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NEWSLETTER #127
Blues & Gospel
Various Artists
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 873 |
The Best Of King Gospel |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 69 mins, essential
Fantastic collection of gospel
recorded in the late 40s and early 50s from King and its Federal and DeLuxe
subsidiaries. The King catalog of truly fine gospel has been sorely
underrepresented on CD so this sampling is particularly welcome and is,
hopefully, the beginning of a series. During this time King was home to some
of the greatest gospel groups like The Spirit Of Memphis, Swan Silvertone
Singers and The Trumpeteers along with fine lesser know artists like The
Nightingales, Four Internes and The Cumberland Rivers Singers - all of them
featured here. The performances are either acapella or with discreet guitar,
piano or drum accompaniment. Every track here is a gem but I am particularly
fond of the sides by the Spirit Of Memphis whose King recordings are, in my
opinion, some of the very finest post war gospel recordings. The sublime
tenor leads of Willmer "Little Ax" Broadnax and the searing baritones of
Jethroe Bledsoe and the amazing Silas Steele are truly spine chilling. This
set ends with the incredible two part Lord Jesus recorded by them
live at a church in 1952. Compiled and annotated by Bay Area gospel expert
Opal Louis Nation this is a must. (FS)
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Alligator ALCD 114 |
Crucial Guitar Blues |
● CD $7.98 |
12 tracks, good
Alligator delivers up a varied run of
budget blues discs aimed more toward the beginner level, and these three
compilations should help in pushing their artists to a newer fan base. From
Johnny Winter offering a smoldering and over-the-top I Smell Trouble
to Roy Buchanan's Country Boogie, or Gatemouth Brown's Pressure
Cooker and Lonnie Mack teaming with the late SRV for Double Whammy,
the antics are non-stop and at times, non-bluesy. Michael Burks, Albert
Collins, Coco Montoya, Luther Allison, Little Charlie and the Nightcats,
Tinsley Ellis, Son Seals, and Dave Hole make appearances, and while it could
have easily been titled "Crucial Blues/Rock Guitar", there's enough
straight-ahead string-snapping to satisfy those with more traditional
likings. Nothing in the way of previously unissued sides here, the tracks
are all culled from the bulging Alligator catalog. (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Alligator ALCD 115 |
Crucial Harmonica Blues |
● CD $7.98 |
12 tracks, very good
A dozen harp handlers step up and
offer evidence as to why they've become the more respected names among
harmonica fans. Again, nothing earth shattering or unreleased, this disc is
simply a nice selection for those just getting interested in the Mississippi
saxophone. Have Mercy by Carey Bell and Big Walter Horton stands as
the absolute finest track here, making it worth the entrance fee for the
balance of the set, one that also features James Cotton, Sonny Terry, Rick
Estrin from Little Charlie and the Nightcats, and Sugar Blue. William Clarke
is sadly missed and his Blowin' Like Hell is riveting, Billy Boy
Arnold's Shake The Boogie shows his continuing debt to John Lee
Williamson, and Junior Wells and Billy Branch worked magic on Broke And
Hungry. Not enough to satisfy yet? Charlie Musselwhite steps in as do
Cephas and Wiggins and Delbert McClinton. (CR)
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Alligator 116 |
Crucial Chicago Blues |
● CD $7.98 |
12 tracks, very good
The final disc in Bruce Iglauer's new
product line is a potent ride through the label's 30-plus year history.
Hound Dog Taylor, a searing slide guitarist, was the inspiration for
Alligator's entry in the record market and his slashing style on Take
Five may remain as part of the label's finest hour. Koko Taylor serves
up Ernestine with powerful vocals that can still rattle Chicago's
clubs, Son Seals offers Cotton Picking Blues, Pinetop Perkins hands
in Take It Easy, Baby, and the youngster in the group is Lil' Ed
Williams (nephew of the late J.B. Hutto) with My Mind Is Gone. Also
aboard are the late Luther Allison and Junior Wells, along with Carey Bell,
Magic Slim, Lonnie Brooks, and James Cotton. This gathering and the assembly
of harp players on ALCD 115 offer more traditional fare while the guitar CD
caters to more of a blues/rock crowd. While these won't be crucial to those
with a healthy blues background, they should succeed at heightening the
interest level of those just getting into blues. (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Black & Blue 601-2 |
Chicago Blues Festival, Vol. 1 : 1969-1971 |
● CD $13.98 |
Collection of blues recorded in France by some of the
participants in the annual Chicago Blues Festival - not all of them Chicago
blues artists! Performers featured here include John Lee Hooker, (with
Lowell Fulson, Carey Bell & others) Homesick James (accompanied by The
Aces), Roosevelt Sykes (accompanied by The Aces), The Aces, Eddie Taylor
(accompanied by the Aces), Gatemouth Brown (accompanied by Mickey Baker,
Jimmy Dawkins & others), Cousin Joe (accompanied by Jimmy Dawkins,
"Gatemouth" Brown and others) and Jimmy Dawkins (with Cousin Joe, Gatemouth,
etc). Some worthwhile performances.
