This week's playlist

Savoy Brown - "Taste And Try (Before You Buy)"
Bukka White - "Fixin' To Die Blues"
Amos Garrett - "Get Way Back"
The Paul Garner Band - "Never Make A Move Too Soon"
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Tennesse Stud"
Grainne Duffy - "Test Of Time"
Mississippi Sheiks - "Tell Me What The Cats Fight About"
Lil Ed Williams and Willie Kent - "Who's Been Talking?"
Guitar Mikey and The Real Thing - "That's No Way"
Bukka White - "Strange Place Blues"
Dr. Feelgood - "The Blues Had A Baby And They Named It Rock And Roll"
Mistabluesman - "Freddie's Blues"
Bukka White - "Sleepy Man Blues"
Eddie Boyd - "Blue Coat Man"
Wesley Pruitt Band - "Thief In The Night"
Debbie Davies - "The Fall"
Jo-El Sonnier - "Cajun Blood"
Steve Earl and The Del McCoury Band - "The Graveyard Shift"
Shurman - "Apartment #9 Blues"
The Some X 6 Band - "The Hoodoo Shake"
Bukka White - "Parchman Farm Blues"
Earl Hooker - "The End Of The Bles"

Featured Artist: Bukka White

Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White

(November 12, 1909 – February 26, 1977

Born between Aberdeen and Houston, Mississippi White was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and King's grandmother were sisters). White himself is remembered as a player of National steel guitars. He also played, but was less adept at, the piano.
White started his career playing the fiddle at square dances. He claimed to have met Charlie Patton early on, although some doubt has been cast upon this; Regardless, Patton was a large influence on White. White typically played slide guitar in an open tuning. He was one of the few, along with Skip James, to use a crossnote tuning in E minor, which he may have learned, as James did, from Henry Stuckey.
He first recorded for the Victor Records label in 1930. His recordings for Victor, like those of many other bluesmen, fluctuated between country blues and gospel numbers. Victor published his photograph in 1930. His gospel songs were done in the style of Blind Willie Johnson, with a female singer accentuating the last phrase of each line.
Nine years later, while serving time for assault, he recorded for folklorist John Lomax. The few songs he recorded around this time became his most well-known: “Shake 'Em On Down” and “Po' Boy”
Bob Dylan covered his song “Fixin' To Die Blues”, which aided a "rediscovery" of White in 1963 by guitarist John Fahey and ED Denson, which propelled him onto the folk revival scene of the 1960s. White had recorded the song simply because his other songs had not particularly impressed the Victor record producer. It was a studio composition of which White had thought little until it re-emerged thirty years later.
White was at one time managed by experienced blues manager Arne Brogger. Fahey and Denson found White easily enough: Fahey wrote a letter to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi" Fahey had assumed, given White's song, "Aberdeen, Mississippi", that White still lived there, or nearby. The postcard was forwarded to Memphis, Tennessee, where White worked in a tank factory. Fahey and Denson soon traveled to meet White, and White and Fahey remained friends through the remainder of White's life. He recorded a new album for Denson and Fahey's Takoma Records, whilst Denson became his manager.
White was, later in life, also friends with fellow musician Furry Lewis. The two recorded, mostly in Lewis' Memphis apartment, an album together, Furry Lewis, Bukka White & Friends: Party! At Home.
"Parchman Farm Blues" was about the Mississippi State Penitentiary (also known as Parchman Farm) in Sunflower County, Mississippi, was released on Harry Smith's “Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 4” The song was covered by The Traits/aka Roy Head and the Traits with Johnny Winter in the late 1960s. His 1937 version of the oft-recorded song, "Shake 'Em On Down," is considered definitive, and became a hit while White was serving time in Parchman.
White died in February 1977 from cancer, at the age of 67, in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1990 he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame (along with Blind Blake and Lonnie Johnson). On November 21, 2011, The Recording Academy announced that “Fixin' To Die Blues” was to be added to its 2012 list of Grammy Hall Of Fame recipients.

This week's playlist

Tail Dragger and Bob Corritore - "Birthday Blues"
Janiva Magness - "Make It Rain"
Michael 'Iron Man' Burks - "Storm Warning"
James Kahn - "Great Trains Of Hell"
Pete 'Snakey Jake' Johnson - "Stormy Weather"
Louisville Jug Band - "What A Lovely Thing"
Graham Bond Organisation - "Strut Around"
John Martyn - "Sugar Lump"
The Used Blues Band - "Pretty Woman"
Lonnie Johnson - "Sundown Blues"
Janiva Magness - "I Won't Cry"
Janiva Magness - "There It Is"
Janiva Magness - "Whistlin' In The Dark"
Jon Amor Blues Group - "Sweetheart"
Pam Taylor Band - "All I Got Left"
Beale Street Sheiks - "Beale Street Bound"
The Tom Gee Band - "Better Things To Do"
Little Willie John - "Talk To Me"

Featured Artist: Janiva Magness

Janiva Magness  

(born January 30, 1957)

