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Saturday, July 14, 2012

Traveling Blues - show no. 55 July 11, 2012

The podcast is available here:

Traveling Blues - show no. 55  July 11, 2012

On tonight's show, we were still enjoying the high from the North Mississippi Allstars performance last night in Tel Aviv.
Blues birthdays of the week wre Casey Bill Weldon and Blind Boy Fuller. We featured a new release by singer guitarist Suzanne Thomas and the Blues Church.

There are two members of the Blues community that need our help - Graham Wood Drout of the Florida Blues band Iko-Iko, who is recovering from medical treatment for complications from severe diabetes,
and Curtis Salgado, who is undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous piece of his lung.

You can donate to Graham's Wood Drout medical fund at this website:
http://www.iko-iko.com/Iko-Iko/HELP_GRAHAM.html

You can chip in to Curtis Salgado's medical fund by clicking "chip in " on his website:
http://www.curtissalgado.com/

Here's our playlist:
01. North Mississippi Allstars - Shake  
02. North Mississippi Allstars - Going Home
03. Robert Belfour - Po' Black Mattie
04. Johnny Moore and the Three Blazers - How Blue Can You Get?
05. Iko- Iko - I've Got the Gris Gris
06. Curtis Salgado - Inside My Heart
07. Suzanne Thomas - Cheatin' On Me
08. Casey Bill Weldon - Somebody Changed the Lock on My Door
09. Blind Boy Fuller - Baby I Don't Have to Worry
10. Blind Boy Fuller - Walking My Blues Away
11. Robert Belfour - Hill Stomp
12. North Mississippi Allstars - The Horseshoe

Traveling Blues - show no. 55  July 11, 2012

JUST CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON WITH THE EARPHONE ICON TO  OPEN THE PLAYER
OR CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON WITH THE DOWN ARROW TO DOWNLOAD THE FILE

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Traveling Blues show no. 54, July 4, 2012

The podcast is available here:

Traveling Blues show no. 54, July 4, 2012

Tonight's show featured an interview with Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, and Blues birthdays for Mississippi John Hurt, Willie Dixon, Willie Pinetop Perkins, and James Cotton.


Here's the playlist:

01. Mississippi John Hurt - The Moanin' Blues 
02. Mississippi John Hurt - Satisfied 
03. Big Three Trio (Willie Dixon) - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Monkey Man 
04. Big Three Trio (Willie Dixon) - Violent Love 
05. The North Mississippi Allstars - Ain't None of Mine 
06. Pinetop Perkins - Baby What You Want Me To Do 
07. Luther Dickinson - interview 
08. North Mississippi Allstars - Lord Have Mercy 
09. James Cotton - Cut You Loose 
10. Daniel Dworsky - Don't Cry to Me 

Listen to Traveling Blues live Wednesdays at 8 PM (GMT+2) IDC Radio 106.2FM,
or http://1062fm.co.il/en/,

Listen to archived podcasts at www.icast.co.il/TravelingBlues

JUST CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON WITH THE EARPHONE ICON TO  OPEN THE PLAYER
OR CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON WITH THE DOWN ARROW TO DOWNLOAD THE FILE

Friday, July 29, 2011

Traveling Blues - My New Blues Radio Show!!!

Hey people,
I've got a brand new Blues radio show called "Traveling Blues"!!!












It airs on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM (Jerusalem time, 6:00 PM GMT, 1:00 PM EDT), and you can listen to it live on radio (106.2FM in central Israel) or the internet from the IDC Radio site.
The show is also archived as an MP3 file/podcast that can be downloaded directly from the iCast site or streamed in the online popup player - just click the earphone icon.

The show is mostly presented in English
(shows no. 2 and no.5 are all in English,
and from show no.14 onward, we will present completely in English),
but you will certainly be able to make out the artist names and phrases that we discuss on the show, and we have a live artist in the studio on many of our shows.
Sooooooo, please tune in and turn on the Blues,
 and tell all your friends and Blues mavens out there too!!!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Charles Sawyer interviewed on IDC radio















In my recent "Traveling Blues" radio show on IDC radio,
I interviewed the man who wrote the first biography of BB King, Charles Sawyer,
a Blues harmonica player in his own right,
as well as a Blues historian, and photographer, who teaches an extension course at Harvard University on the Blues.

