The Award Winning Blues Session with Martin Clarke includes live music almost every week with guest musicians and bands from the Blues and RnB circuits in London, the South East of England and beyond.
There’s a certain smell made by an old valve radio, hot dust I guess, and then there is the glow that comes from the etched glass dial which promises radio stations from far away places such as Moscow, Monaco and of course closer to home the BBC light program. This was my first memories of radio as a teenager, an old valve set purchased from a jumble sale and quickly pressed into service in my bedroom with yards of wire to try and get the best reception possible.
One record that will always stick in my mind from this old valve set was The Eagles with New kid in town; it had a lovely tone and this particular track always sounded great. This for me was to be regular late night listening with only the glow of the radio dial as company.
My love for radio and then electronics led me to a career which never seemed far away from the opportunity to get behind a microphone and play music.
I became fond of Jazz and particularly Jazz Fusion in the late seventies, while at the same time listening to all types of Rock and Blues. I also love reggae music and bands such as The Mighty Diamonds and Steel Pulse just to mention a couple, were always being played at home.
Working the pub and club circuit as well as mobile disco work meant that my taste in music became very broad, although I always came back to Classic Rock and Blues which I feel are where my own personal musical roots are.
My first words to be broadcast were on an illegal A.M Citizens Band Radio, which I quickly picked up only to be disappointed when the Government legalised CB in the U.K on F.M and took the magic away. It was in 1983 that I joined Hospital Radio Wey for the first time and enjoyed a Sunday afternoon show from what is affectionately know as the ‘Shoebox Studio’ in Weybridge.
It was over 20 years later that I rejoined Radio Wey and was given the opportunity to take up a Friday night slot from 9 to 11pm. It was not long before I started to play Classic Rock during my show, much to the dismay of the Program Controller who suggested easy listening after 9pm would be more suitable. I persisted because the majority of my listeners were on-line and clearly supported this type of music on a Friday Night. I won (so did the listeners) and Classic Rock and later Blues started to stream around the world and before long ‘The Blues Session’ was born. I love to play the Blues late at night, they make ideal partners and I can imagine even now laying once again on my bed, the glow of the radio dial and the sounds of the Blues masters drifting across the room. Long live the blues…
For some classic rock and the very best blues music, come and join me very Friday night on Radio Wey. Just go to www.radiowey.co.uk and click on ‘Listen to live radio’
Martin Clarke – April 2009
Coming Soon on the Show . . .
10th Feb Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke
17th Feb - Swampsnake
24th Feb Adam & King Bee (Adam Norsworthy Derek Kingaby)
2nd Mar - Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes
9th March Clare Free
16th March The Motives
23rd March Liam Tarpey Band
30th March Dave O'Grady [+ Watermelon Slim recorder chat]
6th and 13th April - Repeated shows
20th April The Mustangs
27th April Ian Sinclair (Cinqui)
How to Listen . . . VIEW
PREVIOUSLY . . . .
27th Jan - Marty Manus transatlantic interview
20th Jan - Phil Astles
13th Jan - Dave Raphael Band
6th Jan - Lewis Cohen
30th December - Tim Hain & Friends
23rd December - Dani Wilde, Will Wilde and Stuart Dixon for a festive acoustic session
26th December - An alternative take on Blues Classics
16th December - 'Blue Rumours' Jules Manning vocals, Elliott Lee guitar, Keith Jones bass and Bob Hoekstra drums.