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Disky 905020 |
The Roots Of Black Gospel |
● CD $17.98 |
Inexpensive compilation of black gospel featuring 60 tracks
from the 30s and 40s on three CDs. No real surprises though there are a few
relatively obscure cuts - Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, The Jubalaires,
Georgia Peach & Her Gospel Singers, The Golden Gate Quartet, Pilgrim
Travellers, Paul Robeson, Marie Knight, The Southern Sons, Sister Rosetta
Tharpe, The Alphabetical Four, The Soul Stirrers, Selah Jubilee Singers,
Josh White and others.
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Eagle 36292 |
From Clarksdale To Heaven - Remembering John
Lee Hooker |
● CD $16.98 |
14 tracks, very good
An all-star gathering comes together to
pay their respects to John Lee Hooker and the results range from fair to
stunning. On the downside, Jeff Beck's penchant to play endless fusillades
of licks is grating on Will The Circle Be Unbroken and Hobo Blues,
but Peter Green's Splinter Group is solid on Crawlin' Kingsnake. John
Lee's daughter Zakiya Hooker acquits herself well on I Want To Hug You
while Jack Bruce and Gary Moore turn in a brooding I'm In The Mood,
and Moore gets the high honors with a deep and burning Serve Me Right To
Suffer where he leaves his usual pyrotechnics in favor of reserved and
searing soulful guitar work. The bonus is the Boogie Man himself doing
Red House. (CR)
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Electro-Fi 3376 |
Santa's Got A Mojo |
● CD $14.98 |
12 tracks, 55 minutes, excellent
An arresting selection of
Yuletide blues from a bevy of talent. Instead of the usual fare of
overcooked traditional holiday material, most of these are newly written and
superb. Mel Brown's Don't Plan No Party This Christmas features
gritty guitar and great vocals, Snooky Pryor's Check It Out, Santa
smolders with rich harp blasts, and Mark Hummel's Thank You, Santa Claus
is in the alley, as is Willie "Big Eyes" Smith for One Day Till Christmas,
sounding incredibly good on vocals for a change. Jack de Keyzer's The
Twelve Blue Days of Christmas features smoldering guitar even if his
vocals are a little weak and over-the-edge. (CR)
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El Toro 101 |
Come On Daddy |
● CD $15.98 |
Another excellent release from this Spanish label. This is a
collection of jump blues and R&B recorded between 1949 and 1951 featuring
female vocalists. Compiled by British R&B expert Dave Penny it features many
tracks making their first appearance on CD and includes sides by Claudine
Clark, Beverly Wright, Big Mama Thornton (from her first session for the
small E&W label out of Houston in 1950), Connie Allen, Bettye Jean
Washington, Little Esther, Tiny Davis, Toni Harper, Jewel KIng, Kitty
Stevenson, Chubby Kemp, Pearl Traylor, Little Miss Sharecropper and others.
Excellent sound and 8 page illustrated booklet has informative notes by
Penny.
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Flat Top 01 |
Shake 'Em On Down |
● CD $17.98 |
27 track collection of uptempo blues. Unlike most
collections of this type which features city blues the majority of the
tracks here are of the down home variety. Many of the tracks are fairly
familiar but there are a scattering of obscurities and some of the familiar
artists have unfamiliar songs or versions. Includes Slim Harpo, Papa
Lightfoot, Round Robin, John Lee Hooker, Eddie Taylor, Sonny Terry & Brownie
McGhee, Rockin' Dopsie, Bunker Hill, Jim Dickerson (a very different version
of the title song), Bo Diddley, Lightnin' Hopkins, Dr. Ross, Washboard Sam
and others.
