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NEWSLETTER #133
Blues & Gospel
 Jo Jo Adams -> Jimmy Rushing
 

 

LOST SOUNDS University Of Illinois Press Blacks & The Birth Of The Recording Industry, 1890-1919 ● CD $65.00
BOOK: Hardbound, 634 pages, counts as 14 CDs for shipping. Fascinating and important (and large) new book providing an in depth look at the African-American artists who recorded prior to 1920. The timeliness of this book was brought home by Columbia's recent reissue of blues singer Mamie Smith where they stated that her 1920 recording of Crazy Blues was the first commercial recording by an African-American performer. They couldn't be more wrong as this book documents dozens of artists who recorded before her with the very first commercial recording being by the, up to now, obscure George W. Johnson who first recorded in 1890 and who was one of the most popular recording artists of the 1890s. Based on more than 30 years of original research Brooks provides biographies and discussion of the recordings of Johnson and many other artists like The Unique Quartet, The Standard Quartet, Bert Williams (one table shows that sales of William's recordings between 1918 and 1931 totaled almost 2,000,000), Thomas Craig, Carroll Clark, The Fisk Jubilee Singers, Jack Johnson (the boxer), Apollo JUbilee Quartet, James Reese Europe, Dan Kildare, THe Right Quintette, Wilbur C. Sweatman, Noble Sissle & Eubie Blake, W.C. Handy, The Four Harmony Kings and many others. Included are contemporary accounts from newspapers and journals, rare photos and lots of other ephemera plus an appendix by Dick Spottswood on Caribbean and South American recordings and a discography of available reissues on CD. Although we haven't been able to read the whole book our first impression is that of a very readable effort as well as a labor of love loaded with information which will be new to most readers and will of profound interest to blues and jazz enthusiasts.

 
MOANIN' AT MIDNIGHT The Life And Times Of Howlin' Wolf Pantheon Books Wolf by James Segrest & Mark Offman ● CD $26.95
Hardbound, 398 pages, counts as 7 CDs for shipping. Just arrived. First biography of one of the all time great bluesmen tracing his life and his music from his youth in Mississippi where he met and was influenced by some of the legends of Mississippi Delta blues to his time in Memphis where he began his recording career to his move to Chicago and his ascendancy to being one of the most popular and important artists on the Chicago blues scene in the 50s and 60s. Based on years of research it includes much new information and includes rare photos and a basic discography.

 
ANNISTEEN ALLEN Classics 5096 The Chronological Annisteen Allen, 1945-1953 ● CD $14.98
23 track collection of sides by this fine jazz/ R&B vocalist who started her career as vocalist with the Lucky Millender band (these tracks are available on Classics 1026 and 1173 by Millender). The first nine tracks are from 1945 & '46 and were recorded for Queen as Annisteen Allen & Her Home Town Boys (featuring members of the Millinder band recording out of contract). She didn't record again under her own name until 1951 and the remaining tracks were recorded between 1951 and '53 with various groups and includes her only hit Baby, I'm Doin' It which was an answer song to The Five Royales hit Baby Don't Do It.

 
B.B. & THE BLUES SHACKS Crosscut 11079 Blue Avenue ● CD $16.98
16 tracks, 60 minutes, excellent At this point in time, it matters not where you hail from if you're playing blues. This fact is hammered home by B.B. & The Blues Shacks, a smoldering five-piece outfit all the way from Germany. Brothers Michael and Andreas Arlt pair up on harmonica and guitar respectively, with Michael tackling vocal chores as well while backing comes thumping through from Henning Hauerken's upright bass, Andreas Bock's drilling kit work and Dennis Koeckstadt's piano. Alex Schultz guests on guitar and works seamlessly with Andreas Arlt as they trade smoking rhythms and brittle leads through bouncing jump (Cool Drinks), gripping shuffles (Do To Me), and Chicago boogie (Wait On Honey). Worried Times/ Beauty Parlor Gossip/ Rambling Kind/ Shipwrecked and everything else make for a convincing argument. These guys are no newcomers either, their catalog is growing steadily. (CR)

