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BLUES
& GOSPEL
NEWSLETTER #125
Blues & Gospel
Barrelhouse Check -> Todd Rhodes
| ERVIN CHARLES |
Dialtone 003 |
Greyhound Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
11 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Superb collection of
blues and soul featuring outstanding Texas singer/ guitarist Ervin Charles.
Although Charles started his musical career in the early 50s this is his
only solo album and, sadly, his last, since he passed away last year. Born
in Louisiana in 1932, his family moved to Texas in the early 50s where he
began his career playing in a band with Long John Hunter and subsequently
tutored a young Phillip Walker in blues guitar technique. Charles is a
strong voiced singer and a brilliant guitarist with a crisp, lyrical and
economical approach that is a joy to listen to. Except for two greaat
instrumental workouts his material is all covers but Charles gives them new
life - even Everyday I have The Blues sounds fresh. Charles shares
the vocal spotlight with his long time friend Richard Earl who is a splendid
deep soul singer with a style influenced by Geater Davis and Bobby Bland.
His version of Sweet Woman's Love with soulful guitar riffs by
Charles is a gem. The small group accompanying are generally excellent
though I find Paul Orta's harmonica playing a little too busy and intrusive
for my liking. A very fine release. (FS)
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| PEE WEE CRAYTON |
Indigo IGOCD 2526 |
The Essential Pee Wee Crayton |
● CD $11.98 |
25 track collection of sides by this brilliant singer and
guitarist recorded between 1947 and 1951. Most of these tracks have
previously been reissued by Ace with superior production (632 & 767) though
this does include a couple of cuts from his very first session which are not
readily available elsewhere.
PEE WEE CRAYTON: Answer To Blues After Hours/ Blues After Hours/ Boogie
Woogie Upstairs/ Bounce Pee Wee/ Brand New Woman/ Central Avenue Blue/
Change Your Way Of Lovin'/ Dedicating The Blues/ Don't Ever Fall In Love/
Good Little Woman/ Huckle Boogie/ I Love You So/ I'm Still In Love With You/
Long After Hours/ Louella Brown/ Old Fashioned Baby/ Pee Wee Special/ Please
Come Back/ Poppa Stoppa/ Rock Island Blues/ Rockin' The Blues/ Some Rainy
Days/ Texas Hop/ Tired Of Travelin'/ When Darkness Falls
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| DARYL DAVIS |
Armadillo 010 |
American Roots |
● CD $13.98 |
12 tracks, 40 min, very good Rock 'n' roll, boogie, country
a little blues, even a bit of Cajun from this fine Chicago pianist who's
best know for playing piano with Chuck Berry AND with being hand-picked by
Pinetop Perkins to replace him in The Legendary Blues Band. "Double D" pays
tribute to America's roots music in style & also in pictures - there's shots
in the booklet of Daryl with Chuck, Little Richard, Pinetop, Jerry Lee, Fats
Domino & Johnnie Johnson, who he dedicates his Double D Boogie to.
(GM)
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| CECIL GANT |
Blue Moon 6029 |
The Complete Recordings, Volume 3 :
1945-1946 |
● CD $13.98 |
The long awaited third volume of the carefully compiled
series of the work of this fine and important singer and piano player
|
| THE GOLDEN GATE QUARTET |
MSI CDMS 1194 |
Voices Of Legend |
● CD $29.98 |
Four CD set featuring recordings made in the 90s by this
veteran gospel quartet. The first CD features a live concert from the early
90s with lead by Carl Riddick - they are accompanied by large group as well
as a French choir and it's pretty horrible. The other three CDs are from the
late 90s and features the lead singing of the excellent Frank Davis. On
these they are accompanied by various small groups. These performances are
appealing but a far cry from the sound that made them gospel pioneers. Set
comes with a nice 40 page booklet with a chronology of the groups career in
English, French and Spanish plus about 30 photos of the group taken
throughout their lengthy career.
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| JOHN LEE HOOKER |
Body & Soul 3074242 |
Complete John Lee Hooker, Vol. 4 : Detroit
1950-51 |
● CD $24.98 |
46 tracks, essential. The fourth volume in this great series
is now available featuring 46 tracks recorded by John Lee in 1950 and 1951.
