Vaudeville entertainment for black audiences began in 1909 with an organization called TOBA. Those four letters stood for Theater Owners Bookers Association. Often called by the black entertainers who worked the TOBA circuit: Tough On Black Artists. For many of the artists, trying times to be sure. However, it was an important cog in the machine which brought black entertainment to the rural areas and large cities in the early part of the century. TOBA had more than 100 theaters operating by the end of the 1920s. Blues and Jazz were an important part of black entertainment in those early years and surely both idioms grew because of the fine caliber of the performers of that era and their ability to reach large audiences throughout most of the country. Actual recordings started being made in 1914 by Victor, Columbia and Edison though the Edison company finally bowed out of the business. In 1918, the Paramount Record Company (a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Chair Company of Port Washington) came into being primarily to make recordings for folks to play on their newly purchased record players which were made by the Chair Company. Paramount is famous today for two things....they were first to record Blind Lemon Jefferson and Ma Rainey and....they made terrible quality pressings of cheap shellac. Were it not for Paramount however, many great artists would never have been heard. Business is business. The Vaudeville Years highlights some of the dynamic female vocalists of that time, women who set the mark for all other female blues shouters to follow. John Rhys/BluePower.com Here's the music: 1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records 2)...."St. Louis Blues"....Bessie Smith....Columbia Records 3)...."Bo Weavil Blues"....Ma Rainey....Paramount Records 4)...."I'm A Mighty Tight Woman"....Sippie Wallace....Okeh (Columbia) Records 5)...."T.B. Blues"....Victoria Spivey....Victor Records 6)...."Coffin Blues"....Ida Cox....Paramount Records 7)...."Texas Moaner Blues"....Alberta Hunter....Paramount Records 8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records Click here to listen to....In The Beginning....The Vaudeville Years! Click here to go to....Red Hot Jazz.com _________________________________________________________________

Can you believe it? Another year has passed quickly away. Where did the time go? I'll have to check my diary. I know we lost a lot of good folks somewhere along the way this year and I surely hope they have passed this mortal coil in a positive direction. Myself....Well I consider it lucky now if I just wake up every day and feel pretty good. I am not unique in that regard. I did want to put a little something together for Christmas just in case a few folks would like to hear a few tunes which are not ordinarily played off the normal channels. Please join me on this beautiful California, laid back, Christmas Eve. Thanks for listening....John Rhys-Eddins Here are the players and performers for this show....:) 1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury 2)...."Christmas Celebration"....BB King....HOB 3)...."Santa Clause Wants Some Lovin' "....Albert King....HOB 4)...."Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues"....Sonny Boy Williamson....HOB 5)...."Boogie Woogie Santa Clause"....Mabel Scott....HOB 6)...."Santa Claus, Santa Claus"....Louis Jordan....HOB 7)...."Winter Wonderland"....The Ronnie Cole Trio....Paula Records 8)...."Please Come Home For Christmas"....Charles Brown....Paula Records 9)...."Lonesome Christmas" (Pt. 1)....Lowell Fulsom....Paula Records 10)..."Lonesome Christmas" (Pt. 2)....Lowell Fulsom....Paula Records 11)..."All I Want For Christjmas Is You"....Vince Vance....Waldoxy 12)..."Merry Christmas Baby"....Charles Brown....Paula Records 13)..."Let's Make Christmas Merry Baby"....Amos Milburn....HOB 14)..."Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"....The Saint John's Choir....Savannah, Georgia 15)..."Santa"....Lightnin' Hopkins....HOB 16)..."Santa's Messin' With The Kid"....Eddie C. Campbell....HOB 17)..."White Christmas"....Sugar Boy Crawford...Paula Records 18)..."What Child Is This/Greensleeves"....The Saint John's Choir (organist unknown) Listen to....A Laid Back Christmas Eve, 2009!

