PS Blues playlists

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, July 8, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / My Own Worst Enemy
2. Deb Callahan / (regional) / The Blue Pearl / Ray Ray
3. Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers / (regional) / No More Beautiful World / World Ain’t Gone Crazy
4. John Wesley Harding / Mammoth / Adam’s Apple / Nothing At All
5. Bob Dylan / Columbia / Highway 61 Revisited / It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
6. Robert Nighthawk / Bullseye / Live on Maxwell Street 1964 / Mama Talk to Your Daughter
a. Featuring: J. B. Lenoir (who wrote the tune)


7. Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland / Chess / Pure Blues / Turn on Your Love Light
8. Sugar Ray / Severn / My Life, My Friends, My Music / Until the Real Thing Comes Along
9. Koko Taylor / Alligator / Old School / Bad Avenue
10. U2 / W Bros / Save Darfur / Insta Karma
11. John Lennon / Capitol / Imagine / Gimme Some Truth

HOUR TWO:

Jeff Davis introduces the ‘Keep the Fires Burning’ concert series.

12. Toni Lynn Washington / (self) / Favorite Flower (live) / I Don’t Hurt Anymore
13. Ellen McIlwaine / (regional) / Women’s Blues & Revue Live / Fight The Power
14. Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul DesLauriers / Justin Time / en duo / Cold Shot
15. Ndidi Onukwulu / Jerico Beach / No, I Never / Wait
16. Ruthie Foster / (internet) / tbd


HOUR THREE:

17. Robert Randolph & the Family Band / KFOG sampler / Live from the Archives / I Need More Love
18. Jason & the Nashville Scorchers / Hip-O / Cover Me / 19th Nervous Breakdown
19. Alice Cooper / W Bros / Billion Dollar Babies / (title track)
20. Indigenous / Vanguard / Chasing the Sun / Fool Me Again
21. Johnny Winter / BGD / Nothin’ But the Blues / Everybody’s Blues
22. Tommy Bolin / Tommy Bolin Archives / Snapshot / Savanah Woman


23. Ian Hunter / Yep Roc / Shrunken Head / Words
24. Chalee / (local) / CD5 / What Can I Say
25. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / Good Man
26. John Wesley Harding / Mammoth / Adam’s Apple / Monkey & His Cat
27. Grayson Capps / Hyena / If You Knew My Mind / Slidell

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, July 15, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. The Doors / Elektra / Very Best of / Backdoor Man
2. The Doors / Elektra / Soft Parade / Running Blues
3. The Doors / Elektra / The Doors Live / Roadhouse Blues
4. Sean Costello / Landslide / moanin’ for molasses / I Want You So Bad
5. Sugar Ray / Severn / My Life… / Until the Real Thing Comes Along
6. Elmore James / Rhino / The Sky is Crying / Shake Your Money Maker
7. Wilco / Nonesuch / Sky Blue Sky / Side with the Seeds
8. Black Squirrels / (local) / Last of the Ghost Town Gang / When the Money Ran Out ( so did he)

9. Koko Taylor / Alligator / Old School / Piece of Man
10. James Brown / Polydor / In the Jungle Groove / It’s a New Day
11. Mem Shannon / Northern Blues / Live / I Won’t Back Down
12. Carey & Lurrie Bell / Delmark / Getting’ Up Live / Leaving in the Morning

HOUR TWO:

13. Hadden Sayers / (regional) / Supersonic / Solitude
14. Roger Miller / Mercury / All Time Greatest Hits / Dang Me
15. BB King & Diane Schuur / GRP / Heart to Heart / No Ever Tells You
16. Ian Hunter / Yep Roc / Shrunken Heads / Read’em & Weep
17. Charlie Wood & the New Memphis Underground / Doddy-O / (self titled) / Drown in My Own Tears
18. Jimmy Thackery / Tel Arc Blues / Solid Ice / Blues Tears
19. Guitar Shorty / Alligator / We the People / (title track)

20. Jonny Lang / A&M / Long Time Coming / Happiness & Misery
21. Philip Sayce / (self) / Peace Machine / One Foot in the Grave
22. Stevie Ray Vaughan / Experience Hendrix / Power of Soul / Little Wing – 3rd Stone form the Sun (12 minute live jam)

HOUR THREE:

23. Black Keys / Nonesuch / Your Touch
24. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / (title track)
25. Ana Popovic / Delta Groove / Still Making History / Hold On
26. Ronnie Baker Brooks / Watchdog / The Torch / Its All About You
27. Gary Moore / Eagle / Close as You Get / Eyesight to the Blind
28. Peter Frampton / A&M / Fingerprints / Smoky
27. The Kinks / KOCH / Soap Opera / Ordinary People

28. Amy Winehouse / Universal / Back to Black / You Know I’m No Good
29. Matt Whipkey & Anonymous American / (local) / Don’t Be Late / CTA
30. Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / Everything is Everything
31. Sue Foley & Friends / ruf / Timebomb / Two Moons Gone

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, July 22, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Billy Branch & Sugar Ray Norcia / Tel Arc / Super Harps / Route 66
2. Eric Gales / HOB / Whole Lotta Blues / Trampled Underfoot
3. The Swallows /’ Rhino / Risque Rhythm / It Ain’t the Meat
4. Bucky McCann / (local) / cassette tape / Its Over Now
5. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / Good Man
6. Camille Howard / Specialty / Legends of Boogie Woogie / Instantaneous Boogie

7. Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield featuring Johnny Winter / Legacy / The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68 / Its My Own Fault
8. Sue Foley, Joe Ely, Sarah Brown, Marcia Ball / Shanchie / Brace Yourself / Great Balls of Fire
9. Sean Costello / Landslide / moanin’ for molasses / One Kiss

HOUR TWO:

10. tad robinson / Severn / a new point of view / Long Way Home
11. Mavis Staples / ANTI / We’ll Never Turn Back / (title track)
12. Pauline York Band / (self) / Get Down & Ride / Reap What You Sow
13. Steppenwolf / HBO / From the Earth to the Moon (OST) / Sookie, Sookie
14. Elvin Bishop / Blind Pig / Booty Bumpin’ / What the Hell is Going On?
15. Duke Robillard / Stony Plain / World Full of Blues / Sweet Thing

16. Buddy Guy & Jr. Wells / Vanguard / free’n the Blues / Poison Ivy
17. Amy Winehouse / UniversalRepublic / Back to Black / Love is a Losing Game
18. Los Lonely Boys / W Bros / Instant Karma / Whatever Gets You Through the Night
19. Jack Johnson / W Bros / Instant Karma / Imagine
20. REM / W Bros / Instant Karma / Dream #9

HOUR THREE:

21. Lyle Lovett / Curb / ‘and his Large Band’ / Here I Am
22. k.d. Lang / Nonesuch / Tribute to Joni Mitchell / Help Me
23. Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / Meanwhile
24. Gary Moore / Eagle / Close As You Get / Trouble At Home
25. Tinsley Ellis / Alligator / Moment of Truth / Too Much of Everything
26. Sue Foley, Deb Coleman, Roxanne Potvin / RUF / timeBomb / Two Moons Gone

27. Sugar Ray / Severn / My Life… / Until the Real Thing Comes Along
28. Shaky Boys / (local) / Promo EP / Blues Number
29. Hadden Sayers / Radio Ready / Supersonic / Better All the Time
30. Eric Clapton / Experience Hendrix / Power of Soul / Burning of the Midnight Lamp
31. Matt Whipkey & Anonymous American / (local) / Don’t Be Late / Fourth of July
32. James Brown / Polydor / ‘in the Jungle Groove’ / Give It Up or Turnit A Loose

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Joe Lutcher & His Society Cats / Specialty / Legends of Boogie Woogie / Rockin’ Boogie
2. Nat Cole / Capitol / The Cocktail Combos / Straighten Up & Fly
Right
3. Sugar Ray & the Bluetones / Severn / My Life, My Friends, My Music / Until the Real Thing Comes Along
4. Nina Simone / Legacy / Just Like a Woman / (title track)
5. Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, James Cotton / Legacy / Breakin’ It Up, Breakin’ it Down / I Done Got Over It
6. Al Kooper & Michael Bloomfield / Legacy / The Lost Concert Tapes 12/12/68 / One Way Out