To the great pleasure of blues fans many years later John Lee was willing to
record for anyone who had the money to pay him and the sides here recorded
for Bernie Bessman, Joe Von Battle and others were released on a number of
different labels and includes sides not originally issued. The majority of
the songs here are just John Lee, his guitar and stomping foot but by April,
1951 there was a a second guitar added on some tracks - that of Eddie
Kirkland whose playing was some of the most sympathetic of Hooker's early
years though, as always, it is Hooker on his own that is the most
compelling. Among the highlights here are several different "takes" of the
song Tease Me Baby based on a song by bluesman Tony Hollins - as
always a Hooker alternate is a very different performance and always
fabulous. (FS)
JOHN LEE HOOKER: Anybody Seen My Baby/ Bumble Bee Blues/ Cat Fish/ Dreamin'
Blues/ Feed Her All Night/ Four Women In My Life/ Grinder Man/ Ground Hog/
Ground Hog Blues/ High Priced Woman/ House Rent Boogie/ How Can You Do It/
How Long Must I Be Your Slave/ I Did Everything/ I Met The Grindin' Man/ I
Need Lovin'/ I Work For Her Everyday/ I'm Going Away/ I'm In The Mood/ I'm
In The Mood/ If You Need My Lovin' Baby/ Johnny Lee's Mood/ Just Me And My
Telephone/ Leave My Wife Alone/ Little Boy Blue/ Looking For Romance/
Louise/ Me And A Woman/ Mean Old Train/ My Daddy Was A Jockey/ Nobody To
Talk To Me/ Prison Bound/ Questionnaire Blues/ Ramblin' By Myself/ Reach My
Goal/ Real Gone Gal/ Streets Is Filled With Women/ Tease Me Baby/ Tease Me
Baby/ Turn Over A New Leaf/ Two Voice Original Mood/ Union Station Blues/
Walkin' This Highway/ Wandering Blues/ Whistle Done Blown/ You've Got
Another Man
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| JOHN LEE HOOKER |
JSP JSPCD 7703 |
Classic Early Years, 1948-1951 |
● CD $28.98 |
4 CDs, 100 tracks, essential unless ... A great cross
section of the early years of the John Lee's career when he was recording
some of the most powerful and raw music ever recordings. If, like me, you're
a true Hooker fan you'll want to keep with the incredible two CD sets on
Body & Soul which are reissuing everything in chronological order - three
sets are already available covering up to 1950 with a fourth volume due very
shortly. If the Body & Soul series is too much Hooker for you (heaven
forbid!) this is an inexpensive way to get about half the recordings from
those critical early years. Sound quality is excellent and each CD has
informative notes by Neil Slaven (who also annotated the Body & Soul sets).
(FS)
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| IVORY JOE HUNTER |
Classics 5026 |
The Chronological Ivory Joe Hunter, 1947 |
● CD $14.98 |
25 tracks, recommended
The Ivory Joe Hunter saga continues
with 25 tracks from 1947. A diverse mixture of jivey jazzy jump blues,
blues, blues ballads and pretty much straight ahead pop songs. Sidemen
include Pee Wee Crayton, Ben Webster, Sonny Turner, Owen Bradley, Tyree
Glenn, Russell Procope and others. Includes two top ten hits with the ballad
Don't Fall In Love With Me and the fine blues What Did You Do Me.
(FS)
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| LARRY JOHNSON |
Armadillo 005 |
Blues For Harlem |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
1999 recordings made in
England by this fine Piedmont styled bluesman from New York. Johnson was
born in Georgia but moved to the Big Apple in the 50s where he fell under
the spell and guidance of Rev. Gary Davis who helped hone Larry's skill as a
very fine guitarist. Over the years he has recorded a number of excellent
albums. This collection includes a few originals along with some blues and
gospel standards - some learned from Davis - his approach to overly familiar
numbers like Mean Ol' Frisco and Things I Used To Do are
refreshingly appealing. Highlight for me is the original gospel song Hear
The Angels Singing which includes a very effective intro on organ! The
set also includes a 10 minute interview with Larry which is mostly about his
early days in Harlem. The music here is excellent - my main quibble is the
guitar sound - instead of the full bodied, warm sound of an acoustic guitar
he plays a lightly amplified electric guitar which lends a rather clinical
and unappealing quality to the music. (FS)
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| LARRY JOHNSON |
Armadillo 0013 |
Two Gun Green |
● CD $15.98 |
10 tracks, 42 min, recommended
Spending most of his first 20
years in his native Georgia, then the following 40 in Harlem, including time
studying with the Rev Gary Davis, Johnson is as much a songster as a
bluesman, playing in the Georgia style, but also telling stories, especiallu
in Charlie Stone & the title tune. Backing by the Brian Kramer Trio
from Stockholm with an added drummer, recording as The Couch Lizards, doing
mostly Johnson originals along with fine versions of Irene Goodnight/ Old
Time Religion & Evening Sun Go Down. Liner notes by Sam Charters,
who first worked with Johnson on his mid-60s Prestige/ Bluesville
recordings. (GM)
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| LOUIS JORDAN |
Proper BOX 47 |
Jivin' With Jordan |
● CD $24.98 |
Holy battling Louis Jordan boxes! A couple of months ago JSP
issued a five CD set featuring 121 tracks by Louis recorded between 1938 and
1950 for $29.98 (24.78 cents per song) and here comes Proper with a slightly
less complete set featuring 100 tracks from the same period for $25.98
(25.98 cents per song). The JSP has minimal documentation while the Proper
has a handome 40 page illustrated booklet. As they say - you pays yer money
you take yer choice!
