For people in the San Francisco Bay Area who play instruments, and enjoy playing blues music, there are a number of opportunities throughout the week to play with other musicians like you.If sitting in your home and playing solo just doesn’t satisfy, blues jams await you, allowing you to interact in a supervised group setting.
Included in this podcast are songs from some of the hosts of blues jams in the Bay Area, and there are a couple examples of the weekly jams around the bay.Have a listen, and see if any of the jams listed below might work for you. (Thanks to the Byrd of Paradise for helping me to flesh out the following list of San Francisco blues jams.His weekly radio blues music show can be heard on the StanfordUniversity radio station KZSU 90.1 FM on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to Noon.)
This is the story of two
blues musicians, both known as Sonny Boy Williamson.
The man blues historians
call Sonny Boy Williamson#1 was born John Lee Williamson on March 30,1914 in Jackson, Tennessee.He took
to the harmonica at an early age and roamed the country during the 1930’s in
the great musical company of musicians such as Sleep John Estes, Robert
Nighthawk and Big Joe Williams.By 1937
he found his way to Chicago, where he decided to settle down.He found many opportunities to record on his
own and as a backup for artists such as Tampa Red and Big Bill Broonzy, among
others.
Born, at least, a few
years earlier than John Lee was the man known as Aleck Ford aka Sonny Boy Williamson
#2 on a plantation in Glendora, Mississippi.With the
nickname, Rice, he assumed at a young age his stepfather’s last name, and
became commonly known as Rice Miller.Like John Lee, he became proficient at playing the harmonica and made
his living through the Depression years roaming the South, performing at
medicine shows, juke joints, and on street corners.In 1941 he and Robert Jr. Lockwood found work
in Helena, Arkansas performing on a radio station, KFFA.This daily noon radio
gigdidn’t provide much in pay, but was
a great publicity boon for the duo.The
radio show’s sponsor, King Biscuit Flour, billed Miller as Sonny Boy
Williamson, a new name the harmonicat was pleased to take.His new moniker might have been a problem had
he started making records right away.But he would have to wait awhile for that to happen.
Meanwhile back in Chicago, John Lee (Sonny Boy Williamson #1) was having
quite a time.He was getting regular
recording work and playing in Southside clubs.Sadly, on June
1, 1948, John Lee gave his last performance at the
Plantation Club and was killed in a mugging as he was walking home that night.
Back down in Arkansas, Rice Miller’s (Sonny Boy Williamson #2) work on
KFFA had come to an end in 1944.In 1949
he moved to West
Memphis, Arkansas where he got work on another radio station, KWEM,
playing with musicians like Elmore James and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup.Soon, in 1951 he started recording for
Trumpet Record, based in Jackson, Mississippi.But the
label went bankrupt in 1955, handed over its assets, including Miler, to Chess
Records in Chicago.This led
to several recordings which would make songs like “One Way Out” and “Eyesight
to the Blind” blues staples in the next couple of decades.In the early 1960’s he toured Europe where British blues-rock groups took notice of him.On May 25,1965 he passed away in Helena.
Songs included in this
podcast are:
“Good Morning Little School Girl”by John Lee “Sonny Boy” WilliamsonBluebird Records1937
“One Way Out”by Sonny Boy “Rice Miller” WilliamsonChess Records1961
“Moonshine”by John Lee “Sonny Boy” WilliamsonBluebird Records1938
“Got the Bottle Up and Gone”by John Lee “Sonny Boy” WilliamsonBluebird Records1937
“No Nights By Myself”by Sonny Boy “Rice Miller”
WilliamsonTrumpet Records1954
“Mister Downchild”by Sonny Boy “Rice Miller”
Williamsonon “Sonny Boy Williamson
& the Yardbirds”Mercury
Records1963
When it comes to
feel-good music, sounds of a jug band take the cake.And, the great thing is that any musician can
partake, because it’s inexpensive and you don’t need an amplifier.
Following the days of
slavery in the UnitedState, African-Americans found that life as a musician was much more
preferable to the limited manual labor jobs available to them.But even being a musician meant the need of
an instrument.Members of jug bands made
their own instruments.Mandolins were
constructed out of broken guitars and gourds.Pie tins became part of a homemade banjo.A glass or stoneware jug became a makeshift
tuba.
In the 1920’s record
companies began recording several of the jug bands coming out of the Louisville, Kentucky and Birmingham, Alabama and Memphis, Tennessee.And, while the Great
Depression brought a halt, for the most part, to jug band recordings, those
records would be discovered which led to a jug band revival in the early 1960’s
with the formation of Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, The Even Dozen Jug Band and
others.In fact, a number of rock groups
like The Grateful Dead, and Country Joe & the Fish started out as jug
bands.
