NEWSLETTER #14 8
Second Time Around
Cecil B a r field ->
B ig Joe Williams+Books, DVDS
| THE AMAZING SECRET HISTORY OF ELMORE JAMES
by Steve Franz |
● BOOK $34.95 |
Counts as six CDs for shipping purposes Originally a
masters' thesis project, "The Amazing Secret History of Elmore James"
combines research from 300 recordings and close to 500 articles, books,
liner notes, newspaper clippings, interviews, and more. All told, nearly
fifteen years of work were poured into what is now the finished product. The
first question that should arise is whether or not that lengthy period of
time was well-invested. In a recent review of this book by a respected
critic, Franz was taken to task for compiling over 300 pages that, in the
end, offer very little in the way of newly uncovered information on the
guitarist. That fact may present itself to blues scholars, but a far greater
number will have little knowledge of outdated documents dating back to the
1960's. By collecting decades of research and articles on the artist, many
unseen for years, the book succeeds at capturing the life of Elmore. His
entire life is covered nicely, from his early years through the 1940's when
he frequently worked with Sonny Boy Williamson II and other luminaries, as
well as richly detailed passages on Chicago and trips back and forth from
the South. Also touched upon are heart ailments that eventually took his
life, plus his relationships with band members and record producers.
The
picture Franz paints appears to be, for the most part, an honest one. James
might well have been an exceptional musician and convincing vocalist, in
addition to being a strong songwriter, but he wasn't without faults,
inconsistencies, or the more than occasional backhanded attempt to pocket
more than his share of money. Known to double-back on signed recording
contracts and overlap labels, Elmore also ran afoul of the Chicago union for
working with others who weren't current cardholders, skipping out with
deposits for performances that he failed to fulfill, or recording for a
company outside of the union, and he was also prone to drinking heavily and
seemed to have a certain level of contempt for his fans, berating them
publicly at times, much to the dismay of others.
If there is one recurring
error that possesses this work, it's that the author goes overboard in
trying to capture the essence of the artist through a rather extensive
catalog of recordings. With efforts of this sort, a good deal of the story
is conveyed by dissecting recorded works and the sessions that involved
those recordings, and while this doesn't detract from the contents, Franz
comes across in favor of Elmore James as the do-all, end-all bluesman, which
presents itself in glaring fashion now and then.
The book is peppered with
biographical sketches on Joe Carter, Hound Dog Taylor, John Littlejohn, J.B.
Hutto, and Homesick James and also covers some "Myths and Folklore."
Curiously absent among the photographic layout is the earliest known picture
of Elmore, one found in a private collection by noted researcher, Dr. David
Evans. There are short sections on family members and musicians as well as
producers and labels along with a complete discography, including a dizzying
array of label shots, trade paper items, and a breakdown of all-known LP's
and CD's that contain Elmore's music, which shows the author's propensity
for binding together all pertinent information. Unfortunately written off by
some as a slide guitarist with little more than one credible lick in his
pocket, which is far from the total picture of the man or his enormous
contributions, his story has been long overdue considering the early
research of Europeans that began as far back as the late 1950's. James was
never interviewed by today's standards, and when he was, it was well before
his catalog of work was completed. Although "The Amazing Secret History of
Elmore James" might not uncover any earthshattering finds, the fact that
everything has been neatly gathered together is unquestionably commendable.
Its list price is a bit expensive for a paperbound book, but what is
included will thoroughly satisfy those interested in getting a total picture
of the man and his numerous recording ventures. Highly recommended. (CR)
|
| I WAS THERE WHEN
IT HAPPENED My Life With Johnny
Cash by
Marshall Grant with Chris Zar |
● BOOK $24.95 |
Hardbound, 367 pages, highly recommended, counts as six CDs
for shipping. Legendary country sideman steps into the spotlight to tell his
story and what a story it is. Marshall Grant provided the pulse of some of
the greatest of American music for close to 50 years and was definitely
there when a lot of "it" happened. Whether being the rock solid Bass man and
road manager for Johnny Cash & the Tennessee two (and Three) from year zero
until 1980 or his later work managing the Statler Brothers, Marshal Grant
has been witness to a lot of history, which he shares with great detail and
flair in this superb book. Being a huge Country music and Cash fan I was
thrilled when I heard about this and am now enthralled by the results. Also
features a fantastic, thick picture section from Grant's own collection.
This is simply a must for any Johnny Cash aficionado. (JM)
|
| LES PAUL |
Koch Vision 6422 |
Chasing Sound! |
● DVD $22.98 |
90 minute documentary with 90 minutes of bonus features,
essential
A fascinating, detailed look into the life of guitarist, inventor,
recording pioneer, radio and television star, and National Treasure Les
Paul. Yes, the man whose name you've seen on thousands of guitars played by
thousands of guitarists reflects on his early days as a country and jazz
musician, how and why he came to invent (or help to invent) the electric
guitar, sound-on-sound recording techniques, and multitrack tape machines.
We are also taken on a journey through his history with wife/musical partner
Mary Ford, a collaboration that produced many hits through much of the 40's
and 50's. Plenty of rare photos/ film footage, interviews with such
luminaries as Keith Richards, B.B. King, Steve Miller, Jeff Beck, Tony
Bennett, and others. Bonus features include live performances from Les
Paul's legendary Monday night shows, TV appearances, an extended
conversation with the man, plus a photo gallery. (BC)
|
| 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 genrisity 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)
|
| 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)
|
| BEAUSOLEIL |
Arhoolie 5040 |
Hot Chili Mama |
● CD $12.98 |
Now available in pristine CD sound, Mike Doucet and
Beausoleil's excellent 1987 release, with its wonderful blend of hot cajun
dance tunes like Arcadian Two-Step and Grand Mallet and lovely
ballads like Chanson De Sagesse and Belle . All acoustic, it
captures the energy and charm of the band and Mike's fiddle.(JM)
|
| EARL BOSTIC |
Proper BOX 112 |
The Earl Bostic Story |
● CD $26.98 |
4 CDs, 106 tracks, 299 mins, highly recommended
Fantastic
collection, 4 CDs jammed full of music, shining the spotlight on one of the
all-time great alto sax players. Earl Bostic is someone a little lost in
history, but someone whose influence on music of the 1940s and 1950s really
doesn't get enough credit. Probably the main root of the mixed feelings on
Bostic stem from his teetering between the world of Jazz and Rhythm & Blues:
the Jazzbos looked down on the wild wailin' sax and the R&B cats and kittens
