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BARGAIN BASEMENT
COMPACT
DISCS - Blues & Gospel
Snooks Eaglin
-> Little Sonny
| BIG BOY TEDDY EDWARDS | Document DOCD 5440 | Complete Recorded Works, 1930-1936 | ● CD |
| The complete recordings of this obscure blues performer -
one of very few to play the tiple on record. Edwards was a fine singer
though his earliest solo sides from 1930 are rather boring because of his
limited strumming accompaniment. His later sides are more enjoyable where he
is accompanied by musicians like pianist Black Bob, guitarist Big Bill
Broonzy and banjo player Papa Charlie Jackson. Some tracks are from very
worn 78s but most of the performances are quite listenable. BIG BOY TEDDY EDWARDS: Alcohol Mama/ Dancing The Blues Away/ Family Troubles/ Good Doing Daddy (take A)/ Good Doing Daddy (take B)/ Hoodoo Blues/ I Ain't Gonna Give You None/ I'm Gonna Tell My Mama On You/ If I Had A Girl Like You/ It Was No Dream/ Louise (80608)/ Louise (c-708)/ Louisiana/ Love Will Provide For Me/ Lovin' Blues/ Run Away Blues/ Them Things/ W-p-a-blues/ Who Did You Give My Barbecue To? - Part 1 (80605)/ Who Did You Give My Barbecue To? - Part 2 (80606)/ Who Did You Give My Barbecue To? -1 (c-752)/ Who Did You Give My Barbecue To? -2 (c-753)/ Wild Woman Blues |
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| DAVID "HONEYBOY" EDWARDS | Trix 3319 | I've Been Around | ● CD |
| 14 tracks recorded at various sessions between 1974 and 1977
- some with Walter Horton on harp or Eddie El on second guitar DAVID "HONEYBOY" EDWARDS: Banty Rooster/ Big Fat Mama/ Big Road Blues/ Eyes Full Of Tears/ Hambone Blues/ I Feel So Good Today/ I'm A Country Man/ Pony Blues/ Ride With Me Tonight/ Sad & Lonesome/ Take Me In Your Arms/ The Woman I'm Loving/ Things Have Changed/ You're Gonna Miss Me |
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| LOWELL FULSON | Fuel 2000 61082 | I've Got The Blues | ● CD |
| 18 track compilation of Lowell's Jewel sides from the late
60s/early 70s. Includes several sides not originally issued. LOWELL FULSON: Baby/ Change Of Heart/ Crying Won't Help/ Don't Leave Me/ Every Second A Fool Is Born/ Fed Up/ How Do You Want Your Man/ Hurry Home/ I Started Out Wrong/ I've Got The Blues/ Please Let Me Go/ Searchin' Out/ Stoned To The Bone/ Teach Me/ The Last One To Know/ Thug/ Too Soon/ You're Going To Miss Me |
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| REV. J. M. GATES | Document DOCD 5414 | Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 : 1926 | ● CD |
| 22 tracks, 70 min., recommended How popular was Baptist preacher G. M. Gates? Well, the first 3 of his 9 volume collected works only cover April to November of 1926! His total of 200-plus sides equals more than a fourth of all sermons recorded up to 1943--and Gates dies around 1941. The catch is that the good Reverend recorded for a bus load of labels and often re-recorded titles such as Death's Black Train Is Coming and Goin' To Die With The Staff In My Hand many times. Identified as sermons with singing, these are more properly singing with spoken introductions resembling sermons. Gates is variously accompanied by two unknown females, his congregation, or mixed voices; about half the time he goes it alone. Essential to fans of the genre, of limited interest to the average human. (JC) |
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| JIMMIE GORDON | Document DOCD 5648 | Complete Recordings, Vol. 1, 1934-1936 | ● CD |
| 22 tracks, 68 tracks, recommended First of three discs presenting the complete recordings of this fine singer and piano player who has been overlooked by most blues researchers. Although he recorded more than 60 sides between 1934 and '41, and so must have been fairly popular, his life is a total mystery. He has generally been associated with St. Louis but liner note writer Dave Evans makes a good case for Gordon being based in Chicago. He was a good singer in the vein of Bumble Bee Slim or Bill Gaither but a bit more intense. He played his own piano on some of his recordings or was accompanied by the piano of Charles Segar, Horace Malcolm or Dot Rice. Other musicians featured include Charlie McCoy, Scrapper Blackwell, Carl Martin, John Lindsey and others. His songs are a mixture of popular songs of the day and some good originals like Louise Louisa Blues/ Yo Yo Mama