BLUES
& GOSPEL
Reverend Charlie
Jackson -> The Jackson Southernaires
REVEREND CHARLIE
JACKSON |
Casequarter 101 |
God's Got It |
● CD $13.98 |
18 tracks, 59 mins, essential
These recordings, featuring the incredible gospel singer/ guitarist Reverend
Charlie Jackson from Baton Rouge, Louisiana are among the most exciting and
intense gospel recordings you are ever likely to hear. In the early/ mid 70s
he recorded three singles and one EP for Rev. Robert Booker's Booker label
based in New Orleans and in the late 70s he recorded two singles for his own
Jackson label. This CD features all but two of these sides along with tracks
accompanying the gospel quartet Caravan No. 2 Of Zachary, Brother Ike Gordon
and Laura Davis. Jackson is a powerful rich vocalist who often sings with
such ferocity that he overloads the microphone in the studio, he accompanies
his singing with a basic but incredibly energetic and effective electric
guitar technique that seems to draw on the techniques of Roebuck Staples and
John Lee Hooker! Most of his songs are original and personal. The rhythmic
intensity he generates on songs like Fix It Jesus, God's Got It
and Morning Train is awe inspiring. This disc also features his
masterpiece Wrapped Up And Tangled Up In Jesus and a powerful mini
sermon about Jackson's recovery from a stroke. The wonderful two part
sermonette The Goodness Of God is from a Booker single though to be
lost and only discovered this year. Caravan Number 2 are an excellent male/
female group who sound a bit like the Staple Singers, Brother Ike Gordon is
a fine vocalist with a style not unlike that of Jackson himself and benefits
from Jackson's sterling guitar work as does that of the fine Laura Davis who
recorded for Jackson's own label. Sound quality is as good as could be
achieved bearing in mind that the original recording conditions for the
Booker sides were very primitive and the CD comes with 16 page booklet with
extensive notes on Jackson by compiler Kevin Nutt plus some great photos,
discographical info and a profile of the Booker label by Lynn Abbot. This is
one of the great reissues of the past few years. (FS)
|
BIG GEORGE
JACKSON BLUES BAND |
Black & Tan 009 |
Big Shot |
● CD $15.98 |
11 tracks, 50 min, recommended Tough South Side Chicago
Blues from North Minneapolis! This is the 3rd CD from this band led by the
harp playing "singer his style is more of a declamatory talking style,
somewhere between John Lee & Muddy. There's a couple Big Walter covers,
Jimmy Reed's seldom covered I Found A True Love, with the rest by the
Big Man himself, with titles like The Daddy (a fine Little Walter-esque
harp workout)/ Dirty Haints/ St. Paul Woman & the title track. (GM)
|
BIG GEORGE JACKSON |
Black & Tan 003 |
Beggin' Ain't For Me |
● CD $13.98 |
Second Black & Tan album by Minneapolis singer & harmonica
player.
|
BULL MOOSE JACKSON |
King Blues KSCD 1409 |
Greatest Hits |
● CD $7.98 |
8 cuts - I Love You, Yes I Do/ Little Girl, Don't Cry/
All My Love Belongs To You/ I've Had A Hard Way To Go/ I Want A Bowlegged
Woman/ Don't Ask Me Why/ I Wanna Hug Ya, Kiss Ya, Squeeze Ya/ Big Fat Mamas
Are Back In Style Again.
|
BULL MOOSE JACKSON |
King 4114 |
28 Big Ones |
● CD $10.98 |
28 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
Great collection of
mostly rockin' R&B with the occasional ballad featuring blues shouter and
tenor sax wailer Benjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson recorded for KIng &
Queen Records. The recordings range from his cover of Joe Liggins
Honeydripper at his first Queen session in 1945 to the scorching mid
tempo I Wanna Hug Ya Squeeze Ya from his last King session in 1955.
All his most popular songs are here like his answer to Lucky Millinder with
I Knew Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well, his number 1 ballads I
Love You, Yes I Do and I Can't Go On Without You, his great R&B
cover of the country hit Why Don't You Haul Off And Love and, of
course, his raunchy favorites Big Ten Inch Record and Nosey Joe.
