HEAR HERE:
THE PLAYLIST:
“Blue Midnight” – John Mayall
“2 O’Clock In The Morning” – Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown
“3 O’Clock In The Morning” – Ike & Tina Turner
“4 O’Clock In The Morning” – Stanley Mitchell & The Tornados
“Early Morning Blues” – Muddy Waters
“Blues Before Sunrise” – Champion Jack Dupree
“Good Morning Blues” – Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
“Back Home At Noon” – Jimmy Reed
“Late Afternoon Blues” – Memphis Slim
“Six O’Clock Blues” – Lucky Peterson
“Sundown” – Charlie Musselwhite
“Midnight Hours Journey” – Johnny Ace
“Quarter To Twelve” – Little Walter
“Midnight In Harlem” – Tedeschi Trucks Band
It started out as a Blues-at-midnight thing which, simply, got out of hand.
Hence, this edition of Nothin’ But The Blues inevitably unfolded as a show deserving the somewhat grandiose subtitle: ‘A Day In The Life Of The Blues’.
I’d happened upon a fonky little midnight tune by the irrepressible patriarch of British Blues, John Mayall. And I’m guessing that none, bar the most dedicated of his fans would even be remotely aware that the now 83-year-old Bluesman was still releasing albums.
As I burned the midnight oil, it dawned upon me that, in the cold light of day, the Blues is something that is with us always. It shadows us all throughout the day – and well into the night.
Most times, we don’t even notice it’s there – because life (as John Lennon might have put it) is busy making other plans.
I found myself reflecting on a Carlos Castaneda book I’d been hepped to back in the ‘70s: ‘A Separate Reality: Further Conversations With Don Juan’. Carlos was driving at night with his mysterious companion, who’d suggested that the lights following behind them were not coming from another car. They were being followed by Death.
Later, when Carlos noticed the lights were no longer there, he suggested that the car must have stopped, or taken another road. Don Juan’s casual reply has stayed with me ever since.
“No” he said, “Death never stops. Sometimes it turns it’s lights off, that’s all.”
That’s when the light turned on to the prospect of a show about an entire day in the life of the Blues. How the Blues remain ever-present. Even while stalking us at night – with the lights turned off.
Although there is no time in the day when you are free from it’s gaze, there is an actual documented moment at which you are more likely, than at any other, to feel the cold touch of it’s hand upon your shoulder.
We’ll touch upon that point as well, as our show unfolds.
That being said, though, it’s not all bad news. But…
Yes, yes, I know… How can we possibly squeeze a whole 24-hours of Blues into one tiny little hour of compelling Blues radio?
By pressing the play button above – you will assuredly find out.
As always, thanks for listening,
Gideon Rhyme – Cultural Detective
The show’s seventh episode premiered on the gist.net.au at midday (CST) on Saturday the 8th April 2017, receiving an ‘encore’ airing at 7pm (CST) on Wednesday 12th April 2017.
Trés Le Parque 