getting bothered by too much instrumental music. Earl Bostic's music has
indeed aged well and open-minded fans of both genres should find a lot to
love here (I certainly did!) How many bandleaders can boast to having John
Coltrane on some sessions and then Mickey Baker on the next batch of
recordings? This works chronologically through Bostic's recorded output from
late 1945 to may 1955, seemingly without missing a session. As usual this
has Proper's fantasic sound, intricate notes and candy colored individual CD
and box packaging. Well done! (JM)
EARL BOSTIC: 8.45 Stomp/ Ain't Misbehavin'/ All On/
Always/ Apollo Theatre Jump/ Artistry By Bostic/ Away/ Baby, You Don't Know
It All/ Bar Fly Baby/ Beyond The Blue Horizon/ Blip Boogie/ Blue Skies/
Bostic's Boogie Blues/ Bostic's Jump/ Chains Of Love/ Cherokee/ Choppin' It
Down/ Cracked Ice/ Cuttin' Out/ Danube Waves/ Deep Purple/ Disc Jockey's
Nightmare/ Don't You Do It/ Earl Blows A Fuse/ Earl's Blues/ Earl's
Imagination/ Earl's Rumboogie/ East Of The Sun/ Filibuster/ Flamingo/ For
You/ From Midnight Till Dawn/ Here Goes/ Hot Sauce Boss/ How Could It Have
Been You And I/ Hurricane Blues/ I Can't Give You Anything But Love/ I Got
Loaded/ I'm Getting Sentimental Over You/ I'm The Guy Who Loves You/ Joy
Dust/ Jumpin' Jack/ Jungle Drums/ Let's Ball Tonight, Part 1/ Let's Ball
Tonight, Part 2/ Liebestraum/ Linger Awhile/ Liza/ Lover Come Back To Me/
Mambolino/ Mambostic/ Melancholy Serenade/ Memories/ Merry Widow Waltz/
Moonglow/ My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice/ My Special Dream/ Nay! Nay! Go Away!/
Night And Day/ No Name Blues/ O Sole Mio/ Off Shore/ Poeme/ Portrait Of A
Faded Love/ Rockin' And Reelin'/ Scotch Jam/ September Song/ Serenade/
Serenade To Beauty/ Seven Steps/ Sheik Of Araby/ Sleep/ Slightly Groovy/
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes/ Smoke Rings/ Song Of The Islands/ Steamwhistle
Jump/ Sugar Hill Blues/ Sweet Lorraine/ Swing Low Sweet Boogie/ Temptation/
That's The Groovy Thing - Part A/ That's The Groovy Thing - Part B/ That's
The Heat You Gotta Beat/ The Barefoot Boy/ The Hour Of Parting/ The Major
And The Minor/ The Man I Love/ The Man I Love/ The Moon Is Low/ The Song Is
Ended/ The Very Thought Of You/ These Foolish Things/ Tiger Rag/ Time On My
Hands/ Tippin' In/ Velvet Sunset/ Watch Where You Walk Boy/ Way Down/ What,
No Pearls?/ Where Or When/ Who Snuck The Wine In The Gravy?/ Wild Man/ Wrap
It Up/ Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams/ You Go To My Head
|
| BIG
GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS |
Cat Head 001 |
Club Caravan |
● CD $14.98 |
12 tracks, 41 min., highly recommended
How good can an
unknown bluesman in his seventies be, backed as he is with a band of
unknowns where everyone is related by blood? Pretty damn good. Over the
years, the Mississippi-born Brock has blown life into his harp with the best
(Muddy Waters,, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed), owned several blues clubs
(including the one where a stray bullet from the gun of a drunken patron
killed his Brock's wife), and played and lived a lot of blues. On this
album, recorded studio live in three and a half hours with "no overdubs or
computer trickery," Brock is backed by the Riley Coatie band (a.k.a. The
Houserockers), made up of Riley and his (grown) children, who play like they
just walked out of 1957. Brock's sound in reminiscent of early Howlin' Wolf
records, not just in the style of his singing or harp playing, but in the
physical power of both. Eight of the 12 songs are Brock originals, including
the outstanding minimalism of M For Mississippi, where harmonica is
boss. As authentic as it gets. (JC)
|
| CLIFF CARLISLE |
JSP JSPCD 7732 |
A Country Legacy, 1930-1939 |
● CD $28.98 |
Four CDS, 84 tracks, approx 4 hours, highly recommended with
reservations
The reasons for my reservations is that while the music is
wonderful this set seems to have been put together with less care than most
of JSP's other boxes. Cliff Carlisle recorded more than 200 sides between
1930 and 1939 so why are there only 84 tracks here? Most JSP four CD sets
have around 100. Further, half of these tracks are currently available on
Arhoolie 7039 and B.A.C.M. and half the rest were on the out of print
collection on Zircon Vert. In addition the titles are not presented in
chronological order and there is no discographical information. Now to the
music! Carlisle was a superb singer, a magnificent slide guitarist (playing
a steel bodied National) and had a varied and consitently worthwhile
repertoire which embraced traditional songs, blues, love songs, some
wickedly raunchy risque songs, gospel songs, western and sentimental songs.
Cliff was a master blue yodeller on a number of cuts here and on No Daddy
Blues and Shanghai Rooster Yodel he does some original scat
yodelling. Some tracks feature his early playing partner singer/ guitarist
Wilbur Ball, others have his brother Bill or his son Tommy and some have a
small string band with some lovely fiddle. Some of the gospel songs feature
some great quartet singing which includes Cliff, Bill, Tommy and another
Carlisle, Louis (another brother?) including a sublime version of Shine
On Me. He does a great cover of the Darby & Tarleton classic Columbus
Stockade Blues and the soon to become bluegrass standards Footprints
In The Snow with Shannon Grayson on mandolin and Girl In The Blue
Velvet Band. And for those of you who like double entendre there are
such gems as Ash Can Blues/ That Nasty SWing/ Sal's Got A Meatskin
and others. But it's all great. Sound quality is excellent, booklet notes
are adequate. If you don't already have much Carlisle this is indispensible.
(FS)
CLIFF CARLISLE: A Mean Mama Don't Worry Me/ A Stretch Of
28 Years/ A Wild Cat Woman And A Tom Cat Man/ Ash Can Blues/ Bamblin' Man/
Black Jack David/ Broken Heart/ Chicken Roost Blues/ Columbus Stockade
Blues/ Cowboy Johnny's Last Ride/ Dang My Rowdy Soul/ Dear Old Daddy/ Desert
Blues/ Far Beyond The Starry Sky/ Footprints In The Snow/ Georgia Moon/ Get
Her By The TrailOn A Downhill Grade/ Girl In The Blue Velvet Band/ Goin'
Down The Road Feelin' Bad/ Going Back To Alabama/ Going Down The Valley One
By One/ Gonna Raise A Ruckus Tonight/ Goodbye Old Pal/ Guitar Blues/
Handsome Blues/ High Steppin' Mama/ Hobo Blues/ Hobo's Fate/ Home Of The
Soul/ I Don't Mind/ I Want A Good Woman/ I'm Savin Saturday Night For You/
I'm Sorry Now/ It Ain't No Fault of mine/ It Takes An Old Hen To Deliver The
Goods/ Lonely Orphan Child/ Lonesome For Caroline/ Memories That Haunt Me/
Memphis Yodel/ Mouse's Ear Blues/ My Lovin' Kathleen/ My Rockin' Mama/ My
Rocky Mountain Sweetheart/ My Travellin' Night/ Nevada Johnny/ New Memories
Of You That Haunt Me/ No Daddy Blues/ On The Banks Of The Rio Grande/ Onion
Eating Mama/ Pan American Man/ Pay Day Fight/ Prepare Me O lord/ Ramblin
Yodeler/ Ring Tail Tom/ Roll On, Roll On/ Rooster Blues/ Sal's Got A
Meatskin/ Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down/ Seven Years With The Wrong Woman/
Shanghai Rooster No 2/ Shanghai Rooster Yodel/ Shine On Me/ Shine Your Light
For Others/ Shot The Innocent Man/ Sugar Cane Mama/ That Great Judgement
Day/ That Nasty Swing/ The Blind Child's Prayer/ The Brakeman's Reply/ There
Is No More That I Can Say/ Tom Cat Blues/ Trouble Minded Blues/ True And
Trembling Brakeman/ Two Eyes In Tenessee/ Uncloudy Day/ Waiting For A Ride/
