NEWSLETTER #142
Blues & Gospel
Chicago Bob Nelson -
> Rusty Zinn
| CHICAGO BOB NELSON |
95 North 21202 |
Flyin' Too High |
● CD $13.98 |
14 tracks, 65 minutes, excellent
Although too long under the radar, the name Chicago Bob Nelson rings
synonymous with tough harp, powerful vocals, and a no-nonsense approach to
hard-driving blues. From his early work with the Colwell-Winfield Blues
Band, and later, Tinsley Ellis in The Heartfixers, Nelson's been a
journeyman who has never garnered the respect he warrants. "Flyin' Too High"
may not change that fact but it stands as his finest work yet in a catalog
far too small. With David Maxwell, Mudcat Ward, Per Hanson, and guitar from
Troy Gonyea and Monster Mike Welch, the outcome is superb and genuine.
Influences are many and Nelson stands as a stalwart who should be heard by
anyone with an ear for blues. Shake For Me and It's Hard Goin' Up
easily make the grade but it's the few originals (Retirement Plan/ Flyin'
Too High and Party After Hours) that stand out above the fine covers.
This is the real deal and one of the best discs yet this year. (CR)
|
| ROD PIAZZA |
Delta Groove 104 |
For The Chosen Who |
● CD $19.98 |
CD/ DVD, 12 tracks, 49 minutes, recommended
Following a
relatively short stay on the Tone-Cool label, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
now make their home on the Delta Groove imprint and their debut is a fine
disc with an accompanying DVD. This outing finds the young and
highly-talented Henry Carvajal on guitar with Paul Fasulo on drums while
regulars Bill Stuve and Honey (Alexander) Piazza handle bass and piano
respectively along with plenty of guests. Rod and the band cover Jimmy
Rogers (Broken Hearted Blues
and Trace Of You), Jimmy Reed (I'm A
Love You), John Lee Williamson (Ground Hog Blues) and Little Walter
(Got To Find My Baby) plus they toss in a few hearty originals. The DVD
(approximately 45 minutes) covers the studio sessions for "For The Chosen
Who" and features Kid Ramos, Finis Tasby, Phil Guy and others as well as
interview segments. (CR)
|
| DOC POMUS |
Rev-Ola 148 |
Blues In The Red |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, recommended
This album features 24 recordings
made between 1944 and 1955 by young white crippled Jewish singer Jerome
Solon Felder aka Doc Pomus. I may be wrong but I believe that Pomus was the
first and possibly only white performer singing in this genre in this
period. Later on Pomus would become one of the most successful rock 'n' roll
and R&B songwriter of the 50s and early 60s, often in collaboration with
Mort Schumann or Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. But in the 40s his goal was
to emulate his idols Wynonie Harris and Big Joe Turner and he turned out a
string of fine recordings for a number of, mostly New York based.
labels. While he was certainly not in the top rung of vocalists in the genre
he turned in fine performances of mostly original songs like Doc's
Boogie/ My New Chick/ Fruity Woman Blues/ My Good Pot/ Traveling Doc/ Blues
For Sale/ Too Much Boogie/ Heartlessly and others.
You would certainly never know that he was not an African-American
performer. He was accompanied by top musicians such as Tab Smith, Leonard
Feather, Bill Moore, Rex Stewart, Pete Brown, King Curtis, Mickey Baker &
others. Sound quality is excellent and the eight page fold out booklet has
informative notes by Dave Penny and some great photos. (FS)
|
| GARY PRIMICH |
Electro-Fi 3396 |
Ridin' The Dark Horse |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 53 minutes, excellent
It's been too long since
Gary Primich released "Dog House Music" on the Antone's label in 2002 but it
certainly seems like the wait was worth it. Assisted by Mark Korpi's guitar,
Billy Horton's acoustic bass, Jim Starboard's drumming and Gene Taylor's
piano (plus a few others), the harp slinger gets down to business on Sidney
Crochet's Sugar Bee,
Eddy Clearwater's Hillbilly Blues, Robert
Nighthawk's Kansas City, and John Brim's You Got Me Where You Want Me,
and shines on a good cross-section of steeped-in-tradition originals; Why
Don't You Write Me/ Keep On Talking/ Pray For A Cloudy Day, and others.
Recorded at Fort Horton Studios in Austin, the sound is deliciously vintage
without the hiss, pops, or skips of old 78 recordings. (CR)
|
| WILLIE "BIG
EYES" SMITH |
Hightone 8191 |
Way Back |
● CD $16.98 |
11 tracks, 48 min., recommended
People who recognize the
name Willie "Big Eyes" Smith from his many years as the drummer in The Muddy
Waters Band may yet be surprised to find him fronting his own band here as a
singer and harmonica ace. Some, no doubt, will remember that it was Smith
who made with the blues harp sounds on Bo Diddly's Diddy Wha Diddy
back in 1955. And he's good too and joined by such talents as Pinetop
Perkins on piano, James Cotton on harmonica, and Kenny "Beady Eyes" Smith on
drums, among others. And while this set of originals (along with covers of
Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed tunes) isn't earth shattering,
it does give it a bit of a shake. (JC)
|
| GEORGE SMITH &
BACON FAT |
Columbia/ Blue Horizon 688 737-2 |
The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions |
● CD $28.98 |
Two CD set. The first CD features all the recordings made
for Blue Horizon in 1969 and 1970 by an early Rod Piazza group Bacon Fat
with Rod on vocals and harmonica, J.D. Nicholson/ piano, Greg Schaeffer and
Buddy Reed/ guitars and others. This includes their LP "Grease One For Me"
plus a remixed version of their single and 8 previously unissued live tracks
recorded in England in 1970. The second disc is devoted to the great George
Smith who was pianos mentor. His album "No Time For Jive" is featured here
with J.D. Nicholson/ piano & organ, various guitarists including Pee Wee
Crayton and Buddy Reed plus bass and drums - 8 songs originally issued on
the
Blue Horizon LP "No Time For Jive". There are seven bonus live cuts
featuring George backed by Bacon Fat at various Live shows in England in
1970.
|
| OTIS SPANN |
BGO BGOCD 668 |
The Blues Of Otis Spann/ Cracked Spanner
Head |
● CD $19.98 |
2 CDs, 26 tracks, 90 minutes, excellent
More than three
decades after his death at age 40, Otis Spann still finds himself seated at
the King's throne of Chicago blues piano having defined the role of an
ensemble player through his lengthy association with Muddy Waters. The sides
on this two-disc set stem from a May 1964 session produced by Mike Vernon
with Ransom Knowling on bass and Little Willie Smith on drums (we know him
today as Willie "Big Eyes" Smith) plus Muddy Waters taking part in the
session as well. Aimed more at completists as opposed curious onlookers,
most of what's here is a duplication of itself. Disc one is a straight
reissue of the 1964 album "The Blues Of Otis Spann" while disc two has
overdubbed horns and additional guitar, plus a shuffling of the retitled
tracks, and was issued in 1969 as Cracked Spanner Head. Includes I Came
From Clarksdale/ Keep Your Hand Out Of My Pocket/ Sarah Street/ The Blues
Don't Like Nobody
and more. Bonus tracks not on either of the original
issues (but available elsewhere) are Pretty Girls Everywhere
with Eric
Clapton, plus Country Boy/ My Home In The Delta, and You're Gonna Need My
Help, all with Muddy's distinctive guitar work. (CR)
|
| OTIS SPANN |
Columbia/ Blue Horizon (UK) 682 290-2 |
The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions |
● CD $28.98 |
Two CD set, 28 tracks, very good
This two CD set features
all the recordings the great Chicago singer and piano player made for Mike
Vernon's Blue Horizon label in 1968 and 1969. The first disc opens with the
fine single recorded in Chicago in 1968 with Johnny Shines and Big Walter.
