Your local front porch for all things blues-worthy!

Blues Birthday of the month - March

J.B.Lenoir - 5th March 1929

Lenoir's guitar-playing father introduced him to the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, whose music became a major influence.  During the early 1940s, Lenoir worked with blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James in New Orleans. Lenoir would eventually find musical influence in Arthur Crudup and Lightnin' Hopkins

In 1949, he moved to Chicago and Big Bill Broonzy helped introduce him to the local blues community. He began to perform at local nightclubs with musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Big Maceo Merriweather, and Muddy Waters, and became an important part of the city's blues scene. He began recording in late 1950s for the J.O.B. label. His recording of "Korea Blues" was licensed to and released by Chess, as having been performed by 'J. B. and his Bayou Boys'.^[5] His band included pianist Sunnyland Slim, guitarist Leroy Foster, and drummer Alfred Wallace.

During the 1950s Lenoir recorded on various record labels in the Chicago area including J.O.B., Chess, Parrot, and Checker. His more successful songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" featuring saxophonist J. T. Brown, and the controversial "Eisenhower Blues" which his record company, Parrot, forced him to re-record as "Tax Paying Blues".

Lenoir was known in the 1950s for his showmanship - in particular his zebra-patterned costumes - and his high-pitched vocals. He became an influential electric guitarist and songwriter, and his penchant for social commentary distinguished him from many other bluesmen of the time. His most commercially successful and enduring release was "Mamma Talk To Your Daughter", recorded for Parrot in 1954 which reached #11 on the Billboard R&B chart and was later recorded by many other blues and rock musicians.  In the later 1950s (recording on the Checker label), he wrote several more blues standards including; "Don't Dog Your Woman", and "Don't Touch My Head".

In 1963, Lenoir recorded for USA Records as 'J. B. Lenoir and his African Hunch Rhythm', developing an interest in African percussion. However, he struggled to work as a professional musician and for a time took menial jobs, including working in the kitchen at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Lenoir was rediscovered by Willie Dixon, who recorded him with drummer Fred Below on the albums Alabama Blues and Down In Mississippi (inspired by the Civil Rights and Free Speech movements). Lenoir toured Europe, and performed in 1965 with the American Folk Blues Festival in the UK. ^{(NB -I was fortunate enough to see him perform 'Alabama Blues' in Bradford during that tour -MF)}

Lenoir's work at this time had a direct political content relating to racism and the Vietnam War.

He died on April 29, 1967, in Urbana, Illinois, aged 38, from a heart attack, related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier.

 

The Aire Delta's INTERNATIONAL BLUES venue

Home | Latest | Looking Back | Blues in Schools | Reviews | Looking Forward | The Blues | Heidi's Hall of Fame

Bronte Blues Hall of Fame

2009 Awards ......they were announced on 8th January 2010 -

This is how much the 'Beebies' mean to the winners -Doug MacLeod in 2008 and to 2009 winners-

Best Drummer – Mark Matthews (Revolutionaires)

 Best Instrumentalist (other) –Harper (Didgeridoo)

 Best Harpist –Johnny Mars    Best Bassist- Akos Hasznos (Ramon Goose Band)

 Best Keyboardist – Ben Waters       Best Guitarist (Acoustic) – Toby Walker

 Best Guitarist (Electric) –Hamilton Loomis        Best Vocalist – Kyla Brox

 Best Dressed Band –The Revolutionaires     Best Solo Artist –Ben Waters

 Best Acoustic Act –Toby Walker     Best Band –Hamilton Loomis Band

Hall of Fame 2008 - Bronte Blues Club's First Annual Awards

Pictures by Charles Waller shows Roach & Mars receiving their award in February 2009 and Doug MacLeod receiving his in June.

In December, members voted for the best acts of 2008.. RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED ON 9th JANUARY!

"You can't judge a book by looking at the cover....."

Birthday presents for your blues-loving loved ones?

Branwell’s A-Z of the blues

A  Aaron ‘T-Bone’ Walker- The King of West Coast Swing; innovative blues guitarist.

B- Bessie Smith – the ‘Empress of the Blues’; raunchy and regal.

C  Chess Records -the Chicago label that defined blues-as-we-know it; Wolf, Waters ‘n’ more.

D  Delta Blues – down home country blues, often featuring acoustic slide guitar.

E  Eric Clapton- the epitome of white blues-guitar heroes; his heart is in it!

F  Freddie Below – possibly the greatest blues drummer ever.

G Gospel Music -the spiritual sister music to the secular blues

   Buddy Guy – longstanding guitar hero idolised by GB bluesmen.

H  Howling Wolf – primeval life-force was Muddy’s greatest rival.

I   Illinois –Chicago was the ‘promised land’ for black musicians from the southern USA.

J  Jimmy Reed- the ‘Big Boss Man’ was a ‘one-trick-pony’ but an extremely popular one in the 1960s.

K   King; BB, Freddie & Albert – three influential electric blues guitar namesakes

      Keb Mo – Grammy-winning popular contemporary singer/songwriter bluesman          

L  ‘Lemon Jefferson’ – this blind Texan wrote the blueprint for acoustic bluesmen.

M  Memphis Slim –urbane piano bluesman,

    Muddy Waters - from sharecropping to King of Chicago, the original Hoochie Coochie Man.

N   Nu Blues – modern UK blues-rock-sample hybrid. It’s new but is it blues?

O – Otis Redding ; not a bluesman? Listen to the self-penned ‘Hawg for You’

P  Paul Jones – from pop singer to UK blues guru; to appear on his show is to have ‘arrived’ in the UK

Q   ‘Queen of Soul’ – Aretha Franklin’s blues tracks, such as Dr. Feelgood, are a revelation.

R   Ray Charles – much feted singer/ pianist credited with the invention of soul-music.

     Robert Johnson – the most covered Delta bluesman artist ever?

S   Soul Music- what urban blues became in the 1960s

    Sonny Boy Willamson II – ‘Rice Millar’ was a harp player extremely influential on the ‘British Blues Boom’.

T  Ike Turner – Tina’s revelation of marital strife masked his huge contribution to R’n’B music.

U Underground sound – Blues/ R’n’B was the hip music for the 60’s in crowd.

V Victoria Spivey – top singer-songwriter-pianist of the St Louis jazz-blues era.

W  Willie Dixon – Chicago bass-man and songwriter without equal

X  Crossover Hit - to have a hit record in the ‘White Chart’ was a crock of gold for artistes on the ‘chitling circuit’.

Y J immy Yancy – Chicago-born blues pianist of the first decade of 20^th C.

Z  Z Z Top – 12 bar blues-rock with beards. Blues for rednecks?

 ©MF

Site under re-construction