Bob Hall – At Kardomah94 Hull

Posted on by Opher

Last night was amazing. I finally got to see the great Bob Hall supporting Lil’ Jimmy Reed.

Bob is a genius in his own right. He started off with the great Alexis Korner way back in the early sixties. He then supported Jo-Ann Kelly and Dave Kelly before being a founder member of Savoy Brown and working with Fleetwood Mac, the Blues Band and the Sunflower Blues Band. Not only that but he hails from West Byfleet – just down the road from where I was brought up on the Thames Delta! And he played with Ian Stewart – the great Rolling Stones pianist who I used to play rugby with!

It was a pleasure to see him. Not only that but I was right up close in front of his keyboards and was able to watch close at hand as he tickled those ivories! It was incredible!

What a privilege!

Lil’ Jimmy Reed at Kardomah94 Hull

Posted on by Opher

I had the privilege of seeing the great Leon Atkins AKA Li’ Jimmy Reed in Hull yesterday.

The last of the Louisiana Blues men from around Baton Rouge, Jimmy is still going strong and putting on one hell of a show. If you like good electric Blues a la Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters and Elmore James then this is the real thing.

Ably supported by the keyboard genius Bob Hall and Ukulele Bass expert Hilary Blythe they put on a great authentic show of genuine Louisiana Blues that would have done the original Jimmy Reed proud.

Leon got his break at a young age when the original Jimmy Reed was too drunk to perform and he was persuaded to take his place under the moniker Lil’ Jimmy Reed. The show was a success, the name stuck, and he never looked back.

His guitar playing was crisp, intricate and rockin’, his harmonica playing equally superb. When he sang it was so real it sent your mouth straining into a big grin. You don’t get to hear real blues like this anymore. They are all dead. But Leon lives on. At 81 years old he is still full of it.

We got the whole story of his eight children, 37 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and 4 great, great grandchildren (No wonder overpopulation is killing the world. Seemingly Jimmy is prolific in more ways than just music.

Hilary Blythe was superb on that ukulele bass and Bob Hall is a genius.

All told it was a great show!! I’d travel a long way to catch them again!!

Charlie Patton and Aisey Payton – Blues Giants in a field.

Posted on by Opher

I only knew Charlie Patton from a few scratchy tracks recorded well back in the 1930s. Alongside people like Blind Lemon Jefferson he was one of the founding fathers of the Blues. It was only later, when CDs came out, that I got to hear some more.

Charlie Patton was part Native American and reputed was quite a showman. He’d play that acoustic guitar between his legs and behind his head – the sort of skills required to entertain while busking on street corners.

We finally tracked his grave down in an old neglected graveyard in the middle of nowhere.

After a big search we eventually tracked down his grave.

A little further away was the grave of Aisie Payton.

Aisie was one of the great Hill Country Bluesmen who recorded for Fat Possum.

Alongside Aisley was Little Willie Foster the Chicago Harp Player.

 

 

Slim Harpo – A Swamp Blues Genius

Posted on by Opher

We checked out the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge.

Then we set of to find what had happened to James Moore AKA Slim Harpo the Excello label Swamp Blues maestro responsible for such gems as Shake Your Hips, I’m A King Bee and Got Love If You Want It – made famous by bands such as the Stones and Kinks.

I’d first heard Slim playing on a treasured album called Swamp Blues. He was a great favourite of mine. The man was a genius. I never got to see him perform because in 1970, just as he was organising a tour of Europe, he dropped dead from a heart attack. Such a great shame. He was only forty six.

It took us a long time to track down the graveyard where Slim Harpo was buried.

We found his grave in an overgrown section with trees growing out of his grave.

We paid our respects. Goodbye Slim and thanks for the music.

 

The Blues Trail – Mississippi

Posted on by Opher

I started listening to the Blues when I was 14 years old back in 1964. These Blues guys were old black guys who sang about a world that was totally different. They sang about places that sounded so weird and exotic like Tishomingo, Rolling Fork, Tutwiler and Tupelo. It was as if they were on another planet.

Then my daughter moved to Louisiana and I had the chance to spend time travelling through Louisiana and Mississippi to check out the whole Blues Scene.  I could actually visit those places and see where these wonderful musicians played, lived and died.

We followed the Blues Trail around. Signs were put up at significant places; places where they’d played, recorded, lived or died. We hunted out graves, old venues and wonderful little hamlets. It took us out into really obscure places and we got to meet people and see what Mississippi was all about. It brought all those old songs to life and enabled me to imagine their lives.

We were able to travel down the old Blues Highways of the magical Highway 61 and Highway 49, the fabled crossroads, plantations and Juke Joints.

I thought it would be nice to put a few posts out showing some of our adventures.

 

Irma Thomas in New Orleans!

Posted on by Opher

It was awesome to catch Irma Thomas – the Soul Queen of New Orleans – playing in New Orleans.

She was fabulous – Ruler of my Heart (covered as Pain in My Heart by Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones) and Time is on my Side (Also covered by the Stones) were both in her performance.  A great show.

Music to exercise to! Rockin’ Health!

Posted on by Opher

I try to do exercise every day – it’s good for the body and mind. I always feel better for it even if it is a bit of a pain at times and I really do not feel like it.

