BLUES & GOSPEL
Papa Lightfoot ->
Little Milton
| PAPA LIGHTFOOT/
SAMMY MYERS |
Official 5254 |
Blues Harmonica Wizards |
● CD $17.98 |
22 fine harmonica blues tracks from the 50s/early 60s
featuring 16 cuts by Alexander "Papa" Lightfoot including accompaniments to
Jack Dupree, Donald "Silver" Cooks and Edgar Blanchard and 5 from Myers. One
track "Rhythm With Me" by Myers is actually "Steady" by Jerry McCain!
Package is rather carelessly put together and sound is not always up to par
but there's some great music.
EDGAR BLANCHARD (WITH PAPA LIGHTFOOT): Creole Gal Blues/
She'll Be Mine After Awhile/ DONALD "SILVER" COOKS (WITH PAPA LIGHTFOOT):
Coming Back Home/ Mr. Ticket Agent/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE (WITH PAPA
LIGHTFOOT): Rub A Little Boogie/ ELMORE JAMES (WITH SAM MYERS): Look On
Yonders Wall/ PAPA LIGHTFOOT: Blue Lights/ Jump The Boogie/ Jumpin With
Jarvis/ Mean Ole Train/ Mean Ole Train #2/ Mean Ole Train #3/ Pl Blues/ When
The Saints Go Marching In/ Wild Fire/ Wine, Women & Whiskey/ JERRY MCCAIN:
Steady/ SAM MYERS: My Love Is Here To Stay/ Poor Little Angel Child/ Sad Sad
Lonesome Day/ Sleeping In The Ground/ You Don't Have To Go
|
| LIGHTNIN' SLIM |
Ace CDCHD 517 |
Rooster Blues/ Bell Ringer |
● CD $18.98 |
Classic Louisiana down home blues.
LIGHTNIN' SLIM: Baby Please Come Back/ Bed Bug Blues/
Don't Start Me Talking/ Feelin' Awful Blue/ G I Slim/ Have Mercy On Me Baby/
Hoo Doo Blues/ I'm Leavin' You Baby/ If You Ever Need Me/ It's Mighty Crazy/
Lightnin's Troubles/ Long Leanie Mama/ Love Is Just A Gamble/ Love Me Mama/
Mean Ole Lonesome Train/ My Starter Won't Work/ Rooster Blues/ She's My
Crazy Little Baby/ Somebody Knockin'/ Sweet Little Woman/ Tom Cat Blues/
Wintertime Blues/ You Give Me The Blues/ You Move Me Baby
|
| LIGHTNIN' SLIM/
WHISPERING SMITH |
Ace CDCHD 578 |
High & Low Down/ Over Easy |
● CD $18.98 |
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
|
| LIGHTNIN' SLIM |
Ace CDCHD 587 |
It's Mighty Crazy |
● CD $18.98 |
Great collection of early
sides by this superb down home bluesman.
LIGHTNIN' SLIM: Bad Luck/ Bad Luck And Trouble/ Bed Bug
Blues/ Farming Blues/ Goin' Home/ Have Your Way/ Hoo Doo Blues/ I Can't Be
Succesful/ I Can't Understand/ I'm A Rollin' Stone/ I'm Grown/ I'm Him/ It's
Mighty Crazy/ Just Made Twenty-one/ Lightnin's Blues/ Love Me Mama/ Mean Ole
Lonesome Train/ Rock Me Mama/ Rocky Mountain Blues/ Sugar Plum/ Tom Cat
Blues/ West Texas/ What Evil Have I Done/ Wonderin' And Goin'
|
| LIGHTNIN' SLIM |
Ace CDCHD 616 |
Nothin' But The Devil |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
This features 24 tracks recorded between 1958 and 1961
featuring the dark vocals and low down guitar of one of the most down home
of down home bluesmen. He is accompanied on all tracks by the brilliant
harmonica player Lazy Lester and sundry other musicians. This disc features
a number of unissued tracks and alternate takes including a wonderful
reworking of Muddy's "Still A Fool" as "I Gonna Leave" and an unexpected
version of the blues ballad "Drifting Blues" which bears very little
resemblance to the Charles Brown original! Lots of other great tracks like
"Long Leanie Mama/ It's Mighty Crazy/ I'm Leavin' You Baby/ Sweet Little
Woman/ I Gonna Leave/ G.I. Slim/ Too Close Blues", etc. Usual superb sound from Ace and
informative, if somewhat pedantic, notes by Dave Sax. (FS)
LIGHTNIN' SLIM: Blues At Night/ Cool Down Baby/ Death
Valley Blues/ Drifting Blues/ Feelin' Awful Blue/ G I Slim/ Goin' Away
Blues/ Greyhound Blues/ Hello Mary Lee/ I Don't Know/ I Gonna Leave/ I'm
Leavin' You Baby/ I'm Tired Waitin' Baby/ Just A Lonely Stranger/ Lightnin's
Troubles/ Long Leanie Mama/ My Little Angel Child/ My Starter Won't Work/
Nothin' But The Devil/ Rooster Blues/ Rub-A-Dub/ Somebody Knockin'/ Sweet
Little Woman/ Too Close Blues
|
| LIL' ED & THE
BLUES IMPERIALS |
Alligator 4749 |
Roughhousin' |
● CD $15.98 |
The songs here are mostly originals by Ed along with a few
old favorites (Percy Mayfield's "You Don't Exist Any More", a driving boogie
version of "Mean Old Frisco" and a wild version of "Walking The Dog").