When It's Round Up Time In Heaven/ When It's Round Up Time In Texas/ When
The Angels Carry Me Home/ When The Evening Sun Goes Down/ Where My Memory
Lies/ Why Did It Have To Be Me?/ Wigglin' Man/ You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
( Just Because )
|
| CLIFTON CHENIER |
Arhoolie 350 |
Out West |
● CD $12.98 |
By 1973, when most of these recordings were made Clifton
had, what was probably the best band of his career with Paul Senegal
replacing Felix Benoit on guitar and the addition of the brilliant John Hart
on tenor sax. From now on his music emphasized the blues and R&B elements in
his music at the expense of the old time cajun two steps and waltzes. On
most of the sides here they are joined by blues rock musicians Elvin Bishop
on guitar and Steve Miller on piano who provide restrained, but effective
accompanied. This album features two of Clifton's all time classics - the
wonderful minor key blues I'm On A Wonder and the rocking I'm A
Hog For You (the latter from an earlier 1971 session) plus Calinda/
The Hucklebuck/ You Know It Ain't Fair/ You're The One For Me/ You're
Fussing Too Much/ Just Like A Woman/ All Your Love/ C.C. Special and
others. For the CD reissue, four previously unissued sides from the 1973
session are added included a fine version of Ti Na Na plus 3 songs
recorded in 1971 at San Francisco radio station KSAN where he performs in an
older traditional French style. The cover states - "Over 60 Minutes Of
Classic Zydeco Music" - and they're not kidding! Essential. (FS)
CLIFTON CHENIER: All Your Love/ Breaux Bridge Waltz (*)/
C. C. Special (Take 1) (*)/ C. C. Special (Take 2)/ Calinda/ Crawfish
Jambalaya (*)/ I'm A Hog For You/ I'm On The Wonder/ Je Marche Le Plancher
(You Know It Ain`T Fair)/ Just Like A Woman/ Louisiana Two-Step (*)/ Ma
Negresse Est Gone (*)/ The Hucklebuck/ Ti Na Na (*)/ You're Fussin' Too
Much/ You're The One For Me/ Zydeco Cha Cha (*)
|
| PORKY FREEMAN |
Cattle 294 |
The Boogie Woogie Boy |
● CD $18.98 |
27 tracks, highly recommended
This CD reissues Cattle LP
101, newly remastered and with six bonus tracks featuring Freeman
accompanying vocalist Hal Hart. A footnote to the 1940's L.A. country scene,
electric guitarist Porky Freeman was far more important than most give him
credit for. His 1943 Boogie Woogie On The Strings on the Morris Lee
label was the first real instrumental guitar boogie, predating Arthur
Smith's Guitar Boogie by a couple years. A remake, cut a year later
for ARA is included here, along with 20 (!) other instrumentals that
appeared on ARA & 4-Star. Freeman, an excellent guitarist (who played on
many of Jack Guthrie's outstanding Capitol sides,) used some equally
outstanding sidemen on his records, including Red Murrell, Merle Travis and
Jesse Ashlock, and this collection is sure to be the definitive one. (RK)
PORKY FREEMAN: Boogie Woogie Boy/ Boogie Woogie On
Strings/ Electric Guitar Blues/ Electric Guitar Rag/ Everybody Loves That
Boogie/ Fat Gal Blues/ I Had Little Wife/ I Left My Heart In Mississippi/
Indian Love Call/ Okie Dokie Okie/ Pecos Polka/ Pickin' 8 To The Bar/
Rollin' South/ Slick Chick Boogie (# 1)/ Slick Chick Boogie (# 2)/ Slow
Train Boogie/ Spanish Bells/ Strumming Up A Boogie/ That Baby's Changed/ The
New Look/ Tiger Rag/ HAL HART: Did I Ever Tell You (how Much I Love You)/ I
Miss Your Lovin'/ Oklahoma/ Something Old, New; Borrowed And Blue/ Than
Suffer Jealousy/ Tie A Little String Around Your Finger
|
| BILL HALEY |
Bear Family BCD 16807 |
Bill Rocks |
● CD $24.98 |
31 tracks, 80 mins, essential
The best available compilation
of Bill's rock 'n' roll sides drawing not only on his well known Decca
recordings but also including some of the sides that he recorded for Holiday
and Essex that offer incontrovertible proof of his status as a rock 'n' roll
pioneer and is deserving of much greater than has gotten in recent years.
The earliest recording here is his great cover of Jackie Brenston's
Rocket '88' from 1951 which is rock 'n' roll in all but name and the
latest is the splendid but little known Where Did You Go Last Night
from 1959 with driving piano from Johnny Grande, hot honkin' sax from Rudy
Pompelli and some very effective steel guitar licks from Billy Williamson.
Grande and Williamson were core members of Haley's band since the early 50s.
Prior to Pompelli the sax chores were handled by the excellent Joey
D'Ambrosia. The excellent lead guitar work on the Decca sides was by danny
Cedrone or the tremendous Franny Beecher. Almost all the big hits are here
along with several lesser known items - Rock Around The Clock/ Happy
Baby/ Birth Of The Boogie/ Rock The Joint/ See You Later Alligator/ A.B.C.
Boogie/ Hot Dog Buddy Buddy/ Fractured/ Don't Knock The Rock/ Skinny Minnie/
Green Tree Boogie, etc. Includes 40 page booklet with black & white and
color illustrations, notes, posters, label shots and discographical details.
(FS)
|
| THE JACKS |
Ace CDCHD 535 |
Why Don't You Write Me |
● CD $18.98 |
25 tracks, 69 min., essential
The Cadets/Jacks were one of the premier groups of the
50's. With a lineup that included Aaron Collins, chief songwriter and
brother to the Teen Queens (see below), future soul star Ted Taylor, and
bass singer extraordinaire Dub Jones, they certainly had more talent than
most of their competition. And the mostly ballad material here attests to
that. Highlights include the title cut, plus Away, So Wrong,
Let's Make Up, Why Did I Fall in Love, and This Empty Heart.
Not only do the two discs include all of their 45 rpm and lp cuts recorded
under either the Jacks' or the Cadets' name, this one also includes both
sides of the very rare MJC 45 on which Jacks lead Willie Davis moonlightedÑMy
Reckless Heart and They Turned the Party Out Down at Bessie's House.
A great program put together with Ace's usual good taste, featuring a
particularly nice cover design, fine sound quality, and informed liner notes
by Jim Dawson. A must buy. (DH)
|
| ELMORE JAMES |
Ace ABOXCD 4 |
The Classic Early Recordings |
● CD $31.98 |
3 CD set, 71 tracks, 3 hrs 12 mins, essential
Back in print
but without the handsome box. I consider that Elmore James was one of the
greatest bluesmen to ever record - a powerful and intense singer and a
masterful guitarist. His slide guitar techniques were to inspire and
influence a generation of blues guitarists though none had the skill,
sensitivity or imagination Elmore brought to the instrument. His early death
in 1963 at the age of 45 robbed the world of a major talent. This beautiful
package culminates years of combing the Modern/ Flair/ Meteor vaults.
Because the owners of the labels had little sense of history there is much
Elmore material that is probably lost forever but this set presents every
available recording he made for these labels between 1952 and '56 including
up to six takes of some songs. The alternates are sometimes very different
and sometimes very close but with enough lyric differences to make them
essential for the devoted Elmore fan. The set opens with his very first
recording of Dust My Broom for Trumpet in 1951 where he first
introduced his "broomdusting" riff that he used on many of recordings and
has subsequently appeared on probably thousands of other blues recordings.
Elmore was much more than a one riff man as the spacey guitar playing on
Hand In hand or the raucous instrumental Hawaiian Boogie shows.