7. Brad Colerick / Back9 / Lines in the Dirt / We’re Gonna Laugh
8. Anonymous American / (local) / Movies / Fourth of July
9. Bob Dylan / Columbia / planet waves / Forever Young
10. Dave Alvin / New West / live from Austin, tx / Jubilee Train
11. Dave Alvin / New West / live from Austin, tx / Promised Land

HOUR TWO:

12. Wilson Picket / Atlantic / boxset / Land of 1000 Dances
13. Ray Charles / Atlantic / boxset / What’d I Say
14. Otis Redding / Mr. Pitiful
15. The Capitols / Cool Jerk
16. Arthur Conley / Sweet Soul Music
17. Archie Bell & the Drells / Tighten Up
18. Brook Benton / Rainy Night in Georgia
19. Spinners / I’ll Be Around
20. Otis Redding / I’ve Been Loving You Too Long

21. Chris Thomas King / HOB / Whole Lotta Blues / Hey Hey (What Can I Do?)
22. Willie DeVille / Shanchie / Brace Yourself / Daddy Rolling Stone
23. Sister Rosetta Tharpe / Decca / The Gospel of the Blues / Up Above My Head
24. T-Bone Walker / Capitol / The Complete Capitol (Black & White) Recordings / I Want a Little Girl
25. T-Bone Walker / Capitol / The Complete Capitol (Black & White) Recordings / So Blue Blues
26. T-Bone Walker / Capitol / The Complete Capitol (Black & White) Recordings / T-Bone Shuffle


HOUR THREE:

Interview with Arno Lucas regarding ‘Crackin’ reunion next weekend
(see below)

27. Popa Chubby / Blind Pig / Electric Chubbyland / Foxy Lady
28. Mezcal Brothers / (local) / (self titled) / Drive Like a Maniac
29. Swampdawamp / (Self) / (self titled) / Happy Birthday (to me)
30. Gary Moore / Eagle / Close As You Get / Eyesight to the Blind
31. Mick Jagger / Atlantic / Wandering Spirit / Wired All Night

_______________________
Crackin' Returns to Omaha August 3, 4, 5
The former Omaha-based group known as Crackin' will be returning home for a All Star music filled weekend! The Omaha Music Black Hall of Fame on Friday night August 3, will induct members of Crackin'.
The music excitement continues for two evenings of public performances on Saturday, August 4 at 8pm and Sunday, August 5th at 7:30pm at OM Center 1216 Howard in The Old Market. Door open at 7pm.

Tickets are $15, suggested RSVP or can be purchased at the door on the night of performances. The OM Center is anticipating two sell out performances, tickets in advanced is suggested. Call OM 402-345-5078 for ticket information.

The musical line up for the Crackin' performance includes, Arno Lucas (Percussion), Leslie Smith (Vo.), Rick Chudacoff (Bass), Peter Bunetta (Drum), Brian Ray (Guitar), Lester Abrams (Key, Vo.), Bob Bordy (Guitar) ...with Special Guests Robbie Dupree and Neal Davis...plus plus!

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, August 5, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, James Cotton / Legacy / Breakin’ It Up, Breakin’ It Down / Love Her With a Feeling
2. Indigenous / Pachyderm / Blues This Morning / What’s Goin’ On
3. Sour Mash / (local) / (promo) / Caledonia
4. Luther Allison / Alligator / Live in Chicago / Move from the Hood

5. Ronnie Baker Brooks / Watchdog / The Torch / Love Again
6. Carl Weathersby / HOB / Whole Lotta Blues / Good Times, Bad Times
7. Delaney & Bonnie / Stax / Home / It’s Been a Long Time Coming
8. Etta James / Private / Let’s Roll / Somebody to Love
9. Nina Simone / Legacy / Just Like a Woman / To Love Somebody

HOUR TWO:

10. Ruthie Foster / ada / The Phenomenal… / Heal Yourself
11. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / What You Got
12. Roky Erickson / PALM / You’re Gonna Miss Me / You Don’t Love Me Yet
13. Dave Davis / Koch / Fractured Mindz / Come to the River
14. Minnie Driver / Zoe / Seastories / Cold Dark River
15. Robert Wilkins / Yazoo / Roots of Rock / That’s No Way to Get Along