Blues/ Graveyard Blues/ Mother Blues and the topical Don't Take Away My P.W.A. Sound on a few tracks is a bit rough but most sound good and there are excellent notes by David Evans. (FS) JIMMIE GORDON: Baker Man/ Bed Springs Blues/ Bed Springs Blues No. 2/ Big Four Whistle Blues/ Black Gal Blues (what Makes Your Head So Hard)/ Bye Bye Baby Blues/ Don't Take Away My P.w.a./ Drive Me Away Blues/ Drunken Woman Blues/ Gone Gal Blues/ Graveyard Blues (dead And Gone Blues)/ I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water/ I'll Take You Back/ Little Red Dress (mary Usta Wear)/ Louise, Louisa Blues/ Mean Mistreatin' Blues/ Mother Blues/ Neck Bone Blues/ She Sells Good Meat/ Soon In The Morning/ Sweet Jelly Rollin'/ Yo Yo Mama Blues |
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| THE GOSPEL SONGBIRDS | Nashboro 4518 | Ring Them Golden Bells: The Best OF Nashville Songbirds | ● CD |
| 14 tracks, 36 min., recommended Drawn from sessions held between 1962 and 1966, this delightful collection of sanctified Chicago gospel numbers offers the work of three different Songbirds' lead singers: James Phelps, Cash McCall, and Otis Clay. Program highlights include The Bible is Right, When They Ring Them Golden Bells, Traveling Pilgrim, Glory Glory Hallelujah, Let Jesus Lead You, I Believe, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Story of the Woman (At the Well), and Beulah Land. Fine music, mixing sweet soul sounds with hard-edged, latter day gospel. Sound quality is solid, as are the in-depth liner notes are by our own gospel pundit, Opal Nations. (DH) |
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| JOHN LEE GRANDERSON | Testament TCD 5031 | Hard Luck John | ● CD |
| Only full length album of this excellent down home Chicago
singer/ guitarist. Recorded by Pete Welding in mid 60s and all previously
unissued it includes solo performances, duets, trios and small electric
combos with accompanying musicians like Prezs Thomas, Jimmy Walker, Johnny
Young and others - Minglewood Blues/ Flora Blues/ Death Valley Blues/
Rock Me All Night Long/ County Farm Blues/ This Is Your Last Chance,
etc. |
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| COOT GRANT & KID WILSON | Document DOCD 5563 | Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 - March 1925 to November 1928 | ● CD |
| 23 tracks, 65 mins, recommended Great collection of black vaudeville and blues featuring the talented Leola B. "Coot" Grant and "Kid" Wesley Wilson. The duo pieces are witty and humorous and the duo are accompanied by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Buster Bailey, Shirley Clay, Rex Stewart and others as well as Wesley's own piano playing. There are a number of excellent solo blues by Grant issued under her married name of Leola B. Wilson - several featuring the beautiful guitar work of Blind Blake. Musically and historically this deserves a higher rating than recommended but the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired on many of the tracks. Several of the performances have such a high level of surface noise as to make for very difficult listening and many of the others have that shrill thin sound of acoustic recordings which could possibly be improved with sophisticated equqlization but, as it stands, is pretty tiring to listen to after more than a few songs. It's too bad as the music is great! (FS) GRANT & WILSON: (take 1)/ (take 2)/ Ashley St. Blues/ Black Biting Bee Blues/ Come On Coot Do That Thing/ Crying Won't Make Him Stay/ Dishrag Blues/ Down The Country/ Ducks/ Dying Blues/ Find Me At The Greasy Spoon (if You Miss Me Here)/ Find Me At The Greasy Spoon (if You Miss Me Here)/ Have Your Chill, I'll Be Here When Your Fever Rises/ Key Hole Blues/ Mama Didn't Do It And Papa Didn't Do It/ Rasslin' 'till The Wagon Comes/ Rock, Aunt Dinah, Rock/ Rollin' Mill Blues/ Scoop It/ Speak Now Or Hereafter Hold Your Peace/ State Street Men Blues/ Stevedore Man/ When Your Man Is Going To Put You Down (you Never Can Tell)/ Wilson Dam/ You Dirty Mistreater |
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| THE GRISWOLDS | Blue Suit 115 | Cockeyed World | ● CD |
| Blues trio from Toledo, Ohio featuring brothers Art Griswold
(vocal & guitar), Roman Griswold (vocal, piano, organ and harmonica) and
drummer Big Blues Bob Michaels. They perform tough treatments of some
