Blues New Round-Up: Seasick Steve, Leadbelly, David Jacobs-Strain, Trix Records & B.B. King

It's time once again for a round-up of blues news from around the world. This time around we're looking at interesting articles on American-born British blues artist Seasick Steve and underrated blues guitarist David Jacobs-Strain; the legendary B.B. King receives another well-deserved honor; and Peter Lowry's Trix Records label is remembered.

Former hobo Steve Wold, also known as "Seasick Steve," is an up-and-coming blues artist in the U.K., a popular draw over the last couple of summers on the British festival circuit. Britain's Independent newspaper has this interesting article on Seasick Steve that includes video of the bluesman as well as streaming audio. The British Times Online got there first, with an equally fascinating article on the American musician, albeit without the cool video clips.

Erin Edgemon of The Murfreesboro Post newspaper in Murfreesboro, Tennessee has this informative article on the formation of the Leadbelly Foundation by the family members of folk-blues artist Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter. The foundation was created in 1992 to preserve the legendary musician's music and memorabilia, expanding into providing scholarships to low-income schoolchildren who want to study music.

Over at music blog Pop Matters, writer Len Righi has an insightful interview with the underrated blues guitarist David Jacobs-Strain. While flashier blues guitarists grab the ink and acclaim, Jacobs-Strain has slowly-but-surely built a significant catalog of critically-acclaimed recordings that clearly put the guitarist in the upper region of blues talents. If you're not familiar with Jacobs-Strain, you should give any one of his albums a spin, pronto.

Some of us remember the late, lamented Trix Records label with some fondness, and Jeff over at the Big Road Blues blog has this in-depth and informative story on Trix. Formed by Peter B. Lowry in 1972, the label launched with a series of 45s (those 7" vinyl singles with a big hole for you young 'uns), moving onto full-length albums by (mostly) Piedmont blues artists like Peg Leg Sam (a personal favorite), Homesick James, Honeyboy Edwards, Tarheel Slim, Baby Tate, and others. The label only existed slightly over a decade, but its influence was long-lasting, and CD reissues of Trix albums crop up from time-to-time, snapped up quickly by eager collectors.

Last but not least on our blues news round-up, the legendary bluesman B.B. King has been in the headlines a lot lately for his current tour and recently-released album, One Kind Favor. It's no secret, therefore, that the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is set to open this Sunday, September 14 , 2008 just a couple of days before King's birthday in Indianola, Mississippi where King was born. Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times has this interview with King, the bluesman always humble and appreciative of his legion of fans. It's a fine interview, and certain to prompt some readers to run out and buy a copy of One Kind Favor.

B.B. King photo courtesy Geffen Records