Monday 26 March 2012

STAR BLUES on 25th March 2012 at 22:00


Humdingers promised? Humdingers we had! A marvelous 22 track anthology compiled by Mark Lamarr on the VEETONE label kept the excitement levels way up against the end stops last night on STAR BLUES. Five tracks from that one made it a featured platter and then we topped up with four more from Percy Milem, Big Joe Turner, Tiny Grimes and Don Covay. Who says blues is just youthful guitar flash? We particularly loved the understated approach of Screamin' Jay Hawkins for his vocal with Tiny Grimes.

Far from youthful, Mr. B B King has a new cd plus dvd package out as a souvenir of his Royal Albert Hall concert in June last year. Much has been made of the guests: Ronnie Wood, Slash, Mick Hucknall and so on - B did his usual job as ringmaster for the turns. Brooks Williams will be in Cambridge a week on Thursday for a project called "State of the Union" with Boo Hewerdine - we found him in the songbook of Son House "Grinning in your Face". I've just reviewed Bessie Smith's Definitive collecion for Blues & Rhythm magazine and the only fault I could find is that they've had to limit themselves to two dozen tracks on a single disk - another selection of 24 would still not adequately showcase the empress of the blues. We were well off for female vocal talent last night, Bessie was there with Ruthie Foster, Janiva Magness, Bettye LaVette and the sadly less well known Bettye Swann. Janiva's latest project has her best singing yet.

Harrison Kennedy made a name in the vocal group Chairman of ther Board; these days he's a solo artist on Electro-Fi - his "Shame the Devil" project is his most blues-worthy yet. Irma Thomas reinvented the classic "Another Man Done Gone" and she's part of the New Orleans bluescene - by way of Edgbaston Birmingham we stayed in Louisiana courtesy of the band known as Tipitina who did a first rate version of some old sheet music dating back to the period before the blues. That was our piano spot and for the sacred feature Marie Knight brought her Dependable Boys on her Gospel Train. Even though the clock through the studio glass still showed an hour to go (on GMT) we had to wrap up on BST after our allotted span.

There's a heck of a lot of new music at present with a blues sticker on it, I'll promise we'll include as much as we can that fits our two hour format - as long as you're magnificent I'll be Gary Blue at ten next Sunday evening. 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
Blues Hotel Jordan Patterson 5 Blues Hotel Various Artists EASYDISC
Key To The Highway B.B. King 2 Live At The Royal Albert Hall B.B. King Shout Factory
Blues Headache Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers 9 What You Make Of It Nathan James & The Rhythm Scratchers Delta Groove
Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad Bettye Lavette 11 Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook Bettye Lavette Anti
(You Keep Me) Moving on Ruthie Foster 3 Ruthie Foster Live At Antone's Ruthie Foster Blue Corn Music
Blues Get Off My Shoulder Little Milton 16 Stand By Me Little Milton ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION
Isabella (Deluxe 6119) Roy Gaines 21 R&B Humdingers Volume 11 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records
Grinnin' in Your Face Brooks Williams 2 Baby O! Brooks Williams red guitar blue music
Young Woman's Blues Bessie Smith 16 Blues Queen. The Definitive Collection Bessie Smith Phoenix Records
I Don't Want To Do Wrong Janiva Magness 8 Stronger For It Janiva Magness Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc.
I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me) Percy Milem 22 Memphis Boys: The Story Of American Studios Various Artists ACE
Wild Child (Deluxe 6156) Donnie Elbert 22 R&B Humdingers Volume 11 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records
Done Got Old Tail Dragger & Bob Corritore 8 Longtime Friends in the Blues Tail Dragger & Bob Corritore Delta Groove Productions
Shame the Devil Harrison Kennedy 4 Shame the Devil Harrison Kennedy Electro-Fi Records
Rockin at Midnight Roy Brown 63 Gettin' Funky Various Artists PROPER
Round And Round (Montel 1003) Sugar Boy Crawford 1 R&B Humdingers Volume 11 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records
Why Do You Waste My Time Tiny Grimes w. Screaming Jay Hawkins 13 We’re Gonna Rock, We’re Gonna Roll Various Artists PROPER
Sweet Louisiana Tipitina 14 Taking Care of Business Tipitina Big Bear Records
Another Man Done Gone Irma Thomas 7 After The Rain Irma Thomas Rounder
Gospel Train Marie Knight And The Dependable Boys 10 Gospel - The Ultimate Collection Various Artists RED Box
These Arms of Mine Bettye Swann 16 Bettye Swann Bettye Swann Capitol
See About Me Don Covay 3 Definitive Don Covay RAZOR & TIE
Don't You Cry Big Joe Turner with Harry Van Walls and his Orchestra 14 The Very Best Of Burlesque Various Artists Not Now Music
Chop Chop Hole In The Wall (Everest 19316) Boulevards, The 6 R&B Humdingers Volume 11 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records
Ramblin' Man (Deluxe 6123) Larry Darnell 9 R&B Humdingers Volume 11 Various Artists Vee-Tone Records
Created: 26/03/2012 13:24:35

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