NEWSLETTER #136
Blues & Gospel
Isaiah Owens
->
Josh White
| THE CALVIN OWENS SHOW |
Sawdust Alley 4233 |
Keeping Big Band Blues Alive |
● CD $14.98 |
14 tracks, 65 mins, recommended
Owens long list of musical
credentials includes A & R Director and studio musician for the famed
Duke-Peacock label and a very long stint as trumpet soloist and band
director for B. B. King. Here, the 70-something Houston, Texas trumpeter
leads roughly 40 musicians (in various aggregations) through a set of
originals with an energy and power beyond that of most mortal blues albums.
Owens musical sensibility may harken back to the 1940s but it spends most of
its time in right now. Check the instrumental punch of Love On A Silver
Platter and the cool sophistication of Why Can't I. Why isn't
this guy more famous? (JC)
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| CHARLIE PATTON |
Yazoo 2069 |
The Best Of Charlie Patton |
● CD $16.98 |
23 tracks, 72 minutes, essential
As long as mastering
technology continues to evolve, the often stunning and strongly captivating
material from Charley (or Charlie) Patton's catalog will likely see reissue
on a repeating basis, but discussions about what label offers the best sound
will also likely continue. Yazoo has done a remarkable job on this
twenty-three track set, perhaps setting a standard in noise reduction,
clarity, and clean sonics that could prove difficult to match. Patton's
music suffered for years because of the scarce availability of usable
sources to dub from, and although prior sets (on Catfish, Revenant, and JSP)
showed improvements, the dedication and diligent efforts of Richard Nevins
appear to have now outstripped the competition. Down The Dirt Road Blues/
Lord I'm Discouraged/ Moon Going Down/ High Sheriff Blues/ I'm Goin' Home
and the balance have never sounded so good. (CR)
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SISTER LUCILLE POPE & THE PEARLY GATES |
Atlanta International 10256 |
Live - Real Christians Stand Up |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
Sister Lucille Pope
Alexander is a truly superb gospel singer with a husky voice that is coupled
with a searing intensity, devoid of histrionics, which will raise the hairs
on the back of your neck. She started her recording career in the 60s and
made some exceptional recordings for Nashboro in the 70s (sadly all out of
print). The recordings here made live in the 90s shows that her the has
changed very little - the arrangements are a little slicker and uses larger
groups but the focus is on Lucille's singing and that is as powerful and
moving as ever. She is accompaneid vocally and instrumentally by her group
The Pearly Gates which includes several family members that she has worked
with for many years. The songs are all originals and includes Praise Him/
Jesus On My Side (based on Psalms 118:6)/ God Will See You Through/ Clap
Your Hands For Jesus/ Almighty God and others. Glorious stuff! (FS)
|
| ROOMFUL OF BLUES |
Alligator 4900 |
Standing Room Only |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 50 minutes, very good
For those who recall
Roomful Of Blues with Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Greg Piccolo, or Sugar
Ray Norcia standing tall and commanding attention, for some, their glory
days have become a thing of the past. There's little question that this
30-some-odd-year aggregation can still dish out some compelling music, but
Chris Vachon's often rock-sounding guitar vocabulary can be irritating to a
fault, and Mark DuFresne, although a solid and workman-like frontman,
doesn't quite capture the magic as other vocalists before him have. Once a
driving blues band with a foot firmly planted in vintage rock 'n' roll
territory, of late they seem to more resemble rockers who delve into blues,
and although they can still push the daylights out of swinging grooves,
their grooves have less swing and often collide with hook-based rockers.
(CR)
|
| CLARA SMITH |
Retrieval 79030 |
The Essential Clara Smith, 1924-1929 |
● CD $14.98 |
25 tracks, 77 mins, essential
Great collection of sides by
this outstanding pre war singer. While maybe not the equal of that other
great Smith, Bessie, she was not too far behind with a powerful and
expressive style and great accompaniments from the likes of Coleman Hawkins,
Don Redman, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Green, Fletcher Henderson, Joe Smith,
Bob Fuller, James P. Johnson and others. She also had some particularly fine
songs like Freight Train Blues/ Done Sold My Soul To The Devil (And My
Heart's Done Turned To Stone)/ Nobody Knows The Way I Feel Dis Morning/
Shipwrecked Blues and the wonderful Look Where The Sun Done Gone
written by Stanley who composed eight of the songs on this compilation and
is freuqnetly featured in the piano seat. Sound quality on these rare sides
has never been better thanks to the technical wizardry of the late John R.T.
Davies. (FS)
CLARA SMITH: Black Cat Moan/ Broken Busted Blues/ Court House Blues/ Deep
Blue Sea Blues/ Done Sold My Soul to The Devil (And My Heart's Done Turn To
Stone)/ Freight Train Blues/ Hot Papa/ It Won't Be Long Now/ Let's Get
Loose/ Look Where The Sun Done Gone/ My John Blues/ Nobody Knows The Way I
Feel Dis Morning/ Oh! Mr. Mitchell/ Papa I Don't Need You Now/ Race Track
Blues/ Rock, Church, Rock/ Shipwrecked Blues/ Sobbin' Sister Blues/
Steamboat Man Blues/ Strugglin' Woman's Blues/ Texas Moaner Blues/ Tired Of
The Way You Do/ Where Is My Man?/ You Can't Stay Here No More/ You Don't
Know Who's Shakin' Your Tree
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| GEECHIE
SMITH/ CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD |
Blue Moon 6046 |
Swingin' Small Combos Kansas City Style -
Vol. 2 |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks featuring two Kansas City based blues shouters.