JIM DICKERSON: Shake 'em On Down/ BO DIDDLEY: Give Me A Break (man)/ Who May
Your Lover Be/ You Don't Love Me/ TINY FULLER: Cat Walk/ SLIM HARPO: It's
Cool Baby/ That Ain't Your Business/ BUNKER HILL: Red Riding Hood & The
Wolf/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: I Wanna Ramble/ Shake It Baby/ LIGHTNIN HOPKINS: Hear
Me Talkin'/ HOWLING WOLF: Do The Do/ You Be Mine/ PEE WEE HUGHES: Country
Boy Blues/ PAPA LIGHTFOOT: Mean Ol' Train/ ROCKIN' DOPSIE: Ma Negresse/ DR.
ROSS: New York Breakdown/ ROUND ROBIN: I'm The Wolfman/ GEORGE SMITH: Yes
Baby/ JAY SWAN: You Don't Love Me/ TARHEEL SLIM: Number 9 Train/ EDDIE
TAYLER: I Wanna Love You/ SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE: Rockin' & Whoopin'/
SONNY TERRY AND BROWNIE MCGHEE: Ride And Roll/ Rock Island Line/ WASHBOARD
SAM: Diggin' My Potatos/ MUDDY WATERS: I Need Love
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Indigo 2532 |
The R&B Hits Of 1952 |
● CD $19.98 |
The latest in Indigo's series devoted to R&B hits takes us
to 1952 with a three CD set featuring 75 great blues and R&B tracks. In
spite of the title only about half of these titles made the R&B charts and
even though many important R&B hits are omitted including several #1s. With
that in mind this is certainly a great collection featuring sides by
Bullmoose Jackson, The Dominoes, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bobby Lewis,
Sonny Boy Williamson, Jackie Brenston, The Swallows, Howlin' Wolf, The Five
Sharps, Willie Mabon, Ray Charles, The Soul Stirrers, Shirley & Lee, Fats
Domino, Tiny Bradshaw, B.B. King, The Five Keys, Lester Williams, Lloyd
Price, Rosco Gordon, Big Maybelle, Sonny Thompson, The Clovers and many
others. Sound quality is excellent and the set is handsomely packaged.
JOHNNY ACE: My Song/ MARIE ADAMS: I'm Gonna Play The Honky Tonks/ JESSE
BELVIN: Dream Girl/ BIG MAYBELLE: Gabbin' Blues/ BOBBY BLAND: Lovin' Blues/
EARL BOSTIC: Moonglow/ EDDIE BOYD: Cool Kind Treatment/ Five Long Years/
TINY BRADSHAW: Train Kept A Rollin'/ JACKIE BRENSTON: Hi Ho Baby/ CHARLES
BROWN: Hard Times/ ROY BROWN: Good Rockin' Man/ RUTH BROWN: 5 10 15 Hours/
Daddy Daddy/ RAY CHARLES: Kissa Me Baby/ THE CLOVERS: Hey Miss Fannie/ Ting
A Ling/ SAM COOKE & THE SOUL STIRRERS: It Won't Be Very Long/ VARETTA
DILLARD: Easy Easy Baby/ FLOYD DIXON: Call Operator 210/ FATS DOMINO: Goin'
Home/ THE DOMINOES: Have Mercy Baby/ THE FIVE KEYS: How Long/ THE FIVE
SHARPS: Stormy Weather/ JIMMY FORREST: Night Train/ LOWELL FULSON: Guitar
Shuffle/ ROSCO GORDON: Booted/ No More Doggin'/ JOHN GREER: Got You On My
Mind/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Keep On Churnin' (til The Butter Come)/ JOHN LEE
HOOKER: Key To The Highway/ Walkin' The Boogie/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Gone With
The Wind/ CAMILLE HOWARD: Xtemperaneous Boogie/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Saddle My
Pony/ FLUFFY HUNTER: Walkin' Blues/ IVORY JOE HUNTER: Rockin' Chair Boogie/
BULL MOOSE JACKSON: Big Ten Inch Record/ ELMER JAMES (BIG BOY CRUDUP): Gonna
Find My Baby/ B.B. KING: Boogie Woogie Woman/ You Know I Love You/ BOBBY
LEWIS: Mumbles Blues/ PETE 'GUITAR' LEWIS: Louisiana Hop/ SMILEY LEWIS:
Bells Are Ringing/ LITTLE ESTHER: Ring A Ding Doo/ Saturday Night Daddy/
LITTLE RICHARD: Thinkin' 'bout My Mother/ LITTLE WALTER: Juke/ Mean Old
World/ 'LITTLE' WILLIE LITTLEFIELD: Turn The Lamp Down Low/ WILLIE MABON: I
Don't Know/ PERCY MAYFIELD: Big Question/ EDNA MCGRIFF: It's Raining/
MEMPHIS SLIM: No Mail Blues/ AMOS MILBURN: Thinking And Drinking/ ROY
