NEWSLETTER #144
Blues & Gospel
Annisteen Allen
->
Marvin Johnson
BIG BOSS MAN
The Life & Music Of Bluesman Jimmy Reed
by
Will Romano |
● BOOK $17.95 |
Paper, 360 pages, counts as five CDs for shipping purposes
First full length study of one of the most popular and influential of all
post war bluesmen. Based on extensive research including interviews with
fellow musicians, family members and others whose lives were touched by
Reed.
|
SAM MYERS
The Blues Is My Story
by Sam Myers & Jeff Horton |
● BOOK $19.95 |
Paper, 172 pages, counts as three CDs for shipping
The life
of blind Mississippi singer and harmonica player Sam Myers as told in his
own words to Jeff Horton. He talks about his early life, his move to
Chicago and about the many musicians he worked with including Elmore James,
Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood. From the mid 80s on he worked
extensively with Texas blues artist Anson Funderburgh and Funderburgh
contributes a chapter with his recollections of working with Myers and
their songwriting collaborations.
|
SHOUT, SISTER SHOUT
The Untold Story Of Rock & Roll Trailblazer
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
by Gayle F. Wald |
● BOOK $24.95 |
Hardbound, 252 pages, counts as 5 CDs for shipping
Long awaited biography of the superb and influential gospel singer
and guitarist singer and guitarist. Rosetta started her career as a blues
singer and blues sensibilities infused her gospel music and her rocking
music with it's dynamic guitar playing was at the roots of rock 'n' roll
and an influence on artists like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Isaac
Hayes, Etta James and many others. Gayle Wald has extensively interviewed
people who knew and worked with Rosetta for this biography.
|
JOHN
HENRY The Untold Story Of An American Legend by
Scott Reynolds Nelson |
● BOOK $24.98 |
Hardback, 214 pgs, highly recommended, counts as four CDs
for shipping
Was John Henry man or myth, or--more likely--a little bit of
both? The author here thinks that the man was real and the myth one of the
most important of the 20th century. This is a fascinating book that not
only establishes a believable story for the real John Henry, but also
examines the importance and uses of the myth from its inspiration, to early
20th century American musicians like W.C. Handy, to John Henry's
iconographical use for labor and communist parties, his influence on comic
book artists like Jack Kirby and his likely inspiration to modern super
heroes as we know them. Scott Reynolds Nelson has indeed done a fine job
here researching exhaustively and procuring a fantastic assortment of
illustrations, pictures, paintings etc. inspired by the man and the myth. (JM)
|
B.B. KING TREASURES
by B.B. King & Dick Waterman |
● BOOK $39.95 |
Hardcover book, 160 pages, highly recommended, counts as 11
CDs for shipping
B.B. King may have slowed down his pace but he has yet to
retire from the stage when he still has fans who want to see him perform,
but by tapering his schedule he's had more time for other projects
including
The B.B. King Treasures, a wonderful book that finds him collaborating
with Dick Waterman. Don't mistake this for another biography or
autobiography, this is more than a little different than standard fare for
a book devoted to a blues artist, but then again, B.B. isn't exactly
standard fare himself. Released for King's eightieth birthday, the book's
subtitle "Photos, Mementos & Music From B.B. King's Collection" is exactly
that with B.B. discussing his life from birth to the present with stops
everywhere in between. Along with his recollections and stories, the book
includes a number of pull-out reproduction souvenirs including a concert
booklet, backstage pass, tour itinerary, a handbill and postcard, a booklet
from WDIA in Memphis where King got his start as a radio disc jockey, and
other items of interest. A 60 minute CD is included with interview segments
that find King talking about influences, guitar styles, his days hawking
Pep-ti-kon and numerous other memories plus there are two previously
unreleased tracks - Little Mama from 1962 and May I Have A Talk
With You from 1971. A truly rewarding effort and an item that holds the
interest of readers as they wade through the pictures and stories of a true