Little is known about singer/ trumpet player Vernon "Geechie" Smith though
he recorded quite extensively as a sideman between 1939 and 1954. His 14
excellent cuts here, recorded between 1946 and 1954, are the only ones
issued under his own name. The remaining 11 sides are by the excellent and
better known Crown Prince Waterford though, except for one alternate take,
are also available on Classics 5024.
|
| ROOSEVELT SYKES |
Maison De Blues 982 249 |
The Honeydripper's Duke's Mixture |
● CD $15.98 |
17 tracks, 49 mins, recommended From his first recording for
Okeh in 1929 up to his death in 1984 there was rarely a year that Roosevelt
Sykes was out of the studio but in spite of his considerable output his
music was rarely less than excellent. This relaxed selection was recorded in
Paris in 1970 and the first ten tracks were originally on the French Blue
Star label and finds Roosevelt in fine form. A nice mix of blues/jazz
standards (Going Down Slow/ St. James Infirmary/ Honeysuckle Rose,
etc), a couple of deliciously raunchy songs (Ice Cream Freezer/ Dirty
Mother For You), a duet with Memphis Slim on Lost My Boogie and
even a couple of tracks with Roosevelt accompanying himself on acoustic
guitar! There are seven bonus tracks included here that were recorded at the
tail end of the session when some friends and booze showed up and is a
little more ragged than the first ten tracks but is still fine with
Roosevelt doing a couple of Fats Waller songs, Slim Gaillard's Flat Foot
Floogie and Misty.
Superb sound and affectionate notes by original producer Philippe Rault plus
original notes by Mike Rowe. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Alligator ALCD 119 |
Crucial Live! Blues |
● CD $7.98 |
13 tracks, 61 minutes, excellent
Compiled from thirteen
different titles in the Alligator catalog, there's nothing here of the
previously unissued sort, but it's sure makes for some great listening - and
it's even better considering the budget-line pricing. Luther Allison (Cherry
Red Wine), Hound Dog Taylor (Dust My Broom), Albert Collins (Tired
Man), Koko Taylor (Going Back To Iuka), Lonnie Brooks (Born
With The Blues), James Cotton (Born In Chicago), and Son Seals (Call
My Job) have all recorded memorable 'live' outings for the label, and
there's plenty more from Dave Hole (Short Fuse Blues), Delbert
McClinton (Going Back To Louisiana), Lonnie Mack (Riding The
Blinds), Elvin Bishop (My Dog), Saffire (Dump That Chump),
and Little Charlie & The Nightcats (Eyes Like A Cat). (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Arhoolie 515 |
Sacred Steel Instrumentals |
● CD $12.98 |
14 tracks, 57 minutes, essential
Arhoolie is thankfully
continuing with their Sacred Steel series of recordings, and this is a
recent entry, it's just as mesmerizing as the previous examples featuring an
all instrumental selection drawn from previous Sacred Steel releases. The
steel guitar has an infectious quality to it as it's capable (in the right
hands) of reaching heights a standard guitar can't quite match. Add to that
the sacred, or religious, nature of these recordings ('live' and studio) and
you're in for a treat. Sonny Treadway's Jesus Will Fix It For You,
Willie Eason's When The Saints Go Marching In, Lamar Nelson's If I
Couldn't Say A Word, Glenn Lee's Call Him By His Name, and The
Campbell Brothers' End Of My Journey are more than enough to make it
worth its weight in gold, but Robert Randolph, Aubrey Ghent, Lonnie Bennett,
Rayfield Holloman, and Dante Harmon make it more of a true goldmine.
Brilliant. (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16700 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1945- 26 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
Bear Family now enters the already extensive fray in
reissuing blues and R&B tunes on a year by year basis. Being Bear Family
they do it in great style though I do have some reservations. Unlike some
compilations these are single CDs with 27 or 28 tracks per CD, arranged
chronologically, featuring some of the biggest blues, R&B and vocal group
hits of the year along with a handful of rarities making their first
appearance on CD. Unlike other compilations these are licensed from the
original owners wherever possible and are remastered from best available
sources using the disc transfer and mastering skills of Dave Booth, Walter
DeVenne, Bob Jones and Jurgen Crasser and the resulting sound is
breathtaking with a clarity and presence absent from similar reissues on
Indigo, Boulevard and Fremeaux. Each disc comes in a fold out digipack with
a thick 72 page booklet with notes, photos, label shots, posters and other
memorabilia and this is where my reservations come in. Although the booklets
are beautiful to look at there is a lot of empty space and I think most of
the content could have been condensed into booklets half the size which
might no longer be a graphic designer's wet dream but might enable Bear
Family to charge a lower price. The notes by Colin Escott are generally
informative but sometimes seem rather cursory and it is really unforgivable
that a lavish and expensive production like this doesn't have discographical
information or even list chart positions.
This first volume opens with Cecil
Gant's seminal recording of I Wonder and ends with Lionel Hampton's
Beulah's Boogie. Along the way we hear gems from Joe Turner, Sister
Rosetta Tharpe, The Four Clefs, Louis Jordan, Buddy Johnson, Joe Liggins,
Hadda Brooks, Big Maceo, Gatemouth Moore, Wynonie Harris, Johnny Otis, Julia
Lee, etc.