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| B.B. KING |
Ace ABOXCD 8 |
The Vintage Years |
● CD $72.98 |
The long awaited B.B. King box set is finally available
featuring a cross section of B.B.'s seminal recordings made for the Modern
group of labels between 1950 and 1961 when he moved to ABC. These are the
recordings that helped define post war electric blues by one of it's
greatest exponents. 106 tracks on four CDs housed in handsome 12" x 6" box
with a 74 page full color book featuring essays by compiler John Broven and
Colin Escott based on new interviews with B.B., Joe Bihari of Modern and Sam
Phillips, a detailed track analysis, discography and an essay on the
research entailed in getting the best possible sound from tapes in the
vault. The first CD is devoted to B.B.'s most popular songs from this era
and the other three trace B.B. development over the years. 27 of the songs
were in the R&B charts - four of them attaining the #1 spot. The set
includes several previously unissued cuts and a number in stereo.
B.B. KING: 3 O'clock Blues/ A New Way Of Driving/ Ain't Nobody's Business/
B.b. Blues/ B.b. Boogie/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Baby, Look At You/ Bad Case
Of Love/ Bad Luck/ Bad Luck Soul/ Be Careful With A Fool/ Beautician Blues/
Blind Love/ Blue Shadows/ Blues Stay Away From Me/ Boogie Rock (aka House
Rocker)/ Boogie Woogie Woman/ Christmas Celebration/ Confessin' The Blues/
Crying Won't Help You/ Dark Is The Night (pt 1)/ Dark Is The Night (pt 2)/
Days Of Old/ Did You Ever Love A Woman/ Don't Get Around Much Anymore/ Don't
Look Now, But I've Got The Blues/ Don't You Want A Man Like Me/ Down Now/
Downhearted (how Blue Can You Get?)/ Early In The Morning/ Every Day I Have
The Blues/ Everything I Do Is Wrong/ Fine Lookin' Woman/ Fishin' After Me
(aka Catfish Blues)/ Five Long Years/ Get Out Of Here/ Gonna Miss You Around
Here/ Good Man Gone Bad/ Got 'em Bad/ Gotta Find My Baby/ Hard Workin'
Woman/ Highway Bound/ Hold That Train/ I'll Survive/ I'm King/ I've Got A
Right To Love My Baby/ I've Got Papers On You, Baby/ It's A Mean World/ Let
Me Love You/ Let's Do The Boogie/ Long Gone Baby/ Love You Baby (aka Take A
Swing With Me)/ Make Me Blue/ Mashed Potato Twist/ Mean Old Frisco/
Mistreated Woman/ My Baby's Gone/ My Own Fault Aka It's My Fault/ My Own
Fault, Darlin' Aka It's My Fault/ Neighborhood Affair/ On My Word Of Honor/
Partin' Time/ Please Accept My Love/ Please Help Me/ Please Love Me/ Pray
For You/ Praying To The Lord/ Precious Lord/ Questionnaire Blues/ Recession
Blues/ Rock Me Baby/ Shake It Up And Go/ She Don't Move Me No More/ She's A
Mean Woman/ She's Dynamite/ Sneakin' Around/ Some Day, Somewhere/ Story From
My Heart And Soul/ Sweet Little Angel/ Sweet Little Angel/ Sweet Sixteen
(pts 1 & 2)/ Sweet Thing/ Ten Long Years/ That Ain't The Way To Do It/ That
Evil Child/ The Jungle/ The Other Night Blues/ The Woman I Love/ The Worst
Thing In My Life/ Tomorrow Is Another Day/ Walkin' And Cryin'/ Walking Dr
Bill/ When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer/ Whole Lotta' Love/ Why Did You
Leave Me/ Why I Sing The Blues/ Why Not/ Woke Up This Morning/ Worry Worry/
You Didn't Want Me/ You Don't Know/ You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now/ You
Know I Go For You/ You Know I Love You/ You Upset Me Baby/ You're Breaking
My Heart
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| JIMMY "BABY
FACE" LEWIS |
Blue Moon 6028 |
The Complete Recordings, 19471955 |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks, recommended
Fine overlooked singer and guitarist.
