artists	sony / legacy
pigmeat	lead belly	1-6	story of the blues	various artists	sony / legacy
boogie woogie country girl	big joe turner	4	bear family sampler	various artists	bear family
chicken shack	amos milburn	1-16	1956 r&B years	various artists	boulevard vintage
29 ways	willie dixon	2-20	1956 r&B years	various artists	boulevard vintage

Created: 07/06/2015 23:55:18

STAR BLUES on 31st May 2015 at 22:00 with Vintage sounds from the ages

.. belated birthday wishes to Taj Mahal and T-Bone Walker. Cracking new projects from Harrison Kennedy and Slam Allen, more reissues from Jasmine, Fantastic Voyage and Ace. In the words of MasterChef, blues radio doesn't get more exciting than this.

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
Garbage Man Blues	Maurice John Vaughn	2	Generic Blues Album - Maurice John Vaughn	Maurice John Vaughn	Alligator	[ 5 mins 24 secs ]	Maurice John Vaughn
you've got to love her with a feeling	freddy king	2	heads up	freddy king	jasmine	[ 3 mins 14 secs ]	king
I'm No Fool, I Know the Blues	Smokey Wilson	7	Sing the Blues	Smokey Wilson		[ 4 mins 2 secs ]	Smokey Wilson
Take it to the Bank	Sugaray Rayford	5	Southside	Sugaray Rayford	Delta Groove	[ 4 mins 23 secs ]	Rayford, Crawford
Freight Train	Taj Mahal	19	In Progress And Motion	Taj Mahal	SONY	[ 3 mins 19 secs ]	Taj Mahal
Little By Little	Nappy Brown	21	The Influences Behind The Rolling Stones	Various Artists	Hoodoo Records	[ 2 mins 36 secs ]	McCoy
See See Rider (Studio)	La Vern Baker	17	The Best of the Rest	Lavern Baker	Jasmine Records	[ 2 mins 26 secs ]	La Vern Baker
Leaping Boogie	Crown Prince Waterford	14	1946-1950	Crown Prince Waterford	BLUES CLASSICS	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	Crown Prince Waterford
Triflin' Woman Blues	T-Bone Walker	21	You're My Best Poker Hand: The Definitive Collection	T-Bone Walker	Fantastic Voyage	[ 3 mins 12 secs ]	T-Bone Walker
Jump the Broom	Mr. Sipp	2	The Mississippi Blues Child	Mr. Sipp	Malaco Records	[ 4 mins 29 secs ]	Mr. Sipp
Fix It When I Can	Daddy Mack Blues Band	4	A Bluesman Looks At Seventy	Daddy Mack Blues Band	INSIDE SOUNDS	[ 3 mins 40 secs ]	Daddy Mack Blues Band
35 Miles Outside of Memphis	Slam Allen	6	Feel These Blues	Slam Allen		[ 4 mins 17 secs ]	Slam Allen
