Bring out the cake with 16 candles on it! Time For The Blues is celebrating its 16th anniversary and you’re the one getting the present! All you have to do is tune in this Saturday night, August 6, at 9:00 to enjoy all the shenanigans.
It’s been a good 16 years and along the way we’ve made a lot of friends, including performers, label executives, public relations masters, club owners, and fans of the blues. You’ve opened up your radios and computers and allowed us into your life, and for that we will be forever humbled and grateful.
We’ve got a real retrospective of some of the best moments from previous shows – including some of our very early work that hasn’t seen the light of day in years. Regular listeners will be able to see how the show has developed from its beginnings to the well-oiled machine that we’ve since become.
Yeah, right…
In the earliest shows, Henry and I relied mainly on the meager blues library we had on hand plus our own collections. Needless to say, we had some issues getting started, but dumb luck and boundless enthusiasm can conquer anything.
Emphasis on the dumb luck…
But we learned from our many mistakes and stuck with things and eventually found the groove that has since defined our show.
So, what are we playing?
I’m glad you asked. Our earliest pieces come from the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Albert King, and George “Harmonica” Smith. There’s a side from George Thorogood & The Destroyers.
Henry is trotting out some very fine Brits that we’ve sampled over the years. Join us for a look at Love Sculpture, Killing Floor, and Dr. Feelgood.
But wait, there’s more!
We’ve got a set of Rhythm and Blues that we’ve played over the years that include a side from Aretha Franklin and a couple from our exploration of that little label, Goldwax.
There’s a brand new Shemekia Copeland and a recent Carolyn Wonderland that we were about to play but didn’t.
And of course, we’ve got OUR song courtesy of the Jon Spear Band!
Oh, and I forgot the jokes, but that’s okay, you will forget them as well. Once we get going, all you’ll want to hear is this great music. So, Henry Cook and I will be glad to have your company if you care to join us at 9:00 this Saturday night. That’s August 6th, and you can find us on one of these great VPM Stations: 89.1 WCNV, Heathsville; 90.1 WMVE, Chase City; and the flagships, 93.1 and 107.3 VPM-Music and 88.9 HD2, Richmond, and streaming online here at VPM.org where it’s always Time For The Blues!