blues icon. Exceptional! (CR)
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Dust-To-Digital DVD 05 |
Desperate Man Blues |
● DVD $22.98 |
Color & Black & White, 55 mins plus 125 mins of extras,
highly recommended
Wonderful documentary on record collector Joe Bussard
who has one of the finest collections in the world of blues, country and
jazz from the 20s and early 30s. Joe's love for the music comes through
very clearly in this documentary when he plays a rare 78 for the film crew
his face breaks into a smile that lights up the room, he puffs furiously at
his ever present cigar and bounces around to the music and plays air guitar
with Charley Patton! Joe is a great raconteur telling engaging stories
about his life and experiences collecting music and we see him go out to
check out a stash of 78s which proves to be fruitless ("They're not old
enough"). The documentary is copiously illustrated with photos, archival
footage and, of course, lots of vintage music. The documentary is as much
about the importance of preserving this timeless music as it is about Joe
himself who is known for his generosity in sharing the music through his
radio shows, cassettes that he makes for people all over the world and
providing access to his collection to reissue labels. The voluminous bonus
features on this DVD includes 40 minutes of outtakes from the documentary,
including Joe showing how he cleans 78s and a clip of Son House singing
Death Letter Blues. There's also a new documentary on Joe filmed this
year, a photo gallery, an audio only selection featuring one of his radio
shows and a selection of recordings featured in the movie. There's also an
eight page booklet with notes by Bruce Elder and the film's director Edward
Gillan. (FS)
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Koch Vision 6380 |
Antone's Home Of The Blues - A Legend Every
Night |
● DVD $16.98 |
DVD, 99 min., highly recommended
Documentary that tells the
story of Clifford Antone and his world famous blues club in Austin, Texas,
which opened its doors in 1975. Virtually every living big-name blues
performer (and many less famous) offers an anecdote or memory of the club.
And when B.B. King praises you so highly and so sincerely, you must have
done something right. In Antone's case, he nurtured the development of the
blues by providing a venue and by getting so many blues icons on stage
together and separately. Every important blues act walked the boards at his
club. This film features performance footage by Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins,
Albert Collins, Hubert Sumlin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Vaughan, Kim
Wilson, and others. Interview footage includes clips from Joe Ely, Marcia
Ball, Billy Gibbons, and dozens of others, with plenty from Clifford
Antone, himself. While discussing his youth and early love of music, Antone
says, "if the people aren't dancin', you're not playin' music, brother."
Well said. (JC)
|
CLASSIC
BLUES ARTWORK FROM THE 1920S
2007 Calendar |
Blues Images 207 |
● CALENDAR
$16.98 |
We
still have a few left of the fourth of what is promised to
be a series of 15 calendars using images discovered by collector John
Tefteller. These are drawn from a cache of original artwork for
advertisements printed in African-American newspapers in the late 20s and
early 30s by the Paramount Record Company advertising their latest blues
releases. This one features ads for records by Victoria Spivey (not a
Paramount but a great image), Charley Patton, Ida Cox, The Beale Street
Sheiks, Bumble Bee Slim, Ma Rainey and other. The calendar also includes
sample song lyrics, brief biographies and birth and death dates for many
blues artists. As if that wasn't enough the calendar comes with a bonus CD
with 14 tracks - all 12 of the advertised releases plus four bonus sides
including both sides of the recently unearthed fourth Paramount by Son
House that was recently reissued by Yazoo and in the introduction to the
calendar Tefteller reveals some more information about the source of this
incredible and wonderful rarity. Also included are full color inserts to
enable you to make your own Classic Blues Artwork CD with a jewel case
(jewel case not included)
Calendar/ CD
set counts as four CDs for shipping purposes.