original songs along with songs from Muddy waters, Jesse Hill, Willie Nelson
(!), Jimmy Rogers and others. |
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| BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR WELLS & JUNIOR MAN | BGO 399 | Buddy And The Juniors | ● CD |
| 7 tracks, recommended Originally released in 1970 on Blue Thumb Records (BTS 20), this album features Chicago bluesmen Buddy Guy and Junior Wells going completely acoustic. No bass and drums either, though jazz great Junior Mance does add his piano to give the sound some fullness. The first 2 songs (17 minutes) are reasonably well-focused improvisations in which Guy and Wells trade verses and riffs. Best cover here is Willie Dixon's Hoochie Coochie Man, but the quiet take on Arthur Crudup's Rock Me Mama is a close second. Outstanding harp from Junior Wells throughout. A rare opportunity to hear blues legends with their plugs pulled, and an amusing cover, too. (JC) |
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| THE HARLEM HAMFATS | Document DOCD 5272 | Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order, Vol 2 | ● CD |
| 24 tracks, 68 min., recommended Most of these excellent tracks retain the group's original line up, including Pearlis Williams on drums, Horace Malcolm on piano, Herb Morand playing trumpet like Louis Armstrong, Joe McCoy (gtr/vc), Charlie McCoy (gtr/mand), Ransom Knowling (sb), and Odell Rand (cl). The brief "religious" period between Joe McCoy's split with Memphis Minnie and his joining the Hamfats is represented and laughed at in the the winning Hallelujah Joe Ain't Preachin' No More. But, generally, the subjects explored in these songs remain wine and women, though not necessarily in that order. Some of the most striking numbers, however, show off vocalist Rosetta Howard on her first recordings, including her paean to marijuana, If You're A Viper, its flip Rosetta's Blues, a cover of Bessie Smith's Empty Bed Blues and Let Your Linen Hang Low, featuring an anything but subtle lyric shared with with Joe. Liner notes contain mini bios. (JC) THE HARLEM HAMFATS: Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes/ Down In Shady Lane/ Empty Bed Blues/ Hallelujah Joe Ain't Preachin' No More/ Hoodooin' Woman/ I Don't Want You Loving Me/ I Feel Like Going To Town/ I Love That/ I'm Cuttin' Out/ I'm So Glad/ If You're A Viper (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ It Was Red/ It's Your Turn (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ Jam Jamboree/ Keep It Swinging Round And Round/ Let Your Linen Hang Low (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ Let's Fall In Love Again (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ My Old Lady Blues/ Ooh-Wee Babe/ Rosetta Blues (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ She's A Mellow Mother For You/ What's My Baby Doin'?/ Worried Mind Blues (Rosetta Howard, vcl)/ You Drink Too Much |
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| THE HARMONIZING FOUR | Vee-Jay NVG2 604 | The Harmonizing Four/ God Will Take Care Of You | ● CD |
| 23 tracks, 65 min., essential As solid a reason for listener jubilation as there ever was - the CD reissue of the first two Vee-Jay lps by these preeminent practitioners of the traditional spiritual. Formed in 1927, this ensemble recorded and performed successfully into the 70's without ever adopting the hard gospel style of many of their brethren. These harmonious tracks from the late 50's feature the double barreled power of Joseph Williams' fine tenor and, on six of these tracks, the utterly stunning bass of Jimmy Jones. Featured tracks include All Things Are Possible/ Motherless Child/ His Eye is on the Sparrow/ Mary Don't You Weep/ My Lord What a Morning, and a particularly memorable version of The Lord's Prayer. Good sound, brief notes, and, sadly, no photos. (DH) |
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| SILAS HOGAN | Excello 3005 | Trouble - The Best Of The Excello Masters | ● CD |
