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NEWSLETTER #127
Blues & Gospel
Blind Lemon Jefferson - > Jim Wynn
| LUTHER JOHNSON |
Black & Blue 431.2 |
They Call Me the Popcorn Man |
● CD $13.98 |
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| LOUISIANA RED |
Severn 0016 |
A Different Shade Of Red - The Woodstock
Sessions |
● CD $15.98 |
11 tracks, 44 minutes, very good
Had Iverson Minter, or
Louisiana Red ceased recording after a few seminal sides in the 1950's, his
position would still be secure among the ranks of blues masters. This set,
recorded at Levon Helm's Barn in 2000, pairs Red with Brian Bisesi and Jimmy
Vivino on guitar, Steve Gomes on bass, Helm's solid drums, and a long list
of guests including David Maxwell and Ola Dixon. From the funk backing and
horn-laced Take Your Time, to the bristling Alabama Train, or
the simple and lowdown acoustic slide featured in Laundromat Blues, everyone
plays their part well. Red is in nice form throughout and his guitar work
has lost none of its flash or brilliance to blend seamlessly with his
distinct and, at times, harrowing vocals. The effortless string band sound
in Phillipa delivers mandolin, acoustic bass, and more of Red's timeless
guitar. (CR)
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| ROY MILTON |
Classics 5041 |
The Chronological Roy Milton, 1945-1946 |
● CD $14.98 |
26 tracks, 73 mins, essential
Drummer, vocalist and
bandleader Roy Milton is a legendary figure in the history of
African-American music, affectionately called by many "the grandfather of
rhythm & blues." Johnny Otis called him a national treasure - an
appellation
that applies to Otis himself. Milton started his musical career in the 1920s
working in Ernie Fields orchestra and subsequently with other bands before
moving to California and forming his own band The Solid Senders in 1938. It
wasn't until 1945 that he landed a record contract with the Hamp-Tone label
and this wonderful collection of recordings from 1945 and '46 features
recordings for Hamp-Tone, Juke Box and his own Roy Milton label which often
featured wonderful cartoon drawings on the label. The music here is a
glorious mixture of blues with a touch of jazz with the band featuring the
brilliant pianist Camille Howard, trumpeter Hosea Sapp, tenor saxist Lorenzo
"Buddy" Floyd and others. Two thirds of the tracks have vocals - usually
featuring the immensely appealing warm tones of Milton plus a few featuring
soulful warbling from Camille. West Coast blues at its' very finest - superb
music from beginning to end. (FS)
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| R.J. MISCHO |
Crosscut CCR 11075 |
Meet Me On The Coast |
● CD $16.98 |
16 tracks, 52 minutes, recommended
Mischo's fourth outing
for Crosscut and he's just as strong here as he has been in the past.
Leaving the upper Midwest for California seems to have been a good move for
this potent harp player as he's joined here by a number of heavies including
Junior Watson, John "Juke" Logan, Ronnie James, and Eddie Clark. Watson
hands in guitar chores for a few along with Frank Goldwasser, who plays on
more than half the disc. Other friends include Jeremy Johnson, Mark Thijs,
and Fillmore Slim. While You Think I'm Lying? sounds closer to a
mid-80's T-Bird rocker, most of the disc is made up of romping blues like
Take It Easy and Passing By Blues. Mischo might not be the
strongest vocalist around, but his voice has blue-collar quality to it that
perfectly matches with his rough-hewn harp. Bobsledding sounds like a
slice of Chicago, circa 1957, and shows R.J.'s penchant for attacking an
original with a decidedly vintage outlook. (CR)
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| KENNY NEAL &
BILLY BRANCH |
Isabel 649801 |
Easy Meeting |
● CD $16.98 |
12 tracks, highly recommended
Blues discs this rewarding are
few and far between. Recorded in France in 1998, this session offers a
superb blend of tradition and spirited originality. St. Louis Jimmy's
Going Down Slow, two Little Walter gems; I Just Keep Loving Her,
with stunning harp, and a refreshing My Babe are acoustic. Vocal
duties are evenly split between the duo and Branch makes use of an amplifier
for Sonny Boy Williamson's Don't Start Me To Talking with warmly
distorted harp tone, and both plug in for Mannish Boy and Billy
And Kenny's Stomp, which sounds like Maxwell Street in the late 1940's.