9th December - Steve Morrison
2nd December - Bare Bones Boogie Band (Album launch)
25th November - Richie Milton & Bill Farrow (Skiffle n' Blues)
18th November - CD selection with special guest Alan Glen (ex-Yardbirds & Nine Below Zero)
11th November - Dave Jackson Band
4th November - Eddie Armer and David Beckett (CD launch)
28th October - Sean Taylor
21st October - The Barcodes
7th October - Paddy Milner
30th September - Blair Dollery
23rd September - Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke
9th September - Robin Bibi 16th September - Idle Hands Blues Band (electric session)
2nd September - Jeffery Brothers (Canadian rock band)
26th August - The Richard Clarke Trio
29th July - Tim Hain and Jam Side Up
22nd July - Idle Hands Blues Band (acoustic session)
15th July - Eygypt (with Alan Fish)
8th July - Eddie Armer and David Beckett
1st July - Bluetouch
24th June - Dave Jackson Band
17th June - Mississippi Ol MacDonald
10th June - Bagge and Armer
3rd June - The Riotous Brothers
27th May - Mark Buck
20th May - Bill Farrow, Richie Milton and Alan Glen
13th May - Robin Bibi
6th May - Bare Bones Boogie Band
29th April 'Sean Taylor'
22nd April - Les & Debbie from 'Songbird'
15th April 'Gordon Smith and Alan Glen'
8th April Jennifer Wheeler – Chicago Blues Guide
1st April - Tim Hain and Jam side up
25th March 'Adam Bentley'
18th March - Oli Brown
11th March 'Sarah Ottaway and The Blues/Rock Special'
25th February The Phil Astles Band
11th February 'The Retaliation Blues Band 25th February 'The Phil Astles Band' (Hendrix tribute)
4th Feb - The Mustangs
28th Jan - Buffalo Bill Smith
21st Jan - Skip McDonald and Alan Glen
14th Jan - Live music to be confirmed
7th Jan - Bad Influance
31st Dec - New Years Eve Special (3 hours of bringing in the new year with Big Ben chimes at midnight)
24th Dec - Christmas special (3 hours looking back at live music on the show)
17th Dec - Marcus Bonfanti
10th Dec - Richie Milton, Bill Farrow and Alan Glen
3rd Dec - Skip McDonald of Little Axe plus support
26th Nov - The Danny Giles Band
19th Nov - James Litherland & special guest Dave Thomas
12th Nov - Graham Hine
5th Nov - Dave Raphel Band
15th October Blue Touch
8th October Mark Buck
1st October Dave Thomas Band featuring Keith Jones
3rd September James Litherland
27th August - The Ben Poole Band
Friday 20th August - Adam Grogdope live on my show
Friday 13th August - The Mustangs live on my show
Friday 30th July - Graham Hine solo appearance for the first time on The Blues Session.
Friday 6th August - Cherry Lee Mewis live on my show
Friday 23rd July - Laurie Gregory and ‘L’s Angels performed an acoustic folk set 'live' in the studio !
Friday 16th July - Papa George played live on my show
Friday 26th June - Robin Bibi a regular visitor to Radio Wey and a prolific song writer and performer
Friday 11th June my guest in the Studio was blues/rock guitarist and singer Clare Free. Clare performed live and talking about her career. www.clarefree.co.uk/
Friday 23rd April – Wey Down Blues Band – Local musicians provide a mix of traditional and Chicago Blues
Friday 16th April - The Mark Buck Band live in the studio. Don’t miss this one!
Friday 9th April – Adam Grogdope Band played Blues with a twist.
Friday 2nd April - The Untouchables played live in the studio for a set spanning all two hours of the show. This four piece band has performing excellent blues for many years. Check out www.myspace.com/theuntouchablesblues or e-mail p.ellison@ntlworld.com
Friday 12th - February two members of the David Raphel Band join me for an acoustic set and a chance to chat about the band.
Friday 26th February - The Bear Cats Blues Band play live in the studio, with sets spanning all of the show. (Full Band including Drums and Keyboards)
Friday 5th February - Robin Bibi joined Martin together with Lewis Cohen. Also joined by Fran Leslie, Editor of Blues in Britain Magazine to play her selected blues tracks and talk about her role with the magazine.
The Blues Session - Friday 11 Dec - ‘Grapevine Blues’ are performing live as a five piece (should be a squeeze!)
New Haw Leans Jug Band on the show Friday 2nd October
Marcus Malone guested on Friday 16th October
Former YardBird, Alan Glen 'live' on the show 23rd October
Local musician Richard Clarke will be playing an acoustic set and selecting Blues tracks during the 'BLUES SESSION' with Martin Clarke on Friday 3rd July after 9pm . . .
SIMON GARRARD - Played the new '2 Hour' Blues Session with Martin Clarke on Friday 22nd May . . . . .
Friday 8th May - Chaz Jefferies a very talented guitarist who also teaches guitar to students at Farnborough College. Live music? That really is; ‘Something for the Weekend’.
Robin Bibi played a great acoustic session fresh from launching the new Twickenham Stadium venue.
Sammy Beatnix play an acoustic set on Something for the Weekend after 9pm
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