Podcasts about Chicago blues

In this Bonus Episode, we speak with Chicago Blues man Rob "The Wild Boar" Moore about his latest solo album "Chicago Dog"!

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv heads past the halfway point in Season four, with legendary Bluesman and elder statesman, Elvin Bishop. Many will remember Elvin for his smash hit with Mickey Thomas on vocals in 1976, ‘Fooled Around And Fell In Love', but Bishop's bigger claim to fame was his work with the Chicago Blues scene in the 1960s and 70's. Elvin talks about meeting a young Paul Butterfield on some steps of an apartment building shortly after arriving in Chicago, his jam sessions with Muddy, Magic Sam, Otis Rush and others, and his advice to the next generation of the Blues. Don't miss this episode, and be sure to share it with your Blues friends!Website: https://www.elvinbishopmusic.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elvinbishop Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2G1yVp387GlUf9yvLk6V11 _________________________Facebook: Time SignaturesYouTube: Time SignaturesFacebook: Capital Area Blues SocietyWebsite: Capital Area Blues SocietyFriends of Time Signatures _______Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues ArchiveWebsite: Killer Blues Headstone ProjectWebsite: Blues Society Radio NetworkWebsite: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation

A conversation with Chicago Blues guitarist, soul singer, songwriter and producer - Ronnie Baker Brooks - www.ronniebakerbrooks.com

Bobby G Band returns to the stage Putting a guitar or a pair of drumsticks into Bobby Ginsberg's hands is like giving rattles to a baby. He also geeks out over an amplifier's impedance, gushes over the compression in a Don Henley song and explains why he uses a separate power amp with his home stereo setup. "Without the extra juice, the other components are too weak for those speakers," which are recording studio monitors, he explains, pulling up a photo on his phone of Rush bass player Geddy Lee sitting at a mixing board. He holds the image to eye level: "How cool is that?" As the owner of an elaborate Philipstown studio, The Loft, filled with screens, consoles, a drum set and a wall of dangling guitars, he would find the photo amusing. After the pandemic derailed the Bobby G Blues Band, his chief musical outlet, the Brooklyn-born blues boy is reuniting its members to perform a set at the Howland Cultural Center on Oct. 25. Ginsberg sings and plays guitar. A city boy who loves fishing, Ginsberg came to the Hudson Valley after 9/11 to hang with a friend and liked it so much that he began splitting his time between Forest Hills and Philipstown. Ginsberg, 62, worked as an engineer for General Electric and now makes fudge at his Cold Spring Candy Co. at 11 Main St. "Someone whose word I trust told me that a candy shop in Cold Spring would be a good addition, and she was right," he says. "I taught myself how to make fudge and chocolate." He's known for schmoozing with customers and feeling out if they play guitar because upstairs, in a third-floor nook with a great view of the village gazebo, sit four dozen amplifiers and guitars awaiting buyers at his Vintage Guitars of Cold Spring. "I've sold a guitar, amp or pedal to just about every player in the area," Ginsberg says. Visiting an event with longstanding scene-makers at the Howland Center a few weeks back, he hugged and mugged, working the room like the mayor of Music Town. The blues lovers began jamming in the early 2010s at Joe's Irish Pub in Beacon (now Momo Valley, although there's still a shamrock in the sidewalk). The cast rotates, but the mainstays include Andy Rutcofsky on saxophone and bass player Kenny Kaufman. Ginsberg and his coterie have recorded a dozen studio and live CDs at the Towne Crier and Dennings Point Distillery in Beacon, The Falcon in Marlboro and other venues. One is named Beacon Blues, a riff on the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues." A civic-minded guy, Ginsberg donated a mixer to the Howland Center, where he co-hosted its long-running open mic with Thom Joyce for many years. He also loaned a Digital Audio Tape (DAT) machine to the Putnam History Museum to help it access data captured in the antiquated format. Like many guitarists drawn to classic and progressive rock, Ginsberg discovered the electric guitar-driven blues of the 1940s and '50s (Chicago Blues), although he also appreciates the acoustic pickers from the 1920s and '30s (Mississippi Delta Blues). Beyond their feeling and technique, lead guitar players seek to develop a signature tone, which starts with the strings, guitar and perhaps a pick, of course, but timbre is also shaped with effect pedals and the amplifier. To dial in a warmer sound, Ginsberg always uses an amp with vacuum tubes rather than a solid-state circuit. The band's repertoire includes a handful of originals ("Nine O'Clock Blues" and "The Infant Child"), but he mostly mixes up classic rock covers like "Whole Lotta Love," by Led Zeppelin, and "After Midnight," by J. J. Cale, with blues staples "Stormy Monday" and "The Thrill is Gone." A photo included with one of his discs shows him as a child grinning while holding a guitar. He became proficient in drums but decided to go with an electric guitar after hearing "Purple Haze," by Jimi Hendrix. "I knew that day I had to learn to play lead guitar," he says. "Hendrix started playing rhythm and blues in the 1950s and, at heart, he's a blues guitar player. I mean, 'Red House'? Come...

This is the first of two episodes on another seminal club in the history of dance culture: The Warehouse. Jeremy and Tim begin by spending some time discussing the city of Chicago, a place that despite its massive musical output hasn't really featured in out story so far. A crucible of industrial modernity, they consider its unique historical position, the move from Delta to Chicago Blues, and how it linked to NYC in the mid-70s. We hear about the several early locations of the club that would become The Warehouse, revisit Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan, and give a shout out to another satellite of the US disco scene, Le Jock. Plus: singing bumblebees, Chaka Khan, and David Mancuso's enduring love of Tescos. Produced by Matt Huxley. Tracklist: Muddy Waters - Trouble No More Rufus and Chaka Khan - Once You Get Started Titanic - Rain 2000 Bumblebee Unlimited - Love Bug 

Greg Kot pays tribute to the late Nick Gravenites, who wrote impactful songs for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Janis Joplin and more. He was 85.---Become a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3eEvRnGMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundopsJoin our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hour 1: The guys discuss the Chicago Blues with our professional sports teams. The national sports media over blew DJ Moore's body language on the field after Caleb Williams missed him on a pass. The Cubs are NOT ALIVE due to their 77-75 record and 6 ½ games back in the Wildcard race with 10 games left. Your thoughts on the Chicago Blues.

The Bears were hoping for a more hopeful performance out of Caleb Williams, but there was at least some hope. Meanwhile, the Texans haven't hit their stride yet are 2-0 with their division 0-2. Plus, talking the two biggest stories of the day. The Chiefs win over the Bengals (can it really even be called Mahomes v. Burrow?) and the Saints explosion as a 2024 talking point.

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot explore the history and legacy of the 50+ year-old Chicago blues label, Alligator Records, with its founder Bruce Iglauer. They'll talk to him about his new book Bitten By the Blues: The Alligator Records Story and discuss some of the landmark artists who came through, from Koko Taylor to Albert Collins. They also revisit a conversation and live performance with Buddy Guy.Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TBecome a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3eEvRnGMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundops Featured Songs:Koko Taylor, "I'm A Woman," The Earthshaker, Alligator , 1978The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, Parlophone, 1967Albert Collins, "Honey Hush! (Talking Woman Blues)," Ice Pickin', Alligator , 1978Mississippi Fred McDowell, "You Got to Move," You Gotta Move, Arhoolie, 1965Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers, "Walking the Ceiling," Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, Alligator , 1971Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers, "Give Me Back My Wig," Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, Alligator, 1971Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers, "Phillips' Theme," Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, Alligator, 1971B.B. King, "The Thrill Is Gone," Completely Well, Alligator, 1969Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers, "Wild About You Baby," Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, Alligator, 1971Koko Taylor, "Wang Dang Doodle," Wang Dang Doodle (Single), Chess, 1966Koko Taylor, "That's Why I'm Crying," I Got What It Takes, Alligator, 1975Koko Taylor, "I Got What It Takes," I Got What It Takes, Alligator, 1975Albert Collins, "I Ain't Drunk," Cold Snap, Alligator, 1986Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Robert Cray, "The Moon Is Full," Showdown!, Alligator, 1985Toronzo Cannon, "Walk It Off," The Chicago Way, Alligator, 2016Toronzo Cannon, "Bad Contract," The Chicago Way, Alligator, 2016Shemekia Copeland, "Would You Take My Blood," America's Child, Alligator, 2018Shemekia Copeland, "Ain't Got Time For Hate," America's Child, Alligator, 2018A.C. Reed, "She's Fine (feat. Bonnie Raitt)," I'm In the Wrong Business!, Alligator, 1987Buddy Guy, "Baby Please Don't Leave Me," Sweet Tea, Silvertone, 2001B.B. King, "Don't Answer the Door," Don't Answer The Door (single), ABC, 1966Buddy Guy, "Good Morning Schoolgirl," Hoodoo Blues Man (Live On Sound Opinions), Delmark, 2007Cream, "Strange Brew," Strange Brew (single), Reaction, 1967Buddy Guy, "First Time I Met The Blues," I Got My Eyes On You (single), Chess, 1960Shawnna, "Can't Break Me (feat. Buddy Guy)," Block Music, Disturbing Tha Peace, 2006Buddy Guy, "I've Got Dreams to Remember," Bring 'Em In (Live On Sound Opinions), Silvertone, 2007Lou Reed, "Coney Island Baby," Coney Island Baby, RCA Victor, 1976See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we wind down Season Two of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, you are invited to join Erv for a candid discussion with another legendary Blues musicians, Mr. Bobby Rush. Bobby shares stories about his early life, his migration north to Chicago, and his return to the south after nearly 50 years. There are stories a-plenty, so pull up a chair and enjoy the chat…and thank you ALL for another fantastic season!Website: Bobby RushFacebook: Bobby RushSpotify: Bobby Rush YouTube: Bobby Rush _________________________Facebook: Time SignaturesYouTube: Time SignaturesFacebook: Capital Area Blues SocietyWebsite: Capital Area Blues Society_________________________Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project

Send us a Text Message.With three decades of experience playing and touring with Outlaw Country and SoCal Rock luminaries like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, Social Distortion, and X, Jesse Dayton takes a sonic synergy between Texas and Chicago Blues, courtesy of his new album, The Hard Way Blues. In Jesse Dayton's reckoning, the Blues are anything that keeps you from your home. Whether that be a place, a person, or a state of mind. But the music of the Blues is what helps you navigate that journey home. It chronicles your hardships and heartaches, and when you ultimately succeed in your journey, it commemorates your strength and perseverance in overcoming The Hard Way Blues.Of course, blues and rock are natural bedfellows, especially nowadays with headliners like Joe Bonamassa and Tommy Emmanuel drawing stadium-sized crowds and competing for the commercial credibility once reaped by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughn. In that regard, Dayton makes no apologies for his dynamic and driving sound. His music has as much to do with attitude as it does with aptitude, which allows him to find favor with those looking for tenacity and tradition to go hand in hand. When Jesse shares his thoughts with Lee and Billy in an extraordinary interview, the proof of that premise becomes consistently clear. Learn more about Jesse Dayton at https://www.jessedayton.comHost Lee Zimmerman is a freelance music writer whose articles have appeared in several leading music industry publications. Lee is a former promotions representative for ABC and Capital Records and director of communications for various CBS affiliated television stations. Lee recently authored the book "Thirty Years Behind The Glass" about legendary producer and engineer Jim Gains.Podcast producer/cohost Billy Hubbard is an Americana Singer/Songwriter and former Regional Director of A&R for a Grammy winning company. Billy is a signed artist with Spectra Music Group  and co-founder of the iconic venue "The Station" in East TN. Billy's new album was released on Spectra Records 10/2023 on all major outlets! Learn more about Billy at http://www.BillyHubbard.comMy Backstage Pass intro & outro music credit: Intro - Billy Hubbard "Waitin' on The Wind"Outro - Billy Hubbard "Lonesome When I'm With You" My Backstage Pass is sponsored by The Alternate Root Magazine! Be sure to subscribe to their newsletter, read the latest music reviews and check out their weekly Top Ten songs at this link http://www.thealternateroot.com

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Jamie's next pick, Buddy Guy's "This is Buddy Guy". Released in 1968, it was his first live album, released shortly after his first studio album. The album is a time capsule of an early part of his solo career, following years of being a musician in fellow blues musician Muddy Waters touring band, and playing as a session guitarist at Chess Records. Since its release, Buddy Guy has put out a staggering 32 studio albums and 14 more live albums, continue to tour to this day at age 89. Will the boys latch on to Buddy, or will they say 'I ain't your Guy, friend'? Come along and find out!

Jennifer Noble Pt2: Join host Jim Ervin for part two of his chat with famed Chicago Blues photographer, Jennifer Noble. On this edition, the two wrap up their discussion about Jennifer's book, “50 Women in the Blues”, where to get it, and her pending return to her Chicago Roots.Website: Women of the BluesWebsite: Amazon/50 Women in the BluesWebsite: Porchlight/ 50 Women in the Blues_________________________Facebook: Time SignaturesYouTube: Time SignaturesFacebook: Capital Area Blues SocietyWebsite: Capital Area Blues Society_________________________Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project

Mike Stephen discusses the civic issues around local sports teams using public money to build stadiums with civic educator Tom Tresser, chats with Mark Vickery, the frontman of Cosmic Bull, about that project's new music, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago Blues harmonica player Dusty Brown.

Larry Cox shares how hard work as a sharecropper caused him to seek new horizons in Chicago, where his love for the harmonica led him to the blues scene. There he rubbed shoulders with greats including Muddy Waters. Now, he has traded the Windy City for Music City.  In this podcast, he shares his inspiring story of how perseverance and life skills – from swimming to scouting and a harmonica – have been lifesavers.

Kevin O'Neill joins our first hour chatting on the believability of the market's pricing and the worries of a possible new stadium for the White Sox. Russell Rhoads hops in for our second hour to discuss what businesses bring people to Chicago, feelings about the city as a whole, and more on today's market.

