Vortex of Blues

Paul James at 60

Film by Phil Weir, at 60, also.

The show kicked off with a massive turntable crash that pre-empted a broadcast of special guest Paul James' first 45RPM recording and a 1982 12-inch of "Stand By Me" that he made with Willy DeVille. Great anecdotes and attitudes flowed from a Toronto blues legend, and an appreciation of a great 4-decades-+ career seen from the perspective of  Paul's 60th birthday TO! DAY! See party evidence of Paul in action above..!

Brian Blain dropped by with his about-to-drop cd, New Folk Blues, which he made at the end of 2010 with big bass boss George Koller. He previewed a couple of lean soulful tracks from the disk, including a tribute to Lenny Breau, and played one live selection on his road-scarred Epiphone. He also echoed Paul James' assertions that the blues revival began with the Beatles on tv, and that one must constantly and by all means hold on tightly to one's Stratocasters.
Then the blues birds of happiness flocked into the Orbital flightpath with Treasa Levasseur, Monkey Junk's harp wielder Steve Marriner and Sirius DJ Bill Wax, king of American blues broadcasters.
Respect for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s upcoming birthday celebration gave the whole show a warm gospel undertow, and the landing pad will be the Toronto Blues Summit weekend, now in full swing.