Blues Unlimited - The Radio Show

The West Coast, over the years, has certainly had more than its fair share of talented Blues pianists, and in this episode of Blues Unlimited we take a look at some of the great ones. Kicking it off with Boogie Woogie legend Pete Johnson, we dive into the immense well of talent the West Coast had on offer -- from Amos Milburn, Floyd Dixon, and Lloyd Glenn, to Hadda Brooks (pictured), Joe Liggins and Little Willie Littlefield -- and a host of others. In typical Blues Unlimited fashion, however, we give equal time to the overlooked, the obscure, and the undeservedly under-recorded, such as Gus Jenkins, Thunder Smith, Mercy Dee Walton, West Coast piano legend Willard McDaniel, and one our favorite down home stylists, Malcolm 'Little Son' Willis. Join us then, for an illuminating look at the art and artistry of West Coast Blues Piano. 59 mins.

Part two of our look at the delightfully strange, the oddly bizarre, and the wonderfully weird from the Outer Limits of the Blues Universe. Included in this installment are plenty more one-string practitioners like Moses Williams, Eddie 'One String' Jones and Lonnie Pitchford; Jesse Fuller, the one-man-band and his homemade 'fotdella' (pictured), perennial favorites Hezekiah and the Houserockers; Ann Arbor, Michigan street performing legend Shakin' Jake Woods (see the short You Tube video on Shakin' Jake here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCJ3Ct0WQIQ ); plus one more all-time classic from Bongo Joe (because we just couldn't resist). 60 mins.

In this extra special edition of Blues Unlimited, we pull out all the stops and dig through our archives in search of Blues musicians that play one-stringed instruments, Fife and Drum Band music from the Hill Country of Mississippi, Blues musicians that play pan pipes and trombones (no, not at the same time) as well as a variety of home made instruments. From cult favorites like Bongo Joe to the crowd-pleasing one-stringed boogie riffs of Lonnie Pitchford to the celestial sounds of Gospel singer Washington Phillips, we leave no holds barred on this one for a show dedicated to the odd, the unique, the bizarre and the downright wonderfully weird into one utterly delightful package. Includes rare and classic performances by One String Sam and Willie Joe Duncan and his Unitar (pictured), Othar Turner, Jesse Fuller, and many, many more. 58 mins.

Part two of our look at Blues and the art of storytelling -- including all-time classics from B.B. King, Calvin Leavy, Robert Pete Williams, and more -- plus a touching tale from Lightnin' Hopkins (pictured) of a little boy looking for a home, and the kindly stranger that befriends him. 59 mins.

As long as there have been Blues singers, there have Blues songs that commented on the events, people, and everyday happenings of the world and the environment in which the Blues singer found him (or her) self. And while many people have said that the Blues, in particular, tells a story about what happens between a man and a woman (we're thinking about folks like Son House and Willie Dixon here), that would tend to downplay the artistry offered by some of the Blues' finest storytellers. In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we look at the fine craft of telling a good story -- a la Blues style -- including stories about personal tragedies such as floods, fires and shipwrecks, to commentary on politics, economic downturns, and prison, to a goat who keeps getting into trouble -- and in one particularly memorable example, the special relationship between a Blues singer and his guitar (in part two). Join us, then, as we look at some of the finest moments in Blues storytelling through the years. 57 mins (pictured, an early publicity shot of Howlin' Wolf)

Pt. 2 of our profile of the RPM label, owned and operated by the Bihari brothers out of Los Angeles, California (just an FYI - the original four Bihari brothers were Lester, Jules, Saul, and Joe). 60 mins.

On this edition of Blues Unlimited, as part of our continuing profiles of legendary record labels, we pay tribute to the RPM label. RPM was owned and operated by the Bihari brothers in Los Angeles, and one of the subsidiary labels to their family of imprints that included at one time Modern, Crown, Flair, Kent, Blues & Rhythm, and Meteor. Not only did RPM help give birth to the rising career of B.B. King, but the label also issued some fine down home Blues that were the results of Joe Bihari's field recording trips to the Mid South in 1951 and 1952 (with the help of Ike Turner, who was acting as Talent Scout for the Bihari's at the time). Lots of great blues on this one -- from Lightnin' Hopkins and Howlin' Wolf to Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Eddie Kirkland, and many more. 58 mins.

