bluesinthenorthwest.com

A couple of birthdays to celebrate today.

Ry Cooder - Born 15 March 1947 in Los Angeles, CA

Lightinin’Hopkins - Born 15 March 1912 in Centerville, TX

Sly Stone - Born 15 March 1943 in Denton, TX

Yesterday I was listening to one of my first blues loves - Taj Mahal “Natch’l Blues”.  Released in 1968 I didn’t hear it until the mid 80’s.  At that time I was living in my home town of Huddersfield.  I had been lured into the blues by Paul Jones on Radio 2 and I was desperately searching for blues to expand my horizons.  When I discovered half a dozen blues LPs for rental in Huddersfield library I was chuffed to bits.  One of those was Natch’l Blues by Taj Mahal.  It’s still a great sounding record and I still love many of the songs.  I think that Ry Cooder was in the band - hence this mention today.  Other CDs in the library were by the T-Birds and they became one of my all time favourites.  There is a link between Taj and the T-Birds.  Both bands used a guitar though a Leslie speaker I think.  I still love that effect.

Sly Stone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EscWg2n4vR4

Lightnin Hopkins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVF-0JKLnd4