SE 5 Ep 46 - Mavis Staples - Classic Album Feature - We'll Never Turn Back

This week on BWAF we celebrate a milestone moment in Australian blues history — the 30th anniversary of Geoff Achison’s landmark 1996 album Mystery Train. Recorded shortly after Geoff’s breakthrough trip to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge, where he earned the Albert King Award for Most Outstanding Guitar Player, the album captures the beginning of his international journey across the US and UK. Back in ’96, Geoff joined me in the studio to talk about that life‑changing experience and the release of Mystery Train. Three decades later, he returns to the show to revisit that incredible moment — the Memphis adventure, the award that changed everything, and the album that set his global career in motion. Join us for a special feature celebrating Geoff Achison, Mystery Train, and 30 years of blues storytelling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on BWAF, we’re shining a spotlight on a modern legends of the blues — Lazy Lester — with his superb 2001 Antone’s Records release Blues Stop Knockin’. Lester was one of the kings of harmonica blues and a founding architect of the Louisiana swamp sound, and this album captures him in full late‑career stride: sly, soulful, and unmistakably Lester. Joining him across almost the entire record is the great Jimmie Vaughan, whose trademark tone and tasteful riffs wrap perfectly around Lester’s classic harp work. You’ll also hear standout contributions from Sue Foley, now firmly established as one of the top blueswomen of her generation, and Derek O’Brien, who produced, mixed, and added his own guitar touch to the sessions. It’s an album steeped in the spirit of Clifford Antone — the man who built a home for the blues in Austin and championed artists like Lester with deep love and respect. The result is one of Lester’s finest works: red‑hot blues, swampy grooves, and forays into other genres that he makes entirely his own. Join me this week as we celebrate Lazy Lester, Jimmie Vaughan, and the Antone’s legacy — a timeless blend of swamp soul and Texas tone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on BWAF, we welcome one of the great modern masters of West Coast blues guitar — Alex Schultz — as our special guest, alongside a deep dive into his elegant, soulful debut album Think About It. Alex has been part of my musical journey for more than three decades. I first saw him at Bluesfest in Byron Bay back in 1992, when he was tearing it up with Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers. That performance left a mark. Years later, I was lucky enough to present Lynwood Slim here in Brisbane — with Alex on guitar — and those shows only deepened my appreciation for his tone, taste, and musical intelligence. Released on Severn Records in 2004, Think About It brings together a dream lineup: Lynwood Slim, Tad Robinson, Finis Tasby, Larry Taylor, the Royal Crown Revue horns, and the brilliant Alberto Marsico on Hammond. It’s a sophisticated, swinging, deeply musical record that blends blues, R&B, and jazz with grace and style. This week, Alex joins me on the show to talk about the album, the sessions, the songs, and the stories behind one of the classiest blues releases of the 2000s. Tune in — and Think About It. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, Shaun shines a spotlight on one of Australia’s most electrifying bluesmen — Brisbane’s own Michael "Mojo" Webb, a guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist whose music channels the raw spirit of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Robert Johnson. Mojo’s second album The Cat (2012) is our classic feature — thirteen original songs recorded just weeks before the Mojo Webb Band headed to Memphis to represent Australia at the International Blues Challenge, where they reached the semi‑finals. The record captures everything that makes Mojo a force of nature: the fire, the passion, the road stories, the love, the heartbreak, and the unmistakable chemistry of three musicians who’ve played together for decades — Mojo Webb, JB Lewis and Coojee Timms. Shaun shares personal stories from 35 years of friendship: gym‑floor melodies, jungle dance parties in northern Thailand, long drives in an old F100 ambulance packed with guitars, and the rise of a young bluesman who could shake a room to its foundations. Plus: brand‑new releases from Janiva Magness, Keb Mo, Laura Chavez, Jason Ricci & Bad Kind, Danielle Nicole, Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations and more. BWAF — 33 years of blues storytelling. Ride on, baby. Ride on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Blues With A Feeling, we’re heading back to France, 1975 — to the Nancy Jazz Pulsations festival — where Freddie King delivered one of the most electrifying live performances of his career. We’re featuring the classic Live in Nancy double album, a recording that captures Freddie and his band in full flight: raw, immediate, and utterly alive. Joining me this week is Lewis Stephens, Freddie’s piano player during the final three years of his life. Lewis brings a rare, first‑hand perspective on Freddie’s musical instincts, the chemistry within the band, and the energy of that unforgettable night in Nancy. We’ll talk about Lewis’s musical journey and how that path ultimately led him into Freddie’s touring band. It’s a deep dive into one of the great live blues recordings, guided by someone who was right there on stage. Settle in for a special show filled with history, memory, and the unmistakable power of Freddie King. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.