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25 tracks, 61 mins, highly recommended
Back in stock.
Wonderful collection of swamp pop from one the masters of the genre.
Well just what is "swamp pop"? It's a South Louisiana mixture of rock
'n' roll, R&B, country and cajun music blended together with heartfelt
vocals to make an immensely appealing brew. There are few better
exponents than Johnnie Allan who has been performing since the 40s. This
collection of recordings, mostly spanning the 50s through the 70s, is
about 50% duplicated on Ace 380. Johnnie wrote half the songs here
including such fine items as Angel Love/ Lonely Days And Lonely
Nights/ Do You Love Me So and the terrific Let's Go Get Drunk.
There are some great covers here including his reworking of the Johnny
Horton hit North To Alaska as South To Louisiana, a
driving version of Chuck Berry's Promised Land with cajun
accordion and Merle Haggard's Today I Staretd Loving You Again.
Lots of other great music here including a new song Just Remember
celebrating his daughter's marriage that show what a fine stright
country singer he is. Johnnie is not only a fine musician he is also an
amabassador for Louisiana music and has written several excellent books
on the subject. (FS)
28 tracks, good
Bill Clifton was one of the first East
Coast, college educated folk artists to embrace bluegrass music and
formed his first bluegrass group in the mid 50s. With his background he
didn't have the intense high lonesome sound of rural musicians but he
was an engaging singer and recorded some pleasant sides. The first 13
tracks on this CD are from an LP recorded in New Zealand in 1970 with
Bill accompanied by the New Zealand group The Hamilton County Bluegrass
Band. The material is mostly old favorites like Blue Eyed Elaine/ A
Dollar Down/ Night Train To Memphis, etc. With Bill's rather
emotionless vocals and the band's uninispred backup the result is
pleasant but inconsequential. The remainder of the album is a live solo
set from Bill from around the same time doing traditional and old
country favorites - the sort of think that Rambling Jack Eliot did only
Jack did it so much better. All in all, a pretty tepid set of
performances. (FS) BILL CLIFTON: A Dollar Down/ Baby You Done Flubbed
Your Dub With Me/ Blue Eyed Elaine/ Boll Weevil/ Feast Here Tonight/
Green To Grey/ Happy Days (instro)/ He's Up With The Angels Now/ Jordan
Is A Hard Road To Travel/ Life Gets Tedious Don't It/ Little Whistling
Chimney/ Mary Dear/ Motherless Children Gets A Hard Time/ My Native
Home/ Night Train To Memphiss )All The Time)/ Peach Pickin' Time In
Georgia/ Po' Folks (All The Time)/ Red Wing (instro)/ Ridin' On That
Train/ Sarah's Willuog (instro)/ Sister Lucy Lee/ Stoney's Waltz
(instro)/ Talking Guitar Blues/ The Burgular Man/ There Ain't No Bugs On
Me/ There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss/ Whistlin' Rufus (instro)/ Wildwood
Flower
16 tracks, very highly recommended
Discovered by George
Jackson while scouting the Memphis clubs for FAME boss Rick Hall, James Govan is one of those R&B artists that fell through the cracks during
the mid-late 60s Soul boom, and he's ripe for rediscovery. This 16 song
set represents everything he cut for FAME, including his two 45s: a
powerful version of Wanted (previously cut by Laura Lee) backed
with a funky take on Jambalaya, and a dramatic reading of the
Beatles' Something with the lively You Get a Lot to Like
on the flip. The reclusive Govan is revered in Italy and listening to
these recordings it's easy to hear why: the way he masterfully essays
I Shall Be Released/ Your Love Lifted Me/ Just Like a Woman, and
Bye Bye Blackbird is the mark of a first class Soul singer. Yes, his
voice is reminiscent of Otis Redding's, but Govan is his own man and
proves it time and time again on this staggering document to what could
have been a great career if the stars had been aligned differently.