On this week's episode of Organize the Unorganized, we cover some of the key CIO unions not yet discussed in great detail, including the UE, ILWU, TWOC and PWOC. There were many other unions that formed the CIO - unions in oil, printing, transport, retail - but the four that we're covering on this episode were four of the biggest and most influential that we haven't yet gotten into. Guests in order of appearance: James Young, Professor Emeritus of History at Edinboro University; Robert Cherny, Professor Emeritus of History at San Francisco State University; Peter Cole, Professor of History at Western Illinois University; Erik Loomis, Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island; Steve Fraser, Labor Historian; Rick Halpern, Professor of American Studies at the University of Toronto; David Brody, Professor Emeritus of History at UC-Davis Clips in order of appearance: “A View of the Future: James Matles UE Retirement Speech (Fitzie Introduction),” UE History, https://soundcloud.com/user-141302221/a-view-of-the-future-james-matles-ue-retirement-speech (0:00); Roll the Union On Intro, “Tom Glazer Sings Favorite American Union Songs circa 1948,” United Packinghouse, Food, and Allied Workers Records, 1937-1968, Wisconsin Historical Society (Audio 375A/78), https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;id=navbarbrowselink;cginame=findaid-idx;cc=wiarchives;view=reslist;subview=standard;didno=uw-whs-mss00118;focusrgn=C02;byte=412854728 (6:47); “The 1934 West Coast waterfront strike | Oregon Experience | OPB,” Oregon Public Broadcasting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbiI8age-y4 (12:53); “A Conversation with Harry Bridges,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EFZOj7_1qI (18:12, 27:50); Cleophas Williams, “Oral History interview with Harvey Schwartz in 1998,” ILWU Library (22:07); “WDVA, Boyd Patton on the history of the Textile Workers Union of America, 29 June 1952 (Audio 1524A/56),” Wisconsin Historical Society, https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;type=simple;rgn=Entire%20Finding%20Aid;q1=mine%20workers;view=reslist;sort=freq;didno=uw-whs-us00129a;idno=uw-whs-us00129a;focusrgn=C01;byte=761311434;start=1;size=25;subview=standard (32:34) Quotes in order of appearance: Robert Zieger, The CIO: 1935-1955, p. 74 (28:24) Songs in order of appearance: Pete Seeger, “Roll the Union On,” The Original Talking Union and Other Unions Songs with the Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger and Chorus, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1JWheVR028 (7:04); Arlo Guthrie, “The Ballad of Harry Bridges,” Step by Step: Music from the film, From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJDIywPDlPs (17:20); Floyd Jones, “Stockyard Blues,” Chicago Blues, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBdm1vKmyac (37:50) Theme music by Drake Tyler. Quote music is Martin Tallstrom's cover of “Freight Train,” used here with permission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9LEUMgBkX8.

Jeff Lowenthal & Robert Schaffner, authors at Schiffer Publishing, join Wendy Snyder (filling-in for Lisa Dent) to talk about their book Fleetwood Mac in Chicago: The Legendary Blues Sessions, January 4th 1969 that explores the time Fleetwood Mac spent in Chicago recording blues at Chess Records. Follow The Lisa Dent Show on Twitter:Follow @LisaDentSpeaksFollow @SteveBertrand Follow […]

If you like the Chicago Blues, you are going to love this episode as host Jim Ervin welcomes Toronzo Cannon in for a chat about his journey in the Blues. Listen in as Toronzo shares his experiences with some of the biggest names in Chicago Blues, and founding his music career, while driving a bus for the Chicago Transit Authority. It's a compelling discussion you won't want to miss! Come join us….the Chicago Way!Official Website: Toronzo CannonToronzo Cannon on SpotifyToronzo Cannon on InstagramToronzo Cannon on YouTube_________________________Facebook: Time SignaturesYouTube: Time SignaturesFacebook: Capital Area Blues SocietyWebsite: Capital Area Blues Society

This is a rewind episode featuring blues guitarist Johnny Burgin. What is a rewind episode? It's a previously published episode, one of my favorites, and one that I think merits re-publishing. I give these episodes a fresh edit, which means you will find it even more enjoyable from a listening perspective. Johnny Burgin, the coast-to-coast (intercontinental) Chicago blues man, first appeared in episode 31 back in December of 2017. We performed a house concert on February 11 2020 at Tranquilo Retreat in Panama. He's coming to Querétaro to perform the 9th annual Querétablues Festival, which you can find on Facebook @BluesFestQro. I have the honor of being part of his band for the festival. We'll also do some private shows and one secret show while he's here.  My conversation with Johnny was truly great. I'm so happy I re-listened to it for this special rewind edition. Johnny is the real deal where blues guitar is concerned. We discuss his history as a musician, and his philosophy on blues, music, and the stage. We also talk about some of his international tour adventures, relationships with blues players in Chicago, Silicon Valley, and around the world, Pinetop Perkins, the Chicago Blues Festival, and more. Find Johnny's upcoming tour dates and music at JohnnyBurgin.com. Please enjoy this rewind conversation with Johnny Burgin. Support the Unstarving Musician The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers. Learn how you can offer your support. This episode was powered by Music Marketing Method, a program for independent musicians looking to grow their music career. Music Marketing Method was created by my good friend Lynz Crichton. I'm in the program and I'm learning tons! I'm growing my fan base and learning about many ways that I'll be earning money in the new year. It's also helping me grow this podcast. How cool is that? To lean more and find out if Music Marketing Method can help your music career, visit UnstarvingMusician.com/MusicMarketing. This episode of the was powered by Liner Notes. Learn from the hundreds of musicians and industry pros I've spoken with for the Unstarving Musician on topics such as marketing, songwriting, touring, sync licensing and much more. Sign up for Liner Notes. Liner Notes is an email newsletter from yours truly, in which I share some of the best knowledge gems garnered from the many conversations featured on the Unstarving Musician. You'll also be privy to the latest podcast episodes and Liner Notes subscriber exclusives. Sign up at UnstarvingMusician.com. It's free and you can unsubscribe at anytime. Mentions and Related Episodes JohnnyBurgin.com  Robonzo w/Johnny Burgin at the Quéretablues Festival  New Gods Part 2 (Unstarving Musician theme track) Johnny Burgin's first appearance on The Unstarving Musician (episode 31)  Listening for That Phrase—Johnny Burgin Part 2 (Ep 138)  Spooky Mugs  Resources The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo Music Marketing Method – The program that helps musicians find fans, grow an audience and make consistent income Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process. More Resources for musicians Pardon the Interruption (Disclosure)  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support! Visit UnstarvingMusician.com to sign up for Liner Notes to learn what I'm learning from the best indie musicians and music industry professionals. Stay in touch! @RobonzoDrummer on Twitter  and  Instagram @UnstarvingMusician on Facebook  and  YouTube  

Joe Nosek has been leading or co-leading blues bands for over twenty years. His current band The Cash Box Kings he co-leads with Oscar Wilson, is burning up with hot, fun, old school Chicago Blues!! The Cash Box Kings recently released their eleventh album OSCAR'S MOTEL which we discuss in Joe's interview. You will not want to miss this episode!!!!

In this episode we go through the Chicago blues classic 'Killing Floor' by Howlin Wolf."Killing Floor" is a 1964 song by American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Howlin' Wolf. Called "one of the defining classics of Chicago electric blues",[1] "Killing Floor" became a blues standard with recordings by various artists. It has been acknowledged by the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, which noted its popularity among rock as well as blues musicians. English rock group Led Zeppelin adapted the song for their "The Lemon Song", for which Howlin' Wolf is named as a co-author. If you find this stuff useful leave me a review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsBecome a Blues Guitar Show Member: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950998/subscribeShoot me a question to cover in the upcoming episodes by emailing ben@thebluesguitarshow.comFollow me on instagram @bluesguitarshowpodcast Support the show

Big Creek Slim is a blues man as sure as the day is long. Don't believe it? Hear that voice. Feel the passion and intensity that he brings to the blues. Big Creek Slim's trademark is authentic pre-WWII country blues and early Chicago Blues. Right now he's the hottest Scandinavian blues name and has received a rain of awards, and has excited the blues crowds all over Europe. Big Creek Slim Website www.bigcreekslim.dk https://bigcreekslim.dk/

Oneika Raymond dials into Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, where historian Sherman ‘Dilla' Thomas takes us on a bus tour through the birthplace of gospel music and Black History Month located just four miles south of the city's downtown. Bronzeville has quickly become the most popular neighborhood tour that Dilla offers through his bus tour company, Chicago Mahogany Tours, thanks in part to the viral TikToks that Dilla makes to illuminate the history and contributions of Bronzeville, formerly known as the Black Metropolis. On his tour, Dilla brings the energy of his TikToks, and the stories of Bronzeville, to life. We start out on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, a road steeped in history. The 14-mile long street was renamed for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, making Chicago the first city in the country to name a street after the slain civil rights icon. As we drive the thoroughfare, we learn how Chicago's Black community created its own thriving business and artistic community within its boundaries — which brings us to our next stop on the tour.   We roll through the Blues district on 47th street, home to the spirit and sounds of the electric Chicago Blues that filled this nightlife corridor in the 1930s. Along the way, Dilla points out the home of jazz great Louis Armstrong, one of a handful of jazz legends who lived in Bronzeville. We end our musical leg of the tour at the birthplace of gospel music, the National Museum of Gospel Music.For the first time on the tour, we step off the bus at our next stop. We find ourselves standing in front of an impressive monument dedicated to Ida B. Wells Barnett called the “Light of Truth”. The 35-foot tall structure, built to honor the journalist and civil rights activist, is Chicago's first monument officially designated to a Black woman.We end the tour at Bronzeville Winery, a neighborhood staple helping to shape a 21st-century version of the metropolis we just toured. Co-owner Cecilia Cuff shares how the winery supports community, from its wine list, which is made up of ​​75 percent minority or women-owned bottles, to the local artists, musicians and staffers it works with daily. Then, Dilla heads to the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center for a full-circle conversation with Oneika. They discuss the impact that Bronzeville has had, not only on Chicago, but globally, and talk about the history that's continuing to be made here today. To read full episode transcripts from About the Journey and see photos of each featured destination, head to About the Journey on Marriott Bonvoy Traveler. Starting this season, you can also watch videos from select episodes on our Marriott Bonvoy YouTube channel.

Shukin and the Ramblers is the Rusty Roots Rock Revue you'll have to see to believe. Influenced by the American sounds of the Chicago Blues, Classic RnB, Roots Country, a Funky dose of Gypsy Jazz and a Punk Rock edge. Ray and Mike met with Matt, Rob and Dan to find out how this group came together.

Discover the story of the blues' electrifying journey in episode 4 of 'The Blues Legacy: Foundations of Modern Music'. We chart the blues' transformation from an acoustic genre, born on the plantations and juke joints of the Mississippi Delta, to its reimagining in the smoky clubs of Chicago. Join us as we explore how the amplified sound of the Chicago Blues heralded a new era and set the stage for the birth of rock 'n' roll. This episode highlights the significant role the blues played in shaping contemporary music genres, drawing the line from Muddy Waters' electrified slide guitar to Chuck Berry's rock 'n' roll riffs. Tune in for this compelling chapter in the journey of the blues Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBluesLegacy Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/liamjholland --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theblueslegacy/message

In this episode we speak to Chicago Blues artist Nigel Mack about his latest album "Back In Style".

Singer/Songwriter Brad Redlich returns to the Retro Rock Roundup Studio to talk about his latest album "Chi-Rock".

