The Blues Room #483 :: Otis Rush turns 80

The Blues Room, 29 April 2015

Episode #483

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There’s just one guitar slinger alive today who can say he influenced Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Peter Green, Jimi Hendrix, the J. Geils Band, Carlos Santana, Michael Bloomfield, Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, and Ronnie Earl—and has been embraced as a peer by pillars of blues Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters. That man is Otis Rush. Happy 80th Birthday Mr Rush (born 29 April, 1935).

http://www.otisrush.net/

1. Two-Tone Steiny & The Cadilacs feat. Kid Andersen - Bring That Little Thing

2. The Flaming Mudcats - My Baby Rocks

3. Eddie Taylor - You Don't Love Me

4. Igor Prado Band & Delta Groove Allstars - Baby Won't You Jump With Me

5. Big Daddy Wilson with Eric Bibb - Mississippi John

6. Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby

7. Otis Rush - Jump Sister Bessie

8. Otis Rush - Its My Own Fault

9. Otis Rush - Double Trouble

10. Peter Green and the Splinter Group feat. Otis Rush - Little Queen of Spades

11. John Mayall and Eric Clapton - All Your Love

12. Joe Bonamassa - Three Times A Fool

13. Otis Rush - Natural Ball

#482 :: George Harmonica Smith

The Blues Room, 22 April 2015

Episode #482

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We pay tribute to one of the greatest Blues Chromatic Harmonica players, George 'Harmoncia' Smith, who was born on 22 April 1924.

Smith started playing harp at the young age of 4. He was influenced by Larry Adler and later Little Walter. Smith would sometimes bill himself as Little Walter Jr. or Big Walter. He played in a number of bands including one with a young guitarist named Otis Rush and later went on the road with the Muddy Waters Band, after replacing Henry Strong.

Smith's first album on World Pacific 'A Tribute to Little Walter' was released in 1968. In 1969 Bob Thiele produced an excellent solo album of Smith on Bluesway, and later made use of Smith as a sideman for his Blues Times label, including sets with T-Bone Walker, and Harmonica Slim. Smith met Rod Piazza, a young White harp player and they formed the Southside Blues Band, later known as Bacon Fat.

In 1969, Smith signed with U.K. producer Mike Vernon and did the No Time for Jive album. Smith was less active in the 1970s appearing with Eddie Taylor and Big Mama Thornton. Around 1977, Smith became friends with William Clarke and they began working together. Their working relationship and friendship continued until Smith died on October 2, 1983. Thank you Mr Smith. Enjoy!

1. George Harmonica Smith - Blowing thr Blues

2. George Harmonica Smith - Blues In The Dark

3. William Clarke & The Night Owls with George Smith - Hard Times

4. William Clarke & The Night Owls with George Smith - It Ain't Nothin' To You

5. William Clarke & The Night Owls with George Smith - You Got To Be Crazy

6. T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Otis Spann & George Harmonica Smith - Jot's Blues

7. George Harmonica Smith - Astatic Stomp

8. George Harmonica Smith - Love Life

9. William Clarke - Tribute To George Smith

10. William Clarke - Chromatic Jump

11. George Harmonica Smith - Just A Feeling

12. George Harmonica Smith - Mellow Down Easy

The Blues Room #481 :: Five Plus & Live

The Blues Room, 15 April 2015

Episode #481

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I do like an extended live track from time to time. 

Heres an episode of tracks five plus minutes long and live to an audience. Enjoy!

1. Gerry Hundt & Barrelhouse Chuck (Live at The Coachlite) - Whiskey Makes Me Mean

2. Little Walter (Live at Peppers Lounge) - Pepper's Thing

3. Jean-Jacques Milteau (Blues LIVE) - Mystery train

4. Anders Osborne and North Mississippi Allstars (Freedom and Dreams) - Back Together

5. Eric Clapton & Wynton Marsalis (Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center) - Forty-Four

6. Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill, Rich Delgrosso (Live from Bluesville) - Hard to Live With

7. Gov't Mule (Dub Side Of The Mule) - Its A Mans Mans Mans World

8. Joe Bonamassa (Muddy Wolf at Red Rock) - Double Trouble

The Blues Room #480 :: Happy Birthday Billie Holiday

The Blues Room, 8 April 2015

Episode #480

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This year we celebrate the birth of Eleanora Fagan aka Billie Holiday 100 years ago on 7th April 1915. She rose to be a social phenomenon in the 1950s. She recorded 100s of songs many of which remain staples for jazz, blues, soul and reggae artists to cover today. We pay tribute to Billie Holiday in this episode and hear many great tributes to her. Happy Birthday Billie Holiday - Lady Day Sing The Blues!!

http://www.billieholiday.com/

Acknowledgements: content from Time and NPR are used in this episode, we thank the producers of these quality audio clips and hope our including them is taken as a compliment.

1. Nina Simone - I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl

2. Peggy Lee - Fever

3. Dinah Washington - This Can't Be Love

4. Ann Cole - Got My Mojo Working

5. Wynton Marsalis talks about the artistic vision of Billie Holiday on her 100th birthday

6. Annie Lennox - Strange Fruit

7. Elizabeth Blair (NPR) - The Strange Story Of The Man Behind 'Strange Fruit'

8. Marcus Miller - Strange_Fruit

9. God Bless The Child - Blood, Sweat and Tears

10. Jackie Wilson - Crazy She Calls Me

11. Amy Winehouse - There Is No Greater Love

12. Billy Holiday - Lady Sings The Blues

The Blues Room #479

The Blues Room, 1 April 2015

Episode #479

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Darcy Perry presents another Hour Of Blues Power. 

Can you spot how many artists from his playlist that have performed at Bluesfest?

1. Joss Stone - The Chokin' Kind

2. Dean Martin - You Won't Be Satisfied

3. Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony

4. Tinariwen - Ahimana

5. Fun Lovin Criminals - Korean Bodega

6. Beastie Boys - Slow Ride

7. Doyle Bramhall III - Soul Shaker

8. Eric Clapton - Strange Brew

9. Eric Bibb - Micheal, Row The Boat Ashore

10. Aretha Franklin - People Get Ready

11. Bo Diddley - Bring It To Jerome

12. Dave Matthews Band - Jimi Thing

13. Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime

14. Fiona Boyes - Rockabilly On The Radio

15. Ella Fitzgerald - A Tisket, A-Tasket