Most of his sessions were held in New York with top sidemen like Sam Taylor,
Sir Charles Thpompson, Panama Francis, Bill Doggett, Count Hastings, Red
Prysock and others. Sound quality varies somewhat from track to track but is
generally very good. A few of the tracks seem to have rather abrupt fade
outs but maybe that's how the original singles were. There are very brief
notes on the back cover. (FS)
|
JIM JACKSON |
Document DOCD 5115 |
Complete Recorded Works In Chronological
Order, Vol 2 |
● CD $15.98 |
This MS. bluesman does a nice version of I'm Gonna Move
To Louisiana, but after 3 versions in a row, listeners may wish he'd
just hurry up and get there. And so it goes. Like vol. 1, this suffers from
too many songs with two or more similar takes or parts. Still, with 24
selections, there's plenty of good stuff, including Long Gone/ I Ain't
Gonna Turn Her Down/ Bye, Bye Policeman/ What A Time/ Ain't You Sorry Mama
and Jim Jackson's Jamboree with Tampa Red, Tom Dorsey and Speckled
Red. The two sides with Liza Brown and Ann Johnson are also great fun. And
if you have both volumes, you have it all. Informative notes from Chris
Smith. (JC)
LIZA BROWN & ANN JOHNSON: Get On Out Of Here/ Let's Get It Straight/ JIM
JACKSON: Ain't You Sorry Mama? - Pt. 1/ Ain't You Sorry Mama? - Pt. 2/ Bye,
Bye, Policeman/ Foot Achin' Blues/ Going 'Round The Mountain/ Hesitation
Blues (Oh! Baby Must I Hesitate?)/ Hey Mama - It's Nice Like That - Pt. I/
Hey Mama - It's Nice Like That - Pt. II/ I Ain't Gonna Turn Her Down/ I'm
Gonna Move To Louisiana - Pt. 1 (take 1)/ I'm Gonna Move To Louisiana - Pt.
1 (take 2)/ I'm Gonna Move To Louisiana - Pt. 2/ Jim Jackson's Jamboree -
Part I/ Jim Jackson's Jamboree - Part II/ Long Gone/ Love Sick Blues/ Santa
Fe Blues/ St. Louis Blues/ Traveling Man/ What A Time (take 1)/ What A Time
(take 2)
|
JOHN JACKSON |
Arhoolie 471 |
Country Blues & Ditties |
● CD $12.98 |
25 tracks, 71 mins, highly recommended
It's a testimony to
John's talents that this set of mostly unissued material is outtakes from
the sessions that produced his first Arhoolie albums! The Virginia singer &
guitarist is superb throughout with his distinctive and most engaging vocals
and immaculately finger picked guitar on a selection of blues favorites (Matchbox
Blues/ Brown Skin Mama/ Steamboat Whistle Screamin' & Crying, etc), old
time country and folk songs (Roll On Buddy/ T.B. Blues/ Lay Down My Old
Guitar, etc), gospel songs (Kneel At The Cross/ Just A Closer Walk
With Thee, etc) and more. A couple of tracks show John's prowess as a
banjo player - Cindy/ Going Up North. John's easy going style is not
blues at it's darkest or most intense but is immensely appealing. Great
stuff! (FS)
JOHN JACKSON: Brown Skin Mama/ Cindy (Banjo)/ Deep In The Bottom Blues/
Diddy Wa Diddy/ Going Up North (Banjo)/ Guitar Rag (Guitar Instrumental)/
He's In The Jailhouse Now/ I'll Step Aside/ I'm A Bad, Bad Man/ John's
Guitar Boogie (Guitar Instrumental)/ Just A Closer Walk With Thee/ Keep Your
Lamp Trimmed And Burning/ Kneel At The Cross/ Lay Down My Old Guitar/
Matchbox Blues/ Railroad Bill/ Red Sea Blues/ Roll On Buddy/ Screaming And
Crying/ Steamboat Whistle/ T.B. Blues/ That'll Never Happen No More/ Too
Tight/ Waiting For A Train/ Why I Quit Playing Guitar (Story)
|
LIL' SON JACKSON |
Arhoolie 409 |
Blues Come To Texas |
● CD $12.98 |
20 tracks, 46 mins, recommended
Texas singer/guitarist
Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson was a distinctive performer with a lovely melodic
vocal style and a free flowing, rhythmic yet lyrical guitar style. He first
recorded for Houston label Gold Star in 1948, moving to Imperial in 1950 for
whom he recorded extensively for four years even enjoying a minor hit with
his version of the standard Rock Me which he called Rockin' &
Rollin'. Whe he was rediscovered by Arhoolie's Chris Strachwitz in 1960
he had not played for a number of years but his musical skills were intact
as this excellent release eloquently shows. The tracks here includes
versions of songs he had recorded for Gold Star or Imperial along with
traditional songs Blues Come To Texas/ Turn Your Lamp Down Low/ I walked
From Dallas and a few more personal items (Charley Cherry/ Johnie Mae).