Episode 166 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Crossroads", Cream, the myth of Robert Johnson, and whether white men can sing the blues. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-eight-minute bonus episode available, on “Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips" by Tiny Tim. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Errata I talk about an interview with Clapton from 1967, I meant 1968. I mention a Graham Bond live recording from 1953, and of course meant 1963. I say Paul Jones was on vocals in the Powerhouse sessions. Steve Winwood was on vocals, and Jones was on harmonica. Resources As I say at the end, the main resource you need to get if you enjoyed this episode is Brother Robert by Annye Anderson, Robert Johnson's stepsister. There are three Mixcloud mixes this time. As there are so many songs by Cream, Robert Johnson, John Mayall, and Graham Bond excerpted, and Mixcloud won't allow more than four songs by the same artist in any mix, I've had to post the songs not in quite the same order in which they appear in the podcast. But the mixes are here -- one, two, three. This article on Mack McCormick gives a fuller explanation of the problems with his research and behaviour. The other books I used for the Robert Johnson sections were McCormick's Biography of a Phantom; Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson, by Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow; Searching for Robert Johnson by Peter Guralnick; and Escaping the Delta by Elijah Wald. I can recommend all of these subject to the caveats at the end of the episode. The information on the history and prehistory of the Delta blues mostly comes from Before Elvis by Larry Birnbaum, with some coming from Charley Patton by John Fahey. The information on Cream comes mostly from Cream: How Eric Clapton Took the World by Storm by Dave Thompson. I also used Ginger Baker: Hellraiser by Ginger Baker and Ginette Baker, Mr Showbiz by Stephen Dando-Collins, Motherless Child by Paul Scott, and  Alexis Korner: The Biography by Harry Shapiro. The best collection of Cream's work is the four-CD set Those Were the Days, which contains every track the group ever released while they were together (though only the stereo mixes of the albums, and a couple of tracks are in slightly different edits from the originals). You can get Johnson's music on many budget compilation records, as it's in the public domain in the EU, but the double CD collection produced by Steve LaVere for Sony in 2011 is, despite the problems that come from it being associated with LaVere, far and away the best option -- the remasters have a clarity that's worlds ahead of even the 1990s CD version it replaced. And for a good single-CD introduction to the Delta blues musicians and songsters who were Johnson's peers and inspirations, Back to the Crossroads: The Roots of Robert Johnson, compiled by Elijah Wald as a companion to his book on Johnson, can't be beaten, and contains many of the tracks excerpted in this episode. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Before we start, a quick note that this episode contains discussion of racism, drug addiction, and early death. There's also a brief mention of death in childbirth and infant mortality. It's been a while since we looked at the British blues movement, and at the blues in general, so some of you may find some of what follows familiar, as we're going to look at some things we've talked about previously, but from a different angle. In 1968, the Bonzo Dog Band, a comedy musical band that have been described as the missing link between the Beatles and the Monty Python team, released a track called "Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?": [Excerpt: The Bonzo Dog Band, "Can Blue Men Sing the Whites?"] That track was mocking a discussion that was very prominent in Britain's music magazines around that time. 1968 saw the rise of a *lot* of British bands who started out as blues bands, though many of them went on to different styles of music -- Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, Chicken Shack and others were all becoming popular among the kind of people who read the music magazines, and so the question was being asked -- can white men sing the blues? Of course, the answer to that question was obvious. After all, white men *invented* the blues. Before we get any further at all, I have to make clear that I do *not* mean that white people created blues music. But "the blues" as a category, and particularly the idea of it as a music made largely by solo male performers playing guitar... that was created and shaped by the actions of white male record executives. There is no consensus as to when or how the blues as a genre started -- as we often say in this podcast "there is no first anything", but like every genre it seems to have come from multiple sources. In the case of the blues, there's probably some influence from African music by way of field chants sung by enslaved people, possibly some influence from Arabic music as well, definitely some influence from the Irish and British folk songs that by the late nineteenth century were developing into what we now call country music, a lot from ragtime, and a lot of influence from vaudeville and minstrel songs -- which in turn themselves were all very influenced by all those other things. Probably the first published composition to show any real influence of the blues is from 1904, a ragtime piano piece by James Chapman and Leroy Smith, "One O' Them Things": [Excerpt: "One O' Them Things"] That's not very recognisable as a blues piece yet, but it is more-or-less a twelve-bar blues. But the blues developed, and it developed as a result of a series of commercial waves. The first of these came in 1914, with the success of W.C. Handy's "Memphis Blues", which when it was recorded by the Victor Military Band for a phonograph cylinder became what is generally considered the first blues record proper: [Excerpt: The Victor Military Band, "Memphis Blues"] The famous dancers Vernon and Irene Castle came up with a dance, the foxtrot -- which Vernon Castle later admitted was largely inspired by Black dancers -- to be danced to the "Memphis Blues", and the foxtrot soon overtook the tango, which the Castles had introduced to the US the previous year, to become the most popular dance in America for the best part of three decades. And with that came an explosion in blues in the Handy style, cranked out by every music publisher. While the blues was a style largely created by Black performers and writers, the segregated nature of the American music industry at the time meant that most vocal performances of these early blues that were captured on record were by white performers, Black vocalists at this time only rarely getting the chance to record. The first blues record with a Black vocalist is also technically the first British blues record. A group of Black musicians, apparently mostly American but led by a Jamaican pianist, played at Ciro's Club in London, and recorded many tracks in Britain, under a name which I'm not going to say in full -- it started with Ciro's Club, and continued alliteratively with another word starting with C, a slur for Black people. In 1917 they recorded a vocal version of "St. Louis Blues", another W.C. Handy composition: [Excerpt: Ciro's Club C**n Orchestra, "St. Louis Blues"] The first American Black blues vocal didn't come until two years later, when Bert Williams, a Black minstrel-show performer who like many Black performers of his era performed in blackface even though he was Black, recorded “I'm Sorry I Ain't Got It You Could Have It If I Had It Blues,” [Excerpt: Bert Williams, "I'm Sorry I Ain't Got It You Could Have It If I Had It Blues,”] But it wasn't until 1920 that the second, bigger, wave of popularity started for the blues, and this time it started with the first record of a Black *woman* singing the blues -- Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues": [Excerpt: Mamie Smith, "Crazy Blues"] You can hear the difference between that and anything we've heard up to that point -- that's the first record that anyone from our perspective, a hundred and three years later, would listen to and say that it bore any resemblance to what we think of as the blues -- so much so that many places still credit it as the first ever blues record. And there's a reason for that. "Crazy Blues" was one of those records that separates the music industry into before and after, like "Rock Around the Clock", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", Sgt Pepper, or "Rapper's Delight". It sold seventy-five thousand copies in its first month -- a massive number by the standards of 1920 -- and purportedly went on to sell over a million copies. Sales figures and market analysis weren't really a thing in the same way in 1920, but even so it became very obvious that "Crazy Blues" was a big hit, and that unlike pretty much any other previous records, it was a big hit among Black listeners, which meant that there was a market for music aimed at Black people that was going untapped. Soon all the major record labels were setting up subsidiaries devoted to what they called "race music", music made by and for Black people. And this sees the birth of what is now known as "classic blues", but at the time (and for decades after) was just what people thought of when they thought of "the blues" as a genre. This was music primarily sung by female vaudeville artists backed by jazz bands, people like Ma Rainey (whose earliest recordings featured Louis Armstrong in her backing band): [Excerpt: Ma Rainey, "See See Rider Blues"] And Bessie Smith, the "Empress of the Blues", who had a massive career in the 1920s before the Great Depression caused many of these "race record" labels to fold, but who carried on performing well into the 1930s -- her last recording was in 1933, produced by John Hammond, with a backing band including Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden: [Excerpt: Bessie Smith, "Give Me a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer"] It wouldn't be until several years after the boom started by Mamie Smith that any record companies turned to recording Black men singing the blues accompanied by guitar or banjo. The first record of this type is probably "Norfolk Blues" by Reese DuPree from 1924: [Excerpt: Reese DuPree, "Norfolk Blues"] And there were occasional other records of this type, like "Airy Man Blues" by Papa Charlie Jackson, who was advertised as the “only man living who sings, self-accompanied, for Blues records.” [Excerpt: Papa Charlie Jackson, "Airy Man Blues"] But contrary to the way these are seen today, at the time they weren't seen as being in some way "authentic", or "folk music". Indeed, there are many quotes from folk-music collectors of the time (sadly all of them using so many slurs that it's impossible for me to accurately quote them) saying that when people sang the blues, that wasn't authentic Black folk music at all but an adulteration from commercial music -- they'd clearly, according to these folk-music scholars, learned the blues style from records and sheet music rather than as part of an oral tradition. Most of these performers were people who recorded blues as part of a wider range of material, like Blind Blake, who recorded some blues music but whose best work was his ragtime guitar instrumentals: [Excerpt: Blind Blake, "Southern Rag"] But it was when Blind Lemon Jefferson started recording for Paramount records in 1926 that the image of the blues as we now think of it took shape. His first record, "Got the Blues", was a massive success: [Excerpt: Blind Lemon Jefferson, "Got the Blues"] And this resulted in many labels, especially Paramount, signing up pretty much every Black man with a guitar they could find in the hopes of finding another Blind Lemon Jefferson. But the thing is, this generation of people making blues records, and the generation that followed them, didn't think of themselves as "blues singers" or "bluesmen". They were songsters. Songsters were entertainers, and their job was to sing and play whatever the audiences would want to hear. That included the blues, of course, but it also included... well, every song anyone would want to hear.  They'd perform old folk songs, vaudeville songs, songs that they'd heard on the radio or the jukebox -- whatever the audience wanted. Robert Johnson, for example, was known to particularly love playing polka music, and also adored the records of Jimmie Rodgers, the first country music superstar. In 1941, when Alan Lomax first recorded Muddy Waters, he asked Waters what kind of songs he normally played in performances, and he was given a list that included "Home on the Range", Gene Autry's "I've Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle", and Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo-Choo". We have few recordings of these people performing this kind of song though. One of the few we have is Big Bill Broonzy, who was just about the only artist of this type not to get pigeonholed as just a blues singer, even though blues is what made him famous, and who later in his career managed to record songs like the Tin Pan Alley standard "The Glory of Love": [Excerpt: Big Bill Broonzy, "The Glory of Love"] But for the most part, the image we have of the blues comes down to one man, Arthur Laibley, a sales manager for the Wisconsin Chair Company. The Wisconsin Chair Company was, as the name would suggest, a company that started out making wooden chairs, but it had branched out into other forms of wooden furniture -- including, for a brief time, large wooden phonographs. And, like several other manufacturers, like the Radio Corporation of America -- RCA -- and the Gramophone Company, which became EMI, they realised that if they were going to sell the hardware it made sense to sell the software as well, and had started up Paramount Records, which bought up a small label, Black Swan, and soon became the biggest manufacturer of records for the Black market, putting out roughly a quarter of all "race records" released between 1922 and 1932. At first, most of these were produced by a Black talent scout, J. Mayo Williams, who had been the first person to record Ma Rainey, Papa Charlie Jackson, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, but in 1927 Williams left Paramount, and the job of supervising sessions went to Arthur Laibley, though according to some sources a lot of the actual production work was done by Aletha Dickerson, Williams' former assistant, who was almost certainly the first Black woman to be what we would now think of as a record producer. Williams had been interested in recording all kinds of music by Black performers, but when Laibley got a solo Black man into the studio, what he wanted more than anything was for him to record the blues, ideally in a style as close as possible to that of Blind Lemon Jefferson. Laibley didn't have a very hands-on approach to recording -- indeed Paramount had very little concern about the quality of their product anyway, and Paramount's records are notorious for having been put out on poor-quality shellac and recorded badly -- and he only occasionally made actual suggestions as to what kind of songs his performers should write -- for example he asked Son House to write something that sounded like Blind Lemon Jefferson, which led to House writing and recording "Mississippi County Farm Blues", which steals the tune of Jefferson's "See That My Grave is Kept Clean": [Excerpt: Son House, "Mississippi County Farm Blues"] When Skip James wanted to record a cover of James Wiggins' "Forty-Four Blues", Laibley suggested that instead he should do a song about a different gun, and so James recorded "Twenty-Two Twenty Blues": [Excerpt: Skip James, "Twenty-Two Twenty Blues"] And Laibley also suggested that James write a song about the Depression, which led to one of the greatest blues records ever, "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues": [Excerpt: Skip James, "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues"] These musicians knew that they were getting paid only for issued sides, and that Laibley wanted only blues from them, and so that's what they gave him. Even when it was a performer like Charlie Patton. (Incidentally, for those reading this as a transcript rather than listening to it, Patton's name is more usually spelled ending in ey, but as far as I can tell ie was his preferred spelling and that's what I'm using). Charlie Patton was best known as an entertainer, first and foremost -- someone who would do song-and-dance routines, joke around, play guitar behind his head. He was a clown on stage, so much so that when Son House finally heard some of Patton's records, in the mid-sixties, decades after the fact, he was astonished that Patton could actually play well. Even though House had been in the room when some of the records were made, his memory of Patton was of someone who acted the fool on stage. That's definitely not the impression you get from the Charlie Patton on record: [Excerpt: Charlie Patton, "Poor Me"] Patton is, as far as can be discerned, the person who was most influential in creating the music that became called the "Delta blues". Not a lot is known about Patton's life, but he was almost certainly the half-brother of the Chatmon brothers, who made hundreds of records, most notably as members of the Mississippi Sheiks: [Excerpt: The Mississippi Sheiks, "Sitting on Top of the World"] In the 1890s, Patton's family moved to Sunflower County, Mississippi, and he lived in and around that county until his death in 1934. Patton learned to play guitar from a musician called Henry Sloan, and then Patton became a mentor figure to a *lot* of other musicians in and around the plantation on which his family lived. Some of the musicians who grew up in the immediate area around Patton included Tommy Johnson: [Excerpt: Tommy Johnson, "Big Road Blues"] Pops Staples: [Excerpt: The Staple Singers, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"] Robert Johnson: [Excerpt: Robert Johnson, "Crossroads"] Willie Brown, a musician who didn't record much, but who played a lot with Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson and who we just heard Johnson sing about: [Excerpt: Willie Brown, "M&O Blues"] And Chester Burnett, who went on to become known as Howlin' Wolf, and whose vocal style was equally inspired by Patton and by the country star Jimmie Rodgers: [Excerpt: Howlin' Wolf, "Smokestack Lightnin'"] Once Patton started his own recording career for Paramount, he also started working as a talent scout for them, and it was him who brought Son House to Paramount. Soon after the Depression hit, Paramount stopped recording, and so from 1930 through 1934 Patton didn't make any records. He was tracked down by an A&R man in January 1934 and recorded one final session: [Excerpt, Charlie Patton, "34 Blues"] But he died of heart failure two months later. But his influence spread through his proteges, and they themselves influenced other musicians from the area who came along a little after, like Robert Lockwood and Muddy Waters. This music -- or that portion of it that was considered worth recording by white record producers, only a tiny, unrepresentative, portion of their vast performing repertoires -- became known as the Delta Blues, and when some of these musicians moved to Chicago and started performing with electric instruments, it became Chicago Blues. And as far as people like John Mayall in Britain were concerned, Delta and Chicago Blues *were* the blues: [Excerpt: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, "It Ain't Right"] John Mayall was one of the first of the British blues obsessives, and for a long time thought of himself as the only one. While we've looked before at the growth of the London blues scene, Mayall wasn't from London -- he was born in Macclesfield and grew up in Cheadle Hulme, both relatively well-off suburbs of Manchester, and after being conscripted and doing two years in the Army, he had become an art student at Manchester College of Art, what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. Mayall had been a blues fan from the late 1940s, writing off to the US to order records that hadn't been released in the UK, and by most accounts by the late fifties he'd put together the biggest blues collection in Britain by quite some way. Not only that, but he had one of the earliest home tape recorders, and every night he would record radio stations from Continental Europe which were broadcasting for American service personnel, so he'd amassed mountains of recordings, often unlabelled, of obscure blues records that nobody else in the UK knew about. He was also an accomplished pianist and guitar player, and in 1956 he and his drummer friend Peter Ward had put together a band called the Powerhouse Four (the other two members rotated on a regular basis) mostly to play lunchtime jazz sessions at the art college. Mayall also started putting on jam sessions at a youth club in Wythenshawe, where he met another drummer named Hughie Flint. Over the late fifties and into the early sixties, Mayall more or less by himself built up a small blues scene in Manchester. The Manchester blues scene was so enthusiastic, in fact, that when the American Folk Blues Festival, an annual European tour which initially featured Willie Dixon, Memhis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and John Lee Hooker, first toured Europe, the only UK date it played was at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, and people like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Jimmy Page had to travel up from London to see it. But still, the number of blues fans in Manchester, while proportionally large, was objectively small enough that Mayall was captivated by an article in Melody Maker which talked about Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies' new band Blues Incorporated and how it was playing electric blues, the same music he was making in Manchester. He later talked about how the article had made him think that maybe now people would know what he was talking about. He started travelling down to London to play gigs for the London blues scene, and inviting Korner up to Manchester to play shows there. Soon Mayall had moved down to London. Korner introduced Mayall to Davey Graham, the great folk guitarist, with whom Korner had recently recorded as a duo: [Excerpt: Alexis Korner and Davey Graham, "3/4 AD"] Mayall and Graham performed together as a duo for a while, but Graham was a natural solo artist if ever there was one. Slowly Mayall put a band together in London. On drums was his old friend Peter Ward, who'd moved down from Manchester with him. On bass was John McVie, who at the time knew nothing about blues -- he'd been playing in a Shadows-style instrumental group -- but Mayall gave him a stack of blues records to listen to to get the feeling. And on guitar was Bernie Watson, who had previously played with Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages. In late 1963, Mike Vernon, a blues fan who had previously published a Yardbirds fanzine, got a job working for Decca records, and immediately started signing his favourite acts from the London blues circuit. The first act he signed was John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and they recorded a single, "Crawling up a Hill": [Excerpt: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, "Crawling up a Hill (45 version)"] Mayall later called that a "clumsy, half-witted attempt at autobiographical comment", and it sold only five hundred copies. It would be the only record the Bluesbreakers would make with Watson, who soon left the band to be replaced by Roger Dean (not the same Roger Dean who later went on to design prog rock album covers). The second group to be signed by Mike Vernon to Decca was the Graham Bond Organisation. We've talked about the Graham Bond Organisation in passing several times, but not for a while and not in any great detail, so it's worth pulling everything we've said about them so far together and going through it in a little more detail. The Graham Bond Organisation, like the Rolling Stones, grew out of Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. As we heard in the episode on "I Wanna Be Your Man" a couple of years ago, Blues Incorporated had been started by Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies, and at the time we're joining them in 1962 featured a drummer called Charlie Watts, a pianist called Dave Stevens, and saxophone player Dick Heckstall-Smith, as well as frequent guest performers like a singer who called himself Mike Jagger, and another one, Roderick Stewart. That group finally found themselves the perfect bass player when Dick Heckstall-Smith put together a one-off group of jazz players to play an event at Cambridge University. At the gig, a little Scottish man came up to the group and told them he played bass and asked if he could sit in. They told him to bring along his instrument to their second set, that night, and he did actually bring along a double bass. Their bluff having been called, they decided to play the most complicated, difficult, piece they knew in order to throw the kid off -- the drummer, a trad jazz player named Ginger Baker, didn't like performing with random sit-in guests -- but astonishingly he turned out to be really good. Heckstall-Smith took down the bass player's name and phone number and invited him to a jam session with Blues Incorporated. After that jam session, Jack Bruce quickly became the group's full-time bass player. Bruce had started out as a classical cellist, but had switched to the double bass inspired by Bach, who he referred to as "the guv'nor of all bass players". His playing up to this point had mostly been in trad jazz bands, and he knew nothing of the blues, but he quickly got the hang of the genre. Bruce's first show with Blues Incorporated was a BBC recording: [Excerpt: Blues Incorporated, "Hoochie Coochie Man (BBC session)"] According to at least one source it was not being asked to take part in that session that made young Mike Jagger decide there was no future for him with Blues Incorporated and to spend more time with his other group, the Rollin' Stones. Soon after, Charlie Watts would join him, for almost the opposite reason -- Watts didn't want to be in a band that was getting as big as Blues Incorporated were. They were starting to do more BBC sessions and get more gigs, and having to join the Musicians' Union. That seemed like a lot of work. Far better to join a band like the Rollin' Stones that wasn't going anywhere. Because of Watts' decision to give up on potential stardom to become a Rollin' Stone, they needed a new drummer, and luckily the best drummer on the scene was available. But then the best drummer on the scene was *always* available. Ginger Baker had first played with Dick Heckstall-Smith several years earlier, in a trad group called the Storyville Jazzmen. There Baker had become obsessed with the New Orleans jazz drummer Baby Dodds, who had played with Louis Armstrong in the 1920s. Sadly because of 1920s recording technology, he hadn't been able to play a full kit on the recordings with Armstrong, being limited to percussion on just a woodblock, but you can hear his drumming style much better in this version of "At the Jazz Band Ball" from 1947, with Mugsy Spanier, Jack Teagarden, Cyrus St. Clair and Hank Duncan: [Excerpt: "At the Jazz Band Ball"] Baker had taken Dobbs' style and run with it, and had quickly become known as the single best player, bar none, on the London jazz scene -- he'd become an accomplished player in multiple styles, and was also fluent in reading music and arranging. He'd also, though, become known as the single person on the entire scene who was most difficult to get along with. He resigned from his first band onstage, shouting "You can stick your band up your arse", after the band's leader had had enough of him incorporating bebop influences into their trad style. Another time, when touring with Diz Disley's band, he was dumped in Germany with no money and no way to get home, because the band were so sick of him. Sometimes this was because of his temper and his unwillingness to suffer fools -- and he saw everyone else he ever met as a fool -- and sometimes it was because of his own rigorous musical ideas. He wanted to play music *his* way, and wouldn't listen to anyone who told him different. Both of these things got worse after he fell under the influence of a man named Phil Seaman, one of the only drummers that Baker respected at all. Seaman introduced Baker to African drumming, and Baker started incorporating complex polyrhythms into his playing as a result. Seaman also though introduced Baker to heroin, and while being a heroin addict in the UK in the 1960s was not as difficult as it later became -- both heroin and cocaine were available on prescription to registered addicts, and Baker got both, which meant that many of the problems that come from criminalisation of these drugs didn't affect addicts in the same way -- but it still did not, by all accounts, make him an easier person to get along with. But he *was* a fantastic drummer. As Dick Heckstall-Smith said "With the advent of Ginger, the classic Blues Incorporated line-up, one which I think could not be bettered, was set" But Alexis Korner decided that the group could be bettered, and he had some backers within the band. One of the other bands on the scene was the Don Rendell Quintet, a group that played soul jazz -- that style of jazz that bridged modern jazz and R&B, the kind of music that Ray Charles and Herbie Hancock played: [Excerpt: The Don Rendell Quintet, "Manumission"] The Don Rendell Quintet included a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, Graham Bond, who doubled on keyboards and saxophone, and Bond had been playing occasional experimental gigs with the Johnny Burch Octet -- a group led by another member of the Rendell Quartet featuring Heckstall-Smith, Bruce, Baker, and a few other musicians, doing wholly-improvised music. Heckstall-Smith, Bruce, and Baker all enjoyed playing with Bond, and when Korner decided to bring him into the band, they were all very keen. But Cyril Davies, the co-leader of the band with Korner, was furious at the idea. Davies wanted to play strict Chicago and Delta blues, and had no truck with other forms of music like R&B and jazz. To his mind it was bad enough that they had a sax player. But the idea that they would bring in Bond, who played sax and... *Hammond* organ? Well, that was practically blasphemy. Davies quit the group at the mere suggestion. Bond was soon in the band, and he, Bruce, and Baker were playing together a *lot*. As well as performing with Blues Incorporated, they continued playing in the Johnny Burch Octet, and they also started performing as the Graham Bond Trio. Sometimes the Graham Bond Trio would be Blues Incorporated's opening act, and on more than one occasion the Graham Bond Trio, Blues Incorporated, and the Johnny Burch Octet all had gigs in different parts of London on the same night and they'd have to frantically get from one to the other. The Graham Bond Trio also had fans in Manchester, thanks to the local blues scene there and their connection with Blues Incorporated, and one night in February 1963 the trio played a gig there. They realised afterwards that by playing as a trio they'd made £70, when they were lucky to make £20 from a gig with Blues Incorporated or the Octet, because there were so many members in those bands. Bond wanted to make real money, and at the next rehearsal of Blues Incorporated he announced to Korner that he, Bruce, and Baker were quitting the band -- which was news to Bruce and Baker, who he hadn't bothered consulting. Baker, indeed, was in the toilet when the announcement was made and came out to find it a done deal. He was going to kick up a fuss and say he hadn't been consulted, but Korner's reaction sealed the deal. As Baker later said "‘he said “it's really good you're doing this thing with Graham, and I wish you the best of luck” and all that. And it was a bit difficult to turn round and say, “Well, I don't really want to leave the band, you know.”'" The Graham Bond Trio struggled at first to get the gigs they were expecting, but that started to change when in April 1963 they became the Graham Bond Quartet, with the addition of virtuoso guitarist John McLaughlin. The Quartet soon became one of the hottest bands on the London R&B scene, and when Duffy Power, a Larry Parnes teen idol who wanted to move into R&B, asked his record label to