Tag: Blues
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Now Spinning: Juke Boy Bonner
One of the first suggestions I’d offer to any collectors of old blues records – always buy Arhoolie Records releases. Arhoolie Records was formed by a young blues aficionado Chris Strachwitz, who traveled to Texas as a young man to record Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and many more, beginning with simple field recordings. From those…
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Now Spinning: Live at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West
Recorded live during the height of the San Francisco rock scene at the historic Fillmore West, this album captures the magical collaborative spirit that represents the best of the late sixties San Francisco scene. Starting with the front cover, no specific artist is credited, with all the musicians who performed listed along with concert photos…
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Now Spinning: The Resurrection of Elmore James
By the time George Harrison shouted out Elmore James on ‘For You Blue’, James had been dead for seven years and missed the opportunity for the middle-aged breakthrough that Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and others experienced during the 1960’s blues revival. Of course, Elmore James is a household name in his own right, contributing ‘Dust…
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Now Reading: Lightnin’ Hopkins His Life and Blues
I just wrapped up Alan Govenar’s biography on one of my favorite bluesmen, the mysterious Lightnin’ Sam Hopkins. Despite a personal songwriting style – Lightnin’ songs sometimes simply described his day, though with a blurred line between fact and fiction, meaning confirming the facts can be a challenge. And while Govenar concedes the fact that…
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Now Spinning: Koerner, Ray & Glover
One of my fondest college memories involves a solo trek through a classic November Minnesota snowstorm into Minneapolis to see ‘Spider’ John Koerner and Tony Glover at the 400 Bar in 2008. As a 19 year old kid, I knew next to nothing about their work, but I had noted their inclusion in Bob Dylan’s…
Box Full of Records 