You can listen to and/or download the show at:
http://pod.icast.co.il/7841cb9​1-d266-4026-9cb4-30913a5bb835.​icast.mp3
or at
http://www.icast.co.il/PlayerW​in.aspx?file=http%3A%2F%2Fpod.​icast.co.il%2F7841cb91-d266-40​26-9cb4-30913a5bb835.icast.mp3​&IndexID=396590&name=iCast

Monday, June 13, 2011

Charlie Musslewhite - radio playlist from June 9th, 2011

Radio 90FM, Israel,
Thursday night, June 9th, 2011 24:00 - 02:00
Eli Dr. Blues Marcus as a guest on "Deja Vu" with host Benny Tavory.
This show was a tribute to Charlie Musselwhite, on the eve of his upcoming first show in Israel,
presenting the history and biography of Charlie Musselwhite.


------Artist----------**------------Song----------**-----------Album---------**-----------Label

01. Charlie Musselwhite, Finger Lickin' Good, from "Memphis Charlie", Arhoolie records
02. Charlie Musselwhite, WHere Highway 61 Runs, from "The Well", Alligator records
03. Charlie Musselwhite, Miss Bessie, from live recording, Cambridge, 1988
04. Big Joe Williams, Skin and Bone Blues, from "Watergate Blues", Ornament/CMA Music Production
05. Big Walter Horton, Back Home To Mama, from "Harmonica Blues Kings", Delmark records
06. Little Walter, Juke, from "Blues With a Feeling", Blues Encore
07. Junior Wells, Ships on the Ocean, from "Hoodoo Man Blues", Delmark records
08. Butterfield Blues Band/Paul Butterfield, Lovin' Cup, from "The Original Lost Electra Sessions", Elektra/Rhino
09. Charlie Musselwhite, Baby Will You Please Help Me, from "Stand Back!", Vanguard records
10. Junior Wells, Little By Little, from "Live at Theresa's, 1975", Delmark records
11. Charlie Musselwhite, Little By Little, from "Tenessee Woman", Vanguard records
12. John Lee Hooker, One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, from "Live at Cafe A Go Go", ABC-Bluesway
13. Charlie Musselwhite, Wild Wild Woman, from "Memphis Charlie", Arhoolie records
14. Charlie Musselwhite, Cut You Loose, from "Memphis Charlie", Arhoolie records
15. Bonnie Raitt (duet with Musselwhite), Shadow of Doubt, from "Longing in Their Hearts", Capitol records
16. Cyndi Lauper (with Musselwhite), I'm Just Your Fool, from "Memphis Blues", Downtown records
17. Cyndi Lauper (with Musselwhite), Dwon Don't Bother Me, from "Memphis Blues", Downtown Records
18. Charlie Musselwhite, Dig the Pain, from "the Well", Alligator records
19. CG and the Hammer, Same Old Fool, from "Blues Heaven", independent (Israel)
20. Charlie Musselwhite, It Ain't Right, from Memphis Charlie", Arhoolie records
21. Charlie Musselwhite, Hoodoo Queen, from "the Well", Alligator records
22. Charlie Musselwhite, Help Me, from "Stand Back!", Vanguard records

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Remembering Gil Scott Heron


I never got to see or hear Gil Scott Heron live, and when it was announced last year around this time that he was coming to perform in Israel, I thought I would finally get a chance, and maybe even to say hello, shake his hand, and tell him how much joy his words and music gave me over the years. Unfortunately, someone got to him before the date, and persuaded him to cancel his trip to Israel...

I believe that it was near the end of the 1970's that I picked up the album "Bridges", and fell in love with the infectious funky Jazzy sounds of Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson. That is probably his happiest, funkiest, most upbeat album of all the collection. Just check out a few of the tunes on these YouTube links:

Hello Sunday, Hello Road

Under the Hammer

Racetrack in France

Little by little, I also found some of his more political albums with more of his "rap" - he definitely had a way with words, and a strong sense of humor too. Gil Scott Heron was a poet, a stand-up comedian, political/social commentator, and a fine musician with deep Blues and Jazz roots.

Gil Scott Heron was a deadly serious man with a message, but he didn't hit you over the head with it - he preferred to present his views as a conversation with the audience, filled with positive ideas and lots of humor. When you heard him speak, everything he said made sense, he had some very astute observations, and most of the time, he could see right through the layers of lies that we build in our culture to try and protect or legitimize our way of life.

I really felt sad to hear that in recent years he had messed up his life with heavy drug use, got into trouble with the law, did jail time, and eventually, also destroyed his health - to the point where he just didn't make it, and passed away last week at age 62.

