I teach a class in Media and Society at a small university and today before class, I was getting my computer, projector, and speakers set up for a multimedia presentation. Today, I decided to test the audio with Little Walter’s “Juke.” One of my students asked, “What’s that?” He was no doubt referring to Little Walter’s amplified harmonica. I responded, “That’s Little Walter playing the premier instrument of the blues – the harmonica.” To which he retorted, “I thought the harmonica was the premier instrument around camp fires.” We both laughed.
Yes, Virginia, the harmonica was used quite often for the blues and it’s not your pioneer great-great-grandpa’s instrument anymore. Recorded in 1952 at Universal Recorders on Chicago’s Northside, today’s Bluesday Tuesday hit, Little Walter’s “Juke,” was a number one R&B record for Checker Records. It held that position for eight consecutive weeks.
Billed as “Little Walter and his Night Cats,” the recording featured Muddy Waters and his back-up band. With Little Walter Jacobs on amplified harmonica, Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers on guitar, and drummer Elga Edmunds. The song was originally titled “Your Cat Will Play,” but the title was changed to “Juke,” by the time the single was released. Only two takes were recorded with the first being issued as the release.
“Juke” has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. The song influenced several generations of blues harpists to pick up their harmonica with a handheld microphone and blast the night away.
How do you learn to do something? You seek out the masters and study with the best. That’s what Rory Block did at the age of 15 – she left home in search of those who perfected the Delta blues and graduated with honors. After completing her home grown studies and working in various clubs, she returned to New York City to ply her talents in the studio. Her first recording was with mentor Stefan Grossman on the tutorial album, “How to Play Blues Guitar.” On this 1967 Elektra release, Block appeared under the pseudonym “Sunshine Kate.” Shortly after the recording was released, Block took a temporary sabbatical from the business.
When she returned to recording in 1975, Block bounced from label to label having recorded one album each for RCA and Blue Goose and two for Chrysalis. Unfortunately, these four albums departed from her blues roots and took her into a more contemporary vein. Although her performance was excellent, these albums were commercial failures. In 1981, Block was prompted to return to her element – the blues, with a contract offer from Rounder Records. The result was “High Heeled Blues” – the first of 14 albums for the label.
The album was produced by Lovin’ Spoonful veteran John Sebastian and includes 12-cuts, with two being original compositions. For today’s Bluesday Tuesday selection, I’ve chosen “Since You Been Gone,” which was penned by Block. “Since You Been Gone” is a testament that Rory Block can do the country-blues with the very best.
Well, it has finally occurred. I have reached my sixtieth birthday. I don’t remember the nature of my conversation with my boss two weeks ago, but it may have been because we opted to take the elevator rather than climbing four flights of stairs. I made the comment, “Well it’s not like I’m sixty or anything.” Immediately, the cold slap of reality hit me and I said – well, I won’t be able to say that in two weeks. Yes, time has a way of catching up to us. I’m just glad I’m here. My father and grandfather never made it to being 50 let alone 60.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been debating on what to play on this auspicious occasion. The only song with 60 in its title, of which I am aware, was the 1951 R&B hit by The Dominoes “Sixty Minute Man.” It is an important recording in musical history as it vies as being one of the recordings that was responsible for the creation of rock ‘n roll.
While there is much debate on which song holds those honors, there are dozens of tunes that have been considered in hindsight. I tend to lean towards Jackie Brensten’s “Rocket 88,” but that’s my personal choice. “Sixty Minute Man” was recorded three months earlier on December 30, 1950 and was released in May of the next year.
While some consider it a novelty record, “Sixty Minute Man” did quite well on the charts holding the number one slot on the R&B charts for 14 weeks. It crossed over to the pop charts where it peaked at #17. Additionally, “Sixty Minute Man” was 1951’s “Song of the Year.” It also has made it to the soundtracks to several major motion pictures. Quite impressive,
It was written by The Dominoes’ manager and pianist Billy Ward and his talent agent partner, Rose Marks. The song features the lead vocals of the quartet’s bass singer Bill Brown. In addition to Brown, The Dominoes consisted of Charlie White, Joe Lamont, and Clyde McPhatter, who later sang lead with The Drifters. McPhatter adds the woo hoos and the falsetto parts. Good stuff, but released before my birth some sixty years ago today.
For our third installment of “Charades of Deep Purple,” here’s a really different version of “Smoke on the Water.” While I think most every teenage rock band has learned this song, none do it quite the way that Surath Godfrey and Victor Chen have recorded this song. This is a brilliant blues tinged version that features the slide guitar and backup vocals of Chen and the lead vocals and percussive guitar by Godfrey.