Magness was born in Detroit, Michigan, but suffered the tragedy of losing both of her parents to suicide before she reached her mid-teens. Placed in a series of a dozen foster homes, Magness was pregnant at the age of 17, and gave her baby daughter up for adoption.
Having been initially inspired by the music in her father's record collection, an underage Magness attended an Otis Rush concert in Minneapolis that changed her outlook. Magness lated recalled, "Otis played as if his life depended on it. There was a completely desperate, absolute intensity. I knew, whatever it was, I needed more of it." Studying to become an engineer, she worked in a recording studio in Saint Paul, Minnesota, when she was coerced into doing some backing singing. Her work, which included backing Kid Ramos and R. L. Burnside led her to Phoenix, Arizona and in forming her own band, the Mojomatics. They enjoyed local success before Magness relocated in 1986 to Los Angeles.
Her first album It Takes One to Know One, was released in 1997. In 1999, Magness starred in a stage production of “It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues”, at the David Geffen Theater in Westwood, California
Three independent releases followed before Magness was signed to a recording contract by Northern Blues Music. They released “Bury Him at the Crossroads” (2004) and “Do I Move You?” (2006). Both albums were co-produced by Magness and Colin Linden, with the former earning them a Canadian Maple Blues Award for Producers Of The Year. “Do I Move You?” reached number 8 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart.
In 2008, Magness signed with Alligator Records releasing “What Love Will Do”. The Chicago Sun-Times stated, "Her songs run the gamut of emotions from sorrow to joy. A master of the lowdown blues who is equally at ease surrounded by funk or soul sounds, Magness invigorates every song with a brutal honesty." She toured widely incorporating Canada, Europe as well as across the United States.
The equally critically acclaimed effort, “The Devil Is an Angel Too”, appeared in 2010, and “Stronger for It” in 2012. The latter included some of her own songs, the first album to do so since her debut effort in 1997.
In 2013, Magness was nominated in five categories for more Blues Music awards.

This week's playlist

Imelda May - "Smotherin' Me"
The Mills Brothers - "Goodbye Blues"
Sleepy John Estes - "Someday Baby Blues"
Fleetwood Mac - "Something Inside Of Me"
Flying Suacers Gumbo Special - "Crawfish Groove"
The Fabulous Thunderbirds - "She's Tuff"
Memphis Jug Band - "Stealin' Stealin'"
Billy D. and The Hoodoos - "Somewhere In The Middle Of The Blues"
Maria Muldaur and Alvin Youngblood Hart - "Soulful Dress"
Blind Lemon Jefferson - "Southern Woman Blues"
The Mills Brothers - "I Heard"
Johnny Guitar Watson - "Space Guitar"
Howlin' Wolf - "Spoonful"
The Mills Brothers - "Lazybones"
The Idle Hands - "Dirty Old Rag"
The Cash Box Kings - "Trying Really Hard (To Get Along With You)"
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - "Standing On The Rock"
Blind Willie McTell - "Statesboro Blues"
Little G Weevil - "Back Porch"
The Reclamators - "Steamroller Blues"
Bearfoot Bluegrass - "Deep River Blues"
Pat Travers - "Steppin' Out"
Giles Robson and The Dirty Aces - "Stick To The Promise"
The Mills Brothers - "Limehouse Blues"
Danny Overbea - "Stomp And Whistle"

Featured Artist: The Mills Brothers

The Mills Brothers

An astonishing vocal group that grew into one of the longest-lasting oldies acts in American popular music, The Mills Brothers quickly moved from novelty wonders to pop successes and continued amazing audiences for decades. Originally billed as "Four Boys and a Guitar," the group's early records came complete with a note assuring listeners that the only musical instrument they were hearing was a guitar. The caution was understandable, since The Mills Brothers were so proficient at re-creating trumpets, trombones, and saxophones with only their voices that early singles like "Tiger Rag" and "St. Louis Blues" sounded closer to a hot Dixieland combo than a vocal group. And even after the novelty wore off, the group's intricate harmonies continued charming audiences for decades.
The four brothers were all born in Piqua, OH -- John Jr. in 1910, Herbert in 1912, Harry in 1913, and Donald in 1915. Their father owned a barber shop and founded a barbershop quartet as well, called the Four Kings of Harmony. His sons obviously learned their close harmonies first-hand, and began performing around the area. At one show, Harry Mills forgot his kazoo -- the group's usual accompaniment -- and ended up trying to emulate the instrument by cupping his hand over his mouth. The brothers were surprised to hear the sound of a trumpet proceeding from Harry's mouth, so they began to work the novelty into their act, with John taking tuba, Donald trombone, and Herbert a second trumpet. The act was perfect for vaudeville, and The Mills Brothers also began broadcasting over a Cincinnati radio station during the late '20s.
After moving to New York, the group became a sensation and hit it big during 1931 and early 1932 with the singles "Tiger Rag" and "Dinah" (the latter a duet with Bing Crosby). Dumbfounded listeners hardly believed the notice accompanying the records: "No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar." Though the primitive audio of the era lent them a bit of latitude, The Mills Brothers indeed sounded exactly like they'd been backed by a small studio band. (It was, in essence, the flipside of early material by Duke Ellington's Orchestra, on which the plunger mutes of Bubber Miley and Tricky Sam Nanton resulted in horns sounding exactly like voices.)
The exposure continued during 1932, with appearances in the film The Big Broadcast and more hits including "St. Louis Blues" and "Bugle Call Rag." John Jr.'s sudden death in 1936 was a huge blow to the group, but father John, Sr. took over as bass singer and Bernard Addison became the group's guitarist. Still, the novelty appeared to wear off by the late '30s; despite duets with Ella Fitzgerald ("Dedicated to You") and Louis Armstrong ("Darling Nelly Gray"), The Mills Brothers' records weren't performing as well as they had earlier in the decade. All that changed in 1943 with the release of "Paper Doll," a sweet, intimate ballad that became one of the biggest hits of the decade -- 12 weeks on the top of the charts, and six million records sold (plus sheet music). The group made appearances in several movies during the early '40s, and hit number one again in 1944 with "You'll Always Hurt the One You Love."
The influence of middle of the road pop slowly crept into their material from the '40s; by the end of the decade, The Mills Brothers began recording with traditional orchestras (usually conducted by Sy Oliver, Hal McIntyre or Sonny Burke). In 1952, "The Glow Worm" became their last number one hit. The group soldiered on during the '50s, though John, Sr. semi-permanently retired from the group in 1956. A move from Decca to Dot brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of The Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo wop exerted by early Mills Brothers records. As a trio, Herbert, Harry and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982, and Herbert's in 1988. The last surviving sibling, Donald, began performing with the third generation of the family -- his son, John II -- until his own death in 1999
Artist biography by John Bush