Rest in peace brother Gil.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Yesterday's Blues Phrase: Wild Women Don't Have the Blues


Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

movie clip

by Ida Cox
recorded July 1924





"I hear these women raving 'bout their monkey men
About their trifling1 husbands and their no good friends
These poor women sit around all day and moan
Wondering why their wandering papa's don't come home
But wild women don't worry, wild women don't have no blues

Now when you've got a man, don't never be on the square
'Cause if you do he'll have a woman everywhere
I never was known to treat no one man right
I keep 'em working hard both day and night
'Cause wild women don't worry, wild women don't have their blues

I've got a disposition and a way of my own
When my man starts kicking I let him find another home
I get full of good liquor, walk the streets all night
Go home and put my man out if he don't act right
Wild women don't worry, wild women don't have their blues

You never get nothing by being an angel child
You better change your ways and get real wild
I wanna tell you something, I wouldn't tell you a lie
Wild women are the only kind that really get by
'Cause wild women don't worry, wild women don't have their blues"

Today's Blues phrase: I'll be your mule


I'll be your mule



"A mule is a creature that can carry any load
up the highest mountain or 'long the roughest road
but you better feed him right and treat him like a friend
'cause once he turns his back on you ,
he will never look at you again"

"I'll be your mule, I'll be your mule, I'll be your mule
I'll be your mule, I'll be your mule
I'll be your mule, but I will refuse to be your fool"


Steve Freund
,
from the album "I'll be Your Mule" (Delmark 752)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

R.I.P. Willie Pinetop Perkins 1913-2011

I met Pinetop in 2006 on the Blues Cruise.
He was a very sweet man, and when he got on stage, it was as if he was 40 years old again, the voice, the piano playing, were all there as if he was in his prime.
Just 2 months ago he won a Grammy for his latest album with Willie Big Eyes Smith - "Joined at the Hip: Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith."

Here is one of the newspaper notices of his passing.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8397186/Legendary-blues-musician-Pinetop-Perkins-dies-age-97.html

Monday, March 21, 2011

R.I.P. Big Jack Johnson - 1940-2011


Sad news from Bob Corritore (March 14, 2011) :

Big Jack Johnson passed away this morning at 6am in his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi after a long battle with heath issues. He was 70 years old.

Big Jack's inventive, energetic, Delta-rooted guitar, rich confident vocals, down home songwriting, and larger than life stage presence made him one of the most celebrated bluesmen of Mississippi. His long music career included much national and international touring, many amazing record releases, and a huge amount of praise and respect.

Big Jack was born in Lambert, Mississippi in the summer of 1940, and learned guitar from his father at age 13. He rose to prominence in the early 1960s working as a key member of the legendary Jelly Roll Kings, a champion blues band which also included Frank Frost and Sam Carr. Big Jack first appeared on record in the 1960s as the guitarist on two famous Frank Frost albums; Hey Boss Man on the Phillips International label (an offshoot of Sun Records) from 1962, and My Back Scratcher on Jewel from 1966.

In the late 1970s, Michael Frank debuted his Earwig Music label with The Jelly Roll Kings / Rockin' The Juke Joint Down which also was a recording debut for Big Jack's great vocals. Soon afterward, Big Jack Johnson would start a solo career for himself, independent of the Jelly Roll Kings. His solo debut album, Oil Man (Big Jack used to hold down a day gig delivering oil barrels in Mississippi) on the Earwig label was released in 1987. This led to additional CDs for Earwig, a nice run with M.C. Records, and additional recordings for Rooster Blues, P-Vine Records, Right Coast Recording, and Big Jack Music. There was also a nice Jelly Roll Kings reunion album called Off Yonder Wall that came out in 1997 on the Fat Possum Records. Additionally, Big Jack appeared in the influential 1992 documentary movie Deep Blues. He was a popular festival and club entertainer, a warm and hospitable person, and an amazing musician.

Big Jack Johnson was the last original member of the Jelly Roll Kings. His passing leaves a gap in the blues that will never again be filled. To see his amazing performance of "Catfish Blues" from the movie Deep Blues, click here. Thanks for all the great music Big Jack. You are loved!"

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I remember Big Jack visiting Israel and playing in a small club in Tel Aviv.

The host guitarist who invited him to Israel (and shall remain nameless) was trying his usual tricks of one-up-manship and trying to intimidate his guest, as he often does with various people he invites on stage.

Jack Johnson didn't even flinch, stood his ground, played and sang his solid Blues, and managed to push this rude host guitarist into the opposite corner of the stage with his no-bones Mississippi roots attitude. I think that this was the first time I saw anyone really stand up to this guy, and Jack Johnson gave a great show that night!