I don’t know much about these artists, but they make their home in Singapore. While this is not a studio quality recording, that isn’t important – the arrangement is. There is one notable mistake in the lyrics – Godfrey sings “Montfort” instead of “Montreaux.” I can forgive that. This is a nice change of pace for this rock classic that originally appeared on Deep Purple’s “Machine Head” LP.
It is day four of our series “Rolling Clones” and we have a very nice and bluesy rendition of the Stone’s 1964 American hit “Heart of Stone.” Although released on an EP in the UK, it was one of the few Rolling Stones’ hits that was not issued in their homeland as a single release. Today’s rendition comes from The Allman Brothers Band’s final studio album: “Hittin’ the Note” from 2003.
Although it’s the band’s last studio (but not last) album, it was significant in a number of respects. It was the only studio LP not to feature Dickey Betts as he had been relieved of his duties as The Allman Brothers’ primary guitarist. It also marked the return of Warren Haynes and the introduction of Derek Trucks as guitarists.
Derek is the nephew of one of The Allman Brothers’ drummers, Butch Trucks. Listen with headphones as you’ll be able to determine which guitarist is playing. Haynes in the left channel while Derek Trucks is in the right. This is really a nice production feature that extends across the entire album.
Gregg Allman shines on vocals on this classic. Take a listen.
Having heard today’s Bluesday Tuesday selection a while back, I marked it down for future reference. It is a song that not only predates my life, but my familiarity of the late, great Ray Charles’ recordings. The 1953 single release of “Mess Around” is one of his definitive recordings.
From what I can tell, “Mess Around,” was Ray’s third single release on Atlantic Records and the first of his many early singles to chart. While he wouldn’t chart on the mainstream charts until 1957, “Mess Around” ascended to the #3 position on Billboard’s R&B Chart.
“Mess Around” was written by Ahmet Ertegün, the president of Atlantic Records, under the pseudonym of “Nuggy.” The song drew influence both instrumentally and lyrically from a number of sources as Ertegün borrowed liberally from his predecessors in the blues genre. This is great stuff from Ray.
When I first heard Barbara Dane, I hadn’t seen her photo. I supposed that she was like most female blues artists of the late 50s and early 60s: African-American, a little older, and more matronly in appearance. I was surprised to learn that she was blonde, blue-eyed, 33 years old, and, er, not matronly like most of best known female blues artists of the era.
Ebony observed in 1959, “As the rich white spotlight sweeps over the face with the fresh-scrubbed look, the girl seems startlingly blonde, especially when that powerful dusky alto voice begins to moan of trouble, two-timing men, and freedom. She is singing the blues—just as Bessie Smith sung them, and Mama Yancey and Lizzie Miles and Ma Rainey. But, she is white.”
Looking at her older photos, it was obvious that her “startlingly” blonde hair came from a bottle, but it was fitting with her “fresh-scrubbed” complexion. Bottle or not – who cares? Her voice, however, is amazing – pure, unadulterated, and classy. She’s still around and still singing at the age of 88.
My introduction to Ms. Dane was her 1960 recording on Trey Records of “I’m On My Way.” Produced by Lee Hazelwood, this was her only output on this fledgling label that released less than 20 singles. Her record was the fifteenth of the series and has of late been a popular Northern Soul classic in England.
Although her rendering of “I’m On My Way” is a secular twist of the field holler that turned spiritual. This same song became an old time country gospel song at the hands of The Carter Family in 1934. Although a traditional song at the time of the Carter recording, A.P. Carter took the writing credit and Ralph Peer owned the publishing rights. The original author is unknown and Barbara Dane did the honorable thing – she only claimed the arrangement of this traditional spiritual.
Two years after the Trey release, Capitol Records issued an updated version of the song as the title cut for her LP, EP, and Seeburg Series’ 7 inch-33 1/3 RPM for jukebox play. All three releases were named as “On My Way.” The newer version moved the key from Gm to Am, had a different horn arrangement, and included backup vocals by the Andrews Gospel Signers. The newer version also featured Rocco Wilson on congas and is a slightly faster than her original.
While her original recording is sparse by comparison, I prefer it to the 1962 release of the same song. I am providing both versions as comparison. See what you think.
For Bluesday Tuesday, here’s what seems like an unlikely pairing of Leon Russell and New Grass Revival. I procured this live album when it came into one of the radio stations where I worked in 1981 as it didn’t fit our format. Being a fan of both Russell and New Grass Revival, it was a perfect addition to my collection and the pairing of the two entities made perfect sense after one listen.
