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NEWSLETTER #127
Blues & Gospel
The Aces -> Ivory Joe Hunter
| THE ACES | Black & Blue 445-2 | Chicago Beat | ● CD $13.98 |
| 16 tracks, recommended Reissue of 1973 LP with six bonus
unissued cuts. The Aces were one of the greatest Chicago blues bands
featuring Louis Myers/ vocal, harmonica & guitar, brother Dave on bass and
vocals and the great Freddie Below on drums. They worked in the 50s with
Little Walter and many other performers. They eventually drifted apart but
reunited in the late 60s and worked extensively through the 70s. These
recordings were made in France in 1970 and '73 with Willie Mabon on piano
and Jimmy Rogers, Mickey Baker or Eddie Taylor also on guitar. The material
is mostly old favorites (Tell Me Mama/ take A
Little Walk With Me/ Got My Mojo Working/ Kansas City/ Money, Marbles &
Chalk/ Blue Shadows/ Fannie Mae,
etc) but the group tackle with vereve and imagination and the cohesiveness
of their playing is a joy. (FS) |
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| LUTHER ALLISON & FRIENDS | Ruf Records 1060 | Pay It Forward | ● CD $15.98 |
| 11 tracks, 69 minutes, recommended A mix of crunching blues
and soul with seven previously unreleased tracks, this should please fans of
Luther's hard-hitting and always determined approach. From the intense, slow
West Side Chicago workout between Allison and Otis Grand on Perfume And
Grime to playing with his son, Bernard, on Idols In Mind, this is
a fine offering. The recordings stem from Europe and the US and the outtakes
are incredibly strong showing Luther as an artist of remarkable breadth and
passion. The cast includes James Solberg, Joanna Connor, Kenn Lending, and
others. Blues is a little less full since Luther's passing but having
unissued gems brings him a little closer. (CR) |
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| BUSTER BENNETT | Classics 5037 | The Chronological Buster Bennett, 1945-1947 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 22 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended Another fine and
forgotten urban bluesman. Singer and sax player Bennett, originally from
Florida, settled in Chicago in the late 30s and appeared as sideman on
numerous recordings by people like Big Bill Broonzy, Washboard Sam Jimmie
Gordon, Merline Johnson. He recorded a handful of titles under his own name
and these are all featured here along with two sides issued as by Charles
Gray & His Rhumboogie Boy (Gray was Bennett's trumpet player). Bennett was a
fine and distinctive singer and his songs often feature some very original
and witty lyrics. In addition to his vocals Buster plays some fine tenor,
alto or soprano sax and is accompanied by solid small groups.
(FS) BUSTER BENNETT: Broken Down Man/ Crazy Woman Blues/ Don't Jive Me Baby/ Don't Worry About A Thing/ Famous Door Boogie/ Get Too Much Insurance/ Hard Luck Blues/ I Want To Woogie Woogie/ I'm A Bum Again/ It Can Never Happen/ Jersey Cow Boogie/ Leap Frogs Blues/ Let Me Love You, Baby/ Mellow Pot Blues/ Mr. Bennet Blows/ Play Those Riffs/ Reffer Head Woman/ Rockin' My Blues Away/ Signifying Woman/ Stop That Walking Baby/ There Different Woman/ You Are Too Beautiful/Weary River |
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| THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA | Real World 12793 | Higher Ground | ● CD $18.98 |
| 12 tracks, 48 mins, recommended. After more than 50 years of
singing The Blind Boys still sound mighty good. Leader Clarence Fountain's
voice may not have the power it had in the 50s but he still sings with
consummate soul and conviction and the harmonies of the group are still
stellar. This album is a perfect example of how to update an old sound and
do it right. The group is backed by sacred steel guitarist Robert Randolph
and his group The Family Band joined by guitarist Ben Harper on several
cuts. The material is a mix of traditional gospel songs (Wade In The
Water/ Precious Lord< etc) and more contemporary compositions which
reflect the same message (Curtis Mayfields' People Get Ready, the
title song written by Stevie Wonder, Funkadelic's You And Your Folks
and others). (FS) |
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| CLEO BROWN | Classics 1252 | The Chronological Cleo Brown, 1935-1951 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 25 tracks, recommended Cleo was one of the first female
Chicago boogie woogie singers/ pianists whose off color cabaret type
stylings forged the way for Nellie Lutcher, Julia Lee and Martha Davis.
