Blues Unlimited - The Radio Show

In celebration of what would have been Elmore James' 92nd birthday, we pull out all the stops for a non-stop tribute to one of the most beloved Blues musicians of all time. Great, classic and rare performances from Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers, J.B. Hutto, Homesick James, Joe Carter, John Littlejohn, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Flynn, Joe Price, among others -- with more great stuff to come in part two. Don't miss it! 58 mins.

Part two of our look at some of the fabulous Blues that the Motor City had to offer, including more great, classic and rare performances from Baby Boy Warren, Washboard Willie, Bobo Jenkins, Calvin Frazier, Doctor Ross (pictured), L.C. Green, and yes, John Lee Hooker. 54 mins.

Although not as well known as other locales famous for their Blues -- such as New Orleans, Chicago, or Memphis, for example, the Motor City had plenty of talented songwriters and Blues musicians -- it's just that, for the most part, the record labels that operated out of Detroit were either local labels that had little or no distribution, and quite often lacked proper 'hi-fi' recording equipment. In spite of these odds, however, some of Detroit finest Blues musicians did manage to find their way into a recording studio (some of which were no more than a tape recorder and mic or two in a back room behind someone's store) to make some of the finest Blues -- not to mention rawest -- of the Post-War era that we can think of. Rare, classic and legendary performances from L.C. Green, Baby Boy Warren, Eddie Burns, Walter Mitchell, Robert Henry, Eddie Kirkland, Detroit Count, and more. 60 mins.

Part two of our look at some of the great Blues guitarists that operated out of the Windy City between the years 1953 to 1955, with more classic performances from Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, J.B. Lenoir, Elmore James, Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Reed, J.B. Hutto (pictured), L.C. McKinely, and more. 58 mins.

A while back on Blues Unlimited, we profiled some of the great Windy City Blues guitarists, focusing on the time period of just 1946 to 1952. In this episode, we pick up where we left off last time, and concentrate our focus on one of the true 'golden eras' of Chicago Blues -- from 1953 to 1955. Featuring a veritable 'Who's Who' of Chicago Blues guitarists, you won't want to miss this one. Great and classic performances from Muddy Waters (pictured), Earl Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Shines, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, Jimmy Rogers, J.B. Hutto, and many more. 59 mins.

Part two of our look at some of the great Blues and R&B that Checker had on offer during the early years that the label was in business. Performances by Elmore James, John Brim, Morris Pejoe, Little Walter, plus some rare slide guitar gospel from the Rev. Utah Smith. 58 mins.

In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we delve into the Chess family of labels by taking a look at one of their subsidiary labels -- Checker. Shortly after the Chess label was formally launched in 1950 (which picked up on the heels of where Aristocrat -- the Chess brothers' first label -- left off), they started operations on the Checker label. Although Chess is deservedly famous for it's all-star lineup of Blues legends, Checker would come to be known as the home label to such musical giants as Little Walter, Bo Diddley, and Sonny Boy Williamson (among others), and the first couple years that Checker was in business saw issue to some fine Down Home Blues as well. Here, we take an in-depth look at the Checker label, focusing just on the first couple years of operations. From Little Walter, to John Brim, Elmore James, Willie Nix, Woodrow Adams (pictured) and Big Boy Spires, this one is chock full of great Blues! 60 mins.

Part two of our look at the Festival Tours from the years 1967 through 1972, including performances from Champion Jack Dupree, Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes, Lightnin' Slim, Jimmy Rogers, perennial favorites Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and the late, great Magic Sam. 59 mins.

A while back on Blues Unlimited, we did a series of tributes to the legendary American Folk Blues Festival tours, organized by two German concert promoters, Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau. These annual events, which started in 1962 and brought a veritable 'Who's Who' of the Blues Universe overseas and put them in front of a young, eager, and enthusiastic European audience -- some for the very first time -- were widely popular and hugely influential. Here, we pick up where we left off last time, starting with the 1967 tour (which included an incredible line up of no less than Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, Skip James, Bukka White, AND Son House -- all on one tour!) and ending with the 1972 concert, when the Festival took a sabbatical for a few years. 60 mins.

Part two of our look at some classic Blues recordings from the Windy City in the mid 1960s, including more from Olle Helander and "Chicago/The Blues/Today!" -- plus, a look at some of the live and "on-the-spot" recordings produced by Norman Dayron, including some gems from Elmore James' piano man, Little Johnny Jones. 59 mins.

In this episode of Blues Unlimited, we profile some of the great moments in mid-1960s Chicago Blues, with such classics as the superb "Chicago/The Blues/Today!" series that was produced by Sam Charters and issued by Vanguard in 1966; a rare gem from the U.K. -- "Blues Southside Chicago" (never reissued on CD as far as we know); and a series of recordings made by Swedish radio legend Olle Helander in 1964, recently collected and reissued on CD by Swedish Blues magazine Jefferson. Music from Robert Nighthawk, J.B. Hutto, Walter Horton, Johnny Shines, Homesick James, Johnny Young, and many, many more. 58 mins.

Part 2 of our episode dedicated to West Coast Piano Blues, with more great stuff on tap from Jimmy McCracklin, Willard McDaniel, Lloyd Glenn, Mercy Dee Walton (pictured), Willie Egan, Malcolm 'Little Son' Willis, and more. 59 mins.

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 classics from Calvin Leavy, Otis Spann, Brother Will Hairston, Robert Pete Williams, and more -- plus a perennial favorite from B.B. King where he examines the special bond between a Blues singer and his guitar. 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 -- plus a touching tale from Lightnin' Hopkins (pictured) of a little boy looking for a home, and the kindly stranger that befriends him (in part two). Join us, then, as we look at some of the finest moments in Blues storytelling through the years. 57 mins.

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 (pictured), 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.

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.

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 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 - if, of course, you don't already have it). And, for you vinyl junkies out there, Arhoolie has recently 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 (pictured) and his influential recording debut in 1937, to the 1940s 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.

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