White Rock Rooster	Super Chikan	9	Blues Come Home to Roost	Super Chikan		[ 3 mins 53 secs ]	Super Chikan
reconsider baby	lowell fulson	1	reconsider baby	lowell fulson	jasmine	[ 3 mins 10 secs ]	fulson
Rockett 88	Arlen Roth With Johnny Winter	5	Slide Guitar Summit	Roth, Arlen	aquinnah	[ 4 mins 35 secs ]	Arlen Roth With Johnny Winter
Mojo Hand	Andrew 'Blueblood' Mac Mahon	14	Go Get My Baby	Andrew 'Blueblood' Mac Mahon	STORYVILLE	[ 4 mins 0 secs ]	Andrew 'Blueblood' Mac Mahon
I Got the Blues When it Rains	Buster Brown	9	I'm Going But I'll Be Back	Buster Brown	Jasmine	[ 2 mins 30 secs ]	Buster Brown
walking dr. bill	b. b. king	2-12	blues in transition (my kind of blues)	b. b. king	hoo doo	[ 3 mins 33 secs ]	ling
I'm Through Dealing	Eddie Bo	13	Keep It Rollin' - Blues Piano Collection	Various Artists	Rounder	[ 2 mins 41 secs ]	Eddie Bo
Bass on Top	Meade Lux Lewis	5	The Best Of Boogie Woogie	Various Artists	DOCUMENTS	[ 3 mins 42 secs ]	Meade Lux Lewis
Ain't Gonna Hush	Cordella De Milo	4	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 34 secs ]	Cordella De Milo
Good Gravy Baby	Varetta Dillard	15	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 36 secs ]	Varetta Dillard
Humdinger	Little Marie Allen	23	Ain't Gonna Hush: The Queens Of Rhythm & Blues	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 17 secs ]	Little Marie Allen
Wanna Be Loved (All Nite Long)	Bee Bee Queen With Teacho's Orch.	13	The Devil Hates You: Serious '50S Female Jivers	Various Artists		[ 2 mins 19 secs ]	Bee Bee Queen With Teacho's Orch.
neighbour neighbour	jimmy hughes	14	fame singles vol. 2	jimmy hughes	ace	[ 2 mins 40 secs ]	hughes
Step in the Right Direction	Brother Prince Dixon	8	Wow, Wow, Baby! 1950S R&b, Blues And Gospel From Dolphin's Of Hollywood	Various Artists	Ace Records	[ 2 mins 21 secs ]	Brother Prince Dixon
you got me hummin	otis clay and billy price	12	this time for real	otis clay		[ 3 mins 18 secs ]	clay
rock and roll	chuck higgins	24	Wow, Wow, Baby! 1950S R&b, Blues And Gospel From Dolphin's Of Hollywood	Various Artists	Ace Records	[ 3 mins 21 secs ]	higgins
Sweet Taste	Harrison Kennedy	1	Sweet Taste	Harrison Kennedy		[ 3 mins 18 secs ]	Harrison Kennedy

