Blues & Gospel - Newsletter 144 - Johnny Ace -> Marvin Johnson + DVDS, Books, Calnedar
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NEWSLETTER #144
Blues & Gospel
 Johnny Ace -> Marvin Johnson
 
 

NEW BOOKS
 

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)

 

NEW DVDs
 
MEADE LUX LEWIS Idem Home Video 1055 Boogie Woogie & Rhythm & Blues ● DVD $21.98
DVD 26 Tracks, 71 Mins, barely recommended
Giving the great Meade Lux Lewis top billing on this DVD is mis-guided Considering Lewis just goes through the Boogie Woogie motions while looking dour and displeased with the lame sets, inept vocalist and 3rd string dancers; nevertheless, there's only about 10 minutes of screen time in Lewis' three short clips (ANOTHER reason to question the top billing). The other BW clips, with the great Maurice Rocco, Harry "The Hipster" Gibson and Lynn Albritton, and Gene Rodgers are great fun and worthwhile. The Robert Crum, Ray Sinatra and Thelma White clips are barely amusing and musically lame. The four R&B clips of Amos Milburn are fantastic as well as the four Clovers clips. The Will Bradley Orchestra clips are a snore. No dates given, but these seem to be from the late 40's through the early 50's and the transfers are pretty good, both visually and aurally. Overall a mixed bag of performances, that is nothing less than vaguely amusing, but only half musically satisfying to these ears. (RB)

 
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)
 

CALENDAR
 
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.

 

NEW COMPACT DISCS
 
JOHNNY ACE Hip-O Select 02744-02 The Complete Duke Recordings ● CD $22.98
20 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
This limited edition (5000 numbered copies) features all the Duke recordings made by this popular blues/ ballad singer from Memphis who died Christmas Eve 1954 while playing Russian Roulette. He was a fine piano player and an excellent singer and although he was a fine blues performer he achieved his biggest success with his rendition of tender and bluesy ballads including My Song/ The Clock/ Please Forgive Me and the classic Pledging My Love which rocketed up the charts following his untimely death and became his only crossover hit reaching #17 in the pop charts (it was #1 in the R&B charts). This set also includes his fine duet with Big Mama Thornton on Yes Baby. It is packaged in a fold out digipac to resemble his only album Duke 40 "Johnny Ace Memorial Album" complete with original liner notes by the improbably named Dzondria LaIsac. It also includes 16 page booklet with new notes by Bill Dahl and full discographical info. All these tracks plus his pre-Duke recordings are available on Classics 5138 ($14.98) but this is from original master tapes and has superior packaging and notes. (FS)

 
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)

 
CECIL BARFIELD Fat Possum 1039 The George Mitchell Collection ● CD $9.98
19 tracks, 63 mins, essential
Cecil Barfield was a truly unique country bluesman with a primitive but extremely rewarding style. Born in 1922, he started playing music when he was five years old and until he was recorded by George Mitchell in 1976 he played exclusively for for his friends and relatives. Cecil was extremely superstitious and when an LP was released of some of his recordings they were issued under the assumed name of William Robertson and he wouldn't allow a photo of him to be used since someone could turn it face down and he would die. He is an intense and unique vocalist with an odd strangulated style which may take some getting used to but is remarkably effective. He was also a fine propulsive guitarist that sounds more Mississippi than Georgia. His material is a mix of original songs and covers of blues records that he makes very much his own. Some of the material has a loose free form style that brings to mind Robert Pete Williams particularly in the wonderful semi spoken Root Blues. Presumably his fears wouldn't have allowed him to travel so only a handful of people outside his community had a chance to see him perform which is a real shame as he was a major discovery. (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

 
CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN Acrobat ACRCD 216 Dirty Work At The Crossroads, 1947-1953 ● CD $10.98
28 songs, 76 mins, highly recommended
Excellent early material from this sadly, recently departed blues guitar hero. The tracks here are from his earliest sessions for Aladdin, up through his legendary early singles for Peacock records. Legend has it that "Gatemouth" bum-rushed the stage at the Houston Blues club the Bronze Peacock when T-Bone Walker got sick and had to rush off of the stage leaving his guitar behind. Brown was such a success that night that club owner (and owner of the Buffalo Booking agency) Don Robey took him on as his main act. When the deal that Robey got for him with Aladdin only garnered two poor-performing 78s (backed by a band led by Maxwell Davis), Robey started up Peacock records and R&B history was made: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown became a huge success in the blues community. Even though Clarence stayed with Peacock until the early 1960's, this release only covers his material up until 1953, with one cut each from '54 and '56. All in all an exceptional collection from one of the most influential electric blues players of all time. (JM)
CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: After Sunset/ Atomic Energy/ Baby Take It Easy/ Boogie Rambler/ Boogie Uproar/ Didn't Reach My Goal/ Dirty Work at the Crossroads/ Gate Walks to Board/ Gatemouth Boogie/ Guitar in My Hand/ I Live My Life/ Just Got Lucky/ Mary Is Fine/ My Time Is Expensive/ Okie Dokie Stomp/ Pale Dry Boogie, Pt. 1/ Pale Dry Boogie, Pt. 2/ Please Tell Me Baby/ Sad Hour/ September Song/ She Walks Right In/ She Winked Her Eye/ Taking My Chances/ Too Late Baby/ Two O'Clock in the Morning/ Win with Me Baby/ Without Me Baby/ You Got Money