Most of these tracks were previously on LPs 1004 and 1006 and there are
three previously unissued tracks including a not terribly succesful remake
of Rockin' & Rollin' where he plays electric guitar and is
accompanied by an out of sync bass player. Apart from that track this is
excellent all round. (FS)
LIL' SON JACKSON: Blues Come To Texas/ Buck Dance (*)/ Cairo Blues/ Charley
Cherry (Take 1)/ Charley Cherry (Take 2)/ Gambler Blues/ Groundhog Blues/ I
Walked From Dallas (*)/ Johnnie Mae/ Louise Blues/ Red River Blues/ Roberta
Blues/ Rock Me (*)/ Rollin' Mill Went Down/ Santa Fe Blues/ Sugar Mama/ The
Girl I Love/ Ticket Agent/ Turn Your Lamp Down Low/ West Dallas Blues
|
LIL SON JACKSON |
Document DOCD 5681 |
Volume 2: 1950-1952 Restless Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
Second of three volumes devoted to the commercial
recordings of this superb Texas country blues singer/ guitarist. Many of
these tracks feature Son accompanied by other musicians ranging from just
string bass to full groups with bass, piano, drums and sax which
occasionally get in the way but his beautiful soulful vocals are well to
the fore and the songs all have a down home sensibility. Like the first
volume there is a little more high end filtering than I would like but
it's not too offensive and there are no digital artifacts.
|
LITTLE WILLIE JACKSON |
Ace CDCHD 749 |
Jazz Me Blues |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 65 min., highly recommended
Recorded in late
1947, what we have here is Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers (possibly with Liggins
on piano) moonlighting under the leadership of Texas-born
alto-tenor-soprano-baritone saxophonist and singer William E. (Little
Willie) Jackson (1912-1998). All 6 of his Modern Recordings are included,
along with 12 unissued titles and alternate takes. Other 'Drippers that solo
include Los Angeles native, tenor saxophonist James Jackson Jr. (1924-1993)
(he's pictured with Willie on the CD cover); former Les Hite guitarist and
Louisiana-born Frank W. Pasley (1904-1968); and drummer and Los Angeles
native, Preston T. "Peppy" Prince (1909-1985). If you're a fan of the
postwar California swing blues style as recorded by Louis Jordan, Joe
Liggins, Jack McVea, you'll know what to expect and will consider this set
essential. The interplay between the two Jacksons alone is a marvel to hear,
especially on the instrumentals like the 'Tanya' influenced Shasta,
the Nat King Cole composition FST, and the originals, Jackson's
Boogie, Let's Jump, Little Willie's Boogie, My Baby's
Blues, and Watts Local. As for the vocals, he is often supplemented
by saxophonist James Jackson, and particularly strong on standards like
Black And Blue, St. Louis Blues, and I Ain't Got Nobody. (EL)
LITTLE WILLIE JACKSON: 58th St Jump/ Baby/ Black And Blue/ Don't Get Around
Much Anymore/ Fst/ Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night/ I Ain't Got Nobody/
Jackson's Boogie/ Jackson's Boogie/ Let's Jump/ Little Willie's Boogie/
Muddy Water/ Muddy Water/ My Baby's Blues/ On The Sunny Side Of The Street/
Shasta/ Someday, Somehow, Somewhere/ St Louis Blues/ St Louis Blues (alt)/
The Peanut Vendor/ The Peanut Vendor/ There'll Be Some Changes Made/ Watts
Local/ You Can Depend On Me
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Collectables 7633 |
Come On Children Let's Sing/ Great Songs