Created: 31/05/2015 23:59:48

STAR BLUES on 24th May 2015 at 22:00 with a big serving of new releases to make up for lost time

Did you know you can get here directly from  gary-blue.uk ? Less typing, fewer links, try it next time you stop by.

Lot of catching up with fine new releases

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
Sell My Monkey	B. B. King	5	Introducing B. B. King	B. B. King	MCA	[ 3 mins 2 secs ]	B. B. King
Guitar Angels	James Armstrong	11	Guitar Angels	James Armstrong	Catfood	[ 4 mins 45 secs ]	James Armstrong
The Blues is Back	Slam Allen	4	Feel These Blues	Slam Allen		[ 3 mins 27 secs ]	Slam Allen
Look Before You Leap	Kenny Parker	3	Yes Indeed!	Kenny Parker	blue angel recordings	[ 5 mins 1 secs ]	angove & Parker
Cold Blooded Lover	Texas Horns feat WC Clark	5	Blues Gotta Holda Me	Texas Horns, The	Vizztone	[ 3 mins 33 secs ]	Clark
coffee flavoured kisses	Gaye Adegbalola & the Wild Rutz	5	Is It Still Good To Ya?	Gaye Adegbalola & the Wild Rutz		[ 3 mins 0 secs ]	Gaye Adegbalola
the well runs dry	wynona carr	3-2	ain't gonna hush	various artists	fantastic voyage	[ 2 mins 30 secs ]	carr
a help each other romance	lavern baker w. ben e. king	3	best of the rest 1960-1962	lavern baker	jasmine	[ 2 mins 30 secs ]	singleton
tollin' bells	lowell fulson	10	coplete checker singles 1954-1962	lowell fulson	jasmine	[ 2 mins 30 secs ]	dixon
Bip Bop Bip	Pretty Boy (Aka Don Covay)	24	Let The Boogie Woogie Rock'n'roll	Various Artists	ACE	[ 1 mins 56 secs ]	Pretty Boy (Aka Don Covay)
Cool Disposition	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	14	One Way Out	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)	CLASSIC BLUES	[ 2 mins 43 secs ]	Sonny Boy Williamson (Aka Rice Miller)
Western Union Man	Chicago Sunny Boy (Aka Joe Hill Louis)	9	The Complete Meteor: Blues, R&b, & Gospel Recordings	Various Artists	ACE	[ 3 mins 9 secs ]	john lee sonny Boy williamson
Hucklebuck Scratch	Riff Ruffin	2	Best Of New York On Fire Vols. 1 And 2	Various Artists	FIRE	[ 2 mins 36 secs ]	Riff Ruffin
I Held My Baby Last Night	Elmore James	2	The Complete Meteor: Blues, R&b, & Gospel Recordings	Various Artists	ACE	[ 3 mins 24 secs ]	Elmore James
Elevate Me Mama	Muddy Waters	22	One More Mile	Muddy Waters	MCA/CHESS	[ 3 mins 20 secs ]	sonny boy williamson aka rice miller
Davisl04 Angels in Houston	Larry Davis	3	dave's dukes	Larry Davis		[ 2 mins 14 secs ]	Larry Davis
Black Cat Bone	Albert Collins & Johnny Copeland	3	The 20th Anniversary Collection	Various Artists	Alligator	[ 4 mins 58 secs ]	hop wilson
Standing at the Crossroads	John Primer	8	You Can Make it if You Try	John Primer	WOLF	[ 5 mins 42 secs ]	luther allison
We Can Make it if We Try	Lil' Dave Thompson w. mary taylor	4	C'mon Down To The Delta	Lil' Dave Thompson	JSP	[ 3 mins 59 secs ]	feiner
What'd I Say?	Ruth Brown	18	Voodoo Voodoo: Feisty Fifties Females	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 39 secs ]	Ruth Brown
Elevator Boogie	Mabel Scott	5	Chronological Recordings 1938-1950	Mabel Scott	CLASSICS	[ 2 mins 20 secs ]	Ray
Nothin' for Nothin'	Magic Slim	14	Alone and Unplugged	Magic Slim	WOLF	[ 3 mins 7 secs ]	Magic Slim
Captain, Captain	Mance Lipscomb	2	Songster	Mance Lipscomb	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION	[ 3 mins 9 secs ]	Mance Lipscomb
Biscuit Roller	Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes	4	Done Got Tired of Tryin'	Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes	.	[ 4 mins 39 secs ]	Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes
Guitar Blues	Lonnie Johnson	8	Blues Guitar Pioneers	Various Artists	BOULEVARD VINTAGE	[ 3 mins 14 secs ]	Lonnie Johnson
67 Blues	Little Willie Pollard	11	West Coast Guitar Killers - El Segundo Volume 3 (1950-1978)	Various Artists		[ 2 mins 57 secs ]	Little Willie Pollard
money aint long enough	Al King	4	on my way	al king		[ 3 mins 10 secs ]	Al King
It’s Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)	Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers	24	It's Jamaica Jump Blues Time! Jamaican Sound System Classics 1941-1962	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage	[ 2 mins 40 secs ]	Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers
It's Tight Like That	Clara Smith	8	The Blues Box	Various Artists	METRO	[ 3 mins 21 secs ]	Clara Smith
Things That I Used to Do	Lefty Dizz	8	The Story Of Black And Blues :1976-1988	Various Artists	FREMEAUX ET ASSOCIES	[ 4 mins 35 secs ]	Lefty Dizz

Created: 24/05/2015 23:50:04

B. B. King through his rarely heard and hard to find Blues

Our way of saying thank-you to Riley B. King, master guitarist, much loved man: we wanted to pass on some anecdotes and tracks that other tribute shows won't have time for or not know about. Stories about how Lucille got her name and his pairing with the like of U2 are commonplace so we skipped over those.

