Thu 28 Jan 2010
This week you will hear Henry Gray telling us about his rich blues history and about his new record Times Are Getting’ Hard.
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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
Buy Henry Gray’s cd Times Are Getting’ Hard from his Website
Thanks to Henry Gray for doing the interview and to Andy Cornett for all his help in setting everything up.
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Blues Music and Interviews
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