Valerie June is in that category - she has striking dreadlocks, distinctive voice and skills on banjolele - and was recently profiled in both Observer and Guardian newspapers. She has yet to record under her own name - due in the Spring I'm told - but I tracked down a couple of guest appearances. One is on a Nina Simone tribute album, the other is a water themed project with John Forte. Little Joe Ayers was in the LB spotlight and purveys blues in a refreshingly purist Delta tradition. His "Backatchya" album has already started to pick up awards and will be a contender for more.
Chaney Sims is with her dad, Bill Sims Jr, in the Heritage Blues Orchestra - an outfit with a playing style that sounds like it goes back to the era of the Mississippi Sheiks. The lineup has no bass player but their songs are extremely rhythmic and exude atmosphere. Though the Carolina Chocolate Drops weren't in the magazine, we similarly admire their authentic acoustic approach. Our own Mighty Mark Peters is a big fan who thinks I've not got video of his cavorting to their jigs (just not put it on YT yet....) They got known through the Music Maker label and charity; Shelton Powe similarly benefited from their help with finding him a guitar and some odd gigs following his sudden redundancy from his day job which forced him to sell his axe. Shelton plays nimbly in the Carolina style and has just put out his debut full disc through Music Maker. His story is told in the magazine and ought to remind all of us how thin the line is between getting by and not (and how crossing that line is never done by choice).
Blind Boy Paxton was the last of the clutch mentioned in Living Blues. He's just 22 and went blind at sixteen. He has said he doesn't listen to music made since 1934 and he has carved out a unique position as fervent supporter of the minstrel/troubadour method. Songs from that era were part of an oral tradition, never written down and rarely recorded. Paxton hates the political correctness that inhibits free discussion of coon music (to use his description). He intends the listener should feel uncomfortable when he as an African American plays them: the PC approach to thinking assumes the audience cannot put the songs in a historical context and that the world can have changed. Some work still to do IMHO. A prodigious talent way beyond his years of whom we will hear much more. Next time someone says blues is dead with no future or relevance, just say Blind Boy Paxton.
There are ofcourse other blues magazines, just as there are many blues radio shows - we don't claim to be better than them just different. Ethel Waters and Johnny Temple for example had decent sized catalogues of fine blues records and it was a privilege to give them an outing on STAR BLUES. Our previous foray into the territory on Bank Holiday Monday didn't give us enough time to include the pivotal blues greats, we had another go this week with Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, Mance Lipscomb, Bessie Smith, Sleepy John Estes and Tommy McClennan. I first discovered the power and beauty in prewar blues through Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell and their place on our playlist was an easy choice. If you've seen the Blues Band you'll know Paul Jones does a pretty good a capella version of "Woke Up this Morning With Jesus On My Mind", the original from Roosevelt Graves did Gospel duty for us. Little Brother Montgomery hasn't been out on STAR BLUES lately so he was our piano blues leaving us just enough time to cheat on the promise to omit electric guitar. The red Lightning album "No friend Around" has the earliest John Lee Hooker sessions recorded at very high volume with no polish applied after the fact (essential as starting point for a serious Hooker fan if you ask me). As the next day approached we got there through John Lee's "Lowdown Midnite Ramble".
You were very kind with your hospitality and invitation - absolutely magnificent as always, I was Gary Blue. I will be again on this upcoming Sunday at 10pm (GMT) if you'll let me. Don't forget to change you clocks backwards. 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 |
| Gimme A Pigfoot | Bessie Smith | 24 | Blues Queen. The Definitive Collection | Bessie Smith | Phoenix Records |
| Sittin' On Top Of The World | Mississippi Sheiks | 7 | The Early Blues Roots Of Bob Dylan | Various Artists | CATFISH |
| st louis Blues | ethel waters | 6 | The Blues Box | Various Artists | METRO |
| Give Me Water | John Forté | 1 | Valerie June - Sampler | Valerie June | . |
| I Got To Keep To The Highway | Buddy Moss | 1 | Atlanta Blues Legend | Buddy Moss | BIOGRAPH |
| Bellevina | Big Boy Henry | 105 | Music Maker Sampler | Various Artists | MUSIC MAKER |
| The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair | Sleepy John Estes | 17 | Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Memphis | Various Artists | Fantastic Voyage |
| Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad | Big Bill Broonzy | 20 | House Rent Stomp | Big Bill Broonzy | BLUES ENCORE |
| Pickin' The Blues | Memphis Minnie | 10 | Me And My Chauffeur | Memphis Minnie | PROPER |
| riro's house | Carolina Chocolate Drops | 1 | Leaving Eden | Carolina Chocolate Drops | Warner Music |
| Stranger Blues | Shelton Powe | 1 | Carolina Blues And Gospel | Shelton Powe | MUSIC MAKER |
| Goin' Up The Country | Barbecue Bob | 7 | Sweet Patuni : Best Of Georgia Blues | Various Artists | INDIGO |
| Let Me Play With Your Poodle | Tampa Red | 22 | It Hurt's Me Too | Tampa Red | INDIGO |
| C-Line Woman | Heritage Blues Orchestra | 2 | And Still I Rise | Heritage Blues Orchestra | MRI |
| i believe i'll go downtown | johnny temple | 4-20 | broke black n blue | Various Artists | proper |
| No Special Rider Blues | Little Brother Montgomery | 2-25 | Broke Black And Blue | Various Artists | PROPER |
| Naptown Blues | Leroy Carr | 7 | Naptown Blues | Leroy Carr | ORBIS BLUES COLLECTION |
| Anywhere I Go | Little Joe Ayers | 3 | Backatchya | Little Joe Ayers | DEVIL DOWN |
| Dirtiest Little Darling | Blind Boy Paxton | 1 | Dirtiest Little Darling / Railroad Bill | Blind Boy Paxton | EVANGELIst |
| shake it up and go | Tommy McClennan | 18 | Cross Cut Saw | Tommy McClennan | DOCUMENT |
| Pony Blues | Charley Patton | 3 | The Rough Guide To Blues Legends: Charley Patton [Disc 1] | Charley Patton | ROUGH GUIDES |
| Mama, Let Me Lay It On You | Mance Lipscomb | 7 | Texas Blues Guitar | Mance Lipscomb | Arhoolie Records |
| Woke Up This Morning With Jesus On My Mind | Roosevelt Graves & Brother | 1 | Rare And Red Hot Gospel | Various Artists | CATFISH |
| Harmonica Stomp | sonny terry | 20 | devil in the woodpile | Various Artists | INDIGO |
| Cool Drink Of Water Blues | Tommy Johnson | 22 | Broke Black And Blue | Various Artists | PROPER |
| lowdown midnite blues | John Lee Hooker | 8 | No Friend Around | John Lee Hooker | RED LIGHTNING |
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