(GMC)
Four CDs, 75 tracks, essential
Hopkins was arguably the
greatest country blues artist to record in the post war era. He was a
truly creative genius with a knack for original observations of the
world around him, he was a wonderful singer with a dark brooding voice
and a unique guitarist with an immediately recognizable style where
every note he plays seems to be a blue note! He had a number of guitar
riffs that he was fond of but it doesn't matter how many times I hear
them they never fail to send a shiver down my spine. Between 1946 and
1956 he recorded for the African American audience and was immensely
popular and scored a number of R&B chart hits. Most of these recordings
featured Lightnin' playing electric guitar. After three lean years he
was found by folklorist Sam Charters who decided to record him for
Folkways and being aimed at a folk market encouraged him to play
acoustic guitar and from this time until his death in 1982 he performed
regularly for a white audience switching between acoustic and electric
guitar as the mood took him. I had the privilege to see him perform
half a dozen times in the 1960s and 1970s and his performances were
always a delight - he had a few staples that he performed almost every
time but each show I saw was different to the last. The recordings here
from 1959 and 1960 features those first recordings for Sam Charters, a
slew of sides recorded for folklorist Mack McCormack, sides recorded in
California in mid 1960 and East Coast sessions cut for Bluesville and
Candid in late 1960. Throughout Lightnin' is magnificent, reprising some
of his old favorites (Short Haired Woman/ See That My Grave Is Kept
Clean/ Rocky Mountain, etc), traditional blues that become uniquely
Lightnin's own (Penitentiary Blues/ Bottle Up And Go/ Mean Old Frisco,
etc) but it's mostly songs improvised on the spot utiising the plethora
of "floating" lyrics and melding them into something intense and
personal, often picking up up on topical events. Some of the McCormick
recordings are technically rough but there are some great and intense
performances including the very moving Prison Blues Come Down On Me
which includes some dialog with his cousin Luke "Long Gone" Miles. By
contrast his 1960 recordings for Candid have simply stellar sound
quality and features a couple of tracks featuring Lightnin' on piano and
one where he switches between guitar and piano. It also features his
magnificent two part Mister Charlie. The Bluesville tracks
feature tasteful bass and drum accompaniment from Leonard Gaskin and
Belton Evans and several have fine harmonica from Sonny Terry. Simply
magnificent music from one of the greatest of them all! (FS) LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: 75 Highway/ Automobile Blues/
Baby!/ Back To New Orleans/ Bad Luck And Trouble/ Ball Of Twine/ Big
Black Cadillac Blues/ Black Cat/ Bluebird Bluebird/ Bottle Up And Go/
Bunion Stew/ Coffee House Blues/ Come Back Baby/ Come Go Home With Me/
Come Go Home With Me/ Conversation Blues/ Down There Baby/ Fan I/ First
Meeting/ Get Off My Toe/ Go Down Ol' Hannah/ Goin' Back To Florida/
Gonna Pull A Party/ Got To Move Your Baby/ Hard To Love A Woman/ Hear My
Black Dog Bark/ How Long Have It Been Since You Been Home/ I've Had My
Fun If I Don't Get Well No More/ In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down/
Katie Mae/ Last Night Blues/ Lightnin's Guitar Boogie/ Lightnin's Piano
Boogie/ Lightnin's Stroke/ Long Gone Like A Turkey Through The Corn/
Long Time/ Mama And Papa Hopkins/ Mean Old Frisco/ Mighty Crazy/ Mister
Charlie/ Penitentiary Blues/ Prison Blues Come Down On Me/ Rainy Day
Blues/ Rainy Highway/ Reminiscences Of Blind Lemon/ Rocky Mountain/
Santa Fe Blues/ See See Rider/ See That My Grave Is Kept Clean/ She's
Mine/ Shinin' Moon/ Short Haired Woman/ So Long Baby/ So Sorry To Leave
You/ Stool Pigeon Blues/ Take A Trip With Me/ Take It Easy/ Tell Me,
Baby/ That Gambling Life/ That Mean Old Twister (Backwater Blues)/ The
Foot Race Is On/ The Trouble Blues/ The Walkin' Blues/ Thinkin' 'Bout An
Old Friend/ Til The Gin Gets Here/ Trouble In Mind/ Trouble Stay 'Way
From My Door/ Walk On/ When My First Wife Quit Me/ When The Saints Go
Marching In/ Wonder Why/ Worryin' My Mind/ You Better Watch Yourself/
You Got To Work To Get Your Pay/ Your Own Fault, Baby, To Treat Me The
Way You Do
22 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
A number of Buel
Kazee tracks have appeared on various compilations but this is the first
CD reissue exclusively devoted to this his fine and important ballad
singer. Kazee, who was a trained singer, accompanied himself on banjo
and recorded seminal versions of songs like Butchers Boy/ East
Virginia/ Lady Gay/ Wagoner's Lad/ The Moonshiner and others. This
set also features tracks with guitar and violin accompaniment, some
duets with Carson Robison and some gospel songs with Frank & James
McCravy as The Blue Ridge Gospel Singers. Wonderful stuff. (FS) BUELL KAZEE: Don't Forget Me Little Darling/ East
Virginia/ Faded Coat Of Blue/ I'm Alone In This World/ If You Love Your
Mother/ Lady Gay/ Little Mohee/ Old Whisker Bill, The Moonshiner/ Poor
Orphan Boy/ Redwing/ Roving Cowboy/ Snow Deer/ The Blind Man/ The
Butcher Boy/ The Cowboy Trail/ The Cowboy's Farewell/ The Dying Soldier/
The Orphan Girl/ The Ship That's Sailing High/ The Wagoner's Lad/ Toll
The Bells/ Why Not Tonight
20 tracks, 62 mins, recommended
I bet you never
expected to see a whole CD of Charlie "Specks" McFadden? No neither did
I? But here we have a collection of 20 songs performed by this fine but
utterly obscure performer. Apart from the fact that he was from St.
Louis and got his nickname from the glasses he wore not much else is
known. He was a fine singer with a high, expressive voice and recorded
for a number of labels between 1929 and 1937 and on most of his
recordings was accompanied by the brilliant piano of Roosevelt Sykes.
Aprt from two 78s that have never been found this disc presents his
entire output. He was best known for his songs Groceries On The Shelf
(about an early supermarket chain) and People People and he
recorded four versions of the former and three of the latter. There are
other good songs here including Gambler's Blues/ Weak-Eyed Blues,
the always topical Times Are Tight and Lonesome Ghost Blues
but it's all worth a listen. Don't let the obscurity put you off. Sound
is generally good and there are notes by Mike Rowe. (FS) CHARLIE "SPECKS" MCFADDEN: Broken Down Blues/ Don't
Bite That Thing/ Friendless Man/ Gambler's Blues/ Groceries On My Shelf
(91208)/ Groceries On The Shelf (l-155)/ Groceries On The Shelf No. 2/
Harvest Moon Blues/ Hold It Where You Got It/ Last Journey Blues/
Lonesome Ghost Blues/ Low Down Rounders Blues/ Misunderstood Blues/
People People (91209)/ People People Blues (l-154)/ People, People
(76832)/ Piggly Wiggly Blues/ Times Are So Tight/ Weak-eyed Blues/
Yellow Woman Blues
24 tracks, essential
Back in stock. Ever wondered what
the 78s on your reissue CDs really sounded like? With remastering by
John R T Davies, who worked on this three volume set (two of which were
originally issued by JSP), you get as close as possible to finding out.