|
ANNISTEEN ALLEN |
Rev-Ola CRBAND 8 |
Fujiyama Mama |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks, 72mins, highly recommended
Fine collection of
28 sides by this big voiced R&B vocalist who started her career as
vocalist with the Lucky MillInder band. The tracks here were recorded in
New York between 1951 and '54 with various groups with top New York
session men (Gene Redd, Lucky Thompson, Henry Glover, John Greer, MIckey
Baker, etc) - several with vocal group The Five Keys. It includes her only
hit Baby, I'm Doin' It which was an answer song to The Five Royales
hit Baby Don't Do It and her most famous song, the rocking
Fujiyama Mama which was covered by Wanda Jackson and became a
rockabilly classic. The emphasis is on hard driving numbers with the
occasional slower blues. 14 tracks were previously reissued on Classics
5096 but this is more than worth it for the other 14. Fine sound and usual
high quality notes by Dave Penny. (FS)
|
B.B. & THE BLUES
SHACKS |
Crosscut 11088 |
Live At Vier Linden |
● CD $16.98 |
11 tracks, 61 minutes, recommended
Whether you label them
retro blues, jump blues, or a modern R&B quintet from Germany hopelessly
stuck in a timewarp, B.B. & The Blues Shacks command attention with
individual talent across the board but it's the sum that makes them one of
the finest aggregations playing vintage blues today. Andreas Arlt's guitar
oozes brilliance on the opener Hot Shot Bop and brother Michael
Arlt's harp playing is soaked in the swamps of Louisiana for She's Got
Her Eyes On Me as much as Southside Chicago for Ain't A Home No
More, and as a singer he's convincing and powerful. Piano, upright
bass, and drumming push the rhythms tirelessly from start to finish no
matter if it's a blistering swing number like Stompin' And Rollin'
that blends smoothly into the slow blues Good Night's Sleep with
more smoldering guitar. Recorded 'live' in front of an enthusiastic
hometown crowd. Superb and tight. (CR)
|
ETTA BAKER |
Music Maker 50 |
With Taj Mahal |
● CD $15.98 |
19 tracks, 47 mins, highly recommended
19 instrumentals
featuring the wonderful and influential North Carolina guitarist Etta
Baker who was first recorded in 1956. Those recordings issued on
"Instrumental Music Of The Southern Appalachians" was an
inspiration to
many aspiring blues guitarists. Etta didn't record again until the 1990s
and this is her second album for Music Maker. The first 12 tracks feature
solo performances as well as duets with Taj Mahal whose playing was
greatly influenced by those early recordings of Etta. On Johnson Boys,
Etta plays banjo and is joined on fiddle by Wayne Martin and on Comb
Blues, Etta & Taj are joined by another fine North Carolina guitarist
Algia Mae Hinton. The title comes from Taj singing a blues through comb
and paper. The remaining tracks on the album features those classic 1956
recordings and, in addition to Etta's five magnificent guitar pieces,
there are two banjo instrumentals from Mr. Boone Reed. A splendid
collection. (FS)
|
D.C. BELLAMY |
Stackhouse 1913 |
Give Some Body To Somebody |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 57 minutes, very good
The name D.C. Bellamy may
not set off a multitude of blues alarms simply because he is an artist who
shunned the spotlight during his time with half-brother Curtis Mayfield,
as well as Betty Everett and others, but he's still deserving of
attention. His influences range from the straight blues styles of Jimmy
Reed and Muddy Waters to soul and R&B and he's a powerful vocalist with a
gift for a twist of a phrase making him an interesting songwriter and
storyteller. Bellamy supplies his own guitar to more than half the disc
with Walker Tippit shining on a few plus harp work from J.P. Drum is
strong. Recorded at Blue Heaven Studios and produced by Jim O'Neal
(neither needing much of introduction), Bellamy hands in a solid effort.