Part two of our all Blues Instrumental showcase, with more great stuff from John Lee Hooker (pictured), Hop Wilson, Sonny & Brownie, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, Clifton Chenier, and more. 59 mins.

Although the Blues has always been primarily a vocal medium, the art of the Blues Instrumental has long been a chance for artists to stretch out a bit, dust off their chops, and show the world their stuff -- in addition to being a great way for label bosses to get their artists warmed up, and in some cases that we know of, use up some valuable studio time that might otherwise have been wasted. Here, we take a look at some of our favorite Blues Instrumentals over the years, from Little Walter, Earl Hooker, and Otis Spann to Elmore James, Ike Turner, Calvin Frazier, Johnny Young, and many, many more. 60 mins. (Pictured is Harmonica Master, Little Walter)

Part two of our look at the Trumpet label, with more great blues by Sonny Boy Williamson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Big Joe Williams, and yes, Elmore James. 57 mins. For further reading, be sure to check out Marc Ryan's great book on Lillian McMurry and Trumpet Records at http://www.amazon.com/Trumpet-Records-Diamonds-Farish-American/dp/1578066077/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256083343&sr=1-1

In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we pay homage to the legendary Blues label in Jackson, Mississippi that helped launch the careers of Willie Love, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Elmore James, among others. Owned and operated by Lillian McMurry, Trumpet appeared on the scene during a time when the Blues in Mississippi was undergoing a transition from rural to urban, and from acoustic to electric. Thanks to the efforts of McMurry (who had excellent taste in music, as well as being a top-notch producer), Trumpet put out some of the finest Down Home Blues to come out of Mississippi in the years immediately following World War II. 59 mins.

Pt. 2 of our look at the enormous impact the Blues has had on the music world. 60 mins. Pictured are Mud Boy and the Neutrons in their younger days: from left to right, Lee Baker, Jim Dickinson, Sid Selvidge, and Jimmy Crosthwait. Photo by William Eggleston. This episode of "Blues Unlimited" is dedicated to the memory of Jim Dickinson. Read more about Jim here in this touching piece from Newsweek: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/popvox/archive/2009/08/16/jim-dickinson-1941-2009-farewell-to-the-original-north-mississippi-all-star.aspx

Decades before Elvis Presley took an old Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup song and sang the Blues on his debut single for the Sun record label in Memphis, many other folks had done that very same thing -- that is, incorporated elements of Blues into their repertoire. Starting with the Carter Family and the 'Yodeling Brakeman' Jimmie Rodgers, in this special episode of "Blues Unlimited," we take a chronological look at the very outer limits of the Blues Universe, by exploring the boundaries where Folk, Country, and Rock 'n' Roll meet and intersect. And following in the wake of Elvis Presley, wind up squarely in the Blues Revival of the 1960s -- catching a bit of that 'British Fever' along the way from the religious zealotry that inspired some of the best of the British Invasion bands. A fascinating glimpse at the enormous impact the Blues has had on the music world at large. 59 mins.

Part two of our look at the field recordings of "Blow My Blues Away" author George Mitchell, collected in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee from the 1960s to the 1980s. 56 mins.

Among those field recordings made over the years by such intrepid Blues researchers, scholars, and folklorists as Alan Lomax, Paul Oliver, Chris Strachwitz, and David Evans (among others), perhaps some of the finest were made by George Mitchell, in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia -- from the early 1960s on up through the 1980s. Author of the seminal book, "Blow My Blues Away," George Mitchell's field recordings possess a warmth and immediacy that seem to belie the difficulty one imagines he must have had collecting them in the first place. Thanks to the recent efforts of the Fat Possum label, these recordings are now, once again, widely available. Sifting through hours of recordings, we find some rare gems and treasures along the way, in this special episode dedicated to the George Mitchell tapes. 61 mins. (Read more about George Mitchell here: http://www.libs.uga.edu/media/collections/georgiafolklore/georgemitchell.html )

Part two of our look at the legendary Nashville label, with gobs of that great Louisiana Swamp Blues thrown into the gumbo to spice it up! 57 mins.