COUNT BASIE: Jimmy's Blues/ BIG MACEO: Things Have Changed/ HADDA BROOKS:
Swingin' The Boogie/ ARTHUR CRUDUP: Rock Me Mama/ THE FIVE RED CAPS: Boogie
Woogie On A Saturday Nite/ THE FOUR CLEFS: V Day Stomp/ PRIVATE CECIL GANT:
I Wonder/ THE GOLDEN GATE QUARTET: I Will Be Home Again/ LIONEL HAMPTON:
Beulah's Boogie/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Baby Look At You/ ERSKINE HAWKINS: Tippin’
In/ HELEN HUMES: Be-Baba-Leba/ IVORY JOE HUNTER: Blues At Sunrise/ HERB
JEFFRIES: Left A Good Deal In Mobile/ BUDDY JOHNSON: That's The Stuff You
Gotta Watch/ LOUIS JORDAN: Caldonia/ JULIA LEE: If It's Good/ JOE LIGGINS:
The Honeydripper, Part 1/ JAY MCSHANN: Garfield Avenue Blues/ LUCKY
MILLINDER: Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well?/ GATEMOUTH MOORE: I Ain't Mad
At You Pretty Baby/ JOHNNY OTIS: Harlem Nocturne/ SISTER ROSETTA THARPE:
Strange Things Happening Every Day/ JOE TURNER: S.K. Blues, Part 1/ T-BONE
WALKER: Sail On Boogie/ COOTIE WILLIAMS: Somebody's Gotta Go
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16701 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1946- 27 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
27 tracks from 1946.
BIG MACEO: Chicago Breakdown/ THE BLUES WOMAN: Voo-It! Voo-It!/ RED
CALLENDER TRIO: Red Light/ THE CATS'N JAMMER THREE: I Cover The Water-Front/
KING COLE TRIO: (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66/ ARTHUR CRUDUP: So Glad You're
Mine/ THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS: Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'/ LIONEL HAMPTON:
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Wynonie's Blues/ ERSKINE HAWKINS: After
Hours/ THE INK SPOTS: The Gypsy/ BULL MOOSE JACKSON: I Know Who Threw The
Whiskey (In The Well)/ LOUIS JORDAN: Buzz Me/ Choo Choo Ch'Boogie/ ANDY
KIRK: I Know/ JULIA LEE: Gotta Gimmie Whatcha' Got/ JOE LIGGINS: Got A Right
To Cry/ JAY MCSHANN: Voodoo Woman Blues/ ROY MILTON: R.M. Blues/ JOHNNY
MOORE'S THREE BLAZERS: Drifting Blues/ VELMA NELSON: If I Were A Itty Bitty
Girl, Part 1/ BILL SAMUELS: Port Wine/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: Sunny Road/ JOE
TURNER: My Gal's A Jockey/ EDDIE VINSON: Cherry Red Blues/ T-BONE WALKER:
Come Back To Me Baby/ DINAH WASHINGTON: Joy Juice
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16702 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1947- 28 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
28 tracks.
ALBERT AMMONS: Swanee River Boogie/ THE BIG THREE TRIO: Signifying Monkey/
FIVE BLAZERS: Chicago Boogie/ HADDA BROOKS TRIO: That's My Desire/ CLARENCE
BROWN: Guitar In My Hand/ WALTER BROWN: W.B. Blues/ SAVANNAH CHURCHILL: I
Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)/ ARTHUR CRUDUP: That's All Right/ LIONEL
HAMPTON: Blow Top Blues/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Time To Change Your Town/ BILL
JOHNSON: Don't You Think I Ought To Know/ LOUIS JORDAN: Boogie Woogie Blue
Plate/ Let The Good Times Roll/ ANNIE LAURIE: Since I Fell For You/ JULIA
LEE: (Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch And Grab It/ NELLIE LUTCHER: He's
A Real Gone Guy/ JACK MCVEA: Open The Door Richard!/ AMOS MILBURN: Down The
Road Apiece/ ROY MILTON: True Blues/ JOHNNY MOORE'S THREE BLAZERS: New
Orleans Blues/ GENE PHILLIPS: Big Legs/ THE RAVENS: Ol' Man River/ CLARENCE
SAMUELS: Lollypop Mama/ JOE TURNER: Sally Zu-Zaz/ EDDIE VINSON: Old Maid
Boogie/ T-BONE WALKER: Bobby Sox Blues/ PAUL WILLIAMS SEXTET: Hasting Street
Bounce/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Shake That Boogie
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16703 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1948 - 28 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
28 tracks.