|
| LIL' ED & THE
BLUES IMPERIALS |
Alligator 4808 |
What You See Is What You Get |
● CD $12.98 |
Lil' Ed's third Alligator offering is as disappointing as
his second. His first album "Roughhousin'" showed much promise but "What You
See..." fails to hit an infectious, raunchy groove. "Find My Baby" gets
close, but the broomduster figures have become a little overdone. It's back
to the drawing board for this band - their set offers few decisive hooks and
the musical atmospheres are rather blurred. (TR)
LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS: Bluesmobile/ Find My Baby/
Life Is Like Gambling/ Living For Today/ Long, Long Way From Home/ Older
Woman/ Out Of The House/ Packin Up/ Please Help/ Toothache/ Travellin' Life/
Upset Man/ What Am I Gonna Do?/ What You See Is What You Get
|
| LIL' ED & THE
BLUES IMPERIALS |
Alligator 4886 |
Heads Up |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 52 minutes, recommended
With the lack of
respectful blues guitarists who can tear it up with a slide, Lil' Ed
Williams seems poised to move beyond his journeyman status and take over the
driver's seat. While his playing is always on edge, sounding ready to careen
off track any second, he manages to finish phrases perfectly each time,
defying logic. With plenty of slow burners, including The Creeper, a
Muddy-styled effort, to the brooding "Four Leaf Clover" and "Black Night",
Williams sounds harrowing, but raises the roof on crashing takes like "Ed
Heads' Boogie" and the infectious "Empty House Tour". He's forceful on "Lil'
Ed's Home Cookin'" and stylish for "Natural Man", and sounds remarkably like
his uncle, J.B. Hutto, on "My Mind Is Gone". Plain and simple, Lil' Ed & The
Blues Imperials know how to have fun, and they throw another party on "Heads
Up". (CR)
|
| CHARLEY
LINCOLN & WILLIE BAKER |
Blues Documents BDCD 6027 |
Complete Recorded Works In Chronological
Order |
● CD $15.98 |
Excellent Georgia 12-string blues from Charley Lincoln (the
elder brother of Barbecue Bob Hicks), and Willie Baker, about whom nearly
nothing is known. Lincoln's 12 sides are not quite his entire catalog, since
he recorded 4 duets with his brother (on DOCD 5046 & 5048), but they do
constitute all his solo performances including "Ugly Papa/ Depot Blues/
Jealous Hearted Blues/ Mama Don't Rush Me/ Hard Luck Blues" and the rather
unsubtle "Doodle Hole Blues". He moans about hard times too well not to have
had intimate knowledge of misery. Baker, on the other hand, is a more
spirited but no less convincing purveyor of the blues, as his versions of
"No No Blues/ Crooked Woman Blues/ Rag Baby" demonstrate. The 9 tracks here
from 1929 are his complete works. Sound is generally quite good. (JC)
|
| HIP LINKCHAIN |
Evidence 26038 |
Airbusters |
● CD $12.98 |
14 tracks, 49 minds, recommended
Originally issued on the
Dutch Black Magic label in 1987 this is a fine selection of no nonsense,
stripped down blues by this veteran Chicago singer/ guitarist who died in
1989. Hip was a forceful singer and a dynamic and expressive, though not
flashy, guitarist. He is accompanied by a couple of different bands on these
recordings cut between 1984 and '87. The material is mostly originals though
you will hear echoes of songs from various Chicago blues giants. The few
covers include excellent versions of B.B. King's "Gambler's Blues" and Alan
Orange's "Strain On My Heart". Informative notes by Beverly Zildin. (FS)
|
| HIP LINKCHAIN |
Teardrop 1006 |
Change My Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
10 tracks, 44 mins, very good
Hip Linkchain was a fine
Chicago singer and guitarist who recorded relatively infrequently. This is a
reissue of his first full length album recorded in 1981 with Pinetop perkins/
piano, Rich Kirch/ guitar, Right Hand Frank/ bass and Fred Grady/ drums. The
songs are half originals and half covers and Hip and the band do a nice job.