(CR)
|
DENNIS BINDER |
Earwig 4952 |
Hole In That Jug |
● CD $14.98 |
13 tracks, 47 mins, recommended
First recordings in more
than 30 years by Mississippi born singer/ piano player Dennis "Long Man"
Binder who started his recording career with an unissued session for Sun
in 1952. Though 78 at the time of these recordings Dennis is in fine form
accompanied by an excellent band on a selection of all original songs
including the topical Terrorist On The Blues. Nothing fancy here
just solid urban blues with a nod to the past. (FS)
|
HADDA BROOKS |
Ace CDCHM 1129 |
Femme Fatale |
● CD $13.98 |
10 tracks, 34 min., highly recommended
A CD reproduction
(part of Ace's "hip pocket editions") of Crown LP 5010 from 1957, a tiny
version of the original, right down to the cardboard sleeve. Brooks is in
excellent voice, sensitively and sparsely backed on quite blue jazz
numbers such as How Do You Speak To An Angel, My Ideal,
Take Me, Dream, My Romance, and others. The title seems
somewhat inappropriate, as it did when the LP came out, as Brooks sounds
emotionally (though never vocally) fragile. Just the ticket for those
smoke-filled late nights when dejection and scotch have had their way with
you, and you haven't had your way with anyone. (JC)
|
BIG BILL BROONZY |
JSP JSPCD 7767 |
Volume 3: The War And Postwar Years,
1940-1951 |
● CD $28.98 |
The third volume documenting the recordings of this great
and prolific bluesman complements JSP 7718 and 7750 ($28.98 each) features
four CDs with 99 tracks recorded between June 1940 and December 1951 and
contains all his commercial recordings from this period but leaves out the
recordings made in France and England in 1951 presumably to concentrate on
the recordings made for an African-American audience where he was still a
popular performer. Big Bill is featured in the company of musicians like
Washboard Sam, Blind John Davis, Ransom Knowling, Memphis Slim, Punch
Miller, Don Byas, Big Maceo, "Sax" Mallard, Alfred Wallace, Ernest "Big"
Crawford and others.
BIG BILL BROONZY: (I'm A) Wonderin' Man/ All By Myself/
Backwater Blues/ Bad Acting Woman/ Bad Luck Man/ Bed Time Blues/ Big
Bill's Boogie/ Bill Bailey/ Blue Tail Fly/ Cell No. 13 Blues/ Conversation
With The Blues/ Crawdad/ Doing The Best I Can/ Double Trouble/ Five Feet
Seven/ Get Back/ Getting Older Every Day (Take 1)/ Getting Older Every Day
(Take 2)/ Going Back To My Plow/ Green Grass Blues/ Hard Hearted Woman/
Hey Hey/ Hit The Right Lick/ Hollerin' The Blues/ Humble Blues/ I Can Fix
It/ I Can't Write/ I Feel Like Crying/ I Feel So Good/ I Know She Will/ I
Love My Whiskey/ I Stay Blue All The Time/ I Wonder/ I Wonder What's Wrong
With Me/ I'll Never Dream Again/ I'm Having So Much Trouble/ I'm Woke Up
Now/ In The Army Now/ In The Evenin'/ I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of
Town/ John Henry/ Just A Dream/ Just Rocking/ Keep Your Hand On Your
Heart/ Keep Your Hands Off Her/ Keep Your Hands Off Her/ Key To The
Highway/ Leavin' Day/ Lonesome Road Blues/ Looking Up At Down/ Make My Get
Away/ Martha Blues/ Medicine Man Blues/ Merry Go Round Blues/ Midnight
Steppers/ Midnight Steppers/ Mopper's Blues/ My Gal Is Gone/ My Little
Flower/ Night Watchman Blues/ Oh Baby/ Old Man Blues/ Partnership Woman/
Please Believe Me/ Rambling Bill/ Rockin' Chair Blues/ Roll Dem Bones/ San
Antonio Blues/ Saturday Evening Blues/ Serenade Blues/ She's Gone With The
Wind/ Shine On, Shine On/ Shoo Blues/ South Bound Train/ Stop Lying Woman/
Stump Blues/ Summertime Blues/ Sweet Honey Bee/ Tell Me Baby/ Texas
Tornado Blues/ That Number Of Mine/ Tomorrow/ Trouble In Mind/ Walkin' The
Lonesome Road/ Water Coast Blues/ Wee Wee Hours/ What Can I Do/ What's
Wrong With Me/ When I Been Drinking/ When I Get To Thinkin'/ Where The
Blues Began/ Why Did You Do That To Me/ Why Should I Spend My Money/
Willie Mae Blues/ You Better Cut That Out/ You Changed/ You Got The Best
Go/ You Got To Play Your Hand/ You've Been Mistreating Me
|
THE CAROLINA
CHOCOLATE DROPS |
Music Maker 076 |
Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 42 mins, highly recommended
Delightful
collection of old time string band music performed by trio of young
African-American musicians based in North Carolina. Black string band
music is a form that has pretty much died out but this trio have revived
it with skill, exuberance and a real sense of tradition. Between them they
play banjo, fiddle, guitar, jug, harmonica and snare drum and they sing.
