Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R&B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedle Dee" (1955), "Jim Dandy" (1956), and "I Cried a Tear" (1958). Baker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. The Hall remarked that her "fiery fusion of blues, jazz and R&B showcased her alluring vocals and set the stage for the rock and roll surge of the Fifties". From 1955 to 1965, 20 of her songs made the R&B charts. Over the years, Elvis Presley recorded eight Baker songs
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Song of the Day - “Willow Weep For Me”
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the recording of this beauty of a standard by Billie Holiday- September 3rd, 1954.
Billie was backed by Willie Smith on sax, Harry Edison on trumpet, Bobby Tucker on piano, Red Calendar on bass, Chico Hamilton on drums, and Barney Kessel on guitar.
This was Billie’s last album on Clef Records before it would be absorbed into Verve Records.
This album was released in 1956 in conjunction with Billie’s ghost-written memoir of the same title…
This title would also become the title of the biographical movie about Billie, with Diana Ross, which was made in 1972.
This song,“Willow Weep For Me”, both music and lyrics, was written in 1932 by Ann Ronell.
Ronell was one of the very first accepted female songwriters in both Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley.
She wrote movie scores as well as a Broadway musical.
She worked for George Gershwin and dedicated this song to him, which oddly was off-putting to the publishers she pitched it to, for some reason. It was apparently frowned upon to do that. So, due to that, and also to the melody’s kinda complex construction, the song was rejected repeatedly before finally being accepted.
It became a standard of the era, and was Ann Ronell’s greatest gift and moment.
The song was covered by dozens of great artists - from Sinatra to Nina Simone to the Coasters to Chad and Jeremy, to Oscar Peterson to Sam Cooke, to Steve Miller to Dexter Gordon, to Vince Guaraldi, to Red Garland…
But this version can have a good case made to be the best…
The melancholy waltz is made for Billie’s voice.
What a precious gift this one is.
[Mary Elaine LeBey]
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How Blue Can You Get - B.B. King
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BLUE SHADOWS, acrylic on canvas, 36 by 36 by 4. $ 1200. www.davidburchpaintings.com
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Big Mama Thornton
(via Wes Race)
Ball N’ Chain · Big Mama Thornton
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So… I have a sweet spot for Elvis’ more bluesy songs. This is my ultimate Elvis Blues playlist. Some songs are faux-blues but whatever. Beware, Elvis goes down and dirty. I included versions I particularly like (live or without overdubs etc).
Do whatever you want with it… break it, burn it, drag it all around!
😉🎸
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When he got out of that county jail. He set in motion his plan to exact his revenge on the dude that was messin with his wife....on a Stormy Night In Texas. My lead guitar player used a 1959 Strat on this. He had it dialed in. He later sold it for $17,000 dollars.
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The no holds barred Lil' Jimmy Reed, one of the last Louisiana bluesmen! Taken at Freight Train Blues Concert Series 5/5/23. The concert series honors Rock & Roll HOF inductee Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten, born 1893 in Carrboro, North Carolina where the concerts take place for free, eight Friday evenings!
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Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
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SAILORS' DELIGHT, oil on canvas, 24 by 36 by 2. Sold to a collector in Toronto.
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