The Blog of the Blues welcomes its first Blues DJ to its paperless pages. Martin Clarke hosts his Blues session shows weekly on community radio station Radio Wey and US station Kansas City Online Radio (KCOR), and by the wonders of the internet it is possible to listen to them live around the world including listening again via his Soundcloud presence. Onto the interview…
Blues Blogger: “You’re helping organise a charity music night on Saturday 12 May. What should readers know about it?”
Martin: “It’s for the neo-natal unit at St. Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey. I have a lovely venue, 100-seater, with Todd Sharpville, Marcus Bonfanti, and Paddy Milner playing.”
Blues Blogger: “How did you get into being a DJ?”
Martin: “Through pirate radio in the 1980’s. I presented jazz and jazz funk, but soon moved to Radio Wey in 1983 when it was based in Weybridge as a hospital station.”
Blues Blogger: “What did you want to do when you were growing up?”
Martin: “I wanted to be an airline pilot. My father was in the RAF. I’ve flown a bit, I started out early in the Air Training Corps.”
Blues Blogger: “What has been the highlight of your career to date?”
Martin: “Two things. One was last year, when I went on a Blues tour in the US and I was invited to present a British Blues show on Texas radio station KPFT, with James “The Blues Hound” Nagel. Two hours on a show with 130,000 listeners, and I’m going back and will be back on air with KPFT on the 1st April .” “The second was interviewing British Blues living legend and fellow Presenter Paul Jones, I did loads of research and he really enjoyed talking with me, and touched on his experiences with Frank Howard and Margaret Thatcher, and his next album.”
Blues Blogger: “If you could time travel to any moment in Blues history, what would you choose?”
Martin: “I’d have knocked the bottle of poisoned whisky that killed Robert Johnson from his hand so he could have carried on writing those great songs.”
Blues Blogger: “Tell me about another recent highlight?”
Martin: “Meeting Dani Wilde, her brother Will and Stuart Dixon. Some of the nicest people I’ve met and Dani’s voice is absolutely fantastic.”
Blues Blogger: “Who is your current favourite upcoming musician?”
Martin: “That would be Simon McBride, a superb Irish guitarist. I’ve also been enjoying listening to the brilliant new album by someone a bit older, at 74, Shakey Vick, and I had Paul Lamb play harmonica in a session the other day, fantastic – listen here. ”
Blues Blogger: “What is your take on the current Blues scene?”
Martin: “Very positive, there are loads of great acts out there and a big new Blues magazine is coming out, and that would only be happening if there is something to be read about. We are really seeing an amazing blues revival here in the UK.”