get him a good R&B band to back him on a Beatles cover, it was the Graham Bond Quartet who obliged: [Excerpt: Duffy Power, "I Saw Her Standing There"] The Quartet also backed Power on a package tour with other Parnes acts, but they were also still performing their own blend of hard jazz and blues, as can be heard in this recording of the group live in June 1953: [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Quartet, "Ho Ho Country Kicking Blues (Live at Klooks Kleek)"] But that lineup of the group didn't last very long. According to the way Baker told the story, he fired McLaughlin from the group, after being irritated by McLaughlin complaining about something on a day when Baker was out of cocaine and in no mood to hear anyone else's complaints. As Baker said "We lost a great guitar player and I lost a good friend." But the Trio soon became a Quartet again, as Dick Heckstall-Smith, who Baker had wanted in the band from the start, joined on saxophone to replace McLaughlin's guitar. But they were no longer called the Graham Bond Quartet. Partly because Heckstall-Smith joining allowed Bond to concentrate just on his keyboard playing, but one suspects partly to protect against any future lineup changes, the group were now The Graham Bond ORGANisation -- emphasis on the organ. The new lineup of the group got signed to Decca by Vernon, and were soon recording their first single, "Long Tall Shorty": [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Organisation, "Long Tall Shorty"] They recorded a few other songs which made their way onto an EP and an R&B compilation, and toured intensively in early 1964, as well as backing up Power on his follow-up to "I Saw Her Standing There", his version of "Parchman Farm": [Excerpt: Duffy Power, "Parchman Farm"] They also appeared in a film, just like the Beatles, though it was possibly not quite as artistically successful as "A Hard Day's Night": [Excerpt: Gonks Go Beat trailer] Gonks Go Beat is one of the most bizarre films of the sixties. It's a far-future remake of Romeo and Juliet. where the two star-crossed lovers are from opposing countries -- Beatland and Ballad Isle -- who only communicate once a year in an annual song contest which acts as their version of a war, and is overseen by "Mr. A&R", played by Frank Thornton, who would later star in Are You Being Served? Carry On star Kenneth Connor is sent by aliens to try to bring peace to the two warring countries, on pain of exile to Planet Gonk, a planet inhabited solely by Gonks (a kind of novelty toy for which there was a short-lived craze then). Along the way Connor encounters such luminaries of British light entertainment as Terry Scott and Arthur Mullard, as well as musical performances by Lulu, the Nashville Teens, and of course the Graham Bond Organisation, whose performance gets them a telling-off from a teacher: [Excerpt: Gonks Go Beat!] The group as a group only performed one song in this cinematic masterpiece, but Baker also made an appearance in a "drum battle" sequence where eight drummers played together: [Excerpt: Gonks Go Beat drum battle] The other drummers in that scene included, as well as some lesser-known players, Andy White who had played on the single version of "Love Me Do", Bobby Graham, who played on hits by the Kinks and the Dave Clark Five, and Ronnie Verrell, who did the drumming for Animal in the Muppet Show. Also in summer 1964, the group performed at the Fourth National Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond -- the festival co-founded by Chris Barber that would evolve into the Reading Festival. The Yardbirds were on the bill, and at the end of their set they invited Bond, Baker, Bruce, Georgie Fame, and Mike Vernon onto the stage with them, making that the first time that Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce were all on stage together. Soon after that, the Graham Bond Organisation got a new manager, Robert Stigwood. Things hadn't been working out for them at Decca, and Stigwood soon got the group signed to EMI, and became their producer as well. Their first single under Stigwood's management was a cover version of the theme tune to the Debbie Reynolds film "Tammy". While that film had given Tamla records its name, the song was hardly an R&B classic: [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Organisation, "Tammy"] That record didn't chart, but Stigwood put the group out on the road as part of the disastrous Chuck Berry tour we heard about in the episode on "All You Need is Love", which led to the bankruptcy of  Robert Stigwood Associates. The Organisation moved over to Stigwood's new company, the Robert Stigwood Organisation, and Stigwood continued to be the credited producer of their records, though after the "Tammy" disaster they decided they were going to take charge themselves of the actual music. Their first album, The Sound of 65, was recorded in a single three-hour session, and they mostly ran through their standard set -- a mixture of the same songs everyone else on the circuit was playing, like "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Got My Mojo Working", and "Wade in the Water", and originals like Bruce's "Train Time": [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Organisation, "Train Time"] Through 1965 they kept working. They released a non-album single, "Lease on Love", which is generally considered to be the first pop record to feature a Mellotron: [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Organisation, "Lease on Love"] and Bond and Baker also backed another Stigwood act, Winston G, on his debut single: [Excerpt: Winston G, "Please Don't Say"] But the group were developing severe tensions. Bruce and Baker had started out friendly, but by this time they hated each other. Bruce said he couldn't hear his own playing over Baker's loud drumming, Baker thought that Bruce was far too fussy a player and should try to play simpler lines. They'd both try to throw each other during performances, altering arrangements on the fly and playing things that would trip the other player up. And *neither* of them were particularly keen on Bond's new love of the Mellotron, which was all over their second album, giving it a distinctly proto-prog feel at times: [Excerpt: The Graham Bond Organisation, "Baby Can it Be True?"] Eventually at a gig in Golders Green, Baker started throwing drumsticks at Bruce's head while Bruce was trying to play a bass solo. Bruce retaliated by throwing his bass at Baker, and then jumping on him and starting a fistfight which had to be broken up by the venue security. Baker fired Bruce from the band, but Bruce kept turning up to gigs anyway, arguing that Baker had no right to sack him as it was a democracy. Baker always claimed that in fact Bond had wanted to sack Bruce but hadn't wanted to get his hands dirty, and insisted that Baker do it, but neither Bond nor Heckstall-Smith objected when Bruce turned up for the next couple of gigs. So Baker took matters into his own hands, He pulled out a knife and told Bruce "If you show up at one more gig, this is going in you." Within days, Bruce was playing with John Mayall, whose Bluesbreakers had gone through some lineup changes by this point. Roger Dean had only played with the Bluesbreakers for a short time before Mayall had replaced him. Mayall had not been impressed with Eric Clapton's playing with the Yardbirds at first -- even though graffiti saying "Clapton is God" was already starting to appear around London -- but he had been *very* impressed with Clapton's playing on "Got to Hurry", the B-side to "For Your Love": [Excerpt: The Yardbirds, "Got to Hurry"] When he discovered that Clapton had quit the band, he sprang into action and quickly recruited him to replace Dean. Clapton knew he had made the right choice when a month after he'd joined, the group got the word that Bob Dylan had been so impressed with Mayall's single "Crawling up a Hill" -- the one that nobody liked, not even Mayall himself -- that he wanted to jam with Mayall and his band in the studio. Clapton of course went along: [Excerpt: Bob Dylan and the Bluesbreakers, "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"] That was, of course, the session we've talked about in the Velvet Underground episode and elsewhere of which little other than that survives, and which Nico attended. At this point, Mayall didn't have a record contract, his experience recording with Mike Vernon having been no more successful than the Bond group's had been. But soon he got a one-off deal -- as a solo artist, not with the Bluesbreakers -- with Immediate Records. Clapton was the only member of the group to play on the single, which was produced by Immediate's house producer Jimmy Page: [Excerpt: John Mayall, "I'm Your Witchdoctor"] Page was impressed enough with Clapton's playing that he invited him round to Page's house to jam together. But what Clapton didn't know was that Page was taping their jam sessions, and that he handed those tapes over to Immediate Records -- whether he was forced to by his contract with the label or whether that had been his plan all along depends on whose story you believe, but Clapton never truly forgave him. Page and Clapton's guitar-only jams had overdubs by Bill Wyman, Ian Stewart, and drummer Chris Winter, and have been endlessly repackaged on blues compilations ever since: [Excerpt: Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, "Draggin' My Tail"] But Mayall was having problems with John McVie, who had started to drink too much, and as soon as he found out that Jack Bruce was sacked by the Graham Bond Organisation, Mayall got in touch with Bruce and got him to join the band in McVie's place. Everyone was agreed that this lineup of the band -- Mayall, Clapton, Bruce, and Hughie Flint -- was going places: [Excerpt: John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Jack Bruce, "Hoochie Coochie Man"] Unfortunately, it wasn't going to last long. Clapton, while he thought that Bruce was the greatest bass player he'd ever worked with, had other plans. He was going to leave the country and travel the world as a peripatetic busker. He was off on his travels, never to return. Luckily, Mayall had someone even better waiting in the wings. A young man had, according to Mayall, "kept coming down to all the gigs and saying, “Hey, what are you doing with him?” – referring to whichever guitarist was onstage that night – “I'm much better than he is. Why don't you let me play guitar for you?” He got really quite nasty about it, so finally, I let him sit in. And he was brilliant." Peter Green was probably the best blues guitarist in London at that time, but this lineup of the Bluesbreakers only lasted a handful of gigs -- Clapton discovered that busking in Greece wasn't as much fun as being called God in London, and came back very soon after he'd left. Mayall had told him that he could have his old job back when he got back, and so Green was out and Clapton was back in. And soon the Bluesbreakers' revolving door revolved again. Manfred Mann had just had a big hit with "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", the same song we heard Dylan playing earlier: [Excerpt: Manfred Mann, "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"] But their guitarist, Mike Vickers, had quit. Tom McGuinness, their bass player, had taken the opportunity to switch back to guitar -- the instrument he'd played in his first band with his friend Eric Clapton -- but that left them short a bass player. Manfred Mann were essentially the same kind of band as the Graham Bond Organisation -- a Hammond-led group of virtuoso multi-instrumentalists who played everything from hardcore Delta blues to complex modern jazz -- but unlike the Bond group they also had a string of massive pop hits, and so made a lot more money. The combination was irresistible to Bruce, and he joined the band just before they recorded an EP of jazz instrumental versions of recent hits: [Excerpt: Manfred Mann, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"] Bruce had also been encouraged by Robert Stigwood to do a solo project, and so at the same time as he joined Manfred Mann, he also put out a solo single, "Drinkin' and Gamblin'" [Excerpt: Jack Bruce, "Drinkin' and Gamblin'"] But of course, the reason Bruce had joined Manfred Mann was that they were having pop hits as well as playing jazz, and soon they did just that, with Bruce playing on their number one hit "Pretty Flamingo": [Excerpt: Manfred Mann, "Pretty Flamingo"] So John McVie was back in the Bluesbreakers, promising to keep his drinking under control. Mike Vernon still thought that Mayall had potential, but the people at Decca didn't agree, so Vernon got Mayall and Clapton -- but not the other band members -- to record a single for a small indie label he ran as a side project: [Excerpt: John Mayall and Eric Clapton, "Bernard Jenkins"] That label normally only released records in print runs of ninety-nine copies, because once you hit a hundred copies you had to pay tax on them, but there was so much demand for that single that they ended up pressing up five hundred copies, making it the label's biggest seller ever. Vernon eventually convinced the heads at Decca that the Bluesbreakers could be truly big, and so he got the OK to record the album that would generally be considered the greatest British blues album of all time -- Blues Breakers, also known as the Beano album because of Clapton reading a copy of the British kids' comic The Beano in the group photo on the front. [Excerpt: John Mayall with Eric Clapton, "Ramblin' On My Mind"] The album was a mixture of originals by Mayall and the standard repertoire of every blues or R&B band on the circuit -- songs like "Parchman Farm" and "What'd I Say" -- but what made the album unique was Clapton's guitar tone. Much to the chagrin of Vernon, and of engineer Gus Dudgeon, Clapton insisted on playing at the same volume that he would on stage. Vernon later said of Dudgeon "I can remember seeing his face the very first time Clapton plugged into the Marshall stack and turned it up and started playing at the sort of volume he was going to play. You could almost see Gus's eyes meet over the middle of his nose, and it was almost like he was just going to fall over from the sheer power of it all. But after an enormous amount of fiddling around and moving amps around, we got a sound that worked." [Excerpt: John Mayall with Eric Clapton, "Hideaway"] But by the time the album cane out. Clapton was no longer with the Bluesbreakers. The Graham Bond Organisation had struggled on for a while after Bruce's departure. They brought in a trumpet player, Mike Falana, and even had a hit record -- or at least, the B-side of a hit record. The Who had just put out a hit single, "Substitute", on Robert Stigwood's record label, Reaction: [Excerpt: The Who, "Substitute"] But, as you'll hear in episode 183, they had moved to Reaction Records after a falling out with their previous label, and with Shel Talmy their previous producer. The problem was, when "Substitute" was released, it had as its B-side a song called "Circles" (also known as "Instant Party -- it's been released under both names). They'd recorded an earlier version of the song for Talmy, and just as "Substitute" was starting to chart, Talmy got an injunction against the record and it had to be pulled. Reaction couldn't afford to lose the big hit record they'd spent money promoting, so they needed to put it out with a new B-side. But the Who hadn't got any unreleased recordings. But the Graham Bond Organisation had, and indeed they had an unreleased *instrumental*. So "Waltz For a Pig" became the B-side to a top-five single, credited to The Who Orchestra: [Excerpt: The Who Orchestra, "Waltz For a Pig"] That record provided the catalyst for the formation of Cream, because Ginger Baker had written the song, and got £1,350 for it, which he used to buy a new car. Baker had, for some time, been wanting to get out of the Graham Bond Organisation. He was trying to get off heroin -- though he would make many efforts to get clean over the decades, with little success -- while Bond was starting to use it far more heavily, and was also using acid and getting heavily into mysticism, which Baker despised. Baker may have had the idea for what he did next from an article in one of the music papers. John Entwistle of the Who would often tell a story about an article in Melody Maker -- though I've not been able to track down the article itself to get the full details -- in which musicians were asked to name which of their peers they'd put into a "super-group". He didn't remember the full details, but he did remember that the consensus choice had had Eric Clapton on lead guitar, himself on bass, and Ginger Baker on drums. As he said later "I don't remember who else was voted in, but a few months later, the Cream came along, and I did wonder if somebody was maybe believing too much of their own press". Incidentally, like The Buffalo Springfield and The Pink Floyd, Cream, the band we are about to meet, had releases both with and without the definite article, and Eric Clapton at least seems always to talk about them as "the Cream" even decades later, but they're primarily known as just Cream these days. Baker, having had enough of the Bond group, decided to drive up to Oxford to see Clapton playing with the Bluesbreakers. Clapton invited him to sit in for a couple of songs, and by all accounts the band sounded far better than they had previously. Clapton and Baker could obviously play well together, and Baker offered Clapton a lift back to London in his new car, and on the drive back asked Clapton if he wanted to form a new band. Clapton was as impressed by Baker's financial skills as he was by his musicianship. He said later "Musicians didn't have cars. You all got in a van." Clearly a musician who was *actually driving a new car he owned* was going places. He agreed to Baker's plan. But of course they needed a bass player, and Clapton thought he had the perfect solution -- "What about Jack?" Clapton knew that Bruce had been a member of the Graham Bond Organisation, but didn't know why he'd left the band -- he wasn't particularly clued in to what the wider music scene was doing, and all he knew was that Bruce had played with both him and Baker, and that he was the best bass player he'd ever played with. And Bruce *was* arguably the best bass player in London at that point, and he was starting to pick up session work as well as his work with Manfred Mann. For example it's him playing on the theme tune to "After The Fox" with Peter Sellers, the Hollies, and the song's composer Burt Bacharach: [Excerpt: The Hollies with Peter Sellers, "After the Fox"] Clapton was insistent. Baker's idea was that the band should be the best musicians around. That meant they needed the *best* musicians around, not the second best. If Jack Bruce wasn't joining, Eric Clapton wasn't joining either. Baker very reluctantly agreed, and went round to see Bruce the next day -- according to Baker it was in a spirit of generosity and giving Bruce one more chance, while according to Bruce he came round to eat humble pie and beg for forgiveness. Either way, Bruce agreed to join the band. The three met up for a rehearsal at Baker's home, and immediately Bruce and Baker started fighting, but also immediately they realised that they were great at playing together -- so great that they named themselves the Cream, as they were the cream of musicians on the scene. They knew they had something, but they didn't know what. At first they considered making their performances into Dada projects, inspired by the early-twentieth-century art movement. They liked a band that had just started to make waves, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band -- who had originally been called the Bonzo Dog Dada Band -- and they bought some props with the vague idea of using them on stage in the same way the Bonzos did. But as they played together they realised that they needed to do something different from that. At first, they thought they needed a fourth member -- a keyboard player. Graham Bond's name was brought up, but Clapton vetoed him. Clapton wanted Steve Winwood, the keyboard player and vocalist with the Spencer Davis Group. Indeed, Winwood was present at what was originally intended to be the first recording session the trio would play. Joe Boyd had asked Eric Clapton to round up a bunch of players to record some filler tracks for an Elektra blues compilation, and Clapton had asked Bruce and Baker to join him, Paul Jones on vocals, Winwood on Hammond and Clapton's friend Ben Palmer on piano for the session. Indeed, given that none of the original trio were keen on singing, that Paul Jones was just about to leave Manfred Mann, and that we know Clapton wanted Winwood in the band, one has to wonder if Clapton at least half-intended for this to be the eventual lineup of the band. If he did, that plan was foiled by Baker's refusal to take part in the session. Instead, this one-off band, named The Powerhouse, featured Pete York, the drummer from the Spencer Davis Group, on the session, which produced the first recording of Clapton playing on the Robert Johnson song originally titled "Cross Road Blues" but now generally better known just as "Crossroads": [Excerpt: The Powerhouse, "Crossroads"] We talked about Robert Johnson a little back in episode ninety-seven, but other than Bob Dylan, who was inspired by his lyrics, we had seen very little influence from Johnson up to this point, but he's going to be a major influence on rock guitar for the next few years, so we should talk about him a little here. It's often said that nobody knew anything about Robert Johnson, that he was almost a phantom other than his records which existed outside of any context as artefacts of their own. That's... not really the case. Johnson had died a little less than thirty years earlier, at only twenty-seven years old. Most of his half-siblings and step-siblings were alive, as were his son, his stepson, and dozens of musicians he'd played with over the years, women he'd had affairs with, and other assorted friends and relatives. What people mean is that information about Johnson's life was not yet known by people they consider important -- which is to say white blues scholars and musicians. Indeed, almost everything people like that -- people like *me* -- know of the facts of Johnson's life has only become known to us in the last four years. If, as some people had expected, I'd started this series with an episode on Johnson, I'd have had to redo the whole thing because of the information that's made its way to the public since then. But here's what was known -- or thought -- by white blues scholars in 1966. Johnson was, according to them, a field hand from somewhere in Mississippi, who played the guitar in between working on the cotton fields. He had done two recording sessions, in 1936 and 1937. One song from his first session, "Terraplane Blues", had been a very minor hit by blues standards: [Excerpt: Robert Johnson, "Terraplane Blues"] That had sold well -- nobody knows how well, but maybe as many as ten thousand copies, and it was certainly a record people knew in 1937 if they liked the Delta blues, but ten thousand copies total is nowhere near the sales of really successful records, and none of the follow-ups had sold anything like that much -- many of them had sold in the hundreds rather than the thousands. As Elijah Wald, one of Johnson's biographers put it "knowing about Johnson and Muddy Waters but not about Leroy Carr or Dinah Washington was like knowing about, say, the Sir Douglas Quintet but not knowing about the Beatles" -- though *I* would add that the Sir Douglas Quintet were much bigger during the sixties than Johnson was during his lifetime. One of the few white people who had noticed Johnson's existence at all was John Hammond, and he'd written a brief review of Johnson's first two singles under a pseudonym in a Communist newspaper. I'm going to quote it here, but the word he used to talk about Black people was considered correct then but isn't now, so I'll substitute Black for that word: "Before closing we cannot help but call your attention to the greatest [Black] blues singer who has cropped up in recent years, Robert Johnson. Recording them in deepest Mississippi, Vocalion has certainly done right by us and by the tunes "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and "Terraplane Blues", to name only two of the four sides already released, sung to his own guitar accompaniment. Johnson makes Leadbelly sound like an accomplished poseur" Hammond had tried to get Johnson to perform at the Spirituals to Swing concerts we talked about in the very first episodes of the podcast, but he'd discovered that he'd died shortly before. He got Big Bill Broonzy instead, and played a couple of Johnson's records from a record player on the stage. Hammond introduced those recordings with a speech: "It is tragic that an American audience could not have been found seven or eight years ago for a concert of this kind. Bessie Smith was still at the height of her career and Joe Smith, probably the greatest trumpet player America ever knew, would still have been around to play obbligatos for her...dozens of other artists could have been there in the flesh. But that audience as well as this one would not have been able to hear Robert Johnson sing and play the blues on his guitar, for at that time Johnson was just an unknown hand on a Robinsonville, Mississippi plantation. Robert Johnson was going to be the big surprise of the evening for this audience at Carnegie Hall. I know him only from his Vocalion blues records and from the tall, exciting tales the recording engineers and supervisors used to bring about him from the improvised studios in Dallas and San Antonio. I don't believe Johnson had ever worked as a professional musician anywhere, and it still knocks me over when I think of how lucky it is that a talent like his ever found its way onto phonograph records. We will have to be content with playing two of his records, the old "Walkin' Blues" and the new, unreleased, "Preachin' Blues", because Robert Johnson died last week at the precise moment when Vocalion scouts finally reached him and told him that he was booked to appear at Carnegie Hall on December 23. He was in his middle twenties and nobody seems to know what caused his death." And that was, for the most part, the end of Robert Johnson's impact on the culture for a generation. The Lomaxes went down to Clarksdale, Mississippi a couple of years later -- reports vary as to whether this was to see if they could find Johnson, who they were unaware was dead, or to find information out about him, and they did end up recording a young singer named Muddy Waters for the Library of Congress, including Waters' rendition of "32-20 Blues", Johnson's reworking of Skip James' "Twenty-Two Twenty Blues": [Excerpt: Muddy Waters, "32-20 Blues"] But Johnson's records remained unavailable after their initial release until 1959, when the blues scholar Samuel Charters published the book The Country Blues, which was the first book-length treatment ever of Delta blues. Sixteen years later Charters said "I shouldn't have written The Country Blues when I did; since I really didn't know enough, but I felt I couldn't afford to wait. So The Country Blues was two things. It was a romanticization of certain aspects of black life in an effort to force the white society to reconsider some of its racial attitudes, and on the other hand it was a cry for help. I wanted hundreds of people to go out and interview the surviving blues artists. I wanted people to record them and document their lives, their environment, and their music, not only so that their story would be preserved but also so they'd get a little money and a little recognition in their last years." Charters talked about Johnson in the book, as one of the performers who played "minor roles in the story of the blues", and said that almost nothing was known about his life. He talked about how he had been poisoned by his common-law wife, about how his records were recorded in a pool hall, and said "The finest of Robert Johnson's blues have a brooding sense of torment and despair. The blues has become a personified figure of despondency." Along with Charters' book came a compilation album of the same name, and that included the first ever reissue of one of Johnson's tracks, "Preaching Blues": [Excerpt: Robert Johnson, "Preaching Blues"] Two years later, John Hammond, who had remained an ardent fan of Johnson, had Columbia put out the King of the Delta Blues Singers album. At the time no white blues scholars knew what Johnson looked like and they had no photos of him, so a generic painting of a poor-looking Black man with a guitar was used for the cover. The liner note to King of the Delta Blues Singers talked about how Johnson was seventeen or eighteen when he made his recordings, how he was "dead before he reached his twenty-first birthday, poisoned by a jealous girlfriend", how he had "seldom, if ever, been away from the plantation in Robinsville, Mississippi, where he was born and raised", and how he had had such stage fright that when he was asked to play in front of other musicians, he'd turned to face a wall so he couldn't see them. And that would be all that any of the members of the Powerhouse would know about Johnson. Maybe they'd also heard the rumours that were starting to spread that Johnson had got his guitar-playing skills by selling his soul to the devil at a crossroads at midnight, but that would have been all they knew when they recorded their filler track for Elektra: [Excerpt: The Powerhouse, "Crossroads"] Either way, the Powerhouse lineup only lasted for that one session -- the group eventually decided that a simple trio would be best for the music they wanted to play. Clapton had seen Buddy Guy touring with just a bass player and drummer a year earlier, and had liked the idea of the freedom that gave him as a guitarist. The group soon took on Robert Stigwood as a manager, which caused more arguments between Bruce and Baker. Bruce was convinced that if they were doing an all-for-one one-for-all thing they should also manage themselves, but Baker pointed out that that was a daft idea when they could get one of the biggest managers in the country to look after them. A bigger argument, which almost killed the group before it started, happened when Baker told journalist Chris Welch of the Melody Maker about their plans. In an echo of the way that he and Bruce had been resigned from Blues Incorporated without being consulted, now with no discussion Manfred Mann and John Mayall were reading in the papers that their band members were quitting before those members had bothered to mention it. Mayall was furious, especially since the album Clapton had played on hadn't yet come out. Clapton was supposed to work a month's notice while Mayall found another guitarist, but Mayall spent two weeks begging Peter Green to rejoin the band. Green was less than eager -- after all, he'd been fired pretty much straight away earlier -- but Mayall eventually persuaded him. The second he did, Mayall turned round to Clapton and told him he didn't have to work the rest of his notice -- he'd found another guitar player and Clapton was fired: [Excerpt: John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, "Dust My Blues"] Manfred Mann meanwhile took on the Beatles' friend Klaus Voorman to replace Bruce. Voorman would remain with the band until the end, and like Green was for Mayall, Voorman was in some ways a better fit for Manfred Mann than Bruce was. In particular he could double on flute, as he did for example on their hit version of Bob Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn": [Excerpt: Manfred Mann "The Mighty Quinn"] The new group, The Cream, were of course signed in the UK to Stigwood's Reaction label. Other than the Who, who only stuck around for one album, Reaction was not a very successful label. Its biggest signing was a former keyboard player for Screaming Lord Sutch, who recorded for them under the names Paul Dean and Oscar, but who later became known as Paul Nicholas and had a successful career in musical theatre and sitcom. Nicholas never had any hits for Reaction, but he did release one interesting record, in 1967: [Excerpt: Oscar, "Over the Wall We Go"] That was one of the earliest songwriting attempts by a young man who had recently named himself David Bowie. Now the group were public, they started inviting journalists to their rehearsals, which were mostly spent trying to combine their disparate musical influences --

