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NEWSLETTER #128
Blues & Gospel
Chris Thomas King -> Big John
Wrencher
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
32-20 1 |
Yonder Come The Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
A new label that is a subsidiary of Document
This 24 track
collection features recordings picked to illustrate the recently published
book of the same name which republishes three important and seminal studies
of blues originally published in England in the early 70s. "Savannah
Syncopaters" by Paul Oliver looking at the possible African retentions in
blues, Tony Russell's "Blacks, Whites & Blues" looking at the musical
interchange between black and white musicians in the pre war era and Robert
Dixon & John Godrich's "Recording The Blues' discussing the history of the
recording business as it realted to recording blues. This collection
includes some of Paul's African field recordings plus some pre war country
and pre-war and post war blues. One CD is not sufficient to really
illustrate all the material in the book but it is an enjoyable adjunct to
the book and in addition to the African recordings includes sides by Othar
Turner, Lonnie Coleman, Charlie Poole, Darby & Tarleton, Too Tight Henry,
The Prairie Ramblers, Bob Wills & The Texas PLayboys, Blind Lemon Jefferson,
Reverend J.M. Gates, Robert Wilkins, Lil Johnson and others. The enclosed
booklet includes brief introductions by each of the authors.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 876 |
The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Vol. 1 |
● CD $18.98 |
Long awaited first volume in a series documenting recordings
made in the Southern states in the early 50s by the Modern Record Company.
This first volume features recordings made by partner Joe Bihari with the
assistance of Ike Turner in Arkansas & Mississippi in 1951 and 1952. The
most well known artist recorded was the great Elmore James but we also hear
from Drifting Slim, Houston Boines, Charlie Booker, Red Boyd & His
Orchestra, Ernest lane, Sunny Blair & Junior Brooks. Downhome blues at its
finest with extensive notes from Jim O'Neal and three previously unissued
tracks.
SUNNY BLAIR: 5 Foot 3 Blues/ Glad To Be Back Home/ HOUSTON BOINES: Going
Home/ Relation Blues/ CHARLIE BOOKER: Moonrise Blues/ No Ridin' Blues/
Rabbit Blues/ RED BOYD ORCHESTRA: Red' Ride/ JUNIOR BROOKS: Lone Town Blues/
She's The Little Girl For Me/ DRIFTING SLIM: Down South Blues/ My Little
Machine/ BOYD GILMORE: I Believe I'll Settle Down/ I Love My Little Woman/
If That's Your Girl/ If That's Your Girl/ Just An Army Boy/ Ramblin' On My
Mind/ Ramblin' On My Mind/ Ramblin' On My Mind/ ELMORE JAMES: Hand In Hand/
Please Find My Baby/ ERNEST LANE: Little Girl Little Girl/ What's Wrong Baby
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 884 |
Surefire Hits On Central - The South Central
R&B Scene |
● CD $18.98 |
First in a new series paying tribute to the blues and R&B
scene in Los Angeles in the late 40s and early 50s which was focussed on
Central avenue. The 26 track collection features many hits.
JESSE BELVIN: Dream Girl/ RICHARD BERRY: Get Out Of The Car/ HADDA BROOKS:
Out Of The Blue/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Blues After Hours/ FLOYD DIXON TRIO:
Dallas Blues/ ERNIE FREEMAN COMBO: Jivin' Around (part 1)/ GENE & EUNICE: Ko
Ko Mo (i Love You So)/ JIMMY GRISSOM & THE RED CALLENDER SEXTET: Once There
Lived A Fool/ ROY HAWKINS: Why Do Everything Happen To Me/ CHUCK HIGGINS
COMBO: Pachuko Hop/ JOE HOUSTON: All Night Long/ ETTA JAMES & THE PEACHES:
Wallflower (dance With Me Henry)/ JOE LIGGINS & HIS HONEYDRIPPERS:
Honeydripper/ LITTLE CAESAR: Goodbye Baby/ 'LITTLE' WILLIE LITTLEFIELD: It's
Midnight (no Place To Go)/ 'BIG' JAY MCNEELY: Deacon's Hop/ THE MEADOWLARKS:
Heaven And Paradise/ THE MEDALLIONS: Letter/ ROY MILTON & HIS SOLID SENDERS:
Hucklebuck/ JOHNNY MOORE TRIO & CHARLES BROWN: You Won't Let Me Go/ JOHNNY
OTIS QUINTETTE: Double Crossing Blues/ THE PENGUINS: Ookey Ook/ GENE
PHILLIPS: Stinkin' Drunk/ JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON: Three Hours Past Midnight/
JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Who's Been Jiving You/ YOUNG JESSIE: Mary Lou
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fremeaux & Associes 5053 |
Gospel Vol. 4: Sisters & Divas |
● CD $25.98 |
Two CDs, 40 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection of