For more information
about jug band music check out the following links:
We equate Valentines Day with affection, love and loved ones.So, when it comes to the blues there’s not much call for such a day.And, blues music is great for bringing out the grief that comes along with trying to love that special someone.This Blues Hues presents a few such songs specializing in the theme of infidelity. Songs found in the podcast include:
“You’re The Kind of Woman That Ain’t That Hard to Find”by Chris Cainfrom “Cuttin’ Loose”Blind Pig Records1990
“Women Be Wise”by Bev Conklin & Lea Gilmorefrom “BC & Lea Live at Godfrey Daniels”Bluescrew Records2005
“Two Time Boogie”by Studebaker John & the Hawksfrom “Tremoluxe”Blind Pig Records1996
“I Wonder Who’s Sleeping in My Bed”by Guitar Shortyfrom “Roll Over, Baby”Black Top Records1998
A Trip Back To Woodstock 1969
Friday 08-14-2009 4:08pm PT
This Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of one of the largest and most celebrated moments in music history: Woodstock. And to honor the music festival that defined a generation, we put together a playlist of the artists that called the little-rural town in upstate New York home for that four-day weekend. So, sit back and enjoy songs from The Who, Janis Joplin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the legendary Jimi Hendrix.
Day 1 August 15, 1969
Richie Havens -- Freedom
Sweetwater
Incredible String Band -- This Moment
Bert Sommer -- Jennifer
Joan Baez -- We Shall Overcome
Day 2 August 16, 1969
Santana -- Soul Sacrifice
Canned Heat -- Woodstock Boogie
Grateful Dead -- Mama Tried
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- I Put A Spell On You
Sly & The Family Stone -- I Want To Take You Higher
With the exception of B.B. King and Buddy Guy, blues musicians in America fly under the radar when it comes to entertainment news.So, when a blues musician dies the national press is not likely to inform us of that fact.
Thankfully there are a few national blues magazines and websites around to let us know of who has entered Blues Heaven.This week, Blues Hues remembers four strong talents in the blues world who contributed plenty to warrant notice as they leave this earth. Snooks Eaglin (born in 1936), blind from the age of 19 months, started playing guitar by the time he was 5 years old.By the mid-1950’s he was playing on the streets of his hometown, New Orleans.He joined Allen Toussaint’s group, The Flamingos, and during the early 1960’s was a session musician for Imperial Records.Soon he was playing all around town where he garnered the nickname, The Human Jukebox, because of his musical dexterity.He died on February 18 of a heart attack. Mel Brown, born in Jackson, Mississippi on October 7,1939, was known primarily as a sideman, but his guitar style played a great part in several musicians’ lives, most notably while Brown was part of the house band of Antone’s, the blues club in Austin, Texas.In addition, he played guitar for Sonny Boy Williamson II, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and on sessions for John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Charles Brown.He passed away in Kitchener, Ontario on March 20. Lester Davenport was born in Tchula, Mississippi on January 16, 1932.Although skilled on guitar, piano and drums, Davenport made his mark on the Chicago blues scene with his harmonica playing, an instrument he started learning at age 5.Living in Chicago since 1945, he got his first big break in 1955, when Bo Diddley asked him to join his band in place of the departing Billy Boy Arnold.He also spent a number of years playing harmonica for The Kinsey Report.In 1992, he recorded his first solo release for Earwig Records.He died on March 17 after a five year battle with prostate cancer. Sam Carr, who played drums on many blues albums for several Mississippi Hill Country bluesman, is probably best known for his musical relationship with Frank Frost and Big Jack Johnson.As a trio they became known as the Jelly Roll Kings, but also back each other up on solo albums by Frank Frost and Big Jack Johnson over the years.Carr is also the son of Robert Nighthawk, with whom he began his interest in a musical profession.He was born on April 17, 1926 and died on September 21. Songs included in the podcast include:
“Don’t Take It So Hard”by Snooks Eaglinfrom “Teasin’ You”Black Top Records1992
“Home James”by Mel Brownfrom “Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlins and Other Greasy Blues Specialties”BluesWay/ABC Records1973
“Owl Head Woman”by Frank Frost & Sam Carrfrom “The Jelly Roll Kings”Earwig Records1999
“Mad Dog on the Loose”by Lester Davenportfrom “When the Blues Hits You”Earwig Records1992
Most Christmas songs are filled with joy, love and happiness.But, you will not hear these songs in this podcast. Blues Hues brings you holiday tunes for those without a spouse or loved one, or without a job.Once again, the blues offer an alternative to the “perfect” world. Songs included in this podcast include:
“Merry Christmas Baby”by Charles BrownAladdin Records1956
“Lonesome Christmas”by Son Sealsfrom “The Alligator Records Christmas Collection”Alligator Records1992
“Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’”by Tinsley Ellisfrom “The Alligator Records Christmas Collection”Alligator Records1992
“One Parent Christmas”by Saffire, the Uppity Blues Womenfrom “The Alligator Records Christmas Collection”Alligator Records1992
“Job for Christmas”by Finis Tasbyfrom “Jump Children!”Evidence Records1998
Blues Hues is now available from the Green 960 website and from ITunes.
Humorous blues:sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?But somehow it works.Take a listen for yourself. In this podcast you’ll find a song which parodies a blues song from the 1950’s, one song mocks the class divide using a country blues format, one song sounds like a one of reconciliation but…., and one song employs black humor in reference to capital punishment.Consider this a holiday treat, better than your average fruitcake. Songs found in this podcast include:
“S-I-S-S-Y”by Reverend Billy C. Wirtzfrom “Songs of Faith and Inflammation”Hightone Records1996
“Straight Talk About the Blues/Ukulele Blues”by Martin Mullfrom “Martin Mull & His Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room”Capricorn Records1973
“I’ll Take You Back”by Little Charlie and the Nightcatsfrom “All the Way Crazy”Alligator Records1987
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