Backed by small combos whose notable members included drummers Gene Krupa or
Tubby Hall, guitarist Bobby Sherwood and others. Cleo's sly, sometimes coy,
warblings set against strong bluesy piano solos made her one of the great
boogie gals of the 30's, at times she comes off as a female Fats Waller.
Includes her version of Pinetop Smith's classic Boogie Woogie plus
When Hollywood Goes Black & Tan/ The Stuff Is here And It's Mellow/ Pelican
Stomp/ Mama Don't Want No Peas An' Rice An' Coconut Oil/ My Gal Mezzanine,
etc. 17 of these tracks were issued on a President CD a few years ago but
this represents her complete output. (OLN/FS) |
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| ROY BROWN | Classics 5036 | The Chronolological Roy Brown | ● CD $14.98 |
| 22 tracks, 67 mins, essential. While the French Classics
label is mostly known for their jazz reissues, they also have a healthy R&B
side. This is their second Brown collection & has six complete sessions done
for Deluxe, April 1950 to March 1952. Though the sessions are credited to
Brown & His Mighty-Mighty Men, the final session here was rejected & may
actually have had Lucky Millender's Orch. backing. The brass-heavy band,
with Edgar Blanchard on guitar, is heard on such greats as Cadillac Baby/
Hard Luck Blues/ Double Crossin' Woman/ I've Got The Last Laugh Now/ New
Rebecca. and others. (GM) ROY BROWN: Beautician Blues/ Big Town/ Cadillac Baby/ Cryin' And Singin' The
Blues/ Double Crossin Woman/ Dreaming Blues/ Good Man Blues/ Good Rockin'
Man/ Hard Luck Blues/ I've Got The Last Laugh Now/ It's A Cryin' Shame/ Long
About Sundown/ Love Don't Love Nobody/ New Rebecca/ Rock-a-bye Baby/ Sweet
Peach/ Teen Age Jamboree/ Too Much Lovin' Ain't No Good/ Train Time Blues/
Wrong Woman Blues |
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| O.B. BUCHANA | Susie Q SQCD 9018 | I Got Caught | ● CD $16.98 |
| EDDIE "GUITAR" BURNS | Black & Blue 455.2 | Lonesome Feeling | ● CD $13.98 |
| Engaging and solid set from this fine Detroit bluesman
recorded in The Netherlands in 1986 with Billy Branch, Melvin Taylor, Nick
Charles and Julian Vaughan. Mostly original songs along with a few covers.
|
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| R.L. BURNSIDE & THE SOUND MACHINE | Inside Sounds 513 | Raw Electric, 1979-1980 | ● CD $14.98 |
| Fine set of Mississippi juke joint style blues recorded in
1979 and 1980 featuring the popular and prolific performer accompanied on
most tracks by his band The Sound Machine (his songs Joseph and Daniel on
guitars & Calvin Jackson on drums). A few originals and a lot of covers of
songs ranging from traditional to Chicago blues to 70s Malaco - My Woman
Done Left Me/ Dust My Broom/ Last Night/ Going Down South/ How Many More
Years/ Leave Me & My Woman Alone/ Walking Blues/ Searching For My Baby/
Jumper Hanging Out On The Line and others. Produced by David Evans who
provides interesting notes include some useful commentary of Burnside's fat
Possum output. |
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| CANNED HEAT | Varese Vintage 66345 | Don't Forget To Boogie - Vintage Heat | ● CD $13.98 |
| 10 tracks, 24 min, recommended for fans. This 1st saw the
light of day as "Vintage Canned Heat" (Janus 3009 from '69). These are demos
Heat recorded for Johnny Otis in L.A in '66, prior to their 1st LP, with
original drummer Frank Cook. This is some great stuff as far as mid-60s
white blues goes, but only 9 different tunes (there's versions of Rollin'
& Tumblin' with & without harp)& the two "original" tunes here, Big
Road Blues & Straight Ahead are re-worked versions of the Tommy
Johnson classic Big Road Blues , which was re-recorded for their 1st LP &
further reworked as On The Road Again. (GM) |
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| MICKEY CHAMPION | Tondef 17973 | What You Want | ● CD $14.98 |
| 11 tracks, 49 mins, very good. Mickey's second solo album is
a big improvement over her first. This is studio session with her
accompanied by a good sized band including some solid horn work. Although
there a few warhorses here the choice of material is more interesting. I
still find Mickey's voice a little one dimensional with very little dynamic
range. One or two songs sound fine but after a while you long for some
variety. Worth a listen though. (FS) |
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| KING CURTIS & CHAMPION JACK DUPREE | Collectables 6331 | Blues at Montreux | ● CD $11.98 |
| 6 tracks, 38 min., recommended. The pairing of a 61 year-old
blues singer/ piano player with a 36 year-old sax session man may seem
incongruous. But at Montreux in 1971, it was a match. Dupree pumps out a
little piano, says something clever and then trades verses with Curtis's sax
in a song about cheap wine and expensive women. The extrordinary rhythm
section of Jerry Jermott (b) and Oliver Jackson (d) invigorates rather than
just keeping pace. Songs include Junker's Blues/ Sneaky Pete/
Everything's Gonna Be Alright/ Get With It/ Poor Boy Blues/ I'm Having Fun.
