July 2004

Departments

Jump, Jive and Wail!

From doo-wop to jazz, Motown to Philly Soul, Let the Good Times Roll is a 26-part joy ride through the history of American rhythm and blues. Every Saturday at 11 p.m., strap on your dancin' shoes and make a date with 91FM -- it promises to be a very "good time."

Part I

"Jumping the Blues"

Program one begins the series by exploring the roots of R&B. It starts with Los Angeles' Central Avenue scene in the 1940s, the cool blues sound of Charles Brown, and the jump bands of Joe "The Honeydripper" Liggins. It ends with Father of Rhythm and Blues, the irrepressible Louis Jordan, star of radio, jukeboxes, and the silver screen. July 3

"Singing on the Corner"

Street corner singers filled black communities around the country in the 1950s with doo-wop, a style that gave pioneering groups like The Ravens, The Orioles, and The Moonglows their start. The program also features the story of the original "Louie Louie." July 10

"The Atlantic Sound"

A mad scheme to launch a record company in a tiny New York hotel suite grows into one of the premier R&B labels, whose star-filled roster included Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, and The Coasters. July 17

"Walkin' to New Orleans"

New Orleans was one of the early hotbeds of rhythm and blues. Its J&M Recording Studios was made famous by Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Shirley and Lee, and Little Richard. July 24

"Honkers, Bar Walkers, and Screamers"

No other instrument better defines rhythm and blues than a big, bold saxophone. This show profiles such dynamic horn players as Illinois Jacquet, Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams, and "Big Jay" McNeely, who electrified audiences by walking on the top of bars, lying on their backs, and making their horns honk and scream as they bended the notes. July 31

"Bold, Bawdy, and Banned"

Risqué lyrics in the blues dates back to the 1920s with suggestive tunes like "I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll," and the suggestions certainly continued in rhythm and blues. In this episode, songwriters and performers talk about the coded language, double entendres, and street slang that were part of the music. August 7

"The Jet Pilots of Jive"

Disc jockeys, both black and white, helped popularize the "underground" sounds of R&B -- often for a price. Payola was common. This show shares the stories of the original platter spinners -- Georgie Woods (a.k.a. The Guy with the Goods), Alan Freed, and William "Hoss" Allen of WLAC, Nashville's legendary late-night station -- and tells how a few dollars tucked into a record sleeve could get a song on the air. August 14

"Roadhouse Blues"

This program hits the road with R&B artists who performed during the era of segregation, traveling along the Chitlin' Circuit, the storied collection of clubs in black communities. August 21

"Going to Chicago"

Next stop is the hometown of host Jerry "The Iceman" Butler to explore his career along with those of other soul and blues artists who hail from the Windy City -- Sam Cooke (left), Gene Chandler, and Bo Diddley. August 28

"Sweet Soul Music"

What is soul music? Wilson Pickett calls it "grits music." Its roots are in the emotional shouts, squeals, and harmonies of the black church, the wellspring of R&B giants, including The Godfather and the Queen, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. September 4

"Dancing in the Streets"

This show goes behind the scenes at Motown Records to meet not only the stars, but the little-known individuals who helped produce the Motown Magic: The Funk Brothers session musicians, Detroit Symphony Orchestra artists, Motown arrangers, and the head of the label's "charm school." September 11

"Soul Sisters"

Countless stars in the R&B constellation were female artists, and program 12 takes a close look at several pioneers: LaVern Baker, Barbara Lewis, The Shirelles (left), and "Big Mama" Thornton. September 18

"Our Day Will Come"

R&B nurtured the hope for social change during the '60s, with performers like the Staple Singers performing at benefit concerts for Martin Luther King Jr. and others. Curtis Mayfield penned and performed uplifting, soulful songs, dubbed a soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement. Marvin Gaye's landmark recording "What's Going On?" raised social commentary to new heights. September 25

Part II

"Kings of the Strings"

Guitar -- the central instrument in the blues and R&B and the instrument of choice for artists who left their mark on American music. This show presents Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and King's Lucille. It tells the little-known story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a fiery gospel guitarist whose style presaged rock 'n roll. And it brings things to the present with Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton, who talk about their music and the guitarists who influenced them, from Muddy Waters to John Lee Hooker. October 2

"Beale Street Blues"

Memphis is known for two great exports: barbeque and the blues. Episode 15 takes a musical journey to 1950s Memphis when the city was a hotbed for R&B. It shares the story of Sun Records, Ike Turner, and B.B. King. October 9

"R&B in Black and White"

TV, as Nat King Cole once observed, was afraid of the dark, yet black R&B performers were among the first to find their way into white America's living rooms -- weekday afternoons on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and Sunday evenings on The Ed Sullivan Show. This episode reviews the TV debuts of Bo Diddley and The Supremes, and tells how film director John Waters created the 1988 hit film Hairspray by watching a segregated teen dance show in his hometown of Baltimore. October 16

"The Magic of Muscle Shoals"

It's off to the small, cotton farming town in the heart of Alabama that produced some of the most soulful records of the '60s and '70s. Muscle Shoals, AL, is the birthplace of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," The Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There," and "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett (pictured). October 23

"Profits and Pride"

In its early days, R&B was a rough and tumble business run by many small family-based entrepreneurs. They were known as "record men," and most were white. This program profiles several African American pioneers in the music biz who managed artists like Little Richard and Etta James, introducing them to the American public. October 30

"R&B Goes Country"

Many African American R&B singers had a perhaps surprising first love -- country music. Show 19 tells the often overlooked story of blacks in country music, and showcases one of the first stars of Nashville's Grand Ol' Opry, the black harmonica player DeFord Bailey. Joe Simon, Charley Pride, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and Ray Charles illuminate the struggles African Americans endured to break into country music. November 6

"The Pillars of Soul"

Program 20 spotlights several classic soul crooners, including ex-prize fighter Jackie Wilson, doo-wop singer Clyde McPhatter of The Drifters, and Little Willie John, who is best known for his original version of "Fever," yet whose career ended with a murder. November 13

"Boogie Woogie Blues"

With its origins in Southern lumber towns, boogie woogie piano playing is a foundation of R&B. This episode presents boogie woogie pianists Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson, whose music left a mark on everyone from Chuck Berry to Dr. John. November 20

"Southern Fried Soul"

Like all black musical genres, soul music has its origins in the soaring solo singers and choirs of southern gospel music. The point is well made in the songs and life stories of the South's best-loved soul artists: Al Green, Irma Thomas, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Aaron Neville (pictured). November 27

"The Poets of the Blues"

R&B songwriters gave advice, told stories, and kept people laughing or crying with their lyrics, yet these poets often toiled behind the scenes. Program 23 brings to center stage little-known songwriters such as Otis Blackwell, who composed both R&B classics for black artists and a string of hits for Elvis Presley, including "All Shook Up." And it tells the stories of some classic R&B songs, from "Hit the Road, Jack" to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." December 4

"The Stax Story"

A powerhouse of soul music started in an abandoned movie theater in Memphis' black community. Stax Records, a fount of R&B artistry, featured an all-star roster that included such superstars as Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Isaac Hayes. December 11

"Soul Serenaders"

The penultimate program in Let the Good Times Roll profiles some of the soulful groups of the '60s and '70s, including The Dells, The O'Jays, the Isley Brothers, and others.

December 18

"Philly Soul"

The studios in the City of Brotherly Love rivaled the hit-makers of the Motor City. This final episode explores the Philly soul of the 1970s with the production team of Gamble and Huff. They created such lush masterpieces as "La-La Means I Love You," by The Delfonics; The O'Jays' "Love Train"; and "If You Don't Know Me By Now," by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. December 25