All material © Blues in London 2011. All rights reserved Support Blues in London
|
If there's a better use for the internet (BiL excepted) then
I haven't heard about it! If like me you lament the lack of
crackly blues 78s played
on the radio these days then allow me to direct you to the 'super electrical
webpages' of Weenie Campell, THE country blues internet radio station.
|
Weenie 'preserves country Blues through Education, Performance and
Technology', a noble pursuit if ever there was one. His Juke Radio churns
through a whopping catalogue of primarily pre-war blues, complete with
requests and dedications, 24 hours a day. After a bit of bother tuning
in (clicking wildly at the various icons through which to listen
- iTunes, Real Player and so on) I was chuffed to hear Henry Townsend,
Oscar Woods, Charley Patton, Leadbelly, Tampa Red, Rev. Gary Davis all
within the first hour.
The playlist is vast. If you're already a fan of country blues then you'll recognise
a lot of of the tunes and performers but there is so much here you won't
get bored for weeks or months. You'll all be familiar with thrill
of finding previously unheard tracks or artists and this happens
pretty regularly. Have you heard Good Time Mama by King Mutt
and His Tennessee Thumpers? I hadn't either until just now. It's brilliant,
believe me.
There's so much here it should delight the enthusiast and casual
listener alike. The sound quality is great especially considering
some of the tunes are transferred from original 78s. You can scour the
listings for tunes you know and request them or, more enjoyably, sit
back and enjoy an vast collection of brilliant, moving music.
The schedule is well-conceived and always listenable and the whole
playlist is uninterrupted and completely free from adverts
or intrusion.