Northern Man Blues is a slow grind with more distorted harp, and the
disc closes with a minor-key The Son I Never Knew. Enthusiastic
throughout with a telepathy that makes them seem as if they're joined at the
hip. (CR)
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| SONNY PARKER |
Blues Collection 160 282 |
1949-1951 |
● CD $13.98 |
22 tracks, 63 min, highly recommended
Sonny was a great
blues shouter who is little known today, mainly because most of his career
was spent as vocalist for Lionel Hampton, who didn't record a lot of blues
vocals. Sonny's career lasted only from '48 (with King Kolax), joined Hamp
at the age of 23, until '55, when he had a cerebral hemorrhage - he
eventually died in '57 at the age of '31! This set has all his
Hamp-associated sides. Starting with a couple sides with the small-group
Hampton Sextet, with Sammy Price on piano & Wes Montgomery on guitar,
including a jumpin' version of Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-o-dee, then 10
with the full Hamp Orch 12/49-10/51 including Montgomery, Al Grey & the
great Bobby Plater. The remaining sides are with members of Hamp's Orch in
small group settings - Sonny Parker & his All-Stars w/ Montgomery, Grey &
Floyd Dixon, Gene Morris & His Hamptones, also w/ Montgomery, & Gladys
Hampton's Blues Boys with Plater & Milt Buckner. Much of the material is
covers of R&B hits, including Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, Worried
Life Blues/ I want A Little Girl, etc. Extensive duplication with Blue
Moon 6003 issued some years ago but I think sound here is better. (GM)
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| SNOOKY PRYOR |
Electro-Fi 3373 |
Snooky Pryor & His Wrecking Crew |
● CD $14.98 |
10 tracks, recommended
Regardless of his age, Snooky Pryor
is showing little in the way of slowing down. Backed by the tandem guitars
of Mel Brown and Jeff Healy, Pinetop Perkins on piano, and the rhythmic
sense of Bob Stroger and Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, Pryor is forceful and
dynamic throughout the set. The slow and grinding Electro-Fi Blues
with brittle guitar is a standout and Snooky is as potent as ever on
Rock-A-While/ I Ain't Seen My Baby, and everything else here. Sound
quality is sharp from start to finish and it's obvious that proper care was
taken to give Snooky his rich harp tone. He may well be an octogenarian, but
his youthful energy is still as apparent as it was decades ago. (CR)
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| TODD RHODES |
Classics 5040 |
The Chronological Todd Rhodes, 1950-1951 |
● CD $14.98 |
The second volume devoted to this fine bandleader features
22 more tracks including two from 1947 that were left off Volume 1 because
they hand't been found yet. A fine mix of jazz and R&B including some
excellent vocals from Kitty Stevenson.
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| LIL' BUCK SINEGAL |
Lucky Cat 1003 |
Bad Situation |
● CD $14.98 |
14 tracks, 53 minutes. excellent
Paul "Lil' Buck" Sinegal
might not be as well-known outside of his Louisiana surroundings, but with
this disc, he'll certainly move up the ladder. With a background that
included a lengthy stay with Clifton Chenier, he developed some serious
guitar chops; the evidence resides here. The title track is a slow and
smoldering blues laced with wringing licks and powerful rhythm chops, and he
attacks The Blues Is Killing Me with the same sense of abandon, even
if it is more of a ballad. I'll Play The Blues For You and Cold,
Cold Feeling delve into Albert King/Albert Collins territory and his
Pork Chops And Red Beans offers a fine slice of hypnotic groove, while
Further On Up The Road and I Done Got Over It are superb as
well. The small band consists of bass, drums, and keyboard, and Andy
Cornett's harp, which sounds less smooth and overly grating at times (CR)
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| RAY SKJELBRED |
Arcola 1004 |
Plays Blues & Boogie Woogie |
● CD $14.98 |
21 tracks, 76 minutes, very good
Perhaps known primarily as
a jazz pianist, Ray Skjelbred sits down and hands in a solid,
all-instrumental set showing his love for piano blues and boogie. From the
slow and delicate Comiskey Blues, dedicated to Jimmy Yancey, through
Big Maceo's County Jail, a stellar example of his powerful left hand,
or Leroy Carr's Midnight Hour Blues, a wonderful mid-tempo piece, the
heart and feeling are evident. Skjelbred's originals, seven of the
twenty-one cuts, fit seamlessly with the more traditional offerings. While
hardly a household name, his piano work manages the driving bass lines, plus
the grit and grind necessary. Superb sound throughout. (CR)
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| BOB
STROGER & HIS CHICAGO LEGENDS |
Crosscut CCR 11065 |
In The House - Live At Lucerne, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
10 tracks, 68 mins, recommended
While Bob Stroger is
actually the only figure here deserving regard as a legend, there's little