This week's playlist

Ma Rainey - "Screech Owl Blues"
Bonnie Raitt - "Mighty Tight Woman"
The John Pippus Band - "Two Hearts On The Run"
Shameless Rob Band - "Whiskey River Blues"
The Mosstins - "Blues, Stay Away From Me"
Detroit Memphis Experience - "Let's Straighten It Out"
Mississippi Sheiks - "She's Crazy 'Bout Her Lovin'"
Chuck Berry - "Tulane"
Geno Washington - "Seven Eleven"
Bonnie Raitt - "Big Road"
Fleetwood Mac - "Shake Your Money Maker"
Kara Grainger - "C'Mon In My Kitchen"
Bonnie Raitt - "Walking Blues"
Etta James - "W-O-M-A-N"
B.B. King (with Katie Webster) - "Since I Met You Baby"
Taj Mahal and James Cotton - "Honky Tonk Woman"
The Yardbirds - "Train Kept A-Rolling"
Blind Willie McTell - "Mr. McTell Got The Blues"
Hugh Laurie - "Six Cold Feet"
Hawkwind - "Bring It On Home"
The Some X 6 Band - "Look Again"
Bonnie Raitt - "You Told Me Baby"
Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland - "Sleeping In The Ground"

Featured Artist: Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Lynn Raitt 
(born November 8, 1949)

Long a critic's darling, singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt did not begin to win the comparable commercial success due her until the release of the aptly titled 1989 blockbuster “Nick Of Time”; her tenth album, it rocketed her into the mainstream consciousness nearly two decades after she first committed her unique blend of blues, rock, and R&B to vinyl.
Born in Burbank, CA, on November 8, 1949, she was the daughter of Broadway star John Raitt, best known for his starring performances in such smashes as Carousel and Pajama Game. After picking up the guitar at the age of 12, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues, and although she went off to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two years she had dropped out to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit.
Signing with noted blues manager Dick Waterman, she was soon performing alongside the likes of idols including Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowelln and in time earned such a strong reputation that she was signed to Warner Bros.
Debuting in 1971 with an eponymously titled effort, Raitt immediately emerged as a critical favorite, applauded not only for her soulful vocals and thoughtful song selection but also for her guitar prowess, turning heads as one of the few women to play bottleneck. Her 1972 follow-up, “Give It Up”, made better use of her eclectic tastes, featuring material by contemporaries like Jackson Browne and Eric Kaz, in addition to a number of R&B chestnuts and even three Raitt originals.


1973's “Takin' My Time” was much acclaimed, and throughout the middle of the decade she released an LP annually, returning with “Streetlights” in 1974 and “Home Plate” a year later. With 1977's “Sweet Forgiveness”, Raitt scored her first significant pop airplay with her hit cover of the Del Shannon classic "Runaway"; its follow-up, 1979's “The Glow”, appeared around the same time as a massive all-star anti-nuclear concert at Madison Square Garden mounted by MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), an organization she'd co-founded earlier.
Throughout her career, Raitt remained a committed activist, playing hundreds of benefit concerts and working tirelessly on behalf of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. By the early '80s, however, her own career was in trouble – 1982's “Green Light”, while greeted with the usual good reviews, again failed to break her to a wide audience, and while beginning work on the follow-up, Warner unceremoniously dropped her. By this time, Raitt was also battling drug and alcohol problems as well; she worked on a few tracks with Prince, but their schedules never aligned and the material went unreleased. Instead, she finally released the patchwork “Nine Lives” in 1986, her worst-selling effort since her debut.
Many had written Raitt off when she teamed with producer Don Was and recorded “Nick Of Time”; seemingly out of the blue, the LP won a handful of Grammys, including Album of the Year, and overnight she was a superstar.
1991's “Luck Of The Draw” was also a smash, yielding the hits "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me." After 1994's “Longing In Their Hearts”, Raitt resurfaced in 1998 with “Fundamental”.
"Silver Lining” appeared in 2002, followed by “Souls Alike” in 2005, both on Capitol Records. A year later, a bootleg-feel live set, “Bonnie Raitt and Friends”, was released, featuring guest appearances from Norah Jones and Ben Harper, among others.
Raitt stepped back from the life of a professional musician over the next few years as she dealt with the passing of her parents, her brother, and her best friend. The break from recording and touring was redemptive for Raitt in many ways, and she returned focused and renewed in 2012 with her first studio album in seven years, “Slipstream”, released on her own new Redwing label imprint.