| 26 tracks, 68 mins, highly recommended When it comes to down home Louisiana blues they don't come much more down home than the blues of Silas Hogan. Although they were recorded for Jay Miller between 1962 and '65 the tracks on this album could have been recorded years earlier. Hogan's rich vocals and basic guitar are complemented by guitar, harmonica (usually Sylvester Buckley or Whispering Smith), bass and drums. His approach is reminiscent of stable mate Lightnin' Slim with a touch of Jimmy Reed thrown in. Most of Silas's songs are originals but have a strong traditional feel to them and include such fine items as Out & Down Blues/ I'm Going To The Valley/ I'm Gonna Quit You Baby/ Airport Blues/ Go On Pretty Baby and the wonderfully brooding Trouble At Home Blues. This set features all his Excello recordings - some previously unissued in the USA and includes four fine alternate takes. Good sound and informative notes from Cub Koda but no discographical info. (FS) |
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| LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS | Collectables 5143 | From The Vaults Of Everest, Part 1 : Drinkin' In The Blues | ● CD |
| 16 tracks recorded for Tradition and Society in 1959 and '60
- Big Black cadillac Blues/ Coffee House Blues/ Stool Pigeon Blues/
Drinkin' In The Blues/ Ball Of twine / "G" String Blues/ Rain/ Last Night,
etc. LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Ball Of Twine/ Big Black Cadillac Blues/ Brand New Car/ Coffee House Blues/ Drinkin' In The Blues/ Early In The Mornin' Blues/ Fugitive Blues/ G String Blues/ Goin' To Dallas/ Grandma Told Grandpa/ I've Been Buked And Scored/ Last Night/ Rain/ Shake It Baby/ Shining Moon/ Stool Pidgeon |
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| WALTER HORTON/ THE KING BISCUIT BOYS | Sequel 285 | Well All Right! Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, Vol. 4 | ● CD |
| 17 tracks, 60 min., recommended Now deleted. Recorded at the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, the Big Walter Horton set features John Nicholas' band & should please all you harmonica fans. The highlights include Trouble In Mind (with just John Nicholas' guitar helping out), Tampa Red-Elmore James' It Hurts Me Too (with Nicholas' slide guitar) and the hard hitting Hard Hearted Woman. The Joe Willie Wilkins & The King Biscuit Boys featuring Houston Stackhouse performance was one I still remember, maybe because the lineup that Sunday afternoon included Victoria Spivey, Ornette Coleman, and the Johnny Otis Show! Stackhouse's version of Sweet Black Angel features his wonderful slide playing, while I believe it was Wilkins' who played the slide on his own version of Sonny Boy's Mr. Downchild. As for their harmonica player, Clennon Lee Sonny Blake, he's featured on his own composition Down So Long. (EL) |
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| PEG LEG HOWELL & EDDIE ANTHONY | Matchbox 2005 | Complete Recordings In Chronological Order, Vol 2 | ● CD |
| 21 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended There are only two solo tracks by Howell here including the very fine Walkin' Blues. He is joined by Eddie Anthony on two tracks including their lively Turkey Buzzard based on the old time country tune Turkey In The Straw The other six tracks by Howell feature him with the fiddler Ollie Griffin or mandolin player Jim Hill and includes the excellent Rolling Mill and Ball & Chain Blues. There are 8 tracks by Tampa Joe & Macon Ed - Ed is, of course, our old friend Eddie Anthony - Tampa Joe is an unknown singer and guitarist. The duo's singing, playing and repertoirs shows the influence of the Mississippi Sheiks but there are some fine performances. The set ends with Brother's Wright And Williams asssited by Sisters Jordan and Norman on the old time religious song I'll Play My Harp In Beulah with fiddles and guitar that is hypothesized to be Macon Ed and Tampa Joe - could be - whoever it is it's very nice. Not as strong as the first volume there are, nevertheless, many fine performances here. (FS) "SLOPPY" HENRY: Long, Tall, Disconnected Mama/ Royal Palm Special Blues/ PEG LEG HOWELL: Away From Home/ Ball And Chain Blues/ Banjo Blues/ Broke And Hungry Blues/ Chittlin' Supper/ Monkey Man Blues/ Rolling Mill Blues/ Turkey Buzzard Blues/ Turtle Dove Blues/ Walkin' Blues/ MACON ED AND TAMPA JOE: Everything's Coming My Way/ Mean Florida Blues/ Tantalizing Bootblack/ Tickle Britches/ Try That Thing/ Warm Wipe Stomp/ TAMPA JOE AND MACON ED: Worrying Blues/ Wringing That Thing/ BROTHERS WRIGHT & WILLIAMS: I'll Play My Harp In Beulah Land |
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| LONG JOHN HUNTER | Alligator 4861 | Ride With Me | ● CD |
