The return of the legendary harmonica giant from the 1950s Chicago blues scene. "A triumphant comeback"—Billboard

 

Billy Boy Arnold is back. With his 1992 Alligator Records debut, Back Where I Belong, Arnold firmly reestablished himself as one of the foremost practitioners of classic Chicago blues. His wailing harmonica playing and soulful vocals are a perfect match for his streetwise songwriting. The combination of Delta-influenced blues with a more urban sophistication not only defines Arnold's sound, but was also a significant contribution in the early, formative days of rock and roll. 

 

I’m excited about featuring this wonderful record for you this week. With Billy Boy backed by a crack group of young West Coast hotshots, he sounds like he’s having the time of his life.

Plus new releases from Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy, TajMo, Janiva Magness, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Larry McCray, Chambers DesLauriers, Eric Gales, DK Harrell, Brandon Santini and Terry Hanck.

The return of the legendary harmonica giant from the 1950s Chicago blues scene. "A triumphant comeback"&mdash;Billboard
&nbsp;
Billy Boy Arnold is back. With his 1992 Alligator Records debut, Back Where I Belong, Arnold firmly reestablished himself as one of the foremost practitioners of classic Chicago blues. His wailing harmonica playing and soulful vocals are a perfect match for his streetwise songwriting. The combination of Delta-influenced blues with a more urban sophistication not only defines Arnold's sound, but was also a significant contribution in the early, formative days of rock and roll.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m excited about featuring this wonderful record for you this week. With Billy Boy backed by a crack group of young West Coast hotshots, he sounds like he&rsquo;s having the time of his life.
Plus new releases from Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy, TajMo, Janiva Magness, Bobby Rush &amp; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Larry McCray, Chambers DesLauriers, Eric Gales, DK Harrell, Brandon Santini and Terry Hanck.

Shaun Bindley’s Blues with a Feeling has been playing the latest and greatest blues releases, album features and interviews from Australia and across the world for almost 30 years.

With a dedicated following both locally and internationally as a radio show of 27 years, Shaun is now working on producing Blues with a Feeling as a Podcast.

Shaun Bindley&rsquo;s Blues with a Feeling has been playing the latest and greatest blues releases, album features and interviews from Australia and across the world for almost 30 years.
With a dedicated following both locally and internationally as a radio show of 27 years, Shaun is now working on producing Blues with a Feeling as a Podcast.

Blues with a Feeling - The Official Podcast

Shaun Bindley’s Blues with a Feeling has been playing the latest and greatest blues releases, album features and interviews from across the world for almost 30 years.

Shaun Bindley&rsquo;s Blues with a Feeling has been playing the latest and greatest blues releases, album features and interviews from across the world for almost 30 years.

Shaun Bindley's Blues With A Feeling

SE 5 Ep 26 - Billy Boy Arnold Classic Album Feature “Back Where I Belong”

 

“It's been over 30 years since world-class musicians guitarist Little Charlie Baty and harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter Rick Estrin first teamed up and took hard Chicago blues, jump, Texas swing and jazz and mixed it with rockabilly, proto-rock'n'roll, jumping jive, bebop and Estrin's sharply original lyrics, creating a sound one critic described as "Charlie Christian playing in Little Walter's band." Their utter mastery of American roots music is fueled by Baty's jaw-dropping guitar acrobatics and driven by Estrin's captivating original songs, cutting vocals and brilliant harmonica playing.

The story of Little Charlie & The Nightcats began back in the early 1970s when Baty--a harmonica-playing UC Berkeley student--first met Estrin. With Rick already an accomplished harp player, Baty decided to switch to guitar full-time and the two formed a blues band. After relocating to Sacramento, Baty quickly reinvented himself as a take-no-prisoners, one-of-a-kind guitarist. With the addition of a drummer and a bass player, Little Charlie & The Nightcats were born.

In 1986 the band sent an unsolicited tape to Alligator Records. Alligator president Bruce Iglauer was blown away. He flew to Sacramento to see the band perform and was sold. Their debut album, All The Way Crazy, was released in 1987 to overwhelming success. Almost immediately they went from playing small Sacramento blues clubs to performing concerts and festivals around the country and around the world.”

I’m beyond excited to feature for you this groundbreaking record this week. And to add context, my guest this week is the bands singer, songwriter and harp player Rick Estrin, who was kind enough to turn his memory back to 1987 and share all sorts of stories about the bands earliest years.

Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Roomful of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, The Alexis P Suter Band, Darren Watson and Sally King & the Repeat Offenders.

