| ROBERT CAGE |
Fat Possum 80316 |
Cant See What You're Doing |
● CD $13. 98 |
|
|
| CHRIS CAIN |
Blind Pig 5000 |
Can't Buy A Break |
● CD $16. 98 |
Combination of sophisticated blues, jazz and
funk
|
| CHRIS CAIN |
Blind Pig 74090 |
Cuttin' Loose |
● CD $16. 98 |
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|
| BIG AL CALHOUN |
Arcola 1003 |
Harmonica Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
Previously unissued recordings by good singer and harmonica
player Alvin "Big Al" Calhoun recorded in 1979 in St. Louis with
Henry Townsend on electric guitar. Calhoun is a powerful singer and a good
harmonica player strongly influenced by John Lee "Sonny Boy"
Williamson and a number of the songs are drawn from Sonny Boy's
repertoire. A number of the songs feature Townsend on vocal and he is
joined by his wife Vernell on three songs.
|
| BLIND JAMES
CAMPBELL |
Arhoolie 438 |
And His Nashville Street Band |
● CD $12. 98 |
23 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
Delightful
and unique collection featuring recordings of a Nashville street band made
in 1962 and 1963. Originally issued on LP in 1963 the CD reissue adds 8
previously unissued cuts. Being a street band playing for the passing by
public they were familiar with a wide variety of material including blues,
hillbilly, jazz and more. The group is led by singer/ guitarist Campbell who
is joined by Beauford Clay on fiddle and Bell Ray on second fiddle or guitar
plus, on some cuts George Bell on trumpet and Ralph Robinson on tuba! The
group is very loose and ragged but entertaining on songs like Have I
Stayed Away Too Long/ Will The Circle Be Unbroken/ Baby Please Don't Go/
This Little Light Of Mine/ Gambling Man/ I Never Had Nothing/ Beauford's
Boogie Woogie/ Pick & Shovel Blues and more. For some inexplicable
reason the worst tracks with some really out of tune fiddle are put at the
beginning of the CD which may discourage you from investigating further
which is a shame as once you get past those the music is a lot of fun. (FS)
BLIND JAMES CAMPBELL: Baby Please Don't Go/ Beauford's Boogie Woogie/
Beauford's Breakdown/ Buffalo Gal/ Detroit Blues/ Detroit Jump/ Do You
Remember/ Gambling Man/ Have I Stayed Away Too Long/ I Am So Blue When It
Rains/ I Never Had Nothing/ I'm Crazy About You Baby/ Jam Piece (George's
Boogie)/ Jimmy's Blues/ John Henry/ Monkey Man Blues/ My Gal Got Evil/ Pick
And Shovel Blues/ Sittin' Here Drinking/ The Moon May Rise In Blood/ This
Little Light Of Mine/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ Will The Circle Be
Unbroken
|
| EDDIE C.
CAMPBELL |
Blind Pig 5014 |
That's When I Know |
● CD $16. 98 |
| EDDIE C. CAMPBELL: Busted/ Devil's Walk/
Early In The Morning/ Hey, The Blues Is All Right/ I Been Thinking/ Running
Wild/ Sister Taught Me Guitar/ Sleep/ Son of Sons/ That's When I Know/ You
Make Me Feel All Right
|
| EDDIE C.
CAMPBELL |
Icehouse 9423 |
Gonna Be Alright |
● CD $15. 98 |
Enjoyable collection of Chicago blues from
Chi-Town veteran Campbell. Mostly original songs plus a few covers. Although
there is no information on the cover this is actually a reissue of Eddie's
1987 Double Trouble album "Mind Trouble" which was recorded in Holland with
a mix of Dutch and American musicians. The band does a good job though
harmonica player Johnny Mars is a bit over the top for my liking.
|
| GENE CAMPBELL |
Document DOCD 5151 |
Complete Recorded Works In
Chronological Order |
● CD $15. 98 |
22 tracks, 62 mins, good. Gene Campbell was a
very obscure bluesman who recorded the 22 tracks here between 1929 and '31.