A minor find and one of Curtis's last recordings. (JC) |
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| MAD DOG LESTER DAVENPORT | Delmark 763 | I Smell A Rat | ● CD $15.98 |
| 13 tracks, highly recommended Mad Dog Lester Davenport in
the company of Jimmy Dawkins, Billy Flynn, Detroit Junior, Allen Batts, Bob
Stroger, Sho Komiya, and Jimi Schutte is a strong cast indeed. Lester's harp
has the influence of Little Walter, although there's a bit more of a rough
edge, but his tone is motor oil thick. The grooves here run from grinding
shuffles to gritty, slow blues plus a few Wolf-like rockers with Dawkins
sounding less frenetic when he steps out. West Side Blues Harp and
To Our Lost Ones 9/11/01 offer plenty of smoldering harmonica and Lester
lays on the chromatic grease for Stop Beggin' Me. While not the most
gut-wrenching vocalist in Chicago, Davenport's blue-collar voice is pleasing
and well-suited to his raw approach. Stellar support from the rhythm section
and no hint of grandstanding from Dawkins or Flynn, and it's great to hear
Detroit Junior still playing piano. I Smell A Rat is a lowdown
blowdown. (CR) |
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| REV. GARY DAVIS | World Arbiter 2005 | The Sun Of Our Life | ● CD $16.98 |
| 19 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended Remarkable set of
previously unissued recordings from this great singer and guitarist made
between 1955 and 1957. The first half of the album features informal
performances of instrumental pieces and songs - some he never recorded
elsewhere. The second half of the album is truly unique featuring recordings
made at a church service at a store front church in New York where Gary was
a visiting preacher and includes a song by Gary as well as an 20 minute
excerpt of an inspired one hour sermon by him. The 23 page booklet includes
extensive notes by Allan Evans who was one of Davis's students. (FS) |
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| LEFTY DIZZ | Black & Blue 453.2 | Shake For Me | ● CD $13.98 |
| Solid set of Chicago blues recorded in 1979 featuring singer
and left handed guitarist Dizz with a fine band including guitarist Willie
James Lyons, pianist Big Moosse Walker (who also does a couple of vocals and
instrumentals), bassist Mojo Elem and drummer Odie Payne. Dizz is not a
great singer but does a nice job on songs like R.M. Blues/ Take Put Some
Insurance/ Cummins Prison Farm and others including a couple of
originals. |
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| THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS | Benchmark 8003 | What's The Word? | ● CD $15.98 |
| 16 tracks, 43 min, recommended I guess if this was issued
today, this would be called a supergroup, as the members went on to bigger &
better things - Kim Wilson is one of the premier blues harpists & vocalists,
Jimmie Vaughn is almost as famous as his brother Stevie Ray. And the rhythm
section, with the late Keith Ferguson & Mike Buck anchored one of my
all-time fave groups, Big Guitars From Texas, with Ferguson also in another
of my faves, The Tail Gators. This is a reissue of their 2nd LP, their 1st
for a major label - Chrysalis 21287 from '80, with bonus tracks. Fine Texas
music: blues & swamp pop with such covers as Lazy Lester's Sugar Coated
Love, Juke Boy Bonner's Runnin' Shoes & a great version of Guitar
Jr's The Crawl, plus a few originals. The bonus is three live tracks
from The Bottom Line, Austin, including the fun Los Fabulosos
Thunderbirds. (GM) |
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| FLEETWOOD MAC | Sanctuary 81181 | Jumping At Shadows - The Blues Years | ● CD $21.98 |
| 2 CD's, 36 tracks. Recommended Peter Green's relatively
brief period at the helm of what was perhaps Britain's best and most
convincing blues outfit ever provided a wealth of passionate guitar, soulful
vocals, and stunning material long before the bright lights of California
stripped the band of any credibility. It's always a pleasure to listen to
recordings this respectful and searing. The studio and 'live' tracks show a
great cross-section of where this outfit began and where it was heading just
prior to Green's departure and also provides plenty of evidence as to why
they were as respected as they were between 1967 and 1970. Superb sound
