Blues

Joan Osborne and The Holmes Brothers are a recipe for soul

Justin Steyer and John Kessler — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:51:29 +0000

Want a good recipe for soul music?

Here’s what you do: Start with vocalist, Joan Osborne, who has had pop music hits, performed on The Grand Old Oprey, toured with members of The Grateful Dead and yet never strayed from her roots in rhythm ‘n blues music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZF3hIg0gFg

Now add a good, solid dose of The Holmes Brothers (Sherman Holmes, Wendell Holmes and Popsy Dixon), who have been playing their own unique blend of blues, gospel, soul and R&B since the late 1970’s.

'Walkin' Blues' still has legs

John Kessler — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:38:40 +0000

http://cpa.ds.npr.org/kplu/audio/2013/03/Walkin'_Blues_MIX.mp3

It’s one of the defining songs of the Blues, written by one of its formative figures, Son House. The opening lyric “Woke up this morning…” would be considered trite today, but its 1930 recording date makes it more iconic than anything.

Take 5 goes meta: A list of 5 songs about lists

Nick Morrison — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Over the past few years, Take 5’s theme-based music lists have covered a wide variety of subjects. We’ve covered all the seasons of the year, all the holidays, different types of weather, the careers of jazz legends, the cutting-edge work of up-and-coming jazz artists and have gotten into the musical minutiae of things like flowers, birds, baseball, prohibition and civil rights. And now it’s time for Take 5 to go meta and present a five-song list of songs about….LISTS. It had to happen sooner or later.

'Early in the Morning' - samba, rumba and history

John Kessler — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Louis Jordan is one of the pioneers of American music, and an important force in the transition from the Jazz Era to Rock and Roll. He was one of the first to down-size the big band format to a combo of five or six players, pounding out high energy jump, swing and rhythm and blues for dance audiences.

One of the early bands to use electric guitar, he established a musical style that rock originators like Bill Haley followed closely. Louis Jordan’s 1947 recording of “Early in the Morning” is an example of the influence of Afro Cuban rhythms on American music.

'Shake 'Em On Down' created the cutting edge for blues

John Kessler — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Most blues started in the country before becoming urbanized, and Bukka White brought his brand of Mississippi blues to Chicago in the 1930’s and 40’s.

It is likely that he met and learned from elemental bluesman Charley Patton, and he was known for playing a National steel guitar with a slide. He recorded “Shake ‘Em On Down” in 1937 and established the cutting edge.

Little Walter's 'Mellow Down Easy' rips through time

John Kessler — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Little Walter made a harmonica sound like nothing that had been heard before – somewhere between a saxophone and an electric guitar. By the early 1950’s he not only used amplification, he used the amp to creatively alter his sound with distortion and sonic effects.

You might say he was the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica. One song in particular has rolled through history: 'Mellow Down Easy.'

Still a mystery who wrote 'One Way Out'

John Kessler — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

It’s another one of those mysteries — who actually wrote “One Way Out”?

Elmore James recorded it in 1961, but didn’t release it until ’65. Sonny Boy Williamson released a version in 1961 and 1965 and G.L. Crockett had a 1965 hit with the same song under a different name.

The long flight of Muddy's 'Honey Bee'

John Kessler — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Muddy Waters was born in rural Mississippi, and learned his blues at the feet of Son House and Robert Johnson.

By the 1940’s he took that delta blues to Chicago and led the gradual transition to electrified urban blues. He then recorded “Honey Bee” in 1951 with just bass and guitar accompaniment. The sound was closer to the delta, but you can hear the beginnings of the more aggressive modern sound starting to happen.

Many rivers converged to make a New Orleans classic: 'Iko Iko'

John Kessler — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0000

It’s one of the most iconic songs from New Orleans, and like the city, it’s origin and meaning are a product of may different influences.

Its meaning is still being debated by scholars and linguists, but “Iko Iko” was first recorded in 1953 by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, who wrote the pop song “Jock-A-Mo” based on 2 different Mardi Gras Indian chants. The Mardi Gras “Indians” are actually African-American groups who have been parading as Indian tribes at Mardi Gras since the mid-19^th Century.

Listen to the 50 Greatest Jazz Vocals of All Time

KPLU — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:51:41 +0000

Last month more than 4,600 votes were cast by our listeners for the songs they felt were the greatest jazz vocal of all time.

The votes have been counted and the top 50 songs are now available below in our 24/7 stream!

'That's All Right' and the father of rock and roll

John Kessler — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup has been called the “father of rock and roll” for writing the song that launched Elvis Presley’s career. His own career had a rough start-- after migrating from Mississippi around 1940, he was living on the Chicago streets, playing for tips.

His unique, though unpolished sound was distinctive enough to land him a record deal, and he had several songs on the mid-40’s r & b charts. Despite the success of his songs, he was never paid fairly for the music he composed and worked as a laborer to support his family.

Cold Weather Blues: 5 songs that feel your mid-winter pain

Nick Morrison and Kirsten Kendrick — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

In the Western Hemisphere, January is typically the coldest month of the year. Most of us feel that if we can somehow drag ourselves through January, things will begin to turn around and we’ll be on the road to springtime.

But January is also typically the month that feels as if it will never end. So as we slog through the cold rain and snow, awaiting January’s demise, here are five winter blues songs to help get us through:

Hendrix inspired by Earl King's 'Come On'

John Kessler — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Earl King is one of the great songwriters and performers to come out of New Orleans, and his legacy continues to live on. Many of his compositions, including “Big Chief," “Trick Bag” and “These Lonely, Lonely Nights” have become an important part of the New Orleans “songbook."

His 1960 recording of “Come On Pts. 1 & 2” is punctuated with many starts and stops, featuring his expressive voice and aggressive and precise guitar work. If you look through Jimi Hendrix’s early releases, there are only a handful of songs among the dozens that he did not write. Earl King’s “Come On” is one of those.

SFJAZZ Center star-studded opening concert

KPLU — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:25:00 +0000

Thirty years after presenting its first concerts in San Francisco, the organization SFJAZZ has built a permanent home and performance venue. The SFJAZZ Center, conceived as the first stand-alone building for jazz in the U.S., opened with a star-studded concert on Jan. 23.

Listen to the concert. Video will be available in the following days.

'Black Rat' comes from the most powerful singer to walk the Earth

John Kessler — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:00:00 +0000

The urban blues of places like Detroit and Chicago came from country blues. Little Son Joe and his better known partner Memphis Minnie were among the players who brought the blues to the cities, paving the way for Muddy Waters and others who would follow.

Memphis Minnie is known as one of the best guitarists and singers in the blues, and had a prolific career lasting 40 years. She married Little Son Joe (Ernest Lawlars) in the late 1930’s and they recorded “Black Rat Swing” in 1941 with Joe on vocals.