Tony Storey

“Blues is the roots, everything else is the fruits” is a quote attributed to Willie Dixon, who was called the poet laureate of the blues.

An avid reader, as a youngster I was intrigued by the musicians who influenced artists such as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Cream and the like. Over time, my music collection began to reflect this: Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Josh White, Louis Armstrong were just a few names that featured. The radio was always switched on at home, even after the advent of television in South Africa. We have been blessed with fine presenters who introduced new styles, pushing boundaries: Allan Pierce (Capital Radio) was a revelation among a host of fine disc jockeys; David Gresham on Springbok Radio, Barney Simon and Rafe Levine on 5FM. These voices provided entertainment & relief especially during late night studying. Jazz on English Service (later SAFM) & on Capital Radio nurtured my interest in jazz.

When Station Manager Victoria Cawood asked me if I would present a blues programme on FMR, I was both excited and daunted. Excited as the blues is the source of rock’n’roll, of jazz, of rhythm and blues and has evolved, faded and returned over the 20th century; it has crossed the Atlantic a number of times. Excited too as blues had been part of FMR’s programmes seemingly from inception. Daunted  as, at the time even though my collection was of a good size, it had more jazz, folk, rock & indie than blues!

Is the blues relevant in the 21st century? A resounding yes in my opinion, as I am finding more & more young musicians active in the blues not only in the United States and the United Kingdom but also from as far afield as Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Italy, France, New Zealand etc.

I am Cape Town born & bred while my parents are from England & Italy. Married to Linda, with 2 wonderful children Sarah & Robert. A graduate of UCT, currently a finance professional in retail & wholesale.

Blues at the Table – the name is a reference to my home town, the mother city, and it features not only traditional through modern styles of the music, but also highlights those whose music was based on blues such as Elvis Presley. It also highlights fine musicianship and those influenced and inspired by other blues musicians. The programme has featured a number of centurions in the blues: Sunnyland Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker, Henry Johnson, Robert Nighthawk, Pink Anderson, Howlin’ Wolf to name a few. Monday nights from 10pm to midnight

e-mail address for the programme: bluesatthetable@gmail.com