The Blues Collection - James Booker

 

We have reached the dizzy heights of number 79 in the Blues Collection with James Booker the New Orleans Keyboard King.

I'm not sure whether that title was bestowed upon him or self proclaimed. Perhaps the latter as he was also dubbed the Black Liberace or even The Bayou Maharajah. I think it's safe to say that he wasn't known for his modesty.

Booker died aged 43 on November 8, 1983, while seated in a wheelchair in the emergency room at New Orleans'Charity Hospital , waiting to receive medical attention. The cause of death, as cited in the Orleans Parish Coroner's Death Certificate, was renal failure related to chronic abuse of heroin and alcohol. Pretty much the compulsory ending of a Bluesman from that era.

The songs on the album are taken from concerts in Hamburg c 1977. When searching for images of the album I came across a recording  on You Tube of the whole album which you might enjoy. 112 out of the 3.3K viewers seem to.

For those of you who prefer something more tangible here are a couple of the tracks

James Brooker - Please Send Me Someone To Love

James Brooker - Ain't Nobody's Business

The Four Americana H's

 

I know that many of you will be familiar with John Medd's monthly photo challenge. If not you should make yourself familiar with it.

August's theme was simple the letter H which led to a wide and diverse collection of pictures.

I was sat on a chair in the Music Room looking for inspiration when I found myself staring at the Blue Americana shelves.

These four albums were side by side and it seemed like a good idea to take a collective photo of them and submit it to John.

In alphabetical order the first one up was the eponymous 2005 Hacienda Brothers album on the Proper label. If you google Hacienda at CCM you will get this as opposed to anything from Manchester! The two main participants were Dave Gonzales and the late great Chris Gaffney. I saw them play once up a close in Glasgow's Trongate.

Next alphabetically is Wayne Hancock with That's What Daddy Wants a 1998 album from Ark 21. He subsequently signed to Bloodshot and plays an Americana form of Western Swing. I saw him a lunchtime set at the long gone Virgin Megastore on Glasgow's Buchanan Street.

Greg Hawk & the Tremblers are the ones that I know the littleist about. Indeed it looks like they are making their debut on these pages. I'm not quite sure how they crossed my radar Fool's Paradise is an album from 2001 on the Yep Roc label They are the only one of the four acts that I haven't seen live.

Finally we have the eponymous 2003 album by the band Hazy Malaze on the Fargo label. They were a trio featuring the late Neal Casal on guitars, lead vocals and harmonica; Dan Fadel on drums,vocals, percussion and Jeff Hill on bass and vocals. I saw them put on an excellent show at King Tuts.

Which one(s) float your boat?

Hacienda Brothers - South Of Lonesome

Wayne Hancock - 87 Southbound

Greg Hawks & the Tremblers -Fool's Paradise

Hazy Malaze - Chicago Blondes

Penguin Eggs For Tea

 

I was in Oxfam in Troon on Saturday and they had a vinyl copy of Penguin Eggs the 1980 masterpiece by Nic Jones on the Topic label for £20.

I was very tempted but given my precarious financial situation I consoled myself with the fact that I had the CD at home.

Needless to say it was the first album to get a spin on Sunday.

I know I did the right thing but it still doesn't stop me regretting it.

I'm sure that many of you have been in similar situations.

Nic Jones - The Humpback Whale

Nic Jones - The Little Pot Stove

Bloodshot Records Sampler 2018

 

Welcome to the penultimate offering in the Americana Compilations Sunday Series

The target of 50 albums would never have been achieved it it wasn't for Chicago's Bloodshot Records label.

By my reckoning Bloodshot have contributed 8 of the 5 entries.5 of these have been Samplers  with 2018 being the most recent. I've tried to make it a mix of the usual suspects with the occasional wild card to mix things up a little.

Robbie Fulks is certainly no stranger to this series. This time he is joined by Linda Gail Lewis  (sister of Jerry Lee) with Wild Wild Wild.

Lydia Loveless has appeared on all the Samplers from 2015 to 2018. Here she gives her views on Midwestern Guys.

William Elliott Whitmore has graced these pages before but only once in a Bloodshot capacity promoting this very Sampler with Busted.

I couldn't conclude the Bloodshot contribution without featuring the omnipresent Jon Langford . Here he is with his Four Lost Souls on the Natchez Trace.

We conclude this Series next Sunday with the 50th and final offering.

Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis - Wild Wild Wild

Lydia Loveless - Midwestern Guys

William Elliott Whitmore - Busted

Jon Langford's Four Lost Souls - Natchez Trace

Saturday Shuffle 159

 

It's been a long time coming (far to long, if you ask me) but we finally get the opportunity to welcome pop star cum gardener Kim Wilde (daughter of Marty) to the Shuffle. Here she is, in all her glory, with Chequered Love.

How do you follow that? With a little bit of Little Feat of course. It's Dixie Chicken time

We get a bit more serious for the final offering as we head to Birmingham where Steel Pulse are singing about a Handsworth Revolution.

More gardening, chickens and revolutions next Saturday.

Kim Wilde - Chequered Love

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken

Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution

Bellshill Bands - Jewel Scheme

 

I think it is safe to say that we are rapidly approaching the end of this series

Martin John Henry has appeared here before  in this series with De Rosa. He has also appeared on the Blog on other occasions as a solo artist and as part of the duo Henry and Fleetwood

Here from 2024 on Gargleblast Records he is joined on the eponymous Jewel Scheme album by Allan Carroll and Chris Connick.

The band are named after a housing estate in the Orbiston area of Bellshill. Such estates are known as Schemes in Scotland. The Jewel Scheme includes Sapphire Road, Diamond Street, Emerald Terrace, Amethyst Avenue, Amber Terrace, Agate Terrace and Cornelian Terrace. Let's face it , this is what you come here for.

Here is some info on the band and album courtesy of The Skinny

And here is some music.

Jewel Scheme -You're Not Wrong

Jewel Scheme - Spectral Index

As things stand there will be at least one more entry in this series

Songs From The Burst Chair

 

On Sunday night I was busily typing away when I suddenly found myself at a jaunty angle.

A bolt on my chair had sheered causing somewhat of a malfunction. I am now using one of the dining chairs until such times as I can procure a suitable replacement from a charity shop.

In the meantime it has given me the inspiration to post some chair related songs

I didn't have as many as I thought but here are a few for you to deposit your derrière on

Cake -Italian Leather Sofa

The Band - Rocking Chair

The Normal - Warm Leatherette

Wet Leg - Chaise Longue

Soup Dragons - Man About Town With Chair

Johnny Cash - The Mercy Seat