The biographies do include the bare facts so we did too: born on 16th September 1925 to Nora Ella and Albert King, who were share croppers. His parents divorced when B was 4 and his mother and grandmother died within months of each other when Riley was 10. He carried on living alone in his grandmother's shack for five years before his father took him away  unsuccessfully.  When he returned he borrowed $15 to buy a red Stella guitar, he became part of a gospel group and was working driving a tractor from can to can't. (can see when the sun was up until you couldn't see after sundown).

His occupation was on the reserved list which meant that he was excused National Service during the war. He did prang the tractor however and he ran away to Memphis to seek out his 2nd cousin Bukka White. His conscience got the better of him and so he returned to the farm to pay for the repair debt. Once that was done he headed back to Memphis.


The first four songs he cut there for Bullet during May 1949 don't often get a full hearing - I found them on a Catfish disc that was issued and swiftly withdrawn for unspecified reasons. (the song about his wife "Miss Martha King" isn't hard to find however). B B King was dismissive when asked about the sides but he shows off some decent singing in a couple of blues styles with enough promise to get him a deal with RPM/Modern the following year.

In 1954 he did guitar duties for a single by Otis Spann, the instrumental "Five Spot" was on the flip side and in our survey on STAR BLUES. By 1956 he was doing over 340 one-night stands in a calendar year (still the record surely). So he invested in a bus "Big Red" but early in 1958 the vehicle was in an accident that killed two  people in the other car and truck. All the group escaped unhurt through the back of the bus but B was left with a big bill to pay out of his own pocket. The insurance company had been suspended on the Friday, BB had commitments to fulfil over the weekend and he intended getting replacement insurance on the Monday morning. It took him years to clear it.

His troubles continued in 1958, he met Miles Davis who spoke about how the bizness worked and so  started to get itchy feet regarding his contract with the Bihari Brothers. Down in Miami in July he recorded four songs for the Chess label. After some discussions Chess had to hand over the tapes and the sides weren't issued officially in the USA for a couple of decades.  Vagaries in European licencing made them more readily available and just about every budget blues anthology having something by BB King used these tracks. "Recession Blues" is a fine piece, "Tickle Britches" done with more tongue in cheek shall we say. The other two are ballads that we ran out of time for last night.

King did sign for ABC in 1962 and his first recording session used the Maxwell Davis Orchestra. One number "Little Mama" laid around unloved from the date, it first saw light of day as an extra to the lovely project Dick Waterman put together to mark B's 80th birthday in 2005. It also had a similarly rare "May I have a talk with you" from the early 70s.

Two other significant events happened in 1971, he followed in the  footsteps of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry by coming to England to record; he also set up F.A.I.R.R. with lawyer F Lee Bailey.  The "In London" album included a track where he put Lucille on one side in favour of an acoustic instrument, he got backing from Alexis Korner and Humble Pie where Steve Marriott was understated on harp. The charity was something dear to BB King's heart as he thought he'd only just marginally avoided his life taking a criminal path at different times. the FOUNDATION for ADVANCEMENT of INMATE REHABILITATION and RECREATION was an important initiative as so many of the inmate population in America are African-American. He played dozens and dozens of gigs behind bars for prisoners; he recorded projects at Sing Sing, San Quentin and the gig at Cook County in 1971 (it yielded one of his landmark albums). In 1993 his concert in Gainesville prison included a family member in the inmate throng. "People" magazine ran a feature piece.

The Ali-Frazier fight billed as "Rumble In the Jungle" took place in Zaire in 1974, there was to be a filmed concert the day before as build up to the encounter. BB King was on the bill and he is in the film, the song "Sweet Sixteen" from the event was put onto the sampler prom for 2012's bio-pic "Life of Riley" so we put it into our tribute running order. Though B has always been a seasoned traveller he was less than thrilled with the plane used to get him to the gig: a tiny three wheeler so laden down that the front wheel barely touched the ground. There were genuine concerns about the plane's ability to take off and land. The weight was in the band equipment carried by James Brown entourage (theirs wasn't a one off gig in Zaire, they were due the entire continent). Luckily common sense prevailed and BB persuaded James to ship his gear on a separate flight for the remaining journeys.