This week's playlist

Delmark Goldfarb - "Portable Man"
RB Stone - "Texas Drunk Tank Blues"
Ike Turner - "Prancin'"
Ten Years After - "Two Time Mama"
Otis Spann - "Pretty Girls Everywhere"
Nicole Hart and Anni Piper - "Ain't Nobody Watchin'"
Buckwheat Zydeco - "When The Levee Breaks"
Birmingham Jug Band - "The Wild Cat Squawl"
Ivory Joe Hunter - "Pretty Mama Blues"
Canned Heat - "Project Blues"
RB Stone - "She's Too Hot To Handle"
Deborah Magone - "Queen Bee"
Pete 'Snakey Jake' Johnson - "Railroad Man"
Charlie Musselwhite - "Ramblers Blues"
Steve Cropper - "Right Around The Corner" (featuring Delbert McClinton)
Flying Saucer Gumbo Special - "New Orleans"
Wily Bo Walker - "I Want To Know"
Elvis Presley - "Reconsider Baby"
RB Stone - "Long Gone Lonesome Blues"
RB Stone - "Loosen Up"
Chris Rea - "Renaissance Man"
Mississippi John Hurt - "Richland Woman Blues"

Featured Artist: RB Stone

RB has a very interesting life story. RB is a genuine & gracious man who has made music for 30 years.
RB Stone’s parents were huge music lovers; his father, a blues/boogie, rock ‘n’ roller and his mother, a fan of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Janis Joplin, Herb Alpert, Johnny Cash, Sly and the Family Stone, Elvis and the wide variety of hits from the 60’s. At 12, his mother showed him some chords on the piano and Bill Withers’ hit “Lean On Me” was the first song he learned, which started the ball rolling in his long blues/boogie composing career.
Eighteen and just out of high school, music was still a dream that seemed to belong to others, so he hired on with the railroad traveling the Midwest with a 90-man rail gang four days a week. After two years he accepted an offer as an assistant manager at a plumbing, electric and heating store in Ohio, rose to the level of manager and accumulated a house, two cars, two trucks, and two motorcycles.
Restless at 23 RB sold everything but a truck, some harps and a guitar and headed to Colorado to be a cowboy and play music. There he met a horse trainer and lived on an Indian Reservation in Ignacio where he slept in a barn learning horses by day and teaching himself guitar at night. A few months later he got good enough at both and started getting hired by local outfitters to run back-country horse packing, wrangle horses and entertain the guests around the campfire.
Since those early beginnings, RB’s life and career have taken many twists, turns, bumps and bruises accompanied by significant accomplishments. Independent and flying under the radar he has 15 albums under his belt, toured 32 countries & 5 continents, sold over 40,000 albums most of them at his shows. He has a song catalog with Gwen Gordy of the Motown Dynasty at EMI. He’s had principal roles in national commercials, appeared in national music videos and his songs have been recorded by artists such as The Marshall Tucker Band. RB has worked with many major acts from Jazz Greats Hiroshima to The Charlie Daniels Band, has a 14 piece Roots Music Production Show featuring his songs, a Billboard Magazine Songwriting award, to name just a few of his achievements.

This week's playlist

J.J. Cale - "I Got The Same Old Blues"
Joe Louis Walker - "Way Too Expensive"
Jack Derwin - "Bone House Blues"
Lisa Lim - "Superstitious Mind"
The Blues Voodoo - "Monday Morning Blues"
Cincinnati Jug Band - "George Street Stomp"
Tennessee Boltsmokers - "Nickel And Dime Blues"
Nine Below Zero - "Pack Fair And Square"
Joe Louis Walker - "Rollin' And Tumblin'"
Townes Van Zandt - "White Freight Liner Blues"
James Cotton - "Midnight Train"
Rory Block - "Pea Vine Blues"
Rowdy House - "Hurricane Blues"
The Bellhops - "Have I Got Blues For You"
Jory Nash - "Take Me Back To Monticello"
Joe Louis Walker - "Movin' On"
Joe Louis Walker - "Hellfire"

Featured Artist: Joe Louis Walker

                                          

 Joe Louis Walker

 (born December 25, 1949)