The nightclub scene was magical in Chicago's South and West sides in the late 1950s and during that time, white kids from the suburbs were finding The Blues at the end of their radio dials, buying the records, studying the music and traveling down to the clubs to meet and play with their idols!That story is told in the new Bob Sarles film, Born in Chicago. We are joined by musician/bandleader Jimmy Vivino and Blues legend Barry Goldberg who, along with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield, learned his craft at the feet of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King and Buddy Guy. Barry and Jimmy created the film's soundtrack and they are steeped in the history of Chicago Blues and loaded with stories and wisdom about class, race, inter-generational guidance and the joy of sharing and celebrating an art form that contains the power to transform us for the better.Barry and Jimmy give us a full account of the evolution of blues and blues rock from the '50s through today. Barry tells us about sitting in with Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf as a teenager and his frenemy relationship with the British invasion acts like The Stones and Eric Clapton who also idolized the Blues greats. He talks about playing in one of our nation's first racially integrated bands, Electric Flag and his experience on stage with Dylan when he “went electric” at the Newport Folk Festival.Jimmy and Barry describe composing the documentary's soundtrack & more and the blues standards that informed their musical choices.Plus, Fritz and Weezy are recommending Shiny Happy People: Dugger Family Secrets on Prime and Fair Play on Hulu and Prime.Path Points of Interest:Born in ChicagoBorn in Chicago - IMDBQ&A with Directors in Chicago ReaderBorn in Chicago on FacebookJimmy VivinoJimmy Vivino on WikipediaJimmy Vivino on InstagramJimmy Vivino on FacebookBarry GoldbergBarry Goldberg on WikipediaBarry Goldberg on imdbShiny Happy People: Dugger Family SecretsFair Play - Prime/Hulu