Davies isn't concerned with removing all traces of surface noise but
with preserving the information on the original discs; and in doing so
he really brings this great music to life. Volume one covers the band's
first twenty sides (from February 1927 to February 1928) and includes a
further four tracks of solo performances by Will Weldon and Vol Stevens. Excellent
notes by Neil Slaven sketch the social context in which the band
operated as well as providing a critical commentary on each recording
session. Not that this is music to be listened to in a high state of
critical awareness - so what if the band occasionally sounds like it's
falling apart, that's part of the fun. Sit back and enjoy Charlie Polk's
'richly flatulent emissions' and the rest of the gang as you've never
heard them before. A full discography completes the picture. (DPR) THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Beale Street Mess Around/ Bob
Lee Junior Blues/ Coal Oil Blues/ Evergreen Money Blues/ I'll See You In
The Spring When The Birds Begin To Sing/ I'm Looking For The Bully Of
Thetown/ Kansas City Blues/ Memphis Boy Blues/ Memphis Jug Blues/
Newport News Blues/ Packed My Suitcase Started To The Train/ Papa Long
Blues/ Peaches In The Springtime/ She Stays Out All Night Long/
Snitchin' Gambler Blues/ Sometimes I Think I Love You/ State Of
Tennessee Blues/ Stingy Woman Blues/ Sun Brimmers Blues/ Sunshine Blues/
VOL STEVENS: Baby Got The Rickets Mama's Got The Mobile Blues/ Vol
Stevens Blues/ WILL WELDON (CASEY BILL): Hitch Me To Your Buggy And
Drive Me Like A Mule/ Turpentine Blues
23 tracks, essential
Back in stock. Volume two of the
chronological reissue covers MJB's recordings between September 1928 and
October 1929. The band are now hitting their stride, and this disc
contains some of their most memorable performances, including
Lindberg Hop, Stealin' Stealin' and the beautiful K. C.
Moan. As in volume one there is great variety in both material and
mood - from the wildly exuberant to the somber and downbeat. We even get
two waltzes! This volume also includes two solo titles apiece by Will
Shade and Hattie Hart otherwise found on Wolf WBCD 004. Detailed notes
on the performances by Neil Slaven. The full discography is particularly
valuable with an ever changing group like this, and sound quality is
again exemplary. (DPR) HATTIE HART: Won't You Be Kind To Me?/ You Wouldn't,
Would You, Papa?/ THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: A Black Woman Is Like A Black
Snake/ Feed Your Friend With A Long Handled Spoon/ I Can Beat You Plenty
(that Hand You Tried To Deal Me Will)/ Jug Band Waltz/ K.c. Moan/
Lindberg Hop/ Memphis Yo Yo Blues/ Mississippi River Waltz/ On The Road
Again/ Stealin' , Stealin'/ Sugar Pudding/ Taking Your Place/ Tired Of
You Driving Me/ Whipped My Woman With A Single-tree/ Whitewash Station
Blues/ WILL SHADE: Better Leave That Stuff Alone/ I Can't Stand It/ She
Stabbed Me With An Ice-pick/ What's The Matter?/ MINNIE WALLACE: Dirty
Butter/ The Old Folks Started It
25 tracks, essential
Back in stock. The third volume
starts with the band's session of May 1930, in the wake of the Wall
Street Crash and with record sales already in sharp decline. Even so the
band managed to cut a further twenty titles in the year, over nine short
recording sessions. Highlights include Cocaine Habit,
Meningitis Blues with vocal by Memphis Minnie, Going Back To
Memphis and the sparkling final sessions in November which produced
such classics as You Got Me Rollin'. Despite personnel changes
Will Shade had managed to preserve a fairly consistent sound to his
group during nearly four years of recording, a fact underlined by the
alternate takes of titles from the earlier volumes which fill out this
CD. It was
to be four years before the band recorded again, but they certainly went
out on a high. Excellent notes again by Neil Slaven, a full discography
and very decent sound. If only all reissues were like this set! These
three volumes cover Memphis Jug Band's complete recordings in the period
1927-30. The band's later recordings are on Blues Documents BDCD 6002.