Based on his songs and style he is thought to be from Texas. He is a decent
singer with drawn out phrasing that brings to mind Texas Alexander. His
guitar playing is mixture of styles featuring elements from guitarists as
diverse as Lonnie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson though often his ideas
outrun his abilities! His material is mostly based around traditional themes
though there are a few more interesting personal observations in Lazy
Woman Blues and Levee Camp Moan Blues. On the two part Freight
Train Yodeling Blues he emulates Jimmie Rodgers! The best stuff here is
very good indeed but quite a bit of the material is unexceptional and this
CD is best listened to in small doses. (FS)
|
|
REV. E.D. CAMPBELL & OTHERS |
Document DOCD 5389 |
Complete Recorded Works In
Chronological Order, 1927 |
● CD $15. 98 |
20 tracks, 68 min., recommended. On
Campbell's 16 tracks he relies more on his singing voice than on his
knowledge of the Bible -- which apparently is somewhat limited -- misciting
or failing to cite scripture for most of his sermons. Assisted vocally by
Sisters Watkins and Dunlop and Brother Griffin, Campbell's approach is
untutored and a bit chaotic but not without its power, as he shouts and
strains his way to fervor and excitation. The performance is the message.
The Rev. Isaiah Shelton and the Rev. C. F. Thornton each offer a pair of
cuts to end the disc, both offering sermons with congregational singing,
neither of special interest. (JC)
|
| THE
CAMPBELL BROTHERS |
Arhoolie 461 |
Pass Me Not |
● CD $12. 98 |
More gospel steel guitar music from Florida
featuring the solo and dual steel guitar work of brothers Charles (pedal
steel) and Derick Campbell (8 string lap steel) with vocals by Katie
Jackson.
THE CAMPBELL BROTHERS: End Of My Journey (Praise Song)/ I Feel Good/ I've
Got A Feeling/ It Won't Be Very Long/ Jump For Joy/ Mary Don't You Weep/
Medley Of Offertory Tunes/ Morning Train/ None But The Righteous/ Pass Me
Not, Oh Gentle Saviour/ There Is No Failure In God/ Walk With Me/ What A
Friend We Have In Jesus/ What's His Name? . . . Jesus!
|
| GUS CANNON |
Document DOCD 5032 |
Complete Recorded Works Vol.
1, 1927 - 1928 |
● CD $15. 98 |
Now deleted - limited stock on hand. The
first of two discs to present the complete recordings of Gus Cannon, his Jug
Stompers and various affiliated musicians. The first 5 tracks from 1927
feature Cannon on vocal and banjo accompanied by Blind Blake on guitar.
These songs, recorded under the name of Banjo Joe are delightful
performances in the minstrel and ragtime tradition and also includes his
remarkable version of the early blues Poor Boy with Gus playing
bottleneck banjo - a truly incredible performance! The other 15 tracks are
by Cannon's Jug Stompers with Gus playing jug with the utterly superb Noah
Lewis on harmonica and Ashley Thompson or Elijah Avery on guitar and, on
some tracks, Hosea Woods on kazoo. Thompson and Avery also take the vocal
honors on several tracks. Cannon's Jug Stompers were probably the bluesiest
of all the jug bands and their performances are consistently outstanding.
Sound is decent and there are informative notes by Chris Smith. Sensational
music! (FS)
|
| GUS CANNON |
Stax 8603 |
Walk Right In |
● CD $11. 98 |
Reissue of rare as hens teeth Stax album
recorded in 1963 recorded in the wake of the success of the Rooftop Singers'
bit hit with Gus's song Walk Right In.
|
|
THE CARAVANS WITH ALBERTINA WALKER |
Collectables 6101 |
The Very Best Of |
● CD $11. 98 |
| THE CARAVANS: Down at the Cross/ I must Tell/
It's Time We Stopped and Prayed/ Jesus and Me/ Make Our Country Strong/ Oh
Please Lord Remember Me/ Old Rugged Cross/ One of These Mornings/ That Rock
Is Jesus/ the Very Best I Can Do
|
| CAROLINA SLIM |
Blues Documents BDCD 6043 |
Complete Recorded Works,
1950-52 |
● CD $15. 98 |
27 tracks, 74 mins, good.