An amazing singer/songwriter, Joe Rian hails from Chicago and writes and sings tavern songs that are road worn and are best consumed at your local pub!  

Anna Davlantes, WGN Radio's investigative correspondent, joins Wendy Snyder, filling in for Bob Sirott, to share what happened this week in Chicago history. Stories include the day when Ferris Bueller decided to fake sick, Princess Diana’s visit to Chicago, and the first Chicago Blues Fest.

19. Little Feat / Sailin' Shoes (Demo) 20. Black Crowes / It's So Easy to Slip21. Red Wanting Blue / Hey 8422. Lyle Lovett / June 12th 23. Ally Venable w/ Buddy Guy / Texas, Louisiana 24. Nick Schnebelen / Ten Years After, 50 Years Later25. North Mississippi All Stars / See the Moon26. Screaming Cheetah Wheelies / Let the Child Ride 27. Joanne Shaw Taylor / Runaway  28. Melissa Etheridge / I've Been Loving You Too Long 29. Los Lonely Boys / She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (The Beatles) 30. Matt Whipkey / Word (Then Beatles) 31. Marcus King Band / One Day She's Here 32. Bernard Allison / Its a Man Down There33. Charley Crockett / I'm Just a Clown34. Lucinda Williams w/ Bruce Springsteen / New York Comeback Upcoming Shows & Events of InterestJune6 Cure, Fiddler's Green, Denver8 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Blue House and the Rent to Own Horns: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 The Bel Airs, The Jewell 9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band9-11 Summer Arts Festival13 Jackson Browne, Omaha 13 Counting Crowes, Steelhouse15 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Bernard Allison: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!16 Pam Tillis, Barnato (Village Pointe, Omaha)16 Flaming Lips, Steel18 Father's Day 21 Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, Steelhouse21 Marcia Ball & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eureka Springs Auditorium (Arkansas)22 Charlie Crocket, Sokol22 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!29 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Selwyn Birchwood: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!30 Melissa Etheridge & Hermans Hermits, Memorial Park (free show) 

Every Friday in June leading up to Heritage Days, K-100 is showcasing the bands performing on the Pepsi Main Stage and giving you the chance to preview their music before showtime.  This week Sparks chats with Win Noll, of Win Noll & The Rockin' Souls, who will playing the Heritage Days Pepsi Main  Stage on Saturday, June 24th from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Using their home base as inspiration, Win Noll & The Rockin' Souls belt out their own unique and captivating take on classic Chicago Blues and R&B. The band's varied repertoire take audiences on a musical voyage from Etta James to Adele, Chuck Berry to Lenny Kravitz, Susan Tedeschi to Amy Winehouse with a few powerful originals sprinkled throughout for good measure.   Win Noll & The Rockin' Souls recently won the Chicago Blues Challenge for the best group, which lead them to representing Chicago at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.   This highly inventive six piece collectively of veteran musicians is a guaranteed foot stompin' good time who command attention and consistently leaves audiences wanting more. Win Noll & The Rockin' Souls thoroughly entertain.  

On this Bob Corritore interview: Years and years of honing his craft and serving the blues, releasing his first solo LP at age 46, the incredible relationships he forged with blues legends like Louisiana Red, John Primer, Jimmy Rogers, Koko Taylor and others… Being willing to try new things (production, club ownership, band leader) and how this created new music and business opportunities, quitting drinking at age 24, his Top 3 music experiences, moving in a more positive direction, the best decision he's ever made, why he's no longer looking to prove himself, why “He's the best me he can be,” and loads more cool stuff.  Cool Guitar, Music & ELG T-Shirts!: http://www.GuitarMerch.com   Bob Corritore is one of the most active and highly regarded blues harmonica players on the scene today. He developed his style from listening to many of the original pioneers of Chicago Blues. Between his own releases and as a sideman for other artists, Bob has performed on over 100 LPs. Bob's worked with loads of guests we've had here on Everyone Loves Guitar including Bob Margolin, Dave Mason, Kid Ramos, Sugaray, and others. Many of the albums Bob has play on were nominated for or winners of various Handy, Grammy, Living Blues, Blues Music Awards and Blues Blast Music Awards. Bob is a non-singing blues harmonica player and the things he's accomplished are a testament to his sense of hustle and his work ethic. Subscribe & Website:  https://www.everyonelovesguitar.com/subscribe Support this show: https://www.everyonelovesguitar.com/support  

It made for an unlikely hit in 1966.The authentic Chicago blues sound of "Wang Dang Doodle" packed a punch and put a hole through the popular and poppier tunes at the time.Koko Taylor was born Cora Walton in Tennessee in 1935. For this song, she teamed up with blues composer, bassist, and producer Willie Dixon.She was backed by a team that included Buddy Guy and a cast of characters featuring "Automatic Slim" and "Razor Totin' Jim."Taylor went on to become one of the great voices of Chicago Blues. But what is a "Wang Dang Doodle?"We hear from singer Bonnie Raitt, actor Dan Akroyd, artist Shemekia Copeland, and producer Bruce Iglauer.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

PLAYLIST Pacific St Blues & AmericanaMay 14, 2023“Don't be the best in town. Just be the best until the best comes around.” Buddy GuyRevisit today's show, and our archives at www.podomatic.com/podcasts/KIWRblues.com 1. Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin / Killing Floor2. Trombone Shorty / Do to Me 3. Taj Mahal / One for My Baby (and One for the Road) 4. Charles Brown / Trouble Blues5. Ray Charles /  The Long and Winding Road 6. Dr. John / I Ate Up the Apple Tree7. Screaming Cheetah Wheelies / Right Place, Wrong Time 8. Keb Mo / Big Yellow Taxi9. Joni Mitchell w/ James Taylor / You Can Close Your Eyes10. Crystal Shawanda / Evil 11. Albert Cummings / Alive and Breathing12. Josh White / Freedom Road 13. Phil Ochs / I Ain't Marching Anymore 14. Staple Singers / We'll Get Over 15. Donny Hathaway / Someday, We'll All Be Free16. Cash Box Kings / Trying So Hard 17. Curtis Salgado / I'd Rather Be Blind 18. Ana Popovic / Strong Taste 19. Ally Venable w/ Joe Bonamassa / Broken and BlueUpcoming Shows & Events of InterestMay15 Beatles Tribute, Orpheum18 Travis, MAY 18 Thursday night at Gene Leahy Mall Ampitheater18 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly20 Kris Lager's Conduit, Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln20 Josh Hoyer, The Jewell20 Southern Culture on the Skids, Waiting Room25 Curtis Salgado, Waiting Room 26 Blue Venue @ B. Bar30 Seal and The Buggles, DenverJune1 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/ Rustry Wright and Laurie Morvan: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!2 Swampboy @ Soaring Wings Vineyard, Springfield, Nebraska2 Marcia Ball, Eureka Springs, Arkansas3 Soaring Wings Vineyard Blues, Booze & Balloons feat Vaness Collier6 Cure, Fiddler's Green, Denver8 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Blue House and the Rent to Own Horns: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band9-11 Summer Arts Festival13 Jackson Browne, Omaha 15 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Bernard Allison: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!16 Flaming Lips, Steel21 Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, Omaha21 Marcia Ball & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eureka Springs Auditorium (Arkansas)22 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!29 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Slewyn Birchwood: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!30 Melissa Etheridge & Hermans Hermits, Memorial Park (free show) July 1 Saturday in the Park, Sioux City 6 Larry McCray, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown6-8 Zoo Fest, Zoo Bar8 Orchestra plays music of Dr. Dre13 Xperience, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown14 Sugaray Rayford & Eddie V, (Playing With Fire)15 Twelve Bar Blues Band, Dom Martin Band, Justin Saladino, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)15 Tori Amos @ Orpheum19 Little Feat & Leftover Salmon, Orpheum20 Ron Artis II, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown25 Tedeshi Trucks Band @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln)25 Madonna, Ball Arena, Denver27 Bobby Watson, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown28 Diana Krall @ Holland28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #1 w/ Tommy Castro, Sugaray Rayford, Hector Anchondo28 Maha Music Festival29 Boz Scaggs & Keb Mo / Orpheum 29 Fargo Blues Fest Day #2 w/ GA 20, Blood Brothers (Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia) 29 Diana Krall @ Hoyt Sherman, Des Moines30 Keb Mo, Hoyt Sherman (Des Moines) August 1 Rod Stewart, Mission Ballroom, Denver3 Chad Stoner, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown4 New American Arts Festival, Benson area5 Gov't Mule / Stir Cove 5 In the Market for Blues (Toronzo Cannon, Hector Anchondo)10 Ana Popovic, Jazz on the Green, Turner Park, Midtown11 A.J. Croce / Admiral 11 Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Ziggy Marley @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln) 11 Thorbjorn Risager & Black Tornado, Samatha Martin & Delta Sugar (Playing With Fire)12 Bywater Call, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)14 Blues Traveler, Pinewood Bowl 20 Doobie Brothers, Pinewood Bowl27 Black Keys, Pinewood Bowl31 - 9/4 Kris Lager's Ozark Festival, ArkansasSeptember15-17 Telluride Blues Festival (Bonnie Raitt) October16 Peter Gabriel, Ball Arena, DenverNovember 10 Aerosmith w/ Black CrowesIn the Mood for a Getaway? (Regional Shows: Des Moines, KC, & Iowa City)Upcoming shows at the Starlight Theatre, Kansas City...May 26th, Chicago, May 10th, Steve Miller w/Cheap Trick, June 11, Barenaked Ladies, June 14, Doobie Brothers, June 15, Tyler ChildersJune 19, Matchbox 20June 30, Revivalist w/ Head and the HeartJuly 1, Young the Giant w/ Milky ChanceJuly 18, Foreigner w/ LoverboyRain - A Tribute to the BeatlesAugust 1,2,3,4,5,6'Jagged Little Pill' (Morisette play) August 25, The Black Keys, September 6. 3 Doors Down, Upcoming shows at Kansas City's Knuckleheads SaloonMay 18th, Hamilton LoomisMay 19th, Southern Culture on the Skids,May 25, 26, 27, The Mavericks,May 31st, Ally VenableJune 9th, Black Joe Lewis & the HoneybearsJune 10th, Robbie FulksJune 10th, Shawn PhillipsJune 15th, Pam TillisJune 15th, Bernard AllisonJune 30th, Tab BenoitJuly 5th, Larry McCrayJuly 7th James HunterJuly 29th Chubby CarrierAugust 4th, Hadden SayersUpcoming shows at the Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines include...May 16th, Martin SextonJuly 6th, Bela FleckJuly 19th, Ann WilsonJuly 29th, Diana KrallJuly 30th, Keb MoAug 4th, KansasAug 15th, The WallflowersAug 31st, Happy Together Tour Sept 8th, Herbie HancockSept 15th, MavericksSept 26th, Kenny Wayne ShepherdNov 5th, Steve Hackett (Genesis)Nov 15th, A.J. CroceThe Englert Theater in Iowa City has some good shows coming up this year.May 17th, The WailersMay 21st, Rickie Lee JonesJune 14th, James McMurtyJuly 11th, Bela FleckAugust 16th, The WallflowersAugust 28th, Devon Allman & Donovan FrankenreitherSept 10th, Ani DiFrancoSept 13th, The MavericksSept 20th, Herb AlpertOct 18th Tommy EmmanuelRed Rocks AmphitheatreJune 2nd, Michael FrantiJune 5th, Yeah Yeah YeahsJune 10th Big Head Todd & the MonstersJune 11th, Rodrigo y GabrielaJuly 12th, Al Green with Colorado SymphonyJune 23, 24, 25, Widespread PanicJune 28th Lyle LovettJune 29th The Head and the HeartJuly 1st, 311July 4th, Blues TravelersJuly 7, 8, 9, The Avett BrotehrsJuly 14,15,17, String Cheese IncidentJuly 17th, Tori AmosJuly 19, 29, CaampJuly 28, 29th, Tedeschi Trucks BandJuly 31st, Lucinda Willams and Big ThiefAug 6th, Joe BonamassaAug 7th, Govt MuleAug 15, 16, Beck and PhoenixAug 22, 23, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsAug 25, 26, My Morning JacketAug 28, 29, Duran DuranSept 8,9, Brandi CarlileSept 11th, Steve Miller BandSept 14th, Revivalists and Band of HorsesSept 20, 21, StingSept 25th, Counting CrowsSept 27, 28, Tyler ChildersOct 16th, Ryan AdamsDenver's Blue Bird TheatreMay 16th, The Hoodoo GurusJune 12th, Del AmitriJune 21st, Melissa Etheridge, acoustic solo Aug 1st, Better Than Ezra

