THE BLUESNEWS FROM THE WORLD OF THE BLUESBLUES  

​Here’s what’s Trending in the BluesNews this Week……
June 5-6, 2020 Audio Blues News

I was reading this article on ew.com titled Questlove Rethinks the Summer Playlist.  He’s the leader of the Roots, the band on the Tonight Show.  The list came from his DJ sessions that he’s been hosting on Instagram through the pandemic……He named his top 10 albums to listen to if you are in Quarantine…..He had a great list….Some Stevie, some Roy Ayers, Some EWF, Some Tears of Fears….Very diverse….That Got me to thinking…..If I had to play 10 blues albums for blues fans to listen to while in quarantine across the summer for the entire family to enjoy…..What would they be…..Well, I did it, and here they are, not in any particular order…..This is a mixture of Live performances and Studio albums….

  1. Otis Clay Soul Man Live in Japan- 1985 -Great Stage Presences, Great Vocals, Extremely entertaining and the musicians are outstanding on this. His band included the Hodges Brothers…The vinyl set has many more songs than the BCD, so if you can find the vinyl set, you’re found a collectors item…..

  2. Mel Waiters – Material Things…..1999….This was one of the early days of the introduction of Southern Soul and Hole in the Wall really sprung the Southern Soul Craze. It’s a great album and it’s Very well put together

  3. B.B. King Live At Ole Miss……1980…This BCD really displayed the talents of B.B. King, and his band. His band doesn’t get the credit it deserves because B.B. was such a huge star…But B.B. made his band and his band Made B.B. This one is really kicking…

  4. Etta James Live at the Boarding House in San Francisco…1981…This one is so good because Etta poured her heart and everything else in this Album. You can really feel what she’s feeling in this and it’s a great listening Album….

  5. Bobby Blue Bland Two Steps From the Blues……1961….This was Bobby’s Debut Album and it is classic Bobby Blue Bland.  The early technology then is not what it is now, but Bobby’s voice made it work.  Bobby did some really great work in his time, but it started with Two Steps from the Blues.  Plus, Bobby is one of the Best Blues Crooners Ever…..

  6. Sir Charles Jones For Your Love Greatest Hits…..This BCD took all of Sir Charles hits and put them on one BCD. It even includes the hit Is There anybody Lonely, which vaulted him to the upper echelon, and the Bobby Womack hit, I Wish He Didn’t Trust me so much is on this….Charles did a great job with that song.  This is a great BCD…..And it’s vintage Sir Charles Jones…

  7. Ike and Tina Turner Live at Carnegie Hall…..1971…This concert placed the high energy Tina Turner in front of the Sophisticated people of Carnegie Hall in New York. Before that concert was finished, Tina had all the very high society and sodity people on the floor dancing. They had never seen a chitillin circuit show with such precision, flashes, and great singing as this…..Great listening

  8. Muddy Mississippi Waters Live….1979….Even though this is promoted as Live, it was actually done in a studio and produced by Johnny Winters. If you want to know what true blues is all about, check this out.  In my opinion, and I’ve said this a lot, this is the best blues album ever recorded.  Muddy kills it on this one, and the musicians are on point as I’ve never heard them before.  This one is great to listen to over this summer or anytime…

  9. Aretha Franklin Live in Paris…..1968….This was a young Aretha, and at that time, she blew everything away in music. She really took over the world with her vocals.  Don’t need to say too much about Aretha, but this will definitely introduce you to her early years of R & B which was just as good as her later years….

  10. Narvell Echols…Return of the Country Boy….2020…..This is the true definition of Delta Blues, Southern Soul, Traditional Blues with a 2020 twist. This guy put it all together and when you listen to this BCD, you will have as much fun listening as Narvell had making it.  This is great for summer listening…..

