The King is dead. Long live the King.

When BB King was born into a life of poverty 'blues' was a curiosity, if even that, unnoticed by the classes that "understood" music. It was simply something black people did to amuse themselves and their kind. There was no mass market for it and therefore no money to be made.

That little of Robert Johnson's early playing, in relative terms, survives is testament to that. BB King came to prominence at the cusp of the change in Civil Rights and regardless of race or colour to a market that few might have imagined. He didn't stop there - until last October he was touring with relentless fervour. Goodness knows how many he inspired along the way, from Clapton et al to many far more recent recruits - it was, I'm thinking, his lifelong mission.
When it came to young women playing blues - well I guess that is something that he would've approved wholeheartedly too.

Without him this would in all probability never have happened at all.
'Wild Heart' is released by Ruf Records on 29 June.

I should perhaps mention that she is playing Southampton Blues Festival (a single-day indoor event) on 27 June 2015 at Southampton Engine Rooms. 

Interesting conversations... sometimes overheard.

More than once quite recently it has been mentioned to me that my blog, which unsurprisingly reflects my interest in music more widely, tends to feature more female artists than male ones.
As an observation that is true but my reply is always this or a close variation on it;
"Do I have a problem with this, do you have a problem with this or do you think that they [the artists] have a problem with this?"
I have never received a cogent answer. I like what I like and, to a great extent, that is what I go to see, hear and also write about. I have certainly never been given a response that goes any way to explaining the reason behind the original question. The result has for the most part been an embarrassed silence, but not one that has embarrassed me. I just wonder what they anticipated I might have said as some kind of apologia...
Life is not long enough to worry about nonsense like that. US commercial radio is, I am told, seemingly still almost entirely dominated by male presenters playing male artists...
A similar debate has recently surfaced in the UK, specifically concerning the line-up recently announced for Leeds/Reading Festival 2015.

Tomorrow is International Women's Day 2015.
I am going to listen to nothing other than female (fronted) music following the lead by Amazing Radio today. That is a given.
What should I listen to?
I might just post a play list after the fact. Please keep this serious in intent, but light hearted in tone, if possible. We should all give and take when it comes to poking fun at each other...

To get things started here is a little-known gem, 'Britney', from Tasha Taylor Johnson and her 2013 début album 'Feed Your Ego'.