throughout even though there's nothing new. (CR) |
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| T-MODEL FORD | Fat Possum 80363 | Bad Man | ● CD $15.98 |
| 10 tracks, recommended. New album of raw electric stripped
down blues from Mississippi blues James "T-Model" Ford. Most of the tracks
are just Ford and drummer Spam doing idiosyncratic reworkings of songs from
the repertoire of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and others
along with a few originals. Powerful and hypnotic music. (FS) |
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| THE FORD BLUES BAND | Blue Rock'it 136 | Tribute To Michael Bloomfield | ● CD $14.98 |
| 18 tracks, very good The Ford Blues Band tip their hat to a
hero with this tribute that combines storming guitar from Robben Ford, Chris
Cain, and Volker Strifler, harp from Andy Just, and a rhythm section of
Patrick Ford and Dewayne Pate. Strifler takes the vocal on Next Time You
See Me and Robben's guitar is riveting on Got A Mind To Give Up
Living, but his voice has never been overly convincing. Cain sounds deep
on Killing My Love and solid for The Ones I Loved Are Gone,
while Blues With A Feeling has Andy Just out front for a good effort.
As expected, the disc is perforated with exceptional guitar but it's not a
vehicle for grandstanding. 5 of the 18 tracks are spoken interview segments
from Bloomfield. (CR) |
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| JOHNNY FULLER | Official 3278 | West Coast R&B And Blues Legend, Vol. 1 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 22 tracks, 64 mins, highly recommended. First of two albums
presenting pretty much the complete 50s and 60s recordings of this superb,
Mississippi born, West Coast bluesman. This first set features his earlier
sides from 1954 and '55 and features some of the funkiest most low down
blues you are likely to hear anywhere. Johnny's voice is deep, dark and
mournful and his guitar playing is truly dark and dirty and these early
songs are often based around traditional themes. The tempo is mostly slow
and Johnny is accompanied by a solid rhythm section and a number of the
tracks feature fine harmonica work by Walter Robertson. Among the songs is a
terrific version of West Coast standard Tin Pan Alley called
Roughest Place In Town which features some of Johnny's finest guitar
work and some lovely piano from George Hurst. Johnny gradually moved away
from these more down home stylings towards the urban style espoused by
Charles Brown and company and a few tracks feature Johnny doing some
crooning on songs like Johnny Ace's Last Letter and Cruel, Cruel
World. They are still very worthwhile though. (FS) |
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| JOHNNY FULLER | Official 3279 | West Coast R&B And Blues Legend, Vol. 2 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 23 tracks, recommended. This second volume covers the period
1955 through 1962 and features Johnny tackling a range of different style -
some more interesting than others. We still have the occasional down home
song (Mercy, Mercy/ Weeping And Moaning/ Strange Land) but we also
have some maudlin ballads (My Heart Is Bleeding/ Whispering Wind,
etc), some black rock 'n' roll (Sister Jenny/ Stop, Look & Listen/ First
Stage Of The Blues, etc) and more including the novelty song Haunted
House which was later a hit for Gene Simmons and the wonderfully
infectious You Got Me Whistling. Though not as consistent as volume
one there is still a lot of fine and worthwhile stuff here. (FS) |
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| LOWELL FULSON | Classics 5044 | The Chronological Lowell Fulson, 1946-1947 | ● CD $14.98 |
| Lowell's early recording history is extensive and
complicated and this first volume features 22 sides recorded between June
1946 and early 1947. The first 12 tracks are utterly superb country blues
featuring Lowell's soulful vocals and distinctive acoustic guitar style
accompanied by his brother Martin on rhythm guitar and the remainder feature
the duo with a small group (piano, bass & drums). The performances are all
superb but it should be pointed out that all these are on Arhoolie 443 along