In this episode of "Blues Unlimited," we pay tribute to the legendary Nashville label that brought the Louisiana Swamp Blues of Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, and Lightnin' Slim to prominence -- as well as some very fine R&B that proprietor Ernie Young cut in Nashville during the early 1950s. Although they never had a lot of R&B chart hits (compared to such other contemporary labels as Modern, Chess, Imperial, or Specialty), what they did have was a remarkably consistent product, a strong advertising presence on Nashville's 50,000 watt clear channel WLAC radio station, and a thriving mail order business. You can read more about WLAC here at the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLAC 62 mins.

We crank it up a notch in part 2, with more great smokin' R&B and red hot rockin' Blues. 57 mins.

More of our favorite Rockin' and Stompin' Blues and Red Hot R&B. 60 mins. (Image of this vintage concert poster, from the Fillmore Auditorium featuring an upcoming performance by John Lee Hooker AND Jimmy Reed -- among others -- from http://www.postergeist.com )

Part two of our look at the fascinating world of Texas Country Blues. 58 mins.

If you haven't guessed by now, we like our Blues gritty, raw, and down home here at Blues Unlimited -- and this episode is no exception. Another exploration of some of the great Blues the Lone Star State had to offer, a la Country Style. Never heard of such folks as Ernest "Buddy" Lewis, Big Charley Bradix, or Rattlesnake Cooper? Well, you will by the time this show is over! Of course, there's plenty of Lightnin' Hopkins, Frankie Lee Sims, and Smokey Hogg too (i.e., a Blues nut's idea of a 'household' name). 61 mins of some of the finest down home Blues you'll ever hear.

Part two of our look at some of the greatest moments in Live Blues during the 1960s. While listening, be sure to check out this article on the ground-breaking Ann Arbor Blues Festivals -- http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/08/27/column-singin-the-ann-arbor-blues/ -- where Magic Sam's performance was recorded. 53 mins.

In this extra special episode of 'Blues Unlimited,' we take a look at some of the greatest Live Blues performances of all time, starting with the 1960s. More than just a 'live in concert' type survey, these performances -- some of the finest ever made -- helped to set the bar a bit higher by standing out from the rest of the pack, and utterly defined what it means to be recorded 'Live in Performance.' John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Magic Sam, Robert Nighthawk, Muddy Waters, and more. 62 mins.

Part two continues on with our survey of some of the finest Post-War Down Home Blues to be found along the Eastern Seaboard. 57 mins.

With it's own unique sound and feel, we aim the spotlight at the Eastern Seaboard for this episode -- from Georgia all the way to New York City -- while hearing some of the finest Down Home Blues to be recorded in the Post-War era along the way. In typical 'Blues Unlimited' fashion, we hear from not only titans of the genre such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, but also some of our favorite 'lesser knowns' as well -- from Ralph Willis and Leroy Dallas to Dan Pickett, Carolina Slim, Square Walton, and many, many more. Don't miss it! 61 mins.

Part two of our look at the legends of Texas Urban Blues Guitar. 58 mins.

In this episode of "Blues Unlimited," we aim the spotlight at the great state of Texas, specifically looking at some of the fabulous guitarists the Lone Star State had to offer. Starting with T-Bone Walker's seminal waxing of 'Call It Stormy Monday' as our jumping off point, we stay strictly 'uptown' for this episode (dealing with Texas Country Blues in a soon-to-be-posted show). Along with T-Bone, we take a look at those artists who followed in his footsteps and made their own exciting contributions to the wonderful world of Texas Blues Guitar. 63 mins.

Part 2 of our exploration into the wonderful world of Blues Harmonica players (63 mins). And while you're listening, be sure to cruise over to the Arhoolie website to find a copy of that great Sonny Boy Williamson CD pictured below (if you don't already have it). And, for you vinyl junkies out there, Arhoolie has just announced that they will soon have limited quantities of some of their vinyl LPs and 45s available as well! Check it out at http://www.arhoolie.com/

In this installment of "Blues Unlimited," we delve into the wonderful world of Blues Harmonica, taking a chronological look starting with John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson's influential debut recording in 1937, to the 40s and 50s with Little Walter, Sonny Terry, Papa Lightfoot, Big Walter, Sonny Boy #2 and more, on up to the early 60s with Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester and Junior Wells. An extra special show crammed chock full of great Blues Harp. Don't miss it! 56 mins.