(DPR) THE MEMPHIS JUG BAND: Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues/ Bumble
Bee Blues/ Cave Man Blues/ Cocaine Habit/ Everybody's Talking About
Sadie Green/ Fourth Street Mess Around/ Going Back To Memphis/ Got A
Letter From My Darlin'/ He's In The Jail House Now/ It Won't Act Right/
Jim Strainer Blues/ Lindberg Hop/ Meningitis/ Move That Thing/ Newport
News Blues/ Oh Ambulance Man/ Papa's Got Your Bath Water On/ Round And
Round/ Snitchin' Gambler Blues/ Spider's Nest Blues/ Stingy Woman Blues/
Stonewall Blues/ Sun Brimmers Blues/ You Got Me Rollin'/ You May Leave
But This Will Bring You Back
20 tracks, 55 mins, highly recommended
The first seven
tracks on this superb collection feature original brother and bass
singer John Jr., who tragically died way too young in 1936 due to a bout
of pneumonia. Instead of throwing in the towel on their blooming career,
they made the unusual (in pop music) move of adding their father, John
Sr., to take over the crucial fourth part in their harmony, and the rest
is history. Tracks go all the way up to 1952, representing their last
chart hit Glow Worm. The Mills family business still goes on to
this day, led by Donald's son John Jr. III who joined the group back in
1969. Every song on this is a highlight; Louis Armstrong makes a great
guest appearance on Cherry. (JM)
Two CDs, 30 tracks, highly recommended
There's no
shortage of reissues of this great French chanteuse but this one is a
little different as it features Piaf singing in English. The first disc
features studio recordings made between 1950 and 1961 and the second
disc features live performances from her appearances at Carnegie Hall in
1956 and '57. She mostly performs English versions of some of her most
popular song (Hymne A'Lamour/ Les Trois Cloches/ La Vie En Rose/ Le
Petit Homme/ Non Je Ne Regrette Rien, etc) along with a couple of
American pop songs (Autumn Leaves/ Simply A Waltz, etc). She may
not be singing in her native language but her voice is so emotional and
compelling that her performances transcend all language barriers. (FS)
14 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended
Fine collection
of one of the greatest contemporary blues singers and guitarists. The
first ten tracks are drawn from his classic recordings made for Cobra
between 1956 and 1958 including I Can't Quit You Baby/ If You Were
Mine/ Three Times A Fool/ Checking On My Baby/ Double Trouble/ All Your
Love (I Miss Loving), etc. The remianing four tracks are fine live
performances which are, apparently, previous unissued. There is no
information on where these are from but I would presume from the 90s and
find Otis in great form on it's So Hard For Me To Believ You Baby/
It's My Own faul/ Crosscut saw and, of course, his theme song All
Your Love (I Miss Loving).
25 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
B.A.C.M.'s second
T. Texas Tyler is all, previously unissued live performances from radio
shows. It includes three complete radio shows from 1948 and 1950 and an
excerpt from a 1949 Melody Roundup. Each program starts with Tyler's
theme song Remember Me and backed by a hot western swing flavored
band does songs like Beautiful Morning Glory/ I Love You Because/
Goodnight Waltz/ Cry Baby Heart/ Please Don't Leave Me/ My Bucket's Got
A Hole In It and others. There are also vocal contributions from
band members Kenny Williams, Dick Hamilton and Danny Alguire as well as
a bunch of hot instrumentals including a great rendition of Glenn
Miller's theme tune In The Mood. Sound quality is decent and
there are excellent notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS) MELODY ROUNDUP: Remember Me, Guitar Boogie
(instrumental), I'll Hold You In My Heart, Beautiful Morning Glory,
Tennessee Waltz NBC RADIO BROADCAST: Remember Me, Jess (instrumental), I
Love You Because, The Johnson Rag (instrumental), Tear Drops In My
Heart, Panhandle Rag (instrumental), Goodnight Waltz, Ida Red AFRS W-45:
Remember Me, In The Mood (instrumental), Cry Baby Heart, Gotta Have My
Baby Back, Down Home Rag (instrumental), Goodnight Waltz, Please Don't
Leave Me, Panhandle Rag (instrumental), Curly Headed Baby, Runnin' Wild
(instrumental) EXCERPT FROM MELODY ROUNDUP: Remember Me, My Bucket's Got
A Hole In It
24 tracks, highly recommended
Frank's review of the 3CD
box set "The Music City Story" (Ace ABOXCD 11 - $41.98) promised more
releases from this label that are devoted to specific genres: well,
here's the second one (following the Lord Luther set, Ace 1258 -
$18.98); this one covering rock 'n' roll acts that sprang from the
Berkeley backstreets. While there's some overlap with The Music City
Story set - The 3 Honeydrops' Rockin' Satellite for example -
there's enough fresh meat. including 17 previously unissued tracks, to
satisfy the appetite. Groove to The Emarks' Lovin' Charlene,
Jimmy Cicero's pumpin Devil's ChildButterball,
The Holidays' Hoochie Coochi Man, and The Five Crystels' Oh
That Train just for openers. Recorded between 1957 and 1961, these
tracks are raw rock 'n' roll at its' best, and as a second helping for
those whom have already dined at the Music City table, this CD can't be
beat. (GMC) THE 3 HONEYDROPS: Chickaboom/ Honey Drop/ Rockin'
Satellite/ ROY BURK & THE BELLBOTTOMS: Rock To The Boogie/ JIMMY CICERO:
Devil's Child/ THE DIALTONES: Goofin' Off/ THE E-MARKS: Lovin' Charlene/
THE FIVE CRYSTELS: Yay Yay/ Clickety Clack/ THE
GAYLARKS: Mr Rock N Roll/ Doodle Doo/ THE HOLIDAYS: Hoochi Coochi Man/
THE KLIXS: Oobie Doobie Baby/ THE MANDARINS: Roll On Little Mama/ ROBBIE
MELDANO: Let's Go Steady Baby/ WILLIE MOORE: Going Wild/ PEE WEE & SUGAR
PIE: Nickel & A Dime/ THE PENDLETONS: Santa Rita Jail/ SONNY RAY: Silly
Billy/ RON & DON: Baby What You Do To Me/ MIKE SMITH: Coast To Coast/
FRANKIE TARO: Butterball/ UNKNOWN ARTIST-2: Street Rock/ UNKNOWN
ARTIST_1: Vera Lee
24 tracks, 75 mins, recommended
The first chart to
reflect the buying patterns of the African-American market was
instituted in October 1942 with Billboard's Harlem Hit Parade (see
Acrobat 4186 - $13.98). Based on sales and jukebox plays in New York's
Harlem district it reflected the somewhat more sophisticated tastes of
New Yorkers rather than the nation as a whole. This is the first volume
devoted to 1943 and reflects a strong interest in jazz flavored stylings
from black artists like Lucky Millender, Buddy Johnson and Lionel
Hampton as well as white artists like Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman (his
vocalist Peggy's Lee's cover of Lil Green's Why Don't You Do Right
outsold the original) and Harry James. There's not a whole lot blues
here though there is one track from the consistent hit maker Louis
Jordan, Jimmy Rushing turns in a fine Rusty Dusty Blues with the
Count Basie Orch and Andy Kirk's Hey Lawdy Mama, Rifette by white pianist/ bandleader
Freddie Slack which features a fine guitar solo from T-Bone Walker.
