Blues on a Saturday: Robert Cray "Smokin' Gun"

I've heard Robert Cray live several times. Once in Washington DC when he was first rising on the scene and several years ago in Wichita after he had become an established star of the blues. He gave great performances both times. As a star, howoever, his security people wouldn't let amateur photographers close to the stage.

Blues on a Saturday: Smith, Burrell, Turrentine "Jumpin' Blues"

Three giants of the hard-bop, soul jazz moment take on "Jumpin' Blues," a song first recorded by the Jay McShann band in the 1940s. That Jimmy Smith on organ, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax.

Holiday Music That Doesn't Suck # 9

The influential bluesman Charles Brown sang two Christmas classics--"Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Merry, Christmas Baby."

Blues on a Saturday: Leon Russell "Big Boss Man"

A classic Jimmy Reed song performed in the early 1970s by Leon Russell and friends.

Blues on a Saturday: Wilson Pickett Mustang Sally

Time for a little r&b

Blues on a Saturday: Hound Dog Taylor and Little Walter

 Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers featuring Little Walter on harmonica in 1967, about a year before Walter's death.

When Delmark Records shipping clerk Bruce Iglauer couldn't convince his boss to record Taylor, he launched Alligator Records.

And there's a Kansas angle. Bob Koester, the owner of Delmark Records and the Jazz Record Mart, was born and grew up in Wichita.

Blues on a Saturday: Bille Holiday "Fine and Mellow"

I recently watched Ken Burn's Jazz and was struck again by this 1957 clip featuring Bill Holiday and one the few blues she wrote and performed "Fine and Mellow" This originally aired live as part of a special telecast ("The Sound of Jazz") on a short-lived CBS Sunday afternoon "cultural program", "THE SEVEN LIVELY ARTS". The man setting the scene for the number is host John Crosby, best known as a TV critic for the New York Herald-Tribune. This was also Billie's last major appearance on network television. the first tenor solo is by Ben Webster, the second by Lester Young, and the third by Coleman Hawkins. The trumpet solo is by Roy Eldridge.

The entire show is on DVD. Well worth watching. And there's a CD as well.

Blues on a Saturday: Tracy Nelson "Down So Low"

In April, Tracy Nelson released her 26th album Victim of the Blues. She's done not only  blues,  but also country  and rock, and in-between. She got her start in the folk and blues revival of the sixties and was part of the San Francisco rock scene in the late sixties., where she helped lead the under-rated  Mother Earth.  I bought their first LP Living with the Animals back in the day and it has long been one of my favorites.  it is out on CD from Wounded Bird records and is recommended. There are those, myself included, who ranked her as as superior to Janice Joplin

BluesWax recently published Don Wilcox's two part interview with Nelson--part one and part two

Here is Nelson in 1987 doing her 1968 song Down So Low.  It seems to be a modern blues standard, having been covered by Cyndi Lauper, Linda Ronstadt, and others.

Blues on a Saturday: Junior Wells and Buddy Guy

Junior Wells performing Cryin' Shame, with Buddy Guy, guitar, and David Myers, bass, from the movie Chicago Blues, in 1970.

Blues on a Saturday: Otis Rush and Eric Clapton--"Double Trouble"

Performing Rush's classic "Double Trouble" --the song that Stevie Ray Vaughn named his band after.

Blues on a Saturday: Bob Dylan and Miles Davis

This week marked the 70th birthday of Bob Dylan and the 85th anniversary of Miles Davis' birthday. So, our first double header. We'll get bak to hard core blues next week and, perhaps, come up with a post on Rolling Stones list of Bob's 70 greatest songs.

Blues on a Saturday: Big Joe Turner "Roll 'em Pete"

May 18 is the centennial of the birth of Kansas City blues shouter Big Joe Turner. Turner played a key role in the creation of boogie woogie and rock 'n' roll. Turner has quite justly been elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

One of his early --and enduring--hits was "Roll 'em Pete" co-written with his piano playing partner Pete Johnson.

I've always liked this verse, the opposite of the sacchrine.

Well, you're so beautiful, you've got to die someday
Well, you're so beautiful, you've got to die someday
All I want's a little loving, just before you pass away