gospel recorded between 1943 and 1951 featuring some of the great female
vocalists including familiar legendary artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe,
Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Clara Ward and Dorothy Love Coates along
with less familiar artists like Georgia Peach, Queen C. Anderson, Myrtle
Scott, Willie Mae Williams, Goldia Haynes and others. Quite a few of the
tracks are available elsewhere but they benefit here from the context. The
performances are consistently moving and compelling. Sound quality is superb
and the 48 page booklet includes notes in French and English, artist photos
and label shots and full discographical details. Another winner for
Fremeaux. (FS)
QUEEN C. ANDERSON: Jesus, The Perfect Answer/ MARTHA BASS: Wasn't It A Pity
How The Punished My Lord/ DELOIS BARRETT CAMPBELL: What A Blessing In Jesus/
SISTER WYNONA CARR: Each Day/ I Heard Mother Pray One Day/ I'm A Pilgrim
Traveler/ DOROTHY LOVE COATES: Get Away Jordan/ I'm Sealed/ EDNA GALLMON
COOKE: Glory To His Name/ VIVIAN COOPER: The Lord Blessed Me/ SISTER ETHEL
DAVENPORT: Recommended Jesus To You/ MARY DELOATCH: I Really Believe/ The
Lord's Gospel Train/ GEORGIA PEACH: Where The Sun Will Never Go Down/ Who Is
That Knockin?/ BESSIE GRIFFIN: Someday Somewhere/ The Lifeboat/ GOLDIA
HAYNES: The Truth Is The Gospel/ MAHALIA JACKSON: Go Tell It In The
Mountain/ I Can Put My Trust In Jesus/ MARIE KNIGHT: I'm Must See Jesus/ In
Shaded Green Pastures/ What Could I Do/ SISTER LILLIE MAE LITTLEJOHN: Go
Devil Go/ ROBERTA MARTIN: What A Friend/ You'll Understand It Better/ SALLIE
MARTIN: God Is A Battle Axe/ SISTER CORA MARTIN: Every Day Of My Life/ LENA
PHILLIPS: All That I Have Is In Jesus/ SISTER JESSIE MAE RENFRO: Rock Of
Ages/ MYRTLE SCOTT: The Lord Will Make Away/ WILLIE MAE FORD SMITH: Going On
With The Spirit/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: Ain't No Room In Church For Liars/
Jesus Is Here To Stay/ CLARA WARD: How I Got Over/ The Fountain/ SISTER
ERNESTINE WASHINGTON: Does Jesus Care/ My Record Will Be There/ MARION
WILLIAMS: How Far Am I From Canaan/ WILLIE MAE WILLIAMS: Where The Sun Never
Goes Down
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fuel 2000 61273 |
Blues, Booze, Harps & Guitars |
● CD $19.98 |
2 CDs, 33 tracks, excellent
Fuel2000 puts together a fine
set of startling blues with a pair of discs here, mostly drawn from 50s
recordings for Chicago based JOB and Cobra labels. The first is a knock-down
brawl of electric guitar work by Otis Rush (All Your Love), Elmore
James (Knocking At Your Door), Guitar Shorty (You Don't Treat Me
Right), Magic Sam (Easy Baby), Robert Jr. Lockwood (Aw, Aw
Baby), Ike Turner (Down And Out), Fenton Robinson (You Say
You're Leaving), Albert Collins (Collins' Shuffle) and others.
Disc two focuses on superb harp players; one side of Sonny Boy Williamson's
rare, originally unissued, Cobra outing (Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket),
Snooky Pryor (Boogy Fool), Louis Myers (Just Whaling and
Bluesy), Junior Wells (Come On In This House and Cha Cha Cha
In Blue), John Lee Henley (Rhythm Rockin' Boogie), plus Big
Walter Horton, Frank Frost, Sam Myers, Wild Child Butler, Jerry McCain,
Little Willie Foster, Jimmy Reed, and more. (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Morada 101 |
O Blues, Where Art Thou? |
● CD $11.98 |
15 tracks, 43 mins, recommended
Goofy title, goofy cover art
but this is a fine collection of blues from the early 50s, mostly from the
vaults of Bob Shad's Jax and Sittin' In With labels. Most of this has been
out before but some of it is not readily available and it has been mastered
from original master tapes by outstanding remastering engineer Steve Hoffman
who really brings out the best from these 50 year old tapes. It includes two
superb Modern sides by John Lee Hooker plus Jax/ Sittin' In With tracks by
Brownie & Sonny (some of their best), Smokey Hogg, James Wayne (his classic
Junco Partner), Peppermint Harris, L.C. Williams and Ray Charles. Bob
Gaddy is listed on the back but Bulldog Blues is actually a Sonny &
Brownie track. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Morada 102 |
O Gospel, Where Art Thou? |
● CD $11.98 |
17 tracks, 47 mins, essential
Ostensibly another silly cash
in this is a superb collection of gospel from the late 40s and early 50s,
mostly acapella, recorded for Bob Shad's Sittin In With and Jax labels.