 
BIG MAYBELLE Classics 5089 The Chronological Big Maybelle, 1944-1953 ● CD $14.98
19 track, 54 mins, highly recommended The earliest sides from this great gravel voiced blues belter. The set opens up with her first vocal appearance in 1944 as a member of Christine Chatman & Her Orchestra on the fine Hurry, Hurry. This is followed by 8 tracks (two originally not issued) from 1947 issued under he real name Mabel Smith with a fine band including tenor saxists Hal Singer and Tom Archia and a guitarist who is hypothesized to be Lonnie Johnson and certainly sounds like him. She didn't record again for five years by which time she had adopted the nom-du-disque of Big Maybelle and she is featured on 10 songs from three sessions with the great hard driving Leroy Kirkland Orchestra including her first hits Gabbin Blues with humorous spoken interjections from Rose Marie McCoy and the loping Way Back Home though my favorite is the super intense Rain Down Rain. Superb sound throughout, notes by Dave Penny and discographical info. (FS)

 
LUCILLE BOGAN Columbia CK 65705 Shave 'Em Dry - The Best Of Lucille Bogan ● CD $11.98
20 tracks, 59 mins, essential 20 tracks by one of my all time favorite blues singers. Lucile Bogan was her real name and made her first recordings in the 20s as Lucille Bogan but when she started recording again in the 30s after the depression her name was changed to Bessie Jackson. She was one of the most soulful singers ever to record and she sang some interesting and unusual lyrics and all the cuts here feature her in the company of the brilliant Alabama pianist Walter Roland who on one track, the stupendous Tired As I Can Be switches to guitar. Among the great songs here are Drinking Blues/ B.D. Woman's Blues (about lesbians)/ Groceries On The Shelf/ Skin Game Blues/ Hungry Man's Scuffle (essentially an instrumental by Roland with comments by Bogan and Sonny Scott - the latter also doing some dancing)/ Jump Steady Daddy/ Boggan Ways Blues/ Pig Iron Sally and others. Bogan's songs are full of sexual metaphor but the metaphors are dropped for the last three songs - after a relatively sedate version of the song Shave 'Em Dry recorded in March 1933 we get the totally graphic version Shave 'em Dry recorded in July of the same year - a thoroughly joyous performance with Lucille sounding like she's having the time of her life with Walter Roland urging her on. From two years later we have Walter Roland's "answer" song - I'm Gonna Shave You Dry with Lucille urging him on and ends with the never before issued Till The Cows Come Home which is equally graphic. Sound quality is superb and the booklet has informative notes by Dick Spottswood, discographical data and a fascinating copy of a ledger sheet showing payments to Lucile for a couple of her sessions. It's too bad that they couldn't have included more tracks but this is an invaluable release, particularly now that the three volumes of her complete recordings on Blues Documents are deleted. (FS)
LUCILLE BOGAN: B.d. Woman's Blues/ Baking Powder Blues/ Barbecue Bess/ Boogan Ways Blues/ Drinking Blues/ Groceries On The Shelf/ Hungry Man's Scuffle/ Jump Steady Daddy/ Man Stealer Blues/ Pig Iron Sally/ Reckless Woman/ Shave 'em Dry/ Shave 'em Dry (unexpurgated)/ Skin Game Blues/ Stew Meat Blues/ Till The Cows Come Home (unexpurgated)/ Tired As I Can Be/ Walkin' Blues/ Watcha Gonna Do?/ WALTER ROLAND: I'm Gonna Shave You Dry (unexpurgated)

 
BILLY BRANCH & CARLOS JOHNSON P-Vine PCD 25020 Don't Mess With The Bluesmen ● CD $21.98
Contemporary Chicago blues set featuring singer/ harmonica player Billy Branch and sinfger/ guitarist Carlos Johnson accompanied by small group. A mix of originals (Running From The Devil/ Hello There/ Blues After The Rain, etc) and covers (Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong/ Shade Tree Mechanic/ My Babe, etc.

 
CHARLES BROWN Savoy Jazz 17326 Alone At The Piano ● CD $11.98
13 tracks, 40 minutes, excellent Recorded between 1989 and 1995, this superb CD displays Charles Brown alone at the piano delivering a set of music with great feel. Sonics are incredibly good and you get the impression that the piano wizard is in your listening room playing solely for your enjoyment. Moonrise/ Gloria/ I'll Miss You/ Is You Is Or Is You Ain't/ I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) and Cottage For Sale are delicious, and Brown offers up a classic blues in the form of Black Nite that sizzles while remaining low-key. His voice was always a pleasure and it's no different here. The only complaint is the relatively short playing time, but Brown revives some old gems for a real treat. (CR)

 
ROY BROWN Classics 5090 The Chronolological Roy Brown, 1951-1953 ● CD $14.98
The third volume devoted to this great blues shouter features 21 tracks recorded between September 1951 and December 1953. Includes Brown Angel/ Lonesome Lover/ Money Can't Buy Love/ Hurry Hurry Baby/ Old Age Boogie, Part 1 & 2/Gamblin' Man/ Mr. Houd Dog's In Town/ Laughing But Crying/ Crazy Crazy Woman/ Bootleggin' Baby, etc.

