Show 20: The West Coast Blues Tradition
California blues is a meeting ground: Texas migrants, Southern transplants, club bands, studio polish, and jump rhythms all crossing paths. This show argues that the West Coast was not an afterthought, it built its own sleek, modern branch of the blues tree.
Today's theme aims to give a comprehensive overview of California's golden age of the blues. Carrying on last week's theme of ladies singin' the blues, we have four West Coast female artists beginning with the Bay Area native Sugar Pie DeSanto, followed by Big Mama Thornton, then Etta James, who was childhood friends with DeSanto, and fourth is Esther Phillips. Now here's "Going Back Where I Belong" by Sugar Pie DeSanto.
California blues is a meeting ground: Texas migrants, Southern transplants, club bands, studio polish, and jump rhythms all crossing paths. This show argues that the West Coast was not an afterthought, it built its own sleek, modern branch of the blues tree.
| Order | Track | Artist | Segment | Bridge | Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Going Back To Where I Belong | Sugar Pie DeSanto | 1 | - | |
| 2 | Big Mama's Coming | Big Mama Thornton | 1 | - | |
| 3 | Baby What You Want Me To Do | Etta James | 1 | - | |
| 4 | Mistrustin' Blues | Esther Phillips | 1 | - | |
| 5 | No Headstone on My Grave | Esther Phillips | 1 | - | |
| 6 | Cherry Red | Eddie Cleanhead" Vinson" | 1 | - | |
| 7 | Blues In The Alley | Jimmy Wilson | 1 | - | |
| 8 | Tin Pan Alley | Jimmy Wilson | 1 | Yes | - |
| 9 | T-Bone Blues | T-Bone Walker | 2 | Yes | Story |
| 10 | Papa Ain't Salty | T-Bone Walker | 2 | - | |
| 11 | An Old Piano Plays The Blues | Nat King Cole Trio | 2 | - | |
| 12 | How Blue Can You Get (Downhearted) | Johnny Moore's Three Blazers | 2 | - | |
| 14 | Black Night | Charles Brown | 2 | - | |
| 15 | I Quit My Pretty Mama | Ivory Joe Hunter | 2 | - | |
| 16 | Hard Luck Blues | Johnny Fuller,The Phillip Walker Band | 2 | - | |
| 16 | Hard Luck Blues | Roy Brown | 2 | - | |
| 17 | Hopeless | Percy Mayfield | 2 | Yes | - |
| 18 | The River's Invitation | Percy Mayfield | 3 | Yes | - |
| 19 | Best Wishes | Roy Milton | 3 | - | |
| 21 | Skeet's California Sunshine | Floyd Dixon | 3 | - | |
| 22 | Pink Champagne | Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers | 3 | - | |
| 23 | Cloudy Day Blues | Jimmy Liggins | 3 | - | |
| 24 | Everyday I Have The Blues | Big Joe Turner,Pee Wee Crayton,Sonny Stitt | 3 | - | |
| 25 | Blues After Hours | Pee Wee Crayton | 3 | Yes | - |
| 27 | Reconsider Baby | Lowell Fulson | 4 | - | |
| 28 | Just Got To Know | Jimmy McCracklin | 4 | - | |
| 29 | Long Way Home | Lloyd Glenn,Clarence Gatemouth" Brown" | 4 | - | |
| 30 | You're No Good | Jesse Fuller | 4 | - | |
| 31 | Free And Easy Mind | Jimmy Nelson | 4 | - | |
| 32 | Honey Do Woman | Sonny Rhodes | 4 | - | |
| 33 | Across the Bay Blues | L.C. Good Rockin' Robinson | 4 | Yes | - |
| 34 | Let The Good Times Roll | Pee Wee Crayton | 5 | Yes | - |
| Driftin' Blues | Charles Brown | - | |||
| One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer | Amos Milburn | - |