Lewis was a good singer and performed up tempo jump numbers, slow blues and
ballads. He was also a solid, if not particularly original, guitarist. He is
accompanied by various fine groups including Floyd Campbell & His Orch, The
Tab Smith Orchestra, Joe Morris' Blues Cavalcade and others. Songs include
Jospehine/ Lonesome Road/ Dusty Road/ I'm Wise To You Baby/ Bulging Eyes/
How Long Baby/ Mailman Blues/ I'm Still In Love/ Slippin' & Slidin'/ Let's
Get Together & Make Some Love/ Cherry Wine and others. Good sound and
informative notes by Opal Louis Nations. (FS)
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| 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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| A.C.
LITTLEFIELD & THE ORIGINAL BELLS OF JOY |
Dialtone 0001 |
Second Time Around |
● CD $14.98 |
11 tracks, 43 mins, recommended
The Texas based Bells Of Joy
were among the top gospel groups of the 50s and 60s, recording for, among
others, Peacock, Checker and Nashboro and having a hit with their version of
Let's Talk About Jesus. A few years ago the groups leader A.C.
Littlefield decided to reform the group with another original member A.D.
Watson and the addition of several other fine singers. The result is a fine
collection of old time gospel quartet singing with accompaniments by guitars
and drums. The excellent Littlefield is featured on lead on five songs
including a remake of Let's Talk About Jesus and other tracks feature
leads by Alton Cyphers or Al Brown. Fine leads with strong harmony work
making for an enjoyable collection. (FS)
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| BIG JOE LOUIS |
Ace CDCHD 833 |
Big Joe Louis/ Stars In The Sky |
● CD $18.98 |
Two CD set at a single CD price featuring two albums from
late 80s/ early 90s by popular British bluesman plus previously unissued
bonus cuts from the same sessions.
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| ROBERT MCCOY |
Delmark 759 |
Bye Bye Baby |
● CD $14.98 |
21 tracks, 69 mins, essential
Fabulous collection of
barrelhouse piano blues from Birmingham, Alabama singer & piano player
Robert McCoy. McCoy started his musical career in the mid 20s inspired by
the playing of his older brothers as well such artists as Clarence "Pinetop"
Smith, "Cow Cow" Davenport, Jabo Williams and Leroy Carr. He performed
regularly and although he never recorded under his own name he played on
recordings by the likes of "Jaybird" Coleman, "Peanut The Kidnapper" and
Guitar Slim. Like many others, economic conditions put an end to his musical
careerin the 30s. He was discovered by 14 years old blues enthusiast Pat
Cather in 1961 who recorded him on a number of occasions over the next few
years and issued two now extremely rare albums on his own Vulcan label. The
first 14 cuts here are beautifully recorded studio sides, five of them
previously unissued, and the remaining seven tracks (6 of them previously
unissued) were recorded "on location" and have inferior sound though
featuring fine performances. On the basis of these recordings McCoy was a
major talent - a wonderful and expressive singer and a sensational piano
player with a rolling style that is both energetic and sensitive - you can
hear the influences of some of the people he associated with but he is very
much an original. His material is a fine mix of traditional based originals
and original takes of songs from the repertoire of St. Louis Jimmy, Leroy
Carr, Pinetop Smith and others. The opening cut Bye Bye Baby is a
real stunner as is his take on Luke Jordan's Church Bell Blues and
Leroy Carr's Gone Mother Blues. That McCoy didn't become a regular on
the blues circuit is a real shame. A second CD of McCoy's recordings for
Cather is in the works for which I can only say "hallelujah"! (FS)
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| JACK MCVEA |
Delmark 756 |
McVoutie's Central Avenue Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
23 tracks, 71 minutes, essential
The title says it all! Like
the other Apollo performer reviewed in this issue, Illinios Jacquet, Jack
was a member of the great Lionel Hampton Orch, on baritone, & later went on
to JATP. Unlike Jacquet, McVea here is mostly in the singers' back-up band
blowing some fine solos, along with trumpeter Teddy Buckner, on these Apollo
sides recorded in 1945. Heard most here is singer Rabon Tarrant, but the
best known is Wynonie Harris on Gone With The Wind & Baby Look At
You. Also heard from include Cee Pee Johnson, Bob Mosley & Duke
Henderson, along with 3 McVea instrumentals. Around this time McVea recorded
with Slim Gaillard & by the next year he would record a little tune called
Open The Door Richard (not on this set). (GM)
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| MEMPHIS SLIM |
Blue City 816 |
The Ultimate Memphis Slim Hits Collection |
● CD $18.98 |
A collection of 29 tracks by the popular and prolific
Memphis Slim - mostly from the 40s and early 50s with some of later vintage.