16. Duke Robillard / Stony Plain / All Killer, No Filler / Bright Lights, Big City
17. Chris Cain / Blue Rock It / Cain Does King / I’m Gonna Do What They Do To Me
18. Andrew Jr. Boy Jones / JSP / I Need Time / Blues Joint
19. Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash / Artemis / Distance Between / Damage is Done
20. David Bromberg / Appleseed / Try Me One More Time / It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

HOUR THREE:

21. Eric Gales / Blues International / The Psychedelic Underground / Wake Up Call
22. Jimmy Thackery / Telarc / Solid Ice / Who Knows
23. Gary Moore / Eagle / Close As You Get / Checkin’ Up on My Baby
24. Yardbirds / Fuel 2000 / Jeff Beck & … / Train Kept a Rollin’
25. Smokin’ Joe Kubek Band / Bullseye / Best of / Damn Traffic

26. Mark Olson / Hack Tone / The Salvation Blues / (title track)’
a. Formerly with the Jayhawks
27. Chris & Rich Robinson (Black Crowes) / Eagle / Brothers of a Feather / Roll Um Easy
28. Nils Lofgren /Vision / …Band Live / Driftin’ Man
29. Chicken Shack / Blue Horizon / The Complete Horizon Sessions / Get Like You Used to Be
a. Featuring Christie ‘McVie’ prior to her membership in Fleetwood Mac

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, 12, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

Interview Show
Featuring Sly Stone (Sly & the Family Stone)

HOUR TWO:

1. 112 North Duck / (local) / I Took the Hook / (title track)
2. 112 North Duck / (local) / I Took the Hook / Mountain Movin’ Mama

3. Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield / Legacy / The Lost Concert Tapes / One Way Out
4. Sugar Ray / Severn / My Life, My Friends / Until the Real Thing Comes Along
5. Carla Thomas / Stax / The Queen Alone / I Want to Be Your Baby
6. Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, James Cotton / Legacy / Breakin’ It Up, Breakin’ It Down / Mama Talk to Your Daughter
7. Carey & Lurrie Bell / Delmark / Getting’ Up Live / What My Mama Told Me
8. Andrew Jr. Boy Jones / JSP / I Need Time / Big Leg, Heavy Bottom
9. Nick Lowe / Yep Rock / At My Age / The Club

HOUR THREE:

10. Bucky McKann / (local) / Cassette Tape / A Part of You I Didn’t See
11. Ian Moore / Justice / To Be Loved / House Up On the Hill
12. Neville Brothers / Rhino / Treacherous / Fear, Hate, Envy, Jealousy
13. Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / Everything is Everything
14. Ruthie Foster / ada / The Phenomenal… / Heal Yourself
15. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / (title track)

16. Sue Foley, Deborah Coleman, Roxanne Potvin / Ruf / timeBomb / So Far
17. Ana Popovic / Delta Groove / Still Making History / Is This Everything There is?
18. Blind Willie McTell / Yazoo / Roots of Rock / Statesboro Blues
19. Dave Alvin / New West / Live from Austin, Tx / Abilene
20. Eric Gales / Blues Bureau / The Psychedelic Underground / Wake Up Call

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, August 19, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Chris Cain / Blue Rock It / Cain does King / I’m Gonna Do What They Do to Me
2. Duke Robillard / Stony Plain / World Full of Blues / You’re Killin’ Me Baby
3. Chris Thomas King / HOB / Whole Lotta Blues / Hey, Hey
4. Gary Moore / Eagle / Close As You Get / Have You Heard
5. Ellis Hooks / Evidence / Another Saturday Morning / Black Dirt
6. x
7. Eugene Bridges / Armadillo / Hideaway / Piece of the Mountain
8. Sister Rosetta Tharpe / Decca / The Gospel of the Blues / This Train
9. REM / W Bros / Insta Karma / #9 Dream
10. Jack Johnson / W Bros / Insta Karma / Imagine
11. Joe Bonamassa / JR Adventures / Sloe Gin / Seagull

HOUR TWO:

Interview tbd


HOUR THREE:

12. Joe Bonamassa / JR Adventures / Sloe Gin / Another Kind of Love
13. Laurie Morvan / (indie) / Cures What Ails Ya / Where Are the Girls With Guitars
14. Popa Chubby / Blind Pig / Electric Chubbyland Vol 1 / Foxy Lady
15. Ruthie Foster / ada / The Phenomenal… / Up Above My Head
16. Bruce Springsteen / Columbia / Live ’75 ’85 / This Land is Your Land
17. The Yardbirds / Fuel 2000 / Jeff Beck &… . I’m A Man
18. Ronnie Baker Brooks / Watchdog / The Torch / A Long Goodbye

