LATEST ADDITIONS  March, 2012

BOOKS
THE SOUL DISCOGRAPHY VOLUME 2

BLUES: Philosphy For Everyone
THE GREAT LOST PHOTOGRAPHS OF EDDIE ROCCO
FENDER - THE GOLDEN AGE
SATAN IS REAL

COMPACT DISCS
JAMES ARMSTRONG

BILLY BOY ARNOLD
BOBBY BLUE BLAND
JIM BOYD
CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN
JOHNNY CASH
THE CASS COUNTY BOYS
RAY CHARLES
CHUBBY CHECKER
JERRY COLE
KING CURTIS
BILL DOGGETT
FATS DOMINO

DUANE EDDY
ALEC FINN
VERN GOSDIN
BUDDY GUY

WYNONIE HARRIS
RAY HARRIS & FRIENDS

WILBERT HARRISON
PAUL KELLY
BEN E. KING & THE DRIFTERS
THE LEFT BANKE
GENE MCDANIELS
ROCKET MORGAN & FRIENDS
RED NICHOLS
JOHNNY OTIS

LITTLE JUNIOR PARKER
WILSON PICKETT
WADE RAY
DJANGO REINHARDT

JIMMY ROGERS
THE SHADOWS
THE SHELTON BROTHERS
GEORGE SMITH & THE CHICAGO BLUES BAND

THE SOLITAIRES
THE TUNE WRANGLERS
IKE & TINA TURNER
VARIOUS ARTISTS
TONY JOE WHITE
JIMMY WITHERSPOON


IMPORTANT NOTE: We currently do not have a shopping cart. The company who handled our cart has gone out of business. However we are still handling orders and are keeping our web site up to date with new releases. You may place your orders by email (roots@toast.net), phone (toll free in USA 1-888-ROOTS-66, Elsewhere: 510-965-9503) or by mail P.O. Box 837, El Cerrito, CA 94530, USA


BOOKS

 

THE SOUL DISCOGRAPHY, VOLUME 2: G-M by Bob McGrath ● BOOK $110.00
675 pages, paperback
The long awaited second volume in a series of three volume to attempt to document every soul recording made between 1960 and 1980 is now available. The date boundaries listed above are very flexible and artists whose career started in the earlier blues & R&B era are covered in their entirety as are artists whose career extended beyond 1980. Doo-wop is not included but artists who started as doo-wop artists and switched to soul are included in their entirety. In order to make the project manageable only African-American artists are featured - so no blue eyed soul. This first volume cover the letters G through M including all the major artists along with many who only released one or two singles. Artists are listed alphabetically with session information listed chronologically including titles recorded, location, session personnel (where known) and original issue on 78, 45, cassette, LP or CD. The book is nicely laid out in a two column format on 8.5 x 11" pages. Compiled by Bob McGrath with the assistance of hundreds of researchers throughout the world this is the first such discography ever attempted and will be invaluable addition to the bookshelf of anyone who loves blues, R&B and soul.
To expedite shipping the book will be shipped directly from the publisher in Canada.
Rates are as follows
In Canada : $12.00, 2-3 days - $20.00
To U.S.A. : 10 days - $23.00, 3-4 days - $32.00
Rest Of The World : Surface (4 to 8 weeks) - $23.00, Airmail (5-10 days) - $53.00
When ordering on line please indicate in comments field how you would like the book to be shipped.

 
BLUES: Philosphy For Everyone Edited by Jesse Steinberg & Abrol Fairweather ● BOOK $19.98
Paperback, 211 pages, counts as four CDs for shipping
Subtitled "Thinking Deep About Feeling Low" this is a thought provoking collection of essays looking at the connections between blues and philosophy. Not for the casual reader the book covers such topics as "A Dialogue On The Evolution Of The Blues," "Wittgensteinian Reflections On The Blues","The Artistic Transformation Of Trauma, Loss And Adversity In The Blues,"" Blues And Catharsis", "Doubt And The Human Condition,"" Blues As Musical Therapy","A Woman's Perspectve On Authenticity," "Distributive History - Did Whites Rip-Off The Blues" and more.