Carolina Slim is quite an enigma - between June 1950 and June 1952 he
recorded 27 songs. Though his real name was Ed Harris none of his recordings
were issued under his real name - although he only recorded for two labels
his recordings were issued under the names of Jammin' Jim, Country Paul,
Lazy Slim Jim and, of course, Carolina Slim! It's interesting, but probably
fruitless, to speculate on why his recordings were issued under so many
different names. In spite of his East Coast origins Slim's biggest influence
is Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins and many of the songs here seem to be
reworkings of Hopkins songs. Unfortunately Slim was neither the singer or
guitarist that Lightnin' was. Occasionally he slips out of the Hopkins mould
and shows the influence of Blind Boy Fuller on numbers like Worry You Off
My Mind or Shake Boogie. It used to be a great thrill collecting
and listening to Slim's obscure 78s one at a time but over the 74 minutes of
this disc his limitations are too evident. (FS)
|
| LEROY CARR |
Document DOCD 5136 |
Complete Chronological
Recordings Vol. 3 - 1930-32 |
● CD $15. 98 |
22 tracks, 67 min., highly recommended Piano
blues expert Francis Wilford-Smith has rightly observed that as Leroy Carr
continued to record, his blues "grew sharper and more profound, his playing
more varied". It's very revealing to hear recordings like "Jail House Cell
Blues", and recognize his influence on, say, Peetie Wheatstraw. His 1931"Low
Down Dog Blues" was covered during Champion Jack Dupree's 1940 recording
session, followed by Big Joe Turner's 1945 Savoy version. This CD also
contains his last two (of 6) versions of his "How Long - How Long Blues"
classic. So different are the themes that they should not be dismissed as
mere re-recordings : "New How Long How Long Blues" can be seen as metaphor
for the Depression, and "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone"
expresses his (sexual?) inadequacies as he gives up on his woman. Also
included are two more rare examples of his ballads, "Let's Make Up And Be
Friends Again" and "Let's Disagree" - both without guitar accompaniment.
(EL)
|
| LEROY CARR |
Document DOCD 5137 |
Complete Chronological
Recordings Vol. 4 - 1932-34 |
● CD $15. 98 |
23 tracks, 73 min., highly recommended In
writing about Leroy Carr's music, it's impossible not to be impressed by his
guitarist Francis "Scrapper" Blackwell (1903-1962). Meeting up with Carr in
the mid-1920s, his "string-snapping" solos would become an integral part of
their 'duo' sound. For this volume, his solos on "Shady Lane Blues" (covered
by Champion Jack Dupree), "Midnight Hour Blues", and the blues standard,
"Blues Before Sunrise" are still being copied to this day (most recently by
Eric Clapton!). They have a lucidity and depth that you also find in the
work of that other Urban bluesman, Lonnie Johnson. Other highlights include
"Hurry Down Sunshine", a clever version of the 1927 Memphis Jug Band tune
"Sunshine Blues" (which was also covered by Champion Jack Dupree) ; and his
very Fats Waller-ish sounding "Hold Them Puppies", done to the melody of "Corinna
Corinna". Note that the issued version of "Stormy Night Blues" has yet to be
reissued. (EL)
|
| LEROY CARR |
Document DOCD 5138 |
Complete Chronological
Recordings Vol. 5 - 1934 |
● CD $15. 98 |
22 tracks, 65 min, highly recommended Six of
the titles on this volume will be familiar to those of us who have the
classic 1962 Columbia album - the album that introduced most of us to
his/their music. Recordings like "Big Four Blues" (about the
Cleveland-Cincinnati-Chicago- St. Louis Railroad), "Bo Bo Stomp" (with that
wonderful Speckled Red-ish 'yas-yas' refrain!), and "I Believe I'll Make A
Change", a song 1st recorded by Josh White, and later covered by the Harlem
Hamfats. Also during this period, his producer J. Mayo "Ink" Williams was
varying his repertoire by introducing influences like Big Bill Broonzy
("Don't Start That Stuff"), covering Joe Pullum's "Black Gal (What Makes
Your Head So Hard?)", and asking guitarist Josh White to sit in with
Scrapper Blackwell. Four & a half months after the last recording in this
volume (Dec 14/34), Leroy Carr was dead at age 30. Volume 6 (Document 5139)
in this series contains the rest of his Vocalion sides, plus his 8 exquisite
Bluebird recordings. (EL)
|
| LEROY CARR |
Document DOCD 5139 |
Complete Chronological
Recordings Vol. 6 - 1934-35 |
● CD $15. 98 |
21 tracks, 64 min., recommended. These are
confusing - and expensive - times for fans of prewar blues. Everything seems
to be coming out in half a dozen different forms. Leroy Carr's life was a
mess - alcohol killed him when he was only 30 - and for a long time so was