He was also a fine guitarist without the slide as many tracks here show. The
sessions here were recorded in a number of locations including Elmore's home
town of Canton, Missississpii, Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans with
different sidemen including Ike Turner, Johnny Jones, J.T. Brown, Ranson
Knowling, Maxwell Davis, Eddie Taylor, Earl Palmer and others. In addition
to the recordings under his own numbers it also features accompaniments to
fellow band members J.T. Brown and Johnny Jones. The 71 tracks have been
digitally remastered by Bob Jones and have never sounded better. The 40 page
booklet features notes by the sets compiler Ray Topping who has unearthed
new information about the somewhat enigmatic Elmore, terrific photos,
pictures of labels, ads, discography and more. Did I say this was essential?
(FS)
BEP BROWN ORCHESTRA: Dumb Woman Blues/ Round House Boogie
(Aka Sax Symphonic Boogie)/ ELMORE JAMES: 1839 Blues/ Baby What's Wrong/
Blues Before Sunrise/ Can't Stop Lovin'/ Canton Mississippi Breakdown
(Instrumental)/ Dark And Dreary (Take 1)/ Dark And Dreary (Take 2)/ Dark And
Dreary (Take 4)/ Dust My Blues/ Dust My Broom/ Early In The Morning/ Elmo's
Shuffle (Take 3)/ Elmo's Shuffle (Take 4)/ Elmo's Shuffle (Take 5)/ Good Bye
(Baby)/ Hand In Hand/ Happy Home/ Hawaiian Boogie (Take 1)/ Hawaiian Boogie
(Take 2)/ I Believe/ I Got A Strange Baby (False Start & Chat)/ I Held My
Baby Last Night/ I Was A Fool/ Kicking The Blues Around (Aka Flaming Blues -
featuring J.T. Brown)/ Late Hours At Midnight/ Long Tall Woman/ Long Tall
Woman/ Long Tall Woman/ Lost Woman Blues (Aka Please Find My Bay - Version
3)/ Make A Little Love/ Make My Dreams Come True (Take 2)/ Make My Dreams
Come True (Take 3)/ Make My Dreams Come True (Take 4)/ Make My Dreams Come
True (Take 7)/ My Baby's Gone/ My Best Friend (Take 1)/ No Love In My Heart/
One More Drink (Take 1)/ One More Drink (Take 2)/ Please Come Back To Me
(Sho' Nuff I Do)/ Please Find My Baby (Take 1)/ Please Find My Baby (Take
2)/ Quarter Past Nine/ Rock My Baby Right/ Sax-Ony Boogie (Inst. featuring
J.T. Brown)/ Sho' Nuff I Do/ Sho' Nuff I Do (Alternate Take)/ Sho' Nuff I Do
(Session Talk & False Start)/ Sinful Woman/ So Mean To Me (Take 2)/ So Mean
To Me (Take 3)/ So Mean To Me (Take 4)/ Standing At The Crossroads/ Strange
Kinda Feeling (Take 1)/ Strange Kinda Feeling (Take 2)/ Strange Kinda
Feeling (Take 3)/ Strange Kinda Feeling (Take 4)/ Strange Kinda Feeling
(Take 5)/ Strange Kinda Feeling (Take 6)/ Sunny Land/ The Way You Treat Me
(Aka Mean And Evil)/ Where Can My Baby Be (Take 1)/ Where Can My Baby Be
(Take 8)/ Where Can My Baby Be (Take 9)/ Wild About You/ Wild About You
(Baby)/ Wild About You Baby (Chat & False Start)/ LITTLE JOHNNY JONES & THE
HOUND DOGS: I May Be Wrong/ Sweet Little Woman
|
| JERRY LEE LEWIS |
Bear Family BCD 16396 |
Jerry Rocks |
● CD $24.98 |
33 tracks, 80 mins, essential
Fabulous 33 track collection
of Jerry Lee's finest rockers encompassing the best of his Sun and Mercury
rockers. Includes all his most well known hits like Whole Lotta Shakin'
Goin' On/ Great Balls Of Fire/ Mean Woman Blues/ Breathless/ High School
Confidential/ Lovin' Up A Storm/ I'm On Fire along with lesser known
gems like Real Wild Child/ Milkshake Mademoiselle/ Put Me Down/ Keep Your
Hands Off It/ House Of Blue Lights
and others. Newly remastered from original tapes. If
you want only one collection of Jerry Lee's best rockers, this is the one to
get. 80 minutes of dynamic piano pounding and raucous vocals with 36 page
booklet by Colin Escott with notes, photos and full discographical info.
(FS)
JERRY LEE LEWIS: Boogie Woogie Country Man/ Breathless/
Chantilly Lace/ Don't Boogie Woogie (When You Say Your Prayers Tonight)/
Down The Line/ Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/ End Of The Road/ Good Rockin'
Tonight/ Great Balls Of Fire/ High School Confidental/ I Believe In You/ I'm
On Fire/ Jailhouse Rock/ Keep Your Hands Off Of It (Birthday Cake)/ Lewis
Boogie/ Little Queenie/ Lovin' Up A Storm/ Maybellene/ Me And Bobby McGee/
Mean Woman Blues/ Milkshake Mademoiselle/ Old Black Joe/ Pink Pedal Pushers/
Put Me Down/ Real Wild Child/ Roll Over Beethoven/ Sweet Georgia Brown/
Tennessee Saturday Night/ The House Of Blue Lights/ Ubangi Stomp/ What'd I
Say/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ Workin' Man Blues
|
ERNEST MARTIN & HIS GOSPEL MELODY
MAKERS |
B.A.C.M. 152 |
Hillbilly Gospel From The Blue Grass Hills |
● CD $13.98 |
27 tracks, 76 mins, highly recommended
Excellent collection
of old time country gospel from the early 50s by this fine but little known
artist from Kentucky recorded for his own Martin label. Martin was a fine
and powerful singer with an emotion charged vocal style who accompanies
himself on blugrass style banjo on some of the cuts. He is accompanied by
acoustic and electric guitars and string bass and the electric guitarist
provides some brief hot Travis flavored licks. All but two of the songs are
Martin originals and there some fine compositions here and, hopefully, this
CD will them greater recognition. (FS)
ERNEST MARTIN AND HIS GOSPEL MELODY MAKERS: Faded Flowers/
Gabriel Blow Your Silver Trumpet/ Heaven Bound Excursion/ Heaven's Highway
66/ I Want To Live Humble/ I'll Be Shouting Over On The Other Side/ Let It
Shine On Me/ Let's Be Friends/ My Long Journey Home/ My Vine Covered Cabin
On The Hill/ Revelations 1:18/ River Of Time/ Rose Among The Thorns/ Scarlet
Cord/ Shine On/ Sugar Coated Religion/ Swing Wide The Golden Gates/ The
Golden Crown/ The Golden Rule/ The Little Graveyard/ The Valley Of Death/
They Were Leading My Lord From The Garden Of Prayer/ When The Flowers Of God
Shall Bloom/ When The Wrath Of God Comes Down/ White Dove Of Peace/ White
Winged Angel/ Who Was That Man
|
| THE RED FOX CHASERS |
B.A.C.M. 108 |
Classic Old Time Music From North Carolina |
● CD $13.98 |
21 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
Superb string band
from North Carolina who were only together for a few years but produced some
very fine music as can be heard here . The group featured Paul Miles/ vocal &
banjo, Guy Brooks/ vocal & fiddle, Bob Cranford/ vocal & harmonica and A.P.