Of Love & Fait |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks, 73 mins, recommended
Two classic Gospel albums
put together on one affordable CD. Originally released on Columbia
records, "Come On Children Let's Sing" came out in 1960 and "Great Songs
of Love and Faith" came out four albums later in 1964. Clearly, this was a
highly popular and prolific period for this queen of gospel. While "Come
On" focused on the usual Gospel themes of love of God, "Great Songs" is a
little more secular with songs of love of other things such as nature and
country. Even with its secular theme, one of the latter's standout tracks
would have to be Artie Glenn's Crying in the Chapel. Many other
highlights throughout include Brown Boy/ Keep-A-Movin'/ One Step
(Toward The Lord,)/ Because/ Trees, etc. (JM)
MAHALIA JACKSON: A Christian Duty/ A Perfect Day/
Because/ Because His Name Is Jesus/ Brown Baby/ Come On Children, Let's
Sing/ Crying In The Chapel/ Danny Boy/ I've Done My Work/ If We Never
Neede The Lord Before (We Sure Do Need Him Now)/ Keep A-Movin'/ My Friend/
My Task/ One Step (Toward The Lord)/ The Christian's Testimony/ The Green
Leaves Of Summer/ The House I Live In (That's America To Me)/ The Rosary/
Trees/ Whither Thou Goest/ You Must Be Born Again
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Collectables 8832 |
For Collectors Only |
● CD $21.98 |
Two CD set featuring 37 of Mahalia's classic Apollo
recordings.
MAHALIA JACKSON: Amazing Grace/ Beautiful Tomorrow/ Closer To Me/ Come To
Jesus/ Didn't It Rain/ Get Away Jordan/ God Spoke To Me/ Got Tell It On The
Mountain/ Hands Of God/ He's My Light/ He's The One/ His Eye Is On The
Sparrow/ How I Got Over/ I Bowed On My Knees And Cried Holy/ I Gave Up
Everything To Follow Him/ I Put My Trust In Jesus/ I Will Move On Up A
Little Higher/ I Wonder If I Will Ever Rest/ I'm Glad Salvation Is Free/ I'm
On My Way To Canaan/ In The Upper Room/ It Is No Secret/ It Pays To Serve
The Lord/ It's Real/ Jesus Is With Me/ Just As I Am/ Nobody Knows/ Poor
Pilgrim Of Sorrow/ Prayer Changes Things/ Run All The Way/ Said He Would/
Silent Night, Holy Night/ The Lord's Prayer/ These Are They/ Up In
Jerusalem/ Walk With Me/ What Then
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MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia CK 9727 |
Christmas With Mahalia |
● CD $9.98 |
Includes Mahalia's mighty versions of Silver Bells/ Do
You Hear What I Hear/ It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/ White Christmas/ O Holy
Night/ The First Noel, and more.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 30744 |
Sings America's Favorite Hymns |
● CD $9.98 |
2 LP set on one CD. 19 track cross section of her recordings
for Columbia in the 50s and 60s - Search Me Lord/ The Old Rugged Cross/
Just A Closer Walk With Thee/ Take My Hand Precious Lord/ Were You There
When They Crucified My Lord/ Didn't It Rain/ Walk Over Gods Heaven/ Rock Of
Ages/ There Is A Balm In Gilead/ Elijah Rock, etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 48924 |
Gospel, Spirituals & Hymns - Vol. 2 |
$24.98 ● CD $15.98 |
2 CD's, 36 tracks, recommended. The second Mahalia
compilation has live recordings of Were You There/ There Is A Balm In
Gilead/ How I Got Over/ It Don't Cost Very Much/ He's Right On Time,
performances of I'm On My Way/ The Lord's Prayer from the 1958
Newport Jazz Festival, and many more.
