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Back to the Roots of the Blues ... Backtracking
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Latest release 5th February 2026 - Thank you for visiting with us, we cordially invite you to review and download the current production below. 'Backtracking' is a result of our research a journey of discovery that never ends, our love of the Blues and respect for the artists that left us this legacy of music.
All this simply because the music, the history and the culture of the blues never ends. We're honoured and privileged to share the music within the genre of the Blues back in time a hundred years and beyond, a genre so vast and so diverse.
Backtracking is streamed online and is broadcast worldwide. It's free to join the 'Backtracking' time machine - Get the authentic blues on your radio station ..... |
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Featured artist of the week .... Leroy Dallas
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Leroy Dallas (December 24, 1909 – September, 1967) Leroy is probably remembered for his more notable tracks Good Morning Blues and Jump Little Children, Jump, both recorded in1948. He worked with both Brownie McGhee and Frank Edwards and recorded eight tracks under his own name between 1948 and 1962.
Around 1937, Leroy formed a small band with James McMillan, who taught him to play guitar, around 1940, he and Frank performed on the radio program Major Bowes Amateur Hour. Music wasn’t kind to Leroy and settled in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943, where he worked as a waiter, a stevedore, a truck driver, and porter.
By 1946, Brownie McGhee had become a sought-after session guitarist in New York, through his connections, Brownie arranged for Leroy to record some of his own material on the Sittin' in With label. At the first of these sessions in October 1948, Leroy recorded a version of Good Morning, School Girl; probably for copyright reasons his version was called Good Morning Blues. He also recorded two other tracks, I'm down now, but I won't be down always and Jump little children, jump, which were released as singles.
By now Leroy was noted as a capable guitarist and an expressive singer, but it was not until January 1962 that the blues historian Pete Welding arranged for him to record two more tracks, Sweet man Blues and one of my personal favourites, She caught the M&O. After these recordings he retired from the music. Leroy died in September 1967 in Brooklyn, New York. |
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People say, Haven’t you got anything better to do? – The answer to that is well, yes, I have, but then as I wander through and research the history of the blues, yet another story pops up ... I got the blues has the distinction, albeit, a somewhat dubious distinction of being the first blues song every published, its claim is in the sense that it has blues in the title and used a 12-bar pattern.
Antonio Maggio published this song, but he didn't write it - the man who did has never been identified. Antonio emigrated from Sicily to Louisiana in 1982. A violinist, he settled in New Orleans, where he heard this song in the Algiers district of the city.
Antonio tells us, I heard an elderly Negro with a guitar playing three notes over and over again. I didn't think anything with only three notes could have a title, so to satisfy my curiosity I asked him what was the name of the piece. He replied ‘I got the blues’ which probably meant how he felt at the time rather than the title of the song; such are the myths of the blues. Having this on my mind, (Antonio, not me) I wrote an arrangement by making the three notes dominating most of the time. That night, our five-piece orchestra played at the Fabaker Restaurant ‘I got the blues’, the song was composed as a musical caricature, and to my astonishment became our most popular request number.
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Get in touch, How to contact ... PD Productions
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Every day we have the blues ..... PD Productions Audio / Video ...
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| Welcome to the PD Productions video archive. We are delighted to receive video clips from our very good friends around the world to include in our 'Backtracking' program. Below is a list of the clips scheduled for the next few weeks ... |
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The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There |
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47th Street Jive - June Richmond with Roy Milton's band |
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B. B. King - The Thrill Is Gone |
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Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy |
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Nina Simone - Ain't got no, I got life |
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Raymunda Dutch Blues - Pity the fool |
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Take Me to the River LIVE - Sharde Thomas and Rising Star |
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Send us a video clip of your gig (mp4 format) - Click here |
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| Current clip: ....Delta Gator Swamp Blues |
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| Play the current video clip |
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| Legal / Copyright stuff |
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Myths and Legends of the blues ..... Henry Qualls
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Henry Qualls (born July 8, 1934 – died December 7, 2003) was an American Texas and country blues guitarist and singer. He became famous later in his life when he was 're-discovered' in 1993 by the Dallas Blues Society. His only music album was released in 1994. After which, he travelled around the world, playing at music festivals.
The Dallas Observer newspaper reported that Henry was a purist's dream-come-true, meaning he played blues music in a very traditional and pure way. In addition to his own material he played covers of other blues artists such as Jimmy Reed and Lowell Fulson. People said his guitar playing was powerful, like the old blues masters such as Son House.
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