San Francisco’s Fillmore District of the 1960s is known worldwide as the birthplace of psychedelic rock. But it was also a hotbed of modern electric blues, and it was the place where one of the genre’s top musical trailblazers, Joe Louis Walker, was born, raised and schooled. The award-winning guitar slinger, deeply soulful vocalist and gifted songwriter has been releasing groundbreaking music since 1986, but his career goes all the way back to the mid-1960s. As a 16-year-old, he was the house guitarist at San Francisco’s famed musical playground, The Matrix, where he played with or opened shows for everyone from Lightnin’ Hopkins (who once threw him off the stage) to Jimi Hendrix to Thelonious Monk. These ear-opening surroundings explain the ease with which Walker blends blues, rock, gospel, jazz and country, making it seem as if the walls between the styles never existed in the first place. The New York Times raves, “Walker is a singer with a Cadillac of a voice. He delivers no-nonsense, gutsy blues. His guitar solos are fast, wiry and incisive, moaning with bluesy despair.” According to Living Blues, he is “one of today’s modern musical masters.” Rolling Stone simply calls him “ferocious.”
Nowhere is that more apparent than in Walker’s Alligator Records debut, Hellfire. Produced by songwriter/drummer Tom Hambridge (producer of Buddy Guy’s two most recent Grammy-winning CDs, Skin Deep and Living Proof, as well as albums for Susan Tedeschi, George Thorogood and others), Hellfire burns with rock energy and intense blues feeling. Walker, who wrote or co-wrote seven of the CD’s eleven tracks, says it’s the hardest rocking and most deeply soulful album of his career. His blistering blues guitar playing and gospel-tinged vocals effortlessly blend throughout the album. From the psychedelic overtones of the title track (a harrowing and personal tale of the struggle of good versus evil) to the slow, simmering and pleading What’s It Worth to the Stones-y rocker Ride All Night, Hellfire is the work of a man possessed. Walker’s original showstopper Soldier For Jesus (featuring vocal harmonies from The Jordanaires, who also appear on Don’t Cry) fits seamlessly alongside the other selections, making perfect thematic sense in the tradition of Al Green, Marvin Gaye or Prince, who all successfully combined carnal desires and gospel devotion.
Joe Louis Walker was born in San Francisco on Christmas Day of 1949. His parents were both from the South and they brought their love of blues with them when they headed west. Joe’s dad played blues piano, and his mom played B.B. King records. Even though he wasn’t raised in the South, his exposure to the blues was pure and real. Walker picked up the guitar as a child, and by the time he was 16 was regularly backing touring blues artists rolling through town. Out of the house and on his own, under the wing of famed musician/pimp Fillmore Slim, Walker worked the local club scene steadily as an in-demand musician. San Francisco’s music scene was quickly becoming a melting pot of blues, jazz and psychedelic rock, and Walker was right in the center of it. In addition to his work at The Matrix, he was a regular at Bill Graham’s famed Fillmore West.
The blues legends Walker accompanied shared not only musical knowledge but also their personal wisdom with the teenage up-and-comer. Fred McDowell, Ike Turner, Albert King, Freddy King, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Lightnin’ Hopkins and many others taught, fed, and chastised the youngster. At one gig, Hopkins glared at Walker and, adding improvised lyrics to the song he was singing, ordered him off the stage for playing a sour note. Lesson learned, Walker backed Hopkins the next time he was through town and all was forgiven. Blues icon Willie Dixon told him to set his sights high. “What’s your style? You need your own sound,” Dixon preached. Walker took the advice to heart and developed his own fiery, melodic, and always unpredictable guitar attack.
Walker met guitarist Michael Bloomfield in 1968 and the two became fast friends. Bloomfield introduced Walker to many of the day’s top rockers, including Sly Stone, Carlos Santana, Steve Miller, Bob Weir (of the Grateful Dead), Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane) and even jazz legend Wayne Shorter. Bloomfield helped push Walker’s blues in a more rock-fueled direction, and he became the single biggest influence on Walker’s sound. The two shared an apartment for years and remained close friends until Bloomfield’s death in 1981. Walker is quick to acknowledge Bloomfield’s impact, saying, “I can sometimes feel him in my playing.”
From 1975 to 1985 Walker performed nothing but gospel music, playing and singing as a member of The Spiritual Corinthians. During this period he attended San Francisco State University and earned two degrees, one in English and one in Music. While performing with The Spiritual Corinthians at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
in 1985, Walker was inspired by the R&B, blues and rock music swirling around him. He decided he could no longer limit himself to gospel music and returned to playing the blues. On the strength of a demo tape sent to Hightone Records, Walker was signed to his first recording contract. In 1986, the label released Walker’s debut CD, Cold Is The Night. Firmly rooted in blues, gospel, R&B and rock, the album caught the attention of music fans around the country. Billboard called it “a contemporary blues find.” The San Francisco Chronicle said, “He expertly updates the timeless urban blues sound.”
Since then, Walker has released 23 more albums and two DVDs and toured worldwide. He’s won four Blues Music Awards, including the 2010 Album Of The Year Award for Between A Rock And A Hard Place (Stony Plain Records), and has been nominated for 43 more. He’s also recorded as a guest with some of the blues world’s best-known artists, including appearances on Grammy-winning records by B.B. King and James Cotton.
With each subsequent release, Walker’s audience continues to grow, as his touring schedule continues to expand. He’s played major European festivals, including Northsea Jazz Festival, Glastonbury, Notodden and Montreux, as well as festivals in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Ireland, Turkey and Brazil. He’s appeared on national television, with performances on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, The Don Imus Show and Later With Jools Holland in the UK.
Fans and critics have been celebrating Walker for years. Blues Revue calls Walker “one of contemporary blues’ most dynamic and innovative musicians, releasing consistently exciting music. No matter what he’s singing, Walker’s approach is soulful, heartfelt and spellbinding.” Living Blues says, “His fretwork is indelibly stamped with his own trademark blend of emotional heat and impeccable precision—even at his most flamboyant, Walker sounds as if he’s playing ideas, not just notes.” A bluesman of immense talent and drive, Walker tours constantly, playing concerts and festivals across the globe. Raining fire with his guitar and spitting brimstone with his vocals, Hellfire begins a brand new chapter in Joe Louis Walker’s already legendary career.