MILTON: So Tired/ THE ORIOLES: Getting Tired Tired Tired/ JOHNNY OTIS:
Sunset To Dawn/ LLOYD PRICE: Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ THE RAVENS: Rock Me All
Night Long/ SHIRLEY & LEE: I'm Gone/ THE SWALLOWS: Beside You/ TAMPA RED:
I'm Gonna Put You Down/ SONNY THOMPSON: Mellow Blues (part 1)/ JOE TURNER:
Sweet Sixteen/ T-BONE WALKER: Street Walkin' Woman/ BILLY WARD & THE
DOMINOES: I'd Be Satisfied/ DINAH WASHINGTON: New Blowtop Blues/ MUDDY
WATERS: She Moves Me/ Standing Around Cryin'/ LESTER WILLIAMS: I Can't Lose
With The Stuff I Use/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Mr Downchild/ Nime Below Zero/
CHUCK WILLIS: My Story/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Lucille
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Inside Sounds 508 |
Gary Davis Style - The Legacy Of Reverend
Gary Davis |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, excellent
The influence of Reverend Gary Davis
indeed stretches far and wide and while this CD offers interpretations of a
wide cast, it doesn't fully display just how many artists have come under
Davis' spell. Willie Walker and Blind Boy Fuller step up with South
Carolina Rag and Rag, Mama, Rag respectively while the balance of
the CD focuses on more current folks; Ari Eisinger, Maria Muldaur, Ernie
Hawkins, Cephas and Wiggins, and others. Eric Noden's take on Pure
Religion is captivating and William Lee Ellis offers one of the finer
tracks with a stark and haunting I Heard The Angels Singing. Ian
Buchanan with the Otis Brothers on Hesitation Blues is pure and
unadulterated and Perry Lederman's Gary Davis Style, an instrumental,
captures the essence of Reverend Gary's intricate fingerstyle approach while
Rick Ruskin's closer, I Will Do My Last Singing In This Land, is a
fine choice to end this tribute. (CR)
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JSP 7702 |
Charley Patton & Associates - Complete
Recordings |
● CD $28.98 |
5CDs, 92 tracks, 285 minutes
The importance of Charley
Patton seems to have crested with three box sets in the last two years.
Catfish entered in early 2001 with their well done, yet inexpensive, 3-disc
set and Revenant finished out the year with an elaborate and costly 7-CD
masterpiece. JSP hands in yet another Patton box, this time five CD's with
close to five hours of playing time.
Chronologically laid out, disc one
contains Patton's fourteen tracks as well as four from Buddy Boy Hawkins
dating to the June, 1929, session in Richmond. Disc two gathers sixteen of
the sides Charley delivered in October of 1929 in Grafton, Wisconsin, along
with Edith North Johnson's four piano offerings, while the third disc in the
set also stems from the same session; Patton's even dozen are coupled with
four from Henry 'Son' Sims. Disc four compiles the stunning sixteen tracks
from the June, 1930 date, where Patton brought along Son House, Willie
Brown, and Louise Johnson. House is spellbinding for three two-part
masterpieces; My Black Mama/ Preachin' The Blues, and Dry Spell
Blues, while the test of Walkin' Blues sounds absolutely better
than ever. Brown's pairing of Future Blues and M&O Blues is
breathtaking as well, and Louise Johnson's five show a driving pianist not
afraid to get in the alley with the two-part All Night Long. The
fifth CD has a few additional Patton cuts from the same date plus Wheeler
Ford's powerful vocals fronting the Delta Big Four in May, while the balance
is made up of Charley's final sessions. He traveled to New York in late
January of 1934, and over three days, he and Bertha Lee delivered a dozen
sides.