| 10 tracks, 51 min., recommended Reissue of 1993 Spindletop album. If you've heard the handful of singles he recorded for the tiny Yucca label in the early 1960's, reissued some year ago on a Double Trouble LP, you know how talented this Texas singer/guitarist is. And at 62, he hasn't lost his edge, turning in this fine set of originals that includes El Paso Rock/ West Texas Homecoming, just in case anyone should doubt where his heart is. On the latter cut Hunter is joined by T. D. Bell and his guitar; throughout, saxophonists Mark Kazanoff and Red Rails give the backing band distinction and heat. Pianist Erbie Bowser is no slouch either. Solid. (JC) |
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| MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT | Fuel 2000 61149 | Revisited | ● CD |
| 18 tracks, 60 min., highly recommended Mississippi John Hurt played the melody and bass line at the same time, sang, and made the whole thing sound as simple as tapping your foot. His fluid, relaxed style was first dedicated to wax in 1928, and he sounded like no one else in the world. Only 35 years later he was "rediscovered" and recorded again. This live show is drawn from an April 15, 1965, performance at Oberlin College in Ohio. His sound, essentially unchanged over the years, is as pleasing as ever, as he moves through some of his old classics, including I'm Satisfied, Rich Woman Blues, Candy Man, My Creole Belle, and others. Highlights include Here Am I, Oh Lord, Send Me, The Angels Laid Him Away and the children's ditty C-H-I-C-K-E-N. Great fun. (JC) |
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| LARRY JOHNSON | Biograph BCD 138 | Midnight Hour Blues | ● CD |
| 1971 album by this fine bluesman with John Hammond on harp
and National steel guitar. Includes Blood Red River/ Saturday Evening
Blues/ Walking Blues/ Red River Dam Blues/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Tell Me Mama,
etc. LARRY JOHNSON: Blood Red River/ Mama-Less Rag/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Nobody's Biz-ness/ One Room Country Shack/ Peace Breakin' People/ Red River Dam Blues/ Saturday Evening Blues/ Tell Me Mama/ Walking Blues/ When Things Go Wrong |
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| LONNIE JOHNSON | Blues Magnet 1001 | The Unsung Blues Legend | ● CD |
| 17 tracks, 56 min, highly recommended Something about this set I find beautiful. This was recorded at the home of Bernie Strassberg, who had become friends with Lonnie during the 60s after Lonnie's "rediscovery". An informal recording in a Forest Hills living room in '65, Lonnie accompanies himself on guitar on what is a long string of pop, jazz & blues tunes & standards. His single string runs still sound great as he fluidly goes from tune to tune. Interestingly, he starts off with 2 songs which, in '65, were associated with Frank Sinatra - This Love Of Mine & September Song. From there it's everything from Duke's Solitude, early classics likr St. Louis Blues/ Back Water Blues/ Careless Love and Prisoner of Love, Earl Hine's Jelly Jelly, his own New Orleans Blues & There's Been Some Changes Made, even a solo guitar version of Danny Boy. (GM) |
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| LONNIE JOHNSON | Document DOCD 5064 | Complete Recordings In Chronological Order V. 2 1926-27 | ● CD |
| The second disc in this series starts as the first ended
with the eerie sound of Lonnie accompanying himself on harmonium with
brother James on violin on the mournful Oh! Doctor The Blues. The
rest of this disc covering the period from August 13, 1926 through 12
August, 1927 finds Lonnie playing guitar exclusively and includes some
magnificent instrumental solos like To Do This, You Got To Know Home
or instrumental guitar duets with James that were not issued at the time.
Unlike the first disc the recordings here were all recorded electrically and
sound much better for it though some are from fairly worn discs. Lonnie's
songs include the topical (South Bound Wate), the moralistic (Treat
'Em Right) and the sentimental (A Broken Heart That never Smiles)
as well as more standard blues themes (Mean Old Bed Bug Blues/ Fickle
Mama Blues, etc.). This disc also features him accompanying Helen Humes,
Raymond Boyd and Joe Brown - none of whose contributions is impressive.