  

&nbsp;
&ldquo;It's been over 30 years since world-class musicians guitarist&nbsp;Little Charlie Baty&nbsp;and harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter&nbsp;Rick Estrin&nbsp;first teamed up and took hard Chicago blues, jump, Texas swing and jazz and mixed it with rockabilly, proto-rock'n'roll, jumping jive, bebop and Estrin's sharply original lyrics, creating a sound one critic described as "Charlie Christian playing in Little Walter's band." Their utter mastery of American roots music is fueled by Baty's jaw-dropping guitar acrobatics and driven by Estrin's captivating original songs, cutting vocals and brilliant harmonica playing.
The story of Little Charlie &amp; The Nightcats began back in the early 1970s when Baty--a harmonica-playing UC Berkeley student--first met Estrin. With Rick already an accomplished harp player, Baty decided to switch to guitar full-time and the two formed a blues band. After relocating to Sacramento, Baty quickly reinvented himself as a take-no-prisoners, one-of-a-kind guitarist. With the addition of a drummer and a bass player, Little Charlie &amp; The Nightcats were born. In 1986 the band sent an unsolicited tape to Alligator Records. Alligator president Bruce Iglauer was blown away. He flew to Sacramento to see the band perform and was sold. Their debut album,&nbsp;All The Way Crazy, was released in 1987 to overwhelming success. Almost immediately they went from playing small Sacramento blues clubs to performing concerts and festivals around the country and around the world.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;m beyond excited to feature for you this groundbreaking record this week. And to add context, my guest this week is the bands singer, songwriter and harp player Rick Estrin, who was kind enough to turn his memory back to 1987 and share all sorts of stories about the bands earliest years.
Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Roomful of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, The Alexis P Suter Band, Darren Watson and Sally King &amp; the Repeat Offenders.
&nbsp;&nbsp;

SE 5 Ep 47 - Classic Album Feature - Little Charlie & the Nightcats - All the Way Crazy

"Billed as her most personal statement, this may well be Mavis Staples’ finest solo effort to date. In 2004, the powerhouse lead singer of the famed Staple Singers released the rootsy Have A Little Faith on Alligator. Here, producer/guitarist Ry Cooder places the reigning queen of gospel’s voice in an even more intimate setting, paring the instrumentation down to the bare essentials.

But it’s the repertoire that makes the album so personal, not to mention riveting. She goes not just back to the church but back to the type of “freedom songs” that made the Staple Singers an inextricable part of the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s – as Rep. John Lewis writes in the liner notes, “the soul of that revolution.”

Just as her family band had something to say then – with songs like “Why Am I Treated So Bad,” “Long Walk To D.C.,” and the hit “Respect Yourself” – Ms. Staples mixes traditional gospel tunes and originals to comment on the state of things in 2007.

The program opens with the biting social commentary of unsung blues poet J.B. Lenoir’s “Down In Mississippi,” with Ladysmith Black Mambazo providing vocal backing to Cooder’s guitar and mandolin and the heavy backbeat of his constant collaborator, Jim Keltner. Mike Elizondo, who played on Cooder’s Chavez Ravine, is back on bass and keyboards, with Ry’s son, Joachim, who provided percussion on the acclaimed Buena Vista Social Club.

Cooder’s big-toned slide leads off a version of “Eyes On The Prize” that will make the hair stand up on the back your neck. But the autobiographical “My Own Eyes” – recalling her father, Roebuck, and Martin Luther King (singing, “If he can preach it, we can sing it”) is perhaps Mavis’s finest hour.

Sure to be on numerous Top 10 lists for 2007." Vintage Guitar 

 

A particular favourite of mine, it’s a thrill to feature for you this week, this sublime record.

 

Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Eric Bibb, Roomful Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, Eddie 9VT, Sally King & The Repeat Offenders, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and John Primer &Bob Corritore.

 

"Billed as her most personal statement, this may well be Mavis Staples&rsquo; finest solo effort to date. In 2004, the powerhouse lead singer of the famed Staple Singers released the rootsy Have A Little Faith&nbsp;on Alligator. Here, producer/guitarist Ry Cooder places the reigning queen of gospel&rsquo;s voice in an even more intimate setting, paring the instrumentation down to the bare essentials.
But it&rsquo;s the repertoire that makes the album so personal, not to mention riveting. She goes not just back to the church but back to the type of &ldquo;freedom songs&rdquo; that made the Staple Singers an inextricable part of the Civil Rights Movement of the &rsquo;60s &ndash; as Rep. John Lewis writes in the liner notes, &ldquo;the soul of that revolution.&rdquo;
Just as her family band had something to say then &ndash; with songs like &ldquo;Why Am I Treated So Bad,&rdquo; &ldquo;Long Walk To D.C.,&rdquo; and the hit &ldquo;Respect Yourself&rdquo; &ndash; Ms. Staples mixes traditional gospel tunes and originals to comment on the state of things in 2007.
The program opens with the biting social commentary of unsung blues poet J.B. Lenoir&rsquo;s &ldquo;Down In Mississippi,&rdquo; with Ladysmith Black Mambazo providing vocal backing to Cooder&rsquo;s guitar and mandolin and the heavy backbeat of his constant collaborator, Jim Keltner. Mike Elizondo, who played on Cooder&rsquo;s&nbsp;Chavez Ravine, is back on bass and keyboards, with Ry&rsquo;s son, Joachim, who provided percussion on the acclaimed&nbsp;Buena Vista Social Club.
Cooder&rsquo;s big-toned slide leads off a version of &ldquo;Eyes On The Prize&rdquo; that will make the hair stand up on the back your neck. But the autobiographical &ldquo;My Own Eyes&rdquo; &ndash; recalling her father, Roebuck, and Martin Luther King (singing, &ldquo;If he can preach it, we can sing it&rdquo;) is perhaps Mavis&rsquo;s finest hour.
Sure to be on numerous Top 10 lists for 2007." Vintage Guitar&nbsp;
&nbsp;
A particular favourite of mine, it&rsquo;s a thrill to feature for you this week, this sublime record.
&nbsp;
Plus new releases from Buddy Guy, Eric Bibb, Roomful Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Bobby Rush &amp; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Billy Branch &amp; The Sons Of Blues, Tinsley Ellis, Eddie 9VT, Sally King &amp; The Repeat Offenders, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and John Primer &amp;Bob Corritore.
&nbsp;