with four other cuts. LOWELL FULSON: Between Midnight And Day/ Black Widow Spider Blues/ Crying Blues (Street Walking Woman)/ Did You Ever Feel Lucky/ Don't Be So Evil/ Fulson's Blues (Bad Luck And Trouble)/ I Walked All Night/ I Want To See My Baby/ Katie Lee Blues/ Lazy Woman Blues (I Worked So Hard)/ My Baby Left Me (Some Old Lonesome Day) (Goodbye, Goodbye)/ Prison Bound/ Rambling Blues (Crying Won't Make Me Stay)/ River Blues Part 1 (Texas Blues Part 1)/ River Blues Part 2 (Texas Blues Part 2)/ San Francisco Blues/ The Blues Is Killing Me/ Three O'clock Blues/ Trouble Blues/ Western Union Man/ Wild About You/ You're Gonna Miss Me |
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| ROY GAINES | Crosscut CCR 11074 | In The House - Live At Lucerne, Vol. 4 | ● CD $16.98 |
| 11 tracks, 69 minutes, recommended. Another formidable
presence over the years has been Roy Gaines. New Frontier Lover from 2000
was a crushing display of six-string muscle and he picks up with this new
offering. Neil Wauchope handles keyboards in addition to bass and drum work
from Billy Haynes and Chad Wright, while a three-piece horn section fleshes
things out. Gaines might be a descendant of the T-Bone Walker guitar school,
but there's little sign of that here; this is high-powered modern blues with
an occasional nod to the past. Whether shuffling through Wolfman, grinding
through I Got My Thang On You, or taking a comical poke at B.B. King in
Lucille Works For Me, Gaines and company grip together exceptionally well.
One of the most exciting blues guitarists around, his fearless work here is
a testament to his ethic. From the 2001 Lucerne Festival. (CR) |
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| ROSCO GORDON | Varese Vintage 63852 | I'm Gonna Shake It! The Sun Recordings | ● CD $17.98 |
| 22 tracks, 58 mins, highly recommended. Rosco Gordon's Sun
recordings remain classic and timeless regardless of how much time passes.
Jumping blues, boogie, and ballads are generously sprinkled throughout the
set as Gordon's piano fronts small, yet powerful bands with plenty of
bootin' sax and potent drums. From the stomping grooves of Decorate The
Counter and Just Love Me Baby to the hilarious and painfully slow
Weeping Blues or Tired Of Living, Rosco was in great form when
recording for Sam Phillips. Bill Dahl hands in strong liner notes and offers
insight into Rosco's drunken rooster, Butch, but session details are sadly
absent. Incredible music. (CR) ROSCO GORDON: Bop With Me Baby/ Cheese And Crackers/ Decorate The Counter/ I Don‘t Like It/ I Found A New Love/ I Wade Through Muddy Water/ If You Don‘t Love Me Baby/ I‘m Gonna Shake It/ Just Love Me Baby/ Let‘s Get High/ Love For You Baby/ Love With Me Baby/ New Orleans, La/ Nineteen Years/ Real Pretty Mama/ Sally Jo/ Shoobie Oobie/ T-model Boogie/ That‘s What You Do To/ The Chicken (dance With You)/ Tired Of Living/ Weeping Blues |
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| OTIS GRAND | Castle CMDDD 578 | In Grand Style - The Otis Grand Collection | ● CD $18.98 |
| Two CD set featuring 34 tracks by singer/ guitarist who is
considered by many to be Britain's finest blues performer. The tracks are
drawn from five albums recorded between 1988 and 1999 and in addition to his
own band features contributions from Joe Louis Walker, Jimmy "T-99" Nelson,
Sugar Ray Norcia, Luther Allison, Debbie Davies and others. About two thirds
originals and one third covers. |
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| HENRY GRAY & THE CATS | Lucky Cat 1001 | Blues Won't Let Me Take My Rest | ● CD $14.98 |
| 15 tracks, 73 minutes. recommended. This set dates back to
March of 1999 in front of an enthusiastic audience at Grant Street in
Lafayette, LA. Supported by Sonny Landreth and Martin Simpson on slide
guitars, Brian Bruce's rough-edged harp, with Andy Cornett and Earl
Christopher nailing down the rhythm section, Gray's piano is
front-and-center while his vocals are tough and inspired. He sounds vital on
Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues, and his own slow and brooding It
Ain't No Use is particularly lowdown. Rock Me Baby, Dust My
Broom, and Sweet Home Chicago may be over-used warhorses, but
Gray and the Cats deliver them with style. While Landreth and Simpson are
respected for their talents, some might prefer Henry in the company of more
traditional guitarists, but there's no doubt that they add an extra kick
when they step forward. Gray might well be in his 70's now, but he's still