They have been encouraged and guided in their efforts by veteran string
band musician Joe Thompson. Their music draws on white and black
traditions and is consistently entertaining. (FS)
|
DADDY MACK BLUES BAND |
Inside Sounds 529 |
Bluestones |
● CD $15.98 |
Solid gritty small group blues by band from Memphis with
two guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. Mack is not a particularly great
singer but his guitar and the band create a solid groove though the
attempts at doing a couple of soul numbers fall flat. Also includes a
bonus video clip from the recording session.
|
BOOBOO DAVIS |
Black & Tan 029 |
Drew, Mississippi |
● CD $16.98 |
10 tracks, 52 minutes, recommended
Pairing the talented
singer/harpist Boo Boo Davis with Ramon Goose of NuBlues translates into a
disc rooted deep in Mississippi with more than a touch of modern grooves
and recording techniques, but for those thinking of the often bombastic
Fat Possum approach, think again. The snarling vocals and backwoods harp
from Davis with the jangling slide guitar work manage to keep the
Mississippi landscape and its rich history as the focus with overdubs and
sampling staying more in the background as opposed to being the disc's
main interest. For many, mainstream blues has certainly become far too
predictable with each passing year, but in the hands of Boo Boo Davis with
Ramon Goose at his side, and a distinctly fresh outlook from both, this is
a hands-down winner. Gritty, tough, and up-to-date this is one of the more
rewarding discs of 2006. (CR)
|
FLOYD DIXON |
High John 1739 |
Fine! Fine! Thing! |
● CD $13.98 |
12 tracks, 45 minutes, excellent
The recent passing of
Floyd Dixon marked the death of a true pioneer who was around at the
beginning and saw the West Coast develop as a major blues recording locale
in the 1940s, thanks in part to Dixon's gems Call Operator 210 and
Telephone Blues, plus the now-famous Hey Bartender. With a
small band of bass, drums, and Hammond B3, plus Tony Matthews on guitar
(along with a tight horn section on half the disc), Dixon's piano and
songwriting skills were still sharp and intact on this outing. Missing is
much of the smoothness Dixon's voice offered in his earlier years, but his
songs were still laced with the wit and wisdom of his years. Candye Kane
guests on Love's The Key and the gospel-flavored My Wish.