Recorded on May 15, 1980 at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, California, the number I’ve selected was their rendition of the Ray Charles classic “I Believe to My Soul.” Charles’ version of the song was released 20 years previous on the Atlantic Records’ compilation “The Genius Sings the Blues.”
This album features the third incarnation of New Grass Revival that featured Sam Bush (mandolin), Curtis Burch (guitar), Courtney Johnson (banjo), and John Cowan (bass). Bush, Burch, and Cowan provided back-up vocals to Leon Russell’s lead on “I Believe to My Soul.” On this particular number, Bill Kenner joins the band onstage with acoustic mandolin as Sam Bush is playing a four-string Fender Electric Mandolin (commonly called a Mandocaster); he provides the guitar like leads.
The new Mando-Strat based on the original Fender Electric Mandolin
Fender produced the Fender Electric Mandolin, based on the Stratocaster guitar body, from 1956 to 1976. Beginning in 2013, Fender revived the instrument as the Mando-Strat and once made this classic instrument affordable, as original models of the Fender Electric Mandolin are priced in the $2000+ range. The newer models are available in both 4 and 8-string models while the original was only available as a 4-stringed instrument. Unlike its predecessor, the Mando-Strat, the new instrument is made in Indonesia and not in the good old USA.
This was not the only time Leon Russell and New Grass Revival have joined forces and they make a formidable team. Here’s a video of the same recording, but unfortunately the audio quality is not as good as the above version. However, it gives you a sense of the magic between Leon Russell and New Grass Revival.
You may not recognize his name, but Orrin Keepnews was a mover and a shaker in jazz. Unfortunately, Keepnews passed away on Sunday – one day before his 92nd birthday. In 1953, Keepnews and Bill Grauer founded one of the premier jazz record labels of the decade: Riverside A label that soon gave its rivals, Prestige and Blue Note, a run for the money. At Riverside, Keepnews handled record production while Grauer was in charge of business operations. When Grauer died in 1963, the label quickly folded.
Although Riverside ended in 1964, the label was a jumping off point for artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Theolonious Monk, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, and others. Although Riverside had dried up, Keepnews returned to the music business in 1966 with yet another new label: Milestone. By 1972, Fantasy Records acquired Milestone and the masters from Riverside, and Keepnews became Fantasy’s jazz A&R man.
Beginning in 1985, Keepnews launched yet another label: Landmark Records, which eventually was acquired by the Muse in 1993. Over the years, Keepnews was awarded four Grammys: two for production and two for the best liner notes.
In Orrin Keepnews’ honor, we’ll feature a cut from Wes Montgomery’s first album with Riverside. Although Montgomery had recorded two albums for Pacific Jazz, he was not under an exclusive contract with the label. Having heard Montgomery play in an Indianapolis club, Cannonball Adderley insisted that Keepnews sign him to Riverside. Keepnews flew from New York to Indianapolis where he eventually landed at the Missile Blues Club where Montgomery was playing his unique octave runs on the guitar.
In the wee hours of that morning in 1959, Keepnews signed Montgomery to an exclusive contract with Riverside – and the rest is history. Our featured selection is from the “Wes Montgomery Trio” LP: Montgomery’s interpretation of Theolonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” – the first cut on the album – an album produced by Orrin Keepnews.
While Keepnews has crossed over, his impact on jazz will remain indefinitely. Rest in peace.
When I think of John Lee Hooker’s 1961 recording of “Boom Boom,” the movie “The Blues Brothers” comes to mind, as Hooker appears singing the tune while Jake and Elwood Blues get ready to enter the Soul Food Café. Released in 1962, the original charted both on the R&B and Hot 100 charts. On the R&B side, it peaked at #16; however, it failed to make it into the Top 40 by only peaking at #60.
The sidemen that accompanied John Lee Hooker’s guitar and vocals are a veritable who’s who of session musicians. The Funk Brothers of Motown Records’ fame provided the backing. Included among the band were the following musicians: Joe Hunter on piano, James Jamerson on bass, Benny Benjamin on drums, Larry Veeder on guitar, Hank Cosby on tenor sax, and Mike Terry on baritone sax.
Hooker said that he was inspired to write the song from a female Detroit bartender. Since Hooker was frequently tardy for his gigs at the Apex Bar, the barkeep would say, “Boom, boom – you’re late again.” Hearing the phrase enough, he was inspired to write the song.
For a short time, Jack Bruce was a member of John Mayall’s legendary Blues Breakers, but like his tenure in Manfred Mann, it was short lived. What survived are some live cuts that were recorded at London’s Flamingo Club on March 17, 1966. Mayall’s original intent was to record a live LP that featured the soaring guitar solos of Eric Clapton.