I have a treadmill and I do three miles with maximum slope at a very fast walk. While I am exercising I play music as loud as my headphones will go. I had to get special ones that went loud I like it loud.

My Walkman is loaded with my favourite stuff – three thousand tracks of dynamite which I play on random.

Today was fairly typical.

Rolling Stones – Ventilator Blues from Exile on Main Street

A dirty riff and great song to rock out on.

Bob Dylan – It Ain’t Me Babe  from Another Side of Bob Dylan

From a time when Dylan was just pouring out all those brilliant songs one after another. The acoustic Dylan before he went electric. I prefer his more social songs but this is still a great one.

Captain Beefheart – Ella Guru – from Trout Mask Replica

The captain made some brilliant stuff with all those dirty guitat riffs and great drums. I think we all knew a few Ella Gurus.

Joe Ely – Are you Listen’ Lucky – from Live at Liberty Lunch

I like the power of it. Great to exercise to.

So there you go. You can play ’em all and do your own exercise to ’em.

Have fun!

The Best Electric guitarists in the Universe – My favourites.

Posted on by Opher

Now this is difficult because it is so subjective. I do not like guitarists because they are technically brilliant but purely on how good they sound to my ear. Thus I rule out people like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani because I find them boring.

The very best is easy – Jimi Hendrix stands out for me above everyone. Nobody has come near to the showmanship, skills or excitement – let alone his experimental techniques.

After that it is not so easy. Elmore James stands out for me because I just adore that ringing slide guitar sound he creates.

Then there’s Bo Diddley who created such an incredible and unique rhythmic sound – his jungle beat.

Peter Green is the top British guitar man for me. The beauty of those clean notes is just chilling. Seeing him live was exquisite.

Paul Kossof of Free was another unique player. Seeing him perform was so exciting. He produced such power.

Jeff Beck brought such innovation to the Yardbirds that he sent them into a different plane. Just listening to those early tracks is amazing.

Then there’s Jimmy Page. He was present on most of those sixties singles – the ultimate studio session man creating all those exciting licks that we know so well. Then out in front of the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin – and with Roy Harper.

Mick Taylor was another great guitarist who came out of John Mayall’s band. His work with the Stones was sublime and he was responsible for some of their best stuff.

Going back to the beginning of Electric guitar we had the superb Johnny Guitar Watson  and T-Bone Walker.  Johnny created that long lead that enabled him to do his tricks and I remember being enthralled by T-Bone playing his guitar with one hand while walking it around the stage – so delicate and amazing.

Then there’s Buddy Guy with his guitar histrionics and Stevie Ray Vaughan  who was so exciting. Johnny Winter who brought Muddy Waters back to life and Keith Richards who provided those memorable Stones licks.

Eric Clapton was so superb with Cream but has rarely captured that same intensity. But Pete Townsend drove the Who to greatness with those guitar heroics. Oh how I wish I could see him as that young man leaping and windmilling around. Then Neil Young is an underrated guitarist and I do like Robbie Kreiger of the doors with his great slide work and Jeremy Spencer did fabulous Elmore James impersonations.

Jack White was the man that brought that great raw sound back, superb riffs and sheer excitement. I thought White Strypes were so exciting to see live.

If only Zoot Horn Rollo was still playing. How I would have loved to have heard that long lunar note once more!!

I guess we all have our favourites!

So many great guitarists. So who are the present day guitar heroes?? Please update me!!

The Best City Blues Singers in the Universe!! (Or at least the ones I like!)

Posted on by Opher

I got into electric Blues when I was fourteen and Dick Brunning made me listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins for hours on end! I became enamoured with the amplified guitar and grew to love it. I progressed on to Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker and then I was completely hooked!

These are my favourite electric Blues singers (and guitarists):

Elmore James

Sonny Boy Williamson

Muddy Waters

Howlin’ Wolf

Albert King

Slim Harpo

Lazy Lester

Buddy Guy

Little Walter

Hound Dog Taylor

John Lee Hooker

Billy Boy Arnold

BB King

Jimmy Reed

Junior Kimbrough

RL Burnside

Lightnin’ Hopkins

T-Bone Walker

Albert Collins

I always go back to the Blues! I love slide guitar! I love the energy!

The Best Acoustic Blues Artists (Or at least my favourites).

Posted on by Opher

I really got to love the Blues when I was fourteen years old. My friend Dick Brunning introduced me. I never looked back.

I was fortunate to get to see a number of the originals when they were brought across in the sixties on these Festival of the Blues tours. I feel privileged to have seen them before they died. They were amazing.

Hunting down those albums was really hard back in the sixties. They were like gold dust. When you found one on Folkways or whatever it was a real celebration and you’d play it to death.

Here’s a list of my personal favourites:

Son House

Robert Johnson

Bukka White

Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup

Furry Lewis

Memphis Minnie

Kokomo Arnold

Bo Carter

Snooks Eaglin

Memphis Jug Band

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Texas Alexander

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee

Willie Johnson

Blind Willie McTell

Peg Leg Howell

Big Joe Williams

Bessie Smith (hard to fit in anywhere with Blues – more Jazz)