Sound quality is generally fine though Tommy Dorsey's Boogie Woogie
has really been put through the noise reduction wringer and sounds like
it was beamed in from outer space. A musically enjoyable and
historically significant release. (FS) COUNT BASIE: Rusty Dusty Blues/ CEELLE BURKE AND HIS
ORCHESTRA: From Twilight Til Dawn/ TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA: Boogie
Woogie/ In The Blue Of The Evening/ It Started All Over Again/ DUKE
ELLINGTON: A Slip Of The Lip (Can Sink A Ship)/ Don't Get Round Much
Anymore/ Sentimental Lady/ ELLA FITZGERALD: My Heart And I Decided/
BENNY GOODMAN WITH PEGGY LEE: Why Don't You Do Right/ LIONEL HAMPTON:
Flying Home/ ERSKINE HAWKINS: Don't Cry Baby/ HARRY JAMES AND HIS
ORCHESTRA WITH HELEN FORRE: I Had The Craziest Dream/ I've Heard That
Song Before/ BUDDY JOHNSON: Baby Don't You Cry/ Let's Beat Out Some
Love/ LOUIS JORDAN: Chicks I Pick Are Slender And Tender And Tall/ Five
Guys Named Moe/ THE KING COLE TRIO: All For You/ ANDY KIRK: Hey Lawdy
Mama/ LUCKY MILLINDER: Apollo Jump/ Sweet Slumber/ ELLA MAE MORSE: Shoo
Shoo Baby/ FREDDIE SLACK WITH T-BONE WALKER: Rifette
24 tracks, 75 mins, highly recommended
Another of those
delightful collections of recordings from the early years of the 20th
century. This one is devoted to 1918 - the final year of the first World
War and many of the songs deal with the subject in one way or another
including Send Me Away With A Smile by John McCormack, Hello
Central, Give Me No Man's Land by Al Jolson, They Were All Out Of
Step But Jim by Bily Murray and others. Even the greatest opera
singer of the day, Enrico Caruso, got into the act with a rousing
rendition of Over There. Though many of the war songs were of the
time, one that has became an all time standard was the beautiful
Roses Of Picardy sung here by Lambert Murphy. A number of other
songs that debued on record in 1918 have become standards like
K-K-K-Katy by the ever popular comic singer Billy Murray,
Darktown Strutters's Ball by Arthur Collins and Byron G. Harlan,
Tiger Rag by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band and Rock-a-bye Your
Baby With A Dixie Melody by Al Jolson. As always with Archeophone,
the sound on these almost 100 year old recordings is superb and there
are notes on every tracks in the illustarted booklet. (FS)
Greek Rhapsody-Instrumental Music From
Greece, 1905-56
● CD $39.98
Two CDs, 42 tracks, essential and then some
My
collection of superlatives runs out on the collection - magnificent,
beautiful, moving, haunting or just plain wonderful. There have a slew
of great releases of the Greek vocal music known as rembetika but this
is the first release devoted to exclusively instrumental music from that
Island. Here we have recordings of violin & cymbalom; whistling with
bouzouki, lauto and castanets; two guitars; bouzouki and guitar, outi
(Arabic lute similar to the oud) and the only known recordings of the
laterna - a barrel piano played by street musicians that disappeared
after the second world war but has had a resurgence of interest in
recent years. There is even one track featuring Hawaiian steel guitar.