This is followed by two tracks from Fleetwood Mac's "Blues Jam At Chess"
session with vocals by Otis. The rest of the tracks are from a lengthy
session held on September 1, 1969 in New York with Spann accompanied by Flettwood Mac but with Mick Fleetwood's dismal drumming replaced by S.P.
Leary. These sessions have been remixed to give more prominence to Spann's
piano but the sound is still dominated by the guitars of Peter Green and
Danny Kirwan. The first CD includes all of "The Biggest Since Since Colussus"
LP with some false starts and studio chat. The second disc features two
songs that were issued on singles - Blues For Hippies
and Temperature
Is Rising (98.8F) and the remainder is alternate takes, false starts and
studio chatter from the "Colossus" session and the recently discovered
unissued song She's Out Of Sight which is one of the finer performances
here. Even if you like Green and Kirwan's playing (I don't) I really don't
think these sessions do Otis justice - his vocals and piano seem to battling
against the other musicians and for someone whose performances are as subtle
as Spann's this is a great drawback. The set includes 20 page booklet with
affectionate notes by Vernon. (FS)
|
| SISTER ROSETTA THARPE |
Fuel 2000 61501 |
Sister Rosetta's Gospel Train |
● CD $13.98 |
18 tracks, very good
The great gospel singer and guitarist
recorded live in Europe in the 60s. Sister Rosetta was past her prime though
she could still sing with power and conviction though there is very little
of her distinctive guitar work - she mostly just strums behind her vocals
with the occasional hot lick to prove that she still could do it. Material
is mostly gospel favorites including some of her own trademark classics like
The Gospel Train/ Peace In The Valley/ Two Little Fishes, Five Loaves Of
Bread
and others. (FS)
|
| LIL' DAVE THOMPSON |
Electro-Fi 3397 |
Got To Get Over You |
● CD $15.98 |
10 tracks, 48 minutes, excellent
Lil' Dave Thompson started
garnering acclaim in Booba Barnes' touring band and later as part of the Fat
Possum Blues Caravan and takes the opportunity to shine on "Got To Get Over
You". It's refreshing to listen to an artist tackle an all-original set of
ten tunes without sounding like a reheated, second-rate SRV clone, and
thankfully, Thompson sounds much closer to Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks and
Albert King. From storming shuffles in the form of Out In The Cold
and
Hard Headed Woman or the soul-laced blues of I Wonder, to the slow and
incendiary Lil' Girl, Thompson's guitar and voice play the perfect foil
to each other while his Need For Speed proves a welcome fix for those who
prefer their guitar instrumentals a little on the over-the-top side of the
table. The small band consists of organ, sax, bass and drums. (CR)
|
| IKE TURNER |
Classics 5176 |
The Chronological Ike Turner, 1951-1954 |
● CD $14.98 |
21 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
The first volume
devoted to the recordings of Ike Turner under his own name (sort of - as
this set also includes two sides issued by Mary Sue aka Bonnie Turner and
five tracks credited to "Lover Boy" who were originally thought to be Ike
but are now thought to be Billy "The Kid" Emerson or Dennis Binder - though
Ike is certainly present on all these sides). Still everything else here was
certainly credited to Ike including his first issued recording from the same
session that produced the classic "Rocket 88" and including an originally
unissued Sun session plus singles for RPM and Flair - the latter all guitar
instrumentals including the great, nearly nine minute, All The Blues, All
The Time
where he plays a medley of current and recent blues hits
including Feeling Good/ Please Love Me/ Dust My Broom/ Hoochie Coochie Man
and others - an exciting guitar workout that was probably just Ike fooling
around in the studio but makes for great listening. (FS)
LOVER BOY: Love Is Scarce/ Nobody Seems To Want Me/ Nobody
Wants Me/ The Way You Used To Treat Me/ Why Did You Leave Me/ MARY SUE:
Everybody's Talking/ Love Is A Gamble/ BONNIE & IKE TURNER: Looking For My
Baby/ My Heart Belongs To You/ IKE TURNER: All The Blues, All The Time/ IKE
& BONNIE TURNER: Love Is A Gamble/ Old Brother Jack/ Way Down In The Congo/
IKE TURNER & HIS ORCHESTRA: Cuban Get Away/ Cubano Jump/ Go To It/ IKE
TURNER & HIS KINGS OF RHYTHM: Heartbroken And Worried/ I'm Lonesome Baby/
IKE TURNER & HIS ORCHESTRA: Loosely/ IKE TURNER WITH BEN BURTON & HIS ORCH:
Troubles And Heartaches/ You're Driving Me Insane
|
| IKE TURNER |
Zoho 200611 |
Risin' With The Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
New solo album from veteran performer - a mix of originals
and covers - Gimme Back My Wig/ Tease Me/ Jazzy Fuzzy/ Jesus Loves Me/
Senor Blues/ Rockin' Blues/ Big Fat Mama, etc.
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCH2 1090 |
The Complete Meteor Blues, R&B And Gospel
Recordings |
● CD $25.98 |
Two CD set with 54 tracks featuring every blues, R&B and
gospel release cut for Lester Bihari's Memphis based Meteor label between
1952 and 1957 presented in chronological order. Although blues collectors
will be familiar with the sides by Elmore James, Chicago Sunny Boy (Joe Hill
Louis), Fenton Robinson and some others, there are a number tracks making
their first appearance on CD including obscure sides by Carl "Mr. Broadway"
Green, veteran tenor saxist Buster Smith, Jimmy Wright, Al Smith's
Progressive Jazz, gospel group The Angel Voices, doo-wop group The Del Rios
featuring a lead by a young William Bell and others. Remastered wherever
possible from original master tapes there is a 28 page booklet with
extensive notes by Dave Sax and lots of label shots and artist photos. This
complements Ace CDCH2 885 (two CD set $24.98) which features all the Meteor
hillbilly and rockabilly recordings.