Because the quality was not the best, Mayall scrapped the idea of a live album and began recording the legendary “Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton” LP that same month. John McVie, who would later be a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, replaced Jack Bruce on bass.
While many of the recordings featuring Jack Bruce have been released over time, the first to see the light of day was Mayall’s interpretation of T-Bone Walker’s legendary “They Call It Stormy Monday,” which has been covered by a countless number of artists. “They Call it Stormy Monday” was first released in 1969 on Mayall’s “Looking Back” album.
Besides Bruce’s bass and Clapton’s guitar, “Stormy Monday” featured John Mayall on organ and vocals and Hughie Flint on drums. Besides Bruce’s solid bass, the guitar leads of Eric Clapton reinforce the idea that he is one of best guitarists of all time.
Unknown today except to audiophiles, roots music aficionados, and the enlightened; Koerner, Ray, and Glover’s “Blues, Rags, and Hollers” was probably one of the most influential blues albums to be birthed during the folk revival of the 1960s. During the spring of 1963, three students of the University of Minnesota drove all night to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a date with destiny. The 300 mile jaunt on pre-Interstate highways was even more harrowing due to the foggy conditions that plagued the trio. Later that Sunday morning, ‘Spider” John Koerner, Dave “Snaker” Ray, and Tony “Little Sun” Glover embarked on an all day recording session that produced this monumental.
With only 300 copies pressed on the Audiophile label, the record caught the attention of Jac Holzman at Elektra and it was released by this up-and-coming independent label during the summer of 1963. Some differences exist between the two versions of the album as Koerner, Ray, and Glover overfilled both sides with music, as the album contained 20 songs.
Since the tracks went as close to the label as mechanically possible, many turntables in 1963 couldn’t play the final tracks from each side as the tone arm automatically lifted before the song finished. The album also contained nearly 51 minutes of music, and anything over 42 minutes tended to increase fidelity problems. To fix these issues, Elektra eliminated four of the cuts. In addition, Holzman didn’t like the original stereo mix and the reissue was released monaurally.
I took the photo of this place in Louisiana in 2012.
You might find a mojo hand there.
During The Beatles’ tour of America, the album caught the attention of John Lennon who considered it one of his favorites. Future Elektra recording artist Jim Morrison of The Doors believed it to be one of the best albums released during the period. Although all three musicians are credited as trio, that wasn’t the set-up for the album. Only one track of the reissue had the participation of all three. On today’s cut, “Down to Louisiana,” which was written by Lightnin’ Hopkins and Muddy Waters, Dave Ray sings and plays guitar while accompanied by Tony “Little Sun” Glover on the harmonica.
It needs to be noted that many who learned to play harmonica in the late 1960s and ‘70s studied under the tutelage of Tony Glover. His Oak Publications manual Blues Harp is by far one of the best guides to play harmonica. I picked up my copy in 1974 and still have it as a prized possession. I owe this blues harp master a debt of gratitude.
Back in the 1970s someone gave me a Toots Thielemans album and I dearly loved it. I never heard of Toots at the time, but grew to appreciate his guitar and harmonica talents. In fact, a little over a year ago I featured him for a solid week by giving you a taste of his work on other folks’ recordings.
Toots can make the chromatic harmonica wail, walk, and talk. I’ve tried playing chromatic harp, but cannot seem to wrap my head around it. So, I’ll stick to playing the diatonic harmonica and let virtuosos like Toots and Stevie Wonder, who are both masters of the instrument, take center stage.
I’m not sure when “C to G Jam Blues” was recorded, but it was issued as part of Verve Records’ “Jazz Masters” series between 1994-1996 Toots’ LP was the 59th in that particular series of 60 albums and it was released at the tail end of the run in ‘96. Fifty-eight of the albums featured individual artists that had recorded for Verve or another Polygram label, while albums #20 and #60 were various artists’ releases.
“C to G Jam Blues,” our Bluesday Tuesday selection, showcases the amazing talents of Toots Thielemans as he is able to go, as the title states, from the key of C to G with half-step increments. Eight song keys are utilized in this short recording – meaning that Toots had to do seven key changes. But, he does it with finesse and without missing a beat. It’s wonderful stuff from a master of his harmonica domain.
Last year, I stumbled upon Billy D. & the Hoodoos and have been waiting for the right time to feature their song “Somethin’s Wrong.” With my Bluesday Tuesday feature, now is that time. Born in a hot spot for the blues, the Southside of Chicago, Billy Desmond would eventually move to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he put together his trio of performers. The Hoodoos are Big Jeff Sipe on bass, and Mikey Chavez and Craig Neil alternate as the band’s drummer. The Billy D. & the Hoodoos are currently based out of Portland, Oregon.