 
LEROY CARR Columbia 86989 Whiskey Is My Habit, Good Women Is All Crave ● CD $24.98
Two CDS, 40 tracks, highly recommended Between 1928 and his untimely death in 1935 singer/piano player Leroy Carr and his guitar playing partner Scrapper Blackwell produced some of the finest and most influential blues recordings of the era. Carr's beautiful melancholic vocals and low key, but very effective piano work was perfectly complemented by Blackwell's wonderful acerbic guitar style. This collection features some of his most memorable and most covered songs as well as lesser known titles including novelty songs and even the odd pop ballad. Among the titles here are How Long, How Long Blues/ Prison Bound Blues/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Mean Mistreater Mama/ Hurry Down Sunshine/Blues Before Sunrise/ Motherless Child/ Barrelhouse Woman/ I Believe I'll Make A Change/ Bobo Stomp/ Hard Hearted Papa/ Evil Hearted Woman/ Hustler's Blues/ You Got Me Grieving/ Suicide Blues and many others. Sound quality is superb, frequently using original metal parts and set comes with 12 page illustrated booklet with discographical information and brief notes by Tom Piazza. But why only 40 tracks? They could easily have given us 10 more - Carr deserves no less! (FS)
LEROY CARR: Barrelhouse Woman/ Big Four Blues/ Black Wagon Blues/ Blues Before Sunrise/ Bobo Stomp/ Bread Baker/ Church House Blues/ Corn Licker Blues/ Don't Start No Stuff/ Eleven Twenty-nine Blues/ Evil Hearted Woman/ Gambler's Blues/ Good Woman Blues/ Hard Hearted Papa/ How Long-how Long Blues/ Hurry Down Sunshine/ Hustler's Blues/ I Ain't Got No Money Now/ I Believe I'll Make A Change/ It's Too Short/ Mean Mistreater Mama/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Motherless Child/ Muddy Water/ My Good For Nothin' Gal/ My Woman's Gone Wrong/ Papa's On The House Top/ Prison Bound Blues/ Shady Lane Blues/ Shinin' Pistol/ Six Cold Feet In The Ground/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/ Southbound Blues/ Straight Alky Blues, Pt. 1/ Straight Alky Blues, Pt. 2/ Suicide Blues/ Take A Walk Around The Corner/ Tight Times Blues/ You Got Me Grieving/ You Left Me Crying

 
THE CARRIERE BROTHERS Arhoolie 512 Old Time Louisiana Creole Music ● CD $12.98
Wonderful collection of African-American rural music from Louisiana in the Creole tradition, recorded in 1974, blending old time mazurkas, polkas and Creole songs as well as more recent blues, Cajun and zydeco numbers. The brothers are Joseph "Bebe" Carriere/ fiddle and vocals and Eraste "Dolan" Carrier/ accordion and vocals and their music is a joy to listen to. On four of the tracks they are joined by Linton Broussard who provides some primitive but effective drum accompaniment. Nine of the tracks were previously on Arhoolie LP 5031 but the rest are previously unissued.

 
CLIFTON CHENIER Arhoolie 9041 The King Of Zydeco Sings The Blues ● CD $9.98
12 tracks, 45 mins, highly recommended Reissue of Arhoolie 1097. Although the blues is a major part of Clifton Chenier's music this is one of the few albums almost exclusively devoted to the blues and a splendid set it is too featuring recordings made by Houston entrepreneur Roy Ames and previously issued on the Prophesy and Home Cooking labels. With his brother Cleveland on washboard and a solid if somewhat thin rhythm section he does versions of blues classics like Be My Chauffeur and Worried Life Blues, originals like Ain't No Need Of Crying and Gone A La Maison (the latter sung in French) and jumping R&B like Fats Domino's Rose Mary and a revitalised verison of Glenn Miller's In the Mood. Plus My Little Angel/ Done Got Over/ Trouble In Mind/ Paper In My Shoe/ Brown Skin Woman. Great stuff! These sides were previously available on Arhoolie 351 which is now deleted. (FS)

 
THE CONSOLERS Savoy 14751 Give God Thanks ● CD $15.98
Fine earthy gospel from this husband and wife duo recorded for Savoy in 1984. Mostly original songs by Sullivan Pugh who also plays some bluesy guitar and is accompanied by piano, bass and drums. Includes Give God Thanks/ Waiting For My Child To Come Home/ All The Saints Of God/ The Almighty Power/ So That I Could Be Free and five more.