19. Swampdawamp / (self) / (self titled) / Birthday
20. Eric Gales / Blues Bureau / The Psychedelic Underground / Rumble
21. Smokin’ Joe Kubeck Band / Bullseye / Served Up Texas Style / Can’t See for Lookin’
22. Buddy Guy / Vanguard / Frett’n the Blues / Mary Had a Little Lamb
23. Peter Frampton / A&M / Fingerprints / Cornerstones

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, August 26th, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

1. Eugene Bridges / Armadillo / Hideaway / Never Alone
2. Andrew Jr. Boy Jones / JSP / I Need Time / I Got a Stick
3. REM / Amnesty Int’l / Insta Karma / #9 Dream
4. Keb Mo / Lost Highway / Timeless / I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
5. Carla Thomas / Stax / The Queen Alone / Any Day Now
6. Ellis Hooks / Evidence / Another Saturday Morning / You Move Too Fast
7. Buddy Flett / (self) / Mississippi Sea / Done Somebody Wrong

8. Mavis Staples / ANTI / We’ll Never Turn Back / In the Mississippi River
9. Neville Brothers / Rhino / Treacherous / Hercules
10. Ana Popovic / Delta Groove / Still Making History / Doubt Everyone But Me
11. Sarah Benck & the Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / (title track)
12. Ruthie Foster / ada / the phenomenal… / Harder then the Fall

HOUR TWO:

Mick’s Tavern publican Michael Campbell joins us to talk about music coming to his Benson based bar (60th & Maple Streets) .

1. Krista Detor / Mudshow / (title track)
2. Erin Bode / Over & Over / Holiday
3. Tim Mahoney / Three Different Views / Bleed
4. Soultrigger / (self titled) / Red Dress

5. The Fairwell Drifters / Sweet Summer Breeze / Birmingham
6. Josh Karjcuik / Ghost / Way of the World
7. Ross Christopher & the Familiar Voice / Act Alive / (title track)
8. Michael Campbell / Used Without Permission / Marissa

HOUR THREE:

1. Canned Heat / RUF / Summertime Blues / Wait & See
2. Doobie Brothers / Rhino / Greatest Hits / Dangerous
3. Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan / RUF / On the Jimmy Reed Highway / I’ll Change My Style
4. Freddie Scott / Evidence / Vanthology / Brown Eyed Girl
5. Kim Richey / Vanguard / Chinese Boxes / I Will Follow
6. Matt Whipkey & Anonymous American / (local) / Don’t Be Late / CTA

7. Ronnie Baker Brooks / Watch Dog / The Torch / A Long Goodbye
8. Eric Gales / Blues Bureau / The Psychedelic Unplugged / Honey in the Comb
9. Popa Chubby / Blind Pig / Electric Chubbyland #1 / Purple Haze
10. Joe Bonamassa / (self) / Sloe Gin / One of these Days
11. Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / 44

Kim Richey - Chinese Boxes Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Artist: Kim Richey
Title: Chinese Boxes

In 1995, while wading through the latest stack of mediocre new releases Ohio born songstress Kim Richey’s self titled debut album jumped out with a depth of thoughtful lyrics and rich melody lines. Initially touted by her label as some sort of ‘permi-curl girl’ from Nashville, it was quickly apparent that Richey was neither Nashville, Bakersfield or yet another clone in a line of Americana’s girl power singer-songwriter revolution. From her early permutations Richey wrote hit songs for others including, ‘Every River’ (Brooks & Dunn). Her early musical kindred ship with Bill Lloyd and Radney Foster helped to get her foot in the industry’s door and it has been an interesting relationship ever since.

On this, her fifth studio album since 1995, Kim Richey’s latest, ‘Chinese Boxes’ offers yet another musical twist in her recording career. On her previous album, ‘rise’ (2002), Richey, “a Welsh name” explored a less melodic, highly textured sound. Richey’s willingness to experiment may explain the inability for her recording companies to easily hang a label on her for marketing purposes and the subsequent consternation for fans and oblivious reception from corporate radio.

