Someone asked Jimi Hendrix what is was like to be the world's greatest guitarist; he replied he didn't know and they should ask Rory Gallagher. He was a consummate guitarist taken from us too early by a failed liver damaged with prescription drugs he took to conquer his fear of flying. The film documentary "Ghost Blues" about Rory is sat at home on my iplayer and I wanted to pay tribute with a previously unissued go at "BullFrog Blues": that and a two-handed piece from John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison capped our St Patrick's Day celebration. Of all the albums and guests who attended the Hook's Indian Summer career, Van was the one who understood his friend best.
Pee Wee Crayton crossed my radar during the week through an extensive feature in issue 56 of Living Blues from 1980/81. He learned ukelele and built himself a banjo out of a cigar box before moving to guitar. He used a four finger style that allowed him big chords and he got early chart success with his first singles on Modern. Disputes over royalties meant he didn't stay long with them though he stopped off at Vee-Jay just long enough to cut a session with our slow blues "Telephone Is Ringing" on last night's STAR BLUES. He was shamefully ignored by most thereafter and even dropped out of music and drove a truck in the early Sixties. Johnny Otis gave him a job in 1970 with the Revue and Crayton found his way back to the studios again. He was under the spotlight in the You,Me & 1001b Blues feature.
The centrepiece of the show was the handful of tracks by Lightnin' Hopkins who would have been 100 on 15th March. Robert Plant's Band of Joy loosely interpreted "Central 209" a couple of years ago, Hopkins did the original for us; he covered both the risque Tampa Red song "Play With Your Poodle" and Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" and he got down dirty and boogied with "Jake Head". I once tried to count all Hopkins compact discs in print - I stopped when I got to 200. He ploughed that furrow that wandered in and out of the standard 12-bar form and had a fascinating life that began at the knee of Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Our new crop included Eddie Taylor Jr, proving that great blues runs in the genes - we were lucky because the album on Wolf just about snuck out with no advance warning in this direction. Bob Corritore is a master harp player, his new project hooks him up with Tail Dragger for top-notch blues playing all round. They first net on 11th Jan 1976, the day after Howlin' Wolf died - a connection kept alive here by Henry Gray who played piano for the Wolf and does sterling stuff here too.
Sunday Wilde hasn't been on STAR BLUES before, but this Ontario blues artist will surely be back if she can ever shake that man. Her third album came our way and we could hear why she's started to win those awards,. She was shaded (just) in the new release stakes by Janiva Magness with her "Stronger Now" project for Alligator. In my humble opinion this is her best singing yet and there is a very pleasant graininess now to her timbre that has come from taking on life's latest challenge. This has the most soulful vocals I've heard since Bettye LaVette's album from 2010 "Interpretations".
Eddie Cusic and Maurice Jean Vaughan don't get much of an outing on blues radio in theUK, STAR BLUES was pleased to put matters right yesterday. We also squeezed in a new R&B anthology on VeeTone compiled by the redoubtable Mark Lamarr - my only regret is I've missed out on the first ten volumes in the set. Deffo on my list. All too soon it was over and all I can say is watch out next week - I've got more of the same for 10pm next Sunday on Cambridge and Ely's STAR RADIO, 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 |
Bullfrog Blues | Rory Gallagher | 11 | Notes From San Francisco | Rory Gallagher | Eagle Rock Entertainment |
Gloria | Van Morrison With John Lee Hooker | 1 | Gloria | Van Morrison | POLYDOR |
Get it Over Baby | Bobby JonesMannish Boys, The | 5 | Comin' Back Hard | Bobby JonesMannish Boys, The | DELTAGROOVE |
Early in the Morning | Charlie Musselwhite | 10 | Stand Back! Here Comes | Charlie Musselwhite | VANGUARD |
Give Me Central 209 | Lightnin' Hopkins | 19 | His Blues | Lightnin' Hopkins | ACE |
Telephone is Ringing | Pee Wee Crayton | 22 | The Best Of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour | Various Artists | CHROME |
I Didn't Take Your Woman (You Gave Her to Me) | Lou Pride | 13 | Twisting The Knife | Lou Pride | ICHIBAN |
I Been Mistreated | Raful Neal | 1 | I Been Mistreated | Raful Neal | ICHIBAN |
I Wonder Why | Debbie DaviesAlbert Collins | 7 | 25th Anniversary Collection | Various Artists | BLIND PIG RECORDS |
I Wonder Why | Lightnin' Hopkins | 16 | (1946-1960) | Lightnin' Hopkins | STORY OF THE BLUES |
Use What You Got | Eddie Taylor Jr. | 6 | So Called Friends | Eddie Taylor Jr. | |
Cut You Loose | Eddie Cusic | 4 | Leland Mississippi Blues | Eddie Cusic | WOLF |
Slop Around | Buddy Guy | 10 | R & B Humdingers | Various Artists | veetone |
I Can't Shake That Guy | Sunday Wilde | 10 | What Man!?? Oh That Man!! | Sunday Wilde | INDEPENDENT |
Cold Outdoors | Tail DraggerBob Corritore | 5 | Longtime Friends in the Blues | Tail DraggerBob Corritore | Delta Groove Productions |
Jake Head Boogie | Lightnin' Hopkins | 2 | His Blues | Lightnin' Hopkins | ACE |
Let Me Play With Your Poodle | Lightnin' Hopkins | 7 | The History Of Rhythm And Blues Volume Two 1942-1952 | Various Artists | Rhythm and Blues Records |
Back to New Orleans | Lightnin' Hopkins | 1 | The Best Of Lightnin' Hopkins | Lightnin' Hopkins | PRESTIGE |
Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air) | Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Marie Knight | 15 | Gospel - The Ultimate Collection | Various Artists | RED Box |
You Got What You Wanted | Janiva Magness | 7 | Stronger For It | Janiva Magness | Alligator Records & Artist Management, Inc. |
I Want to Be Your Spy | Maurice John Vaughan | 8 | 25th Anniversary Collection | Various Artists | Alligator |
Telephone Song | Stevie Ray Vaughan | 14 | The Real Deal! Greatest Hits Volume 2 | Stevie Ray Vaughan | SONY |
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