The main drawback of this album is the mediocre sound - the overall sound is
muddy and the balance isn't good - with contemporary mastering technques it
would have been possible to brighten and enrich the sound. The package is a
straight reissue of the original LP with no additional information - not
even the fact that Hip died in 1989. (FS)
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Arhoolie 306 |
Texas Songster |
● CD $12.98 |
|
MANCE LIPSCOMB: 'Bout A Spoonful/ Ain't It Hard/ Baby
Please Don't Go/ Big Boss Man/ Blues in G/ Ella Speed/ Freddie/ Going Down
Slow/ Jack O' Diamonds/ Knock Down Windows/ Mama Don't Allow/ Mama, Don't
Dog Me/ Motherless Children/ Nobody's Fault But Mine/ One Thin Dime/ Rag in
G/ Shake, Shake, Mama/ Sugar Babe (It's All Over Now)/ Take Me Back Babe/
Tell Me Where You Stayed Last Night/ Willie Poor Boy/ You Gonna Quit Me
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Arhoolie 398 |
You Got To Reap What You Sow - Texas
Songster Vol. 2 |
● CD $12.98 |
24 tracks, 78 mins, essential
Mance Lipscomb was one of the
greatest musical discoveries of the 60s - a wonderful singer and guitarist
with an extensive repertoire that encompassed not only blues but rags, dance
tunes, pop songs, spirituals, children's songs and more. This wonderful
collection of 24 songs was all recorded in one afternoon in May 1964 - most
in one take! The material is varied including old blues favorites ("Come
Back Baby/ Bumble Bee"), regionally popular blues ("Charlie James/ Hattie
Green", the powerful "Tom Moore Blues" about a Washington county land owner
and the exquisite "Willie Poor Boy"), popular and jazz songs ("Long Way To
Tipperary / You Rascal You") which become completely new songs in Mance's
hands, instrumental pieces ("Spanish Flang Dang/ Boogie In "A"") and more. A
couple of tracks feature some lovely slide guitar including a version of the
topical ballad "The Titanic" and "Joe Turner Killed A Man". He also sings a
surprising unaccompanied version of the Anglo-American traditional ballad
"Lord Thomas". There are a lot more musical treasures featured here. Sound
quality is superb and there are fine notes by Chris Strachwitz who
discovered Mance and recorded the selection here. (FS)
MANCE LIPSCOMB: Boogie In A/ Bumble Bee/ Charlie James/
Cocaine Done Killed My Baby/ Come Back Baby/ Hattie Green/ I Looked Down The
Road And I Wondered/ If I Miss The Train/ Joe Turner Killed A Man/ Long Way
To Tipperary/ Lord Thomas/ Mama, Don't Dog Me/ Missouri Waltz/ Police
Station Blues/ Sentimental Blues/ Silver City/ So Different Blues/ Spanish
Flang Dang/ Tall Angel At The Bar/ The Titanic/ Tom Moore Blues/ Willie Poor
Boy/ You Got To Reap What You Sow/ You Rascal You
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Arhoolie 465 |
Captain, Captain - Texas Sonsgter, Vol. 3 |
● CD $12.98 |
9 tracks from 1966, previously issued on Arhoolie 1033 plus
6 unissued cuts from that session and 11 previously unissued cuts from his
first Arhoolie session in August, 1960. Wonderful sides from a great
performer.
MANCE LIPSCOMB: Ain't You Sorry/ Angel Child 15.Black Rat/
Captain, Captain!/ Easy Rider Blues/ Farewell Blues/ Foggy Bottom Blues/
Frankie And Albert/ Goin' Up North To See My Pony Run/ Going Back To
Georgia/ Heel And Toe Polka/ I Want To Do Something For You/ Long Tall Girl
Got Stuck On Me/ Mance's Talking Blues/ Me And My Baby/ Mr. Tom's Rag
(Guitar Solo)/ Night Time Is The Right Time/ Rag In "A" (Guitar Solo)/ Santa
Fe Blues/ Segregation Done Past (Story No Guitar)/ Sentimental Peice In "G"
(Guitar Solo)/ Shorty George/ Tom Moore's Farm/ Why Did You Leave Me?