Thompson/ vocal and guitar and the performances features solo, duet and
group vocals as well instrumental tracks. A number of the tracks feature
only Cranford & Thompson. The material includes traditional songs and tunes,
original songs and tunes and covers of songs made famous by The Carter
Family and others. Splendid singing and playing, decent sound and
informative notes by Brian Golbey. (FS)
THE RED FOX CHASERS: Devilish Mary/ Did You Ever See The
Devil, Uncle Joe/ Good Bye Little Bonnie/ Henry Clay Beattie/ Honeysuckle
Time/ Jim & Me/ Katy Cline/ Little Sweetheart Pal Of Mine/ Lula Wall/
Mississippi Sawyer/ Murder Of The Lawson Family/ Naomi Wise/ Otto Wood/
Pretty Polly/ Stolen Love/ Sweet Fern/ The Blind Man & His Child/ Two Babes
In The Wood/ Under The Double Eagle/ Virginia Bootleggers/ Wreck On The
Mountain
|
| MOODY SCOTT |
AIM 1508 |
Bustin' Out Of The Ghetto |
● CD $15.98 |
14 tracks, 48 min., very highly recommended
Soul singer
Scott never saw the widespread fame he deserved in the 1960s and 1970s--an
unfortunately familiar story--but this handful of sides cut for the
Nashville Sound Stage 7 label (and its label mate Seventy-Seven) leaves
little doubt about how talented he was. The title track is early funk with
an uncommon perspective, as is A Man In Need Is A Fool. And the deep
soul of I'll Find My Sunshine and A Woman's Touch both
highlight Scott's powerfully expressive vocals as well as his lyrical gifts.
And yes, those are the Muscle Shoals horns you hear pushing through several
tracks. Another soul discovery from the vaults of Sound Stage 7. (JC)
|
| THE SPARKS BROTHERS |
Document DOCD 5315 |
Complete Recorded Work, 1932-1935 |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 77 mins, essential
Utterly superb collection
featuring all the recordings of twin brothers Marion (Milton) Sparks and
Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks. Thought to be from Mississippi they settled in St.
Louis in 1920. As you might guess from his nickname Aaron was a piano player
- and what a player - he had a beautiful rolling style and was a master of
the mid tempo boogie bringing to mind the playing of Jimmy Yancey. His
playing was imaginative and inventive - full of subtle nuances. He was also
a superb vocalist with a warm mellow style though he only sings on four
songs. He accompanies brother Milton on nine excellent songs and accompanies
relatively undistinguished singers Elizabeth Washington, Tecumsa McDowell
and Dorothea Trowbridge. Milton recorded two fine sides with a small group
including Peetie Whaetstraw, fiddler Bill Lowery and an unknown clarinet and
guitar player. The set is rounded out with two cuts where he is accompanied
by pianist Walter Davis and guitarist Henry Townsend. This disc includes two
interesting early versions of the blues standard Everyday I Have The
Blues - one by Elizabeth Washington from 1933 called Whiskey Blues
and one from 1935 by Pinetop. Though most of the lyrics are different to the
familiar one, credited to memphis Slim, there is no doubt that the germ of
the song is there. With a couple of exceptions the sound is excellent and
there are fine notes from Mike Rowe. (FS)
|
| STEELEYE SPAN |
Castle CMDDD 781 |
The Lark In The Morning - The Early Years |
● CD $19.98 |
2 CDs, 33 tracks, essential
Simply wonderful! This two CD
set features all of their first three albums from 1970 and '71 plus
General taylor which was only originally issued on a 45. Steeleye Span
was the most successful group to wed traditional songs and tunes with
electric rock arrangements and in Maddy Prior were blessed with one of the
greatest voices on the British Isles folk scene. The first album
Hark The Village Wait featured Maddy, Tim Hart (who has recorded as a duo
with Maddy), the group's founder and eminence gris of the British folk-rock
movement Ashley Hutchings, superb Irish vocalists and instrumentalists Gay &
Terry Woods who left shortly after this first effort to form their own band
and Gerry Conway or Dave Mattacks on drums. This album has one stunning
track after another including some spine chilling duets by Maddy & Gay
including the magnificent Dark Eyed Sailor. It also includes Terry's
only lead vocal on the superb Hills Of Greenmore. After their first
album, Gay & Terry left to form their own band and the group to decided to
go drummerless and enlisted Britain's finest folk interpreter Martin Carthy
and brilliant young fiddler and mandolin player Peter Knight. The subsequent
two albums "Please TO See The King" and "Ten Man Mop" is full of great
performances featuring lead vocals by Maddy, Martin and Tim as well as great
harmony singing and instrumental accompaniments. Among the great songs are
Cold, Haily, Windy Night/ Prince Charlie Stewart (one of my all time
favorites)/ The Lark In The Morning/ Fe,ale Drummer/ Lobely On The Water/
When I Was On Horseback and others including a delightful whimsical
acapella rendition of Buddy Holly's Rave On. Includes 12 page booklet
with photos and commentary from band members and producer Sandy Roberton.
(FS)
|
| RICHARD THOMPSON |
Fledgling 3045 |
Starring As Henry The Human Fly |
● CD $17.98 |
12 tracks, 37 mins, essential
Available again after too long
an absence this was Richard's first solo album from 1972 after leaving
Fairport Convention and is an unquestionable masterpiece. Although the songs
are original and contemporary there is a strong thread of traditional music
that runs through it all. It includes such anthemic folk-rock classics as
The New St George and The Old Changing Way, the wonderful The
Angels Took My Racehorse Way with glorious harmony vocals from Sandy
Denny and Linda Peters (soon to be Mrs Thompson), the haunting Poor
Ditching Boy and more. The arrangements are stunning using friends like
John Kirkpatrick, Pat Donaldson, Sue Draheim, Barry Dransfield, Andy Roberts
and others and a couple of the tracks features some effective brass
accompaniments. Sound quality is superb and booklet includes lyrics and some
more pictures of Richard in his outrageous fly outfit. A must! (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Ace CDCHD 1003 |
The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions, Vol. 3 |
● CD $18.98 |
26 tracks, 73 mins, essential
Third volume in this great
series concentrating on the down recordings made in the South by the Biharis
for their Modern group of labels in the early 50s. 14 of the tracks were
recorded in Sam Phillips' Sun studios including sides by Willie Nix, Howling
Wolf, Robert Bland (aka Bobby "Blue" Bland with Junior Parker on harmonica
and Matt Murphy/ guitar), Joe Hill Louis, Walter Horton, Jim Lockhart and
Alfred "Blues King" Harris. Seven tracks were recorded in Arkansas featuring
vocals by members of the King Biscuit Boys - pianist Robert "Dudlow" Taylor
and drummer James "Peck" Curtis with guitarist W.C. Clay and two harmonicas
- Sonny Boy Williamson and, probably, Frank Hawkins. The final five tracks
are by the mysterious Dixie Blues Boys who were thought to have been
recorded in the South but were actually recorded in Los Angeles in 1955 and
whose identities have finaly come to light due to recent research though
very little can be gleneaned of their history. NMevertheless they did some
fine small combo down home blues with two harmonicas. Only a handful of the
tracks here were originally issued as 78s and a number are being issued here
for the first time ever. Includes extensive notes by Jim O'Neal with much
new information. (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Acrobat 4209 |
Texas Gospel, Volume 1 - Come On Over Here |
● CD $13.98 |
24 tracks, 69 mins, essential
Fantastic collection of,
mostly acapella, gospel quartet singing recorded for Don Robey's Duke &
Peacock labels between 1951 and 1953. The title is a bit misleading since
though the label was based in Texas most of the groups were based elsewhere.
These recordings are very rare and most of them are making their first
appearance on CD and range from very fine to utterly magnificent. Among the
highlights are four sides by the glorious Christland Singers, the group
formed by Soul Stirrers founder after R.H. Harris after he left that group.
