Back in 1998, I got to attend the Blues Hall of Fame induction at the House of Blues. Bobby "Blue" Bland was among the honorees and he performed a brief set, backed by one of his disciples, Boz Scaggs. The singer/guitarist has recorded several songs that Bland made famous, including this one. I later was able to give Scaggs a copy of this shot (by L.A. Times photographer Anacleto Rapping), and he reciprocated with an invitation to his San Francisco club, which I never took him up on. Wonder if the offer still stands...
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June 2013
June 24, 2013
June 23, 2013
RIP, Bobby "Blue" Bland
I once read that the cover for this 1961 album was shot outside the headquarters of Peacock Records in Houston. If so, then the album's title was sadly true because up those two steps and inside the door was the domain of Don Robey, the fearsome impresario who founded the label and lorded over the career of Bobby "Blue" Bland and many other key R&B artists. Still, Bland did his best work for Peacock and he would become a huge inspiration for artists such as Van Morrison (listen to his version of "Ain't Nothing You Can Do") and Boz Scaggs (who covered "Don't Cry No More"). But it was Bland's ballads, such as "Cry, Cry, Cry," that earned him the title of "The Sepia Sinatra." Bland died today at the age of 83 in his native Tennessee.
June 15, 2013
A Bright New Voice
Forgive the recent silence from Sublime HQ. Work and life got in the way (a city election, Gabriel's graduation, etc.). Theresa made this discovery and passed it along: a lovely British singer/songwriter named Laura Mvula. She's hard to categorize: she's a little jazzy and has been compared to Nina Simone. On the up-tempo tunes she's remindful of Amy Winehouse. But she's also classically-trained, which accounts for the nice string arrangements on a lot of the songs. And the backing vocal arrangement on this song has even brought comparisons to the Beach Boys! The album is great, beginning to end. Get it. Now.