 
LARRY DAVIS P-Vine PCD 5402 Sweet Little Angel - Virgo & Kent Recordings, 1968-69 ● CD $22.98
15 tracks, 52 mins, essential Back in stock in limited quantities. Larry Davis was one of the finest of the soul-blues singers with a lovely expressive vocal style. Unlike some of his contemporaries his recorded output was fairly meagre so this collection of 1969 recordings is particularly welcome. Produced for B.B. King's production company, a couple of cuts were issued on B.B.'s Virgo label, some were issed on Kent and six tracks were never issued before. Sessions were cut in St. Louis (then Larry's home) under the guidance of Oliver Sain and in Los Angeles by producer Maxwell Davis. There's a fine selection of songs including one of the best versions of the wonderful The Years Go Passing By originally recorded by his former boss Fenton Robinson - the combination of Larry's aching vocals and Wesley Farmer's lyrical guitar is simply spine chilling. The previously unissued Something About You is another superb minor key slow burner along the lines of Passing. There are a number of fine original songs written by Larry (What They Do To Me/ I've Been Hurt So Many Times/ It Can Only Hurt For So Long, etc.) and, not surprisingly, a number of B.B. King songs (You Upset Me Baby/ Sweet Sixteen/ Woke Up This Morning, etc) which Larry makes his own. He is accompanied by fine small groups - the guitar player on the St. Louis sessions, Wesley farmer, is particularly impressive. An exciting and important release. (FS)
LARRY DAVIS: A Letter To My Darling/ Driving Wheel/ For Five Long Years/ I've Been Hurt So Many Times/ It Can Only Hurt For So Long/ Rock Me Baby/ Something About You/ Sweet Little Angel/ Sweet Sixteen/ The Years Go Passing By/ Three O'Clock Blues/ What They Do To Me/ Whole World Down On You/ Woke Up This Morning/ You Upset Me Baby

 
REVEREND GARY DAVIS Biograph CK 34007 From Blues To Gospel ● CD $13.98
13 tracks, highly recommended Previously issued as Biograph 123. Recorded in 1971, when Davis was 75 years old, these 13 cuts nonetheless demonstrate both power and authenticity. The fret work may not be quite as sure as it once was, and the voice may have weakened just a bit, but the treat of having such music available in stunningly clear stereo sound does quite a bit to make up for such modest shortcomings. The tracks are pretty evenly divided between blues and gospel, including Talk on the Corner/ Crow Jane/ Cocaine Blues/ I Heard the Angels Singing and the moving I'll Do My Last Singing. Well worth the price of admission. Good notes and photos. (DH)

 
REVEREND J.M. GATES Columbia CK 65710 Are You Bound For Heaven And Hell - Best Of Reverend J. ● CD $11.98
19 tracks, highly recommended. Preacher Reverend J.M. Gates was one of the most popular black recording artists in the pre-war era recording over 200 sides between 1926 and 1943. It took Document Records nine CDs to cover his complete output - this presents a more user friendly collection featuring a diverse recordings made between 1926 and 1930 for OKeh and Columbia including a couple of previously unissued tracks. . Gates, who was one of the great black preachers to record, was recorded in the studio with various members of his congregation who came out with exhortations and testifying and sometimes with a song near the end of a sermon. Gates's sermons were delivered with fervor and took their inspiration from the bible as well as commenting on topical issues. Among the sermons are the previously unissued two part Goodbye To Chain Stores plus The End Of The World And Time Will Be No More/ Devil In A Flying Machine (where many of the troubles of the world are blamed on the invention of the aeroplane)/ David & Uriah/ Pay Your Policy Man/ Kinky Hair Is No Disgrace/ Hell Bound EXpress Train/ Mannish Women/ Down Here Lord, Waiting On You/ Scat To The Cat And Suie To the Hog and others. Sound quality is excellent and booklet has informative notes by Larry Cohn, discographical details and some great reproductions of vintage ads for Gates's recordings. (FS)

