Live At The BBC

Stefan Grossman

Live At The BBC

The world-renowned fingerstyle guitarist and blues historian Stefan Grossman’s BBC recordings anthologised on 4CDs

A superbly curated 4CD set comprising the guitarist’s BBC recordings 1968-87 – many previously unreleased
Remastered by Eroc with audio sourced from the BBC, the British Library and private collections
Includes ten tracks featuring Pentangle founder the late John Renbourn
An extensive booklet by Robin Denselow lavishly illustrated with photos from Stefan’s own collection

World-renowned archivist, author and blues educator, Stefan Grossman learned at the feet of the greats during the 60s folk and blues revival in the US. He appeared on a few records in the mid-60s before making his debut album How To Play Blues Guitar (Elektra, 1966). As with Jimi Hendrix, his arrival in the UK marked the true start of his career. “I was here to sight-see,” Stefan told an interviewer in 1975, “and at that point I had never played solo. I went to see the Young Tradition at a club. They said, ‘Why don’t you play?’ I did and it was very enjoyable. I got good reviews from that guest spot… I was playing music 26 hours a day, but it took me a long time to realise I was a musician.” Two albums for Fontana (1968-69) were followed by seven for Transatlantic (1970–77), and then a few for his own label Kicking Mule and for Shanachie (1978-90). Between 1968-87, Stefan lived in Britain and later Italy, writing books, making records and touring exclusively in Britain and Europe. He moved back to the States in 1987 and withdrew from touring for many years, focusing on his label venture, Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop, which continues to be the gold standard for instructional audio-visual material on folk, blues and jazz playing styles alongside an impressive catalogue of historical performances. This Repertoire box set does for Stefan what he has done for many others: it brings together rare and previously unreleased performances and anthologises them for posterity and sheer enjoyment. Curated, in collaboration with the artist, by Bert Jansch biographer Colin Harper and annotated by legendary British folk journalist Robin Denselow (whose notes accompanied Stefan’s very first live album back in 1973), Stefan Grossman Live at the BBC precisely covers his ‘European era’ of 1968-1987 with four hours of BBC studio sessions and concert recordings that are almost all previously unreleased. A 1968 Alexis Korner session showcases Stefan the blues scholar, while two 1971 John Peel Sunday Concerts find him at ease as the rambunctious ringmaster at a counter-cultural circus. The later concerts reveal Stefan as an elder statesman of the 60s folk revival, with that dry-as-dust humour intact and his playing even better than ever. This 4CD set is an exhilarating alternative anthology of Stefan Grossman’s most prolific and influential years, packed with sensational solo performances and duets with a coterie of his greatest peers in the acoustic guitar world – John Renbourn, Duck Baker and Jo-Ann Kelly, among them.

Tracklist

Disc One

STEFAN SOLO 1968-71

John Peel Sunday Concert, 28 February 1971
1. Introduction: John Peel 2. Medley: Hot Dogs · Cincinnati Flow Rag · New York City Rag
3. So They Say
4. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 5. Soldier’s Drill
6. Little Sally Walker
7. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 8. Mississippi Blues
9. I’m Satisfied And Tickled Too
10. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 11. Roll And Tumble Blues
12. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 13. Medley: Vestapol · That’s No Way To Get Along
14. Introduction: John Peel & Stefan Grossman 15. High Society

Night Ride, 5 June 1968
16. All My Friends Are Gone

Mike Raven Show, 5 December 1970
17. Soldier’s Drill
18. Mississippi Blues #2
19. Medley: Vestapol · That’s No Way To Get Along
20. I’m Satisfied And Tickled Too
21. Make Believe Stunt

The Blues Roll On, 9 July 1968
22. Introduction: Alexis Korner
23. Religious Trainfare Blues
24. Interview with Alexis Korner
25. Whistlin’ Blues

Total playing time: 59.47

Disc Two

John Peel Sunday Concert, 2 November 1971
1. Introduction: John Peel 2. Medley: Hot Dogs · Cincinnati Flow Rag · New York City Rag
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 5. The Theme from ‘Joe Hill’
6. River Of Jordan
7. Medley: Hot Dogs · Cincinnati Flow Rag · New York City Rag
8. Song For A Brother
9. Candy Man
10. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 11. Mississippi Blues
12. Introduction: John Peel 13. My Travelling Song

Old Grey Whistle Test, 19 March 1974
14. Medley: Hot Dogs · Cincinnati Flow Rag · New York City Rag
15. Memphis Jellyroll

In Concert, 23 March 1974
16. Dallas Rag
17. Introduction: Stefan Grossman
18. My Creole Belle

Total playing time: 48.45

Disc Three

STEFAN & FRIENDS 1976-77

In Concert, 26 February 1976
1. Oh, Babe It Ain’t No Lie
2. I’m So Glad
3. Requiem For Patrick Kilroy
4. Danish Drone with Duck Baker
5. Mississippi Swamp March
6. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 7. Bermuda Triangle Exit
8. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 9. Relax Your Mind with Happy Traum
10. I Am A Pilgrim with Happy Traum
11. Introduction: Pete Drummond 12. Eighth Of January with Happy Traum, Duck Baker, Art Rosenbaum

In Concert, 2 July 1977
13. Introduction: Pete Drummond 14. Bermuda Triangle Exit
15. I’m Satisfied And Tickled Too
16. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 17. Brownsville Blues with Jo-Ann Kelly
18. Introduction: Jo-Ann Kelly 19. Special Rider Blues with Jo-Ann Kelly
20. Someday Baby with Jo-Ann Kelly
21. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 22. Twelve Sticks
23. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 24. Blues Medley: The Shoes Of The Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers · Struttin’ Rag
25. Ragtime Mama Blues with Jo-Ann Kelly & Sam Mitchell
26. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 27. Moon Goin’ Down with Jo-Ann Kelly & Sam Mitchell
28. Pete Drummond announcement 29. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 30. Pallet On Your Floor with Jo-Ann Kelly & Sam Mitchell

Total playing time: 75.35

Disc Four

STEFAN & JOHN RENBOURN 1978 & 1986

In Concert, 29 July 1978
1. Introduction: Pete Drummond
2. Looper’s Corner with John Renbourn
3. Introduction: Stefan Grossman
4. Snap A Little Owl with John Renbourn
5. Introduction: John Renbourn 6. All Things Parallel Must Converge with John Renbourn
7. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 8. Medley: Bonaparte’s Retreat • Billy In The Lowground with John Renbourn
9. Introduction: Pete Drummond 10. Spirit Levels with John Renbourn

Reel To Reel, 26 March 1987
Stefan Grossman & John Renbourn live at Belfast Festival, 22 November 1986
11. Introduction: Fil Campbell
12. Looper’s Corner with John Renbourn
13. Introduction: Fil Campbell
14. Bermuda Triangle Exit
15. Blues For The Mann
16. Introduction: Fil Campbell
17. Great Dreams From Heaven
18. Lord Franklin
19. Medley: Bonaparte’s Retreat • Billy In The Lowground with John Renbourn
20. Introduction: Stefan Grossman 21. Mississippi Blues #3 with John Renbourn
22. Minuet in D Minor with John Renbourn
23. Outro: Fil Campbell

Total playing time: 51.29