PLAYLIST Pacific St Blues & AmericanaApril 30, 202313. The Who / Please, Please, Please (James Brown)14. The Who / I'm a Man (Bo Diddley via' Muddy Waters)15. Slim Harpo / I Got Love if You Want It16. The High Numbers / I'm the Face 17. Sonny Boy Williamson / Eyesight to the Blind18. Eric Clapton / Eyesight to the Blind (Tommy OST) 19. Elton John / Pinball Wizard 20. The Who / Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting21. Mose Allison / Young Man Blues 22. The Who / Young Man Blues 23. Pete Townshend / On the Road Again (Tommy Johnson via' Floyd Jones, Canned Heat) 24. Pete Townshend / Corrina, Corrina (Bob Dylan, Taj Majal) 25. Keb Mo & Taj Mahal / Squeeze Box26. Richie Havens / Won't Get Fooled Again27. Betty LaVette / Love Reigh O'Er Me 28. Tina Turner / Acid Queen29. The Blasters / Daddy Rollin' Stone (Otis Blackwell)30. David Bowie / Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Pinups: I Can't Explain) 31. The Who / Under My Thumb (Last Time) 32. Bruce Springsteen / Summertime Blues Upcoming Shows & Events of InterestMay2 Jason Isbell & Amythyst Kian, Orpheum4 Harper, B.Bar6 Built to Spill, Waiting Room6 Blues Society Annual Meeting (5 p.m.), B. Bar10 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly Sports Bar, LaVista 10 Pixies, Mission Ballroom, Denver11 Buddy Guy @ The Holland 12 The Killer, Steel Shed (Holland) 13 Matt Whipkey, Album Release (Beatles), Jewell15 Beatles Tribute, Orpheum18 Travis, MAY 18 Thursday night at Gene Leahy Mall Ampitheater18 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly20 Kris Lager's Conduit, Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln20 Josh Hoyer, The Jewell20 Southern Culture on the Skids, Waiting Room25 Curtis Salgado, Waiting Room 26 Blue Venue @ B. Bar30 Seal and The Buggles, DenverJune1 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/ Rustry Wright and Laurie Morvan: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!2 Swampboy @ Soaring Wings Vineyard, Springfield, Nebraska2 Marcia Ball, Eureka Springs, Arkansas3 Soaring Wings Vineyard Blues, Booze & Balloons feat Vaness Collier6 Cure, Fiddler's Green, Denver8 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Blue House and the Rent to Own Horns: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band9-11 Summer Arts Festival13 Jackson Browne, Omaha 15 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Bernard Allison: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!16 Flaming Lips, Steel21 Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, Omaha21 Marcia Ball & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eureka Springs Auditorium (Arkansas)22 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!29 BSO's Biergarten Blues w/Slewyn Birchwood: RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS & RESTAURANT, 4524 Farnam St!30 Melissa Etheridge & Hermans Hermits, Memorial Park (free show) July 1 Saturday in the Park, Sioux City 6-8 Zoo Fest, Zoo Bar8 Orchestra plays music of Dr. Dre14 Sugaray Rayford & Eddie V, (Playing With Fire)15 Twelve Bar Blues Band, Dom Martin Band, Justin Saladino, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)15 Tori Amos @ Orpheum19 Little Feat & Leftover Salmon, Orpheum25 Tedeshi Trucks Band @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln)25 Madonna, Ball Arena, Denver28 Diana Krall @ Holland28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #1 w/ Tommy Castro, Sugaray Rayford, Hector Anchondo28 Maha Music Festival29 28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #2 w/ GA 20, Blood Brothers (Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia) 29 Diana Krall @ Hoyt Sherman, Des MoinesAugust 1 Rod Stewart, Mission Ballroom, Denver4 New American Arts Festival, Benson area5 Gov't Mule / Stir Cove 5 In the Market for Blues (Toronzo Cannon, Hector Anchondo)11 A.J. Croce / Admiral 11 Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Ziggy Marley @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln) 11 Thorbjorn Risager & Black Tornado, Samatha Martin & Delta Sugar (Playing With Fire)12 Bywater Call, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)14 Blues Traveler, Pinewood Bowl 20 Doobie Brothers, Pinewood Bowl27 Black Keys, Pinewood Bowl31 - 9/4 Kris Lager's Ozark Festival, ArkansasSeptember15-17 Telluride Blues Festival (Bonnie Raitt) October16 Peter Gabriel, Ball Arena, DenverIn the Mood for a Getaway? (Regional Shows: Des Moines, KC, & Iowa City)Upcoming shows at the Starlight Theatre, Kansas City...May 5th, Robert Plant(Led Zeppelin) & Alison Krauss, May 26th, Chicago, May 10th, Steve Miller w/Cheap Trick, June 11, Barenaked Ladies, June 14, Doobie Brothers, June 15, Tyler ChildersJune 19, Matchbox 20June 30, Revivalist w/ Head and the HeartJuly 1, Young the Giant w/ Milky ChanceJuly 18, Foreigner w/ LoverboyRain - A Tribute to the BeatlesAugust 1,2,3,4,5,6'Jagged Little Pill' (Morisette play) August 25, The Black Keys, September 6. 3 Doors Down, Upcoming shows at Kansas City's Knuckleheads SaloonMay 11th, Brandon Santini,May 18th, Hamilton LoomisMay 19th, Southern Culture on the Skids,May 25, 26, 27, The Mavericks,May 31st, Ally VenableJune 9th, Black Joe Lewis & the HoneybearsJune 10th, Robbie FulksJune 10th, Shawn PhillipsJune 15th, Pam TillisJune 15th, Bernard AllisonJune 30th, Tab BenoitJuly 5th, Larry McCrayJuly 7th James HunterJuly 29th Chubby CarrierAugust 4th, Hadden SayersUpcoming shows at the Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines include...May 16th, Martin SextonJuly 6th, Bela FleckJuly 29th, Diana KrallAug 4th, KansasAug 15th, The WallflowersSept 8th, Herbie HancockSept 15th, MavericksSept 26th, Kenny Wayne ShepherdNov 5th, Steve Hackett (Genesis)The Englert Theater in Iowa City has some good shows coming up this year.May 17th, The WailersMay 21st, Rickie Lee JonesJune 14th, James McMurtyJuly 11th, Bela FleckAugust 16th, The WallflowersAugust 28th, Devon Allman & Donovan FrankenreitherSept 10th, Ani DiFrancoSept 13th, The MavericksSept 20th, Herb AlpertOct 18th Tommy EmmanuelRed Rocks AmphitheatreMay 13th, Gary Clark Jr. June 2nd, Michael FrantiJune 5th, Yeah Yeah YeahsJune 10th Big Head Todd & the MonstersJune 11th, Rodrigo y GabrielaJuly 12th, Al Green with Colorado SymphonyJune 23, 24, 25, Widespread PanicJune 28th Lyle LovettJune 29th The Head and the HeartJuly 1st, 311July 4th, Blues TravelersJuly 7, 8, 9, The Avett BrotehrsJuly 14,15,17, String Cheese IncidentJuly 17th, Tori AmosJuly 19, 29, CaampJuly 28, 29th, Tedeschi Trucks BandJuly 31st, Lucinda Willams and Big ThiefAug 6th, Joe BonamassaAug 7th, Govt MuleAug 15, 16, Beck and PhoenixAug 22, 23, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsAug 25, 26, My Morning JacketAug 28, 29, Duran DuranSept 8,9, Brandi CarlileSept 11th, Steve Miller BandSept 14th, Revivalists and Band of HorsesSept 20, 21, StingSept 25th, Counting CrowsSept 27, 28, Tyler ChildersOct 16th, Ryan AdamsDenver's Blue Bird TheatreMay 16th, The Hoodoo GurusJune 12th, Del AmitriJune 21st, Melissa Etheridge, acoustic solo Aug 1st, Better Than Ezra

PLAYLIST Pacific St Blues & AmericanaApril 23, 2023 (part 2) 20. Blue House & the Rent to Own Horns / Mean Old Lady 21. Bonerama / Misty Mountain Hop  22. Matt Whipkey / It's Only Love 23. Ally Venable (feat Joe Bonamassa) /   Broken and Blue24. Anna Popovic / Doin' This 25. Tedeschi Trucks Band / Soul Sweet Song 26. Joann Shaw Taylor / I Won't Get Fooled Again 27. Bonnie Raitt / Living for the Ones28. Sue Foley / Boogie Real Low 29. Lucinda Williams w/ Bruce Springsteen / My New York Come Back30. Bruce Springsteen / Ghosts 31. Cash Box Kings / Oscars Hotel 32. Danielle Nicole / Burning for You 33. Joe Bonamassa / Never Make Your Move Too Soon 34. Nick Shenebelen / Ten Years After, Fifty Years LaterJune Chicago Blues Fest 8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band

PLAYLIST Pacific St Blues & AmericanaApril 23, 2023“Don't be the best in town. Just be the best until the best comes around.” Buddy GuyRevisit today's show, and our archives at www.podomatic.com/podcasts/KIWRblues.com 1. Bobby Blue Bland / Ain't That Loving You2. Ray Charles w/ BB King / Sinners Prayer3. Johnny Adams / One Foot in the Blues4. Jimmy Smith (feat Keb Mo) / Over & Over 5. Kansas City Jay McShann / Confessin' the Blues6. Bob Stroger / Why Do Things Happen7. Nina Simone / I Think It's Gonna Rain8. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings / Humble Me9. Boz Scaggs / I'll Be Long Gone 10. Chuck Levell / Mean Mistreater11. AJ Croce / So Much Fun 12. Curtis Salgado / The Harder They Come 13. The Nighthawks / Johnny Too Bad 14. Desmond Dekker / Isralites 15. Bonnie Raitt w/ Toots & the Maytall / True Love is Hard to Find 16. The Fabulous Thunderbirds / Wrap It Up 17. Paul Rodgers / I Thank You 18. Melissa Etheridge / Hold On, I'm Coming 19. Sam & Dave / I Can't Stand Up Upcoming Shows & Events of InterestApril28 The New Pornographers, Waiting Room (Neko Case) 29 Boo Boo Davis, The JewellMay2 Jason Isbell & Amythyst Kian, Orpheum4 Harper, B.Bar6 Built to Spill, Waiting Room6 Blues Society Annual Meeting (5 p.m.), B. Bar10 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly Sports Bar, LaVista 10 Pixies, Mission Ballroom, Denver11 Buddy Guy @ The Holland 12 The Killer, Steel Shed (Holland) 13 Matt Whipkey, Album Release (Beatles), Jewell15 Beatles Tribute, Orpheum18 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly20 Kris Lager's Conduit, Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln20 Southern Culture on the Skids, Waiting Room25 Curtis Salgado, Waiting Room 26 Blue Venue @ B. Bar30 Seal and The Buggles, DenverJune2 Marcia Ball, Eureka Springs, Arkansas3 Soaring Wings Vineyard Blues, Booze & Balloons6 Cure, Fiddler's Green, Denver8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band9-11 Summer Arts Festival13 Jackson Browne, Omaha 16 Flaming Lips, Steel21 Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, Omaha21 Marcia Ball & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eureka Springs Auditorium (Arkansas)30 Melissa Etheridge & Hermans Hermits, Memorial Park (free show) July 1st Saturday in the Park, Sioux City 6-8 Zoo Fest, Zoo Bar8 Orchestra plays music of Dr. Dre14 Sugaray Rayford & Eddie V, (Playing With Fire)15 Twelve Bar Blues Band, Dom Martin Band, Justin Saladino, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)15 Tori Amos @ Orpheum19 Little Feat & Leftover Salmon, Orpheum25 Tedeshi Trucks Band @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln)25 Madonna, Ball Arena, Denver28 Diana Krall @ Holland28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #1 w/ Tommy Castro, Sugaray Rayford, Hector Anchondo28 Maha Music Festival29 28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #2 w/ GA 20, Blood Brothers (Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia) 29 Diana Krall @ Hoyt Sherman, Des MoinesAugust 1 Rod Stewart, Mission Ballroom, Denver4 New American Arts Festival, Benson area5 Gov't Mule / Stir Cove 5 In the Market for Blues11 A.J. Croce / Admiral 11 Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Ziggy Marley @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln) 11 Thorbjorn Risager & Black Tornado, Samatha Martin & Delta Sugar (Playing With Fire)12 Bywater Call, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)14 Blues Traveler, Pinewood Bowl 20 Doobie Brothers, Pinewood Bowl27 Black Keys, Pinewood Bowl31 - 9/4 Kris Lager's Ozark Festival, ArkansasSeptember15-17 Telluride Blues Festival (Bonnie Raitt) October16 Peter Gabriel, Ball Arena, DenverIn the Mood for a Getaway? (Regional Shows: Des Moines, KC, & Iowa City)Upcoming shows at the Starlight Theatre, Kansas City...May 5th, Robert Plant(Led Zeppelin) & Alison Krauss, May 26th, Chicago, May 10th, Steve Miller w/Cheap Trick, June 11, Barenaked Ladies, June 14, Doobie Brothers, June 15, Tyler ChildersJune 19, Matchbox 20June 30, Revivalist w/ Head and the HeartJuly 1, Young the Giant w/ Milky ChanceJuly 18, Foreigner w/ LoverboyRain - A Tribute to the BeatlesAugust 1,2,3,4,5,6'Jagged Little Pill' (Morisette play) August 25, The Black Keys, September 6. 3 Doors Down, Upcoming shows at Kansas City's Knuckleheads SaloonApril 30th, The SadiesMay 11th, Brandon Santini,May 18th, Hamilton LoomisMay 19th, Southern Culture on the Skids,May 25, 26, 27, The Mavericks,May 31st, Ally VenableJune 9th, Black Joe Lewis & the HoneybearsJune 10th, Robbie FulksJune 10th, Shawn PhillipsJune 15th, Pam TillisJune 15th, Bernard AllisonJune 30th, Tab BenoitJuly 5th, Larry McCrayJuly 7th James HunterJuly 29th Chubby CarrierAugust 4th, Hadden SayersUpcoming shows at the Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines include...May 16th, Martin SextonJuly 6th, Bela FleckJuly 29th, Diana KrallAug 4th, KansasAug 15th, The WallflowersSept 8th, Herbie HancockSept 15th, MavericksSept 26th, Kenny Wayne ShepherdNov 5th, Steve Hackett (Genesis)The Englert Theater in Iowa City has some good shows coming up this year.April 21 & 22, David SedarisMay 17th, The WailersMay 21st, Rickie Lee JonesJune 14th, James McMurtyJuly 11th, Bela FleckAugust 16th, The WallflowersAugust 28th, Devon Allman & Donovan FrankenreitherSept 10th, Ani DiFrancoSept 13th, The MavericksSept 20th, Herb AlpertOct 18th Tommy EmmanuelRed Rocks AmphitheatreMay 13th, Gary Clark Jr. June 2nd, Michael FrantiJune 5th, Yeah Yeah YeahsJune 10th Big Head Todd & the MonstersJune 11th, Rodrigo y GabrielaJuly 12th, Al Green with Colorado SymphonyJune 23, 24, 25, Widespread PanicJune 28th Lyle LovettJune 29th The Head and the HeartJuly 1st, 311July 4th, Blues TravelersJuly 7, 8, 9, The Avett BrotehrsJuly 14,15,17, String Cheese IncidentJuly 17th, Tori AmosJuly 19, 29, CaampJuly 28, 29th, Tedeschi Trucks BandJuly 31st, Lucinda Willams and Big ThiefAug 6th, Joe BonamassaAug 7th, Govt MuleAug 15, 16, Beck and PhoenixAug 22, 23, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night SweatsAug 25, 26, My Morning JacketAug 28, 29, Duran DuranSept 8,9, Brandi CarlileSept 11th, Steve Miller BandSept 14th, Revivalists and Band of HorsesSept 20, 21, StingSept 25th, Counting CrowsSept 27, 28, Tyler ChildersOct 16th, Ryan AdamsDenver's Blue Bird TheatreMay 16th, The Hoodoo GurusJune 12th, Del AmitriJune 21st, Melissa Etheridge, acoustic solo Aug 1st, Better Than Ezra