 
DADDY GRACE & GROUP American Odeon 14001 A Night With Daddy Grace ● CD $14.98
10 tracks, 37 mins, highly recommended Reissue of limited edition LP originally issued in 1950s featuring the only recordings of the trombone shout band led by Charles "Daddy" Grace. Grace was a charismatic African-Portuguese immigrant who became an evangelist and founded "The United House Of Prayer For All People" in the early 1920s which now has some 350 churches with more than 3,000,000 members. Music in these churches often featured groups led by trombones with tubas, mandolins, percussion and other instruments. The recordings here were made at Grace's home church in Harlem around 1955. Only three tracks feature the whole band but the other tracks are just as exciting with piano, organ, tamborines and spirited singing from the Grace Emmanual Singers. Grace himself is heard with an opening prayer and introducing the final track - the amazing 12 minute tour de force featuring the whole band Jericho March. Sound quality is excellent - too bad the notes are so brief. (FS)

 
FELIX GROSS Blue Moon 6040 The Complete, 1947-1955 ● CD $13.98
27 tracks, 75 mins, recommended Felix Gross was a fine but obscure jump blues singer and occasional drummer. Gross was probably from Texas but settled in Southern California where he did most of his recording. Most of his first few sessions have a Louis Jordan feel to them with a loping jumping feel though lacking Jordan's lyrical wit or variety. The later sides have more variety including some nice slow blues including a fine October 1949 session with fine tenor sax by Joe Howard and brilliant guitar from Tiny Webb. Nothing specatcular here but some decent performances. (FS)

 
SLIM HARPO Hip-O 0583 The Excello Singles Anthology ● CD $24.98
2 discs, 44 tracks, essential Exactly what it says - both A & B sides of Slim's 22 singles released on Excello, initially recorded at Jay Miller's legendary studio in Crowley LA & sold to Ernie Young (of the equally legendary Ernie's Record Mart) in Nashville for Excello. Later tunes were cut directly for Excello in Nashville. With a lazy backing rhythm, Slim had hits in a great swamp pop vein (I'm A King Bee/ Rainin' In My Heart) & later with spoken lyrics (the classic Baby Scratch My Back). All the singles are here, including all the attempts to cash in on "King Bee" - Buzzin'/ Buzz Me Baby and Little Queen Bee. There's also later hits - Tip On In Pts 1 & 2/ Ti-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu, & tunes that became better known when covered by rock bands( mostly British) including I Got Love If You Want It (The Kinks) and Shake Your Hips (Rolling Stones). Full recording info & detailed liner notes by John Broven. (GM)

 
JESSIE MAE HEMPHILL Inside Sounds 519 Get Right Blues ● CD $15.98
15 tracks, recommended A collection of previously unissued recordings made between 1979 and 1985 by this fine Mississippi country blueswoman. About half the tracks are solo featuring Jessie Mae accompanying herself on guitar and various forms of percussion and on one track accompanying herself on "diddley bow" (a one string guitar featuring a wire placed up against a wall). The other tracks feature her with various accompanying musicians and vocalists including David Evans (guitar), Compton Jones (vocal, percussion and diddley bow), Glen Faulkner (diddley bow), Joe Hicks (drums) and others. Songs include Streamline Train/ Go Back To Your Used To Be/ Baby, Please Don't Go/ Cowgirl Blues/ He's A Mighty Good Leader/ Loving In The Moonlight/ Jessie's Love Song/ Jesus Will Fix It For You, etc. Some fine performances from this talented musician who has been unable to perform for the past ten years due to a stroke. (FS)

 
JOHN LEE HOOKER Acrobat 701 Rock With Me ● CD $12.98
11 tracks, 74 minutes, excellent While there are always plenty of John Lee Hooker releases available any given time, few are as consistently fine as this one. Some tracks include the assistance of Lowell Fulson, Carey Bell (on bass) and S.P. Leary, all working sympathetically with Hooker, and while the band remains unknown on the eighteen-and-a-half minute opus, I Hated The Day I was Born, the dynamics and delivery are spot-on. Crawling King Snake/ Dazie-Mae/ Hobo Blues/ Sally Mae/ and more find Hooker in great form. Neil Slaven's liner notes are concise but good. Session details would have been a considerable help, and although ten tracks are listed, there's a hidden bonus cut included. (CR)

 
ABNER JAY Subliminal Sounds 012 One Man Band ● CD $18.98
Fascinating, unique and very funky one man band from Fitzgerald, Georgia who accompanies himself on six-string banjo or guitar, harmonica and drums. His songs are mostly originals - sometimes with a topicaal edge - along with several that are loosely (very loosely) based on traditional titles. He also intersperses his songs with spoken word jokes and anecdotes - mostly of the crude kind. Songs include Woke Up This Morning/ Cocaine Blues/ I'm So Depressed/ VD/ Wee Wee/ Don't Mess With Me Baby/ Swaunee and others.