THE BIG THREE TRIO: You Sure Look Good To Me/ ROY BROWN: Long About
Midnight/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Good Rockin' Tonight/ CAMILLE HOWARD: X-Temperaneous
Boogie/ IVORY JOE HUNTER: Pretty Mama Blues/ BULL MOOSE JACKSON: I Love You,
Yes I Do/ LONNIE JOHNSON: Tomorrow Night/ LOUIS JORDAN: Daddy-O/ Run Joe/
JULIA LEE: King Size Papa/ JIMMY LIGGINS: Cadillac Boogie/ NELLIE LUTCHER:
Fine Brown Frame/ AMOS MILBURN: Chicken-Shack Boogie/ ROY MILTON: Hop, Skip
And Jump/ BILL MOORE: We're Gonna Rock/ GATEMOUTH MOORE: Hey Mr. Gatemouth/
THE ORIOLES: It's Too Soon To Know/ THE RAVENS: Write Me A Letter/ MABEL
SCOTT: Elevator Baby/ HAL SINGER SEXTETTE: Corn Bread/ ARBEE STIDHAM: My
Heart Belongs To You/ JOE SWIFT: That's Your Last Boogie/ SONNY THOMPSON:
Long Gone, Part 2/ T-BONE WALKER: Call It Stormy Monday/ CROWN PRICE
WATERFORD: Move Your Hand, Baby/ MUDDY WATERS: I Can't Be Satisfied/ PAULA
WATSON: A Little Bird Told Me/ PAUL WILLIAMS SEXTETTE: Thirty-Five Thirty
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16704 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1949 - 27 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
27 tracks
CLARENCE BROWN: Mary Is Fine/ ROY BROWN: Rockin' At Midnight/ RUTH BROWN: So
Long/ CHARLES BROWN TRIO: Trouble Blues/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Texas Hop/ LARRY
DARNELL: For You My Love/ T.J. FOWLER: T.J. Boogie/ WYNONIE HARRIS: All She
Wants To Do Is Rock/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Boogie Chillen/ BULL MOOSE JACKSON:
Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me/ LOUIS JORDAN: Saturday Night Fish Fry,
Part 1&2/ ANNIE LAURIE: Cuttin' Out/ JULIA LEE: The Spinach Song (I Didn't
Like It The First Time)/ STICK MCGEE: Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ BIG JAY
MCNEELY: Deacon's Hop/ AMOS MILBURN: Roomin' House Boogie/ RED MILLER:
Bewildered/ THE ORIOLES: Tell Me So/ JIMMY PRESTON: Rock The Joint/ TODD
RHODES: Pot Likker/ SUGAR CHILE ROBINSON: Numbers Boogie/ SISTER ROSETTA
THARPE: Up Above My Head/ T-BONE WALKER: T-Bone Shuffle/ DINAH WASHINGTON:
Baby Get Lost/ PAUL WILLIAMS: The Hucklebuck/ JIMMY WITHERSPOON: Ain't
Nobody's Business, Part 1/ BILLY WRIGHT: Blues For My Baby
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Bear Family BCD 16705 |
Blowin' The Fuse - 1950 - 26 Classics That
Rocked The Jukebox |
● CD $24.98 |
28 tracks
ARCHIBALD: Stack-A'Lee, Parts 1 & 2/ CALVIN BOZE: Safronia B./ TINY
BRADSHAW: Well Oh Well/ CLARENCE BROWN: Boogie Rambler/ ROY BROWN: Love
Don't Love Nobody/ RUTH BROWN: Teardrops From My Eyes/ GOREE CARTER: Come On
Let's Boogie/ FATS DOMINO: The Fat Man/ LOWELL FULSON: Blue Shadows/ LLOYD
GLENN: Old Time Shuffle Blues/ WYNONIE HARRIS: Sittin' On It All The Time/
ROY HAWKINS: Why Do Things Happen To Me/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Shotgun Blues/
IVORY JOE HUNTER: I Almost Lost My Mind/ LOUIS JORDAN: Blue Light Boogie,
Part 1&2/ JEWEL KING: 3 x 7 = 21/ JOE LIGGINS: Pink Champagne/ PROFESSOR
LONGHAIR: Mardi Gras In New Orleans/ EDDIE MACK: Hoot And Holler Saturday
Night/ PERCY MAYFIELD: Please Send Me Someone To Love/ ROY MILTON:
Information Blues/ JOE MORRIS: Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere/ JOHNNY OTIS:
Double Crossing Blues/ JIMMY PRESTON: Oh, Babe!/ THE RAVENS: Count Every
Star/ DOC SAUSAGE: Rag Mop/ JOE TURNER: Still In The Dark/ T-BONE WALKER:
Strollin' With Bones
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Charly SNAJ 723 |
Vee-Jay Records - Chicago Hit Factory |
● CD $34.98 |
4 CDs, 115 tracks, 5 hours 14 mins, highly recommended
Great
collection of blues, R&B, soul, doo-wop, gospel and a little jazz and rock
'n' roll from between 1954 and 1966 recorded for America's premier black
owned label of the time. The first two discs feature some of the most
popular and well known recordings presented in chronological order featuring
The Spaniels, Floyd Jones, The El Dorados, Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, The
Delegates, The Orioles, Gene Allison, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, John
Lee Hooker, Rosco Gordon, Jerry Butler, The Flamingos, The Five Royales, The
Dukays, Gene Chandler, Birdlegs & Pauline, Wade Flemons, Jimmy Cross, Little
Richard and others. The other two discs feature some of the lesser known but
equally fine recordings from both well known and obscure artists including
The Rhythm Aces, Red Holloway, Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams, The Spaniels, Dee
Clark, The El Cincos, The Prodigals, Leonard Carbo, Kip Anderson, Hoyt
Axton, J.B. lenoir, Wynton Kelly, The Swan Silvertones, Christine Kittrell,
Lee Morgan, Jimmy Reed, Gene Chandler, The Caravans, Victoria Valdez and
others. This has all been out before but this is a particularly fine
selection with excellent sound and the set comes with a 40 page illustrated
booklet with notes by Roger Dopson and Clive Anderson but no discographical
info (or even release numbers). (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Delmark 780 |
This Is Blues Harmonica, Vol. 2 |
● CD $14.98 |
16 blues harmonica gems from the vaults of Delmark including
well known and obscure artists - Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Walto Pace,
Little Walter, Alfred "Blues King" Harris, Little Sammy Davis, Big Wheeler,
Eddie "Guitar" Burns and others. Includes several previously unissued tracks
and alternate takes.
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Elap 41029-2 |
Texas Blues Greats |
● CD $18.98 |
Three CD set with 60 tracks of Texas blues, mostly ranging
from the 40s to the the 70s, drawn from the archives of the infamous Roy
Ames. One disc is devoted to "Country Blues" and includes sides by Mance
Lipscomb, Billy Bizor, Manny Nichols, Texas Alexander, Leroy "Country"
Jackson, Willie Lane, Frankie Lee Sims, Lightnin' Hopkins, Riley Taylor,
Ramblin' Thomas (misidentified as Jesse Thomas) and others. One disc is
devoted to "Boogie Blues" - up tempo blues, mostly from the 40s and 50s
including Albert Collins, Hubert Robinson, Joe Fritz, Sideways Sumlin, Carl
Campbell, Sammy Harris, Clarence "Bon Ton" Garlow, Connie McBooker, Fats
Mizzell, Lightnin' Hopkins and more. The third disc is entitled "Electric
Blues" and includes a number of rock blues flavored items from the 70s along
with tracks from the 50s and 60s - T-Bone Walker, Percy Mayfield, Joe
"Papoose" Fritz, King Ivory, Lighnin' Hopkins, Henry Hayes, Albert Collins,
Ted Hawley & Juke Boy Bonner, Joey LOng, Royal Earl, etc.