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Arhoolie 482 |
Live! At The Cabale |
● CD $12.98 |
21 tracks, mins, recommended
A wonderful collection of live
recordings by the great bluesman and songster. 19 were recorded live at The Cabale in Berkeley in 1964 and the remaining two were recorded in Sacramento
in 1972. Only 3 of these tracks have been issued previously and producer
Chris Strachwitz has tried to mostly pick songs Mance had not recorded
elsewhere. In addition to all the great singing and guitar playing there is
a wonderful 12 minute segment of spoken reminiscences interspersed with
fragments of song giving a valuable insight into Mance's life. Songs include
"Baby Don't You Lay It On Me/ You Gonna Miss Me/ Trouble In Mind/ Mance's
Short Haired Woman/ Shine On Harvest Moon/ Key To The Highway/ Wonder Where
My Easy Rider Done Gone/ Early Days Back Home/ I Wonder Why/ You Gonna Quit
Me Baby/ Mother Had A Sick Child", etc. (FS)
MANCE LIPSCOMB: Baby Don't You Lay It On Me/ Cocaine Done
Killed My Baby/ Early Days Back Home (Talking)/ I Wonder Why/ It Ain't Gonna
Rain No More/ Keep On Truckin'/ Key To The Highway/ Late Night Blues &
Boogie Woogie/ Mancežs Short Haired Woman/ Meet Me In The Bottom/ Mother Had
A Sick Child/ Rock Me Mama/ Run Sinner, Run/ Shine On Harvest Moon/ Tom
Moore Blues/ Tra-La-Ra-La Doodle All Day/ Trouble In Mind/ When The Saints
Go Marching In/ Wonder Where My Easy Rider Done Gone/ You Gonna Miss Me/ You
Gonna Quit Me Baby
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Arhoolie 9026 |
Vol. 5 - Pure Texas Country Blues |
● CD $9.98 |
18 tracks, highly recommended
Mance Lipscomb from Navasota,
Texas was one of the great musical discoveries of the 60s - a wonderful and
engaging singer and magnificent guitarist whose repertoire encompassed a
wide range of material of which blues was only a part (a very important part
nevertheless). Chris Strachwitz recorded him extensively for Arhoolie in the
60s and early 70s and Mance was rarely les than superb. On the selection
here the emphasis is on Mance as bluesman performing original songs,
traditional songs and covering blues standards but what emerges is pure
Mance. These recordings were made between 1968 and 1973 and previously
appeared on two LPs - Arhoolie 1049 and 1069. A few of the cuts have second
guitar and on two cuts he is accompanied by his grandson Frank on bass and
drummer Wayne Davis. Even if you have the first four Mance CDs on Arhoolie
you're sure to want this one - it's a beauty. (FS)
|
| MANCE LIPSCOMB |
Vestapol 13011 |
In Concert |
● DVD $22.98 |
DVD The great Texas songster in a live performances recorded for
TV station KLRU in 1969. 16 songs including "So Different Blues/ Going Down
Slow/ Alcohol Blues/ Silver City/ Key To The Highway/ Mama Don't Allow/
Baby, You Don't Have To Go/ Motherless Children" and more. 58 minutes in
color.
|
| VIRGINIA LISTON |
Document DOCD 5446 |
Vol. 1 : 1923-1924 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 65 min., good/recommended
Virginia Liston was a
good vaudeville blues singer but by no means a great one. And while many of
these sides go plodding along, thanks in part to accompanying pianist
Clarence Williams, who plays much of the time in the manner of a poorly
manufactured robot, Liston sings some sparks into most of the tracks,
including "House Rent Stomp" and "I Don't Love Nobody". The two sides of
dialogue ("You Can Have It I Don't Want It" and "Just Take One Long Last
Lingering Look") with Sam Gray, her husband at the time, amuse mildly.