WOODROW ADAMS with BOOGIE BLUES BLASTERS: Baby You Just
Don’t Know/ Wine Head Woman/ JAMES ANDERSON with THE ANDERSON HARMONEERS:
Let My Last Days Be My Best/ Something Within Me/ THE ANGEL VOICES: Tell The
Angels/ Walkin’ & Talkin’ With Jesus/ LEO BAXTER & ORCHESTRA: Can I Depend
On You?/ Heartaches/ SUNNY BLAIR: Please Send My Baby Back (aka Step Back
Baby)/ Gonna Let You Go/ BEP BROWN ORCHESTRA: Kickin’ The Blues Around (aka
Flaming Blues)/ Round House Boogie (aka Sax Symphonic Boogie)/ J.T. (BIG
BOY) BROWN with ELMO JAMES BROOM DUSTERS: Dumb Woman Blues/ CHICAGO SUNNY
BOY: Jack Pot (aka At The Woodchopper’s Ball)/ Love You Baby/ On The Floor/
Western Union Man/ THE DEL RIOS with THE BEARCATS: Alone On A Rainy Nite/
Lizzie/ EARL (WHOOPIN’ & HOLLERIN’) FOREST: I Can’t Forgive You/ I Wronged A
Woman/ CARL GREEN AND ORCHESTRA: Boogie Freight/ CARL (MR BROADWAY) GREEN
AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Four Years Seven Days/ CARL GREEN AND ORCHESTRA: Horizon/
CARL (MR BROADWAY) GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA: My Best Friend/ SMOKEY HOGG:
Dark Clouds/ I Declare/ ELMORE JAMES: Baby, What’s Wrong/ I Believe/ Sinful
Women/ Hawaiian Boogie/ Lost Woman Blues (aka Please Find My Baby)/ LITTLE
MILTON with THE PLAYMATES OF RHYT: Let My Baby Be/ Let’s Boogie Baby/ Love
At First Sight/ WALTER MILLER with THE BARONS: My Last Mile/ Standing On The
Highway/ FENTON ROBINSON with THE DUKES: Crying Out Loud/ Tennessee Woman/
BUSTER SMITH & ORCHESTRA: Crying In The Chapel/ Leapin’ In Chicago/ AL
SMITH’S PROGRESSIVE JAZZ: Beale Street Stomp (aka Chop Chop Boogie)/ Slidin’
Home (aka Hot Rod Special)/ MINNIE THOMAS with SLIM WATERS’ LAGOONS: I Know
What You Need/ What Can The Matter Be?/ RUFUS “BEARCAT” THOMAS with THE
BEARCATS: I’m Steady Holdin’ On/ The Easy Livin’ Plan/ JIMMY WRIGHT &
ORCHESTRA: I’m In the Mood To Be Loved/ Slow Down Daddy/ JIMMY WRIGHT AND
HIS ORCHESTRA: Porkey Pine/ Scotch Mist
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1115 |
Blues For Dootsie |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, highly recommended
Terrific collection of mostly
jump blues produced by legendary Los Angeles entrepreneur Dootsie Williams
between 1949 and 1958. The first 16 tracks were made between 1949 and 1951
for Willims' first label Blue and features hard to find recordings by Johnny
Taylor (a versatile blues singer - not one of the later Johnny Taylors!),
Bobby Nunn (later or Robins and Coasters fame), Dootsie Williams & His
Rhythm Kings (with vocals by Big Joe Turner), Bumps Myers & His Frantic
Five, Violet Hall (fine boogie woogie piano player and vocalist) and Cleo
Brown (another singer and boogie woogie piano player). The rest of the
recordings were issued on Dootone (later Dooto) and Authentic and includes
some of the label's only down home sides with four tracks (two previously
unissued) by singer/ guitarist Stormy Herman with harmonica from Ozie Saxton
of Dixie Blues Boys fame (see Ace 1003). Dootsie reissued a previously
unissued Big Joe Turner sides from his Blue session after Joe started having
successs with Atlantic and there are sides by Pete Johnson & His All Stars
(with vocals by Big Duke Henderson), Rosie Mae Jones & her Combo, Fats
Gaines and others. An excellent and varied collection with superb sound from
original acetates and tapes wherever possible and detailed 16 page booklet
by L.A. researcher Jim Dawson which includes an interview with Dootsie and
rare photos and label shots. (FS)
CLEO BROWN: Baby, Let's Make Some Love/ Blues Boogie/ Roll
It Boogie/ The Hole In The Wall/ FATS GAINES: Katy Lee/ You're With Me,
Baby/ My Man Is Gone/ VIOLET HALL: He's An Ivory Beating Baby (On The Baby
Grand)/ You'd Better Come Home Baby/ STORMY HERMAN: Cadillac Fever/ Rent
Day/ Bad Luck/ Jitterbug/ PETE JOHNSON & HIS ALL STARS (VOCAL BY BIG DU:
Hard Luck Women & Strife/ BETTY HALL JONES: Richmond Blues/ RESSIE MAE JONES
& HER COMBO: Automatic Daddy/ PAUL MONDAY: Are You Ready To Go Steady/ My
Mistake/ BUMPS MYERS & HIS FRANTIC FIVE (VOCAL BY BOBBY: I'm Clappin' And
Shoutin'/ I'm Tellin' You Baby/ BOBBY NUNN: Anticipating Blues/ Bring Your
Lovin' Back To Me/ I Got A Country Gal/ JOHNNY TAYLOR & HIS ORCHESTRA: Back
Alley Blues/ Mr. Monkey Man/ JOHNNY TAYLOR & HIS MELLOW 5: Rocky Mountain
Blues/ West Coast Baby/ JOE TURNER: I Love Ya, I Love Ya, I Love Ya (Low
Down Dog)/ DOOTSIE WILLIAMS & RHYTHM KINGS WITH JOE TURNER: Everybody's
Jumpin' Tonight/ Gamblin' Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1121 |
Battle Of Hastings Street |
● CD $18.98 |
Fabulous collection of raw Detroit blues and R&B, mostly
recorded by the legndary Joe Von Battle in the back of his fabled Hastings
Street record shop in the late 40s and early 50s and leased to King and its
DeLuxe subsidiary. Includes 10 previously unissued sides. It features sides
by Joe Weaver & His Blue Notes, Eddie Burns, Johnny Wright, Howard Richard,
Robert Richard (Howard's brother), Eddie Kirkland and James Walton.
EDDIE BURNS: Dealing With The Devil/ Hello Miss Jessie
Lee/ JOHNNY HOWARD: Vacation Blues/ EDDIE KIRKLAND: Mistreated Woman/ No
Shoes/ Please Don't Think I'm Nosey/ Time For Lovin' To Be Done/ ROBERT
RICHARD: New York Central (unissued)/ Wigwam Woman/ JAMES WALTON: Eva Lee
(unissued)/ If You Don't Believe I'm Leaving (unissued)/ Lover Blues
(unissued)/ Streamline No. 99 (unissued)/ JOE WEAVER & HIS BLUE NOTES: Baby
I'm In Love With You/ I Got The Blues For My Baby (unissued)/ I'm So
Lonesome (unissued)/ J.b. Boogie/ Soft Pillow/ JOHNNY WRIGHT: Boogie Baby
(unissued)/ I Stayed Down/ I Was In St. Louis/ She Went Away (unissued)/ Up
Boy (unissued)/ ’54 Blues (unissued)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Chess (UK) 983 171-9 |
Chess Pieces |
● CD $28.98 |
Two CD set with 48 pieces tracing some of the highlights of
the Chess label and its subsidiaries from Jackie Brenston's Rocket 88
from 1951 to Solomon Burke's Let Me Wrap My Arms Around You from 1975.
Along the way we hear John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson,
Little Walter, Dale Hawkins, Jimmy McCracklin, Etta james, Jan Bradley,
Jackie Ross, Sugar Pie Desanto, Tony Clarke, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Koko Taylor,
Pigmeat Markham, The Dells and many more. Superb sound and 16 page booklet
has brief notes and some great photos.
