March 25, 2015


Key to the Highway, J.C. Smith Band CD debut
   3-25-2015
 
So, I got a call Monday from my very good friend Johnnie Cozmic saying he had a CD being released Friday.  Johnnie is special to me because he alternated weeks on this show for over fifteen years, not to mention he is a great guy and an excellent musician who has been able to put together and keep a tight working band.  I’m biased, of course, but I don’t think I’ve seen better stage presence from a front man in quite a while, and if I have I can’t even think who that would have been.
 
Johnnie’s personality comes through also right here at KKUP on Thursdays between three and five PM the first and second weeks of the month (I think).  For his band, he uses his true name as the J.C. Smith Band, but it never seems right when I hear anyone call him anything but Johnnie.  Anyway, he reminded me that I guess it’s become a tradition to debut his CDs on my show going all the way back to his days when he was the drummer for the Back to Back Blues Band, so we will take a three hour hiatus from the British Blues to check the new album out.  Yes, to me an album is a collection of songs (or photos, etc.) so a CD qualifies.   
 
I’ve had the opportunity to watch Johnnie progress as a guitarist and vocalist and increase the quality of the players in his band over the years with each of his releases being better than the previous, but I should warn you he might still have in his arsenal some of the worst jokes to be told and he isn’t embarrassed by telling them, even on the airwaves.  If you like what you hear (the music and the humor), you can catch his official CD release party Friday at the Poor House Bistro on Autumn Avenue near the Shark Tank, likely the last venue in the area dedicated to music every day of the week with almost all of it being the Blues.
 
I will also pay tribute to my mother just six days before what would have been her ninety-fourth birthday by playing some of her favorite music, most of which I purchased for her.  She was born on March 31st, but always said that was a day too early and should have been April Fool’s Day.  She passed away in July.  We’ll play some big band stuff and some Harry Belafonte but I’ll pass on her Perry Como and Dean Martin discs.

Sorry, this is last minute so there is not the usual playlist for today’s show.  Next show, right back to the Brits.

March 11, 2015

Development of the British Blues and Rhythm
 --- show 25 --- 3-11-2015 (St. Patty’s Day recap)
 
Nothing new this show, just a bunch of favorites from the last baker’s dozen shows.  Each of the groups presented since August of 2014 are pretty much equally represented with the exceptions being Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, which are each given a set of their own.  We had enough quality material of Mac to include them in four consecutive shows and we also featured all of the first three Bluesbreakers lead guitarists on separate airings in that span, at least as far as American releases are concerned.  Eric Clapton also showed up in Cream and Peter Green in Fleetwood Mac.  Mick Taylor not only showed up on the Mayall sets but also joined the Aynsley Dunbar rhythm section backing up Champion Jack Dupree.
 
This pre-St. Patty’s Day show was harder to put together than I anticipated because there was just so much good material worth considering; I think the first grouping was almost nine hours before ultimately winnowing it down to some two and a half hours. It might have been easier if I just wanted to play my absolute top choices but I felt some were a little too often overplayed on shows years past (as an example, last show I mentioned that Beck’s version of I Ain’t Superstitious might be my very favorite Brit Blues tune and you won’t find it here) and I wanted to keep this fresh and had enough good stuff to make that happen. I wanted to start the show off with a tune that I just couldn’t fit into our earlier Jeff Beck Group show so that is where Hangman’s Knee comes in.  There’s probably not enough slow numbers in today’s broadcast, but when I’m trying to pick my favorite single tracks it is not surprising that they get overlooked for more raucous, up tempo tunes.  In making full sets of bands, I always fit one or two slow ones in to give a complete representation of what you would find on albums or see in concert.  
 
A couple of items of note are the back to back pairings of Dunbar’s Watch and Chain with the Kelly’s Buy You a Diamond Ring, essentially the same song but done differently enough to not seem monotonous, and a couple of classically oriented instrumentals, Sabre Dance by Love Sculpture and Drivin’ Bachwards by Bakerloo.  So just kick back and enjoy.

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Hangman's Knee
   The Jeff Beck Group (featuring Rod Stewart)
Water
   Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band
Choker
   Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page
She Said Yeah
   The Rolling Stones
Let Me Love You Baby
   The Savoy Brown Blues Band
Green Onions
   The Graham Bond ORGANization
Catfish Blues
   The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Remington Ride
   Chicken Shack
 
Go On Home
   Dave Berry
Driva Man
   Manfred Mann (with Jack Bruce)
Ever Since the World Began
   The Yardbirds
The Cat
   Zoot Money
Every Day I Have the Blues
   Alexis Korner (featuring Herbie Goins)
Bring It On Home
   Bakerloo
Watch and Chain
   The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
Buy You a Diamond Ring
   Dave and Jo Ann Kelly
Jailhouse Rock
   The Jeff Beck Group (featuring Rod Stewart)
 
I Can’t Hold Out
No Place to Go
Hellhound on My Trail
Black Magic Woman
Evening Boogie
Preachin’ Blues
Honey Hush
Albatross
Watch Out
Fighting for Madge
   Fleetwood Mac
 
I Tried
   The Aynsley Dunber Retaliation
Paint It Black
   The Rolling Stones
It’s Okay with Me Baby
   Chicken Shack
Spirit Feel
   Manfred Mann (featuring Jack Bruce)
Don’t Gimme No Lip
   Dave Berry
Beach Bash
   Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band
Ol’ Man River
   The Jeff Beck Group
Drivin’ Bachwards
   Bakerloo
Sabre Dance
   Love Sculpture
 
All Your Love
It Ain’t Right
Dust My Broom
You Don’t Love Me
The Supernatural
Checking Up On My Baby
Snowy Wood
She’s Too Young
Vacation
   John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
 
Change Your Low Down Ways
   The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
Cat’s Squirrel
   Cream
I’ll Go Crazy
   Zoot Money
Stroll On
   The Yardbirds (with both Page and Beck)
Shake ‘em on Down
   The Savoy Brown Blues Band