TEXAS ALEXANDER: Crossroads/ LOU ANN BARTON: Young And Dumb/ D.C. BENDER:
Boogie Children/ BILLY BIZOR: T Model Ford/ JAMES BOLDEN: Deep Blue/ JUKE
BOY BONNER: A Distant Feel/ Life's Highway/ MR. BROWN: Ain't Got Much/ CARL
CAMPBELL: Gettin' High/ GOREE CARTER: My Best Bet/ ALBERT COLLINS: Collins
Shuffle/ The Freeze/ RATTLESNAKE COOPER: Rattlesnake Blues/ JOHNNY COPELAND:
Travelling Man Blues/ SONNY BOY FRANKLIN ORCHESTRA: Merry Go Round/ JOE
FRITZ: I'm A Stepper/ JOE "PAPOOSE" FRITZ: I'm A Stepper/ CLARENCE "BON TON"
GARLOW: I'm In A Boogie Mood/ CLARENCE "CANDY" GREEN: Green's Bounce/
PEPPERMINT HARRIS: Black Widow Spider/ Penthouse In The Ghetto/ SAMMY
HARRIS: Fatso/ TED HAWLEY & JUKE BOY BONNER: Trying To Keep It All Together/
HENRY HAYES: Hayes' Boogie/ Picking My Baby's Bones/ SMOKEY HOGG:
Penitentiary Blues/ CHRIS HOLZHAUS: Long Sad Letters/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: How
Does It/ Pine Gum Boogie/ Rainy Day In Houston/ Stinkin' Foot/ War Is
Starting Again/ LEROY "COUNTRY" JACKSON: Log House On The Hill/ CONRAD
JOHNSON: Fly Chick Bounce/ KING IVORY: You Don't Love Me No More/ LITTLE
BROTHER WILLIE LANE: Howling Wolf Blues/ Too Many Women Blues/ WILLIE LANE:
Prowlin' Ground Hog/ MANCE LIPSCOMB: Buck Dance/ JOEY LONG: Shove It Up Your
Heart/ LONNIE LYONS: Sneaky Joe/ PERCY MAYFIELD: Gone Astray/ CONNIE
MCBOOKER: Shout Baby Shout/ FATS MIZZEL: Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie
Woogie Flu/ MR. HONEY: Build A Cave/ Who May Your Regular Be/ MANNY NICHOLS:
Walking Talking Blues/ HUBERT ROBINSON: Boogie The Joint/ ROYAL EARL:
Talking Guitar/ CLARENCE SAMUEL: She Walk, She Walk, She Walk/ Low Top Inn/
FRANKIE LEE SIMS: Single Man Blues/ SIDEWAYS SUMLIN: The Freeze/ RILEY
TAYLOR: Long Lonesome Road/ Amazing Grace/ RAMBLIN' THOMAS: No Job Blues/
T-BONE WALKER: She's My Old Time Used To Be/ L.C. WILLIAMS: Jelly Roll/
LESTER WILLIAMS: Wintertime Blues/ L. C. WILLIAMS WITH LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS:
All Through My Dreams/ JOHNNY WINTER: Sloppy Drunk Blues
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Goldies 63305 |
Blues Time |
● CD $11.98 |
Two CDs, 28 tracks, recommended
Excellent budget priced two
CD set from Portugal featuring tracks drawn from the Chess/ Checker
catalogs. All the usual suspects are here but the set includes some less
commonly reissued material like Memphis Minnie's 1953 Checker recording of
Me & My Chauffeur with Little Walter on harp, Otis Spann's great,
originally unissued, I'm Leaving You with it's New Orleans sound and
the unedited version of Buddy Guy's Stone Crazy. It also features Big
Bill Broonzy, B.B. King, Albert King, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf (from his
London sessions), Muddy Waters (two tracks - one from the London sessions),
John Lee Hooker, Washboard Sam, Willie Mabon, J.B. Lenoir, Sonny Boy
Williamson, Otis Rush (his classic So Many Roads, So Many Trains
which has one of my all time favorite guitar solos) and more. Excellent
sound but no notes. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
High Water/HMG 6520 |
Memphis Blues Bands And Singers In The 1980s |
● CD $14.98 |
13 tracks, 52 minutes, highly recommended
Much like a
coinciding review of the new/old release of The Fieldstones' long-shelved
"Mud Island Blues" CD, this compilation provides another hefty look at
Memphis Blues between 1981 and 1986, with only three tracks previously
having been issued. The Fieldstones have three cuts (Little Bluebird/
Sneaking In The Dark), the Hollywood All Stars contribute four (Long
Way From Home/ Mary Jo/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ Dirty Work Going On),
The Blues Busters another three (Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson/ Your
Mother Been Talking To You/ Jailhouse Rock), Jane Hamilton & The Prime
Tyme Band two (What I've Lost/ I'm Going To Be A Good Girl), and
Huebert Crawford & The King Riders Band offer one (King Riders Boogie).