Booklet notes indicate that Louis Armstrong, Buddy Christian, and Sidney
Bechet appear as part of Clarence Williams Blue Five on a track or 2, though
they don't kick up enough of a fuss to make much difference. A solid set,
though Vol. 2 offers Liston's more interesting work. (JC)
VIRGINIA LISTON: 'tain't A Doggone Thing But The Blues/
Bed Time Blues/ Bill Draw/ Don't Agitate Me Blues/ Early In The Morning/
Give It To Me Good/ Happy Shout/ House Rent Stomp/ I Don't Love Nobody/ I
Never Knew What The Blues Were (until You Went Away)/ Jail House Blues/ Just
Take One Long Last Lingering Look/ Mississippi Blues/ Monkey Jungle Blues/
Pineland Blues/ Sally Long Blues/ San Francisco Blues/ Shreveport Blues/
Weeping Willow Blues/ You Can Have It (i Don't Want It)/ You Don't Know My
Mind Blues/ You Got The Right Key, But The Wrong Keyhole/ You Thought I Was
Blind But Now I See
|
| VIRGINIA LISTON |
Document DOCD 5447 |
Vol. 2 : 1926-1926/ LAVINIA TURNER |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 67 min., recommended
Volume 2 contains Liston's
finest sides ("Rolls Royce Papa", "Titanic Blues", "Evil Minded Blues"), the
presence of which lessens considerably the pain of listening to her worst
sides, the wretched "I Ain't Got Nobody (And Nobody Cares For Me)", "Black
Sheep Blues" and "I'm Sick Of Fattening Frogs For Snakes", all featuring
Clarence Williams' insipid reed organ accompaniment that is approximately as
exciting as filling out tax forms while waiting in line at the DMV. Also
included here are all discovered titles by the fine vaudeville singer
Lavinia Turner, who sounds pretty darn good for 1921-22. The tracks
featuring James P. Johnson on piano are a treat, and so are the other ones.
(JC)
VIRGINIA LISTON: Any Day The Sun Don't Shine/ Black Sheep
Blues/ Evil Minded Blues/ I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle/ I Ain't Got
Nobody/ I'm Gonna Get Me A Man That's All/ I'm Sick Of Fattening Frogs For
Snakes/ Make Me A Pallet/ Night Latch Key Blue/ Papa De Da Da/ Rolls Royce
Papa/ Titanic Blues/ You Can Dip Your Bread In My Gravy, But You Can't Have
None Of My Chops/ LAVINIA TURNER: A-wearin' Away The Blues/ Can't Get Lovin'
Blues/ Don't Cut Off Your Nose To Spite Your Face/ He Took It Away From Me/
How Can I Be Your 'sweet Mamma' When You Are 'daddy' To Somebody Else?/ How
Many Times?/ If I Were Your Daddy (and You Were A Mamma To Me)/ Sweet Man O'
Mine/ Watch Me Go/ You Never Miss A Good Thing Till It's Gone
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4753 |
All The Way Crazy |
● CD $15.98 |
First album by local jump blues band, heroes of the local
'battle of the harmonica.' Led by Little Charlie Baty on guitar & frontman
with Rick Estrin on vocals, harp & shiny suit, this LP has the one thing the
band lacks in person - restraint. Live, Charlie tries to play the entire
history of blues, jazz & rockabilly guitar on every solo, here he just plays
what the song needs. Songs are on the humorous side, some nice originals
like "T.V. Crazy/ Short Skirts/ Poor Tarzan" & great choice of covers inc.
Five Royales's - "Right Around The Corner" & Boo-ga-loo's "Clothes Line"
(GM)
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4776 |
The Big Break |
● CD $15.98 |
Hardworking blues band recorded in scenic Richmond,
California. "The Big Break/ Don't Do That/ Dump That Chump/ Jump Start/ Some
Nerve/ Lottery" , etc.