SE 5 Ep 46 - Mavis Staples - Classic Album Feature - We'll Never Turn Back

Live Focus – Mike Henderson – Last Night At The Blue Bird - Live

“Mike Henderson's long musical career saw him tour with Mark Knopfler, record with Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt and Kelly Willis. His song writing skills have been showcased by the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless, and he's played in numerous bands over the years including The Steel Drivers with Chris Stapleton. He first started playing regular shows at Nashville's Bluebird Café in 1986 while a member of The Kingsnakes.

‘Last Nite at the Bluebird – Live’ brings to close a thirty year relationship with the famous venue and documents the late musician in an intimate venue he knew and loved.

A gentle ribbing of the venue and the famous singer-songwriter sessions it hosts gets his audience warmed up as he opens the album with his own composition, ‘Weepin’ & Moanin’.  Not letting up, the boogie shuffle of ‘Matchbox’ quickly follows.  However, things really step up a gear with the searing slide guitar on ‘Too Much Alcohol’, a song made famous by the late Rory Gallagher.  This version finds Henderson playing with the fire of Elmore James and Jeremy Spencer combined.

Other highlights include ‘When I Get Drunk’, the harmonica soaked ‘Have A Good Time’ and ‘Pay Bo Diddley’ from Henderson’s old band, The Bluebloods.

‘Last Nite at the Bluebird – Live’ is well produced live recording that highlights Henderson’s raw energetic guitar skills and ability with work with an intimate audience, anyone who was lucky enough to catch any of these shows really did witness something special and as this recording proves, catching lightning in a bottle is possible.” Folk and Tumble

Really excited to present this crackin live set this week.

Plus new music from Billy Branch & the Sons Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur, GA20, Chambers DesLaurier Band, Lloyd Spiegel, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and Candice Ivory.  

 

Live Focus &ndash; Mike Henderson &ndash; Last Night At The Blue Bird - Live
&ldquo;Mike Henderson's long musical career saw him tour with Mark Knopfler, record with Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt and Kelly Willis. His song writing skills have been showcased by the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless, and he's played in numerous bands over the years including The Steel Drivers with Chris Stapleton. He first started playing regular shows at Nashville's Bluebird Caf&eacute; in 1986 while a member of The Kingsnakes.
&lsquo;Last Nite at the Bluebird &ndash; Live&rsquo;&nbsp;brings to close a thirty year relationship with the famous venue and documents the late musician in an intimate venue he knew and loved.
A gentle ribbing of the venue and the famous singer-songwriter sessions it hosts gets his audience warmed up as he opens the album with his own composition,&nbsp;&lsquo;Weepin&rsquo; &amp; Moanin&rsquo;.&nbsp; Not letting up, the boogie shuffle of&nbsp;&lsquo;Matchbox&rsquo;&nbsp;quickly follows.&nbsp; However, things really step up a gear with the searing slide guitar on&nbsp;&lsquo;Too Much Alcohol&rsquo;, a song made famous by the late Rory Gallagher.&nbsp; This version finds Henderson playing with the fire of Elmore James and Jeremy Spencer combined.
Other highlights include&nbsp;&lsquo;When I Get Drunk&rsquo;, the harmonica soaked&nbsp;&lsquo;Have A Good Time&rsquo;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&lsquo;Pay Bo Diddley&rsquo;&nbsp;from Henderson&rsquo;s old band, The Bluebloods.
&lsquo;Last Nite at the Bluebird &ndash; Live&rsquo;&nbsp;is well produced live recording that highlights Henderson&rsquo;s raw energetic guitar skills and ability with work with an intimate audience, anyone who was lucky enough to catch any of these shows really did witness something special and as this recording proves, catching lightning in a bottle is possible.&rdquo; Folk and Tumble
Really excited to present this crackin live set this week.
Plus new music from Billy Branch &amp; the Sons Of Blues, Kim Wilson, Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur, GA20, Chambers DesLaurier Band, Lloyd Spiegel, Darren Watson, The Alexis P Suter Band and Candice Ivory. &nbsp;
&nbsp;

SE 5 Ep 26 - Billy Boy Arnold Classic Album Feature “Back Where I Belong”

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