question that his sidemen are certainly contributors to the long history of
blues. Joined by James Wheeler and Billy Flynn on guitar and vocals, Ken Saydak's piano, Ron Sorin's harp, and Marty Binder's backbeats, Stroger
takes the vocals for a few tracks and even though his voice is less than
riveting, his conviction is apparent. Flynn steps up for a rumbling version
of Muddy Waters' Lovin' Man and the microphone goes to Wheeler for
his own Extension 309 before stepping forward to offer the disc's best
singing and excellent guitar. Stroger rolls back out front for a stumbling
Loan Me Train Fare before the gloves come off on Heads Up, an
instrumental example of a unit working remarkably well together. Recorded at
the 1999 Lucerne Blues Festival. (CR)
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| SISTER ROSETTA THARPE |
Savgos 5008 |
Precious Memories |
● CD $16.98 |
10 tracks, 44 minutes, highly recommended
Reissue of Savoy
14214 from 1968 - one of this great artists' last sessions. They are, for
the most part, remakes of earlier classic Decca recordings. Although not as
strong as her earlier work Rosetta is in fine form with powerful vocals and
energetic guitar work accompanied by a small group with organ, piano, bass
and drums. Rosetta seems to get more energized as the album prpgresses
starting off with fairly tame performances of Precious Memories and
Come By Here with most of the instrumental work dominated by the
organ. By the time she starts Walking Up The Kings Highway she is
sounding much more enthusiastic throws in some terrific guitar licks and she
ends of the set with a riproaring version of one of her best known songs
This Train with some sermonizing, great singing and stellar guitar work.
(FS)
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LITTLE AL THOMAS & THE CRAZY HOUSE BAND |
Crosscut CCR 11068 |
In The House - Live At Lucerne, Vol. 3 |
● CD $16.98 |
10 tracks, 58 minutes, very good
Little Al Thomas stepped
into the spotlight with 1999's "South Side Story" on the now-defunct
Cannonball label and proved he was a force to be reckoned with and this
outing stems from a 2000 appearance in Lucerne with the same core band from
his last release; John Edelmann's guitar along with Mot Dutko and T. Edward
Gamelchick providing the grooves. Alto and tenor sax beef up the sound and
everyone provides solid support. Edelmann proves himself a solid songwriter
with a pair, Bad Luck Baby, a storming shuffle and Memphis Girl,
a funky blues, while gems from long ago get updates on Casey Bill Weldon's
Somebody Changed The Lock On My Door, Big Bill's Feel So Good,
Magic Sam's Just Like A Fish, and Chuck Willis' Feel So Bad.
They also take off on Sweet Sixteen and I Gotta Find My Baby,
and a smoldering Nobody Sleepin' In My Bed. A barnstorming set of
blues. (CR)
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| JOHN
"BROADWAY" TUCKER |
Blue Movie 7014 |
Impromptu Blue |
● CD $14.98 |
New album from West Coast bluesman Tucker with a small band
with Bill Heid on piano and organ, Dave Workman/ guitar and others plus
horns on some tracks. Tucker is a good, powerful singer and he performs a
mix of blues and soul favorites (The Woman I LOve/ I'm A Jealous Man/
Help Me/ Tin Pan Alley, etc.) and the band does a good job though Heid's
organ work is sometimes abit intrusive..
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| BIG JOE TURNER |
Collectables 6327 |
The Boss of the Blues |
● CD $11.98 |
Reissue of excellent 1956 album - 10 blues standards with
Joe in top form accompanied by Pete Johnson, Freddie Green, Joe Newman, Pete
Brown and others - with original notes by Whitney Balliet. Cherry Red/
Little Girl/ Wee Baby/ How Long/ St Louis Blues, etc.
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| STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN |
Epic-Legacy 86423 |
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double
Trouble |
● CD $24.98 |
Two CDs, 33 tracks, very good
While there's nothing new
here, "The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble" does offer great
bang for the buck. With a good cross-section of studio and 'Live'
performance recordings that feature wrenching vocals and muscular guitar,
there are heavy doses of Texas thunder in Pride And Joy/ Love Struck Baby,
and Texas Flood, Hendrix excursions in Voodoo Child and
Little Wing, and some of Vaughan's later material after successfully
overcoming his addictive nature where he sounded much more focused and
grounded; Crossfire/ Tightrope/ Wall Of Denial, and Life By The
Drop. For those new to Stevie Ray, there isn't a better introduction to
his crushing abilities, and for those familiar with this material,
remastering has improved the sonics considerably. (CR)
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| EDDIE VINSON |
Classics 5042 |
The Chronological Eddie Vinson, 1947-1949 |
● CD $16.98 |
The second chronological collection of this distinctive
performer features 20 tracks recorded between June 1947 and August 1949.