There are some stunning performances here - particularly from The Kings Of
Harmony (4 spine chilling tracks including a particular fine version of
Precious Lord), the incredible Echoes Of Zion and The Blind Boys (two
tracks by an outstanding group that is neither of the Blind Boys groups we
are familiar with - who are they?). The rest of the artists are also fine
including the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers, The Golden Gates Quartet (another
mystery - not the well known group of this name), The Dixiaires (including
the fascinating Christ's ABC's which is retitled The Lord's
Alphabet here) and The Atlanta Pilgrim Travelers. Includes generic notes
by Bob Shad from an old Time LP but sound is superb courtesy of Steve
Hoffman. Let's hope this label keeps cashing in on the movie with more from
these vaults! (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
RPM 509 |
Shuggie Otis - In Session Information |
● CD $15.98 |
Collection of 15 sides recorded in the mid 70s for Johnny
Otis's Blues Spectrum label featuring a number of blues and R&B pioneers,
including Otis himself, doing versions of some of their most popular songs.
Produced by Otis and featuring some of the leading L.A. sideman it also
featured Otis's brilliantly talented son Shuggie on guitar and bass. These
sessions were recorded around the same time as Shuggie's solo LP
"Inspiration Information" - hence the album title. Among the artists
featured are Richard Berry, Roy Milton, Eddie Vinson, Charles Brown, Joe
Liggins and Otis himself.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40134 |
Classic Blues From Smithsonian Folkways |
● CD $11.98 |
Budget priced compilation of blues tracks drawn from the
extensive Folkways catalog. Most, but not all, are drawn from currently
available CDs - Sonny Terry & Bronwie McGhee, Memphis Slim & Willie Dixon,
K.C. Douglas, Lead Belly, Champion Jack Dupree, Edith North Johnson & Henry
Brown, Cat Iron, Lightnin' Hopkins, Henry Townsend, David "Honeboy" Edwards,
Elizabeth Cotten, The Original Chambers Brothers and more - 26 tracks in
all.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Vestapol DVD 13002 |
Legends of Bottleneck Blues Guitar |
● CD $22.98 |
DVD 15 tracks, 58 mins, recommended
Now on DVD. There's nothing
quite like the keening sound of the slide guitar and this splendid
collection of film clips presents 6 authentic masters - Son House (2 songs),
Johnny Shines (2), Fred McDowell (5), Jesse Fuller (3), Mance Lipscomb (1)
and Furry Lewis (1). Except for one 1965 clip of House all are in color and
recorded between 1968 and 1970 for the University of Washington
Ethnomusicology Archives. All the artists are in fine form though Johnny
Shines seems a little uncomfortable and his performances are a bit
restrained. Son House is the very antithesis of restrained and his powerful
performances have such an intensity that they are emotionally draining.
Fuller does a couple of eerie instrumentals using a medicine bottle as a
slide. Visual quality is excellent, sound quality is a bit rough but it's
all worth while. An invaluable collection. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Vestapol DVD 13004 |
Legends Of Traditional Fingerstyle Guitar |
● CD $22.98 |
DVD 21 performances, 58 mins, color/ black & white, highly
recommended
Now on DVD. A terrific collection of traditional songs and
tunes performed by 9 performers - black and white. The common link to al the
performances is the strong blues element throughout. Merle Travis displays his
influential picking style on 3 songs from 1951 Snader transcriptions. Sam
McGee was an influential performer from an earlier generation and he and
brother Kirk are in fine form on 3 tunes from the Wilburn Brothers TV shows
including a tremendous version of Railroad Blues that Sam had
previously recorded more than 30 year earlier. Roscoe Holcomb may not be the
most impressive guitarist here but was an incredible singer and his Poor
Wayfaring Stranger is truly spine chilling. Elizabeth Cotten
demonstrates her unique style on four performances including her trademark
song Freight Train. Doc Watson is in stunning form on two solo
performances from 1966 and there are 3 fine performances from 1980 where he
is joined by son Merle and bassist Michael Coleman. Merle contributes some
nice slide lick on Mississippi John Hurts Got The Blues, Cant Be
Satisfied. Also featured are Mance Lipscomb, Josh White, Brownie McGhee
and Sonny Terry and Rev. Gary Davis (with harmonica accompaniment by Larry
Johnson). Another most worthwhile addition to your video library. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Vestapol DVD 13038 |
Legends Of The Delta Blues |
● CD $22.98 |
DVD Now on DVD. 62 minute video featuring performances in black
& white and color by Son House, Bukka White, Johnny Shines & John Lee
Hooker.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Westside 923 |
Fine, Fine Baby - King's Queens |
● CD $18.98 |
Fine collection of 25 jump blues recorded between 1946 and
'49 for King and its' Queen subsidiary by some great female vocalists -
Mabel Smith (aka Big Maybelle), Annisteen Allen (including a duet with
Bullmoose Jackson), Tina Dixon, Bixie Crawford & Mabel Scott. Includes five
previously unissued songs or alternate takes.