 
CANNED HEAT Fabulous 265 Vintage Canned Heat ● CD $7.98
10 tracks, 25 mins, recommended
New re-issue of the earliest of recordings of Canned Heat, from 1966 with the nucleus of the classic line-up in place. Produced by R&B legend Johnny Otis. Features a repertoire of mostly familiar blues tunes - Rollin' And Tumblin' Part One/ Spoonful/ Pretty Thing/ Dimples/ Straight Ahead, etc. (JM)

 
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)

 
THE COLEMAN BROTHERS Acrobat 4080 The Coleman Brothers ● CD $13.98
Lovely collection of gospel quartet singing with the occasional secular title from this superb family group from Virginia who were based in New Jersey, 29 tracks recorded between 1944 and 1948 including Lonesome Valley/ You May Run On/ Forgive Me Lord/ Walls Of jericho/ Sending Up My Timber/ Low Down The Chariot/ It's My Desire/ I Can See Everybody's Mother, etc.
 
DEWEY CORLEY & WALTER MILLER Fat Possum 1059 The George Mitchell Collection ● CD $9.98
13 tracks, 44 mins, recommended
Memphis musician Dewey Corley was a one time member of the great Memphis Jug Band and together with guitarist Walter Miller was part of the Beale Street Jug Band in the 30s. On these 1967 recordings the two reunite on a raucous and ragged selection of material - much of it in the jug band style with Corley singing and playing one string bass and kazoo and Miller playing guitar (and singing on one song). One track is a fine unaccompanied harmonica instrumental, presumably Corley, The ever present kazoo gets pretty annoying but in small doses there is a lot to like in these uninhibited performances. (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)

 
THE FIVE BLIND BOYS OF MISSISSIPPI Acrobat ADDCD 3003 The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi ● CD $13.98
Two CDs, 43 tracks, 116 mins, essential
This is the one we have been waiting for - almost the entire output between 1947 and 1954 of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, post-war gospel quartet - The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi featuring the lead of possibly the greatest "hard" gospel singer of all time - the late, great Archie Brownlee. These recordings firmly establish his reputation, not only as a church-wrecking screamer of the first rank, but also as a versatile artist capable of articulating the entire range of gospel emotions. The first 14 tracks feature their earliest recordings cut in 1947 and 1949 for Excelsior and Coleman. These earlier sides show the development of their music from the more traditional style on their Excelsior sides to the intense hard edged sound of their Coleman recordings - a style which reached its final fruition when they moved to Peacock. In addition to Brownlee they also had another magnificent lead vocalist in the form of Rev. Percell Perkins and the rest of the group provide magnificent harmonies. As the group moved into the early 50's and became stars of the gospel circuit, Brownlee's style became more extroverted, venturing into exalted falsetto (In The Garden). These recordings feature just one magnificent performance after another - many of the songs are based on traditional titles but are completely transformed in the hands of Brownlee and the group. Their earlier recordings feature them acapella but some of the best recordings add an incredibly effective thudding drum accompaniment and some others features guitar, piano and organ. Sound quality on some of the Excelsior and Coleman sides is pretty rough and I'm annoyed that they didn't include all the Coleman recordings but that's a minor quibble for this is surely the gospel release of the year.! (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)

 
GOSPEL KEYBOARD TRIO The Sirens 5012 Heavenly Keys ● CD $15.98
12 tracks, 53 min., recommended
An unusual aggregation (bass, drums, and three keyboard players) turning out jazz-, funk-, and blues-tinged gospel instrumentals. Features Rev. Dwayne Mason (see Sirens SR-5007, Glory! Glory!), Leonard Maddox, and Willie Jones as the keyboard trio, with veteran session drummer Curtis Fondren. The songs are a mix of originals (Church House Rock), traditionals (Cavalry, Walk With Me Lord), and well chosen covers of Joe May (What Is This?), Cleophus Robinson (Pray For Me, It Is No Secret), Edwin Hawkins (God Will Take Care Of You), and others. All told, a satisfying and uplifting set of performances. (JC)

 
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)

 
JIMMY LEE HARRIS Fat Possum 1071 The George Mitchell Collection - I Wanna Ramble ● CD $9.98
11 tracks, 46 mins, recommended
Another fine collection of country blues recorded by George Mitchell this time featuring Alabama bluesman Jimmy Lee Harris. Although only 45 when he was recorded in the early 80s he performs in a primitive style that belies his youth though he draws in elements from popular blues recordings. On a number of cuts he plays some fine slide guitar. He also uses his hands to very effectively create the sound of a harmonica on a couple of tracks and is joined by his 48 year old brother Eddie, who is also a fine artist, on a number of tracks. Highlight is the superb title songs where JImmy Lee's singing anD imitation harmonica are accompanied by the chruning electric guitar of Eddie. This was originally issued in the 80s on an LP on the Southland label and the booklet includes the notes from that LP. (FS)