There are similarities to rembetika music and a number of the artits
here features as musicians on rembetika recordings but there are a lot
of differences too. There are so many treasures here but I'll pick out
just two Dertlidikos Horose by A. Kostis on guitar with second
guitar has a feel that brings to mind Mississippi Delta Blues and
Keflidiko Minore - a guitar and piano duet with S. Georgiadis on
guitar is of truly astonishing beauty. Complementing the fantastic music
is a fantastic 132 page hard cover book with notes by Tony Klein who has
been researching and playing Greek music for 40 years. He discusses the
artists and music in great and interesting detail and includes an
appendix describing all the instruments played and the book is full of
rare artist photos and label shots. Quite easily the best release of
2013 so far. (FS)
25 tracks, recommended
The latest in a series of CDs
that showcase the talents of R&B artist, producer, and songwriter Kent
Harris, this collection puts the spotlight on his label Romark, founded
in 1963. As the de facto follow up to "Kent Harris' R&B Family" (Ace
1334 - $18.98), this CD continues the story with the 60s and 70s tracks
issued through labels Romark and Sheridan House. The Romark sides
feature some tasty treats from Marcene Harris (Kent's sister), Obie
Jessie Seeds of Freedom (his Beautiful Day My Brother is very
reminiscent of O.C. Smith), The Mighty Hannibal, Billy Williams,
Phillips Sisters, and Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis. Meanwhile, the Sheridan
House material, cut mostly in the early 80s, is a mixed bag: O'Malley
Jones' Pay and Be On My Way is a nice and gritty blues and
Marshall McQueen's If I Can't Stop You has a mesmerizing vibe,
while Deborah Foster's tracks smack of the disco flavor that pervaded
R&B at the time. As an overview of maverick R&B jack-of-all-trades Kent
Harris, this set-combined with the early Ace compilation-is invaluable.
However, just don't expect everything to be a great lost jewel waiting
to be re-discovered. (GMC) RAY AGEE: It's Hard To Explain/ LARRY ATKINS: Ain't
That Love Enough/ Have Mercy On Me/ Help Me Get This Feeling Back Again/
EDDIE BRIDGES: Peekaboo/ CRY BABY CURTIS: There Will Be Some Changes
Made/ DONOMAN: I'm The Only One/ JIMMY "PREACHER" ELLIS: Tough
Competition/ DEBORAH FOSTER: I'm Leavin' You/ I Can't Hold Back This
Feeling/ THE FRANCETTES: I'm Leaving You/ DIMPLES HARRIS: Do I Need You/
MARCENE HARRIS: Work It Out/ MARCENE "DIMPLES" HARRIS: I Know How It
Feels (To Grow Old)/ OBE JESSE SEEDS OF FREEDOM: Beautiful Day/ O'
MALLEY JONES: Pay And Be On My Way/ TY KARIM: All At Once/ THE
LON-GENES: Dream Girl/ MARSHALL MCQUEEN JR: Any Fool Can Feel It/ If I
Can't Stop You Baby/ THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL: I'll Come Back To You/ THE
PHILLIPS SISTERS: Where Did You Stay Last Night/ ROMARK'S WRECKING CREW:
South Central Slide/ FAYE ROSS: Faith, Hope & Trust/ BILLY WILLIAMS: Too
Much
Kim Fowley- King Of The Creeps- Lost
Treasures 1959-69
● CD $14.98
18 tracks, 39 mins, very highly recommended
The
long-awaited third volume of Kim Fowley-produced wonders. As can be
expected, you get a few great novelty numbers like Big Bad Wolf
by Kim Garri And The Rhythm Kings, and Fowley's own The Trip. The
real delight of this collection has to be tracks like the fantastic
Rhythm & Blues of Big Tears by Knights Of The Round Table, an
absolute Doo-Wop gem, No More by the Uptones, and fabulous
primitive Rock & Roll like Young And Wild by Renegade Five, and
The Baddest Wolf by The Wolf Pack. Also features highly
entertaining and informative liner notes done by Kim Fowley himself. As
much as I loved the first two volumes in this series, this one might
just be my favorite. (JM) THE FALLEN ANGELS: Up On The Mountain/ KIM FOWLEY:
Astrology/ Outrageous Radio Spot/ The Trip/ KIM GARRI AND THE RHYTHM
KINGS: Big Bad Wolf/ THE GRAINS OF SAND: Goin’ Away Baby/ Golden Apples
Of The Sun/ LARRY GREEN AND THE RHYTHMAIRES: Watch Your Step/ JOHN PAUL
JONES: Kalani Honey/ KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: Big Tears/ The Knight
In Shining Armor/ THE NAVARROS: Moses/ THE RENEGADE FIVE: Young And
Wild/ THE ROGUES: Wanted: Dead Or Alive/ SKIP AND JOHNNY: More Marathon/
THE UPTONES: No More/ THE WOLF PACK: The Baddest Wolf/ E. ZANE WOOD AND
THE DOMINION: Got Me Stupid
Another of One Day's inexpensive label surveys - this
one has three CDs with 60 tracks devoted to Lew Chudd's Imperial label.
60 tracks barely scratches the surface of Imperial's substantial output
but there's a lot of good music to enjoy. The emphasis is on rock 'n'
roll, R&B and blues with only a couple of country tracks. A mix of
familiar and more obscure titles including sides by Sandy Nelson, Ricky
Nelson, The Midnight Riders, Bobby John, Chick Carlton, Floyd Dixon,
Ford "Snooks" Eaglin, Mike Anthony, Berna Dean, Timmy Brown, Dennis
Bell, Smiley Lewis, The Turbans and many more.