 For months now, we at BluePower have been searching for product we could enthusiastically endorse. Though receiving plenty of product, nothing stood out as being new and exciting; that is until we heard 8 Ball Aitken's CD. After listening to it a dozen or so times, I knew I had found the product for which I had been looking. I remembered back to when I was a young record promo man in the Deep South, hauling boxes of new product into radio stations hoping to get some airplay. In those days, good songs always received significant airplay. The CD we're playing today is what I would then call my "Ace in the hole" because it is an album of great songs. Nothing intense or heavy, just fine writing of  some good-time, heart-felt music. Hailing from "way down under", 8 Ball Aitken has copped some of Australia's finest music awards. (Check out his website to see all.)  His playing, though straight-forward, is pure and goes to the heart of the music. 8 Ball has done his homework, the man rocks without going over the top. Something which has not been prevalent on the American music scene for some time. Congratulations to all those involved with this product. It's a mighty fine piece of work! John Rhys/BluePower.com Here's the music: 1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records 2)...."Cyclone Country"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records 3)...."Hands On Top Of The Wheel"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records 4)...."Black Swamp Creek"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records 5)...."Yellow Moon"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records 6)...."The Party"....8 Ball Aitken....Phoenix Movement Records 7)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records Click here to play....8 Ball Aitken....Rebel With A Cause! Click here to see...."Heart In Heaven And Hands On Top Of The Wheel" Click here to go to 8 Ball Aitken's website!

Since we have been involved with BluePower, we have been sent the Blues from some strange places. The country of origin for tonight's music is certainly not a place known for the Blues. Until now, that is. The music and artists for tonight's show come from the relatively little known country of Catalonia. To be quite honest, I have been to Barcelona, Spain before and never knew it was the capitol of Catalonia. I always thought Barcelona was part of Spain. Well....that's a long story and one you should possibly dig into a bit. Catalonia's history is worth studying. Catalonia is a Mediterranean country located on the northwestern triangle of the Iberian Peninsular. Historically, it's location has turned it into a land of peace, where various peoples and cultures have come together. The CD we're presenting tonight is titled Blues Cat and features artists who all hail from Catalonia, Spain. The CD was sent to us from our friend, Vicente Zumel of Barcelona. Vicente has been producing and hosting a Blues radio show in Barcelona for 25 years called La Hora Del Blues. The man has a remarkable set of archives and does a wonderfully impromptu show. Please give a listen when you have time. BluePower sends it's congratulations to all the talented artists of Catalan and apologizes for the fact that we could not get to all the great players on Blues Cat this time around. We hope you'll forgive us. Thanks for tuning in. John Rhys/BluePower.com Tonight's artists are: 1)....Theme...."Koz's Walk"....Koz Kosinski 2)...."Woatinee"....Amadeu Casas 3)...."Blues Through My Veins"....Alex A. & TNT 4)...."Sugar Sweet"....Joan Pau Cumellas-Miguel Talavera 5)...."Drowning In The Blues"....Loti Lewis 6)...."Waiting At The Train Station"....Joan Vinyals-Cece Giannotti 7)...."Trist Gris"....Errol Woiski 8)...."Cara De Foc"....Big Mama & Joan Pau Cumellas 9)...."Cansat"....Blues De Picolat 10)..."Jungle's Groove"....Lluis Coloma Click here to play....BluePower Presents....The Blues From Catalonia! Click here to go to....La Hora Del Blues!

