Henry Gray was born in 1925 in Louisiana, USA. He started playing piano when he was around seven or eight years old. His father was the deacon of the church and after some lessons from an elderly woman by the named of Mrs. White, Henry started playing piano and organ in church. Because many people in those days thought the blues was the devils music Henry was not allowed to play the blues in their home. Henry had to sneak to find places he could go to play the blues like to Mrs. White’s house. When he was 16 he got a job playing blues in a club. He served seven years during World War II in the south Pacific. After getting out of the army he returned home for a brief time them moved to Chicago. In the show Henry talks about getting to work in Chicago with Big Maceo Merriwether. Big Maceo was a big name in those days and he took Henry Gray under his wing. In 1956 Howlin’ Wolf asked him to join his band which is where Henry stayed till 1968. Over the years Henry has played with a who’s who of famous blues artists like Little Walter (whom he knew before moving to Chicago), Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush and many more.
Henry Gray does not have too many solo records considering how long he has been around and playing. Most of them are available through his website as well as a DVD. What I liked so much about Henry’s music the very first time I heard it is its old time Barrelhouse Blues sound. Seems like the only time you hear this style of music nowadays is on an old scratchy record with poor sound quality. Times Are Getting’ Hard was recorded in 2009 and the sound quality is real good. The music has a very strong beat similar to what would eventually become rock & roll. This however is led by the piano as the lead instrument instead of the guitar. This show is a great chance to hear one of the last blues men that played from the mid-forties to the mid-sixties talk about what it was like in those days. The music of course speaks for itself. If you only own one CD of Barrelhouse Blues Times Are Getting’ Hard by Henry Gray would be a really good one to have.
Blues Music Awards has nominated Henry Gray for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award this year.
Songs in this week’s show by Henry Gray & The Cats:
Times Are Getting’ Hard
How Could You Do It
Katrina Katrina
Come On In
Goin’ Downtown
Barack Obama Boogie
You probably recall we talked to Debbie Davies about her last CD Blues Blast not all that long ago (click here to hear that show). Blues Blast had a lot of special guest on it like Coco Montoya and Charlie Musselwhite. Past recordings have had guest appearances by people like Albert Collins, Ike Turner, Duke Robillard, James Cotton, Mick Taylor, and Peter Green. This time out Debbie has decided to do something different. The band you will be hearing is her touring band that consists of Debbie Davies on all the guitars, Casandra Faulconer on bass guitar and Don Castagno on drums. Paul Opalach plays organ on some tracks but is not part of the touring band. The other big difference in this new record is that it is an all-instrumental adventure in different styles of 1960’s blues artists that inspired Debbie to play guitar. This is a fresh change in what we have been hearing from most blues artists. In the past, people like Kenny Burrell and Albert Collins have done many instrumentals. Freddie King’s biggest hit was the instrumental “Hide Away”. Getting a whole record of blues instrumentals should not seem like an unusual thing however I cannot think of any that have come out in the last few years.
Debbie Davies’ Holdin’ Court starts with the Duke Robillard song “Fishnet”. This was not an instrumental on Duke’s New Blues for Modern Man but hearing Debbie do it you can’t imagine it any other way. Debbie said over the years she has been playing the Clarence Gatemouth Brown song “Oike Dokie Stomp” in her shows and a lot of fans have asked her to record that song. The fans know best because this is a really cool fast jazzy-blues song that is bound to put a smile on your face. There is also the John Lee Hooker song “I Wonder Why” that Debbie said she is doing more in a slow blues style of Otis Rush when he had done the song. As you probably remember from the last interview Debbie played guitar in Albert Collins band early on. “If You Love Me Like You Say” was a song she remembered playing in his band many times so she decided to recorded it herself this time. She also said her song “So What” is kind of based on the real funky blues style she got to play with Albert Collins.
In the show this week you will get to hear five songs Debbie wrote. She said some of the songs had appeared on her other records but got re-recorded for Holdin’ Court by her touring band. “Tryin’ to Keep It Real“ was on the 2005 record All I Found but appears here as a very nice instrumental. “Atras De Tus Ojos” was on the 1999 record Tales from the Austin Motel. This was redone even more beautiful than the last time with more Spanish flavor too. Holdin’ Court has been enjoyable to listen to as a regular record but also found it very refreshing to just hear music with no words, it really lets your mind follow the instruments more. Holdin’ Court is well on it’s way as my favorite CD to play while reading. Below are some links to buy Debbie Davies CD’s please pick one or two up and help keep the blues alive for another year.