(CR)
|
FLOYD DIXON |
High John 52062 |
Time Brings About A Change - A Floyd Dixon
Celebration |
● CD $13.98 |
17 tracks, 76 minutes, highly recommended
This disc's full
title is "Times Bring About A Change - A Floyd Dixon Celebration" and a
celebration it was (recorded shortly before Floyd's death in September
2006) laced with an all-star cast in support plus a few veterans. The band
includes Kid Ramos on guitar with Larry Taylor and Richard Innes
comprising the rhythm section (plus baritone and tenor sax with trumpet)
as well as Kim Wilson dishing out his seemingly always-present tough
harmonica backing Henry Gray (Henry's House Rocker/ Sweet Home Chicago/
Dust My Broom) and Pinetop Perkins (Down In Mississippi/ Come Back
Baby/ Since I Lost My Baby). Dixon himself is present and in great
form on Hole In The Wall/ Cold Cold Feeling/ I'm Gonna Move To The
Outskirts Of Town/ Call Operator 210, and five more. Recorded live at
Phoenix's Rhythm Room in July of 2006 in front of an appreciative
audience, this one hits on all cylinders. Superb. (CR)
|
RONNIE EARL |
Shout Factory 10061 |
Heart And Soul - The Best Of Ronnie Earl |
● CD $13.98 |
15 tracks, 72 minutes, excellent
The career of Ronnie Earl
(like many storied bluesmen) has been one of ups and downs with the
guitarist having battled numerous demons and problems but his music has
almost always been soulful - if at times focus-impaired. This collection
gathers 15 strong cuts that range from Earl's initial outing on Black Top
with the instrumental Ronnie Johnnie and Bobby Bland's I Smell
Trouble to his latest Stony Plain effort with Duke Robillard for
What Have I Done Wrong with many stops in between. Sugar Ray Norcia,
Darrell Nulisch, Kim Wilson and Mighty Sam McClain tackle the vocal chores
with the guitarist's prowess showing on the instrumental tracks Catfish
Blues, Little Johnny Lee, Off The Hook and more. Some overlap with past
compilations but far more up-to-date. (CR)
|
CLARENCE EDWARDS |
Last Call 7422508 |
I Looked Down That Railroad (Till My Eyes
Got Red And |
● CD $13.98 |
16 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Not a new release
but we've only just been able to get our hands on copies of this fine
release. Louisiana performer Clarence Edwards was a terrific performer
with a dark powerful voice and funky down home guitar style and his music
recalls the heyday of Excello artists like Lightnin' Slim and Silas Hogan.
This is a collection of live and studio performances with various small
groups and while not quite up to the standard of his releases on Red
Lightnin and Sidetrack is a fine collection of mostly covers given
Clarence's very individualistic treatment. The opening track, a version of
Bo Diddley's She's Fine, She's Mine is probably the highlight with
a great vocal and a very effective insistent guitar riff. Other songs
include Highway 61/ Don't Make Me Pay/ Ups & Downs/ I Just Want To make
Love To You/ Someone Else Bin Steppin' in/ Scratch My Back (featuring
a vocal by harmonica player Oscar Davis)/ I'm A man and more. (FS)
|
ANSON
FUNDERBURGH & THE ROCKETS |
Shout Factory 10060 |
Blast Off - the Best Of Anson Funderburgh
& The Rockets |
● CD $13.98 |
17 tracks, 58 mins, excellent
This disc is actually more
deserving of an "excellent with reservations" grade based on the tracklist
as eleven cuts have been duplicated from an out-of-print (but still easily
available) compilation of Anson Funderburgh's work. Anson's catalog isn't
exactly small (although a fair portion of it is currently out-of-print)
but Shout Factory fell far short of issuing a solid overview by including
only one cut with Darrell Nulisch as The Rockets' vocalist (The Blues
Seem To Follow Me) as he was present and in tough form on
Funderburgh's first two long-players for Black Top. Sam Myers was
certainly a top-notch singer/harp and a solid replacement (many would
agree Myers went on to define the band), but ignoring Nulisch's talents as
a harpist borders on criminal. "Blast Off" surely contains great blues
with excellent singing, harp, and guitar work but the label failed
miserably in its quest to offer a "best of" assortment due to an