This is a re-run from February 25th, 2007 During the late 1940s and the 1950s, there were a lot of records made that were a bit past the "blue"side....in fact, these records were downright "gray". So much so, that these records were banned in Boston. Now banned in Boston is just a term borrowed from the late twenties when there was an organization (which was housed in Boston) that literally banned books from entering public libraries and stopped these books from being sold in America. In the instance of these recordings however, it was white owned radio during these years which banned what they called "Race" music. Race music in the late forties was merely black music. That title did not change until a young editor from Billboard Magazine came up with a catchy phrase....the rhythm and blues. That man was Jerry Wexler and he would go on to produce some of the greatest rhythm and blues music of all time. This music spawned some of the greatest labels America has ever known. Atlantic, Atco, Chess, Checker, Argo, King (from which label many of the cuts heard tonight hail), Federal, and on and on. These records needed to be heard. Black radio stepped in to fill the gap and a whole new business was created. One of the terms of many of these records is "rock and roll" and everyone thinks that Alan Freed coined the phrase. I personally believe that Mr. Freed loved this wild music as much as any of us did at the time and simply borrowed the term. It stuck....and American music would never be the same again. Tune in as I play many of my favorite "dirty" songs. The songs my step-father did his best to stop me from listening. As you can hear....he failed. Here's tonight's music: 1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records 2)...."My Big Ten Inch"....Moose Jackson....King Records 3)...."I Didn't Want To Do It"....The Spiders....Imperial Records 4)...."My Babe"....Little Walter....Checker Records 5)...."Herpes Blues"....Matt Lucas....BJCD Records 6)...."Sixty Minute Man"....The Dominoes....Federal Records 7)...."Lovin' Machine"....Wynonie Harris....King Records 8)...."Work With Me Annie"....The Midnighters....Federal Records 9)...."I'm Your Hoochie-Coochie Man"....Muddy Waters....Chess Records 10)..."It Ain't The Meat, It's The Motion"....The Swallows....King Records   11)..."Yield Not To Temptation"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records 12)..."Turn On Your Lovelight"....Bobby "Blue" Bland....Duke Records 13)...."Good Mornin' Little School Girl"....Junior Wells....Chess Records 14)..."All She Wants To Do Is Rock"....Wynonie Harris....King Records 15)..."Sexy Ways"....The Midnighters....Federal Records 16)..."My Ding-A-Ling"....Dave Bartholomew....King Records 17)..."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records I made a serious mistake in this show. Be the first to point it out to me and I will send you a great new live concert DVD. Thanks for listening! John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com Click here to listen to....BluePower Presents....Banned In Boston!

This time in 2006 was the last time I saw Bobby Pickett alive. When he came to the BluePower studio he told us he wasn't well and jokingly said, "We'd better make this a good show as it may be my last." I don't think it was quite Bobby's last show but very close. On the 25th of April, 2007, the world lost a wonderful human being and a gifted entertainer. I can't think of a better show for Halloween than this show featuring our dear departed friend....Bobby Pickett. _____________________________________________ Ever since I've known Bob, I have marveled at his elegance of manner, his ultra-quick wit and his well focused insight to character. We have recorded dozens of commercials and a whole lot of bits together. (He as talent and I as engineer) Through hours of being on the other side of the glass, I gained a great deal of respect for this talented man's work. Forty-five years ago, a tiny record lable called GARPAX released a single (45 rpm record) to the world. The A side, written by Bob and Lenny Capeci is titled "Monster Mash" and has become synonymous with the holiday, Halloween. There are very few people in the world whom haven't heard, "They did the mash....they did the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash!" And smash it was. This one song has kept Bobby "Boris" Pickett in groceries for forty-five years. and....as Bob mentions, "It's more than paid the rent." Bob will be appearing at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey on the 27th, 28th and 29th of October at the 16th Annual Chiller Theatre Expo along with Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), the enchanting Elvira, plus Adam West and Burt Ward of Batman fame. His book, Monster Mash, Half Dead In Hollywood is a tremendous read and tells Mr. Pickett's history from the time he was born through today. Bob tells the truth about Hollywood and the denizens that dwell there. As Mr. Pickett says...."They drag me out for one night a year. It's my time to howl." It's good to hear you howl again my friend. Tonight's music is.... 1)...."It's Alive"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett 2)...."Dead Man's Party"....Oingo-Boingo 3)...."Monster Mash"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett 4)...."Gallow's Pole"....Jimmy Page and Robert Plant 5)...."Werewolves Of London"....Warren Zevon 6)...."Sinister Stomp"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett 7)...."Got My Mojo Workin' "....Muddy Waters 8)...."Blood Bank Blues"....Bobby "Boris" Pickett Incidental music composed by: Dave Roberts. The picture of Bobby Pickett at the top of the page was taken by Jimmy Wachtel during the recording of Pickett's version of  Warren Zevon's, "Werewolves Of London". Listen to....Half Dead In Hollywood....With Guest....Bobby "Boris" Pickett! Go to the superb website of Bobby "Boris" Pickett! Have a safe and sane HALLOWEEN!