In an era where “songwriters” specialize in stripped down tunes with sparse accompaniment, ‘Chinese Boxes’ starts out with two highly melodic songs including, “Jack and Jill” with its Andy Partridge-like (XTC) English pop sensibility weaving a flute line, calliope piano and lush albeit subtle background vocal lines. The title track, “Chinese Boxes” is an up-tempo track where a piano introduces chords to a brushed snare and it is certain to induce the listener to sing along and tap out the beat on the floor. As is par for Richey, topically much of the album swirls around unresolved relationships. On the third track, “Drift” Richey teams up with label mate Mindy Smith for a melancholy song. Late in the album Richey’s co-writes, “Not a Love Like This” with New Yorker Joan Osborne who’s, “What if God were one of us” song received massive air and video airplay years ago.

On the sixth track, “I Will Follow” Richey co-pen’s a second song on the album with Katie Herizig. Together the wordsmithing on “I Will Follow” is an Alice in Wonderland-like imagery set against a catchy upbeat tune, “I saw you on a downtown street, Eating peaches in an apple tree. You said take my hand, We’ll be a marching band. They’ll love us in Japan, Where did you go?”

Overall this is an excellent fifth effort for Richey: a sort of comeback triumph after the bitterly bruising experience of releasing her ‘Rise’ album (Lost Highway) during a period when major labels were downsizing with abandoned regard for their artists and employees. This is not an album, or for that matter an artist, that everyone is going to immediately appreciate. While Richey’s tunes are rich with well written melody lines and crafted textures, she defies the confinement of easy boxes or easy critical adulation.

If art comes from pain, ‘Chinese Boxes’ shows Richey coming from a five year hiatus which included a residency in the United Kingdom and a similarly extended courtship with her new recording label Vanguard. Much of the album requires the listener to pay attention although there are plenty of few pop songs this time that make for pleasant passive listening. In a era where the “female songwriter” can be another category box in the music industry’s every changing landscape of critical embrace, Kim Richey transcends the easy fit by being an excellent songwriter with a history of brilliant-to-above-average records that enrich the listener without becoming subservient to industry trends.

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Miscellaneous Blues Musings

• News media is awash with the anniversary of the New Orleans hurricane disaster. Regardless of who you think is to blame one has to wonder if any good will come out of this tragedy. In the mid-Twentieth century for a myriad of reasons, the famed “Blue Highway” continental migration occurred among African-Americans as they moved from impoverished Southern Plantation farm work to industrial jobs in Northern Cities. Out of this migration artists such as John Lee Hooker (Detroit) and the Chess Records stable of stars (Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon & Buddy Guy) came to light. In retrospect blues fans today are probably somewhat oblivious to the trepidation such a mass migration caused and instead enjoying the fruits of that painful period. One has to wonder if the New Orleans disaster, taking place when the music industry is in mass melt down, might bloom a similar music fruit?

• I recently got the two CD set of Popa Chubby doing Jimi Hendix covers; Electric Chubbyland. While Jimi’s catalogue has been mined and reissued seemingly infinitely, as I recall, Hendrix did not have that many studio albums. So for Blind Pig artist Popa Chubby to release two albums seems possibly excessive. This week I received Omar Van Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan’s album of covers entitled, ‘Jimmy Reed Highway.’ Recently Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music) and punkster Patti Smith both released entire albums of covers songs. It makes me wonder where are the great songwriters of this era? Are the days of fine songwriting coming to an end?

Fear not for there are few things as tasty as a well placed cover song. One has to wonder what is the value of a cover song? A local songwriter once argued with me that “a good writer” would NEVER play a cover song. Hmmm, better tell Patti Smith. Recently it dawned on me that The Rolling Stones actually covered 3 songs by the Temptations, ‘My Girl’ (Flowers ‘65), ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’ (It’s Only Rock n’ Roll ‘74) and ‘Just My Imagination’ (Some Girls ’78). So, Scott, after you get done speaking with Patti you’d better ring up Mick & Keith.

Before Buddy Holly & Eddie Cochran, and then the Beatles, writing and recording your own songs was simply not done. Could it be that much like the apparent push of technology back to the single song release (ala iTUnes), the industry is rediscovering the value of a well placed cover song? If so, at what point are the use of covers excessive?