 
THE GREAT LOST PHOTOGRAPHS OF EDDIE ROCCO ● BOOK $10.98
Paperback, counts as four CDS for shipping
We've turned up some copies of this great out of print book featuring rare photos taken by Hollywood photographer whose work appeared regularly in the legendary 1950s magazine Rhythm & Blues. The photos presented here in duotone features a variety of R&B and rock 'n' roll artists from the 50s and 60s. Most of the 50s photos are of African-American artists, usual performing, including Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, The Treniers, Johnny Otis, Cab Calloway, Esquerita, The Sparks and more. The 60s photos are mostly posed studio shots of white performers including Roy Orbison, Jan And Dean, The Byrds, Gen Clark, Bob Dylan and others.

 
FENDER The Golden Age 1946-1970 by Martin Kelly, Paul Kelly & Terry Foster ● BOOK $29.98
Hardcover 288 pages, highly recommended, counts as 15 CDs for shipping
The first electric guitar that I got as a teenager was a cheap Japanese Fender knock-off, the Bass with which I have recorded on at least two albums and have been using for the last 12 years or so is a vintage Fender P-Bass, and when I went to get a guitar for my own teenage daughter, I got her--guess what?--a genuine Fender (3/4) guitar. Seems like I have spent most of my life lusting after some Telecaster, Stratocaster, etc., and I don't think I am anywhere near alone in the matter. This beautifully constructed book tells the story, accompanied by a plethora of fantastic photography, of probably the most iconic of American instruments, the mighty Fender guitar in the years where it went from a prototype to being an integral ingredient of popular music worldwide. From the pedal steel guitars that electrified the Honky Tonks to the Stratocasters that Hendrix closed Woodstock with, the Fender guitar has led a Hell of a life and this tome captures a lot of that magic. From mandolins to Jazzmasters, electric, acoustics, basses, amps, etc., the history of all of Fender's varied products is covered. There is so much great info and fabulous photos in this book, even the most casual of guitar enthusiast will have trouble putting it down. (JM)

 
SATAN IS REAL The Ballad Of The Louvin Brothers by Charlie Louvin with Benjamin Whitmer ● BOOK $22.98
Hardback 297 Pages, Essential   Counts as five CDs for shipping
This is easily one of the best music biographies I have read in years, absolutely essential for fans of real Country music. After reading about 20 pages or so, I was struck by two thoughts: 1. An awful lot of the Louvin's childhood stories involve axes (!), and 2. Why the hell wasn't this written decades ago? (!!). As Charlie Louvin wrote this in the last years of his life (with co-writer Benjamin Whitmer,) it allowed him the freedom to say whatever the hell he wanted to say, which he certainly does, pulling no punches talking about his brother Ira and everyone else in his life, without having to worry about it hurting his career or caring who it might piss off. Louvin lays it out there, without seeming too much like he is trash-talking, although one of my favorite quotes has to be in reference to Little Jimmy Dickens: "He was an agitating little prick!" As you can tell, Charlie Louvin's language is a bit salty throughout, so if that kind of thing bothers you. So many music bios give you about 50 pages of what you want and about another 150 of stuff from their life that you just don't give a crap about, one bio I read literally spent five pages talking about a vacation the guy was on ten years after he retired from the music business, then spent another ten pages talking about his grandkids; this is fine if I am related to you and we are talking over a Thanksgiving dinner, but it's not what I spend my hard earned money on to read. Charlie Louvin gives you exactly what you want, a detailed history of The Louvin Brothers and the classic days of Country music. An entertaining book full of one great story after another, told in an honest voice, with a no B.S. kind of attitude. If there is any complaint to be had with this book (and it certainly isn't much of one,) I would say that Charlie comes across a little clean, but when you have out-lived most of the people that could say any different, than that gives you the prerogative to slant it how you want. What the hell, he earned it and you will enjoy it. The book also features some fantastic packaging that will no doubt make it stand out on your bookshelf. (JM)

