Welcome to festive Holiday Spectacular edition of BLUES JUNCTION. As always, we salute the sounds of the season and for the most part that is blues music at its very best. Like the song asks, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Most of the world doesn’t, but as Jimmy Rodgers once said, that’s alright.

Like many of you, I always get into a reflective mood this time of year and as I look back on 2014, it is with a great deal of fondness. Our brand and what we stand for continues to attract a very large world wide audience. I am very grateful that there are so many of you who meet here at the JUNCTION each and every month. I love the fact that in this disposable crap culture world in which we live, this quintessentially American music and our discussion of it resonates with you.

As far as that reflective mood is concerned, the time of year for that is December and I am writing this in November. With this in mind my year in review, best of 2014 and all the fun that goes with that will, as always, appear in the January edition of our ezine. Remember the year is NOT over.

Now for what’s in store for the December edition of BLUES JUNCTION. First off as many of our readers know by now, we lost Johnny Dyer this past month. You are welcome to read a remembrance on this recently departed blues man.

While we are on this rather somber topic, may I direct your attention to a bluesman with whom many of you may not be familiar? Read about this cat in the piece entitled, The Legend of Little Joe Washington.

The indomitable Charlie Lange lent a hand with the essay on Little Joe Washington and he also wants to help those of you trying to find stocking stuffers for the hard to please blues fans on your holiday list. Check out the tab that reads Charlie’s Stocking Stuffer Holiday Gift Jubilee.

In December for only the second time ever, our Monthly Artist Spotlight shines on a drummer. He is not just any drummer mind you... he is the man who is widely regarded by many as the greatest living blues drummer. His name is Richard Innes and it was not only an honor and a privilege to visit with him, but an absolute joy as well. Enjoy a conversation with the one and only Richard Innes.

The drumming of Richard Innes can be heard on some of the finest recordings of the past 40 years. Some of these sessions include the late great Lynwood Slim. Rip Cat Records just issued a spectacular posthumously released album by Slim entitled, Hard to Kill. This CD stands in our Monthly Album Spotlight.

This month marks the beginning of an ongoing feature simply entitled, “…Revisited.” It is where we examine a classic or legendary blues album. Since the word “classic” is as abused, misused and as over used as any word that comes to mind, I scratched that idea. As far as the word “legendary” is concerned, that word in the blues field is so ubiquitous it has been rendered all but meaningless. There was, maybe still is for all I care, something out there called the “Legendary Blues Revue” that starred Tommy Castro. I rest my case.

Be that as it may, the first installment of this series examines the 2011 album by guitarist Andreas Arlt. Andreas, along with his brother Michael and the rest of their great band B.B. and the Blues Shacks, did a tour of California this past month and it got me thinking about one of my favorite albums over the past few years, Andreas’ All-Time Favorites on Crosscut Records.

We also have three holiday favorites for your enjoyment. First off is my interview from a few years back with the famous North Polonian, manufacturing and distribution mogul Santa Claus. Claus is, as most of you know, also the world’s most prolific philanthropist. It is my great honor to share a conversation I had with his Kringleness.

In addition to that, as most of our readers are aware December 25^th marks the 8^th anniversary of the death of James Brown and the birth of Funkmas. Read about this newest holiday tradition.

For those of you who still listen to Christmas music, we have twelve songs from twelve Christmas albums on our Jukebox of Joy.

Here is wishing all of you a very special, happy and fulfilling holiday season. Until we meet again please, please, please...be well and be in touch.

- David Mac