While there's not a lot of gloss and shine to the JSP box, it does
offer incredible value. With much more included compared to the Catfish box,
JSP comes out far ahead. Granted, it doesn't measure up to Revenant's
expensive polish, and although it is a little less designed than what
Catfish offers, by comparing all three sets, "Charley Patton: Complete
Recordings 1929 - 1934" wins in the bargain sweepstakes. Sound quality on
all three is far better than what many Patton devotees have ever heard, but
mastering by 'The Masked Marvel' on the JSP set does sound better in many
spots over the other two contenders. (CR)
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Official 506 |
Gonna Rock The Blues .. Again |
● CD $17.98 |
30 tracks, 78 mins, recommended
Like the first volume
(Official 503) this is another energetic collection of blues - both down
home and urban. Much of it is fairly familiar (Tell Me Mama by Little
Walter, Look On Yonder Wall by Elmore James, etc.) but there are some
fine lesser known titles like Bill Simpson's excellent Jelly Roll Man
or Danny Boy's Wild Women. It's all good and among the other artists
are Bull Moose Jackson, Cousin leroy, Roosevelt Sykes, Arbee Stidham (a
better than average performance from him on the upbeat Sixty Minutes To
Wait), Little Willie Foster, Willie Nix (a fabulous reworking of
"Catfish" as Just Can't Stay), Chuck Higgins, Amos Milburn, Memphis
Slim, John Lee Hooker, Homesick james, Long John Hunter, Hound Dog Taylor,
J.B. Lenoir, Louisiana Red (his classic Too Poor To Die) and others.
Good sound and booklet with artist photos and label shots. (FS)
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Pacific Blues 2001 |
Friday Night Live |
● CD $14.98 |
18 tracks, 68 minutes, good
John "Juke" Logan and Ellen
Bloom's long-running radio show (1992 - 2000) drew a wide list of artists
who stopped by and delivered on-air performances, some of those making up
the music here. Guests include Lonnie Brooks, Johnny Dyer and Rick Holmstrom,
Floyd Dixon, Janiva Magness, William Clarke. Catfish Hodge doing Pancake
Man seems like fodder, Lee McBee is potent on Otis Hicks' Help Me
Spend My Gold, Pete Anderson's Working Class is fair, and The
Blazers Come On Baby is rockabilly, but Rich and Maureen DelGrosso's
Keep Your Nose Outta My Business is stellar. The left-in radio banter
detracts from the flow, which is a bit scattered to begin with. (CR)
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Rounder 1861 |
The Land Where Blues Began |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks, highly recommended
With the book by Alan Lomax of
the same title back in publication, the astounding music on this CD should
make for a delightful pairing. A stunning combination of Library of Congress
recordings done between 1933 and 1959. Son House's gathering with Willie
Brown and friends for Walkin' Blues is worth the price by itself, and
with interviews, prison recordings, congregation choirs and more, it's an
incredible look at America. Sampson Pittman and Calvin Frazier's I Been
Down In The Circle Before is stunning. Sound quality is a bit spotty at
times, but the honesty in everything makes up for the sonic shortfalls. 40
page booklet included. (CR)
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Sepia 003 |
Eeny Meeny Moe! |
● CD $16.98 |
Available again - fine 20 track collection of rocking blues,
R&B and gospel - much of it pretty obscure - Boogie Jake, Jesse Perkins,
Prentice Moreland, Senor Jimenez, Reverend Lofton & The Holy Travelers,
Little Nat, Frankie Dee, Jack Rodgers, Little Luther, Richard Turley, and
others. Minimal duplications with other reissues.
BOBBY "GUITAR" BENNETT: Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ BOOGIE JAKE: Early Morning Blues/
THE CHEROKEES: Uprising/ FRANKIE DEE: Let's Go Steady/ FLOYD DIXON: Oooh
Little Girl/ SENOR JIMENEZ: Shake The Can/ JIMMY LEWIS: Ga-go-go/ LITTLE
LUTHER: Eeny Meeny Minie Moe/ LITTLE NAT: Tally Wally/ REVEREND LOFTON & THE
HOLY TRAVELLERS: Look To Jesus/ L.C. MCKINLEY: Nit Wit/ PRENTICE MORELAND:
Holy Mack‘rel/ JESSE PERKINS & THE BAD BOYS: One More Kiss/ BILLY RANDALL:
Bye Bye Teacher/ JACK RODGERS: Hey Team!/ GENE ROSS: Rockin' China Doll/
HENRI STROGIN: Old Folks Boogie While The Young Ones Twist/ RICHARD TURLEY:
I Wanna Dance/ NOBLE "THIN MAN" WATTS: Hot Tamales/ PEARL WOOD: Sippin'
Sorrow
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 317 |
Stompin', Vol. 17 |
● CD $15.98 |
A new volume in this great series of obscure rocking blues
from the 50s and 60s features another 22 winners . A few names are
moderately familiar (Syl Johnson, John Littlejohn, Clarence Samuels, etc.)
but its mostly unknowns like John J. Moses, Earl Chatman, Viola Russell,
JImmy Toliver, Charles Epps, The Dukes Of Rhythm and others. Excellent sound
and informative notes on all the tracks.