 

COMPACT DISCS

 
JAMES ARMSTRONG Catfood 014 Blues At The Border ● CD $11.98
11 tracks, recommended
First album in more than 11 years by this talented singer/ songwriter and guitarist who was one of the more impressive new blues artists to emerge in the 1990s. He's a fine and expressive vocalist and creative guitar player though he had to relearn how to play after a vicious attack in 1997 nearly killed him and left his hands severely damaged. Armstrong's approach is a mix of blues and Southern soul and he's a fine songwriter as he shows on several of the songs here including the soulful Young Man With The Blues - a tribut to his father who was a jazz guitarist. Other songs include the great opener Everything Good To Ya (Ain't Good For Ya) written by Sam "Bluzman" Taylor and the cynical title song about the difficulties of foreign travel. An excellent collection from a talented performer. (FS)

 
BILLY BOY ARNOLD Electro-Fi 3430 Billy Boy Arnold Sings Big Bill Broonzy ● CD $16.98
15 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended
Following on from Billy Boy's 2008 tribute to his mentor Sonny Boy Williamson (Electro-Fi 3405 - $16.98) here he gives us another tribute to an important Chicago bluesman who was an inspiration to Billy Boy and many other Chicago blues artists in the 40s and 50s. At 75 years old Billy Boy sound great with warm expressive vocals and fine acoustic harmonica playing. He is mostly accompanied by the superb acoustic guitar of Eric Noden with other musicians contributing occasional electric guitar, mandolin, acoustic bass, percussion and clarinet. One of Big Bill's most appealing qualities was the appealing swing in his music and Billy Boy and his cohorts manage to capture that feel very nicely on tunes like Goin' Back To Arkansas/ Key To The Highway/ Willie Mae Blues/ I Want You By My Side and others. A real delight! (FS)

 
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND Universal (UK) 531 142-1 The Best Of Bobby "Blue" Bland ● CD $13.98
27 tracks, highly recommended
Superb, modestly priced, compilation of some of the most popular recordings of this great soul/ blues singer recorded for Duke, Dunhill and ABC between 1957 and 1974. All the sides here reached the R&B charts - three of them the coveted #1 spot - Farther Up The Road/ I Pity The Fool and That's The Way Love. Lots of other gems like Povberty/ Stormy Monday Blues/ Chains Of Love/ Little Boy Blue/ Don't Cry No More/ Yield Not To Temptation/ Sometimes You Gotta Cry A Little/ Ain't Doin' Too Bad, etc. By mixing earlier and later recordings one can see that though the arrangements may have changed over the years Bobby's approach remained the same - effortly switching between searing intensity and gentle pleading. If you don't have much by this great artist this is a good place to start. (FS)
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND: Ain't Doin' Too Bad, Part 1/ Ain't Nothing You Can Do/ Ain't That Lovin' You/ Black Night/ Blind Man/ Call On Me/ Chains Of Love/ Cry, Cry, Cry/ Don't Cry No More/ Farther Up The Road/ I Pity The Fool/ I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me)/ I'll Take Care Of You/ I'm Not Ashamed/ I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around)/ Lead Me On/ Little Boy Blue/ Poverty/ Share Your Love With Me/ Sometimes You Gotta Cry A Little/ Stormy Monday Blues/ That's The Way Love Is/ The Feeling Is Gone/ Turn On Your Love Light/ Who Will The Next Fool Be?/ Yield Not To Temptation/ Yolanda