his catalog. Devotees of the great pianist have many options: Magpie, Yazoo,
and now Document have put out many overlapping packages. This Document set
of six individual CDs seeks to become the definitive collection: it includes
all of Yazoo 1036, Matchbox 210, the two Magpie sets and probably several
other LPs. This is unfair for those who have shelled out for previous sets,
but that's typical nowadays. Anyway, the sound here is more than acceptable,
almost comparable to the clear Magpies, and these six discs offer 136
reasons why the team of Carr and wry guitarist Scrapper Blackwell was as
witty and rigorous as any pre-war pairing. Needless to say, not every
track here is great: the problem with multi-volume completist sets full of
alternate takes and versions of every song a performer recorded is that
nobody bats 1000. Still, at least half the tracks on each set are worth
hearing, and the cumulative effect of hearing these recordings is to be
impressed by how many times Carr and Blackwell would press new wrinkles into
their mix. They were hardly ever complacent. Volume 1 is probably the best
place to start, for qualitative as well as chronological reasons, but each
of these packages offers some magnificent performances. (JG)
|
|
LEROY CARR/ BLACK BOY SHINE |
Document DOCD 5465 |
Unissued Test Pressings And
Alternate Takes |
● CD $15. 98 |
23 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended What a
pleasant surprise - some really interesting unissued songs and alternate
takes including 3 never before heard songs by the great Leroy Carr from
August & December, 1934 when he was at his peak. Most of his cuts feature
the twin guitars of Scrapper Blackwell and Josh White. There are two takes
of Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child which bears only a
passing resemblance to famous spiritual and one take each of The Stuff Is
Here (a duet with Bobby Phillips) and the beautiful Bozetta Blues.
There are also three fine alternate takes of songs previously issued on
previous Document CDs. The rest of the CD is devoted to Black Shine
featuring two takes each of seven songs and one take each of two others -
none of these have ever been issued before in any form. Although not as well
known as Carr Black Boy Shine (Harold Holiday) was an excellent and
imaginative performer and a most worthwhile companion. He was a piano player
in the "Santa Fe" style with a harmonically varied left hand and a "stride"
feel to his approach. He was also a fine singer with a solemn style rather
like that of Walter Roland. Like many Texas bluesmen his songs are above
average with references to his lifestyle and enviroment. These significant
recordings came from the archives of Art Satherly - the recording engineer
on these sessions. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative
notes by David Evans. (FS)
|
| SISTER WYNONA
CARR |
Specialty 7016 |
Dragnet For Jesus |
● CD $15. 98 |
If you're thinking that no album called
Dragnet For Jesus could be all bad, you're right. This, the first
collection of Sister Wynona Carr's gospel recordings cut on Art Rupe's
Specialty label between 1949-54, is an absolute delight. Included, of
course, are underappreciated classics like The Ball Game/ In A Little
While and Ms. Carr's first effort, the swinging Each Day. But
what makes this set essential is the unreleased material (17 of 26 cuts),
including the title track with Carr as Joe Friday, Operator, Operator/ 15
Rounds For Jesus/ I Heard The News, a religious rewrite of Good
Rockin' Tonight, and three radically different versions of Our Father
- one featuring Brother Joe May, one Rev. C.L. Franklin. Excellent notes by
Opal Nations and Lee Hildebrand. Highly recommended.
[JC]
|
|
CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND |
Blind Pig 5007 |
Dance All Night |
● CD $15. 98 |
High-energy Zydeco party music
CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND: Cuyan/ Got to Make Her Mine/ I'm
Coming Home/ Love You Right/ Old Time Zydeco/ Rock Me Baby/ Stay a Little
Longer/ The Zydeco King/ They Want to Party Now/ Tule Ton Son Ton/ Turn On
Your Love Light/ Zydeco Extravaganza/ Zydeco's The Way To Go
|
|
CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND |
Flying Fish 70575 |
Boogie Woogie Zydeco |
● CD $15. 98 |
Chubby makes solid zydeco music with a
tendency towards sameness and tameness. Bernadette/ Josephine/ Creole Two
Step and the title track are all quite good, but when the album is over
it's difficult to remember them individually. Usually the songs feel like
they've lasted 40 seconds too long. For bright spots there's a cover of
Rockin' Sidney's Good For The Goose and Boozoo Chavis' Dog Hill.
