We’re a few days into July and here is the June Studio 303 Records release: Blues Fri. & Sat.

I spent some time in Boston in early June, reliving some glory days. When I lived up there, I furthered my education in one side of true American Music.

Blues is the Father, Jazz The Mother and Rock the child.  The sister of the Blues is American Folk (who is descended from English Folk, but she is much freer and flirty).

Take the poppiest pop crap you can stand to wrap your ears around and you can find a sliver of bloodline back to Blues and Jazz.  You may ask where pop and fits in on the lineage.  Early pop is a child of Blues & Jazz, but then shacked up with some stuffy descendant of Classical and we got Pat Boone.

Sinatra… came to Sunday dinner at Blues and Jazz’s home every week until he passed in 1998.  It would do Bon Jovi some good to do the same.

I apologize for the diversion, I do get quite passionate about music.  This collection looks at the roots blues musicians and cosmically takes us to the places that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant directly drew from.  After that, we pass through some of my favorite post-modern blues musicians.  Before you say anything, let me stop you.  Although Stills and The Dead had more success with Rock, they are blues musicians first and always paid homage.  Keep you hand down, Frances… Dylan is a blues musician.  He is one of those rare gems who personifies American Music.  Every Record he ever did has at least one blues number.  The older he gets, the more he fits along with the greats like Wolf, Waters and the others tracked here.

I only had 80 minutes, so this is a smattering, and intro so to speak.  You want more and deeper?  Listen to Radio Free Jersey from time to time.

1. Cross Road Blues – Robert Johnson
2. Dark Was The Night. Cold Was The Ground – Blind Willie Johnson
3. Kassie Jones – Part 2 – Furry Lewis
4. Death Letter – Son House
5. The Freeze – Albert Colins
6. Dust My Boom – Elmore James
7. You Need Love – Muddy Waters
8. I Can’t Quit You Baby – Otis Rush
9. Bring It On Home – Sonny Boy Williamson
10. Write Me A Few Lines – Mississippi Fred McDowell
11. Born In Chicago – Paul Butterfield Blues Band
12. Done Somebody Wrong – Allman Brothers Band
13. Black Queen – Steven Stills
14. Hurts Me Too – Grateful Dead
15. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ – Bob Dylan
16. Hi Heel Sneakers – Tommy Tucker
17. Wang Dang Doodle – Koko Taylor
18. Smokestack Lightnin’ – Howlin’ Wolf
19. Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker
20. First Time I Met The Blues – Buddy Guy
21. Weak Brain, Narrow Mind – Willie Dixon

The cover comes from a cool ketchy sign I have hanging in my place.