And that’s my 10 Blues must listen to Albums to listen to while you’re quarantining this summer.  ..If you want to see QuestLove’s 10 must listen to albums while quarantined, we have a link to it on the BluesNews page at Bluestimeinthecity.com…..Thanks Quest for the idea…..I’d like to hear yours…..Go to the web page and send me yours, or tweet me @rojeneblues…..
ew.com

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PAST TRENDING BLUES STORIES

In an article in Vanity Fair, The stepsister of The Great Mystery BluesMan Robert Johnson, Annye C. Anderson, has written a book about her stepbrother.  It’s called Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson.  The first question I asked myself when I read this story was, How old is this woman, writing a book now.  Well, as described in the article, she’s a Nonagenarian, meaning she’s at least 90, definitely between 90 and 100.  The book, according to her, will set the record straight about her brother and she was tired of him being this hard living hard drinking blues singer that sold his soul to the devil.  She says a lot of that stuff about her brother is a bunch of Bull, especially the part about him being a womanizer.  She says he was one nice guy.  And, there are supposedly two pictures of Robert Johnson.  On the cover of the book is a third picture that she’s had for years.  It’s done with a guy named Preston Lauterbach, and it goes on sale on June 9th.  If you want to read the article, there’s a link to it on the BluesNews page at Bluestimeinthecity.com

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/exclusive-first-look-at-new-photograph-of-blues-legend-robert-johnson

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The Chicago Blues Festival is scheduled to take place next weekend June 5th through June 7th…..It will be online….All of Chicago’s music festivals this summer will be on line, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Music series began the weekend of May 22nd and 23rd with their House Music, this weekend it’s Gospel Music, and next weekend it’s the Blues. Scheduled to perform next weekend are Guy King, John Primer, Melody Angel, Toronzo Cannon and many more.  The Coronavirus is throwing everything for a loop this year, but the show must go on.  If you want to see the schedule and the times for the Blues Performances next weekend, we have a link to it on the BluesNews page at Bluestimeinthecity.com….
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/21/21266758/house-blues-gospel-music-online-millennium-park-at-home-series-chicago-coronavirus

 

Blues Prodigy, Guitar extraordinaire, B-3 Organ master Lucky Peterson made the transition last Sunday May 17th in Dallas Texas.  Lucky was 55 years of age.  According to his FaceBook page, he was at home when he became ill and was rushed to the hospital and in critical condition.  Unfortunately, he did not recover.  He was born Judge Kenneth Peterson in Buffalo New York and his father was a famous Bluesman, James Peterson who owned a nightclub in Buffalo.  Lucky could play anything.  Guitar, organ, and his singing was so powerful.  He was accomplished in Blues, Gospel, Rock and Jazz, but his preference was The Blues and he spread the blues throughout the entire world.  When he was five years old, he on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show.  That’s just how talented he was.  Over his career, he recorded some 40 albums, and appeared on countless more.  As information on services come in, we’ll post it on our site, Bluestimeinthecity.com…We lost another great one in Lucky.  Our condolences go out to his wife Tamara and their kids. 

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With the Covid 19 ConornaVirus pretty much shutting down everything around the country, events have been taking place on line, and have proven to be very successful.  The Jus Blues Music Foundation just announced that their 20th Anniversary Music Awards will also be done virtually this year.  The On Line Awards will take place in July with a plethora of performances, special guests, and some throw back video from award presentations from the past 20 years.  We will definitely keep you abreast of this On Line activity and to find out more on the 20th Anniversary Music Awards, we have a link to everything on the BluesNews page at Bluestimeinthecity.com…..
https://www.jusblues.org/

PAST TRENDING BLUES STORIES

It was just last weekend we told you about an interview on the AmericanBluesScene.com site about Little Richard…..Sadly, The Biggest Blues story from this past week is the passing of the founding Father, the architect of Rock and Roll Little Richard.  Little Richard Penniman made the transition last Saturday Morning at the age of 87.  He was born in Macon Georgia in December of 1932 and grew up around many uncles that were preachers and he started singing in the church.  His father was a bootlegger.  In the mid 50’s and early 60’s, Little Richard was the hottest in the country.  He is one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll, and had a flamboyant style that was second to none.  He dressed in all the colors of the rainbow and more, and had a hair style that stood at least 6 to 8 inches tall.  His first big hit was Tutti Frutti in 1956, and from there he recorded a series of hits including Lucille, Good Golly Miss Molly, Rip It Up, Long Tall Sally, and the Movie Theme, the Girl Can’t Help It….. He was one of the first inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, honor with a star on the Hollywood on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990, has a street named in his honor in Macon Georgia in 1990, are just a few of the honors he received in his illustrious career.  He even did the song Itsy Bitsy Spider for Disney Records.  Little Richard has a storied history and legacy he left behind.  Private Services were held for him in Huntsville Alabama at Oakwood University where he studied ministry.  This guy had one heck of a life.  To find out more about Little Richard Wayne Penniman, we have links on the BluesNews Page at BluesTimeinthecity.com……Our condolences go out to the family of Richard Penniman, known to the world as Little Richard……
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/little-richard-dead-48505/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/09/arts/music/little-richard-dead.html