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| EDDIE
"CLEANHEAD" VINSON |
Ace CDCHD 877 |
Bald Headed Blues |
● CD $18.98 |
The complete King recordings cut between 1949 and 1952 by
this distinctive bluesman including a previously unissued (and thought lost)
song Sittin' On It All The Time which was later recorded by Wynonie
Harris.
EDDIE "CLEANHEAD" VINSON: Ashes On My Pillow/ Bald Headed Blues/ Big Mouth
Gal/ Eddie's Bounce/ Featherbed Mama/ Good Bread Alley/ Home Boy/ I Need You
Tonight/ I Trusted You Baby (but You Double Crossed Me)/ I'm Gonna Wind Your
Clock/ I'm Weak But Willing/ If You Don't Think I'm Sinking (look What A
Hole I'm In)/ Jump And Grunt/ Lonesome Train/ My Big Brass Bed Is Gone/ No
Good Woman Blues/ Peas And Rice/ People On My Party Line/ Person To Person/
Person To Person (alternative Take)/ Queen Bee Blues/ Rainy Mornin' Blues/
Sittin' On It All The Time/ Somebody Done Stole My Cherry Red/ Time After
Time/ Wineola
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| T-BONE WALKER |
Wounded Bird 6483 |
Very Rare |
● CD $14.98 |
20 tracks, 66 mins, recommended Reissue of two LP set from
1973 featuring T-Bone's last studio recordings produced by Leiber & Stoller.
Though T-Bone was not in the best of health by this time (he died two years
later) and only plays occasional guitar his voice is still fine and the
producers have made a fine effort to give him a worthy send off. He is
surrounded by an incredible array of great blues, jazz and rock musicians
including Charles Brown, James Booker, David "Fathead" Newman, Dizzy
Gillespie, Richard Bennett, Paul Humphrey and others plus vocal backup by
the Sweet Inspirations on a couple of cuts. Rather than just reprising his
most famous songs he is featured on some fine songs by Leiber & Stoller
along with some excellent covers. Songs include Striking On You Baby/ The
Last Clean Shirt/ The Come Back/ Don't Give Me The Runaround/ Person To
Person/ Three Corn Patches/ Just A Little Bit/ Been Down So Long/ Kansas
City/ Stormy Monday, etc. A few of the songs are over arranged but for
the most part this is a very worthwhile album. (FS)
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| CASEY BILL WELDON |
Fremeaux & Associes 268 |
Slide Guitar Swing, 1927-1938 |
● CD $25.98 |
Two CD set with 36 tracks recorded between 1927 and 1938 by
this brilliant slide guitarist and fine singer.
CASEY BILL WELDON: Back Door Blues/ Brown Skin Woman/ Casey Bill's New W.p.a./
Doctor's Blues/ Flood Water Blues/ Go Ahead Buddy/ Gonna Take My Time/
Guitar Swing/ Has My Gal Been Here?/ Hitch Me To Your Buggy And Drive Me
Like A Mule/ I Believe I'll Make A Change/ I Believe You're Cheatin' On Me/
I'll Get A Break Someday/ Lady Doctor Blues/ Midnight Blues/ No Good Woman/
Oh! Red/ Please Come On Down To My House/ Red Hot Blues/ Rooster Blues/
Round And Round/ Sales Lady/ Somebody Changed The Lock On That Door/
Streamline Woman/ Street Walkin' Blues/ Talkin' To Myself/ The Big Boat/
Turpentine Blues/ Two Timin' Woman/ Walkin' In My Sleep/ Way Down In
Louisiana/ We Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town/ You Gotta Do Your Duty/
You Just As Well Let Her Go/ You Shouldn't Do That/ You Waited Too Long
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| BIG JOHN WRENCHER |
Castle CMRCD 649 |
Big John's Boogie Plus |
● CD $14.98 |
12 tracks, recommended
Fine set recorded in England in 1974.
Born in Mississippi in 1923, Wrencher made a name for himself singing and
blowing his harp in Chicago blues clubs and on Chicago sidewalks, but he
never found anything like commercial success before his death in '77. This
set was recorded while he was on a European tour and features him
accompanied by fine Chicago guitarist Eddie Taylor along with British blues
stalwarts Bob Hall, Bob Brunning and Peter York. The material is a mix of
originals or reworked standards and John and the band sound good throughout
on a set of basic stripped down Chicago blues with solid, but not flashy,
playing from all. The influences of Howling Wolf and Little Walter are
frequently present but John was very much his own man. (FS)
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