The Christlands were very much in the vein of the Soul Stirrers and also
included James Medlock - another former Soul Stirrer. Equally fine is the
all female group The Golden Harp Gospel Singers led by Harris's wife
Jeanette - there I'll Make It Somehow with its call and response
arrangement is a truly spine chilling. The remaining groups are all superb
and include The Southern Wonders, The Swanee Spiritual Singers, The Stars Of
Hope, the mixed male/ female group The Wilson & Wanders Singers and others.
The Gospel Travellers' two part God's Chariot with exagerated sound
effects about a tornado that ripped through the South in 1951 seem eerily
familiar. Sound quality from rare 78s is generally excellent and there are
informative notes from gospel expert Opal Louis Nations. (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Arhoolie 515 |
Sacred Steel Instrumentals |
● CD $12.98 |
14 tracks, 57 minutes, essential
Arhoolie is thankfully
continuing with their Sacred Steel series of recordings, and this is a
recent entry, it's just as mesmerizing as the previous examples featuring an
all instrumental selection drawn from previous Sacred Steel releases. The
steel guitar has an infectious quality to it as it's capable (in the right
hands) of reaching heights a standard guitar can't quite match. Add to that
the sacred, or religious, nature of these recordings ('live' and studio) and
you're in for a treat. Sonny Treadway's Jesus Will Fix It For You,
Willie Eason's When The Saints Go Marching In, Lamar Nelson's If I
Couldn't Say A Word, Glenn Lee's Call Him By His Name, and The
Campbell Brothers' End Of My Journey are more than enough to make it
worth its weight in gold, but Robert Randolph, Aubrey Ghent, Lonnie Bennett,
Rayfield Holloman, and Dante Harmon make it more of a true goldmine.
Brilliant. (CR)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Arhoolie 7019/20 |
Corridos & Tragedias De La Frontera |
● CD $21.98 |
27 songs, 150 min, 2CDS, essential
Amazing collection of
Mexican-American corridos, or story songs, sung by various duets, to comment
on the events of the day. A greatly expanded version of Folklyric LPs 9004 &
9005, it comes with an incredible 168 page booklet by Chris Strachwitz and
Phillip Sonnichsen describing the artists, transcribing the songs in Spanish
& English, and explaining the incidents which generated the songs. Duets
like Pedro Rocha & Lupe Martinez, Los Madrugadores, Hermanos Chavarria, Duo
Latino, Hemanos Banuelos, a.o., bring alive for their audience the
controversies & tragic or triumphant outcomes befalling such folk-heroes or
tragic figures as Gregorio Cortez/Joaquin Murrieta/El
Deportado/Contrabandista Tequileros/El Huerfano & El Suicidio De Juan Reyna.
Mostly recorded on 2 sides of a 78, this still vibrant tradition allowed
Mexicanos to learn and draw lessons, while being entertained by expressive &
forceful singers, backed with their guitars, and was very popular in this
golden era of the Corrido. Stay tuned for the Corridos of the Mexican
Revolution, soon to come! JM
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55011 |
Wa-Chic-Ka-Nocka |
● CD $18.98 |
31 tracks, 71 minutes, essential
Now here's a great concept
collection. An entire 31 track CD devoted to the numerous rockabilly and rock'n'roll tunes using American Indian themes. A lot of this isn't "PC" but
what the heck, it's only rock'n'roll. Highpoints include the savage
Wigwam Willie by Carl Phillips, Indian Joe by Art Adams, the
movin' instro Warpath by Lenny & the Star Chiefs (who dressed as
Indians on stage), Wa-Chic-Ka-Noka by Tommy Holmes, the sound effects
extravaganza Geronimo by the Renegades, Sammy Masters' classic
Rockin' Red Wing , the beautiful (in spite of the title) Chief
Whoopin-Koff by the Royal Knights and on and on. Don't miss this one....
AE
ART ADAMS: Indian Joe/ BILL BAYOU: Rattlesnake/ ARNOLD
BENNETT: Wahoo/ RONNIE BRENT: Cowboys And Indians/ TOM BROWN: Tomahawk/
FRANK CATHEY: Witchapoo/ THE CHIEFTONES: Indian Moon/ BARRY DARVELL:
Geronimo Stomp/ TONY DOUGLAS: Geronimo/ TOMMY DOWNS: Big Indian/ TOMMY
HOLMES: Wa-Chic-Ka-Nocka/ CHRIS HOMER: Little Bull And The Buttercup/ THE
IMPACTS: Bobby Sox Squaw/ JOE JACKSON: Rock My Warriors Rock/ RALPH JEROME:
Indian Rock and Roll/ THE KELLWOODS: Indian Squaw/ LENNY & THE STAR CHIEFS:
Warpath/ SAMMY MASTERS: Rockin' Red Wing/ THE MUSICAL LINN TWINS: Indian
Rock/ CARL PHILLIPS: Wigwam Willie/ BRUCE PORTER: Kaw Liga/ THE RENEGADES:
Geronimo/ RONNY & JOHNNY: Massacre/ THE ROYAL KNIGHTS: Chief Whoopin-Koff/
EDDIE SMALLING: Little Brave/ BOBBY TIDWELL: Cherokee Stomp/ BOB WARREN
FIVE: Medicine Man/ THE WARRIORS: War Paint/ GORDON WAYNE: Red Wing/ CHUCK
WHEELER: Cherokee Rock/ DON WILLIS: Warrior Sam
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Document DOCD 5270 |
Chicago Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
25 tracks, highly recommended
Superb collection featuring
three different Chicago based artists. Alfred Fields is a complete obscurity
but recorded 8 fine sides in 1939 accompanied by pianist Joshua Altheimer
and guitarist Big Bill Broonzy. Not a great original but a fine singer with
some interesting and worthwhile lyrics. A little more is known about singer/
guitar Tony Hollins who was from Clarksdale, Ms and performed in a rural
based style - he is featured in two sessions from 1941 and 1951. Although a
relative obscurity he was a big influence on John Lee Hooker who absorbed
influences from his style as well as covering some of his songs, most
notably Crawlin' Kingsnake. A couple of Hollins' songs were also
covered by Jimmy Rogers and Hollins was the first two record Crosscut Saw
though his version (which is featured here) was not issued. His 1951 sides
feature him on electric guitar with Sunnyland Slim on piano and are fine
examples of Chicago blues of the era. Finally on to the great Johnny Shines
, the best known and finest artist here. This set features his four unissued
sides for Columbia in 1946 and his two Chess sides from 1950 which, if they
were released, are unbelievably rare. These are magnificent sides and had
they been released with the same fanfare as other contemporary performers
then Johnny surely would have become part of the great Chicago blues
pantheon well before his rediscovery in the 1960s. Excellent sound and
informative notes by Chris Smith. (FS)
ALFRED FIELDS: '29 Blues/ I've Retired/ In My Prime/
Mighty Blue/ Money Green/ Quit Your Jivin'/ Spongy Baby/ Step Pepper
Stepper/ TONY HOLLINS: Big Time Woman/ Crawlin' King Snake (C-3839)/
Crawlin' King Snake (WL-82472)/ Cross Cut Saw Blues/ Fishin' Blues/ I'll Get
A Break/ Married Woman Blues/ Stamp Blues/ Tease Me Over Blues/ Traveling
Man Blues/ Wine-O-Woman/ JOHNNY SHINES: Delta Pine Blues/ Evil Hearted Woman
Blues/ Joliet Blues/ Ride, Ride Mama/ So Glad I Found You/ Tennessee Woman
Blues
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Fat Possum 1053 |
The George Mitchell Collection - Lower
Chattahoochie Va lley |
● CD $9.98 |
15 tracks, 42 mins, highly recommended
The Lower
Chattahoochie Valley consists of 21 counties in Georgia and Alabama
bordering on the Chattahoochie River. Although the area has a rich blues
tradition there are few early recordings of blues artists from this area and
only received significant attention when george Mitchell started doing field
recordings there in the late 60s. These 15 fine recordings were mostly
recorded in the early 80s and include the excellent blues vocal and guitar
duo Albert Macon & Robert Thomas, harmonica player William Grant, singer/
guitarists Jimmy Lee Harrius, Lonzie Thomas, Precious Bryant, the remarkable
Cecil Barfield and slide player Eddie B. Hodge. There is also unaccompanied
singer Cliff Davis and hambone performer Ray favors. A splendid collection.
(FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Panic 102 |
Heartattack! Wild & Crazy L.A. R&B,
1954-1965, Vol. 2 |
● CD $16.98 |
29 tracks, highly recommended
Another wild and sometimes
wacky collection of rocking R&B and blues recorded in Los Angeles in the 50s
and 60s - about 75% making its first appearance on CD. Subtitles "Special
Chicken Edition" it featurtes several tracks with a chicken theme including
Rayvon Darnell's Chicken Little, The Preachers Chicken Papa
complete with clucking guitar, Chicken In A Hurry by Heavy J. Lockett
and others. The storming title song is performed by Don & Dewey and there
are songs by Ray Johnson & the Bystanders, Peppy Prince, Linda Hopkins (the
tough blues Three Time Loser), The Universals, The Dell Rays (the hot
sax led instrumental Full House), Walt Reo & the Bishops, Freddie
Coaster With The Standels, Randy Thomas & The Twisters, Artie Wilson, The
Sinners (the great rocking doo-wop Nightmare), Little Sammy, Big Boy
GRoves (the great narration with music Bucket Of Blood), Marva
Turner, Mel Curtis & His Minors and more. Excellent sound and the 12 page
booklet has notes on all the songs along with mouth watering label shots.
(FS)
CLIFF CHAMBERS: Don't Talk Back/ FREDDIE COASTER WITH THE
STANDELS: Drinkin/ MEL CURTIS & HIS MINORS: Get To Getting Part 1/ RAVON
DARNELL: Chicken Little/ THE DELL RAYS: Full House/ DOC, BILL, JOSEPH & L.
LEAKE: I Don't Like It/ DON & DEWEY: Heartattack/ BIG BOY GROVES: Bucket O
Blood/ BOBBY HATFIELD: Hot Tamales/ LINDA HOPKINS: Three Time Loser/ RAY
JOHNSON & THE BYSTANDERS: A Yellow Mellow Hardtop/ LUTHER LEE & CARAVELS:
Lunch Break/ JOE LIGGINS & THE HONEYDRIPPERS: In the Wee Hours/ LITTLE
SAMMY: Papa Did the Chicken/ HEAVY J. LOCKETT: Chicken In A Hurry/ FRANKIE
LUCAS: I Want To Rock You Baby/ GERRY MAPLEWOOD: Blue Monkey/ THE PREACHERS:
Chicken Papa/ PAUL PRESTON: The Chase/ PEPPY PRINCE: Work Man Work/ WALT REO
& THE BISHOPS: Twist with Mary Lou/ THE SINNERS: Nightmare/ LIL JIM STINNEY:
Pretty Baby/ RANDY THOMAS & TWISTERS: Twistin All Night Long/ KID GUITAR
THOMPSON & SCOOTERS: My Baby Done Me Wrong/ THE TRA-VELLES: Little Bad Wolf/
MARVA TURNER: Cool Operation/ THE UNIVERSALS: Black Beard/ ARTIE WILSON:
Tarzan
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Proper BOX 129 |
The Cosimo Matassa Story |
● CD $26.98 |
4 CDs, 120 Tracks, highly recommended
Cosimo Matassa was the
studio owner/engineer of J&M studios in New Orleans, a location where many
of the prime R&B records were cut in the Crescent City. The folks at Proper
Records have once again put together an impeccable sounding, tastefully
packaged, and well annotated box set spotlighting the host of musicians that
benefited from Matassa's talents and vision at one of his four recording
studios. The music herein is unbeatable; how can anyone go wrong with sides
by Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Little Richard, and Lloyd Price, the kings of
New Orleans R&B in the 50's. As great as those four titans are, some of the
best moments come from lesser lights like Shirley & Lee, The Barons, and the
Hawketts. Not a moment is wasted over the four CDs, and this is one of the
best box sets I've heard this year. (GMC)
LEE ALLEN: Rockin' At Cosimo's/ THE BARONS: Boom Boom/
Eternally Yours/ DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Country Gal/ My Ding-A-Ling/ Stormy
Weather/ Teejim/ Tra-La-La/ Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear/ JIMMY
BEASLEY: Don't Feel Sorry For Me/ Little Coquette/ THE BEES: I Want to Be
Loved/ Toy Bell/ EDGAR BLANCHARD: Stepping High/ EDDIE BO: I'm Wise
(Slippin' And Slidin')/ BOO BREEDING: Country Woman/ Low And Lonesome/ ROY
'BALDHEAD' BYRD (PROFESSOR LONGHAIR): Rockin' With Fes/ BOBBY CHARLES: On
Bended Knee/ See You Later Alligator/ Take It Easy, Greasy/ DAVE COLLINS &
THE SCRUBBS: Bluesy Me/ PEE WEE CRAYTON: Every Dog Has His Day/ Runnin'
Wild/ You Know Yeah/ FATS DOMINO: Don't Blame It On Me/ I'm In Love Again/
Little School Girl/ My Blue Heaven/ Reeling And Rocking/ THE DUKES: Cotton
Picking Hands/ Teardrop Eyes/ WERLY FAIRBURN: All The Time/ I'm A Fool About
Your Love/ FATS & DAVE: Cat Music/ Jump Children/ LOWELL FULSON: Don't Leave
Me Baby/ CLARENCE GARLOW: New Bon Ton Roulay/ GUITAR SLIM: The Things That I
Used To Do/ Well, I Done Got Over It/ THE HAWKETTS: Mardi Gras Mambo/ Your
Time's Up/ THE HAWKS: Candy Girl/ Give It Up/ I-Yi/ It's Too Late Now/
Nobody But You/ CLARENCE 'FROGMAN' HENRY: Ain't Got No Home/ I'm A Country
Boy/ WILLIE JOHNSON: Say Baby/ That Night/ ERNEST KADOR (ERNIE K-DOE): Do
Baby Do/ THE KIDDS: Drunk Drunk Drunk/ EARL KING: Those Lonely, Lonely
Feelings/ You Can Fly High/ THE KINGS: 'Til I Say Well Done/ SMILEY LEWIS:
Blue Monday/ Don't Jive Me/ Down Yonder (We Go Ballin')/ I Hear You
Knocking/ Real Gone Lover/ Shame Shame Shame/ LI'L MILLETT & HIS CREOLES:
Rich Woman/ LITTLE BO: Baby/ So Glad/ LITTLE LEO: Handwriting On The Wall/
What's It All About?/ LITTLE MR. MIDNIGHT: Four O'Clock Blues/ Got A Brand
New Baby/ LITTLE RICHARD: Heebie Jeebies/ I'm Just A Lonely Guy/ Long Tall
Sally/ Ready Teddy/ Rip It Up/ Slippin' And Slidin'/ The Girl Can't Help It/
Tutti Frutti/ FAT MAN MATTHEWS: I'm Thankful/ BOBBY MITCHELL: No No No/ Try
Rock'n'Roll/ Baby's Gone/ Sister Lucy/ ROY MONTRELL: (Everytime I Hear) That
Mellow Saxophone/ Oooh-Wow/ BIG BOY MYLES & THE SHA-WEEZ: Hickory Dickory
Dock/ Just To Hold My Hand/ That Girl I Married/ Who's Been Fooling You?/
ART NEVILLE: Back Home To Me/ Oooh-Wee Baby/ THE PELICANS: Ain't Gonna Do
It/ LLOYD PRICE: Chee Koo Baby/ Lawdy Miss Clawdy/ Rock'n'Roll Dance/
PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Tipitina/ THE ROYAL KINGS: Bouncin' The Boogie/ Teachin'
And Preachin'/ SLIM SAUNDERS: Let's Have Some Fun (Honey)/ THE SHA-WEEZ:
Early Sunday Morning/ SHIRLEY & LEE: Baby/ Feel So Good/ I Feel Good/ I'm
Gone/ Let The Good Times Roll/ Sweethearts/ HUEY PIANO SMITH & HIS RHYTHM
ACES: Everybody's Whalin'/ Little Liza Jane/ THE SPIDERS: 21 (3x7=21)/ I
Didn't Want to Do It/ That's Enough/ You're The One/ SUGAR BOY & HIS CANE
CUTTERS: Jock-A-Mo/ T-BONE WALKER: Got No Use For You/ Long Distance Blues/
JAMES WAYNE: Agreeable Woman/ Two Faced Woman/ WEE WILLIE WAYNE: I Remember/
Travelin' Mood/ CHARLES WILLIAMS: So Glad You're Mine/ BERNIE WILLIAMS & THE
BARONS: Why Fool Yourself
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Regal 3301 |
New Orleans Rarities |
● CD $16.98 |
25 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
Splendid collection
of New Orleans blues and R&B from the period of 1949 through 1954. Although
not all of these are rarities there's lots of fine music here and if you
don't already have Jewel King's 3x7=21, Archibald's classic two part
Stack-A-Lee or one of Guitar Slim's earliest sides New Arrival
they are here for your listening delight. Among the lesser known items are
two very fine sides by Lloyd Price's younger brother Little Leo with an
excellent band including some touch guitar, two by the Johnson Brothers
Combo (one of the brothers being Plas Johnson), the two earliest recordings
of Bobby Marchan plus tracks by Mr. Google Eyes, The Bayou Boys (possibly
not from New Orleans), The Mardi Gras Loungers, Slim saunders and others.