FONTELLA BASS: Rescue Me/ Don't Mess Up A Good Thing/
CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B Goode/ Maybellene/ No Particular Place To Go/ JAN
BRADLEY: Mama Didn't Lie/ JACKIE BRENSTON: Rocket 88/ SOLOMON BURKE: Let Me
Wrap My Arms Around You/ TONY CLARKE: The Entertainer/ MITTY COLLIER: I Had
A Talk With My Man Last Night/ DAVE `BABY' CORTEZ: Rinky Dink/ SUGAR PIE DE
SANTO: Soulful Dress/ THE DELLS: Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation/ BO
DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/ Say Man/ You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover/ LOWELL
FULSOM: Reconsider Baby/ HARVEY & THE MOONGLOWS: 10 Commandments Of Love/
DALE HAWKINS: Susie Q/ CLARENCE FROGMAN HENRY: Ain't Got No Home/ JOHN LEE
HOOKER: Sugar Mama/ HOWLIN' WOLF: How Many More Years/ Smokestack Lightnin'/
ELMORE JAMES: Dust My Broom/ ETTA JAMES: I Just Want To Make Love To You/
Something's Got A Hold On Me/ THE JAYNETTS: Sally, Go Round The Roses/ LAURA
LEE: Dirty Man/ RAMSEY LEWIS: Wade In The Water/ LITTLE MILTON: We're Gonna
Make It/ LITTLE WALTER: Juke/ My Babe/ PIGMEAT MARKHAM: Here Comes The
Judge/ MAURICE AND MAC: You Left The Water Running/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: The
Walk/ BOBBY MOORE AND THE RHYTHM ACES: Searching For My Love/ JIMMY ROGERS:
Walkin' By Myself/ JACKIE ROSS: Selfish One/ ROTARY CONNECTION: I Am The
Black Gold Of The Sun/ MARLENA SHAW: Woman Of The Ghetto/ BILLY STEWART:
Sitting In The Park/ Summertime/ KOKO TAYLOR: Wang Dang Doodle/ TOMMY
TUCKER: Hi Heel Sneakers/ MUDDY WATERS: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man/
Mannish Boy/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Don't Start Me Talkin'/ JIMMY
WITHERSPOON: When The Lights Go Out
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Famous Groove 973000 |
Soulful Gospel - Vocal Groups, Vol. 2 |
● CD $17.98 |
24 tracks, 75 mins, recommended Excellent collection of
tough gospel sounds fom the 60s and early 70s. As the 50s waned the discreet
instrumental accompaniments gave way to full accompaniments with guitar,
bass, drums and, sometimes, organ and the vocals became more intense and, at
times, almost hysterical. Plenty of fine music though from The Hightower
Brothers, the exceptional Spiritual Five (with Wilson Pickett!), The Bullock
Brothers, The Swindell Brothers, Royal Silvertones, Oakland Silvertones,
Sensational Skylarks Of Detroit, Mighty Wings Of Zion and others. Lots of
fine and moving performances. (FS)
THE BROOKLYN SKYWAVES: Oh Lord/ THE BULLOCK BROTHERS: Let
Jeasus Lead You/ Telephone To Glory/ THE GOLDTONES: Won't It Be Wonderful/
THE HIGHTOWER BROTHERS: Come By Here/ Good Time In Heaven/ Nobody's Fault
But Mine/ THE MIGHTY WINGS OF ZION: Please Sir Jesus/ You Don't Know How The
Lord Has Blessed Me/ THE OAKLAND SILVERTONES: Blessed Quietness/ THE PEARLY
GATES: Blessed/ God's Love/ THE ROYAL SILVERTONES: Build Me A Cabin/ Savior
Don't Pass Me By/ THE ROYAL TRAVELERS: Jesus Called My Name/ Standing In The
Need Of Prayer/ THE SENSATIONAL SKYLARDS OF DETROIT: A Little More Grace/
THE SENSATIONAL SKYLARKS OF DETROIT: A Sinner's Prayer/ THE SPIRITUAL FIVE
(FEAT. WILSON PICKETT): Call Him Up/ Christ Blood/ THE SWINDELL BROTHERS: I
Started In Heaven/ There's Nothing Between/ THE WOLRD WONDERS: Don't Give
Up/ THE WORLD WONDERS: Two Wings
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7753 |
Shake That Thing! East Coast Blues,
1935-1953 |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CDs, 105 tracks, essential
The complete recordings of
three fine, individual but obscure East Coast country bluesman. There are 41
tracks by Gabriel Brown, a brilliant and original singer/ guitarist from
Florida who came up with some unique lyrics. It includes 10 tracks recorded
for the Library Of Congress in Florida in 1935 which is mostly traditional
material - often featuring slide. The remaining tracks were recorded for New
York entrepreneur Joe Davis between 1942 and 1952 and includes quite a few
titles that were not originally issued. There are 19 tracks recorded for
Gotham in 1949 by the utterly magnificent Dan Pickett whose background is a
total mystery. Although quite a few of Pickett's songs were drawn from the
repertoire of other bluesman his expressive vocals and stunning guitar
(often using slide) turned them into individualistic gems. The set is
rounded out with 46 tracks by Ralph Willis - another biographical mystery
who is thought to be from Alabama and later moved North Carolina where he
met up with Buddy Moss, Blind Boy Fuller and Sonny & Brownie and his music
shows their influences. There are a dozen gorgeous solo sides by him
revealing him to be a superb guitarist. The remaining tracks feature his
with small groups - sometimes just bass or washboard, other times with
guitar, bass & drums - the other guitarist usually being Brownie McGhee and
on one sessions they are joined by Sonny Terry. Sound is excellent and there
are informative notes from Neil Slaven. A beautiful collection of country
blues. (FS)
GABRIEL BROWN: A Dream Of Mine/ Baby, Boy, Baby/ Bad Love/
Black Jack Blues/ Blues/ Careless Love/ Cold Love/ Cold Mama/ Doing My Best/
Don't Worry About It/ Down In The Bottom/ Education Blues/ Going My Way/
Good-Time Papa/ Got No Money Blues/ Hold Me Baby/ I Am Just Hard Luck/ I Am
Playing The Game/ I Get Evil When My Love Comes Down/ I Had My Hands On It/
I'm Gonna Take It Easy/ I'm Just Crazy/ I've Done Stopped Gamblin'/ I've Got
To Stop Drinkin'/ It's Getting Soft/ It's Time To Move/ John Henry
(Instrumental)/ John Henry (Vocal)/ Mean Old Blues/ Motherless Child/ Nobody
Loves Me Like My Little Girl/ Not Now, I'll Tell You When/ Po' Boy, Long Way
From Home/ Stick With Me/ Talking In Sebastopol/ That's Alright/ The Jinx Is
On Me/ Tone The Bell Easy/ You Ain't No Good/ You Have To Be Different/
Youngster's Blues/ DAN PICKETT: 99 1/2 Won't Do/ Baby Don't You Want To Go/
Baby How Long/ Chicago Blues/ Decoration Day/ Drivin' That Thing/ Drivin'
That Thing (Alt)/ Early One Morning/ I Can Shake It/ Laughing Blues/
Laughing Rag/ Lemon Man/ Number Writer/ Number Writer Take 1/ Ride To A
Funeral In A V-8/ Something's Gone Wrong/ That's Grieving Me/ You Got To Do
Better/ RALPH WILLIS: Amen/ Amen Blues/ Bed Tick Blues/ Black And Tan/
Blues, Blues, Blues/ Boar Hog Blues/ Christmas Blues/ Church Bell Blues/
Church Bells/ Cold Chills/ Cold Chills/ Comb Your Kitty Kat/ Cool That
Thing/ Do Right/ Door Bell Blues/ Eloise/ Everyday I Weep And Moan/ Goin' To
Chattanooga/ Goin' To Viriginia/ Gonna Hop On Down The Line/ Goodbye Blues/
Hoodoo Man/ I Got A Letter, Too Late To Scream And Shout/ I Will Never Love
Again/ I'm Gonna Rock/ I've Been A Fool/ Income Tax Blues/ Just A Note/ Lazy
Woman Blues/ Mama, Mama Blues/ Neighborhood Blues/ New Goin' Down Slow/ Old
Home Blues/ Salty Dog/ Shake That Thing/ So Many Days/ Somebody Is Got To
Go/ Sportin' Life/ Steel Mill Blues/ Tell Me Pretty Baby/ Tell Me Pretty
Baby/ That Gal's No Good/ Trouble Don't Last/ Why'd You Do It/ Worried Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7762 |
Rockin' This House - Chicago Blues Piano,
1946-1953 |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CD set devoted to Chicago blues piano with the star
being the sometimes underappreciated memphis Slim who is featured on two and
half discs covering almost all the recordings he made between 1946 and 1954
where he helped define the small group Chicago style being accompanied by
musicians like Ernest Cotton, Willie Dixon, Ernest "Big" Crawford, Alex
Atkins, Ransom Knowling, Matt Murphy and others. There are 11 tracks from
1947, 1950 and 1951 recorded for Bullet and Regal by the great Roosevelt
Sykes with small groups. A bit of a puzzling inclusion - Sykes really
deserves a box to himself. The final disc features most of the recordings
made between 1947 and 1952 by the brilliant Eddie Boyd with accompaniments
from the likes of J.T. Brown, Willie Dixon, Sax Mallard, Willie Lacey, Judge
Riley, Sam Casimir, Ernest Cotton, L.C. McKinley and others. It includes the
first recording of his trademark song Five Long Years.