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4794 |
Captured Live |
● CD $15.98 |
Few of the countless blues bar bands that pass through the
Bay Area have a more rabid following than Sacramento's Little Charly & The
Nightcats. And for good reason - Rick Estrin is a good Chicago-style harp
player and a charismatic frontman (although his vocals are an acquired
taste), and Charlie Baty is nothing short of a guitar sensation, fusing down
home blues playing and flashy rockabilly chops with the most amazing
be-bop/jump blues solos I've heard in years. Their previous three releases
on Alligator have gotten less than rave reviews in these pages 'cause they
can't quite turn it on in the studio they way they do on the bandstand. So
at last this is the one I've been waiting for, with lots of juicy guitar -
check out the lengthy solos on Buddy Guy's "10 Years Ago", the churning
original slow blues "Rain", and the showstoppers "Run Me Down/ Wildcattin'",
a jump instrumental that just makes me want to throw my guitar off a cliff
and give up. Of course, there are a couple of throwaways, but the majority
of these 10 cuts surpass anything the band has committed to vinyl (or
plastic) so far. (MB)
LITTLE CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS: Crawling Kingsnake/ Dump
That Chump/ Eyes Like a Cat/ Rain/ Run Me Down/ Smart Like Einstein/ Ten
Years Ago/ Thinking With The Wrong Head/ Tomorrow Night/ Wildcattin'
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4812 |
Night Vision |
● CD $15.98 |
|
LITTLE CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS: Backfire/ Buzzsaw/
Califonia On My Mind/ Can't Keep It Up/ Crying Won't Help You/ Dog Eat Dog/
Grow Up, Baby/ I Dare You Baby/ I'll Never Do That No More/ My Next Ex-Wife/
Pressing On/ Sure Seems Strange/ You Win
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4829 |
Straight Up |
● CD $15.98 |
|
LITTLE CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS: Gerontology/ Hey Gold
Digger/ Homicide/ I Can't Speak No Spanish (No Hablo Espanol)/ I Could Deal
With It/ I'm Just Lucky That Way/ Is That It?/ Me and My Big Mouth/ My Way
or the Highway/ On the Loose/ Playboy Blues/ Too Close Together/ Turn My
Back on You/ You Gonna Lie
|
| LITTLE
CHARLIE & THE NIGHTCATS |
Alligator 4902 |
Nine Lives |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, excellent
While the rhythm section has been
somewhat like a revolving door over the years, Little Charlie Baty and Rick
Estrin have been joined at the hip for what seems a lifetime. From slow,
minor key blues ("Circling The Drain") with guitar well to the fore, to
jumping chromatic harp ("Handle With Care"), and solid Latin grooves ("Got
To Have A Job"), The Nightcats once again deliver a strong disc that touches
all the blues bases. Estrin's vocal affectations can often be more of an
acquired taste, but as a songwriter, his wittiness and sense of humor are
almost always striking. Rusty Zinn and a handful of others (including horns)
make appearances rounding out "Nine Lives". (CR)
|
| LITTLE ESTHER |
Collectables 2896 |
The Best Of Little Esther |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, highly recommended, but..
This is a fabulous
collection featuring 25 of the 32 sides Litlle Esther Phillips recorded for
Federal in 1951 and 1952. The only drawback is that Classics is reissuing
the complete early recordings in chronological order and so all the cuts
here plus more are available on Classics 5066 and 5147 ($14.98 each). On the
other hand this has superior packaging and most of it is sourced from master
tapes wheras the Classics are from 78s. Either way you'll get some great
blues and R&B with Esther backed by John Otis and his gang including duets
with Clyde McPhatter & The Dominoes, Bobby Nunn and Little Willie
Littlefield. (FS)
LITTLE ESTHER PHILLIPS: Aged And Mellow/ Better Beware/
Bring My Lovin' Back To Me/ Cherry Wine/ Cryin' And Singin' The Blues/ Flesh
Blood And Bones/ Heart To Heart/ Hollerin' And Screamin'/ Hound Dog/ I Paid
My Dues/ I'll Be There/ I'm A Bad, Bad Girl/ Last Laugh Blues/ Lookin' For A
Man (to Satisfy My Soul)/ Love Oh Love/ Mainliner/ Ramblin' Blues/
Ring-a-ding-doo/ Saturday Night Daddy/ Somebody New/ Tell Him That I Need
Him So/ The Crying Blues/ The Deacon Moves In/ Turn The Lamps Down Low/ You
Took My Love Too Fast
|
| LITTLE MIKE &
THE TORNADOES |
Blind Pig 73990 |
Heart Attack |
● CD $18.98 |
After years of recording tracks with Paul Butterfield,
Ronnie Earl, Big Daddy Kinsey and Hubert Sumlin, plus backing Pinetop
Perkins on the road and in the studio, New York's Little Mike & The
Tornadoes step out on their own. All the aforementioned guests are included
on these 13 numbers, which feature some tough Chicago blues stylings, good
harp and guitar, but unexceptional vocals. (MB)
LITTLE MIKE & THE TORNADOES: Blind Love and Whiskey/
Christmas Song/ D.O.A./ Don't Like to Get in Trouble/ Good Gal/ Heart
Attack/ IDA B/ Me and the Blues/ Never Missed A Woman/ Nothin' But the
Blues/ One Woman Man/ Resey's Rock/ Try My Love
|
| LITTLE MIKE &
THE TORNADOES |
Blind Pig 74992 |
Pay Day |
● CD $18.98 |
12 tracks, 42 min., good. Little Mike (Markowitz) writes his
own stuff, usually about money and women and wherever the twain shall meet.