delivering the goods almost 50 years on. (CR) |
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| HENRY GRAY & THE CATS | Lucky Cat 1002 | Watch Yourself | ● CD $14.98 |
| 14 tracks, 56 minutes. Highly recommended. Watch Yourself
takes the approach of Gray's 'live' sets into the confines of a studio -
minus the usual overdubs and phoned-in solos we've fallen victim to. This
time, guitar chores are handled by Paul "Lil' Buck" Sinegal and Olivier
Scoazec, with Sinegal delivering scorching solos to a half-dozen tracks. The
Cats consist of the same outfit on the above CD, fleshed out with Nap
Martin's tenor and alto sax work, and Henry sounds more at home here. With
his band chugging along, Gray smolders through his own Watch Yourself/
You Messed Up/ Talkin' Bout You/ How Could You Do It/ Somebody's Got To Go/
Scratch The Cat, and more. Andy Cornett's bass playing is solid, but his
vocal offering on his Keepin' The Blues Alive is marginal at best.
Henry Gray continues to roll on, and regardless of his age, he maintains a
youthful drive that's downright infectious! (CR) |
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| LIL GREENWOOD | Ace CDCHD 874 | Walking and Singing the Blues | ● CD $18.98 |
| 22 tracks recorded for Modern and Federal by this fine
vocalist based on the West Coast. A mix of blues, R&B and the occasional
ballad (the latter not her strongest suit). She is accompanied by some fine
musicians and on the soulful blues Monday Morning Blues she duets
with Little Willie Littlefield. Greenwood later went on to become a vocalist
with Duke Ellington's Orchestra. |
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| COREY HARRIS | Rounder 3194 | Downhome Sophisticate | ● CD $15.98 |
| 18 tracks, very good. Corey Harris shakes loose after his Vu-Du
Menz CD of 2000 with another journey across a wide musical landscape. He's
not afraid to mix Delta Blues with Jamaican and current trends making the
overall outcome score well. Both the title track and the topical Santoro
find a smart mix of hip-hop and blues and Fire is an excellent
display where he combines soulful vocals with blazing guitar. He completely
revamps Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning and while it might haunt
purists, there's no denying his ability to come up with magical excursions
that should please a more modern audience. (CR) |
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| SMOKEY HOGG | Ace CDCHD 866 | Serve It To The Right | ● CD $18.98 |
| 25 tracks, recommended. Following Ace's fine Smokey Hogg
collection on their Deep Ellum Rambler (CHCHD 780) CD, they continue with a
superb offering in "Serve It To The Right" which compiles a couple dozen
more tracks from the Hogg catalog. Often the unfortunate brunt of barbs and
jokes among collectors, Smokey Hogg might have been a "country-time" player
with his own sense of meter and rhythm, but there's little doubt that he
could swing on some serious down-home blues. This collection gathers up a
fine cross-section of alternate takes and delivers a stunning array of
Hogg's approaches; solo tracks, small band cuts, jumping Texas R&B, and
jazz-tinged swingers. Aided by Maxwell Davis, Willard McDaniel, Hadda
Brooks, Jake Porter, and other top names, while perhaps not a schooled
musician, Smokey Hogg was popular and important enough to the record buying
public to appear on more than a dozen imprints that encompassed over
two-hundred sides. "Serve It To The Right" serves up a fine selection. (CR)
|
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| LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS | JSP JSPCD 7705 | All The Classics, 1946-1951 | ● CD $28.98 |
| 5 CDs, 126 tracks, essential. This set covers the first five
years of Lightnin's recording career, a time when he was at his creative
peak. A variety of companies have previously re-issued some of these sides,
notably EMI ["The Complete Aladdin Sessions") and Arhoolie ("The Gold Star
