STAR BLUES on 27th December 2009 at 22:00

A special show to round off an exceptional year for blues music. I've been fortunate enough to listen to about 150 brand new albums in 2009 and to celebrate the depth of riches on offer, I've inaugurated an annual awards show There's no fancy statuette, glitzy ceremony, red carpet or champagne just recognition of the pleasure we got here at STAR BLUES.

Though the weather hampered our review show last week, I still had time to run through 20 or so of the very best new albums - in all shades. Wonderful piano blues from Irma Thomas, effortless economical guitar from Johnnie Bassett and it even sounded like Joe Louis Walker was having fun (and his album is cd-of-the month in LIVING BLUES magazine and in BLUES && RHYTHM magazine). Those were pipped at the post by "Lucky to be Livin'" by DaveRiley and Bob Corritore - if you thought they don't make em like this anymore: well here's evidence they do! Tough, uncompromising blues in the old fashioned way in tribute to Frank Frost.

Our artist award goes to Candye Kane for her tireless support of less well represented folks not normally discussed openly in polite circles (such as violence against sex-workers). She resolutely plays the hand she's been dealt and has had ten lifetime's experience already (including pancreatic cancer). Oh she also found time to make her most satisfying album too with "Superhero".

She records for Delta Groove who picked up the virtual prize for label of the year, London's Ace Records got the same prize for Reissues by dint of their presentation and scrupulous policy of ensuring all artists, writers and publishers get their dues. The full playlist is linked to the STARBLUES fb group, but the twenty or so items there only scratch the surface of what was available this year.

A shameless plug for my "extra" show on New Years Day at 7pm where we can spend two hours on Another Side of Gary Blue. I'll also be back with more blues next Sunday (next year for goodness sake) at 10pm. You've made me extremely welcome at your place every Sunday this year, its been a pleasure and a privilege to spend time with you - wishing you good health, happiness and lots of success in 2010.

Until we're together again, take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you, GB

STAR BLUES on 20th December 2009 at 22:00

The weather defeated me for just the second time in nine years last night and stopped me getting to the studio for last night's STAR BLUES and I missed your company. That wasn't the only shock of the week either ...

The glittering party / awards season started in earnest last week and I braved the daylight hours on Thursday to mingle with the great and the good. You could've knocked me down with a feather: it's as if Ryan Taylor and me are identical twins, no wonder people confuse our photos on facebook. He now has a cherished companion piece for his mantleshelf to go with his Arquiva Presenter Award and we all gave him his props accordingly. Our very own Brown-Eyed Handsome man couldn't make it but otherwise gaiety, bunting and frolics for everyone was on the menu.

I've missed the opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy Christmas (or happy holiday if you prefer), even if you've joined me on Santa's naughty list I don't suppose he'll fly past your chimney on Thursday night. Spare a thought for the young men and women serving overseas that can't get home at the moment, and remember those that won't. All being well I'll be bringing you a roundup of the years best blues next Sunday at 10pm (GMT) including the announcement of artist and album of the year. Until then on 107.9/1FM for Cambridge, Ely and the Fens - on www,star107.co.uk for the rest of the world - take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Gary Blue

STAR BLUES on 13th December 2009 at 22:00

With temperature reports of minus 18 degrees coming in from a Stateside listener, the foggy climate for those contacting STAR BLUES from Cambridge, Ely and Newmarket must have seemed positively sweltering. I had a few things to say about the Grammy award nominations in the blues categories and concluded that - in this year of really good blues releases - the nominations really didn't do justice to the gems on offer. Those I've heard are decent enough with nice playing but I have yet to fathom how the selection process works. Between now and 2010 I'll play you some of the choicest cuts oy the year from my collection along with some of your nominations ...

STAR BLUES on 6th December 2009 at 22:00

Elvis Presley's earliest recordings came directly from his roots and influences - country and blues, and many of his fans came to those genres through him. STAR BLUES last night was pleased to be able to show of those seminal recordings, both from the man himself and in their original guise. There's a month leading up to the 75th anniversary of his birth on 8th January that kicks off with "Elvis:75" a box set of that number of his best known songs. We used the selection for the core of the playlist.

So the fare also gave us an excuse, if one were needed, to showcase Arthur "Big-Boy" Crudup, Junior Parker, Wynonie Harris, Roy Brown, Arthur Gunter with Chuck Berry, Big Joe Turner, Little Richard and Lloyd Price. The narrative touched on the spelling of his middle name (Aron), the truth behind "My Happiness" his first recording several months after his mother's birthday, the roles played by Dewey Phillips and Marion Keister in starting off Elvis' incredible career. I also mentioned the speculation that Elvis went to London with Tommy Steele and the importance of the January 1969 sessions that produced "Suspicious Minds".