 
LUTHER JOHNSON Black & Blue 462-2 Born In Georgia ● CD $14.98
15 tracks, 64 minutes, essential For fans of driving Post-war electric blues, this set is hard to beat. Luther ("Georgia Boy" or "Snake") Johnson fronts a small band with Sonny Thompson at the piano, and a rhythm section of Emmett Sutton's bass and Bill Warren's in-the-pocket drumming. Dusty Brown steps in for some fine harp on Bright Lights Big City/ Take Enough Of Him and a funked-up ride through Hoochie Coochie Man, while Johnny Shines appears on beautiful country blues pieces like Walkin' Blues/ My Daddy Told Me, and Crawlin' King Snake. Includes four previously unissued cuts - Bright Lights/ Am I Wrong For Loving You/ Hoochie Coochie/ Rock 'N Roll Every Day. Johnson is muscular throughout, both vocally and on guitar. An exceptional set of blues. (CR)

 
THE JUBALAIRES Heritage 48 The Singing Waiters, 1947-1948 ● CD $16.98
25 tracks, 52 mins, highly recommended Excellent quartet from the 40s who performed both sacred and secular material though the majority of the material is sacred. The group has a complicated history which is elaborated upon in the 12 page booklet by compiler Opal Louis Nations. Some of the group's commercial recordings were reissued on Big Q 102 ("Best Of The Jubalaires" - $18.98) but this set features previously unissued radio transcriptions from 1947 & '48. Featuring the fine lead of William Johnson they perform 19 gospel songs and 6 secular pieces sung acapella or accompanied by Jimmie O'Brien on piano. The material is performed in fine jubilee style inspired by the Golden Gate Singers but with a harder, more contemporary, edge on some of the tracks like You Better Run and When The Moon Goes Down. Titles include John Saw The Number/ Ezekiel/ I Declare This World Is In A Bad Condition/ Wade In the Water/ Dese Bones Gwine Rise Again/ My Father's Rich/ Old Lamb/ Live A-Humble/ My Trouble Is Hard/ Jube's Blues/ Casey Jones (with some nice boogie piano from O'Brien)/ Long, Lean & Lanky and others. Sound quality is superb. (FS)

 
B.B. KING Ace CDCHM 996 Blues In My Heart ● CD $13.98
The fifth volume in Ace's ongoing mid-priced series based on B.B.'s original Crown LPs with bonus tracks, This was originally issued as Crown 5309 in 1963 and features B.B. in a small combo setting and Ace have added seven previously unissued bonus tracks.
 B.B. KING: Downhearted Aka How Blue Can You Get?/ Got ’em Bad/ I Can't Explain/ I Need You Baby/ Love My Baby(bonus)/ Loving You In Vain(bonus)/ My Baby's An Angel(bonus)/ My Baby's Dynamite(bonus)/ My Sometime Baby(bonus)/ So Many Days/ Strange Things/ The Wrong Road/ Troubles Don't Last/ What Have I Done(bonus)/ You're Gonna Miss Me/ You've Got My Hands Tied(bonus)/ Your Good Lovin' Man(bonus)/ Your Letter

 
ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR. Savoy Jazz 17312 The Complete Trix Recordings ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 2 CDs, 90 minutes, excellent This two-CD set consists of both "Contrasts" and "Does 12", two projects recorded between 1973 and 1975 for Peter Lowry's Trix imprint. Although there's nothing in the way of unreleased material, the sound is exceptional as Lockwood works his way through some Robert Johnson songs (Dust My Broom/ Mr. Downchild/ Walkin' Blues/ Terraplane Blues/ Little Queen Of Spades), jazzy instrumentals (Red Top/ Down Home Cooking/ Half Steppin' and more), originals and a few other treats (Just A Little Bit/ King Biscuit Time, and Driving Wheel). With a soulful voice and ridiculously good guitar skills, Lockwood is in fine form. A nice addition to any CD library. Includes updated liner notes. (CR)