And it's pretty good, too. His harmonica work is tough and invigorating, his
singing limited but pleasant. And he even does a song about an answering
machine. The Tornadoes are a rock sturdy rhythm section of drums, bass and
guitarist John Edelmann, who is at least as good on his ax as Mike is on
his. They're not likely to give you any new insights, but they deliver what
they promise. Roots. (JC)
LITTLE MIKE & THE TORNADOES: 85 Miles An Hour/ Been A Fool
Too Long/ Care of the Blues/ I Should Have Known Better/ Message Machine/
Money/ PayDay/ Shane's Stomp/ Stick With Me/ Taylor Made/ Walkin' The Floor/
What About Love
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Chess CHD 9386 |
Greatest Hits |
● CD $9.98 |
16 great Checker sides
LITTLE MILTON: Baby, I Love You/ Blind Man/ Grits Ain't
Groceries/ I Feel So Bad/ I Play Dirty/ If Walls Could Talk/ Just A Little
Bit/ Let Me Down Easy/ Let's Get Together/ Man Loves Two (man's Temptation)/
More And More/ Poor Man's Song/ So Mean To Me/ We Got The Winning Hand/
We're Gonna Make It/ Who's Cheating Who?
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Collectables 5434 |
Friend Of Mine |
● CD $13.98 |
Nine sides recorded for Henry Stone's Glades label in late
70s.
LITTLE MILTON: Baby It Ain't No Way/ Bring It On Back/
Don't Turn Away/ Friend Of Mine/ I'm In Love With My Best Friend's Wife/
It's All Bad News/ Missing My Love/ Sundown/ You're Gonna Make Me Cry
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Collectables 5435 |
Me For You You For Me |
● CD $13.98 |
Eight more sides recorded for Glades.
LITTLE MILTON: 4:59 A.m./ Angel Of Mercy/ Just One Step/
Loving You/ Me For You/ My Thing Is You/ Somebody Done Changed/ Sugar
Dumpling
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Delmark 681 |
Live At Westville Prison |
● CD $14.98 |
8 tracks, 60 mins, very good
An hour of vintage Milton as
his bluesy/soulful best, 2 sets recorded at the Westville Correctional
Center in Westville, IN on Jan 14, '83. Milton is heard on 2 sets with a
stripped down version of his band (Ricky Earl -g, Lucky Peterson - keys,
Frank McClure - b, Tony Brown - d) for a segregated prison audience. The 1st
part is done for the men, including a wonderful 10 minute version of O.V.Wright's courtroom drama"8 Men 4 Women", & a long cheating medley
including "Part Time Love" & "I Got To Love Somebody's Baby". Then comes the
even more soulful set done for the ladies in the prison, starting with an
incredible reading of The Spiders's "Bad Luck" & ending with a long "That's
How Strong My Love Is". (GM)
LITTLE MILTON: Bad Luck/ Eight Men, Four Women/ Friend Of
Mine/ How Could You Do It To Me/part Time Love/somebody's Sleeping/ I'd
Rather Drink Muddy Water/ Loving You (is The Best Thing That Happened To
Me)/ That's How Strong My Love Is./ You're The One
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Malaco 7435 |
Annie Mae's Cafe |
● CD $16.98 |
Malaco records are becoming so predictable that they are
beginning to sound about as exciting as computer music. Nothing very wrong
about it - some decent songs, well sung with tasteful playing from all the
musicians. The songs are a mixture of blues and soul with strings and vocal
choruses on some selections. The problem is that the heart and individuality
of the main performer is missing. (FS)
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Malaco 7445 |
Movin' To The Country |
● CD $16.98 |
Excellent LP from Mr. Campbell. I was afraid, by the title,
that this was gonna be another "bluesman sings country" LP, but it's far
from it -- a very strong selection of mostly blues with some soul and even a
tiny bit of funk. Most of the ten are from the Malaco stable of writers,
with covers of Billy Vera's yuppie hit "At This Moment" (soon forgotten),
Billy Myles's classic "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" . Lots of great Milton
guitar. Also "Lovin' On Borrowed Time / You're So Cold / You Just Can't Take
My Blues" / title tune, etc. (GM)
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Malaco 7448 |
Back To Back |
● CD $16.98 |
LITTLE MILTON: (I Had) Too Much Heaven Last Night/ Caught
In the Act (Of Gettin' It On)/ Fast Young Lady/ I Don't Believe In Ghosts/ I
Was Tryin' Not to Break Down/ It's Hard To Explain/ Penitentiary Blues/ The
End Of the Rainbow/ The Wind Beneath My Wings/ You Can't Trust Your Neighbor
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Malaco 7494 |
For Real |
● CD $16.98 |
New album with that familiar Malaco sound from fine veteran
bluesman Milton is a mixture of songs from the Malaco staff writers, a
couple of Milton originals and some covers ranging from Elmore James' "It
Hurts Me Too" to the Bee-Gees' "To Love Somebody"!