Definitely worth making room on the shelves for. (CR)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7737 |
Blind Willie Johnson & The Guitar
Evangelists |
● CD $28.98 |
4 CDs, 96 tracks, highly recommended
It is over ten years
since the issue of The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 52835 -
$19.98). For this chronological reissue of the work of the greatest of all
pre war gospel artists JSP have adopted a different format, breaking up
Blind Willie's sessions with sessions by some of his contemporaries, in the
final disc adding performances which show his influence on the post war
gospel scene. It is a format which works very well, even while it
illustrates the gulf which separates the other practitioners from Mr
Johnson. These are complete recordings except in the case of A.C and Mamie
Forehand and Reverend Edward W Clayborn, where because of space limitations
alternate takes previously issued on Document are omitted. Clayborn, dubbed
The Guitar Evangelist, opens the set, and he is an effective performer,
although his fondness for a two beat rhythm on the bass strings can become a
bit tedious. Elsewhere the single session of husband and wife A.C and Mamie
Forehand has a sedate charm, Blind Willie Harris who opens the third disc is
almost certainly Richard "Rabbit" Brown in religious mode, and the final
disc offers some fun in the form of the Reverends Utah Smith and Anderson
Johnson. Utah Smith, who has something of Blind Willie's vocal power, is a
showman, hurling notes from his heavily amplified guitar. Reverend Johnson,
until sadly tamed by an A&R man, is also willing to test the sonic
boundaries as his first version of God Don't Like It demonstrates.
Their material draws on pre war sources and this sense of continuity gives
the compilation a satisfying cohesiveness.
There is though only one star,
one utterly compelling performer. Blind Willie's magnificent first session
which closes disc one combines the power of tracks like I Know His Blood
Can Make Me Whole and If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down
with the meditative slide masterpiece Dark Was The Night - Cold Was The
Ground, later to become the become the stuff of soundtracks and the
"Sounds Of The Earth" discs carried by the Voyager satellites. This pattern
- a class act blowing away all that has gone before - repeats itself on the
subsequent discs. Discographical information is limited to a list of
recording dates, and as is often the case with this series there is a
disconnection between the notes for each CD and the artists on it. The notes
themselves, by Keith Briggs, are also hampered by the fact that very little
is known about most of these performers. Sound quality is very good
throughout, allowing for the usual acoustic vagaries of some of the post war
recordings. The only tracks with significant noise are those by A.C and
Mamie Forehand, where sound is very similar to that on the remastered
version of Document DOCD 5054. The most important comparison though is with
the Blind Willie reissue on Columbia, and here JSP is the clear winner. The
hiss on the Columbia transfers is significantly reduced, the vocal attack
seems even stronger and the guitar is beautifully presented, a credit to the
original recording engineers as well as an excellent remastering job. There
may still be a couple of copies of Dark Was The Night in interstellar
space, but I bet they don't sound this good. (DPR)
REV. EDWARD W. CLAYBORN: A Letter From Father/ Bye and Bye When The Morning
Comes/ Come And Go With Me To My Father's House/ Death Is Only A Dream/
Everybody Ought To Treat Their Mother Right/ God's Riding Through The Land/
I Have A Home In The Sky/ I Heard The Angels Singing/ I Shall Not Be Moved/
If My Saviour Holds My Hand I Will Go/ In Time Of Trouble Jesus Will Never
Say Goodbye/ Jesus Is Sweeter Than Honey In The Comb/ Jesus Went On Man's
Bond/ Jesus Will Make It Alright/ Just Beyond The Jordan River/ Let Jesus
Lead You/ Let that Lie Alone/ Men Don't Forget Your Wives For Sweethearts/ O
Lord I'm In Your Care/ The Gospel Train Is Coming/ The Wrong Way To
Celebrate Christmas/ Then We'll Need That True Religion/ There'll Be Glory/
This Time Another Year You May Be Gone/ When I Lay My Burden Down/ Where
Shall I Be When The First Trumpet Sounds?/ With My Saviour I Shall Be/ You
Never Will Know Who Is Your Friend/ Your Enemy Cannot Harm You/ Your True
Friends/ DENNIS CRUMPTON & ROBERT SUMMERS: Everybody Ought To Pray Some
Time/ Go I'll Send Thee/ A.C. & BLIND MAMIE FOREHAND: Honey In The Rock/ I'm
So Glad Today/ Mothers Prayer/ Wouldn't Mind Dying If Dying Was All/ BLIND
WILLIE HARRIS: Does Jesus Care?/ Where He Leads Me I Will Follow/ BLIND
WILLIE JOHNSON: Bye And Bye I'm Goin' To See The King/ Can't Nobody Hide
From God/ Church, I'm Fully Saved Today/ Dark Was The Night - Cold Was The
Ground/ Everybody Ought To Treat A Stranger Right/ Go With Me To The Land/
God Don't Never Change/ God Moves On The Water/ I Know His Blood Can Make Me
Whole/ I'm Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge/ If I Had My Way I'd Tear This
Building Down/ If It Had Not Been For Jesus/ It's Nobody's Fault But Mine/
Jesus Is Coming Soon/ Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed/ John The Revelator/ Keep
Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning/ Let Your Light Shine On Me/ Lord, I Just
Can't Keep From Crying/ Mother's Children Have A Hard Time/ Praise God I'm
Satisfied/ Sweeter As The Years Roll By/ Take Your Burden To The Lord And
Leave It There/ Take Your Stand/ The Rain Don't Fall On Me/ The Soul Of A
Man/ Trouble Will Soon Be Over/ When The War Was On/ You'll Need Somebody On
Your Bond/ You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond/ REV. A. JOHNSON: Death
In The Morning/ Do You Call That Religion?/ God Don't Like It/ God Don't
Like It (alt.)/ I Don't Know How To Get Along Without The Lord/ I'm Gonna Do
My Best/ If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again/ Jesus Loves Us All/ Let That
Liar Pass On By/ Lord Will Make A Way/ Run Children Run/ The Lord Will Make
A Way Somehow/ LONNIE MCINTORSH: Arise And Shine/ How Much I Owe/ Sleep On
Mother Sleep On/ The Lion And The Tribes Of Judah/ BLIND BENNY PARIS: Hide
Me In The Blood Of Jesus/ I'm Gonna Live So God Can Use Me/ REV. UTAH SMITH:
Glory To Jesus, I'm Free/ God's Mighty Hand/ I Got Two Wings/ I Want Two
Wings/ Take A Trip/ Two Wings/ REV. I. B. WARE WITH WIFE & SON: I Wouldn't
Mind Dying (But I Gotta Go By Myself)/ You Better Quit Drinking Shine/
WILLIE MAE WILLIAMS: Don't Want To Go There/ Where The Sun Never Goes Down
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Night Train 7027 |
Music From And Inspired By Devil In A Blue
Dress |
● CD $15.98 |
20 tracks, 57 min., recommended Back in stock. Don't be
misled by the title here. This is not the authorized soundtrack for the
popular attempt to revisit film noir. It is instead several numbers used in
the film, plus lots of other similar music, offered by the company that now
owns the rights to that music. So we get Ain't Nobody's Business by
Jimmy Witherspoon, Rain in My Eyes by Joanne Shaw, and Chic Boo
by Lloyd Glen, all of which are featured in Devil in a Blue Dress.
