First off, I've also sent the March 2023 Blues Blog, as it included the answer to the February 2023 Blues Blog Question, and secondly I'm combining the April & May Blues Blogs into 1, as there wasn't/ isn't time to do 2 seperate ones. Hoping to get computer problems all solved, so I can get back to some degree of normalcy.
Some April Blues Births:
Some May Blues Births:
- April 16th.,1917-- Bobby Robinson
- April 29th.,1926-- Joseph Benjamin "J.B." Hutto.
Some May Blues Births:
- May 18th.,1900-- Ernest Lawlers,aka "Little Son Joe" (the husband of Memphis Minnie [Lizzie Douglas])
- May; on the 25th.,1912-- Willie B. Thomas.
Answer To The March 2023 Blues Blog Question: The bluesman we were looking for was/is Charles Warner "Charlie" Sayles, born January 24, 1948, in Woburn, Massachusetts. He was from a "broken home", and as his parents split when he was 2 years old, he spent his early years in foster homes. In 1968 he joined the U.S.Army, where he was in the 101st. Airborne Division (known as "The Screaming Eagles", who were trainad and based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky). Sent to South Vietnam to serve, he heard another soldier playing the harmonica, and, at a later time, heard a B.B.King record on the radio. He taught himself how to play the harmonica by trying to copy Sonny Boy Williamson's songs and playing style. His Army enlistment was up in '71, and he returned to the U.S., where he improved his playing by doing so on the streets and subways in New York City, Atlanta, St.Louis, and other cities. He'd work a regular job when he was down on money, but he hasn't had a regular job since '74. In that period, in New York City, he met Ralph Rinzler, who was the organizer of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, held in Washington, D.C. Arranged by Rinzler, he played that festival paired with Pete Seegar, and they did other shows together, also set up by Rinzler. In '76, he made his first recording, "Goin' Up- Goin' Down - The Raw Harmonica Blues of Charlie Sayles", on the Dusty Roads record label. By '79, he had his own backing band. Charlie lost his right eye and several teeth when he was attacked on the street. He'd been married to a woman for 8 years, and she was the one who played bass in his band. When they divorced, the band ended too, so, here he was, back to playing on the streets. It wasn't until 1990 that he would again record, this time on the J S P label, out of England. He recorded 3 albums with them, and these are considered to be his best; 1 in '91, 1 in '95, and 1 in 2000. He recorded another one in 2015, on the Fetal Records label, titled "Charlie Sayles And The Blues Disciples", with Charlie on vocals and harp, Greg Phillips on drums, and Tony "the Legend" Fazio on rhythm and bass guitars (Tony's also Charlie's landlord). Sayles style is said to combine New Orleans funk, Chicago blues, some jazz, and bits of Rock & Roll. Yes, he writes his own "stuff", and yes, he's still with us.
Blues Question For April & May 2023: This bluesman was not from any of the usual geographic areas from where most of the old bluesman came. He had a really light touch with the guitar. In his younger days he formed a band that included a young Ray Charles. He recorded on 4 different labels. He wrote and recorded several songs that are now considered to be blues standards. Any idea who this bluesman might be ??
Blues Song(s) And Artist(s) For April & May 2023: The song is "Somebody Loan Me A Dime", and the artist is Fenton Robinson. It's from Alligator Records, # 4705, which has the same title. It was recorded/ released in 1974. The true original recording of it was on the Palos Records label, #1200-A, released in 1967. On the record itself, which was issued with either a pale yellow or white label, as a 7" 45 rpm, on that label it shows the title being "Somebody", with "Loan Me a Dime", in parenthesis, below it. The version on the Alligator album featured Fenton as the composer, the main artist, doing the vocal and lead guitar, with Mighty Joe Young on rhythm guitar, Cornelius Boyson on bass, Bill Heid on keyboards, and Tony Gooden on drums. Other personnel also used on that album were Elmer Brown and Norval D. Hodges on trumpet, Dave Baldwin on tenor sax, and Bill McFarland on trombone. Of note also, Alligator is releasing a new pressing of that album, on 140 grain vinyl, on June 2, 2023.
Blues Trivia For April & May 2023: Basically, just some random thoughts by me, since being without my computer's use. Many thanks to Andy Pressler for stepping in to fill that void, using some of the history of The Sound of Blue's earliest days. In those early days I had a blues question for our mailing list members. If answered correctly by anyone, they would get an additional discount over their regular member's discount. I had one person, a lady from Cleveland, who almost always knew the answer, Shirley Wren. Here's a little trivia from her 'phone calls with the answers. In her younger days she'd had a record store in Cleveland, so knowing most of those artist's names was easy, but she also listened to the "Blues With Fitz" radio shows on WCPN. She also spoke of her neighborhood's kids, and one of those in particular. That was a boy who was on the ornery side, often in trouble, but not of the serious type. That young man's name was Jalacy Hawkins. You might know him too, as he went by the stage name of "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, the wild man of the blues to this day.
Some April Blues Passings:
- April 12th.,2012-- Andrew Love
- April 29th.,2002-- Esau Weary.
- May 14th.,1976-- William Keith Relf
- May 24th.,1997-- Eddie Lee Watson, aka Lovie Lee.
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