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We also got the word that Bessie Regina Norris also made the transition last weekend.  She was known as Betty Wright. Betty was very young when she got into the music professionally, and she was very determined to do it the way she liked it.   She was known for hits like the Clean Up Woman, Girls Can’t do what the guys Do, and Where is the Love, which she won a Grammy for in 1974.  In the early 80’s, she started her own Record Label, something that had never been done by a female artist.  On her label, she recorded No Pain No Gain, and later Mother Wit, that went gold, another first for a Female Label Owner.  Her work has been sampled by Hip Hop artists galore, and she was an inspiration to many female artists on the scene today.  The Clean Up Woman,  Betty Wright was 66 years of age. Invitation Only Private services were held May 16th. 

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Next Saturday May 23rd, the Southern Soul Concert is coming to you.  Calvin Richardson, Sir Charles Jones, Omar Cunningham and Special Guest Bigg Robb will perform at 9 pm.  The stage will be wherever you are.  You can get it on your phone, tablet, computer, or on you TV and it’s all in real time.  It’s called Soul Show on Demand, and it’s your one stop shop for the best in Blues, Soul, Southern Soul and R & B.  The show is hosted by my good friend, M.C. Lightfoot…..For more info on the Soul Show on Demand, we have a link to the info on the BluesNews Page At BluesTimeinthecity.com…..

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=104985281213738&story_fbid=105893321122934
https://www.soulshowondemand.com/?fbclid=IwAR3_X98uMYEOK_Oz0JGiNzhNK3-1OYfhTo8hh4hisiwUcM22t7hVNhY80rE

 

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Two interesting interviews on AmericanBluesScene.com.  One is by Don Wilcock on Little Richard Pendelton.  In Little Richard’s early days, according to the interview, the record company wanted him to sound like B.B. King and Muddy Waters.  But Richard was having none of it.  According to Little Richard, they didn’t even know he played piano.  The way he showed them blew everybody’s mind.  And another interesting item in the interview….The lyrics in the Song Tutti Frutti had to be changed before the song could be released.  In the early 1950’s, you’d be surprised what the original lyrics were.  They would have gotten everybody ran out of town, during that time.  Today, it’s a walk in the park…. Six feet apart of course…..The other interview is with Zakiya Hooker, the daughter of John Lee Hooker.  This one is by J.D. Nash.  It goes into her early days in life, which included a long stint in Law Enforcement, and how the music thing hit her later in life.  She just released her album that she dedicated to her dad which is call Legacy.  She wrote all the songs herself.  It’s very interesting and worth the read.  If you would like to read the article on Zakiya or Little Richard, we have links to them on the BluesNews Page at BluesTimeinthecity.com….

https://www.americanbluesscene.com/rear-view-mirror-good-golly-miss-molly-its-little-richard/
https://www.americanbluesscene.com/zakiya-hooker-beyond-the-legacy/

 

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The Covid 19-Conoravirus has caused entertainment destruction in our country…..You get information on all types of concerts and Sporting events being cancelled, among other things…. but not that much about Blues and Southern Soul Concerts.  That’s why I’m here…..I looked into it, and it’s devasting for these artists.  I talked with Nellie Tiger Travis, one of the huge stars of the Blues and Southern Soul circuit to get an inside look of how it’s impacting artists like her…..Listen Here:

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Since the Coronaviris hit, there has been a lot of Live concerts streamed on line.  Country Artists, Pop Artists, Soul Artists….Well, you can’t leave out the Blues Artists.  There’s been a lot of Blues artists streaming Live Concerts from their homes.  Ms Jody did one, Lil Ed and The Blues Imperials did one, even Bobby Rush did one which was very well done.  This weekend, Kenny Neal, Sugaray Rayford, Mr. Sipp, and many others are doing the concert called Take A Stand For The Strand.  On the Site Bluesfestivalguide.com, they have information on artists that have streamed and will be streaming complete with dates and times.  We have a link to their web site on the BluesNews Page at Bluestimeinthecity.com….
https://bluesfestivalguide.com/

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One of BluesTime In The City’s Long time listeners from way back in the day and a personal friend was laid to rest last weekend.  He made the transition on March 27th.  Mr. Joseph Lowery was a husband, father, civil rights activists, minister, icon, and friend to all people, and much much more, and we owe Mr. Lowery a huge debt  of gratitude for where we as Black People are today. I met Joe, or should I say out of the upmost respect for him, Mr. Lowery when I first moved to Atlanta, and we did numerous television programs with him, radio programs with him, and much more.  Whatever we needed from him, he was always available to us to lend his voice.  Mr. Lowery Loved the Blues, often calling in to my show with requests.  No, I’m not telling what he requested.  It’s ironic to me that he was laid to rest exactly 52 years to the day that his friend Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. April 4th…. Our condolences go out to his family and from all of us, Thank You Mr. Lowery for a job well done…….

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Got an Email from Michael Freeman,  the chairman of the Board of Blues Foundation and it said, Barbara Newman, the popular President and CEO of the Blues Foundation is vacating the post effective September 30, 2020.  Didn’t see that one coming….Since the Blues Music Awards has been canceled because of the coronavirus, she will be heading up the virtual Blues music Awards show and it will take place in May.  I’ve met Barbara on several occasions and she’s a very talented lady who seems to me love challenges.  She’s done a great job for the Blues Foundation, and you can bet that in her future is a major challenge.  The Blues Foundation is looking for a replacement now.

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The Spring Fling is in Mobile Alabama is Rescheduled for May 30th, and it sounds like a college student spring break.  Those in the area know exactly what Spring Fling is, but maybe some of our listeners don’t. Ron Davis is one of the Producers of The Spring Fling, and the owner of The Southern Soul Radio network, which this show is a part of…..Ron is on the phone this weekend, and you must listen to the Audio Link that’s playing now to hear about The Spring Fling.

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Springflingmusicfestival.com
southernsoulnetwork.com

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The upcoming Aretha Franklin Genius Series to air on National Geographic has been postponed for now because of the coronavirus.  It was scheduled to air May 25th, but the production stopped March 13th.  Cynthia Erivo plays the queen of soul, and it will return later this year.  No date has been announced yet.  Aretha’s Genius Series like so many other productions had to shut down because of safety concerns for the personnel involved.  We’ll keep you abreast on when this is rescheduled…..

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The B.B. King Blues Band and the B.B. King Estate have joined forces to present The B.B. King Experience featuring The late B.B. King’s Band, which was called the Experience, will feature James Boogaloo Bolden, Russell Jackson, Wilbert Crosby, Darrell Lavigne, Myron Jackson and B.B.’s youngest daughter Claudette King.  The B.B. King Experience will begin their tour dates on March 21st, and will run through June 13th.  Right now they’re showing 22 dates. This is a world wide tour, that will mostly see them in Europe, although there are stops in Decatur Illinois, Falls Church Virginia, Petoskey Michigan and Powhattan Kansas.  They will release a single, Rock Me Baby this summer that will feature George Benson, Tito Jackson and Claudette King.  Should be interesting.

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And one last thing…..While you’re sheltering in place at home during this crisis and you have run out of things for you and the kids to do, this may be of some help.  There are several web sites that are giving free on-line blues guitar lessons.  If you’ve been putting it off, maybe now is the time to give it a try.  And there are harmonica and bass lessons to.  You can learn some blues guitar, one kid play the harmonica and the wife and the other kid can sing…..Google it….It’ll be fun…….Noisy but fun…..

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If you have a trending BluesNews item of interest, email it to us at Bluestimeinthecity@gmail.com or call our Hot Line at 404/826-BLUES and we’ll get the info on our BluesNews Segment of the Show………

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BluesNews For The Upcoming Weekend of May 16-17, 2020