Eddie uses his distinctive vocal squeal a little too often for my liking but
there are some fine performances here of songs like When I Get Drunk/
Wrong Girl Blues/ Alimony Blues/ I Took The Front Door In/ I'm Gonna Wind
Your Clock/ I'm Weak But Willing and others plus some tasty jazz
instrumentals.
EDDIE VINSON: Alimony Blues/ Ashes On My Pillow/ Eddie's Bounce/ Ever-Ready
Blues/ Featherbed Mama/ Friday Fish Fry/ Have You Ever Missed Your Baby/
High Class Blues/ I Took The Front Door In/ I'm Gonna Wind Your Clock/ I'm
Weak But Willing/ No Good Woman Blues/ Oil Man Blues/ Shavetail/ Some Women
Do/ Somebody Done Stole My Cherry Red/ Wandering Mind Blues/ When I Get
Drunk/ Winola/ Wrong Girl Blues
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| JOE LOUIS WALKER |
Evidence 26126 |
Pasa Tiempo |
● CD $15.98 |
9 tracks, 45 minutes, fair
Walker's musical journey has
indeed been a long one, and with "Pasa Tiempo", he delivers his third
recording for as many labels in 2002. His latest finds him in the company of
a small band including Barry Goldberg's B-3 work along with too much muted
trumpet from Wallace Roney, plus a rhythm section. Over the course of an
entire CD, his voice can become grating, but thankfully, he refrains from
falsetto histrionics. Unfortunately, what's here of interest to blues fans
is far too little. He offers a fine instrumental version of It Hurts Me
Too with plenty of solid slide work and a fair outing on You Can't
Sit Down, but the remaining tracks are covers of Otis Redding, Van
Morrison, John Hiatt, and Boz Scaggs. While Joe Louis Walker can certainly
raise the temperature when playing blues, many will be left cold this time
around. (CR)
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| PHILLIP WALKER |
MC Records 47 |
Live At Biscuits & Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
12 tracks, recommended
While Phillip Walker might not be
getting any younger, his guitar playing remains as taut and sharp as a man
half his age. Recorded in front of an appreciative audience in San Francisco
at a popular blues nightspot, there's a full band with a four-piece horn
section in support. Walker's playing ignites from small embers into
full-bore blazing attack and the mix of shuffles, slow blues, and soul-fused
burners make for an entertaining set. Vocally, he's perhaps a step below
some of his earlier work, but simply put, the man still delivers with all
cylinders humming. (CR)
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| JIMMY WITHERSPOON |
Collectables 6198 |
Hey Mrs. Jones! |
● CD $11.98 |
Reissue of 1961 Reprise album featuring 'Spoon with a large
group arranged and conducted by H.B. Barnum including strings on some
tracks. 'Spoon is in fine voice on a collection of blues and R&B standards
plus some jazz and pop songs. Songs include Hey, Mrs. Jones/ Tanya/ Have
Faith/ Lovey Dovey/ I Don't Know/ Wee Baby Blues/ Pink Champagne, etc.
Musicians include Gerald Wilson, Frank Rosolino, Ben Webster, Harold Land,
Earl Palmer and others. I'm not crazy about the tracks with strings but the
big band arrangements of Lovey Dovey and Willie Mabon's I Don't
Know are a delight.
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| BILLY WRIGHT |
Classics 5046 |
The Chronological Billy Wright, 1949-1951 |
● CD $14.98 |
Excellent collection of 22 early sides by this fine and
important vocalist from Atlanta - he was an influence on Little Richard and
James Brown among others. It includes his R&B hits Blues For My Baby/ You
Satisfy/ Stacked Deck and Hey Little Girl.
BILLY WRIGHT: After Dark Blues/ Back Biting Woman/ Billy's Boogie Blues/
Blues For My Baby/ Drinkin' And Thinkin'/ Fore Day Blues/ Gotta Find My
Baby/ Heavy Hearted Blues/ Hey Little Girl/ I Keep Drinking/ Keep Your Hands
On My Heart/ Married Woman's Boogieá/ Empty Hands/ Mean Old Wine/ Mercy,
Mercy/ New Way Of Lovin'/ Restless Blues/ Stacked Deck/ Thinkin' Blues/ This
Love Of Mine/ When The Wagon Comes/ You Satisfy
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