That March 1960 stopover caused an on-air gaffe with my mixup over Ayr and Airdrionians in trying to establish why Elvis was keen to see their encounter that Ayr won 1-0 a couple of days after his stopover at Prestwick. To the loyal (and ex-pat) supporters of Ayr, I humbly apologise.

Though nominated for Grammys in Pop, Rock, Country and Gospel categories, the three he won were for the latter genre - the first of those in 1967 for the album "How Great Thou Art". That gave us the track for our weekly Gospel Spot: "Run On" sung with great fervour. During his lifetime I never really appreciated his work, perhaps for purist reasons, but the gospel he did opened my mind to his other work.

Just ahead of the closing festive Elvis piece, I gave out an invitation to an *extra* show I will be hosting on New Years Day from 7pm: "Another Side Of Gary Blue". Over the next few days, I'll post further details on facebook but I hope we can start 2010 with some rare and familiar friends not usually heard on commercial radio. Though the menu won't be blues, I hope you'll want to come along.

This upcoming week I'll have a look at the new nominations for Grammys and give a few pointers on what you can buy blues-wise for Christmas. All that and more at 10 on Sunday from the Home of the 9-5 No-Repeat workday, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.

STAR BLUES on 29th November 2009 at 22:00

When Madge puts together her New Years Honours list, she surely must this time create the lifetime peer Lord Mayall of Macclesfield. The popular press are currently lobbying for Gary Barlow and Rod Stewart who's contributions to music pale compared to yesterday's birthday boy. At seventy-six he still plays live and produces fine albums and the guitar lineage he boasts cannot be nay-said. STAR BLUES last night paid our respects in celebrating his birthday through his music and his stated influences.
Just about every era of his Bluesbreakers band had a track from the earliest recording "Blues City Breakdown" (a pre-Clapton instrumental done live in 1964) through to "Palace of the King" a rambunctious run through of a Freddie King classic from 2008. Along the way we also explored his suggestions for starting a blues collection, taking his comments from the website www.johnmayall.com Thus Ray Charles, Robert Johnson, the afore-mentioned Mr. King and the "second" Sonny Boy Williamson brought along some classic blues. There was also a masterclass in blues piano from Albert Ammons, Big Maceo and Cripple Clarence Lofton - the latter being a perfect example of the boogie-stride style.
On 22nd November show, I played the Bluesbreakers version of "My Time After A While" and thanks to an internet listener I was able to play the original version by Tiny Powell featuring a gospel drenched vocal and anguished guitar from Johnny Heartsman. The Pilgrim Travellers set themselves up in the gospel tent and the show was over almost before it began. The lengthy live version of JB Lenoir's "Talk To Your Daughter" from John's 70th birthday concert provided fitting finale for us with Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Buddy Whittington and Chris Barber joining in the fun.
I promised a reprise of the list of Bluesbreakers guitarists that I read out around eleven o'clock, so here goes (In chronological sequence):
Bernie Watson / Roger Dean / Eric Clapton / Peter Green / Mick Taylor / John Mark / Harvey Mandel / Coco Montoya / Walter Trout / Buddy Whittington / Rocky Athas
Thanks for your company, calls and comments, this upcoming Sunday will be a special themed around Elvis Presley to coincide with "75" the career anthology due for release on 8th December - be really good if you can make it at 10pm on Sunday at the Commercial Radio Station of the Year on 107.9/1FM for Cambridge, Ely and the Fens or on-line from www.star107.co.uk. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Gary Blue

STAR BLUES on 22nd November 2009 at 22:00

There can't be many blues radio shows that use a Henry Mancini composition for opener, but STAR BLUES had no problem with the "Peter Gunn" theme as performed by Roy Buchanan, a unique guitarist whose pain was audible in everything he played. Then we had Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges to "Jump The Joint" with a swinging uptempo piece recorded in Norfolk a few years ago.