inexplicable narrow-minded approach. (CR)
|
EARL GAINES |
Blue Label 95782 |
Crankshaft Blues |
● CD $16.98 |
12 tracks, 45 min., recommended
Gaines had a taste of fame
as early as 1955 when he sang on the Louis Brooks song It's Love Baby
(24 Hours A Day) on Excello, a #3 hit on the national R&B charts. In
the 1960s he has a hit and an LP on the HBR label (Hanna Barbera), a great
"lost" soul album. In the early 1970s Gaines cut an LP for Deluxe, with
little financial reward. He left music for 20 years, staged a comeback in
1989 and has been recording ever since. Recorded in the 1990s, this album
features outtakes from Gaines' solo album on the Italian Appaloosa label (I
Believe In Your Love, and for the Excello Legends album on Blue Moon,
both deleted but worth finding. The remaining tracks (Baby Baby What's
Wrong, and the title cut) come from a studio session cut in Nashville
with The Roadrunners. On Someday Things Are Gonna Change, Gaines
shares the mic with the song's author Roscoe Shelton. For an album of
scraps and patches, it's pretty damn good. (JC)
|
MEMO
GONZALES & THE BLUESCASTERS |
Crosscut 11092 |
Live In The U.K. |
● CD $16.98 |
13 tracks, 62 minutes, excellent
If you like your blues
with a little roadhouse edge Memo Gonzalez & The Bluescasters] should fit
the bill. Gonzalez is a potent singer and harp player with a long list of
credits, and while his band may not garner the accolades they deserve, it
surely isn't from lack of effort or versatility. Kai Strauss' guitar work,
whether the infrequently used baritone sort heard on I've Been Thinking
or the soul-drenched Stratocaster-wielding in Greyhound, is
delivered with as much taste as it is with reckless abandon. An
engine-like rhythm section propels the beats showing versatility on Junior
Parker's I Wanna Ramble and T-Bone Walker's Tell Me What's The
Reason without a hitch and the originals sit comfortably with
time-tested covers. Great stuff. (CR)
|
BUDDY GUY |
Silvertone 81967 |
Can't Quit The Blues |
● CD $48.98 |
3 CDs, 47 tracks, 220 minutes / 1 DVD, 11 tracks, 90
minutes - excellent
Buddy Guy's recording itinerary now spans five full
decades dating from his Baton Rouge demo, waxed in 1957, The Way You
Been Treating Me (included), through a 2006 cut for a Sly & The Family
Stone tribute (not included). This set's first disc hands in 18 tracks and
spans his initial outing in '57 (and superb it is) through a handful of
JSP dates as well as making stops that (all too shortly) focus on Buddy's
time at Artistic, Chess, Delmark, Vanguard and Atco while the other two
CDs amass 29 sides - all devoted to Guy's Silvertone sessions
(1991-present). The DVD includes nine Montreux sessions (two from 1974 and
another pairing from 1978 with the remainder going to 1992, 1998, and
2002) plus a pair from Seattle's Paramount Theatre in 2004. If anything,
the set is short-sighted as it skims lightly over his first two-and-a-half
decades when two-thirds of everything here focuses on the last 15 years.
For those preferring the earlier (and less bombastic) days of Buddy Guy,
it doesn't offer anything new (outside of the demo) although the
previously unreleased DVD footage is strong. In booklet form with 40+
pages of liner notes including a timeline. Nicely packaged. (CR)
|
ODELL HARRIS |
Broke & Hungry Records 3002 |
Searching For Odell Harris |
● CD $14.98 |
12 tracks, 40 min., almost highly recommended
Chances are
better than good that, even if you're a blues fan, you've never heard of
Odell Harris. Chances are even better you've never seen him play. Before
producer Jeff Konkel recorded him one Mississippi night in July 2006, he
wasn't sure the man really existed. Harris flakes out on shows and
generally disappears for months at a time. This album finds Harris' guitar
and vocals in a small combo setting, feels raw and dangerous, just the way
it should. Harris covers Bo Diddley (Before You Accuse Me), Junior
Parker (Train I Ride), Jimmy Reed (Can't Stand To See You Go,
and others, runs traditional material and a couple of covers, but each
time out he's got his own unvarnished sound. A useful reference point
would be R. L. Burnside's early Fat Possum sides, with even less polish.
