STAR BLUES on 26th February 2012 at 22:00

Neither Louisiana Red nor Joe Thompson held much sway outside fans of our music - there's a curious Law that says the more influential you are the less you'll be appreciated at the time. We had chance to celebrate both on this STAR BLUES through their deaths in the last day are so. Joe was described as the most historically important American traditional performers still working in the 21st Century: his familial roots go back as far as the American Civil War. Born in North Caroline he learned fiddle at age five and gigged ever since - playing dance music, pure and simple with subtlety amply replace with joyous enthusiasm. He had an album out on Rounder in the 90s and he joined the Carolina Chocolate Drops for a live concert they released on cd last year. Two tracks seemed barely enough to say a proper farewell.

Iverson Minter's mother died when he was two and his father was attacked by the Ku Klux Klan. He learned at the knee of John Lee Hooker, Elmore James and Muddy Waters - truth be told he could outplay them and for party pieces he'd imitate them. When he got to Detroit he signed with Hooker's label owner - Joe Von Battle - and recorded seven songs in JVB's basement. Minter called himself Rocky Fuller at the time. He became Louisiana Red thereafter and he seemed equally at home as a solo slide master or with a small robust combo of like minded musicians. We sampled just about every facet of his work from the first track I ever heard by him ("Valerie") to his most recent project. His gifts have been bouyed by collaborations with David Maxwell and Little Victor - the latest three projects all got great reviews and two gongs to show for them. He was a fan as well as a musician, with some lovely stories from fellow players about his words of kindness along the way.

We also event to the new project from Otis Taylor which has split the critics on the percentage blues quotient - we love it at STAR BLUES, Taylor has again pushed at the edges of our music while keeping the tradtitional African American core. The New Heritage Orchestra is also trying interesting arrangements on old themes - in a package which features "Beady-Eyes" Smith on drums. (The apple didn't fall far from that tree: exemplary drum skills indeed). Catherine Russell has a lovely voice, obviously schooled in the ways of jazz and we stretched our purview to welcome her into our fold (they can't touch you for stretching a purview, I checked). Other new albums concentrated on being fine retrospective surveys of Paul Kelly and George Jackson - both out through Ace.

Our birthday book had Irma Thomas and the redoubtable Johnny Winter who both added to the celebrations started last week with Paul Jones. Some of my Facebook friends have been talking about Sonny Rhodes, LC Green and Eddie Cusic, reason enough for me to play them last night. Who knows for next week, I'll be here if you'll be there: 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
I Wanna Get Your Boogie	Sonny Rhodes	9	A Good Day To Play The Blues	Sonny Rhodes	STONY PLAIN
Share What You Got Keep What You Need	Robert Cray	12	Bad Influence	Robert Cray	DEMON
Blues Power	Albert King	2	The Complete Stax-Volt Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971	Various Artists	STAX
Catfish Blues	Heritage Blues Orchestra	4	And Still I Rise	Heritage Blues Orchestra	MRI
Bad Company	Deitra Farr	2	The Search Is Over	Deitra Farr	JSP Records
Goin’ Down to the River Blues	L.C. Green	13	Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Detroit	Various Artists	Fantastic Voyage
I Walk the Water	Eddie Cusic	11	Leland Mississippi Blues	Eddie Cusic	WOLF
Dona	Carolina Chocolate Drops feat Joe Thompson	11	Dona Got A Ramblig Mind	Carolina Chocolate Drops	MUSIC MAKER
John Henry	Carolina Chocolate Drops feat. Joe Thompson	4	Carolina Chocolate Drops With Joe Thompson	Carolina Chocolate Drops, TheJoe Thompson
Come on Baby Now	Rocky Fuller	21	Down Home Blues Classics - Chicago (1946-1954)	Various Artists	BOULEVARD VINTAGE
Valerie	Louisiana Red	4	Pretty Woman	Louisiana Red	ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION
Get It While You Can	Johnny Rawls	8	Red Cadillac	Johnny Rawls	DEEP SOUTH SOUL
Only Your Love	Paul Kelly	6	Hot Runnin' Soul	Paul Kelly	Kent
Bright Lights, Big City	Johnny Winter & Susan Tedeschi	7	Roots	Johnny Winter	Megaforce
Steel Guitar Blues	Michael Messer	8	King Guitar	Michael Messer	CATFISH
Ride on Red, Ride on	Louisiana Red	4	Back To The Black Bayou	Louisiana Red	Ruf
I'm Getting Tired	Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint	9	Memphis Mojo	Louisiana Red & Little Victor's Juke Joint	Ruf
First Degree	Louisiana Red w. Lefty Dizz	1	In The Tradition	Various Artists	BLUES ALLIANCE
Move on Up a Little Higher	Marie Knight	14	In The Tradition	Various Artists	BLUES ALLIANCE
Wake Up and Live	Catherine Russell	3	Strictly Romancin'	Catherine Russell	World Village
Share My Name	Cary Morin	6	Sing It Louder	Cary Morin	MUSIC MAKER
Don't Mess With My Man	Irma Thomas	3	Jockomo Jockomo	Various Artists	MUSIC CLUB
Greedy Over You	George Jackson	3	Don't Count Me Out: Fame Recordings Vol.1	George Jackson	Kent
Yell Your Name	Otis Taylor	2	Contraband Blues	Otis Taylor	TELARC
Tipitina	Tuts Washington	12	Jockomo Jockomo	Various Artists	MUSIC CLUB