The Story Of Blue Beat - The Best In
Ska, 1962 - Vol. 3
● CD $16.98
Two CDs, 56 tracks, very highly recommended
Another
fabulous collection of ska from the last third of 1962 from Britain's
pioneering Blue Beat label. By the end of 1962 Chris Blackwell's Island
label was beginning to make inroads into Blue Beat's hegemony over
Jamaican music in Britain but for now Blue Beat ruled the roost working
with producers like "Duke" Reid, Vincent Chin, Clement "Coxson" Dodd and
others and best selling artists like Derrick Morgan (including duets
with Patsy Todd), Owen Gray, Laurel Aitken and, perhaps, most
significantly "Cecil "Prince Buster" Campbell. Buster was one of the
most important figures in Jamaican music in the 1960s, running one of
the most succesful "sound systems," writing songs and producing and,
now, singing and quickly rose to the top. When I was working in a store
in London selling Jamaican music I can think of no other artist whose
records were as eagerly anticipated as Buster's. Buster has four songs
here including such great socially conscious performances as Time
Longer Than Rope and One Hand Washes The Other. The influence
of American music is still evident in tracks like the gorgeous doo wop
style ballad When It's Spring by Keith & Enid, the New Orleans
styled rocker You Cheated On Me by Al T. Joe and the great Laurel
Aitken's take on Wilbert Harrison with a xylophone in the accompanied.
Owen Gray's They Got To Move is a secular ska reworking of the
American gospel song You Got To Move. Excellent sound and
informative notes round out another superb set. Sadly, this is the last
in the series - I was looking forward to hearing 1963s offerings. (FS)
LAUREL AITKEN: Weary Wanderer/ Going To Kansas City/
Sixty Days And Sixty Nights/ THE BANDITS: Jenny Jenny/ THEO BECKFORD:
Bringing In The Sheaves/ Runaway/ BUSTY BROWN AND COOL STICKY: Mr.
Policeman/ BUSTER'S GROUP: For Your Love/ Megaton/ BUSTY AND COOL: What
A World/ LLOYD CLARKE: Love Me Or Leave Me/ STRANGER COLE AND PATSY
TODD: Let's Go To The Party/ DERRICK AND DENZIL WITH DUKE REID’S GROU:
Going Down To Canaan/ DON DRUMMOND AND AUBREY ADAMS GROUP: Dewdrops/
BASIL GABBIDON: For You My Love/ Independence Blues/ Going Back To
J.A.?/ Our Melody/ RUDY GRANT AND SKETTO AND RICH LAUREL AITKEN: Mr.
Postman/ RUDY GRANT AND SKETTO RICH WITH THE LAUREL AI: Christmas
Blues?/ OWEN GRAY: I Love Her/ Pretty Girl/ They Got To Move/ Twist So
Fine/ By The Tree In The Meadow/ Lizabella/ DERRICK HARRIOTT AND THE
VAGABONDS: Have Faith In Me/ I Care/ AL T. JOE: I'm On My Own/
Independence Time Is Here (aka Rise Jamaica)/ This Heart Of Mine/ You
Cheated On Me/ KEITH AND ENID: It's True Love/ When It's Spring/ THE
MARVELS: Angelo/ Come To The Wedding/ DERRICK MORGAN AND BUSTER'S GROUP:
Marjorie/ Should Be Ashamed/ DERRICK MORGAN AND DUKE REID'S GROUP:
Joybells/ DERRICK MORGAN AND PATSY TODD: Come Back My Love/ Crying In
The Chapel/ Oh My Love/ ERIC MORRIS: Miss Peggy's Granddaughter/ Seven
Long Years/ Lazy Woman/ Over The Hills/ CHARLES ORGANAIRE: Matthew Lane
Shuffle (aka Merry Twist)/ PRINCE BUSTER AND THE ALL STARS: Cowboy Comes
To Town/ PRINCE BUSTER AND THE BAND OF THE PEOPLE: Fake King/ PRINCE
BUSTER AND THE ALL STARS: One Hand Washes The Other/ PRINCE BUSTER AND
THE BAND OF THE PEOPLE: Time Longer Than Rope/ LLOYD ROBINSON WITH RICO
RODRIGUEZ AND HIS BAN: Give Me A Chance/ When You Walk/ SIMMS AND
ROBINSON: Searching/ White Christmas/ WINSTON STEWART AND BIBBY SEATON
AND THE RHYTHM: I'll Be There
11 tracks, essential if you don't have a previous
reissue
This has been out on CD several times and features the first
recordings the great Mississippi Delta bluesman Bukka White made after
he was rediscovered by John Fahey and ED Vinson by the expedient of
sending a letter addressed to "Bukka White, Old Blues Singer, c/o General
Delivery, Aberdeen, Miss." The original 1963 LP was
one of the albums that
helped fuel the folk/ blues revival of the early 1960's. He hadn't
recorded in almost 20 years but his skills were intact both vocally and
instrumentally. There are 11 pieces here, 9 on National Steel guitar,
Drunk Man Blues on piano, and the spoken Remembrance Of Charlie
Patton. Includes a beautiful version of Poor Boy Long Way From
Home, that he'd redo later that year as the gorgeous Jesus Died
On The Cross To Save The World for Arhoolie (Arhoolie 323 - $13.98).
Also includes Shake 'Em On Down/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Parchman Farm
Blues, etc. Includes new notes by Bill Dahl. (FS)
27 tracks, recommended
A fine collection of sides
recorded for a range of different labels between 1949 and 1960. Williams
is best known as a songwriter having composed the hits Fraulein
and Farewell Party and all the songs on this collection are
originals. As a performer, Williams was not a particularly expressive
vocalist but had a pleasing voice and is accompanied by some fine groups
including Hank Locklin's Band, The Light Crust Doughboys and others.