As a listener I think covers are excellent tools for a mindful artist to use to help an album open up more quickly for listeners. For year’s I have been pestering Indigenous’ Mato Nanji to cover a song by the late great Tommy Bolin – since both of them hail from the land where the Missouri River bends west over Nebraska. How many times have you bought a new album, focused on one song and slowly changed your listening to include other songs on the album? For me it is a constant process. A well placed cover song that is not too obscure opens the door to the rest of the album. It also gives the critical listener inkling as to the artist’s musical background. For example, New York’s Joe Bonamassa named an album after a Rod Stewart penned tune from Stewart’s days in the Jeff Beck Group, ‘Blues Deluxe.’ On Joe B.’s latest album, Sloe Gin, he writes in the album’s liner notes, “This being my sixth solo album, I wanted to experiment with acoustic blues textures that I first discovered after listening to Rod Stewart’s first album.” As you may recall, much of Stewart’s golden recording period occurred on the Mercury Record label and included a tasty mix of mandolin and acoustic guitar playing. As Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) once commented, put an acoustic guitar in the mix and “the track sounds a mile wide.” A tasty cover song is also a bit of a bread crumb: listeners will go off and discover a new artist that leads them to further discover new acts and albums. Anyway, covers can be tools but beware the crutch – you can’t create your own sound if you rely too heavily on covers.

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KIWR Blues - 89.7 The River
Pacific Street Blues Playlist
Sunday, 2007
9:00 – Noon

Hear PS Blues 24/7 www.kiwrblues.podomatic.com

HOST: Rick Galusha
Engineer: Terry Gamper

HOUR ONE:

• Buddy Flett / Out of the Past / MississippiSea / Linin’ Track
• Harry Bodine / (self) / Which Way Home / Shufflin’ Shoes
• Doobie Brothers / Rhino / Greatest Hits / Black Water
• John Prine & Mac Wiseman / Oh Boy / Standard Songs for Average People / Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age
• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band / Lost Highway / It’s Not Big It’s Large / The Alley Song
• Artichoke / green / Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols / Anarchy in the U.K.
• Jackson Browne / Elektra / The Very Best of… / I Am a Patriot

• Duke Robillard / Stony Plain / World Full of Blues / Slim Jenkins Joint
• Darrell Nulisch / Blues Trust / Live at the Boston Blues Festival, Volume #2 / Worried
• Tab Benoit / Telarc / Power of the Pontchartrain / Midnight and Lonesome
• Sarah Benck & The Robbers / (local) / Neighbor’s Garden / What You Got

HOUR TWO:

• Neville Brothers / Rhino / Treacherous / Meet De Boys on the Battlefront
• Carla Thomas / Stax / The Queen Alone / I Want to be Your Baby
• Mavis Staples / ANTI / We’ll Never Turn Back / On My Way
• Ellis Hooks / Evidence / Another Saturday Night / Black Dirt
• Rod Piazza / Delta Groove / Thrill Ville / Hoodoo Man Blues
• Bucky McCann / (local) / (audio cassette) / Nothing Guaranteed
• Jo Jo Jackson / Specialty / Legends of Boogie-Woogie / Boogie in the Groove
• Gary Moore / Eagle / Close As You Get / Checkin’ Up On My Baby

• Paul McCartney / Starcon / memory almost full / The End of the End
• Los Lonely Boys / W Bros / Insta Karma / Whatever Gets You Through the Night
• Status Quo / Castle / Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon / Lazy Poker Blues
• Ruthie Foster / ada / the phenomenal… / Heal Yourself
• Kris Lager Band / (local) / Transient / Rejoice

HOUR THREE: With KFAB’s Tom Becka

• Joe Bonamassa / JR Adventures / Sloe Gin / Another Kind of Love
• Ana Popovic / Electric Groove / Still Making History / Is This Everything There Is?
• Elvin Bishop / Jukejoint Jump
• James Brown / I Feel Good
• The Band / Down South in New Orleans
• Delbert McClinton / I’m Dying As Fast As I Can

• Blue House & the Rent to Own Horns / Silk Stockings
• Jeff Healy / Don’t Let Your Chance Go By
• Matt Whipkey / CTA
• Tracy Chapman / Baby Can I Hold You Tonight