In November 2010, the Cascade Blues Association honored Desmond with a Muddy (named for Muddy Waters) Award for the Best New Act. Although the title cut from the “Somethin’s Wrong” CD was released in 2010, it won in the Blues/Jazz category for the 2013 UK Songwriting Contest and is probably the reason why I stumbled on to this video.
While Desmond’s guitar is shaped like a Fender Telecaster, it was custom made by John Suhr. It features two Humbucker pickups rather than the single coils found typically on Teles. Sipe is playing what appears to be a late model reissue of a Dan Electro Hodad bass guitar. It has three lipstick tube pickups and is a very nice sounding instrument.
I hope this satisfies your need for the blues on a “Bluesday Tuesday.
From 1951 to 1962, Elmore James recorded 29 singles. Of those, only three charted – and at that, they placed only on the R&B charts. His first two singles, 1951’s “Dust My Broom” and 1952’s “I Believe” both peaked at #9. His only other record to chart was 1960’s “The Sky is Crying,” which made it to the #15 slot.
Known as the “King of the Slide Guitar,” Elmore James and His Broomdusters recorded the impromptu “The Sky is Crying” in 1959 during a Chicago thunderstorm. Credited to “Elmo” James, the single was released in both 78 and 45 formats on the New York based Fire Records. Fire was a sister label to Fury Records and others. Bobby Robinson, who is credited as the producer, owned the label and probably was not present for the Chicago recording session.
James was known to record for several labels. How he achieved the unique sound on his slide guitar on “The Sky is Crying” has been debated since the record was released in March 1960. The Broomdusters who provide the backup include the following: Homesick James on bass, Odie Payne on drums, Johnny Jones on piano, and J.T. Brown on sax. Good stuff for a Bluesday Tuesday.
James died in Chicago at the age of 45 of a heart attack in 1963.
Our next selection from Amy Records is one that most folk haven’t heard – an R&B number by Mighty Sam McClain. “When She Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters)” never charted, but it is a fantastic song. McClain got his musical start in 1948 when he began singing gospel music as a five-year old boy. Although he’s never had a hit, he’s still performing today.
Mighty Sam was brought to Amy Records through his relationship to record producer, promoter, and disc jockey – Papa Don Schroeder. In addition to Mighty Sam, Schroder brought a number of R&B acts to Bell and its subsidiary Amy. One of those acts came through Mighty Sam: James and Bobby Purify who had the Top 10 hit for Bell, “I’m You’re Puppet.”
I hope you’ll enjoy your first listen to this little known Amy release from 1967 - “When She Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters).”
Today, I’ve decided to revamp the Tuesday feature to Bluesday Tuesday. For our first selection in this new category, I’ve decided on a singer who was not very well known during her lifetime, and who unfortunately ended her own life on Halloween 2005 at the age of 51. Her name was Vala Cupp and she cut her blues teeth by touring with the legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker for 15 years.
When Hooker retired from touring, Cupp set out on her own using Austin, Texas as her new home base. Like many other struggling, but talented musicians, she supplemented her income with a variety of day jobs. Unfortunately, I never heard of her during her lifetime and only recently discovered her by accident. It was a pleasant find.
For the first selection in this new category, I have a live recording of Vala Cupp doing a live version of Albert Collins’ “Cold, Cold Feeling.” Recorded on June 10, 1990, Cupp sang this rendition during John Lee Hooker’s set of the Chicago Blues Festival. Backed by the King Snakes, this is a great recording that showcases her unbelievable talent. It’s too bad she never gained the fame that was equal to her incredible voice.
Associate Provost and Professor of Mass Communication at Alderson Broaddus University and an adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University.
Graduate of Marshall University, West Virginia University, Southern New Hampshire University, Kentucky Christian University and Mountain State University.
Dissertation on institutional rebranding (see newriver.net) was the 2009 international winner of the Alice L. Beeman Dissertation Award for Outstanding Research in Communications and Marketing for Higher Education Advancement and was the 2008 Leo and Margaret Goodman-Malamuth Outstanding Dissertation Award for Research in Higher Education Administration.
Placed as a winner in five Active Industry Research Contemporary Hit Radio "Pick the Hits" competitions from 1983 through 1987. Each competition had 31 winners. Placed 2nd (1st among radio participants), 6th, 10th (twice), and 21st in the five competitions.
Awarded 14 gold & platinum records and an international sales award from various record companies. Winner of 30 Public Relations awards.