And that's pretty good company to be in for a guy who can't always be
bothered with singing into the microphone or playing an entire song all
the way through. (JC)
|
JOHN LEE HOOKER |
Shout Factory 10198 |
Hooker |
● CD $58.98 |
4 CDs, 86 tracks, 302 minutes - highly recommended
Spanning a full five decades from 1948 through 1998 marks this 4-CD boxed
set devoted to the Boogie Man as one to add to the shelves. Disc one
collects 26 tacks from '48 to '54 from such labels as Modern, King, Staff,
Sensation and Regal (among others) while disc two and its 25 cuts cover
'56 to '64 concentrating on Vee Jay titles as well as tracks recorded for
Riverside, Savoy and a few sides cut for Henry Stone in Miami including
the brilliant Don't Turn Me From Your Door. Disc three delivers 16 titles
dating from 1966 through '86 and including a couple of Chess sides plus
material from the Impulse, Bluesway, and Pausa imprints while the fourth
and final CD covers 1987 though '98 and is made up of a wide-ranging cast
of all-stars including Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Robert Cray, Eric
Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren Haynes and many others. The 60 page
booklet features session details and extensive liner notes. (CR)
|
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS |
Fuel 2000 61595 |
An Introduction To Lightnin' Hopkins |
● CD $13.98 |
16 tracks, 63 mins, highly recommended
A fine collection
of the greatest Texas country bluesman. About half the tracks here were
recorded for Stan Lewis's Jewel label in the late 60s, some not originally
issued. It includes the great two part Mr. Charlie and the then
topical Vietnam Blues. Some of these tracks are solo with tough
electric guitar and some are with a small group including his cousin Billy
Bizor on harmonica. There are a couple of acoustic tracks from his 1959/60
Tradition recordings, the hot Lightnin's Boogie from a 1954 Herald
session, a track from his 1964 session with Sonny & Brownie and Big Joe
Williams, the great Santa (retitled Christmas Blues here)
from his 1960 Fire session and three live tracks from various times
including a very hot version of Mighty Crazy with exciting
distorted guitar and rhythm section that I can't identify. Music is
consistently superb though lack of any discographical info is frustrating.
Bill Dahl provides his usual high quality notes though he has little to
say about the specific recordings here. If you have little or no Lightnin'
this would be a great place to start and if you have a large Lightnin'
collection you might find one or two performances here you don't have.
(FS)
|
LIL SON JACKSON |
Document DOCD 5680 |
Volume 1: 1948-1950 Rockin' And Rollin' |
● CD $15.98 |
First of three discs to present the complete 40s and 50s
recordings of this superb Texas country bluesman. This disc presents all
12 of his sides recorded for Houston's Gold Star Records in 1948 and 1949
and the first 11 sides recorded for Imperial in 1950.
|
MARVIN JOHNSON |
Blue Moon 6050 |
Jumpy Rhythm Jive - The Complete
Recordings, 1946-1951 |
● CD $17.98 |
23 tracks, recommended Marvin Johnson was a fine alto and
tenor sax player and occasional vocalist who started his musical career in
1929 though these are the only recordings he made. Four of the sessions
here were issued under his own name and includes some jump blues featuring
vocals by Johnson, Calvin Boze or Joe Swift. The 1946 session with the
Louis Jordan inspired Boze is particularly nice and includes a version of
Safronia Bee - a song which he recorded under his own name several
years later and became a big hit. There are also sessions accompanying
mediocre vocalist Jesse Cryor and Bobby Pittman and one from 1949 behind
the fascinating Brother Bones which includes his version of Sweet
Georgia Brown which became the theme song for the Harlem
Globetrotters. These latter sides are also availble on Acrobat 4081
($13.98) but most of the rest are new to CD. (FS)
|
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