Our 1001 blues featured the first recording of "Call It Stormy Monday (and Tuesday's Just As Bad")" from 1947 which TBone cut for the Black and White label and why it has that awkward title. Pretty much anything he did up to and including the 1958 recordings for Atlantic can be safely investigated as models of cool, precise, urbane genius. You won't hear a single note more than needed, nor a single note less. He was immaculately dressed in white suit and tie, yet he played guitar from behind his head while doing the splits. Plenty of photos there for all you googlers.
The real icing on our comestible was the arrival of the new project from LIl Ed and his Blues Imperials, "Jump Start". The expected strong guitar dexterity has this time been matched with top-notch vocals - Bruce Iglauer knows a thing or two, his faith in the boys is repaid here on this their 8th album for him. We jiggled a bit here and tweaked a bit there to squeeze in two tracks to press home our advantage with such an early preview of this major artist release. Our other new offering came from Henrik Freischlader who picked up guitar after hearing Gary Moore. If I told you Joe Bonamassa was on one track, you'd be wrong to categorise the whole project thus (he has a go at several styles).
You could say the whole nine yards of blues axe-wifery was on full display in the rest of STAR BLUES. Rev Robert Wilkins died 25 years ago, he was covered by the Rolling Stones ("Prodigal Son" was on Beggars Banquet) and there's but one cd of his pivotal 1930s recordings available on Yazoo. He was a skilled and graceful player, we caught him live at the Newport Folk Festival for the Vanguard label. Robert Cray brought something from his overlooked "Twenty" album that was pushed to one side through his criticism of US policy on fighting wars for oil. Treat for guitar fans though. Eugene Hideaway Bridges started out as the lead player for Memphis Big Joe Turners Blues Caravan (who I saw support BBKing in 1995/6), he has a lovely fluid tone that complements his Sam Cooke style vocals. That debut album "Born to Be Blue" is being re promoted and is well worth a listen. Dunno what Deborah Coleman is up to these days, we miss her round these parts so we had to be content with her version of the Johnny Morrisette song "Brick".
As for harp fans we had James Cotton (and cracking support from Charlie Haden and Joe Louis Walker) as well as a brilliantly controlled version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bye Bye Bird" from the barely 20 year old Brandon Bailey. Gospel from Marion Williams (who we should really do more of) and piano from Pinetop Smith and we were heading down the home straight at full pelt. There is so much good blues out there at the moment my two hours can hardly even hint at it - ferrgunnesssake I'm getting less time to keep up the tomfoolery quotient every week. I'll bring more of the good stuff next Sunday at ten, 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 |
Little Boy Blues | Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges | 2 | Born To Be Blue | Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges | WESTSIDE |
The Hustlen Is On | T-Bone Walker | 11 | Inventor Of The Electric Guitar Blues | T-Bone Walker | MR. R&B |
Fadin' Away | Robert Cray | 4 | Twenty | Robert Cray | SANCTUARY |
Sad Letter | James CottonJoe Louis Walker | 11 | Deep In The Blues | James CottonJoe Louis Walker | VERVE |
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee | Sticks McGhee | 1 | The Atlantic Story | Various Artists | Atlantic |
Don't You Let Nobody Turn You Round | Reverend Robert Wilkins | 9 | Blues With A Feeling | Various Artists | VANGUARD |
Stormy Monday | T-Bone Walker | 3 | 1947 : Chronological Recordings | T-Bone Walker | CLASSICS |
Prospect Lane | Seasick Steve | 5 | I Started Out With Nothin And I've Still Got Most Of It Left | Seasick Steve | Warner Bros. Records |
You Burnt Me | Lil Ed & Blues Imperials | 4 | jump start | Lil Ed & Blues Imperials | Alligator |
Sound The Bell | Johnny Winter | 1 | Genuine House Rockin'Music | Various Artists | Alligator |
Come To Mama | Koko Taylor | 2 | Genuine House Rockin' Music Vols 1-3 | Various Artists | Alligator |
Come On My Love | Henrik Freischlader | 3 | Still Frame Replay | Henrik Freischlader | Cable Car Records |
Brick | Deborah Coleman | 5 | I Can't Lose | Deborah Coleman | BLIND PIG RECORDS |
Glamour Girl | T-Bone Walker | 11 | The Blues | T-Bone Walker | FREMEAUX ET ASSOCIES |
Aint Nobody Here But Us Chickens | Louis Jordan | 11 | Reet Petite And Gone | Louis Jordan | INDIGO |
Race Horse | Tiny Davis | 17 | I'm a Bad Bad Girl | Various Artists | INDIGO |
Packin' Up | Marion Williams | 9 | Screamin' Gospel Holy Rollers Vol. 2 | Various Artists | Vee-Tone Records |
Burnin' Hell | John Lee Hooker | 8 | Boogie Chillen | John Lee Hooker | INDIGO |
Bye Bye Bird | Brandon O. Bailey | 8 | Memphis Grooves | Brandon O. Bailey | APO |
Wichita Falls Blues | T-Bone Walker | 2 | The Blues | Various Artists | Fremeaux |
Pinetop's boogie woogie | Pinetop Smith | 6 | History of Rhythm & Blues | Various Artists | |
Musical mechanical electrical man | Lil Ed & Blues Imperials | 2 | jump start | Lil Ed & Blues Imperials | Alligator |
Free Single and disengaged | huey piano Smith | 6 | Ace Story, vol 4 | Various Artists | ace |
before the next teardrop falls | big john hamilton | 19 | souther soul shake | various artists | charly |
Two Bones And A Pick | T-Bone Walker | 12 | T-Bone Blues | T-Bone Walker | SEQUEL |
Axe-wifery = midwifery for guitars
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