More than Just Blues - Past Meetings
>Reports are now in 2021
>The April Blues Group meeting was hosted by Steve and entitled ‘almost the blues’ or something like it. And it was. An unusual but thought provoking selection beginning with Leonard Cohen’s almost the blues through Stephan Grapelli, crazy Coven the incredible string band and Irish folk songs about the First World War and Chernobyl! even the Dubliners made an appearance as did Ian Dury. We also had Chungas revenge! Next meeting 14th May. While we are on line there is plenty of space for anyone interested in joining us.
>The January meeting, presented by Andrew Thomas, was a History of Chess Records and charted the labels history through it’s various musical genres – Blues, Soul, Soul Jazz, Gospel, Doo Wop, Psychedelic Funk, Protest, and suggested that CHESS Records recorded the very first ‘Rock ‘n Roll’ song – Rockett 88, recorded by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, who were in fact Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm. Track selections included: Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Etta James, Laura Lee, Reuben Wilson, Martha Bass, The Moonglows, Rotary Connection and Marlena Shaw.
Reports below are for year 2020
>The December meeting, led by Andrew, was our Christmas Blues ‘Desert Island Disks’ session where members select 3 or 4 tracks they would like to hear. We had a fascinating line-up including Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, Alvin lee, John Lennon, Nat King Cole, Beyonce, Classic IV, Joe Bonamassa, Kaili Kinnon, Hazel O’Connor and Zeperella, to name a few.
>The November Meeting of the Blues Group was led by Colin who started us off with Hugh Laurie (yes, he of comic acting fame) and Louisiana blues. We had an excellent session which also included ‘scrapper’ Blackwell, Samantha Fish, Mose Allison, ZZ top and the lovely Nina Simone.
We finished with Muddy Waters who had got his mojo working. Indeed.
>Blues group September meeting. This was held ‘as the new’ Usual on zoom. Barry led the session, opening with Bonny Raite (with Barack Obama no less in the audience. An excellent session including Roy Rogers! (Not the actor!). He threw us a curved ball with Diana Ross portraying Billy Holiday in three film clips. We have never had that before. We also had Fleetwood Mac and ‘the chain’ (anyone remember the old BBC formula one theme tune!? Good to hear it again). Another curved ball was a couple of clips from ‘the voice’.
>Blues Group June meeting. This meeting was held by Zoom under current government restrictions.
Dave Thornton lead this month’s session. His theme was A to Z so we started with James Armstrong and ‘Blues ain’t nothing’ and ended with Zac Harmon. As usual we had some very unusually named entries such as ‘Barkin’ Bill Smith, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, the Ruff Kutt Blues Band and Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz. An excellent session with some excellent graphics. Thanks. 8 members logged in.
> Blues Group April meeting: this month David presented his selection of personal favourites garnered from tinternet! Entitled Blues Group D it was by artists with D as initial letter and all beautifully presented, which has raised the bar there but no one need worry, we are there for the music! We opened with KC Douglas and 'Mercury blues' (referring to a Ford Mercury 49 that he would love to own). We also had the wonderfully named Omar and the Howlers (low down dirty blues) - but what is he doing there you ask? Well his real name is Kent Dykes! Another great named artist was Deak Harp (David went to his famous harmonica shop). The names just kept on coming...Boo Boo Davis, Dirty Mojo Blues band and finally who can beat Theabis Debris! I cannot top that so will leave it there!
> Blues Group March meeting. This month Jean brought us a very unusual selection using the modern infernal machinery that occasionally played up. We started with a very jazzy number 'so what' by Miles Davis (favourite of Andrew's). We also had Muddy Waters, Robert Plant in Strange Sensation and Led Zeppelin, Bessie Smith (queen of the blues) and the Heavenly Gospel Singers. We also heard some newer songs by the like of Norah Jones and Beth Hart. Of course no blues session would be complete with someone with an unusual name and Walter Trout and Tuba Skinny fulfilled that role nicely. Somehow woodie Guthrie's 'This land is your land' made an appearance. But the star of the show goes to Blind Willie Johnson and his 'chest voice' singing and Mark Lanegan's indescribable funereal signing.
> Blues group February meeting. We had 11.5 attendees this month (one member could only come for half the meeting) and Andrew led with the topic 'The blues alphabet-'C' part 2. We started with a 1927 recording of Mistreatin' mama by Jaybird Coleman, a fine bit of harmonica playing. We had the wonderfully named Reverend Julius Cheeks, the Chosen Gospel Singers, the Caravans (5 ladies in party dresses. Still going strong today), Connie Curtis 'Pee Wee' Crayton. We then rocked into 2005. With Cream knocking out 'Crossroads' including a fretless bass guitar. We delved into 'Zydeco' blues with the marvellously named Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band. We also of course crooned with Nat King Cole and sang gospel with Ray Charles. We finished with yet more classics from the legendary Eric Clapton.
> Andrew
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