Brief but informative notes by Chris Smith. (FS) RAYMOND BOYD: Blackbird Blues/ Unkind Mama/ JOE BROWN: Cotton Patch Blues/ Superstitious Blues/ HELEN HUMES: Black Cat Blues/ Worried Woman's Blues/ LONNIE JOHNSON: A Broken Heart That Never Smiles/ Baby, Will You Please Come Home/ Back Water Blues/ Fickle Mamma Blues/ Four Hands Are Better Than Two/ I Done Tole You/ I Love You, Mary Lou/ Lonesome Ghost Blues/ Mean Old Bed Bug Blues/ Oh! Doctor Blues/ Roaming Rambler Blues/ South Bound Water/ Stay Out Of Walnut Street Alley/ Steppin' On The Blues/ Sweet Woman You Can't Go Wrong/ Sweet Woman, See For Yourself/ To Do This, You Got To Know How/ Treat 'Em Right/ Woke Up With The Blues In My Fingers |
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| LUTHER "GUITAR JUNIOR" JOHNSON | Bullseye Blues 9546 | Country Sugar Papa | ● CD |
| 13 tracks, 55 min., recommended A member of the Muddy Waters Band in the '70s, Johnson plays Chicago blues guitar West Side style a la Magic Sam. His 3rd Bullseye release is solid as usual, and several cuts, namely his ownWalkin' With You Baby/ I'm Going Back, Back, Back/ Can't Come Home, are downright hot. The songs that work the best do not attempt to force the guitar down the listener's throat just for the sake of guitar, opting instead for the inclusion of tasty harp solos or horns and back-up singers. And so on. When producer Ron Levy lets the guitar become more important than the song, the results are competent blues without the flair necessary to make them stand out. Fortunately, Johnson and Levy hit much more often than they miss. (JC) |
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| J.B. LENOIR, SUNNYLAND SLIM & FRIENDS | Fuel 61300 | Live In 1963 | ● CD |
| 18 tracks, 63 mins, recommended A remarkable find - previously unreleased recordings made by Norman Dayron at Nina's Lounge in Chicago in 1963 featuring some outstanding Chicago bluesman. J.B. Lenoir and Sunnyland are predominantly featured - on their own and accompanying each other. There is also a guest spot featuring three songs by the infrequently recorded John Lee Granderson with Mike Bloomfield on second guitar. Both J.B. and Sunnyland are in good form though J.B.'s guitar is enough out of tune to detract from the enjoyment of his performances though his singing is superb. Sunnyland performs some of his old favorites like It's You Baby/ Brown Skin Woman/ For You My Love and others and J.B. does I Want To Know/ My Dear Old Mother/ Mojo Boogie and others including and instrumental with J.B. playing guitar and a harmonica in a harp-rack. On Lend Me Your Love Sunnyland is joined by St. Louis Jimmy Oden who provides some very nice harmonica accompaniment. There are also some interesting introductions from the artists that lend to the atmosphere. Sound quality is very good considering the circumstances of the recording and booklet has informative notes by the ever reliable Bill Dahl. (FS) |
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| JOE LIGGINS | Purple Pyramid 965 | The Essential Recordings | ● CD |
| Another of the great West Coast R&B pioneers recorded for
Johnny Otis's Blues Spectrum label in the early 70s - this time singer/
songwriter/ pianist Joe Liggins. It's mostly remakes of some his mid/ late
40s classics like The Honeydripper/ Pink Champagne/ I've Got A Right To
Cry/ Tanya and others. Arrangements are pretty close to the originals
but with a smaller group and some tracks feature some tasty guitar work from
Shuggie Otis. |
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| LIGHTNIN' SLIM/ WHISPERING SMI | Ace CDCHD 578 | High & Low Down/ Over Easy | ● CD |
| Back in stock at a lower price - two original Excello albums
on one CD. LIGHTNIN' SLIM: Bad Luck Blues/ Can't Hold Out Much Longer/ G I Blues/ Good Morning Heartaches/ Hoodoo Blues/ My Babe/ Oh Baby/ Rooster Blues/ That's All Right/ Things I Used To Do/ WHISPERING SMITH: Everybody Needs Love/ I Don't Want No Woman/ I Know I've Got A Sure Thing/ I Know You Don't Love Me/ It's All Over/ Married Man/ Mojo Hand/ Rock Me Baby/ The Way You Treat Me/ What In The World's Come Over You/ Why Am I Treated So Bad?/ You Want To Do It Again |
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| LITTLE SONNY | Black Top 1113 | New Orleans R & B Gems | ● CD |
| 11 tracks, 35 mins, recommended Now out of print. Previously available on Black Magic as an import. Johnny "Little Sonny" Jones is a fine New Orleans singer who had a handful of singles on Specialty and Imperial in the 50s but never made much of an impact. These sides were cut in 1975 with a group that included top New Orleans musicians like Dave "Fat Man" Williams/ piano, Dave Lastie & Clarence Ford/ saxes, Justin Adams/ guitar and others and the result is very pleasing. Jones is a solid singer and his material includes originals, songs written by Williams and some Southern blues favorites like I'm Loaded and Further Up The Road. Williams also takes a couple of appealing vocals. (FS) |
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