This week's playlist

The Steve Miller Band - "My Babe"
T-Model Ford - "To The Left, To The Right"
Seasick Steve - "My Home (Blue Eyes)"
The Some X 6 Band - "My Wallet"
Robin Rogers - "Need Your Love So Bad"
Furry Lewis and Frank Stokes - "Nehi Mama Blues"
The Famous Jug Band - "Baby Please Come Home"
King Biscuit Boy and The Ronnie Hawkins Band - "Neighbour, Neighbour"
Troyce Key and J.J. Malone - "New Car"
T-Model Ford - "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
Champion Jack Dupree - "Morning Tea"
Roosevelt Sykes - "Night Time Is The Right Time"
T-Model Ford - "Bad Man"
Kevin Breit - "Big Bill Broonzy"
Kevin Breit - "Weigh Me Down"
Todd Taylor - "Banjo Blues"
Gaye Adegbalola and Roddy Barnes - "Nothing In Rambling"
John Fairhurst - "Obnox Stomp"
Ry Cooder - "On A Monday"
T-Model Ford - "Backdoor Man"
Chuck Berry - "Oh Baby Doll"

Featured Artist: T-Model Ford

James Lewis Carter Ford
( c. early 1920s – July 16, 2013)

Delta blues legend James Lewis Carter “T-Model” Ford has passed away after fighting the effects of a series of strokes since 2010. The exact date of T-Model’s birth is unknown, but the blues man is believed to have been roughly ninety.
Beginning the guitar in his early 70s, Ford became a well-respected guitarist, playing in a loose, raw delta style in the vein of R.L. Burnside and early Muddy Waters. In 1997, his first album, Pee-Wee Get My Gun, was released on Fat Possum Records. He released four more albums with Fat Possum. His last two critically acclaimed albums, The Ladies Man and Taledragger, were released by Alive Naturalsound Records.
T-Model grew up in the Mississippi delta, living a hard life as a field hand, driving trucks, and occasionally spending time in jail and on a chain gang. Ford has been a staple in the riverside town of Greenville, Mississippi, where he’d lived for years.
“This big white Lincoln pulled up with a dangerous-looking plywood trailer, with ‘Boss of the Blues’ painted on the side in black spray paint. It’s T-Model.” The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach told The Guardian in a 2010 interview, as he fondly recalled driving all day and night to track down the delta legend just to be able to play with him.
T-Model’s spontaneous, unfiltered, sparse electric sound has been widely influential as an original link to the delta’s musical importance. He is survived by more than twenty children and his wife, Stella.

This week's playlist

The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer - "Mellow Down Easy"
Aynsley Lister - "Tougher Than Tough"
Lil Ed Williams and Willie Kent - "Who's Been Talking"
Buddy Guy and Junior Wells - "Messin' With The Kid"
Buckwheat Zydeco - "Lay Your Burden Down"
J.J. Cale - "Midnight In Memphis"
Freeman Stowers - "Railroad Blues"
Rory Block - "Avalon"
Savoy Brown - "When It Rains"
Aynsley Lister - "Soundman"
Robert Johnson - "Milkcow's Calf Blues"
R.B. Stone - "Mississippi Woman"
Otish Rush - "So Many Roads, So Many Trains"
Aynsley Lister - "Sugar"
Aynsley Lister - "Impossible"
Peter Karp and Sue Foley - "More Than I Bargained For"
Nathan James and The Rhythm Scratchers - "What You Make Of It"
Five Harmaniacs - "What Makes My Baby Cry?"
Mike Morgan - "Well Allright Then"

Featured Artist: Aynsley Lister

Aynsley Lister
(Born 14 November 1976)

When explosive natural ability collides with fiery, emotionally charged compositions, the result is Aynsley Lister; an incredible guitarist whose brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary song writing fueled with the kind of heart and soul that’s missing from so much modern music. Whether passionately writing and recording his own material or mesmerising audiences at his live shows one thing is abundantly clear: music is hard-wired to his DNA and flows from his fingertips like sonic bolts of lightning. With over 86,000 albums sold, lashings of critical acclaim and years of high profile touring, Lister’s resumé speaks for itself and firmly secures his position as a leading light in the resurgence of British blues-infused music.
In hindsight, it's clear Aynsley was born to be a musician. As a child he was hypnotised by his dad's old guitar and at the age of eight was finally gifted his very own. The moment he held that first six-string the outcome was inevitable; he was going to be a guitarist. Blessed with the coolest dad in town, regularly spinning Hendrix, Cream, Fleetwood Mac and a whole host of bewitching blues for his spellbound son, Aynsley taught himself to play with relentless dedication and a precociously attuned ear, spending hours copying his favourite records note for note. Peter Green, Albert King, Clapton and Kossoff weren't just his heroes; they became his teachers.
Blazing a trail in a bar band from the age of 13 honed his skills. By 18 he'd started singing and had also formed his first group, during which time he landed a dream support slot with Buddy Guy and released two low key CD's featuring his earliest original material. In 1998 those self-penned titles caught the attention of Ruf Records owner Thomas Ruf, who immediately signed Aynsley and hooked him up with Stevie Ray Vaughan's producer Jim Gaines. With a maturity that belied his years, the self titled debut announced Aynsley Lister as a major new talent and kicked off a successful relationship with Ruf Records, releasing 7 albums and 2 DVD's in ten years. Their influence, coupled with his dynamite live shows and intense touring schedule, earned high profile support slots with established artists like Walter Trout, John Mayall and Robert Cray, whilst rousing festival appearances alongside artists like the Fun Lovin' Criminals cemented his standing as an artist whose work, although rooted in blues, transcended the genre with a fiery modern sound that was eagerly embraced by fans of rock, pop, soul and acoustic music alike. In 2007 Aynsley was the only British artist to be named in Classic Rock magazine's "Top 10 Contemporary Blues Artists", alongside John Mayer, Derek Trucks and Joe Bonamassa.
In 2008 Aynsley's huge crossover potential saw him sign to Manhaton Records, where he released the best two albums of his career to date. Produced by Steve Darrel Smith and featuring Paul McCartney guitarist Robbie Macintosh, 2009's 'Equilibrium' exposed Lister in his best ever form, throwing all his musical influences into a delicious melting pot that delivered sultry melodies, full throttle hard rock riffage and introspective ballads. 'Equilibrium' received fantastic reviews and stormed into Classic Rock’s Top 50 Albums of 2009. The subsequent tour saw Aynsley playing to sold out shows to over 16,000 people whilst opening for the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd, after which he and his band relocated to the Tower Arts Centre and with the tape rolling, nailed a cracking rendition of their high-octane live set to produce the storming 'Tower Sessions' record, which was consequently voted ‘Best Live Album’ in the 2011 Blues Matters Writers Poll.
With his stock firmly in the ascendancy Aynsley is currently hard at work on his next record, intent on creating the finest album of his career. He's wisely chosen to refine the material the best way he knows how; by playing it live. “When you record songs in the studio and then go out and tour, they evolve and take on a life of their own. I want to capture that on the new record and want a whole album of songs that translate to the live setting as well as being well written enough to engage the listener of an album”. The eagerly anticipated new material, slated for release in early 2013, will be distributed on his manager's label as he's sagely decided to take control of his career by bringing everything in-house, following other successful artists who've cut out the record companies with astonishing results. Needless to say, a tour in support of that album will surely follow, and that promises to be something special, not just for the fans, but for the main man himself:
“Music is a release for me. When I play I get lost in it and it's a very happy place to be” - Aynsley Lister