EDDIE BOYD: Baby What's Wrong With You/ Blue Coat Man/
Blue Monday Blues/ Chicago Is Just That Way/ Down Beat Rhythm/ Eddie's
Blues/ Five Long Years/ Getting My Divorce/ Hard Headed Woman/ I Can Trust
My Baby/ I Gotta Find My Baby/ I Had To Let Her Go/ I'm Goin' Downtown/ It's
Miserable To Be Alone/ Kilroy Won't Be Back/ Lonesome For My Baby/ Mr
Highway Man/ Playmate Shuffle/ Rosa Lee Swing/ Something Good Will Come To
Me/ Unfair Lovers/ What Makes These Things Happen To Me/ Why Did She Leave
Me/ Why Don't You Be Wise Baby/ You Got To Leave That Gal/ MEMPHIS SLIM:
(Sometimes I Feel Like A) Motherless Child/ 5 O'Clock Blues/ A Letter Home/
A Letter Home/ Angel Child/ Back Alley/ Believe I'll Settle Down/ Blue All
Around My Head/ Blue And Lonesome/ Blue Evening/ Blues And Lonesome/ Call Me
Before You Go Home/ Cheatin' Around/ Country Girl/ Darling I Miss You/ Don't
Ration My Love/ Drivin' Me Mad/ Four Years Of Torment/ Frisco Bay/ Gonna
Need My Help Someday/ Got To Find My Baby/ Grinder Man Blues/ Grinder Man
Blues/ Harlem Bound/ Help Me Some/ I Love My Baby/ If You Live That Life/
Jumping Bean/ Kilroy Has Been Here/ Lend Me Your Love/ Life Is Like That/
Little Mary/ Living The Life I Love/ Love At First Sight/ Mean Little Woman/
Memphis Slim U.S.A./ Messin' Around/ Midnight Jump/ Mistake In Life/ Mistake
In Life/ Never Let Me Love/ No Mail/ Nobody Loves Me/ Now I Got The Blues/
Pacemaker Boogie/ Restless Nights/ Rockin' This House/ Sassy Mae/ She's
Alright/ Slim's Boogie/ Slim's Boogie/ The Come Back/ The Girl I Love/ The
Question/ This Is My Lucky Day/ Throw This Poor Dog A Bone/ Timsy's Whimsy/
Train Is Comin'/ Train Time/ Treat Me Like I Treat You/ Two Of A Kind/ Wish
Me Well/ You And I/ ROOSEVELT SYKES: Blues 'N' Boogie/ Candy Man Blues/
Drivin' Wheel/ Green Onion Top/ Lowland Blues/ Mail Box Blues/ My Country
Gal/ Rock It/ Savoy Boogie/ West Helena Blues/ Why Should I Cry/ Winter Time
Blues/ Wonderin' Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7773 |
New Orleans Guitar |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CD set, 102 tracks, highly recommended
Some great music
though the title is a bit misleading. All of the first disc and most of the
second disc is devoted to the great New Orleans singer Smiley Lewis
featuring all his sides recorded between 1947 and 1955. Lewis did indeed
play guitar though he was rarely, if ever, featured on a lead role on that
instrument. Still this is classics R&B (some recently reissued on Classics)
with Smiley's poerful vocals accompanied by the cream of New Orleans
musicians led by Dave Bartholomew. Includes timeless songs like Teee Nah
Nah/ Dirty people/ Gumbo Blues/ Big Mamou/ Blue Monday (the first
recording of this song subsequently turned into a giant hit by Fats Domino)/
That Certain Door/ I Hear You Knocking and
more. Disc 2 ends with four
tracks by the obscure Boo Breeding - a good singer accompanied by a good
band with a guitarist obsviously influenced by the great Guitar Slim who is
the subject of the third disc which features at least one take of almost all
this great and influential bluesman's recordings made between 1951 and 1955
with the exception of the two sides cut in Nashville in 1952 which are being
saved for a Nashville compilation though I see no harm in including them on
both so we wouldn't have an unnecessary gap. The fourth disc features two West
Coast bluesman who were recorded in New Orleans - T-Bone Walker with 8 sides
recorded in 1953 and Pee-Wee Crayton recorded in 1954 and '55. T-Bone sounds
pretty much as he always did at that time which means great though there are
no obvious New Orleans stylings in the backup. Pee-Wee seems to be
particularly energized by being in the company of musicians like Clarence
Hall, Herb Hardesty, Salvador Doucette and others and is in great form
turning in some of his most exciting guitar work on some of the cuts. Just
about everything here has been out on CD fairly recently but if you don't
already have it all you won't go wrong with this great collection of "New
Orleans Guitar." (FS)
BOO BREEDING: Country Woman/ I Can't Fly (Date With An
Angel)/ Low And Lonesome/ My Love (She's Gone)/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Baby Don't
You Cry/ Be Faithful/ Blues Before Dawn/ Do Unto Others/ Don't Break My
Heart/ Don't Go/ Every Dog Has His Day/ Eyes Full Of Tears/ Hurry, Hurry/ I
Got News For You/ I Must Go On/ I Need Your Love/ My Idea About You/ Runnin'
Wild/ Win-O/ Wondering Why/ You Know - Yeah/ Yours Truly/ GUITAR SLIM: Bad
Luck Blues/ Bad Luck Is On Me/ Certainly All/ Cryin' In The Mornin'/ Going
Down Slow/ Guitar Slim/ I Got Sumpin' For You/ I Want To Love-A You/ Later
For You Baby/ Letter To My Girlfriend/ New Arrival/ Our Only Child/
Quicksand/ Reap What You Sow/ Something To Remember You By/ Stand By Me/
Stanind' At The Station/ Story Of My Life, The/ Sufferin' Mind/ Things I
Used To Do, The/ Think It Over/ Trouble Don't Last/ Twenty-Five Lies/ Well I
Done Got Over It/ You're Gonna Miss Me/ SMILEY LEWIS: Ain't Gonna Do It/
Bee's Boogie/ Bells Are Ringing, The/ Big Mamou/ Blue Monday/ Bumpity Bump/
Caldonia's Party/ Can't Stop Loving You/ Dirty People/ Don't Jive Me/ Down
The Road/ Farewell/ Growing Old/ Gumbo Blues/ Gypsy Blues/ Here Comes
Smiley/ I Hear You Knocking/ I Love You For Sentimental Reasons/ If You Ever
Loved A Woman/ It's Music/ It's So Peaceful/ Jailbird/ Lillie Mae/ Little
Fernandez/ Lonesome Highway/ Lost Weekend/ Lowdown/ Lying Woman/ My Baby/ My
Baby Was Right/ Nobody Knows/ Oh Baby/ Ooh La La/ Play Girl/ Real Gone
Lover/ Rocks, The/ Sad Life/ Show Me The Way/ Slide Me Down/ Standing On The
Corner/ Tee Nah Nah/ That Certain Door/ Too Many Drivers/ Turn On Your
Volume Baby/ Where Were You/ You're Gonna Miss Me/ You're Not The One/
T-BONE WALKER: Got No Use For You/ I'll Always Be In Love/ I'm Still In Love
With You/ Long Distance Blues/ Pony Tail/ Railroad Station Blues/ Wanderin'
Heart/ When The Sun Goes Down
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
JSP JSPCD 7777 |
Memphis Blues - Important Postwar Blues |
● CD $28.98 |
4 CDs, 111 tracks, approx 5 hours, highly recommended, but
...
If you already have Sun BOX 7 issued by Charly about 10 years ago and
now out of print then you have everything here. Otherwise this is a fabulous
collection of music recorded in Sam Phillips Sun studios between 1951 and
1955. Amazingly enough only a fraction of these recordings were originally
issued on 78s by Sun or labels Sam Phillips leased to and bearing that in
mind the high standard of most of the material is astonishing. Sure there
are a few tracks that are seriously out of tune (Woodrow Adams) or needed
more rehearsal but most of it was worthwhile and a lot of it is sensational.