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Malaco 7513 |
Guitar Man |
● CD $16.98 |
New album from the talented Mr. Campbell is a mix of solid
contemporary blues, soul, a bit of country and his take on the over-recorded
"My Way"
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Shout 41 |
If Walls Could Talk |
● CD $18.98 |
17 tracks, essential
Reissue of Chess 3012 from 1969 with six bonus tracks. Gene Barge puts
together a blazing horn led band with Donny Hathaway on piano on several
cuts to back Milton on a superb collection of soul and blues including the
big hit title song along with other hits like Let's Get Together/ Poor
Man's Song and Baby I Love You and some great covers like
Things I Used To Do/ Kansas City and Blues Get Off My Shoulder.
Bonus cuts includes his hit and one of his trademark songs Grits Ain't
Groceries, stunning covers of The Dark End Of The Street and
I (Who Have Nothing)
and more. This is Milton at the peak of his powers with great songs,
magnificent singing, a killer band and a few flashes of Milton's dynamite
guitar work. Includes 12 page booklet with extensive notes, label shots
and photos. Soul-blues doesn't get much better than this. (FS)
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Stax 8514 |
Walkin' The Back Streets |
● CD $11.98 |
Excellent collection of mostly previously unissued sides -
title song + "Somebody's Tears/ Married Woman/ Open the Door To Your Heart",
etc
LITTLE MILTON: Before The Honeymoon/ Bet You I'll Win/
Blue Monday/ Eight Men And Four Women/ Letter Full Of Tears/ Married Woman/
Open The Door To Your Heart/ Somebody's Tears/ Walking The Back Streets And
Crying
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Stax 8518 |
Blues 'n Soul |
● CD $11.98 |
|
LITTLE MILTON: Behind Closed Doors/ Hard Luck Blues/ How
Could You Do It To Me/ Sweet Woman of Mine/ Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I
Do/ Woman Across the River/ Worried Dreamer/ You're No Good
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Stax 8529 |
Grits Aint Groceries |
● CD $11.98 |
Excellent set recorded live at the Summit Club in Los
Angeles in 1972 and unissued until now. Accompanied by a good band Milton
works his way through extended versions of six of his best known songs -
Grits Aint Groceries/ Blind Man/ I Can't Quit You Baby" & others.
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Stax 8550 |
What It Is - Live At Montreux |
● CD $11.98 |
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Telarc 83618 |
Think Of Me |
● CD $18.98 |
12 sides recorded in 2005 - more in the stule of his Stax
sides than his later malaco material.
|
| LITTLE MILTON |
Varese Vintage 66359 |
Anthology, 1953-1961 |
● CD $17.98 |
27 tracks, 73 mins, essential
Fabulous collection of Milton's early work for Sun and Bobbin. Although he didn't have any hits
until he joined Checker in 1961 it certainly wasn't because of lack of
quality in his earlier sides. The Sun recordings made in 1953 in Memphis are
incredibly raw and powerful sides with great singing and band work
(including Ike Turner on piano) and ferocious, slashing guitar playing in
the Willie Johnson/ Matt Murphy vein. His work for the St. Louis based
Bobbin label recorded between 1958 and 1961 is less intense with more
polished arrangements courtesy of St. Louis genius Oliver Sain but there are
many wonderful performances including some great original songs that have
become blues standards like "I'm A Lonely Man" and "I Found A New Love". His
guitar playing isn't as ferocious as on his earlier sides but is powerful
and imaginative. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes
from Bill Dahl. (FS)
LITTLE MILTON: Alone And Blue/ Beggin' My Baby/ Cross My
Heart/ Dead Love/ Hey Girl!/ Hold Me Tight/ Homesick For My Baby/ I Found Me
A New Love/ I Love My Baby/ I'm A Lonely Man/ I'm In Love/ I'm Tryin'/ If
Crying Would Help Me/ If You Love Me/ Let It Be Known/ Long Distance
Operator/ Lookin' For My Baby/ My Baby Pleases Me/ My Mind Is Troubled/ Oo-wee,
Wee Baby/ Re-beat/ Running Wild Blues/ Same Old Blues/ She's My Queen/
Somebody Told Me/ Strange Dreams/ That Will Never Do
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