sweartotellthetruth

Swear to Tell the Truth for Tuesday, February 4, 2014 (1:00-2:30 pm)

Looking at some southern blues on this week’s program and mostly from the past half century, i.e. from the album era. When we used to listen to blues and jazz shows on the radio years ago, we were always afraid to miss a  show or part of a show and miss something we hadn’t heard before. That experience informs the way we put together The Blues and Rhythm Show. We try to present the widest selection of music that we can while maintaining a high standard in what we play on the air. This week, fully half of the show is by artists we haven’t previously played on the program.

Included in this week’s show is an edition of King Biscuit Time from radio station KFFA in Helena, Arkansas. Of course, this means Sonny Boy Williamson & His King Biscuit Entertainers, sponsored by King Biscuit Flour, makers of Sonny Boy Cornmeal. These sponsored, usually 15 minute programs, were a feature of radio in the southern states from the early 1930s. It was quite a while before recorded music pushed most live music programming from the airwaves. Examples of radio shows devoted to jazz, country, pop and some African-American gospel and vocal group music have been preserved but not much in the way of blues.

On the Show:

Memphis Gold – Jessie Mae Hemphill – Cliff Butler – Willie Willis & the Wildcatters – King Biscuit Time – Morgan Davis – Houston Stackhouse – Lynn Harmonizers – Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges

Listen to the program at FM 93.3 in Hamilton or on CFMU online at cfmu.mcmaster.ca. The program will be available to stream or as a podcast until March 1st.