 
THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS Columbia CK 65709 Honey Babe Let The Deal Go Down - Best Of The Mississippi Sheiks ● CD $11.98
20 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended The Sheiks were the most popular and influential of the black string bands of the 20s and 30s. Their line-up consisted of varied combinations of the famous Chatmon brothers from Mississippi - Sam (vcl & gtr), Lonnie (vcl & violin), and Bo (= Bo Carter/ vcl/gtr/violin) - with Walter Vincson (vcl/gtr) and, occasionally, Charlie McCoy. Their music is consistently fine and infectious. The 20 tracks here were recorded for OKeh in 1930 and '31 and in addition to recordings under their own name includes three tracks where they accompany the superb Texas singer Texas Alexander. It includes their two most famous (and frequently copied) songs - Stop And Listen Blues #2 and Sitting On Top Of The World as well as other fine tracks like Still I'm Traveling On/ The Jazz Fiddler/ Driving That Thing/ When You're Sick With The Blues/ Things About Comin' My Way/ Last Stage Blues (Texas Alexander vocal)/Your Good Man Caught The Train And Gone/ Honey Babe Let The Deal Go Down/ West Jackson Blues. A great introduction to the work of this talented and important group. Document released their complete recordings some time ago but three of the four volumes are currently unavailable. Excellent sound and informative notes by compiler Larry Cohn. (FS)
TEXAS ALEXANDER: Frost Texas Tornado Blues/ Last Stage Blues/ Seen Better Days/ THE MISSISSIPPI SHEIKS: Bed Spring Poker/ Bootlegger's Blues/ Driving That Thing/ Honey Babe Let The Deal Go Down/ I've Got Blood In My Eyes For You/ Jazz Fiddler/ Livin' In A Strain/ Please Don't Wake It Up/ Ramrod Blues/ Sitting On Top Of The World/ Still I'm Traveling On/ Stop And Listen Blues No. 2/ Things About Comin' My Way/ Unhappy Blues/ West Jackson Blues/ When You're Sick With The Blues/ Your Good Man Caught The Train And Gone

 
GATEMOUTH MOORE Savoy Jazz 17327 Cryin' & Singin' The Blues ● CD $11.98
20 tracks, 60 minutes, excellent Gatemouth Moore's name might not come up as frequently as it should in discussions of great Post-war blues shouters, but his startling and booming voice is all over this well-done release. Nine of the twenty tracks are previously unissued (all recorded for the National label between May of 1945 and October of 1946) and stem from three separate sessions with either Dallas Bartley & His Smalltown Boys, Budd Johnson's Orchestra, or the Tiny Grimes Swingtet. Laced with buzzing and honking saxes and solid piano behind him, Moore's vocals soar above and dive below the jumping workouts. I Ain't Mad At You Pretty Baby/ Did You Ever Love A Woman/ Cryin' And Singin' The Blues, and much more. (CR)

 
JOHN PRIMER Wolf 120.808 Blue Steel - A Tribute To Elmore James ● CD $15.98
Chicago bluesman pays tribute to one of the all time blues giants with his versions of some Elmore songs along with a few originals in Elmore's style. He is accompanied by a small band with Steve Bell/ harmonica, Detroit Jr/ piano, Little Bobby Neely/ sax and others. Pleasant enough but the originals are so much better.

 
BOBBY RUSH Deep Rush 1001 Folk Funk ● CD $16.98
New album by this popular contemporary bluesman finds him in a more down home vein than usual with Alvin Youngblood Hart on guitar and Bobby playing some fine harmonica.

 
JIMMY RUSHING Classics 5085 The Chronological Jimmy Rushing, 1946-1953 ● CD $14.98
Jimmy Rushing became one of the pioneer blues shouters during his lengthy tenure with the Count Basie Orchestra and is cited as an influence on vocalists like Walter Brown, Gatemouth Moore Big Joe Turner and others. This volume concentrates on the recordings issued under his own name for various labels with various bands between 1946 and 1953 - musich of it new to CD. The later performances showing Jimmy perfectly comfortable with the more hard driving R&B style of the early 50s. Fine performances of songs like Thursday Blues/ I Gotta Have You, That's All/ Lotsa Poppa/ Hey Miss Bessie/ I'm So Lonely/ Hi-Ho Sylvester/ In The Moonlight/ Where Were You?/ Mr. Five By Five/ Clothes Pin Blues, etc.

 

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