The music includes old style country blues from D.A. Hunt, Sleepy John Estes
and the intriguing William Stewart who was a member of the doo-wop group The
Prisonaires - his solo sides are really archaic country blues that bear a
stylistic resemblance to R.L. Burnside. There are small down home combos
featuring Howling Wolf, Walter Horton, Willie Nix, Dr. Ross and James Cotton
and more urban flavored bands featuring Billy" The Kid" Emerson, Raymond
Hill, Eddie Snow, Little Milton and the eccentric Rosco Gordon. Among the
others artists here are the wonderful one man band Joe Hill Louis, former
member of the Memphis Jug band Charlie Burse, Earl Hooker, Shy Guy Douglas,
Pat Hare (including his prophetic I'm Gonna Murder My Baby), L.B.
Lawson, Honeyboy Edwards, Sammy Lewis & Willie Johnson and more. The music
made in Memphis at that time frequently had a loose raucous quality which is
beautifully captured here and such great guitarists as Pat Hare, Wilie
Johnson, Matt Murphy and the unfamiliar Erskine McLellan with their
distinctive distorted stinging guitar sound, are featured all over the
place. Unlike the Charly set the documentation is minimal but it does
include discographical information. Around 35 of tracks duplicate the three
CDs of Sun blues issued by Varese a while back (Varese 66254, 66383, 66473 -
$17.98 each). My hope is that one day someone like Bear Family will issue
ALL the Sun blues recordings - the Charly box came close but that's long
gone. (FS)
JOHNNY ACE: Midnight Hours Journey/ WOODROW ADAMS: The
Last Time/ Train Is Comin‘/ KENNETH BANKS: Blue Man (tk 1)/ High (tk 1)/
BOBBY BLAND: Crying All Night Long/ Drifting From Town To Town/ Dry Up Baby/
Good Lovin‘/ HOUSTON BOINES: Carry My Business On (tk 1)/ Crying In The
Courthouse (tk 1)/ CHARLIE BOOKER: Baby I‘m Coming Home/ Walked All Night/
CHARLIE BURSE: Shorty The Barber/ JAMES COTTON: Cotton Crop Blues/ Hold Me
In Your Arms/ My Baby/ Straighten Up Baby/ JIMMY DEBERRY: Take A Little
Chance/ SHY GUY DOUGLAS: Detroit Arrow Blues/ Work With Her Boy/ HONEYBOY
EDWARDS: Sweet Home Chicago (tk 1)/ BILLY ’THE KID’ EMERSON: Move Baby Move/
When It Rains It Pours/ SLEEPY JOHN ESTES: Policy Man Blues (tk 1)/ Rats In
My Kitchen/ Registration Day Blues/ EARL FOREST: Baby, Baby/ I Can‘t Forgive
You/ I Wronged A Woman/ Rock The Bottle/ BOYD GILMORE: Believe I‘ll Settle
Down/ ROSCO GORDON: City Women/ Roscoe‘s Boogie/ Saddled The Cow (and Milked
The Horse)/ T Model Boogie/ PAT HARE: Bonus Pay/ I‘m Gonna Murder My Baby/
HENRY HILL: That Ain‘t Right (tk 1)/ RAYMOND HILL: I‘m Back Pretty Baby/
Long Gone Raymond/ My Baby Left Me/ EARL HOOKER: Blue Guitar/ Move On Down
The Line/ The Hucklebuck/ WALTER HORTON: Grandmother Got Grandfather Told/
Off The Wall/ Walter‘s Instrumental/ We All Gotta Go Sometime/ HOWLIN' WOLF:
Bluebird/ Chocolate Drop/ Come Back Home (tk 1)/ Moanin' At Midnight/ L.C.
HUBERT: Lucy Done Moved/ D.A. HUNT: Greyhound Blues/ Lonesome Ol‘ Jail/
JIMMY & WALTER: Before Long/ Easy/ L.B. LAWSON: Can‘t Love Me And My Money
Too/ Flypaper Boogie/ SAMMY LEWIS & WILLIE JOHNSON: Feel So Worried/ So Long
Baby Goodbye/ LITTLE JUNIOR: Feelin‘ Good/ Fussin‘ And Fightin‘ Blues/ Love
My Baby/ Mystery Train/ LITTLE MILTON: If You Love Me Baby/ Somebody Told
Me/ JOE HILL LOUIS: Boogie In The Park/ Gotta Let You Go/ Heartache Baby/ I
Feel Like A Million/ She Comes To See Me Sometime (tk 1)/ We All Gotta Go
Sometime/ BILLY ’RED’ LOVE: Blues Leave Me Alone/ Hart‘s Bread Boogie/ Hey
Now (tk 1)/ Way After Midnight (tk 1)/ COY ’HOT SHOT’ LOVE: Harmonica Jam/
Wolf Call Boogie/ LITTLE MILTON: Homesick For My Baby/ Lookin‘ For My Baby/
WILLIE NIX: Midnight Showers Of Rain/ Prison Bound Blues/ Riding In The
Moonlight/ Seems Like A Million Years Tk 1/ JOHNNY O’NEAL: Dead Letter Blues
(tk 1)/ Ugly Woman (tk 3)/ LITTLE JR. PARKER: Bad Women, Bad Whiskey/ You‘re
My Angel/ PINETOP PERKINS: Pinetop‘s Boogie Woogie/ DOCTOR ROSS: Country
Clown (tk 1)/ Little Soldier Boy (tk 2)/ Tailor Made/ The Boogie Disease/
EDDIE SNOW: Don‘t Dog Me Around/ Skin And Bone (tk 1)/ WILLIAM STEWART:
County Farm Blues/ Forty Four Blues/ Rattlesnake Mama/ They Call Me Talkin‘
Boy/ HOUSTON STOKES: Blue And Lonesome/ You‘ll Be Sorry/ RUFUS THOMAS: Bear
Cat/ Married Woman/ Save That Money/ Tiger Man/ IKE TURNER: Trouble And
Heartaches/ You‘re Driving Me Insane/ MOSE VINSON: Mistreating Boogie/ Worry
You Off My Mind
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Mountain Top 103 |
Legends: Blue Harp Meltdown, Vol. 3 |
● CD $16.98 |
Mountain Top records (MT 103) Recommended 29 tracks,
recommended
This is a double disk dynamo of some of the hottest blues
players of recent times with a few living legends joining in. This is the
third in the "Blues Harp Meltdown" series, recorded live at the same venue
as the other two, Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, CA (sold out show of course.)