The rest, except for the traditional Madelaine were written by
Chubby, and his Be Fair to The People is a nice ballad, but doesn't
seem to have much to do with zydeco. Still, I suspect that on the dance
floor at a party none of these minor criticisms make any difference.
[JC]
|
| BO CARTER |
Document DOCD 5079 |
Complete Recorded Works In
Chronological Order - Vol. 2 |
● CD $15. 98 |
22 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended The
second of five volumes presenting the complete recordings of that prolific
and provocative perpetrator of prurient pap - Armenter Chatmon aka Bo
Carter. Singer, guitarist and violin player Carter was a member of the very
musical Chatmon family and recorded with some of them as a member of the
black string band The Mississippi Sheiks as well as having an extensive solo
career. This second volume features 22 songs recorded between June 1931 and
March 1934. Often thought of as only a singer of risque songs Carter was an
outstanding Mississippi singer and a terrific guitar player. There are some
great performances here like So Long, Baby, So Long (a variation on
Leroy Carr's How Long Blues Howling
Tom Cat Blues (derived from J.T. Smith's Howling Wolf Blues),
Blue Runner Blues/ What Kind Of Scent Is That (with some truly
lyrical guitar playing)/ I Want You To Know/ Bo Carter Special and
others including the imaginative Banana In Your Fruit Basket and the
bizarre Beans - possibly the only song about the effect of
over-indulgence in beans! Most of the titles are just Bo & his guitar -
bother Lonnie joins in on fiddle of four cuts for a Mississippi Sheiks feel.
Generally excellent sound and good notes by Ken Romanwoski. (FS)
|
| BO CARTER |
Yazoo 1064 |
Banana in Your Fruit Basket:
Red Hot Blues 1931-1936 |
● CD $15. 98 |
Bo Carter was a fine guitarist and singer
from Mississippi who played occasionally with the Ms. Shieks and frequently
on his own. There are three Yazoo collections of his work, all of them
worthwhile (#1014 - Greatest Hits 1930-1940 and #1034 - Twist It
Babe may be unavailable until they emerge as CD's), but this straight
reissue of the Banana LP is the most unbridled. The album is all
double-entendres: you can tell half the story by reading some of the titles
- Pig Meat Is What I Crave/ What Kind Of Scent Is This/ Mashing that
Thing/ Don't Mash My Digger So Deep/ Pin In Your Cushion/ My Pencil Won't
Write No More. Yet Banana In Your Fruit Basket is not a novelty
record, just the honest ramblings of a wild, apparently one-track mind. Good
sound; recommended.
[JG]
|
| THE CARTER
BROTHERS |
P-Vine PCD 5292 |
Coming Back Singing The Blues |
● CD $23. 98 |
13 tracks, 54 mins, recommended
Roman, Albert
& Jerry Carter recorded some terrific tough blues for Jewel in the mid/late
60s but then disappeared off the scene in the 70s. They reunited a few years
ago and recorded this excellent album which was only issued in Japan. Most
of the songs are originals by members of the group (Things Gotta Change/
Coming Back Singing The Blues/ Wrong Number, etc) and are good ones.
There are a couple of remakes of their Jewel sides (Southern Country Boy/
Why Baby, Why, etc.) and a couple of covers (Can't Get Next To You/
Further On Up The Road). Lead vocalist Roman is a powerful singer
though, dynamically, a bit one dimensional. Albert plays some nice guitar
though it is often buried in the mix. The are accompanied by a good sized
group with horns, keyboard, etc who provide tasteful accompaniments. Not an
earthshaker but definitely worth while. (FS)
THE CARTER BROTHERS: Anything For You/ Can't Get Next To You/ Coming Back
Singing The Blues/ Don't Pity Me/ Further On Up The Road/ It's Gonna Hurt/
Let Me Love You/ Queen Bee/ Southern Country Boy/ Things Gotta Change/ Why
Baby Why/ Wonderful Girl/ Wrong Number
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