Occasionally I run behind with new shows and for that, I apologize. However; there are always a plethera of shows looming in BluePower's background which I can substitute while I work on something new. This week, I am posting the BB King show I did several years ago. The reason being that it is a good show and quite informative. It speaks of BB's influences, which are significant for young guitarists. They were for me. Part One deals with the set up at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas where Mr. King was to perform. You get a definite idea as to what instruments BB uses in his ensemble; the set up etc. Good stuff to know. Then John interviews BB King....truly, one of the nicest men on the planet. Part Two deals with BB's musical influences as a young musician growing up. His influences may astonish you. Many thanks to my dear friend, Jim Cantale of ESI Event Services for his efforts on BluePower's behalf. I do hope you enjoy BB King Parts One and Two. Thank You, John Rhys-Eddins BluePower.com Listen To BB King, Part One! Listen To BB King, Part Two! Go to BB King's Web Site!

I have had an up-close and personal meeting with fire. Our house burned down when I was thirteen. I never forgot those brave Firefighters (volunteers I might add) who came just a bit too late to save our little house. Without them, the loss would have been total. Here in California, we all know the true worth of the Firefighter. We have watched year after year as our forests and hills rage with fire only to be beaten back by these courageous men and women who take their motto seriously and lay their lives on the line day after day. Even now, the largest wildfire in California's history is burning acres by the handful and is requiring nearly 5 thousand men and women to bring it under control. The Firefighters lost two good men during the fight when overwhelmed by smoke, their truck slid off a narrow dirt road and rolled down a steep, thickly forested hill which was covered in flame. The victims were fire Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino County, and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 35, of Palmdale. Hall was a 26-year veteran, and Quinones had been a county firefighter for eight years. I wish to personally apologize for mis-pronouncing Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones name during the program. I should have double checked the spelling. Not only are Firefighters there when fires break out but they are also a second line of defense for America at home. This is something I did not know. I'm hoping to learn more about the Firefighter's role in national defense. As for myself....I wish to thank all the fire crews battling to save lives and property as I write. I have relatives whom are Firefighters and have heard the harrowing tales told of unsung heros and friends who are no longer with us. Thank you Brothers and Sisters of the American firefighting brigades. John Rhys/BluePower.com Here's the music: 1)...."The Burn"....Real George....unreleased 2)...."We Didn't Start The Fire"....Billy Joel....Columbia Records 3)...."Matchbox"....Matt Lucas....Smash Records 4)...."I'm On Fire"....Etta James....Chess Records 5)...."Next To Your Fire"....The Pack....Capitol Records 6)...."Light My Fire"....The Doors....Elektra Records 7)...."Serpentine Fire"....Earth, Wind and Fire....Columbia Records 8)...."We'll See Sunshine Again"....Bobby Barth and Blackfoot....unreleased 9)...."The Burn"....Real George....unreleased Click here to listen to....Hats Off To The Firefighters! Join The Firefighters!

In the 50s and 60s, there was a thriving music business on both coasts. Major and independent record labels were constantly searching for new artists and new songwriters. It was during this, the most exciting time for the music industry that Bobby Hart came to Hollywood with dreams of being in the music business. His dreams, timing and his remarkable talent led to his being nominated for a Grammy, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Along with his writing partner, Tommy Boyce, the duo produced over 100 million units sold around the world. The two writers vast list of hits includes songs for The Monkees, Little Anthony, Jay and The Americans, Freddie Cannon, Dean Martin and Paul Revere and The Raiders. They also wrote the "Days Of Our Lives" theme which has been running daily for over forty years. Tune in as John and Bobby discuss Bobby's career which turned out to be a wild ride and a virtual tour through the heyday of the American Record Industry. John Rhys/BluePower.com Here's the music: 1)...."Theme From Days Of Our Lives" 2)...."Come A Little Bit Closer"....Jay and The Americans 3)...."Last Train To Clarksville"....The Monkees 4)...."I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"....Boyce and Hart 5)...."Pretty Little Angel Eyes"....Curtis Lee 6)...."Theme From The Monkees"....The Monkees 7)...."Theme From Where The Action Is"....Freddy Cannon 8)...."Hurt So Bad"....Little Anthony Click here to listen to interview with music. Click here to see video of interview sans music. Quicktime player required to view video. ___________________________________________________________________ If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.