Additional numbers, the majority of the program, include Poor Man Blues
by the Johnny Otis Band, Back Home Blues by Lowell Fulson, Worried
Blues by Floyd Dixon, How Wrong Can a Good Man Be by Percy
Mayfield, I'll Do Anything But Work by Ray Charles, and Changeable
Woman Blues by Charles Brown. A particularly fine program all in all,
with a rather gaudy cover painting which includes a generously endowed blond
in, of all things, a blue dress. (DH)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Panic 100 |
Just Shuckin' Around, 1953-1965 |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks, 56 mins, very good
Another collection of obscure
blues, R&B and black rock 'n' roll featuring sides cut in Los Angeles in the
50s and early 60s - many making their first appearance on CD. Not as strong
as some other similar collections because of the overabundance of
forgettable novelty songs (No Hootenanny/ Twisted/ Teenage Jamboree/
Twisted, etc) though are also some more memorable songs like Billy
Stafford's Papa Shotgun, Kid Thomas & Joe Bennet's fine You Heard
What I Said with fine harp and guitar, the hot instrumental Part Time
by Hank Moore, the title song by Slim Henry and others. Sound is excellent
and 12 page booklet has decent notes and some photos. (FS)
GIL BERNAL: The Whip/ L.A. BROWN: No Hootenanny/ THE COCOAS: Flip Your
Daddy/ THE DUSTERS: Teenage Jamboree/ WILLIE EGANS: Rock And Roll Fever/
FRANKIE & THE DELL STARS: Don't Shine Me On/ CHUCK GREY: Rock And Roll Is On
My Soul/ SLIM HENRY: Just Shuckin' Around/ CHUCK HIGGINS: Blacksmith Blues/
GUS JENKINS: Jealous Of You Baby/ J.J. JONES: Aw Shucks/ LITTLE FREDDIE AND
DON (MORRIS): Too Fat/ LITTLE JOHNNY MCCALL: Half Ton Tillie/ HANK MOORE:
Part Time/ PAUL PRESTON: Twisted/ CHARLES SIMS (FILLMORE SLIM): Take A Bath/
BILLY STAFFORD: Papa Shotgun/ BOB STARR: My Girl Back In L.A./ FLASH TERRY:
Cool It/ KID THOMAS & JOE BENNETT: You Heard What I Said/ THE TORMENTORS:
Didn't It Rain/ WILLIAM "THUNDERBIRD" WALKER: Thunderbird/ K.C. MOJO WATSON:
Love Blood Hound/ JOHNNY WRIGHT: Wine Head
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Savoy Jazz 17446 |
Stompin' At The Savoy - The Originl Indie
Label |
● CD $39.98 |
Four CD set featuring jump blues, R&B, doo-wop and a few cuts of down home blues recorded between 1944 and 1961 for the Savoy label or the National label, which Savoy acquired in 1957.