Excellent sound and four page booklet with brief notes on the artists and
personnell. (FS)
ARCHIBALD: Crescent City Bounce/ Little Miss Muffett/
Stack-A' Lee, Part 1/ Stack-A' Lee, Part 2/ THE BAYOU BOYS: Bambalaya/ MR.
GOOGLE EYES WITH BILLY FORD & HIS ORCH.: No Wine, No Women/ Rough And Rocky
Road/ GUITAR SLIM & HIS PLAYBOYS: New Arrival/ THE JOHNSON BROTHERS COMBO:
Mello Mama/ Our Boogie/ JEWEL KING: I Love A Fellow/ Passion Blues/ LITTLE
BUBBER: Runnin' Round/ LITTLE LEO: Handwriting On The Wall/ What's It All
About/ BOBBY MARCHAN AND HIS BAND: Just A Little Walk/ You Made A Fool Of
Me/ THE MARDI GRAS LOUNGERS: Hello, Mello Baby/ Wailin' Walk/ ROSE MITCHELL:
Slipping In/ SLIM SAUNDERS: Get Away/ Let's Have Some Fun/ GEORGE STEVENSON:
Meet Me At Grandma's Joint/ Teasin' Tan
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Specialty 7069 |
Golden Age Gospel Quartets, Vol 1 :
1947-1954 |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks, 78 minutes, essential
With 25 never-before-issued
cuts, mostly alternate takes, gospel fans will know what to expect from
these groups that recorded for Art Rupe's Specialty Records. The Swan
Silvertones' I'm Coming Home (take 1) contains one of Claude A.
Jeter's greatest falsetto leads - if not one of the greatest in all of hard
gospel quartet! The two Paramount Singers demos (featuring Vance 'Tiny'
Powell) alone are worth the price of admission. Powell's lead on He Means
So Much To Me hints (vocally) just a little at his original 1964 classic
Wax recording of My Time After Awhile. If you have Specialty CD 7013
(The Soul Stirrers featuring R. H. Harris - "Shine On Me") - this set has a
new take of C. A. Tindley's By And By where R.H. Harris ("the father
of gospel quartet") & the late Paul Foster out-duet each other. The CD also
includes (taken from rare 78 rpm pressings) the very first gospel group
recorded by Specialty - The Southern Harmonizers - singing in the popular
prewar 'jubilee' style of the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet. The set ends with
nearly 12 minutes of live "house-wreaking" a cappella singing by Rev.
Presley Thomas' West Coast Jubilees. Their 7-minute version of Prof. Alex
Bradford's He'll Be There is not for the faint at heart! (EL)
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| 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
|
| MERCY DEE WALTON |
Specialty 7036 |
One Room Country Shack |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 56 min., essential
This collection brings
together for the first time the complete '52-53 Specialty recordings, most
of which have languished in the can up until now. Waco, Texas born pianist/
vocalist/ spinach picker Mercy Dee is best remembered for One Room
Country Shack (1952), a song which established him briefly as a national
star. He was subsequently rediscovered in 1961 by Chris Strachwitz, who
recorded him for Arhoolie. Great heart-aching blues singing and frantic
single-note piano stabbing, eased along with bass and snare. Lots of
beautiful demos beside Rent Man Blues - a dramatic duet with wife
Thelma Walton. Also Get Together/ Whatcha Gonna Do/ Big Minded Daddy
aided by Lady Fox (Thelma?) who adds excitement to Walton's stark
performances. Scant notes, no pics, but first-rate Cecil Gant type piano
blues all through. (OLN)
MERCY DEE WALTON: 8Th Wonder Of The World/ Big Minded
Daddy/ Dark Muddy Bottom/ Fall Guy/ Get To Gettin'/ Hear Me Shout/ Lonesome
Cabin Blues/ Love Is A Mystery/ Misery Blues/ My Woman And The Devil/ My
Woman Knows The Score/ One Room Country Shack/ Pauline/ Perfect Health/
Problem Child/ Pull 'em And Pop 'em/ Rent Man Blues/ Rock And Roll Fever/
Save Me Some/ Strugglin' With The Blues/ The Drifter/ The Great Mistake/
Whatcha Gonna Do/ Winter Blues
|
| BIG JOE WILLIAMS
& FRIENDS |
Arhoolie 9015 |
Going Back To Crawford |
● CD $9.98 |
26 tracks, 71 mins, essential
Wow! There's no shortage of
Big Joe Williams material out there but this collection of previously
unissued material you gotta have! The tracks were recorded in Joe's home
town of Crawford, Mississippi - 19 by Arhoolie owner Chris Strachwitz and 7
by Big Joe himself. In addition to Joe's great vocals and guitar, often
playing slide, he is joined by some of his friends and relatives. Austen
Pete is an excellent singer and a fine guitarist - he sings three songs
himself and accompanies Big Joe on second guitar many of his cuts. There are
10 cuts by the incredible John "Shortstuff" Macon who sings and plays in an
archaic style. His singing and playing are so striking on songs like Take
Me Out Of The Bottom/ Bird Nest/ Moanin' Fo Day and others that you
won't care that on some cuts the strings on his guitar are rattling against
the pickups. "Shortstuff" was a major talent and I hope the handful of other
recordings he made will show up on CD soon. Big Joe also accompanies fine
vocalists Glover Lee Connor and Amelia Johnson. Great music and the booklet
has reminiscences by Chris and some very atmospheric photos taken by him at
the time. (FS)
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