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Telarc 83575 |
A Salute To Delta Blues Masters |
● CD $29.98 |
3 CDs, 40 tracks, very good While there are a few weaker
moments scattered about, the balance shows respectful covers of Robert
Johnson, Charley Patton, and Mississippi Fred McDowell songs. Originally
issued as single CD's, Telarc has repackaged everything into a smart box and
the gathering is impressive. Old veterans like Robert Jr. Lockwood, Pinetop
Perkins and Honeyboy Edwards are together with young slide wiz Derek Trucks
and Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart on the Johnson set while the songs of Patton are
shared by Dave Van Ronk, Charlie Musselwhite, Guy Davis and others. David
Maxwell's cover of McDowell's I Thought I Heard Somebody Call is some of the
most haunting piano in decades and alone worth the price. (CR)
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Varese Vintage 66383 |
Sun Records - 25 More Blues Classics |
● CD $16.98 |
25 tracks, excellent With a solid handful of previously
unissued cuts present, this follow-up is a remarkable companion to last
year's compilation. Earl Hooker's Razorback and Boyd Gilmore's
Believe I'll Settle Down both dish out slashing guitar and there's
plenty more of that, plus piano boogies, harp shuffles, and horn-led R&B to
please a number of fans. Frank Ballard's Trouble Down The Road is a
brilliant look at how the music was changing and become more modern. Fully
remastered sound makes for brilliant sonics and Bill Dahl's liner notes are
rewarding and informative. (CR)
FRANK BALLARD: Trouble Down The Road/ KENNETH BANKS: High/ CHARLIE BOOKER:
Walked All Night/ JAMES COTTON: Hold Me In Your Arms/ My Baby/ BILLY (THE
KID) EMERSON: Move Baby Move/ Satisfied/ FRANK FROST: Everything's Alright/
BOYD GILMORE: Believe I'll Settle Down/ EARL HOOKER: Razorback/ WALTER
HORTON: Off The Wall, (talkin')/ SAMMY LEWIS & WILLIE JOHNSON: So Long Baby
Goodbye/ LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE FLAMES: Fussin' And Fightin' Blues/ Sittin' At
The Bar/ JOE HILL LOUIS: She May Be Yours (but She Comes To See Me
Sometime)/ BILLY "RED" LOVE: Gee I Wish/ HOT SHOT LOVE: Harmonica Jam/
WILLIE NIX: Seems Like A Million Years/ DOCTOR ROSS: Chicago Breakdown/ Juke
Box Boogie/ EDDIE SNOW: Bring Your Love Back Home/ HOUSTON STOKES: Baby's
Gone And Left Me/ RUFUS THOMAS JR.: Save That Money/ Walking In The Rain/
MOSE VINSON: My Love Has Gone
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Zu Zazz ZCD 2019 |
The Assassination - Acapella Gospel From
Memphis |
● CD $19.98 |
We've turned up some copies of this great set which appears
to now be out of print. This fine Memphis gospel quartet collection dwells
on traditional-style singing with acapella and sparse "hold the vocals in
key" accompaniments. Featured are songs by Ollie (Hoskins) Nightingale and
the Dixie Nightingales, formerly The Original Gospel Writers who turned to
soul music on Stax in the late 60's, billed then as Ollie & The
Nightingales. The group sings close and sweet, and on the title cut The
Assassination (the murder of President Kennedy), Ollie comes across with
conviction. From the same period (1963) are three by The (Memphis)
Revelators, who emote a righteous job on Rev. Claude Jeter's A Lady
Called Mother. The most impressive sides (three in all) come from Clara
Anderson & The Harps Of Melody, who offer a stunning rendition of God Is
Using Me. We end out with four by the current set of Gospel Writers, led
by the soulful Willie Wilson who gives a beautiful reading of The Sunset
Travelers' Wonderful Jesus. Cuts by the two last artists mentioned
are from Kip Lornell sessions recorded in 1983 at Memphis State University.
Excellent southern traditional quartet singing. Recommended. (OLN)
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