FAYE ADAMS: Step Up and Rescue Me/ CHUZ ALFRED: Rocking Boy/ THE BEALE
STREET GANG: Fat Stuff Boogie/ BIG BERTHA: Little Daddy/ BIG MAYBELLE: Blues
Early, Early Parts 1&2/ Candy/ TINY BRADSHAW: Take the Hands Off the Clock/
NAPPY BROWN: Don't Be Angry/ Is It Really You?/ Little by Little/ Little by
Little/ PETE BROWN: Pete Brown's Boogie/ TOMMY BROWN: Cheatin' Women/ DOLLY
COOPER: I Wanna Know/ SAMMY COTTON: Nobody/ COUSIN JOE: Weddin' Day Blues/
JIMMY CRAWFORD: That Ain't Right/ THE CUBS: Why Did You Make Me Cry?/ THE
DEBUTANTES: Just Leave It to Me/ VARETTA DILLARD: Easy, Easy Baby/ Johnny
Has Gone/ Mercy Mercy Percy/ THE DREAMS: Darlene/ BILLY ECKSTINE: Prisoner
of Love/ H-BOMB FERGUSON: Good Lovin'/ DUSTY FLETCHER: Open the Door,
Richard Parts 1&2/ THE FOUR BUDDIES: I Will Wait/ T.J. FOWLER: Red Hot
Blues/ Got Nobody to Tell/ SLIM GAILLARD: Slim's Jam/ THE GAY POPPERS: You
Better Believe/ WILBERT HARRISON: Don't Drop It/ HENRY HAYES ORCHESTRA:
Frogive Me Baby/ BILLY HOPE: Bad Time/ HELEN HUMES: Helen's Advice/ JESSE &
BUZZY: Going Back to Orleans/ THE JIVE BOMBERS: Bad Boy/ PETE JOHNSON:
Atomic Boogie/ EARL JOHNSON (EARL KING): Beggin' At Your Mercy/ ALBINIA
JONES: Evil Gal Blues/ KANSAS CITY JIMMY: Cheatin' Women/ KING CARL: Sure
Like to Rain/ BILLY LAMONT: I Got A Rock & Roll Gal/ ANNIE LAURIE: Stop,
Don't Go/ LITTLE DANNY: Mind on Loving/ LITTLE ESTHER & MEL WALKER: Cupid's
Boogie/ LITTLE TERRY: Shake Me Up, Baby/ EDDIE MACK: Keyhole Blues/ BROWNIE
MCGHEE: Anna Mae/ My Fault/ STICKS MCGHEE: Things Have Changed/ DEACON
MCNEELY: Deacon's Hop/ MISS RHAPSODY: Hey Lawdy Mama/ MISS SHAREROPPER
(LAVERNE BAKER): I want to Rock/ GATEMOUTH MOORE: I Ain't Mad at You, Pretty
Baby/ WILD BILL MOORE: We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll/ BILLY NELSON:
Pack, Shack and Stack/ JOHNNY OTIS: Harlem Nocturne/ Midnight in the Barrel
House/ Double Crossing Blues/ Rockn' Blues/ All Nite Long/ HOT LIPS PAGE:
Uncle Sam Blues/ DOC POMUS: My Good Pott/ SAMMY PRICE: Honky Tonk Caboose/
Rib Joint/ THE RAVENS: Rickey's Blues/ Write Me A Letter/ THE ROAMERS: Chop,
Chop, Ching a Ling/ BENNY ROBERTS: Thriller Diller Poppa/ THE ROBINS: If
It's So Baby/ LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT: Don't Cry Baby/ MARILYN SCOTT: Straighten
Him Out/ HAL SINGER: Corn Bread/ Hot Rod/ EMITT SLAY TRIO: My Kind of Woman/
THE TOPPERS: If Money Grew on Trees/ JOE TURNER: My Gal's a Jockey/ S.K.
Blues Part 1&2/ EARL WILLIAMS: Let's Make Love Tonight/ PAUL WILLIAMS: The
Huckle Buck/ Thirty Five Thirty/ BILLY WRIGHT: Stacked Deck/ THE X-RAYS:
I'll Always Be in Love With You
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Wolf WSE 117 |
The Best Of Country Blues Women, Volume 1 |
● CD $12.98 |
25 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
In spite of the title
this is not really country blues but rather small group urban blues though
several artists are of rural origin. If features five tracks each by five
different singer recorded between 1923 and 1930 including many tracks not
readily available except on the comprehensive Document reissues. It includes
tracks by Kansas City vocalist Lottie Beaman (aka Lottie Kimbrough aka Lena
Kimbrough) in a variety of setting, obscure but fine St. Louis vocalist
Luella Miller with accompaniments including Lonnie Johnson on guitar and in
one case violin. Johnson is also featured accompanying the magnificent
Victoria Spivey on three of her tracks including the spine chilling T-B
Blues. The great Lucille Bogan (aka Bessie Jackson) is featured on five
of her earliest sides from four different sessions including the wonderful
Jim Tampa Blues with stellar banjo work and comments from Papa
Charlie Jackson. Other tracks by her include accompaniments by Will Ezell,
Tampa Red and Charles Avery including the bizarre New Way Blues (what
is she singing about?). The set ends with five sides by Sippie Wallace,
member of a talented Texas family, brother Hersal Thomas appears on piano on
Devil Dance Blues along with cirnetist Joe "King" Oliver. A few
tracks are from worn 78s but sound is generally fine and booklet has
informative notes on the artists and full discographical info. (FS)
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Wolf 120.807 |
Chicago's Best West & Southside Blues
Singers, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
15 tracks, very good
15 tracks of Chicago blues recorded between 1987 and 2004 including some
infrequently recorded artists. Some decent
performances though nothing really stands out. (FS)
GEORGE BAZE: Hush Hush/ Park My Car/ LEFTY DIZZ: Bad Avenue/ I Could Get My
Hands On You/ JOHNNY LAWS: I You Cannot Be True, I Don't Need You/ LOVIE
LEE: Ain't No Hand Me Down/ Tell Me Baby/ HIP LINKCHAIN: Goin Away Blues/
Saddle My Pony/ FOREE SUPERSTAR MONTGOMERY: Standing At The Crossroads/
Wonder Why/ LARRY TAYLOR: Bad Boy/ My Baby's Gone/ Yes, I Love You/ EDDIE
TAYLOR JR.: Ride 'em On Down
|
| JOSH WHITE |
Rhino Handmade 7879 |
The Elektra Years |
● CD $41.98 |
Two CD limited edition (2500 copies) set featuring 38 tracks
recorded by Josh for Elektra between 1955 and 1962 plus his 1933 recording
of Lay Some Flowers On My Grave. Produced for this reissue by Elektra
president Jac Holzman the set comes in a tri-fold digipack sleeve with a
booklet with rare photos and liner and track notes by White biographer
Elijah Wald.
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