PLAYLIST Pacific St Blues & AmericanaApril 16, 2023“Don't be the best in town. Just be the best until the best comes around.” Buddy GuyRevisit today's show, and our archives at www.podomatic.com/podcasts/KIWRblues.com 1. Eric Bibb / Family2. Stephen Monroe / Storm3. A.J Croce / So Much Fun 4. Bob Malone (Oh Well, Fleetwood Mac) 5. Lucinda Williams feat Bruce Springsteen6. Bruce Springsteen / Jungleland 7. Diana Krall / Simple Twist of Fate 8. Joanna Shaw Taylor / Nobody's Fool9. Gov't Mule w/ Ruthie Foster & Ivan Neville / Dreaming Out Loud 10. Tedeschi Trucks Band / Last Night in the Rain 11. Little Feat / All That You Dream 12. Buddy Guy w/ Billy Gibbons / I'm Gonna Wear You Out13. Billy Gibbons w/ Larkin Poe / Stacking Bones 14. Christone Kingfish Ingram / Another Life Goes By 15. North Mississippi All Stars / See the Moon 16. Danielle Nicole / Cry No More 17. Bonnie Raitt / Blame It On Me 18. Rory Block / I'd Rather Go Blind (Etta James) 19. Etta James / Never My Love Upcoming Shows & Events of InterestApril22 Earth Day 22 Record Store Day28 The New Pornographers, Waiting Room (Neko Case) 29 Boo Boo Davis, The JewellMay2 Jason Isbell & Amythyst Kian, Orpheum4 Harper, B.Bar5 Gov't Mule, Orpheum 6 Built to Spill, Waiting Room6 Blues Society Annual Meeting (5 p.m.), B. Bar10 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly Sports Bar, LaVista 11 Buddy Guy @ The Holland 12 The Killer, Steel Shed (Holland) 15 Beatles Tribute, Orpheum18 Big Al & The Heavyweights, Philly20 Southern Culture on the Skids, Waiting Room25 Curtis Salgado, Waiting Room 26 Blue Venue @ B. BarJune2 Marcia Ball, Arkansas3 Soaring Wings Vineyard Blues, Booze & Balloons8 Chicago Blues Festival / Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Wayne Baker Brooks, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens9 Chicago Blues Festival  - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ 70th Anniversary of Delmark Records, Delmark All-Star Band including Dave Specter, Johnny Burgin, Larry Williams, Roosevelt Purifoy, Johnny Iguana, Steve Bell, and Big Ray        Featured performances by Bob Stroger, Sharon Lewis, Willie Buck, Dave Weld & Monica Myhre, Linsey Alexander & Nick Alexander, Shirley Johnson, and Willie Hayes        and Nora Jean Wallace, Jontavious Willis, Jimmy Burns Band, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) w/ Mzz Reese, Lightnin' Malcolm, Eddie Cotton, Vasti Jackson- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm, Daily showcase of Chicago Blues legends and emerging artists that have called Rosa's Lounge home over the last 39 year        Stephen Hull, Big Mike and the R&B Kings featuring Sierra Green, Melody Angel, Eddie Taylor - 100th Birthday with the Taylor Family "the Taylor Family, Rico McFarland10 Chicago Blues Festival - Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ Women in Blues - Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis and Sugar Pie DeSanto, Joe Pratt & The Source One Band, Sugaray Rayford, Demetria Taylor with The Mike Wheeler Band, Mud Morganfield- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Chris Gill & The Sole Shakers, Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band, John Primer with Steve Bell, Super Chikan- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) 12-6pm w/ Dave Herrero and Friends, Matthew Skoller and Chicago Wind featuring: Precious Taylor, Milwaukee Slim with the Billy Flynn Band, Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, Rosa's Lounge Jam Session with Mary Lane, Lil Ed, Willie Buck, and Billy Branch11 Chicago Blues Festival- Jay Pritzker Pavilion w/ The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Terrie Odabi, Stephen Hull, Sheryl Youngblood, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Los Lobos- Visit Mississippi Juke Joint Stage (South Promenade) Duwayne Burnside, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Zac Harmon, O.B. Buchana- Rosa's Lounge (North Promenade) Wendy and DB with Blues Friends, The Ivy Ford Band, The Bear Williams Band, Gerald McClendon, Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band9-11 Summer Arts Festival13 Jackson Browne, Omaha 16 Flaming Lips, Steel21 Marcia Ball & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Eureka Springs Auditorium (Arkansas)July 1st Saturday in the Park, Sioux City 6-8 Zoo Fest, Zoo Bar8 Orchestra plays music of Dr. Dre14 Sugaray Rayford & Eddie V, (Playing With Fire)15 Twelve Bar Blues Band, Dom Martin Band, Justin Saladino, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)15 Tori Amos @ Orpheum19 Little Feat & Leftover Salmon, Orpheum25 Tedeshi Trucks Band @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln)28 Diana Krall @ Holland28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #1 w/ Tommy Castro, Sugaray Rayford, Hector Anchondo28 Maha Music Festival29 28 Fargo Blues Fest Day #2 w/ GA 20, Blood Brothers (Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia) 29 Diana Krall @ Hoyt Sherman, Des MoinesAugust 4 New American Arts Festival, Benson area5 In the Market for Blues11 A,J, Croce, Admiral 11 Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Ziggy Marley @ Pinewood Bowl (Lincoln) 11 Thorbjorn Risager & Black Tornado, Samatha Martin & Delta Sugar (Playing With Fire)12 Bywater Call, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Blues Ed (Playing With Fire)14 Blues Traveler, Pinewood Bowl 20 Doobie Brothers, Pinewood Bowl27 Black Keys, Pinewood Bowl31 - 9/4 Kris Lager's Ozark Festival, ArkansasSeptember15-17 Telluride Blues Festival (Bonnie Raitt) In the Mood for a Getaway? (Regional Shows: Des Moines, KC, & Iowa City)Upcoming shows at the Starlight Theatre, Kansas City...May 5th, Robert Plant(Led Zeppelin) & Alison Krauss, May 26th, Chicago, May 10th, Steve Miller w/Cheap Trick, June 11, Barenaked Ladies, June 14, Doobie Brothers, June 15, Tyler ChildersJune 19, Matchbox 20June 30, Revivalist w/ Head and the HeartJuly 1, Young the Giant w/ Milky ChanceJuly 18, Foreigner w/ LoverboyRain - A Tribute to the BeatlesAugust 1,2,3,4,5,6'Jagged Little Pill' (Morisette play) August 25, The Black Keys, September 6. 3 Doors Down, Upcoming shows at Kansas City's Knuckleheads SaloonApril 19th, Rev Peyton's Big Damn BandMay 11th, Brandon Santini,May 20th, Southern Culture on the Skids,May 25, 26, 27, The Mavericks,Upcoming shows at the Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines include...July 29th, Diana KrallThe Englert Theater in Iowa City has some good shows coming up this year.April 21 & 22, David Sedaris

Mike Stephen discusses the importance of training the next generation of journalists with Jason Block, multimedia communications teacher at Prospect High School, learns about local jazz saxman Shawn Maxwell's new music, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago Blues harmonica legend Billy Branch.

The Hurricane Project is a group of seasoned blues musicians who are striving to keep the blues alive for much longer. Ray and Mike sat down with the band to find out how that is going.

Happy New Year! For this weeks episode I selected some of my favorite interviews from 2022. From The Blushin' Roulettes, an Appalachian swing duo who got their start on a farm in Mendocino, CA eventually making their way to the hills of NC-to Dr. Bacon, an Appalachian grass six-piece from Asheville, NC-down to Atlanta with Small Reactions, a new age soul, exotica inspired quartet, then up to Forest, VA with Karlee Raye, a country soul singer-songwriter and finally to St. Louis with The Hooten Hallers, an amalgamation of influences including pre-war jazz, Chicago blues with hints of punk. Happy New Years! Thank you to my guests throughout 2022, thank you to WNCW for sharing Appalachian Vibes on their air waves, a special thanks to you, the listener, for joining me live on air or on your fav podcasting platform. Your support truly means the world to me and the artists who share their talents.Thanks to Galax Tourism for for being our sponsor for these past few months. Appalachian Vibes is brought to you by Galax Tourism, made possible by Virginia is for Lovers. Galax Tourism, building our future while celebrating our past. You can learn more about Galax at https://visitgalax.com/Sending y'all love and joy through the holiday season. Email me anytime at appalachianvibes@gmail.com Love,Amanda Bocchi Appalachian Vibes Radio Show from WNCW is listener nominated, you can nominate an artist by emailing Amanda at appalachianvibes@gmail.com. Appalachian Vibes Radio Show is created and produced by Amanda Bocchi, a neo soul singer-songwriter, multi instrumentalist and journalist hailing from the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.

The Downtown Charlie Brown Blues Band, a local band out of Chicagoland is one of the hottest blues bands in the Chicago area. Playing a mixture of R&B, Delta, New Orleans and Chicago style Blues as well as well as Jazz and a taste of Rock and Roll has kept them gigging on a weekly basis for over 20 years. Ray and Mike had the honor of sitting down with Downtown Charlie Brown to hear his story.

Jeff Hayes from Austin's  Jeff & The Jumptones

#charliemusselwhite #elvis #chicagoblues #memphisblues #harmonicaparty Charlie Musselwhite joins Mark Hummel's Harmonica Party for a conversation with the legendary Harp player. Charlie talks about growing up in Memphis and going to the Amusement Park and movies with Elvis Presley and the Memphis Mafia. Charlie remembers his unique childhood that brought him to music and to the blues. Charlie tells Mark about the move to Chicago and trying to find a place in the blues scene, First working in a record store and sharing the stage with Chicago Blues legends Lew Soloff, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. Charlie Musselwhite recent recordings include Grammy nominated releases with Elvin Bishop #elvinbishop Ben Harper #benharper . Please SUBSCRIBE to Mark Hummel's Harmonica Party YouTube Channel. Mark Hummel  Accidental Productions

  Do you have an infant, toddler, or child that struggles with feeding or eating? Are they shy and do you worry their speech is delayed?   Today's guest gives parents tips, tools and resources that will validate your intuition and support you in helping your child.   Mattie Murrey Tegels, MA, CCC-SLP, L, PCP Founder, You Got This Speech Therapy and Coaching Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder of You Got This Speech Therapy and Coaching.   She's been “in the trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and is now an Assistant Professor. She is thrilled to be growing her dream job of offering a speech therapy and coaching business for individuals with communication challenges and voice disorders.   Mattie is a national speaker in her field, a published author, a speaker for National Alliance for Mental Illness, and has her own successful podcast! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited.   To learn more about working with Mattie: www.freshslp.com for SLP's https://yougotthisspeechtherapy.com/ Parent support The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast     We are so excited to announce that No-Problem Parenting is launching our first Parenting Resource book!

Together, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon electrified and spread all over the world the music known as The Blues!In this episode, we return to the Profiles In The Blues series with the story of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, both key figures in the Chicago Blues scene, tracing back to their Mississippi roots. The Imbalanced Boys gauge their impact in their own time, as well as the future of Rock & Roll!Other characters come to play in this story: Leonard Chess, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter among them. Top up your drinks, and kick back for a fine ride!During this episode, the guys mention the following links/sources:-Willie Dixon on loudersound.com-I Am The Blues piece on Willie on PastePlease check out our sponsors:Boldfoot Socks   https://boldfoot.comCrooked Eye Brewery   https://crookedeyebrewery.com/Don't forget that you can find all of our episodes, on-demand, for free right here on our web site: https://imbalancedhistory.com/

Together, Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon electrified and spread all over the world the music known as The Blues!In this episode, we return to the Profiles In The Blues series with the story of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, both key figures in the Chicago Blues scene, tracing back to their Mississippi roots. The Imbalanced Boys gauge their impact in their own time, as well as the future of Rock & Roll!Other characters come to play in this story: Leonard Chess, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter among them. Top up your drinks, and kick back for a fine ride!During this episode, the guys mention the following links/sources:-Willie Dixon on loudersound.com-I Am The Blues piece on Willie on PastePlease check out our sponsors:Boldfoot Socks   https://boldfoot.comCrooked Eye Brewery   https://crookedeyebrewery.com/Don't forget that you can find all of our episodes, on-demand, for free right here on our web site: https://imbalancedhistory.com/