In spite of the title, two of his biggest hits Blue And Lonesome and
The Come Back are not included!. This is a decent introduction to
Slim's music but the total lack of notes or discographical information
doesn't do the neophyte collector any favors.
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| AMOS MILBURN |
Indigo 2506 |
Booze Babes Blues & Boogie - Essential Amos
Milburn |
● CD $22.98 |
Two CD set with 48 tracks from one of my all time favorite
bluesmen. The tracks cover the period 1946 through 1951 which means that the
title "essential" is a little misleading as Amos made later recordings that
could be considered more essential than some of those here - still it's all
wonderful stuff if you don't already have it. Includes After Midnite/
Down the Road Apiece/ Money Hustlin' Woman/ Pot Luck Boogie/ Chicken Shack
Boogie/ A&M Blues/ Walkin' Blues/ Boogie Woogie/ Bad, Bad Whiskey/ Amos'
Blues/ Blues At Sundown/ Bye Bye Boogie/ Bweildered/ Johnson Rag/ Sax Shack
Boogie/ I'm Gonna Tell My Mama/ Just One More Drink and lots more.
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| BIG MILLER |
Collectables 7453 |
Revelations & The Blues/ Big Miller Sings,
Twists, shou |
● CD $13.98 |
22 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
Clarence "Big" Miller was a
big voiced singer from Sioux City, Iowa. His voice is strongly reminiscent
of Jimmy Witherspoon. His handful of recordings were made with jazz
musicians and so he is not very well to blues aficionados. This CD reissues
two LPs recorded for Columbia in 1961 and '62. The first album was recorded
with several different small groups and is mostly original blues written by
Miller - particularly impressive is the rocking I Know with some hot
sax by Plas Johnson. The second album features Miller with a large band and
is mostly jazz and pop standards (Am I Blue/ I Gotta Right To Sing The
Blues/ Near You), etc. Pleasant enough but nothing original. (FS)
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| TODD RHODES |
Classics 5019 |
The Chronological Todd Rhodes, 1947-1949 |
● CD $14.98 |
20 tracks, 55 mins, highly recommended
Terrific collection
of mostly instrumental R&B and jazz featuring a band led by veteran piano
player Todd Rhodes who got his start in the 20s as a member of McKinney's
Cotton Pickers. The band was very hot featuring trumpeter Howard Thompson
and a dynamite three sax line up (Holly Dismukes/alto, Louis Barnet/tenor
and George Favors/ baritone). They were equally at home on a hard driving
rocker like Bell Boy Boogie and a gently swinging ballad like
Lonely Echoes. Their second session from October 1947 yielded their
first R&B - the wonderful mid tempo Blues For The Red Boy which some
eight years later Alan Freed adopted as the them song for his Moondog radio
program. For the band's third session in January 1949 they added a second
tenor sax (Louis Bennett) and had their second and last hit Pot Likker.
Although mostly instrumental there is one appealing song from the band's
regular vocalist Louis Sanders who was a waiter at the Sensation Lounge
which was the bands home for a number of years. Judging by the quality of
the music here Rhodes' relative obscurity is undeserved. (FS)
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