Arthur Adams has a tremulous vocal and lyrical guitar style - both well to the fore on his brand new album "Stomp The Floor" on Delta Groove, from which we took "Don't Let The Door Hit You". Previously best known as a writer and accompanist, this is only his third album in a decade under his own name - we hope the deal with Randy Chortkoff's imprint will bring him the reward his gifts deserve. Last Night's STAR BLUES also had tracks off the new albums by Sean Taylor, Missy Anderson, JP Soars and Samuel James. Sean's "Calcutta Grove" isn't all blues but it has tidy acoustic playing of mainly all-original pieces; Samuel James album came out earlier this year but I only just got mine and he tackles the ever-present racism still faced by many in the States; Missy Anderson's first outing has smokey-voiced covers of classic blues including her go at "Tell Mama" done first by Etta James, and Soars robust guitar went toe-to-toe with Johnny 'Guitar' Watson's "Gangster Of Love".

I'd not played Juke Boy Bonner since 2001, his lyrics written about the Vietnam conflict on "Goin' Back To The Country" having resonance today - the success that was his due never came, partly because he was forced to wear the mantle of blues poet for a generation. Elmore James was in with the original 1957 version of Tampa Red's "It Hurts Me Too" (taken off an anthology of Guy Stevens' Sue label), and the alternate take of John Lee Hooker's "Walkin' The Blues" came courtesy of the definitive four-cd "Chess Blues" box set. The equivalent retrospective on Art Rupe's Specialty outfit (on five-cd) gave us the Soul Stirrers with Sm Cooke for the gospel spot.

There's a bit of interest at the moment in the work of James P. Johnson, credited with the invention of stride piano - so I went to a 1944 recording he made helping Katherine Handy cover six of her father's songs. The Charlie Gillett anthology on Ace gave us the other piano blues last night: Amos Milburn's "Lets Have A Party" originally only a b-side. I always wanted to be Charlie Gillett, his knowledge and love of music has always made his radio work compulsive listening. We closed the show with another artist making his debut on STAR BLUES: Bobbie Oliver whose "Hex" neatly showed his harp and guitar talents.

The next couple of STAR BLUES will be specials: next week 29th will feature birthday boy John Mayall and the week after will preview the new career anthology of Elvis Presley's recordings issued to mark the 75th anniversary of his birth. I'm grateful for your company every week and I hope we can spend more time together this coming Sunday at 10 on the Commercial Radio Station of the Year 2009, until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you.

Gary Blue

STAR BLUES on 15th November 2009 at 22:00

A big Texas-sized welcome last night via birthday boy Anson Funderburgh whose go at Johnny Guitar Watson's "Red Hot Mama" started things off at a pace. We had other axemen from the same state: Lightnin Hopkins and Stevie Ray Vaughan but the focus of the show was most definitely Freddie King to coincide with the box-set of complete studio recordings just put out by the Bear Family label. He was the first of the Kings I came across (before BB or Albert) and was the one Eric Clapton tried to emulate - I really got hooked on his aggressive stance, stood tall, front and centre with guitar strap over one shoulder, endlessly inventive solos both emotive and fluid. The three tracks I chose barely did the man justice and I emphasised the Clapton connection with a seven minute version of Billy Myles "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" by Derek and the Dominoes from Layla wherein EC borrowed the arrangement Freddie used originally.

We celebrated John Hammond's birthday with the title track off his "Nobody But You" album (from the harp of Little Walter in the first instance) and that of Little Willie John with a back-to-back of his "Need Your Love So Bad" out of 1955 up against the achingly beautiful rendition done by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac in 1969. Candye Kane was our other birthday celebrant - like John a Friday 13th babe - and I hope she'll forgive me for choosing her "Fit Fat and Fine" from her larger days complete with humour and swinging old-fashioned style. She's still a big character, one of a kind and a regular in the playlists. The term "blues-diva" doesn't sit well but if I had to use it, Nina Simone would be one candidate to most folks even though she doesent get the attention her music still deserves. A listener suggested her "Nobodys Fault But Mine" and I was happy to oblige.

We did classics from King Curtis, John Brim, Jimmy McCracklin and Willie Cobbs as well as brand new stuff from Seasick Steve and Jesse Dee. Steve was in Cambridge for a sold out gig at the Corn Exchange and we did the title track from his Top Ten album "Man From Another Time" showing the current breakthrough status of man and the music we all love. Jesse got some national exposure this week amid some ballyhoo but those of us in the know got him back in July on STAR BLUES. The final new artist comes from New York City and on the evidence of her "Everyday" we will hear more from Pat Hunter. You were very kind in your invite round to your place last night, I hope you'll have me back next Sunday at the same time - 10 pm - on the Commercial Radio station of the Year 2009. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you

Gary Blue