Steve Freund is also on those previously unissued Al Miller sessions now out on the Delmark label which sees Bob Koesters imprint off to a fine start to their second sixty years. Of the top ten essential Blues Albums you must have in your collection, at least three of them came out on Delmark. You wont go far wrong if you make space for one or two more... Fiona Boyes comes from Australia but we wont hold that against her and we showed why with her cover of a JB Lenoir track he'd done in 1965. Marshall Lawrence loves blues and he has a marvellous knack for combining his own songs with less-than-well-worn covers. He is an artist whose albums are looked forward to hereabouts. Alligator has a couple of discs this year with Tom Hambridge in writing and drumming roles: Joe Louis Walker's "Hell-Fire" has some pretty aggressive playing and James Cotton's imperious harp is as good as its ever been on the new "Cotton Mouth Man".
Pinetop Perkins and Willie Big-Eye Smith both wore hats in the photographs in the booklet to their multi-award winning "Joined At The Hip" album. Sharp-dressed men indeed and confirmation on my old mum's advice that you need a hat to get ahead. Everytime I've tried it I just look like a failed reject understudy to one or other Blues Brother - an image I absolutely detest as it says nothing about the music I love.
We used the vinyl hour to mark fifty years since the death of Elmore James: can there ever have been a more influential first recording session than "Dust My Broom"? Imitated to the point of irritation by lesser mortals over the years, Elmore's slide playing changed music thereafter. The three songs we put in last night barely did him justice - if you want more I'd urge you to seek out Steve Franz' "Secret History of Elmore James" biography it's a well written thoughtful piece of research which really gets to the nub of Elmore's genius. Big Boy Henry was an imposing figure but a gentle soul by all accounts - we marked his birthday with a song he cut for the Music Maker organisation.
The other birthday we wanted to talk about was that of Mamie Smith. In 1920 she cut the first known blues song by an African American Woman when she recorded Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues". She was then known as "Queen of the Blues" but she didn't get the success as a singer she clearly deserved; she went on to make a handful of movies instead. There was a session from 1929 which included "Sporting Man Blues" - I duly took the box set from the shelf and put it in my box of goodies I bring on a Sunday to STAR towers. However in a filing malfunction equal in size to Janet Jackson's front part, the wrong disc was in the jewel case and the disc I did have still didn't contain the silver platter I needed. Am I allowed to say boob? I've found it now as three cds had all swapped places.
There's been a lot of excited discussion in some of the dingy recesses of the internet lately on how much you should try to cleanup pre-war material, whatever your view we put in Charlie Patton's "Banty Rooster" because we can.It is part of a collection called "Essential Charlie Patton", is there any other kind of C P? Lowell Fulson and Jimmy Rogers were on Chess and at the outset of our vinyl hour, we also included Guitar Frank from a 1980 session put out by the German L&R label - it was done at his mothers house as there wasn't enough room round his place for the recording equipment. Jimmy Ricks had a voice anyone would love, he was with the Ravens and along with those 5 Royales brought lovely vocal skills to the party.
Our gospel tent was where we tarried last night with the a capella delights of the truly amazing Como Mamas. Their "Ninety Nine and A Half Won't Do" was a rousing interpretation which will linger a long time in everyonme who heard it. I'm pretty sure STAR BLUES airplay is their first on any blues show in this country. Don't forget we are different for a reason: Britain's Other Blues Show.
If I promise not to lose any more blues artists on the anniversary of their birth, can we get together again at 10pm (BST) next Sunday on Star107.9/1FM and from www.star107.co.uk You were magnificent last night I was Gary Blue, until next week take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Track.Title | Track.ArtistSort | Index | Album.Title | Album.ArtistSort | Label |
Sell My Monkey | B. B. King | 5 | Introducing B. B. King | B. B. King | MCA |
Tighten' Up On It | Al Miller, John Primer, Billy Flynn, Dave Specter | 9 | In Between Time | Al Miller, John Primer, Billy Flynn, Dave Specter | DELMARK |
Call My Job | Steve Freund | 4 | Come On in This House | Steve Freund | 9below |
grandma's advice | Fiona Boyes | 14 | Blues For Hard Times | Fiona Boyes | Vizztone |
i got to ramble | marshall lawrence | 2 | house call | marshall lawrence | |
Bird Nest On The Ground | James Cotton | 10 | Cotton Mouth Man | James Cotton | Alligator |
i'm on to you | Joe Louis Walker | 4 | Hellfire | Joe Louis Walker | Alligator |
Mocking Bird | Steve Hooker w. Dee Shine Eye | 3 | Smokin' Guitar | Steve Hooker | PUmphouse Records |
Cut That Out | Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith | 2 | Joined At The Hip | Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith | TELARC |
ninety-nine and a half wont do | como mamas | 8 | get an understanding | como mamas | dap tone |
My Sugar Sugar | Steve Cropper | 5 | Dedicated: A Salute To The 5 Royales | Steve Cropper | 429 Records |
Goin' Away Baby | Jimmy Rogers | 3 | Complete Chess Recordings | Jimmy Rogers | MCA/CHESS |
K. C. Bound | Lowell Fulson | 29 | Complete Chess Recordings | Lowell Fulson | MCA/CHESS |
The Invitation | Johnny Copeland | 2 | It's Me | Johnny Copeland | Kent |
1839 blues | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | 2-27 | The Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956 | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | ACE |
dust my broom | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | 1-1 | Complete Chess Chief Fire Recs. | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | charly |
hawaiian boogie | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | 1-3 | The Classic Early Recordings 1951-1956 | Elmore James And His Broomdusters | ACE |
The Hunch | Paul Gayten | 13 | The Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll - Volume 10 | Various Artists | ACE |
Send For Me If You Need Me | Ravens, The | 9 | The R'n'b Years 1948: 100 Hot Rhythm And Blues Tunes From 1948 | Various Artists | BOULEVARD VINTAGE |
Baby Don't Do It | '5' Royales, The | 1 | Real Thing | '5' Royales, The | MR. R & B |
My Sportin' Man | Mamie Smith | 27 | Roots 'N Blues : Retrospective 1925-1950 | Various Artists | SONY |
Going Back To Arkansas | Big Bill Broonzy | 14 | Good Time Tonight | Big Bill Broonzy | COLUMBIA |
Banty Rooster Blues | Charlie Patton | 5 | The Definitive | Charlie Patton | CATFISH |
Chimney Hill Breakdown | Guitar Frank | 5 | Living Country Blues Usa Vol. 8 - Lonesome Home Blues | Guitar Frank / Guitar Slim [aka James Stephens] | L & R |
nina mae | big boy henry | 3 | music makers | various artists | music maker |
Take Out Insurance | Etta James | 1 | Losers Weepers With Bonus Trucks | Etta James | Kent |