MAHALIA JACKSON: A City Called Heaven/ A Rusty Old Halo/ A Satisfied Mind/
Calvary/ Come On Children, Let's Sing/ Dear Lord, Forgive/ Didn't It Rain/
Elijah Rock/ God Put A Rainbow In The Sky/ Great Gettin' Up Morning/ He's
Got The Whole World In His Hands/ His Eye Is On The Sparrow/ I Found The
Answer/ I Will Move On Up A Little Higher/ I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing
About In My Song/ If I Can Help Somebody/ If I could Hear My Mother Pray
Again/ If We Never Needed The Lord Before/ In My Home Over There/ In The
Upper Room/ It Is Well With My Soul/ Jesus Met The Woman At The Well/ Joshua
Fit The Battle of Jericho/ Keep Your Hand On The Plow/ My God Is Real/
Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen/ Roll, Jordan, Roll/ Search Me Lord/ Take
My Hand, Precious Lord/ The Christian's Testimony/ Trouble Of The World/
Walk On By Faith/ Walk Over God's Heaven/ What A Friend We Have In Jesus/
Without God I Could Do Nothing/ You Must Be Born Again
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MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 53629 |
Live At Newport |
● CD $11.98 |
Reissue of Columbia CSA 8071 featuring Mahalia's triumphant
appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, July, 1958 - Mahalia is in good
form on a selection of her favorites accompanied by piano organ & bass -
An Evening Prayer/ A City Called Heaven/ Walk Over God's Heaven/ God Is
Real, etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 63592 |
Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting |
● CD $11.98 |
The title might lead you to think that this is a live
recording of Mahalia but it's actually a collection of Columbia recordings
from the 50s and 60s - some studio and some live including a number
previously unissued.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia CK 64675 |
Mahalia Sings Songs Of Christmas |
● CD $11.98 |
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 64991 |
16 Most Requested Songs |
● CD $12.98 |
Includes I Will Move On Up A Little Higher/ What A Friend
We Have In Jesus/ There Is Balm In Gilead/ Walk In Jerusalem/ My God Is Real,
etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 65200 |
A Mighty Fortress |
● CD $9.98 |
Reissue of Columbia 9659 from 1968 featuring 10 songs with
accompaniment by an orchestra conducted by Marty Paich - Power In The
Blood/ Good News, The Chariot's Coming/ Roll, Jordan, Roll/ I'd Rather Have
Jesus/ All Is Well, etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 65209 |
The Power & The Glory |
● CD $9.98 |
Reissue of 1960 album featuring Mahalia backed by an
orchestra & chorus directed by Percy Faith on 12 hymns - Onward Christian
Soldiers/ Holy, Holy, Holy/ Just As I Am/ Lift Up Your Heads/ The Lord Is My
Light/ Nearer My God To Thee, etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 65594 |
Gospels, Spirituals & Hymns |
$19.98 ● CD $19.98 |
Same material as Columbia 47083 but in
a two CD package
rather than the handsome box set.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 65597 |
Gospels, Spirituals & Hymns - Vol. 2 |
$19.98 ● CD $19.98 |
Same tracks as Columbia 48924 but in a compact two CD format
rather than the handsome box set.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 85282 |
Recorded Live In Europe During Her Latest
Concert Tour |
● CD $11.98 |
11 songs recorded live in Sweden in 1961 with Mildred Falls
accompanying on piano - Elijah Rock/ Tell The World About This/ Down By
The Riverside/ It Don't Cost Very Much/ How I Got Over and others.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Columbia 85298 |
Mahalia Jackson In Concert, Easter Sunday
1967 |
● CD $11.98 |
REissue of 1967 LP with four bonus previously unissued cuts.
