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Blues, Off The Record

Jun 27, 2025 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Music

With Sonny Boy Williamson III

10:02 AM		Mississippi Jook Band Hittin' the Bottle Stomp Blind Roosevelt Graves
10:06 AM		Henry Thomas Red River Blues The Roots of Robert Johnson Yazoo 2005
10:08 AM		Jed Davenport & His Beale Street Jug Band Save Me Some The Great Jug Bands
10:11 AM		The Harlem Hamfats Lake Providence Blues Hamfat Swing
10:14 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
10:15 AM		Booker White When Can I Change My Clothes? The Complete Bukka White
10:18 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
10:18 AM		Louise Johnson Long Way From Home Masters of the Delta Blues: The Friends of Charlie Patton Yazoo 1991
10:22 AM		Charlie Patton It Won't Be Long Founder of the Delta Blues
10:25 AM		Blind Willie McTell The Razor Ball Atlanta Twelve String Rhino Atlantic 1972
10:30 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
10:32 AM		The Four Tops I Wish You Would The Best of Chess Vocal Groups
10:35 AM		The Sensations (Put Another Nickle In) Music, Music, Music The Best of Chess Vocal Groups
10:38 AM		Ray Charles Careless Love Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Tangerine Records 2009
10:42 AM		Marie Adams Ma (He's Making Eyes at Me) The Johnny Otis Show
10:44 AM		Louis Prima Jump, Jive, and Wail Jump Blues Classics
10:49 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
10:49 AM		Muddy Waters She Moves Me The Best of Muddy Waters Geffen 1957
10:52 AM		Howlin' Wolf Moanin' at Midnight The Definitive Collection Geffen 2007
10:55 AM		Peetie Wheatstraw Bring Me Flowers While I'm Living Peetie Wheatstraw (1930-1941)
11:01 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
11:01 AM		Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas Pick Poor Robin Clean Mississippi Girls
11:05 AM		Blind Roosevelt Graves Crazy About My Baby Blind Roosevelt Graves (1929-1936)
11:08 AM		Willie Baker No No Blues Rough Guide to the Best Country Blues You've Never Heard World Music Network 2018
11:11 AM		Etta Baker Broken Hearted Blues One-Dime Blues Rounder 1991
11:16 AM		Texas Alexander Penitentiary Moan Blues The Rough Guide to Blues Behind Bars
11:20 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
11:20 AM		Sister O.M. Terrell Swing Low, Chariot The Slide Guitar - Bottles, Knives, Steel Sony Music Media 1990
11:23 AM		Louis Jordan It's a Low Down Dirty Shame The Blues Vol, 3
11:26 AM		Earl Hooker Guitar Rumba Chess Blues Guitar
11:28 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
11:29 AM		Little Walter Don't Need No Horse Chess Blues Geffen 1992
11:33 AM		Ma Rainey Yonder Come the Blues Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
11:36 AM		Blind Blake Georgia Bound The Best of Blind Blake Yazoo 2000
11:39 AM		Blind Boy Fuller Untrue Blues East Coast Piedmont Style Legacy/Columbia 1991
11:42 AM		Memphis Minnie I Don't Want That Junk Outta You Frank Stokes' Dream
11:46 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------
11:46 AM		Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson Bull Frog Moan Blue Guitars: Vol I & II
11:49 AM		Black Ace Black Ace Country Blues Bottleneck Guitar Classics
11:52 AM		Furry Lewis Dry Land Blues Canned Heat Blues: Master of the Delta Blues
11:55 AM		Skip James Crow Jane (Remastered 2024) Today! Craft Recordings 2024
11:59 AM		Set Break: ----------------------------------------------------

Chat is archived.

Great to hear your show again SBW3!

Great to be back on the air!

Hey there, welcome back!

@ Sonny Boy Williamson III (host) How fine to have you and "Blues Off the Record" here, back on the 'PRB waves.

Richard -- thanks as always for listening!

What did you make of Sinners by the way?

Bukka White's "When Can I Change My Clothes?" is truly powerful. I do believe this is the first time I've heard it. Is it over analyzing to think that this cry from the heart is asking, When can I start anew, leave behind old troubles and miseries?

Not at all Richard! I agree with the reading.

Great sound on that latter era Willie McTell

I thought the movie Sinners was tremendous. As an enthusiast of the classic horror movies, I relished its take on the vampire mythos. Its reconstruction of everyday life in the Deep South of the 1930s and empathetic depiction of the main characters powerfully set up the supernatural terrors and made us care about those characters' fates. And the music is a huge part of that.

I also enjoyed it a lot -- great music in the film as you say

I'm happy that it connected with a broad audience

Two small and construction critiques: A useful protocol of the classic vampire movies has been an explanation in early dialogue re: the creatures' powers and weaknesses. Here, spelling out more clearly the ancient legend that vampires must be invited in by a home's dweller before they can cross the threshold would have made a major plot element a bit clearer. Also, I wasn't too sure about the back-to-back shootout double climaxes. But, yes, its broad-audience success is awesome.

Louis Prima RULES!!!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/13/magazine/blues.html

@ Sonny Boy Williamson III (host) That's a tremendous ~ really landmark ~ New York Times article, bringing long overdue recognition to some woefully undercelebrated figures in American roots music. Thanks for the reminder and the link.

More on Sister Terrell: https://www.npr.org/2006/09/29/6168153/sister-terrell-a-crooner-on-the-amen-corner

Familiar melody on the Blind Blake "Georgia Bound" song. Used on others (R Johnson "From Four Until Late" for one)

Jimmy Rodgers loved that melody too

Was thinking that, Brian. I've played that rendition before on my show but Blake never ceases to impress me with the intricacy and rhythmic inventiveness of those guitar fills.

Yeah Blake had such great little phrases

Unlike Iggy Pop, it seems, Blind Boy Fuller does NOT want to be your dog

Blind Boy Fuller and the bass note "responses" and then those higher string bends. Great use of the guitar as a full instrument. Important in the one person band approach. Or duos etc

Yeah Iggy and the Stooges! A classic.

Tell 'em Minnie!

@ Brian D Great comments on Blind Boy Fuller's guitar stylings, thanks for the insights (in-hears?)

I love the fingerpickers that have those interesting interplays between the bass notes and higher strings yep

Very unique dissonance in the bass on this one. Presumably meant to sound like a bullfrog.

Just about to say that!

The buzzing thumping low dissonance.

Nice harmonics on the finish there. They definitely went for something different.

By the way, Minnie's sometime husband Kansas Joe McCoy was guitar on Junk Outta You

Joe McCoy was guitar and vocals on the Harlem Hamfats number played near the top of the program

This is another melody that was used widely. Skip James recorded it as "Crow Jane"

Matter of fact -- let's hear that next

Zap #11 was my introduction to Charlie Patton: https://www.reddit.com/r/blues/comments/1hemquz/charley_patton_comic_by_robert_crumb/#lightbox

Thought that was Jump in the Line

I love these tracks from the 1960s sessions on the album Skip James Today! Produced by blues, bluegrass & folk enthusiast/scholar Richard K. "Dick" Spottswood, bless him.

And Blues Off the Record for playing all these!