This week's playlist

Blind Willie McTell - "Love Changing Blues"
Wily Bo Walker - "I Want To Know"
Richard Staines and Satinder Grewal - "Love In Vain"
Marc Benno - "Love Junkie"
Kara Grainger - "C'Mon In My Kitchen"
Billy D and The Hoodoos - "Crazy Little Dancin Queen"
Ma Rainey - "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Grandpa Banana - "Love Is A Five Letter Word"
Ginger St. James - "Lullaby"
Wily Bo Walker - "When The Angels Call Your Name"
Terry Rob - "Madison Ave. Shuffle"
Del McCoury Band - "Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues"
Marty Stuart - "Truck Driver's Blues"
Nine Below Zero - "Mama Talk To Your Daughter"
Wily Bo Walker and Karena K - "Long Way To Heaven"
Rattlin' Bone - "Rain On My Footsteps"
Maria Muldaur, Roy Rogers and Roly Sally - "Me And My Chauffeur Blues"
Johnnie Jones Jr. - "Trouble"
The John Pippus Band - "Mean Hearted Woman"
Southside Denny Snyder - "G I Got The Blues"
Zakiya Hooker - "Mean Mean World"
Snooks Eaglin - "Mean Old Frisco"

Featured Artist: Wily Bo Walker

Wily Bo Walker is a solo artist, songwriter, composer and performer. He is also the frontman with his bands ‘Rattlin Bone’ and ‘The Mescal Canyon Troubadours’.
A successful songwriter, composer and musician noted for his characterful vocals and swaggering 'live' performances, Wily Bo works across many styles and genres; blues, soul, jazz, alternative, indie, rock and adult contemporary.
Currently working on a solo album, 'Moon Over Indigo', with Grammy Award winning musician and arranger, Danny Flam.
 Latest release from that album is 'Walk In Chinese Footsteps'- a track featuring Patty Smyth's band 'Scandal' as well as a host of talented musicians from around the globe!
His EP of Big Band Fusion features the instrumentals ‘Appointment in Samarra’ and ‘Jawbreaker’. Soundtracks for the 21st century with more than a nod back to the big band fusion bands of the early seventies and also the great theme tracks to the cop shows and exploitation movies of that time.
Wily Bo is also working in a duo with vocalist and songwriter, Kareña K, and currently recording an album. With four singles 'Long Way To Heaven', 'Rendez-vous des Cheminots', 'Angels In The Night' and 'Did I Forget' released and available on iTunes, Amazon and all the usual online stores they are receiving high critical acclaim for their creative mix of blues, jazz and gospel.
Wily Bo is the frontman (and performer of legend!!!) with Rattlin Bone, one of the UK's finest festival bands and regularly invited to gig across Europe.
 The debut album 'The Life and Death Of…' is a constant sell out at gigs. It is also doing well as a download from iTunes and all usual online stores.
 Currently, Wily Bo Walker is writing and recording the second Rattlin Bone album with Li'l Neill, Kareña K and the other members of the band.
With his backing band, The Mescal Canyon Troubadours, Wily Bo Walker is also currently recording the album 'Stone Cold Beautiful'.

