Song of the Day: “Stormy Monday” by Bobby Rush with Bobby “Blue” Bland and Johnny Taylor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkYlzldpKU

South Louisiana is still climbing out of this stormy weather from Tropical Storm Lee (now a depression whose vestiges are churning northeastward). Today’s Song of the Day features Ponderosa Stomp performer Bobby Rush joining two fellow legends – Bobby “Blue” Bland and Johnny Taylor – on “Stormy Monday” in a tribute to Bland. Check out Rush’s blazing harmonica blast near the end of the video! Bland won’t be joining the Stomp this year, and Taylor has passed on, but Bobby Rush will be interviewed at the Ponderosa Stomp conference and also will perform at the concert. Don’t miss his chitlin’ shtick! A Louisiana native now living in Mississippi, Rush will be sitting down with blues authority Scott Barretta in a presentation titled “Chicken Heads and Bow-Legged Women” from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, as part of the Stomp’s conference showcase. As king of the chitlin’ circuit with his ribald vocals, unforgettable showmanship, bluesy guitar and harmonica, and voluptuous female dancers, Rush has been a consummate entertainer for more than 50 years with 20+ albums to his credit – and he shows no sign of stopping, whether he’s playing Carnegie Hall or a juke joint on a dusty old road off Highway 61 in the Mississippi Delta.

Song of the Day: “Raining in My Heart” by Excello stalwarts Slim Harpo, Warren Storm, and Lazy Lester

With Tropical Storm Lee having battered the central Gulf Coast, specifically south Louisiana, for all of Labor Day weekend, today’s Song of the Day continues the rain theme, with three versions of “Raining in My Heart” by Excello-related artists (or their sidemen) who will be appearing at this month’s 10th annual Ponderosa Stomp. First up, … Continue reading Song of the Day: “Raining in My Heart” by Excello stalwarts Slim Harpo, Warren Storm, and Lazy Lester

Song of the Day: “It’s Raining” by Irma Thomas, the national anthem of the state of Louisiana, written by Allen Toussaint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u3WpbFB0Cg With a tropical weather system churning in the Gulf of Mexico and drenching south Louisiana for the weekend, what better Song of the Day than the unofficial national anthem of the state of Louisiana, “It’s Raining,” sung by national treasure Irma Thomas and written by Allen Toussaint, who produced the song for Minit and … Continue reading Song of the Day: “It’s Raining” by Irma Thomas, the national anthem of the state of Louisiana, written by Allen Toussaint