We did have a number of songs where B provided guest guitar and we think you'll agree Lucille was always present as a distinctive voice no matter the setting. "Patches" is a pretty sentimental piece of hokum but just savour how far BB King dug down to let his guitar soar above the string arrangement. It was a masterful piece of showmanship. There was a telling dialogue with Elvin Bishop before and after their version of Roy Milton's "Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket", B asks Elvin if he could remember B stating he was King of the blues, Bishop had to concede not: surely ending the nonsense about "King of the Blues" once and for all.

Riley B. King a lowly sharecropper upbringing did play for Kings, Presidents and the Pope - he never forgot seeing the body of a black man displayed for public entertainment on court house steps after execution. He played for prison inmates and became an honourary doctor at Yale. He endorsed Pepsi, KFC, Budweiser and Panasonic. He even appeared in the Simpsons.

The most recent song we played was a piece he did with Buddy Guy, wherein they reflected on how lucky they'd been and how they enjoyed how things were turning out for them - only seasoned road warriors that had seen and done what they have would be entitled such reflective contemplation. Buddy Guy commented to his friend "You're the best that did it and got away with it".

Thank goodness he did, he filled a huge hole in our souls and when it all comes down, his music will still be around.

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
I'm Movin' on	B. B. King	1	There Is Always One More Time	B. B. King	MCA	[ 4 mins 16 secs ]	sample / Jennings
Sinner's Prayer	Ray Charles & B. B. King	9	Genius Loves Company	Ray Charles	CONCORD	[ 4 mins 20 secs ]	fulson
Stay Around a Little Longer	Buddy Guy Featuring B.B. King	4	Living Proof	Buddy Guy	SILVERTONE	[ 5 mins 0 secs ]	hambridge / nicholson
Alexis' Boogie	B. B. King w. Alexis Korner & Humble Pie	1	In London	B. B. King	BLUESWAY	[ 3 mins 29 secs ]	B. B. King / Alexis Korner
Little Mama	B. B. King	6	B. B. King Treasures	B. B. KingDick Waterman	BULLFINCH PRESS	[ 1 mins 51 secs ]	B. B. King
May I Have a Little Talk With You	B. B. King	12	B. B. King Treasures	B. B. KingDick Waterman	BULLFINCH PRESS	[ 3 mins 53 secs ]	B. B. King
Walking Dr. Bill	B. B. King	1	Life Of Riley	B. B. King	UNIVERSAL	[ 5 mins 41 secs ]	clayton
Sweet Sixteen	B. B. King	7	Life Of Riley	B. B. King	UNIVERSAL	[ 6 mins 11 secs ]	B. B. King
Patches	George Jones & B. B. King	11	Rhythm Country And Blues	Various Artists	MCA	[ 6 mins 12 secs ]	Clarence Carter
Woman's Got Soul	B. B. King	1	tribute to Curtis Mayfield	Various Artists		[ 3 mins 50 secs ]	Curtis Mayfield
Keep a Dollar in Your Pocket	Elvin Bishop feat. B. B. King	5	The Blues Rolls On	Elvin Bishop	Delta Groove Music	[ 4 mins 53 secs ]	Roy Milton
Miss Martha King	B. B. King	1	Got The Blues	B. B. King	CATFISH	[ 2 mins 40 secs ]	B. B. King
When Your Baby Packs Up and Goes	B. B. King	2	Got The Blues	B. B. King	CATFISH	[ 2 mins 28 secs ]	B. B. King
Got the Blues	B. B. King	3	Got The Blues	B. B. King	CATFISH	[ 2 mins 47 secs ]	B. B. King
Take a Swing With Me	B. B. King	4	Got The Blues	B. B. King	CATFISH	[ 2 mins 33 secs ]	B. B. King
Five Spot	Otis Spann feat. B. B. King	6	Chicago Blues - Chess Masters	Various Artists	CHESS	[ 2 mins 43 secs ]	Otis Spann
Blues Hotel	Koko Taylor feat. B. B. King	6	Royal Blue	Koko Taylor	Alligator	[ 4 mins 4 secs ]	jon tiven
how blue can you get	b b king	15	how blue can you get live recordings	b b king	MCA	[ 5 mins 57 secs ]	feather
Recession Blues	B. B. King	15	Chess Rarities	Various Artists	CHESS	[ 2 mins 22 secs ]	B. B. King
Tickle Britches	B. B. King	17	Chess Rarities	Various Artists	CHESS	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	B. B. King
Better Not Look Down	B. B. King	2	Introducing B. B. King	B. B. King	MCA	[ 3 mins 11 secs ]	sample / jennings
When it All Comes Down	B. B. King	5	King Of The Blues	B. B. King	MCA	[ 4 mins 12 secs ]	B. B. King