Successfully releasing five singles from the album to critical acclaim (
'Storm Warning', 
'Loan Me A Dime' ,'Motel Blues' , 'I Want To Know' and 'September Red' ),
Wily Bo's vocals and story-telling and Kareña K's beautiful backing vocals combine with The Mescal Canyon Troubadours driving rhythms to create a classic, timeless blend of blues, soul and rock.
On the more traditional jazz side, the Wily Bo Walker Quintet, featuring the legendary Teddy Charles on vibes, recorded a version of the Billie Holiday classic 'You Don't Know What Love Is' to high critical acclaim.
Irritated Shadow is a blinding blues/jazz crossover track with Amir Ben Haim for which Wily Bo wrote the English lyrics and provides the lead vocals of course! ! A truly stellar line up on this track includes Will Lee on bass, Nir Z on drums, the New York Brass are the killer horn section- Danny Flam-Trombone, Kenny Rampton- Trumpet, Tony Gorruso-Trumpet, Nir Ben-Zion-on Rhodes, Kareña K-Backing vocals, Amir Ben Haim-Producer, Arranger, Guitars and Synths.

This week's playlist

Lazy Buddies - "Early Morning Blues"
Buddy Guy - "Catfish Blues"
Omar and The Howlers - "Let Me Hold You"
Lindsay Lou and The Flatbelly's - "Pass Me The Whiskey"
International Blues Family - "Let The Spirit"
Doc and Merle Watson - "Jailhouse Blues"
Pete 'Snakey Jake' Johnson - "Lewis Collins"
King David's Jug Band - "Rising Sun Blues"
Walter Trout - "Life In The Jungle"
Buddy Guy - "My Home's In The Delta"
Mike Zito - "Gone To Texas"
The Rolling Stones - "Little Red Rooster"
Buddy Guy - "Sally Mae"
Isaiah B. Brunt - "Beale Street"
Isaiah B. Brunt - "Just A Beautiful Thing"
RB Stone - "Lonesome Traveler's Blues"
Ron Hacker - "Mailman Blues"
Buddy Guy - "Rollin And Tumblin"
The Some X 6 Band - "Look Again"

Featured Artist: Buddy Guy

George "Buddy" Guy
(July 30, 1936)

After decades of paying dues, Buddy Guy has emerged as the most heralded bluesman of his generation, a hugely influential guitarist and passionate, dynamic live performer. But Buddy started as a sideman, and toiled in the Chicago clubs for a decade before beginning his march to worldwide fame.
Buddy began as a sideman in Baton Rouge, playing primarily with the late Raful Neal (father of bluesman Kenny Neal and an excellent bluesman in his own right). Seeking a record deal, Buddy came to Chicago in 1957 at the age of 21. He was “adopted” by Muddy Waters, who encouraged the young bluesman when gigs weren’t immediately forthcoming. Buddy’s first step forward was winning a legendary guitar contest at the Blue Flame on the South Side, when his combination of great playing and showmanship (his 100-foot guitar cord allowing him to wander through the audience and down the street).
He quickly won a local reputation for his wild live shows, in the style of his first big influence, Guitar Slim. Later Buddy absorbed the smoother sounds of B.B. King, but Buddy’s tortured, high-pitched, gospel-influenced vocal style put him in a different category; he simply couldn’t (and wouldn’t) control the frenzy of his music.
He found his first recording contract with Eli Toscano’s Artistic label (Eli also owned the Cobra label, which broke Magic Sam and Otis Rush as major league blues stars in the 1950s). His two singles for Artistic were produced by Willie Dixon, but they failed to dent the charts. When Cobra folded, Buddy was signed by Chess where he continued his association with Dixon. His Chess singles like “The First Time I Met The Blues,” “Let Me Love You, Baby,” “My Time After Awhile” and “Stone Crazy” are now considered classics that first exhibited Buddy’s mature style, with his stuttering guitar work and on-the-edge singing. But again, Buddy didn’t receive the R&B radio play of his contemporaries, and he continued to work the South Side clubs as well as doing session work for Chess with Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor and others.
When the folk music boom of the 1960s began turning its attention to electric blues, Buddy finally found his audience. Pairing with his friend, harpist Junior Wells (with whom he had played for many years at Theresa’s Lounge), he recorded first on Junior’s classic “Hoodoo Man Blues” album on Delmark and then on Vanguard’s “Chicago/The Blues/Today” series, which was one of the first blues recordings aimed at the young folk audience. Buddy won a contract with Vanguard, cutting his famed “A Man And The Blues” album. He hit the road, appearing with both Junior and on his own, electrifying folk and rock venues and touring the U.S., Europe and Africa (including a tour with the Rolling Stones). Eric Clapton named Buddy as his favorite guitarist.
But even with all this fame and hundreds of live shows, Buddy couldn’t secure a major label contract during the ‘70s and ‘80s. He recorded extensively for English and European labels, both in the studio and live. His brilliant electric and acoustic (with Junior Wells) albums for the French Isabel label were issued in the U.S. by Alligator under the titles “Stone Crazy!” and “Alone & Acoustic”.
Finally, in the 1990s, Buddy got the break he was looking for. He was signed to the Silvertone label (distributed by the multinational BMG) and his fans Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck joined him for his “Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues” CD. The album along with the accompanying video launched Buddy as a headliner, playing not only blues festivals but also major rock venues. He hasn’t looked back since then, cutting album after album of passionate, hard-edged blues and rock tunes, often with guest appearances by rockers. More recently, he’s recorded stripped-down CDs that have taken him back to his Deep South roots.
When not on the road, Buddy spends most of his time at his famous Buddy Guy’s Legends club, easily the top blues spot in Chicago, if not the world.