This appears to be a great room with pristine sound. As usual, Mark Hummel
is the driving force on this session with the notable and able help of Carey
Bell, Lazy Lester, Steve Freund, Paul Wiggins, John Cephas, Willie "Big
Eyes" Smith, Bob Welsh, Charlie Wheal, Marty Dodson and Steve Wolf. The set
features a great song selection, kicked of by Lloyd Price's Where y' At?,
a red hot number that grabs a lot of respect from this writer, as I am a
huge fan of Price's and think his early material doesn't get near the credit
it deserves. Mouth harp blues fans rejoice. (JM)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40191 |
Classic African-American Ballads |
● CD $11.98 |
22 tracks, 68 minutes, essential An absolutely wonderful
collection of African-American ballads by a wide variety of artists
including John Jackson (Louis Collins), Big Bill Broonzy (Frankie And
Johnny), Leadbelly (Gallis Pole/ John Hardy/ Old Riley), Snooks Eaglin
(St. James Infirmary), Cephas & Wiggins (Stagger Lee), Pink Anderson
(The Titanic/ Boll Weevil), Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (John Henry),
Memphis Slim & Willie Dixon (Stewball) and the stunning and stirring
version of Lost John from the Convicts at The Ramsey And Retrieve State
Farms (this alone worth the price of the collection). Includes a 34-page
booklet with lengthy notes from Barry Lee Pearson on the origins of the
songs and the artists. While there's nothing new on this gathering though a
number of tracks are making their first appearance on CD, it's a brilliant
reminder of how potent the African-American ballad was to American music in
general. Simply beautiful! (CR)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Still 1168 |
Black Sippin' Rhythm |
● CD $16.98 |
25 tracks, 57 mins, highly recommended Though there are a
few duds this is a fine collection of up tempo blues and R&B - most of it
making its first appearance on CD. Includes Cee Pee Johansen, Ben Hughes,
Tommie "Blind Tom" Malone & The Bill Reese Band (a 1960 recording for
legendary producer J. Mayo Williams Ebony label featuring an updated version
of the traditional Cow Cow Boogie called Cow Cow Shake with 'shake
calling" by Little Arch!), Mae Saint June & Brother Mack (probably another
Williams production - he School days Love is another update of an old
blues), BIg Eddie C. Campbell (a fine instrumental recorded for the tiny
Hawaii label in 1960), The Uptowners, Wailing Bethea & The Captans (their
Rockin' In The Jungle is a variation on The Signifying Monkey), Bobby
Colquitt & String Bean Charles Band (two songs including the great Million
Dollar Play Girl), The Trutones (a hot sax led instrumental), The
Starfires, Beaulah Swan, Al Knight & The Y-Dells, Tee Tucker (actually Tommy
Tucker with the grooving Rock & Roll Machine), Louise Brown (her Son-In_law
is an answer to Ernie K-Doe's Mother In Law but with a different tune)
and more. Excellent sound and booklet with label shots. (FS)
BIG SYL BARNES: Come On Back/ LOUISE BROWN: Son-in-law/
BOB CAMP & HIS PIXIES: Jack & Jill Boogie/ BIG EDDIE C. CAMPBELL COMBO: All
Nite Part 2 (inst.)/ CHUCK COLE: My Bonny/ BOBBY COLQUITT & STRING BEAN
CHARLES BAND: I'm Gone/ Million Dollar Play Girl/ JIMMY (TENDER) HART: I
Dare You Baby/ SONNY HINES: Has Anybody Seen My Kitty/ BEN HUGHES: Crazy
Man/ CEE PEE JOHANSEN: Got My Gun/ AL KNIGHT & THE Y-DELLS: Sneakin'back
(inst.)/ TOMMIE ™BLIND TOM™ MALONE & BILL REESE BAND: Cow Cow Shake/ PAT.
PATTERSON: Crazy Way Of Rockin'/ Miss Meal Cramps/ BILLY RAINSFORD:
Magnolia/ MAE SAINT JUNE & BROTHER MACK: School Days Love/ TONY SPADE:
What's Gwyne On?/ THE STARFIRES: The Dances/ BEULAH SWAN & SY OLIVER ORCH.:
Don't Steal My Heart/ THE TRUTONES: Down Below (inst.)/ TEE TUCKER: Rock &
Roll Machine/ THE UPTOWNERS: The Search Is Over/ WAILING BETHEA & THE
CAPTANS: Rockin ’in The Jungle/ JIMMY YOUNG: Need Your Love
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 328 |
Stompin', Vol. 28 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended First in a series of
five new releases in this splendid series reissuing rocking blues and R&B
from the 40s, 50s and 60s. It's getting harder to find tracks that haven't
been out on CD before but although about half these tracks have been out
before, many of these are not readily available and, as always, the standard
here is high. It includes a second version of the fine Possum Belly
Overalls by June Bateman (another version is on Stompin' 324), two superb
hard driving sides from the only single by 15 year old "June Bug" Bailey
with tough vocals and great band, the distinctive sounds of T.V. Slim on I
Can't Be Satisfied, the previously unreissued Pretty Mama Blues by
Detroit bluesman Arthur Griswold with aggressive guitar work plus sides by
Ray Johnson, Good Rockin' Sammy "T", Flash Terry, Chuck Higgins, Morris
Jones, Guitar Shorty, Skinny Dynamo, Johnny Rodgers and others. It also
includes the intriguingly named Young LOuis Armstrong who is a fine blues
singer but, as far as I know, no relation to THE Louis Armstrong. Excellent
sound and ten page fold out booklet with notes on all the performances plus
full color label shots. (FS)
YOUNG LOUIS ARMSTRONG: Talking Bout You/ JUNE BUG BAILEY:
Lee Street Blues/ Louisiana Twist/ JUNE BATEMAN: Possum Belly Overalls/ JOE
BOOTS: Squeeze Me/ BABY CALLOWAY: Midnight Blues/ SKINNY DYNAMO: Baby Baby
Mine/ ARTHUR GRISWOLD: Pretty Mama Blues/ GUITAR SHORTY: Ways Of A Man/
CHUCK HIGGINS: Betwix & Between/ RAY JOHNSON: Shake A Little Bit/ MORRIS
JONES: Her Spare/ KOKO JOE: I'm Georgia Bound/ LITTLE LUTHER: The Twirl/
CAROLYN MONTGOMERY: Stop That Stuff/ MR. BEAR: Hi Fi Baby/ PIANO SLIM:
Squeezing/ WALTER RHODES: Uncle Sam/ CHUCK RIVES: Say i Love You/ JOHNNY
RODGERS: I'm A Lucky Lucky Man/ GOOD ROCKIN SAMMY T: Good Rockin' Mama/ T.V.
SLIM: I Can't Be Satisfied/ FLASH TERRY: Shes My Baby
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 329 |
Stompin', Vol. 29 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 57 mins, highly recommended
This set starts off
with Snookum Russell's New Orleans stomper Juke Box Boogie Chick
and
the pace rarely lets up from that point up. There are some more hot New
Orleans blues from Eave Bartholomew (his storming Can't Take It No More
with tough guitar from Justin Adams) and Cousin Joe (with Ernest McLean
doing the dynamic frewtork). Willie Egans was a West Coast bluesman but his
great What A Shame and Wow Wow could easily come from the Crescent
City. Other artists include Big Walter Price, Buddy Lowe, Crown Prince
Waterford, the fine and delightfully named Bee Bee Queen, Scotty Mann, Sonny
Parker, Ike Perkins (the jazzy guitar instrumental Ike's Boogie), Big
John Oscar Black, Smoki WHitfield and others. A fair number of duplication
with previously available releases but pesentation here is generally
superior. (FS)
VERNON ANDERS: All Messed Up/ DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Can't Take
It No More/ BIG JOHN: Astronote Blues/ OSCAR BLACK: Into Each Heart/ BILLY
BROOKS: I'm Gone/ COUSIN JOE: Sleepwalkin Woman/ WILLIE EGAN: Wow Wow/ What
A Shame/ ROSCO GORDON: Tummer Tee/ BUDDY LOVE: Goodby Baby/ Run Fast, Don't
Walk/ SCOTTY MANN: Just A Little Bit Of Lovin/ SONNY PARKER: Sets My Soul on
Fire/ IKE PERKINS: Ike's Boogie/ BIG WALTER PRICE: Gambling Woman/ Pack Fair
& Square/ BEE BEE QUEEN: Yes Siree/ SNOOKUM RUSSELL: Juke Box Boogie Woogie
Chick/ FRANKIE TUCKER: Hey Hester/ CROWN PRINCE WATERFORD: Get Your Clothes
& Let's Go/ SMOKI WHITFIELD: Function At The Junction/ Take The Hint/ JIMMY
WILLIAMS: Big Legged Woman
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 330 |
Stompin', Vol. 30 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 58 mins, highly recommended This one is mostly
down home blues and although about half the sides are great but familiar
titles from the likes of John Brim, Lightnin' Hopkins, Little Walter, etc.
the rest features some delightful obscurities. Most intriguing is the solo
vocal and harmonica piece Mama Blues
by the mysterious Brooks Orrick.