Created: 18/05/2015 17:48:22

STAR BLUES on 10th May 2015 at 22:00 surveying blues players under 30 *and* marking BMA winners

... after last weeks run through of senior players, we wanted to show our music is in great shape by including the new crop of artists. It made for a different sounding STAR BLUES, a shift toward the guitar-heavy end of our music reflecting what the next blues will sound like? Selwyn Birchwood and Jarekus Singleton are both on Alligator leading the youthful charge. Robert Randolph (slightly older) adds a gospel passion to his breakneck playing, the arrangements stem from the Sacred Steel style. No surprise if you remember the project called "The Word" he did a few years back.

Some our picks for the future of blues also came along in the show: Brandon Bailey who has a mature harp style that avoids over-playing, he learned at the knee of Adam Gussow. Valerie June has an altogether more eclectic take on her muse, she's hard to characterize but I can hear elements of the classic blues women along with some country blues in her work. Jerron Paxton is definitely old school - both in terms of his approach and his material. Close your eyes and you're back pre-war. I can't believe how scarcely he's recorded so far, but he is only 24. Marquise Knox is another eloquent player with nice control and tone in his guitar playing. Nice voice, skilled writer too. We've played the Homemade Jamz band for a number of years now; three talented players, one not even a teenager when they started out. Two still are. Dad plays harp on some songs but that's a bonus not a centre-piece.

Talent at a youthful age isn't new of course: in evidence we brought tracks by Sugar Chile Robinson, Young Jessie and Sugar Boy Crawford.

If you haven't had your fill of voting this week, there was also time to reflect on the newly announced BMA winners. The afore-mentioned Selwyn Birchwood got a gong for his debut disc, probably the first of several awards he'll get. Memphis played host to the Blues Music awards on Thursday night and the honours got shared about more than in previous years. Elvin Bishop won Band, Song and Album; Bobby Rush got Soul Blues (Male) and BB King Live Entertainer - no other multiple winners. The list of winners and those nominated is here:

http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2015/05/2015-blues-music-awards-winners/


It was announced this week that founding father of the Delta Groove stable of labels, Randy Chortkoff has died. Of the dozens of albums he enabled, we chose three including a cut off the latest Mannish Boys album that had him playing supple harp. I found out about his passing just as I unwrapped the new project by Sugaray Rayford, a man with a big expressive voice here in a setting of sympathetic arrangements and to notch ensemble playing. We'll return to the album pretty quick-smart.

There was other stuff in the show I'd just discovered (Mr. Sipp) and a couple of record-fair bargains (Eddie Burns, Calvin Frazier). Before I knew it the midnight hour stole you away  and we're making plans for next Sunday already. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