It features Mahalia recorded live at New York's Lincoln Center For The
Performing Arts accompanied by piano, organ, guitar, drums and tambourine.
Includes In My Home Over There/ He Was Alone/ Thy Will Be Done/ Holding
My Savior's Hand/ There Is A Balm In Gilead/ An Evening Prayer/ If I Can
Help Somebody/ Elijah Rock, etc.
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
Fremeaux FACD 1311 |
Complete Mahalia Jackson, Vol. 1 |
● CD $15.98 |
So far the only volume in this series this features her
early Decca sides plus the first of her Apollo recordings.
MAHALIA JACKSON: Amazing Grace (1)/ Amazing Grace (2)/ Dig A Little Deeper/
Even Me/ God Shall Wipe All Tears Away/ God's Gonna Separate The Wheat From
The Tares/ He Knows My Heart/ I Have A Friend/ I Want To Rest/ I'm Going To
Tell God/ If You See My Savior/ In My Home Over There/ In My Home Over
There/ Keep Me Everyday/ Move On Up A Little Higher (pt. 1 & 2)/ Move On Up
A Little Higher (pt. 1 & 2)/ Oh, My Lord/ Since The Fire Started Burning In
My Soul./ There's Not A Friend Like Jesus/ Tired/ Wait Until My Changes
Come/ What Could I Do
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
MCA 11851 |
In My Home Over There |
● CD $11.98 |
12 tracks, 35 minutes, recommended. Mahalia Jackson, "the
Queen Of Gospel Music", is represented here by 12 of her Apollo recordings
(1947-1954), including her masterpiece recording of Lucie Eddie Campbell's
In The Upper Room, a song she would perform at nearly every
performance. This is a song I never get tired of hearing, especially this
version as she's accompanied by Thurman Ruth's Southern Harmonaires (a vocal
group that would record secular material for Apollo as The Larks). This set
also contains one of the earliest examples of her 'cross-over' potential, a
cover version of the C&W southern gospel classic It Is No Secret
written by Stuart Hamblen. Nine of the tracks are arranged by fellow Apollo
recording artist Bobby Smith. (EL)
|
MAHALIA JACKSON |
MCA Special Products 20489 |
Amazing Grace |
● CD $8.98 |
10 tracks, 30 min., recommended. Part of the MCA "Special
Products" series, which means that this contains no liner notes, no session
info, and just half an hour of music. You know, "special." Can't complain
about the singing, though. The version of Amazing Grace given, while
strong, is not the classic issued by Apollo in the '40s. Nevertheless, the
material here is pretty stunning. When Jackson is minimally backed by piano
or organ, as onDo You Know Him, the power and conviction that comes
through in her delivery can bend steel and change the course of mighty
rivers, or at least make ears happy. Other titles include I Believe/ If
You See My Savior/ I'm Going To Tell My God/ In My Home Over There/ It Is No
Secret (What God Can Do)/ Shall I Meet You Over Yonder/ Since The Fire
Started/ I'm Going To Wait Until My Change Comes. (JC)
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JACKSON SOUTHERNAIRES |
Malaco 4426 |
Power Packed |
● CD $15.98 |
Another set of smooth compassionate stylings in the vein of
The Sensational Nightingales. Produced by Frank Williams who also take most
leads. This program features Milton Biggham, Jeff La Valley and the Curry
Family who record for Malaco in Mass Choir format. This album's most
compelling song is It's Almost Over . Laid back arrangements in
traditional form, updated with the use of unobtrusive synthesizer and
keyboards present soulful gospel. (OLN)
|
THE JACKSON
SOUTHERNAIRES |
MCA Special Products 20724 |
Lord You've Been Good To Me |
● CD $7.98 |
Reissue of fine 1973 ABC/ Dunhill album by this excellent
gospel group, originally from Jackson, Mississippi. It includes the
beautiful 7 minute sermonette Save My Child, which I believe was the
original name of the album. Soulful lead vocals by Huey Williams.
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