Mama Blues is a traditional piece where the performer emulates the crying
of a baby with the harmonica. So what is it doing being issued in 1961 on
the country label Dixie? And is Orrick black or white? I'm inclined to think
the former but I'm not certain. Other delights includes Crook Jr
accompanying himself on harmonica with only drum as additional accompaniment
on Wiggle It Baby. Texas bluesman Calvin "Loudmouth" Johnson turns in a
funky cover of Otis Rush's My Love Will Never Die with D.C. bender on
guitar which he calls Unsatisfied Mind. Detroit bluesman Thomas "Little
Jr" Canady turns in a tough early B.B. King style blues with Hello
featuring some great guitar. Also featured are Little Luther, Chris Kenner
(a rare down home outing for him with harmonica), Jesse Knight and others.
(FS)
JOHN BRIM: Go Away/ I Would HAte To See You Go/ You Got Me
Where You Want Me/ LITTLE WILLIE BROWN: Cut It Out/ LITTLE JR. CANNADAY:
Hello/ CROOK JR.: Wiggle It Baby/ SHY GUY DOUGLAS: Let's Rock N' Roll/
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Had A Gal Called Sal/ Movin' Out Boogie/ SOLDIER BOY
HUSTON: Hug Me Baby/ CALVIN JOHNSON: Unsatisfied Mind/ CHRIS KENNER: Don't
Let Her Pin That Charge On Me/ WILLIE KING: Peg Leg Woman/ JESSE KNIGHT:
Nothing But Money/ LITTLE LUTHER: Automatic Baby/ Doggin Me/ LITTLE SHY GUY:
Little Girl/ LITTLE WALTER: Crazy Mixed Up World/ MEMPHIS MINNIE: Me & My
Chauffeur/ BROOKS ORRICK: Mama Blues/ JUNIOR WELLS: Cha Cha Cha In Blues/
Lovey Dovey Lovely One/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: The Hunt
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 331 |
Stompin', Vol. 31 |
● CD $15.98 |
23 tracks, 55 mins, recommended
More fine sides though the
best tracks are pretty familiar tunes from Larry Davis, Otis Rush, Fenton
Robinson, Don & Dewey, Magic Sam and others. Among the more obscure sides
are tracks by Lloyd & Willie (excellent West Coast), Gus Jenkins (another
excellent West Coast artist who is under-represented on reissues), David
Dean's Combo, Little Johnny Cook, Dossie Terry (mediocre), Little Marie
Allen, Pee Wee Kingsley and others. (FS)
LITTLE MARIE ALLEN: Humdinger/ CHARLIE & THE JIVES: Come
On/ ALBERT COLLINS: Collins Shuffle/ LITTLE JOHNNY COOK: Try Your Love/
LARRY DAVIS: I Tried/ DAVID DEAN COMBO: Double Freeze/ DON & DEWEY: Miss
Sue/ FENTION & THE CASTLE ROCKERS: The Freeze/ JOHNNY FULLER: Weeping &
Mourning/ JOHNNY "ROCKHOUSE" GREEN: I've Got A Big Cadillac/ PEPPERMINT
HARRIS: Angel Child/ GUS JENKINS: Jealous Of You Baby/ PEE WEE KINGSLEY:
Flippin' & Floppin'/ Nickle & Dime/ LLOYD & WILLIE: Don't Know Where She
Went/ MAGIC SAM: Love Me With A Feeling/ MORRIS PEJOE: She Walked Right In/
You Gone Away/ JAMES REED: You Better Hold Me/ FENTION ROBINSON: Crazy Crazy
Lovin/ Mississippi Steamboat/ OTIS RUSH: Keep Lovin' Me Baby/ DOSSIE TERRY:
You Will Be Mine
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Stompin' 332 |
Stompin', Vol. 32 |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 55 mins, recommended
A great collection of mostly
Texas blues from the late 40s and early 50s though many of these tracks have
been reissued recently on Acrobat and Eddie's but this disc, like all the
others in this series, emphasisizes the rockin' up tempo items. Includes
sides by L.C. Williams, Peppermint Harris, Hubert Robinson, Bernie Hardison
(one of the few non Texans here), Clarence Samuels,
Lonnie Lyons, Joe
Houston, Big Charley Bradix, Willie Johnson, Conney's Combo, Julian Dash and
others. (FS)
ZUZU BOLLIN: Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night/
BIG CHARLIE BRADIX: Boogie Like You Wanna/ CARL CAMPBELL: Ooh Wee Baby/
GOREE CARTER: I'm Your Boogie Man/ TUCKER COLES ORCH.: Don't Get Excited/
House Rockers Jamboree/ CONNIES COMBO: Shout It Out/ Ugly Mae/ JULIAN DASH:
Preachin'/ BERNIE HARDISON: Love Me Baby/ PEPPERMINT HARRIS: Fat Girl
Boogie/ JOE HOUSTON: Way Cross Mama/ LOST JOHN HUNTER: Cool Down Mama/ BILL
JOHNSON: Bill's Boogie/ WILLIE JOHNSON: Got The Boogie Woogie Blues/ Samson
Street Boogie/ LONNIE LYONS: Down in the Groovy/ HUBERT ROBINSON: Hard Lovin
Daddy/ Old Woman Boogie/ CLARENCE SAMUELS: Low Top Inn/ ROBERT SMITH:
Freeway Boogie/ L.C. WILLIAMS: Shout Baby Shout
|
| MAURICE JOHN VAUGHN |
Blue Suit 116 |
Dangerous Road |
● CD $14.98 |
13 tracks, 51 min., recommended
The multi-talented Vaughn
earned a name as a top flight tenor sax man and guitarist in Chicago and
finally struck out on his own in the mid-1980s. This release is only his
third solo album, and while the wait has been considerable (his last came
out in 1993), the evidence in hand suggests that the time was profitably
spent. Vaughn turns in a solid set of originals (the lone cover being
Midnight Hour); his writing and singing are polished without having lost
their edges, his guitar work fiery, and the whole deal is riddled with great
horn arrangements, courtesy of B.J. Emery. (JC)
|
| MUDDY WATERS |
Chess 6273 |
The Definitive Collection |
● CD $12.98 |
24 tracks, 75 minutes, excellent "The Definitive Collection"
gathers 24 tracks from the figurehead of Chicago's blues hierarchy and
boasts great sound with full session details. The disc spans from 1948's
I Can't Be Satisfied
and 1950's Rollin' And Tumblin' from Aristocrat
through a strong cross-section of Chess sides including 1953's Turn Your
Lamp Down Low, Trouble No More from 1955, and the tough studio version
of Got My Mojo Working (predating the 'live' and more-often heard Newport
take by a few years), as well as My Home Is In The Delta with Buddy Guy
from 1963. The lone complaint is the cavernous space between You Can't Lose
What You Ain't Never Had from 1964 and Crosseyed Cat, recorded for
Johnny Winter's Blue Sky imprint in 1976. A potent assortment just the same
but one aimed at novices - not hardened Muddy-philes. (CR)
MUDDY WATERS: (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man/ Crosseyed
Cat/ Don't Go No Farther/ Forty Days And Forty Nights/ Got My Mojo Working/
I Can't Be Satisfied/ I Feel Like Going Home/ I Just Want To Make Love To
You/ I'm Ready/ Long Distance Call/ Louisiana Blues/ Mannish Boy/ My Home Is
In The Delta/ Rock Me/ Rollin' & Tumblin', Part One/ Rollin' Stone/ Still A
Fool/ Take The Bitter With The Sweet/ The Same Thing/ Trouble No More/ Turn
Your Lamp Down Low (Baby Please Don't Go)/ Walkin' Thru The Park/ You Can't
Lose What You Ain't Never Had/ You Shook Me
| |