Songs includes Tennessee Avenue/ Reckon As How I Love You/ Just A
Minute Ago/ What Am I Supposed To Say/ That's All You Gotta Do/ Dusting
Off Your LOve Ltters/ Once Before and others including his original
1960 recordings of Farewell Party which was hit for Gene Watson
in 1979. (FS)
Everything's Gonna Be Alright - The
American Singles
● CD $16.98
2CD, 50 tracks, essential
What better way to follow up
last year's timely re-issue of R&B legend Womack's 70's LP masterpieces
("Across 110th Street - 40th Anniversary Edition", Charly 648 - $16.98)
than with this generous collection of his late 60's/early-to-mid 70's
singles; all of his U.S. A & B sides from his years recording for Minit,
Liberty, and United Artists are presented in chronological order on CD
for the first time. With track by track annotation, this set carefully
showcases Womack's genius on the likes of Baby I Can't Stand It/
Somebody Special/ Love, The Time is Now/ Thank You, and I'm Gonna
Forget About You. Hell, the man is/ was so great he can completely
transform well worn covers California Dreamin' and I Left My
Heart in San Francisco and make them his own. If you already own the
other Charly Womack set, then this one is a must-purchase. Even if you
don't (why don't you?), it's still a must (GMC) BOBBY WOMACK: (If You Don't Want My Love) Give It
Back/ Across 110th Street/ Arkansas State Prison/ Baby I Can't Stand It/
Baby You Ought to Think It Over/ Broadway Walk/ California Dreamin'/
Check It Out/ Come L'Amore/ Communication/ Daylight/ Don't Look Back/
Everybody's Talking/ Everything's Gonna Be Alright/ Fire and Rain/ Fly
Me to the Moon (in Other Words)/ Git It/ Hang on in There/ Harry Hippie/
How I Miss You Baby/ I Don't Know/ I Don't Want to Be Hurt by Ya Love
Again/ I Left My Heart in San Francisco/ I'M Gonna Forget About You/ I'M
Through Trying to Prove My Love to You/ Interlude No. 2/ It's All Over
Now/ It's Gonna Rain/ Let It Hang Out/ Lookin' for Love/ Love, the Time
Is Now/ More Than I Can Stand/ More Than I Can Stand/ Nobody Wants You
when You'Re Down and Out/ Somebody Special/ Something/ Sweet Caroline
(Good Times Never Seemed So Good)/ Take Me/ Thank You/ That's the Way I
Feel About 'Cha/ The Preacher, Pt. 1/ The Preacher, Pt. 2/ Tried and
Convicted/ Trust Me/ Trust in Me/ What Is This/ What You Gonna Do (when
Your Love Is Gone)/ Where There's a Will, There's a Way/ Woman's Gotta
Have It/ Yes, Jesus Loves Me/ You'Re Welcome, Stop on by
The Young Tradition/ So Cheerfully
Round/ Galleries/ Chicken On A Raft
● CD $21.98
Two CDs, 43 tracks, essential
At last, the complete
Transatlantic recordings of this absolutely brilliant though short lived
English folk group recorded between 1966 and 1968 including their three
LPs and EP. Young Tradition was a radical folk response to 60s Britpop
and folk revival music of the Kingston Trio ilk. Nancy saw YT in 1968 at
the Main Point in Bryn Mawr PA and she's never quite gotten over their
The Innocent Hare -- even though Peter Bellamy had a bit of a
cough that must have been aggravated mightily by the group's
take-no-prisoners performance style. These three singers had guts, and
they brought out beauty in songs without resorting to pretty, which set
them apart from any other folk group happening back them. All acapella,
too -- nothing to hide behind. Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood, and Heather
Wood (no relation) in three part, sometimes two part harmonies,
sometimes solo, always gorgeous, always chilling. The first two albums
includes such classic performances as Byker Hill/ Betsy The Serving
Maid/ The Lyke Wake Dirge/ The Banks Of Claudy/ Daddy Fox/ The Bold
Dragoon/ Knight William and others. For their third album
"Galleries" they took a somewhat different approach - in addition to the
incredible acapella performances there are several tracks where they
accompanied themselves on whistle, tambour, guitar & concertina and some
tracks have a mediaevel feel thanks to the presence of Britain's premier
early music group The Early Music Consort which included Shirley
Collins' sister Dolly on portative organ. In spite of the change of pace
the music is magnificent with stellar performances of The Barley
Straw/ What If A Day/ Idumea (an American Sacred Harp hymn)/ The
Bitter Withy/ Ratcliffe Highway and others including Peter's goofy
rendition of Robert Johnson's Stones In MY Passway with Peter
playing some nice slide guitar and with dubbed on scratches for efect!
Their final Transatlantic recording was the E.P. "Chicken On A Raft" - a
selection of acapella sea shanties including the title song, written by
Cyril Tawney, which ranks among their finest performances. After more
than 40 years these recordings sound as fresh and exciting as on the day
they were recorded. Though several later groups have emulated the
approach of YT, but none have the excitement, conviction and imagination
of this short lived group. These recordings have been newly remastered
and have never sounded better and the booklet include all the original
album notes as well as a new essay by John O'Regan. If you have never
heard The Young Tradition before prepare to have your mind blown! (FS/
NN)