Sessions Volumes 1 & 2"). All the Aladdin tracks are here apart from four with pianist Thunder Smith where Smith took the vocal, and all the Arhoolie/Gold Star material is included. The remaining titles cover 1950/1 when Hopkins recorded for the Sittin' In With, Jax and Mercury labels. By the time of his recording debut Hopkins had nearly twenty years' experience as a performer and all the elements of his style were firmly established. Transforming traditional blues themes into songs uniquely his own, his world weary vocal style was perfectly balanced by evocative, free flowing guitar phrases. Katy Mae/ Someday Baby/ Short Haired Woman/ Picture On The Wall/ Shotgun/ Fast Mail Rambler, many tracks here really are classics, and although his inspiration may have faltered on some of the early 50s cuts, the overall standard is excellent. Unfortunately these records were made for small town labels and often poorly produced. As a result at times they tend to have a slightly flat sound and occasionally suffer from acoustic problems. JSP have a good reputation for their remastering but on comparing these transfers with the EMI and Arhoolie reissues mentioned above I could detect no appreciable difference in sound quality. The sound improves on the later titles but by this time Lightnin' is saddled with a solitary bass player who plods along behind him and becomes pretty irritating. Still, Hopkins is in fine voice on these later sides, and there is much to enjoy on tracks like Give Me Central 209 or the Hooker-inspired Freight Train Blues. Altogether this is a very worthwhile package and is supported by notes from Neil Slaven which give fascinating insights into Lightnin's life and personality. As is often the case with small post war labels, discographical information is vague and unreliable, and even titles appear uncertain: at any rate there are a number of discrepancies in the titles used here compared with earlier reissues. Having said that it is great to have all this important music in one set at a bargain price. JSP have again delivered the goods. (DPR) |
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| HOWLIN' WOLF | Fuel 2000 61220 | Moanin' At Midnight | ● CD $18.98 |
| 18 tracks, recommended. Wolf's most violent and primal
period was without question while he was recording in Memphis. Aided by the
brutal attack of Willie Johnson's crushing and distorted guitar and a cast
of players as determined as Wolf was to leave their mark, the remastered
sound has plenty of kick and his Memphis sessions show distinct differences
to his later recordings in Chicago. House Rockin' Boogie/ Keep What You
Got/ I'm The Wolf and the rest of these cuts never sounded better. Bill
Dahl's liner notes are informative, as usual, and while there's nothing new
or previously unissued (these tracks were previously reissued on Ace 333),
remain as stellar examples from one of the most powerful performers in the
history of blues. (CR) |
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| MARK HUMMELL | Electro-Fi 3375 | Golden State Blues | ● CD $14.98 |
| 12 tracks, 54 minutes, very good Harp master Mark Hummel
returns with a solid workout and is joined by an equally potent cast of
sidemen. Charles Wheal turns in excellent guitar on nine tracks while Rusty
Zinn and Anson Funderburgh make cameo appearances on a few. Randy Bermudes'
upright bass adds great and traditional sounding bottom to an offering laced
with driving grooves and thick harp and Hummel's voice is pleasing if
unspectacular. The slow Right Back Where I Started is a standout
along with solid readings of Little Walter's Too Late Brother and Ray
Sharpe's Linda Lu. No grandstanding, just working class blues by one
of the better harp players today. (CR) |
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| IVORY JOE HUNTER | Indigo IGODCD 2515 | Blues At Sunrise | ● CD $17.98 |
| Two CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended Although not as
complete as the ongoing Classics series this is a great introduction to the
recordings of this fine and important singer, songwriter and piano player.
It features a healthy cross section of his recordings made between 1945 and
1950 including his many R&B hits including his five number ones. A varied
collection of blues, boogie, jump and ballads with sidemen like Johnny
Moore, Pee Wee Crayton, Wardell Gray, Sonny Turner, Tyree Glenn, Ray Nance,
Taft Jordan and others. Sound is good though a little muffled and set comes
with 8 page booklet with informative (and very tiny) notes by blues expert
Neil Slaven plus full discographical info. (FS) |
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