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Blues Before Sunrise: Interviews from the Chicago Scene
Author: Steve
Cushing
University of
Illinois Press
By
Mark Baier
For over 40 years, Steve Cushing’s
radio show, “Blues Before Sunrise” has been the gold standard for
serious blues lovers. Never content to play the “hits,” such as they
even existed, the comprehensive and all encompassing format of the
program showcases every aspect and influence that characterizes “blues”
as we now understand it. The weekly broadcast has become a staple of
blues radio programing, now available far and wide via the internet;
quite a difference from its roots as the weekend midnight to 5 a.m.
program that was only available to the hard core Chicago listeners who
knew where and when to find it on the FM dial. For years, before blues
fests and the mainstream media “discovered” the blues, Cushing was
digging deep and wide to uncover the history and majesty of the genre,
mining gospel, jazz, country and blues artists that have long been
forgotten, presenting music that would otherwise be unknown to modern
ears. Cushing himself describes the show as “The Blues Heritage
Showcase” with a mission to uncover and celebrate the many artists that
have come to define the genre, no matter how obscure.
This commitment to blues discovery
isn’t limited to music alone. Often the show will take a turn and
present in-studio interviews with the artists making music and sometimes
those who knew them. The stories included in these interviews provide
detail and context into the time and the humanity that is often lost to
antiquity. Cushing’s new book, Blues Before Sunrise: Interviews From The Chicago Scene, offers
transcriptions of a couple dozen such interviews as they relate to the
Chicago scene specifically. The book is structured into four sections.
“Talkin’
’bout You” features interviews of artists and personalities talking
at length about artists others than themselves. Particularly engaging
are Howlin’ Wolf’s sax man Abb Locke’s recollections of legendary
Chicago policeman “Two-Gun Pete” who was feared and respected in the
community for his shoot first, ask questions later approach to law and
order. A&R man Dick LaPalm offers a rare intimate look at the legendary
Nat King Cole, for whom he served as an advisor and close friend until
Cole’s untimely death in 1965. Also of note is Hound Dog Taylor’s rhythm
player Brewer Phillips’ account of Memphis Minnie’s waning years and her
struggles with poverty and obscurity.
“Amen
Corner” contains interviews of artists who made religious
recordings. The centerpiece of this section is Cushing’s extensive
interview with Clarence Small, one of the members of Wings Over Jordan.
This world famous black choir toured extensively from the ‘30s to the
‘50s and Small’s accounts of life on the road in the era of Jim Crow is
particularly poignant.
The “Bronzeville”
section presents conversations with artists and personalities from the
famed, historic neighborhood on Chicago’s black South Side. The
interview with Scotty Piper is singularly engaging, as Piper was the
preeminent tailor in the area, making suits for everyone from Big Jack
Johnson to Duke Ellington. The “Singing Tailor” Piper shares first hand
stories of many of his famous clientele in very entertaining fashion.
“Short
Order Chicago.” While most of the interviews in
Blues Before Sunrise are in-depth and lengthy, these transcriptions
are shorter and more pointed, something Cushing attributes to his then
nascent interviewing skill. Many of these interviews are older ‘80s
vintage of more well-known players in the Chicago scene. Included are
conversations with Little Brother Montgomery, Robert Jr Lockwood and
Roosevelt Sykes. It’s a window into a world that’s long gone, with
plenty of significant details regarding the lineages the songs and
styles which shape the modern blues age. Little Brother’s recollections
of the genesis of the classic song “44 Blues” is worth the price of
admission alone.
When these interviews were originally
aired, they were very often interspersed with songs relating to the
material at hand. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t include a recording of
the actual interviews as broadcast, along with the musical
accompaniment. However the U of I press website does feature audio clips
from 10 interviews with artists from the book and radio show (see link
below).
Hearing a recording of Cushing’s
interviews reminds readers just what a herculean task the transcription
process was. The dialects and mannerisms of many of the artists require
close careful listening, and these transcriptions clarify what could
have been originally difficult to decipher.
Kudos to Steve Cushing for his
lifetime commitment to the scholarship and advancement of blues music.
In the annals of Chicago radio, it would be difficult to find a figure
more responsible for introducing a deeper appreciation of the blues to a
wider audience. Blues Before Sunrise: Interviews From The Chicago Scene is not a
casual book about the Chicago blues scene but it is an indispensable one
for hard-core fans and scholars.
For info, to listen to interviews or to buy the book click HERE
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