The songs on this weeks show:
Tryin’ to Keep It Real
Atras De Tus Ojos
Percolatin’
Zoom-in’
Holdin’ Court
Thanks to Debbie Davies for taking the time to do this interview also thanks to Harley Erickson for setting everything up. You may want to listen to Harley Erickson’s MySpace page too she has some very good music.
This week you will get to hear Duke Robillard talk about his Grammy nominated CD Stomp! The Blues Tonight.
Very little needs to be said about Duke Robillard because everyone knows him and respects him very highly. He was the founder of Roomful of Blues when he was still a teenager. In 1979 he left to work with Robert Gordon, then Legendary Blues Band then, just solo till about 1990 when he replaced Jimmie Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Duke will be asked about all of these bands he was in on this weeks show. After the Fabulous Thunderbirds he went back to being a solo act and has worked with just about everyone and has had his songs recorded by just about everyone too.
His newest record Stomp! The Blues Tonight was released by Stony Plain Records in June of 2009. This record is more of a jump blues style than his other records. Since not many people do this style of blues anymore it is very nice to get to have someone of Duke’s caliber doing this. He also has Sunny Crownover sing on some of the songs, which is a nice change of pace.
Besides being nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Traditional Blues” category, Duke has been nominated by the Blues Music Awards for “Band of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, “Instrumentalist-Guitar”, and “Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year”.
As you listen to this weeks show on Duke Robillard you will understand why he is up for so many awards, enjoy.
As Duke announced in the show he also has a new CD coming out February 2nd called Tales from the Tiki Lounge. You can order an advance copy of it from his website.
Songs played this week:
Swinging with Lucy Mae (is from 2008 -A Swingin’ Session with Duke Robillard)
Jumpin’ the Bone
Look But Don’t Touch
Stomp the Blues Tonight
Bruce Iglauer - The Story of Alligator Records - Episode # 1 Bruce Iglauer Way Laid By The Blues [44:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Episode # 1 Bruce Iglauer Way Laid By The Blues
This week hear Bruce Iglauer the founder of Alligator Records talk about how he got interested in the blues.
Alligator Records is one of the largest, if not the largest independent blues labels around today. Alligator is the status symbol of the blues record labels. An artist knows they have made it or at least well on their way when they are asked to record on Alligator Records. Just look at the names of some of the artist that have recorded one time or another for Alligator Records. Luther Allison, Lonnie Brooks, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Roy Buchanan, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Albert Collins, Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Robert Cray and that’s only getting us through the A, B and C’s of the artists last names. Even with this I skipped big artists like Marcia Ball, Elvin Bishop and Cephas & Wiggins. There’s just way to many to list here. Check out a full list at Alligator Records Website.
To see a full list of artists signed to Alligator Records it’s truly amazing.
Bruce Iglauer, the founder of Alligator Records has agreed to be on the show the first week of the month for the next few months. This will be a very interesting and informative show since Bruce has worked with so many outstanding blues artists in the past 39 years. Put down that dry blues history book, step up to the speaker, and listen to Bruce tell you just how it was when he first heard Mississippi Fred McDowell playing the blues. How he got Luther Allison to play at his college and promoted it so good Luther stayed to play a second show. Bruce also got to work for Bob Koester, the head of another great blues label Delmark Records, where he got to see first hand Junior Wells and Buddy Guy record the 1970 record Southside Blues Jam. He saw many others recordings made and got ideas on how he would soon record his artists.
Be sure you take time to go to Alligator Records’ Website where you can read about all the artists that have been on the label, see when their tours comes near you, buy your favorite CD’s, DVD’s, T-shirts, or just enjoy the music on the Alligator Steaming Radio.
Songs in this week’s show:
Mississippi Fred McDowell “You Gotta Move” from You Gotta Move
Luther Allison “Cherry Red Wine” from Live in Chicago
Junior Wells & Buddy Guy “Blues For Mayor Daley” from Southside Blues Jam
Thanks to Arhoolie Records for permission to play Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move”. Click here to find out more about Mississippi Fred McDowell at Arhoolie Records website. They have some hard to find blues CD’s, LP’s and 45’s. Down Home Music Since 1960.
Thanks to Delmark Records for their continual support of this show as well as permission to play the Junior Wells & Buddy Guy song “Blues For Mayor Daley”. Be sure to go by Delmark Records’ website for the finest in Jazz & Blues since 1953. By the way if Junior Wells & Buddy Guy are not enough of a reason to buy this CD it is also the last studio appearance of Otis Spann.
To hear part two of the interview with Bruce Iglauer click here.
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Blues Music and Interviews
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