This Week In The Blues: February 01 - February 07, 2026

HEY BLUES FANS - Here's the latest episode of "This Week In The Blues" for the week of February 01 - February 07, 2026.

Some of the highlights include Louisiana slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, Portland-based blues, soul, and blues-rock singer and harmonica player Curtis Salgado, and Chicago-born percussionist Jerome Green.

Keep in mind that there's so much more that happened this week in the blues. If you want to know more about these artists or other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to visit our website or follow our Facebook page:
https://bigtrainblues.com
https://www.facebook.com/BigTrainBlues

Photo credits (if known) and past episodes are posted on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@BigTrainBlues

Here are links to a few of the artists or songs we've referenced in this week's episode:

Sonny Landreth "Zydeco Shuffle" -  https://youtu.be/2pdpJuX1gDE?si=ktev21pqfmpzuVEE12:31 PM 2/1/2026

Curtis Salgado - "The Longer That I Live" (Official Video) - https://youtu.be/ikRzUBWoUIY?si=AwzsdCTT3-f56b_F

Join me every weekday from 12:15pm-12:45pm CT to watch a live stream on Facebook of the longest running blues radio show program. https://www.facebook.com/DeltaCulturalCenter

We’ll have a new episode next week – we’ll see you then!

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 If you want to know more about these artists or other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to visit our website or follow our Facebook page:

     https://bigtrainblues.com

     https://www.facebook.com/BigTrainBlues

Transcript

Sonny Landreth was born February 1, 1951, in Canton, Mississippi. He is a Louisiana slide guitar master and a defining voice in modern roots music. Rising to prominence with Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band, Landreth helped shape the “slydeco” sound, blending blues, zydeco, Cajun, and funk. His albums Blues Attack and Way Down in Louisiana established his reputation, while later releases expanded his influence. Known for his revolutionary slide technique, fretting behind the slide, Landreth has collaborated widely and is hailed by Eric Clapton as one of the world’s most advanced guitarists.

Walter Vinson was born February 2, 1901, in Bolton, Mississippi and was a foundational figure in early country blues and string band music. A gifted guitarist, fiddler, and songwriter, he was the primary voice behind the Mississippi Sheiks and the composer of the enduring standard “Sitting on Top of the World.” Between 1930 and 1935, Vinson recorded nearly 100 sides with various groups, shaping the Southern blues sound. After withdrawing from music in the 1940s, he briefly resurfaced during the 1960s revival. Vinson died in Chicago on July 1, 1975, leaving a legacy still resonating through blues history.

Jesse Babyface Thomas was born February 3, 1911. He was a Texas blues guitarist and singer whose career spanned six decades. Born in Logansport, Louisiana, he was known variously as “Baby Face,” “Mule,” and “The Blues Troubadour.” Thomas is best remembered for his 1929 Victor recording “Blue Goose Blues,” but he continued performing and recording through the 1940s and 1950s and remained active into the blues revival era, appearing at the Long Beach Blues Festival in 1994.

Curtis Salgado was born February 4, 1954, in Everett, Washington. He is a Portland-based blues, soul, and blues-rock singer and harmonica player celebrated for his powerful voice and commanding stage presence. Rising through Robert Cray’s band and later Roomful of Blues, he built a major solo career with acclaimed releases on Shanachie and Alligator Records. Salgado also inspired the creation of the Blues Brothers through his friendship with John Belushi. A liver transplant survivor, he remains an active performer and multiple Blues Music Award winner, including repeated Soul Blues Male Artist honors.

Willie Shade was born February 5, 1893 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a pioneering blues musician and the driving force behind the Memphis Jug Band. Nicknamed Son Brimmer, Shade helped define jug band music, blending blues, rags, pop, and gospel in prolific recordings from the late 1920s through the 1930s. A skilled harmonica player, guitarist, and bandleader, he influenced major figures including Big Walter Horton and Sonny Boy Williamson. Rediscovered during the blues revival, Shade recorded again before dying of pneumonia in Memphis in 1966. His legacy was later honored with a headstone and a Beale Street Walk of Fame brass note.

Jerome Green was a Chicago-born percussionist best known for his maraca work with Bo Diddley in the 1950s and early 1960s. Originally street performers, Green’s homemade maracas became a defining sound on classics like “Bo Diddley” and “I’m a Man.” Bo Diddley  wanted to add percussion to boost his sound, but he didn’t want to have to carry a drum kit between venues. So he recruited Green to play maracas that he made out of toilet floats filled with black-eyed peas. Green’s rhythmic style influenced British R&B bands including the Rolling Stones. He retired in 1964 and is believed to have died around 1973, leaving an underappreciated but vital legacy in early rock and R&B.

King Curtis was born February 7, 1934. He was a master saxophonist whose sound shaped rhythm and blues, jazz, and early rock and roll. Known for iconic parts on hits like Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” the Coasters’ “Yakety Yak,” and his own “Soul Serenade,” Curtis was also a prolific session player. He worked with Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, and led Aretha’s band, the Kingpins, who opened for the Beatles at Shea Stadium. Curtis was fatally stabbed in New York City on August 13, 1971, ending a brilliant, influential career far too soon.

Okay, blues fans, that went fast. We only covered a few of the highlights in this show. If you want to know more about these artists or all the other things that happened this week in the blues, be sure to follow our social media pages or just go out and visit our website at Big Train Blues.com. We’ll have a new episode next week and it’s going to be a great show. We’ll see you then!