track.title	track.artistsort	index	album.title	album.artistsort	label	duration	writercredit
America's Blues	Marquise Knox	6	Here I Am	Marquise Knox	APO	[ 4 mins 1 secs ]	Marquise Knox
lying woman	phillip walker	1	going back home	phillip walker	de;ta groove	[ 3 mins 31 secs ]	percy mayfield
i dolize you	mannish boys	7	wrapped up and ready	mannish boys	de;ta groove	[ 4 mins 41 secs ]	ike turner
master of the game	jackie payne	2	master of the game	jackie payne	de;ta groove	[ 3 mins 8 secs ]	jackie payne & steve edmundson
Nobody	Robert Randolph & The Family Band	3	Unclassified	Robert Randolph & The Family Band	WARNER BROS.	[ 4 mins 32 secs ]	Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Hole in My Heart	Mr. Sipp	4	The Mississippi Blues Child	Mr. Sipp	Malaco Records	[ 4 mins 43 secs ]	Mr. Sipp
You Don't Miss Your Water	Ruthie FosterWilliam Bell	4	Let It Burn	Ruthie Foster	Blue Corn Music	[ 3 mins 59 secs ]	William Bell
Workin' Woman Blues	Valerie June	1	pushing against a stone	Valerie June		[ 3 mins 5 secs ]	Valerie June
Dirtiest Little Darling	Blind Boy Paxton	1	Dirtiest Little Darling / Railroad Bill	Blind Boy Paxton	EVANGELIst	[ 3 mins 32 secs ]	Blind Boy Paxton
Bye Bye Bird	Brandon O. Bailey	8	Memphis Grooves	Brandon O. Bailey	APO	[ 2 mins 56 secs ]	sonny boy williamson
Blues Train	Homemade Jamz Blues Band	6	The Game	Homemade Jamz Blues Band		[ 4 mins 36 secs ]	ryan perry
Overworked And Underpaid	Selwyn Birchwood	7	Don't Call No Ambulance	Selwyn Birchwood	Alligator	[ 4 mins 6 secs ]	Selwyn Birchwood
Hit, Git And Split	Young Jessie	15	Jiving Jamboree	Various Artists	ACE	[ 2 mins 32 secs ]	smith, paul
Have A Little Mercy	Sugar Boy Crawford	17	Kings Of New Orleans R'n'b	Various Artists	MUSIC CLUB	[ 2 mins 36 secs ]	rebennack
Numbers Boogie	Sugar Chile Robinson	4	The R'n'b Years 1949: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1949	Various Artists	BOULEVARD VINTAGE	[ 2 mins 27 secs ]	Sugar Chile Robinson
the sista don't play	sista monica	1	live at notodden	various artists		[ 5 mins 1 secs ]	sista monica parker
Can't Even Do Wrong Right	Elvin Bishop	1	Can't Even Do Wrong Right	Elvin Bishop	Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.	[ 3 mins 46 secs ]	Elvin Bishop
I Ain't The One	Bobby Rush	3	Down In Louisiana	Bobby Rush	DEEP Rush	[ 3 mins 36 secs ]	Bobby Rush
Nineteen Years Old	Mud Morganfield	3	For Pops	Mud Morganfield	SEVERN	[ 4 mins 9 secs ]	mckinley Morganfield
Trouble In My Way	Lurrie Bell	8	The Devil Ain't Got No Music	Lurrie Bell	ARIA	[ 4 mins 12 secs ]	Lurrie Bell
lily mae	calvin frazier	5	blues for big town	various artists	chess	[ 2 mins 23 secs ]	calvin frazier
treat me like i treat you	eddie burns	12	blues for big town	various artists	chess	[ 2 mins 18 secs ]	eddie burns
Red's Ride	Red Boyd	24	The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions Vol. 1	Various Artists	ACE	[ 0 mins 0 secs ]	Red Boyd
Catch That Teardrop	'5' Royales, The	3	Catch That Teardrop	'5' Royales, The	ACE	[ 2 mins 31 secs ]	'5' Royales, The
southside	Sugaray Rayford	1	southside	Sugaray Rayford	Delta Groove	[ 5 mins 1 secs ]	Sugaray Rayford
gonna let go	Jarekus Singleton	3	refuse to lose	Jarekus Singleton	alligator	[ 3 mins 40 secs ]	Jarekus Singleton

Created: 10/05/2015 23:54:12