 
JIM BOYD B.A.C.M. 369 Texas Moon Waltz ● CD $14.98
29 tracks, 73 mins, highly recommended
Though not as well known as his brother Bill, Jim Boyd was a fine performer who started off his career in the 1930s working as a sideman with Bill, Roy Newman & His Boys and The Light Crust Doughboys. In 1949 he was signed by RCA and together with his band The Men Of The West recorded a varied selection of material over the next couple of years - honky tonk, western swing, pop, country boogie, jazz and blues. His band varied over the years and included such fine musicians as Paul Blunt on steel guitar, Marvin Montgomery on banjo and Art Davis on fiddle. The first 21 tracks features his RCA recordings including a number of originals - One Heart, One Love, One Life/ Dust On The Telephone (a secular reworking of the gospel song Dust On The Bible)/ Dear John (also recorded by Hank Williams)/?Truck Drivers Boogie/ The Girl In The Picture/ Bear Creek Boogie/ The Big "D" Boogie/ When I'm Beside You, etc. There are also seven cuts from mid 40s radio transcriptions with a smller group including classically trained fiddler Gar Austin which includes a couple of hot instrumentals and the set ends with the jazz instrumental Jig In G from a 1940s acetate featuring Boyd and fiddler Freddie Casares - cousin of jazz fiddler Emilio Caceres who wrote the tune. A fine and varied set with good sound and notes by Kevin Coffey. (FS)
JIM BOYD: Bear Creek Boogie/ Bill Bailey (instr)/ Birmingham Rose/ Boogie Bottom Boogie/ Boogie Woogie Square Dance/ Dear John (I Brought Your Saddle Home)/ Dixieland Boogie/ Down By The Riverside/ Dust On The Telephone/ El Rancho Grande (instr)/ From Here On (It's All Up To You)/ I Got Along Before I Met You/ Jig In G (instr)/ Mule Boogie/ Oh Susannah/ One Heart One Love One Life/ Ridin'Down The Canyon/ Save The Next Waltz For Me/ Sweetheart Of Hawaii/ Take Time To Pray/ Texas Moon Waltz/ The Big 'D' Boogie/ The Girl In The Picture/ Truck Driver's Boogie/ Waxahachie Boogie Woogie Dishwasher Boy/ We Were Married/ When I Find My Dear Daddy Is Waiting/ When I'm Beside You/ Will You Be Mine

 
CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN Acrobat ACRCD 216 Dirty Work At The Crossroads, 1947-1953 ● CD $11.98
28 songs, 76 mins, highly recommended
Available again. Excellent early material from this sadly, recently departed blues guitar hero. The tracks here are from his earliest sessions for Aladdin, up through his legendary early singles for Peacock records. Legend has it that "Gatemouth" bum-rushed the stage at the Houston Blues club the Bronze Peacock when T-Bone Walker got sick and had to rush off of the stage leaving his guitar behind. Brown was such a success that night that club owner (and owner of the Buffalo Booking agency) Don Robey took him on as his main act. When the deal that Robey got for him with Aladdin only garnered two poor-performing 78s (backed by a band led by Maxwell Davis), Robey started up Peacock records and R&B history was made: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown became a huge success in the blues community. Even though Clarence stayed with Peacock until the early 1960's, this release only covers his material up until 1953, with one cut each from '54 and '56. All in all an exceptional collection from one of the most influential electric blues players of all time. (JM)
CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: After Sunset/ Atomic Energy/ Baby Take It Easy/ Boogie Rambler/ Boogie Uproar/ Didn't Reach My Goal/ Dirty Work at the Crossroads/ Gate Walks to Board/ Gatemouth Boogie/ Guitar in My Hand/ I Live My Life/ Just Got Lucky/ Mary Is Fine/ My Time Is Expensive/ Okie Dokie Stomp/ Pale Dry Boogie, Pt. 1/ Pale Dry Boogie, Pt. 2/ Please Tell Me Baby/ Sad Hour/ September Song/ She Walks Right In/ She Winked Her Eye/ Taking My Chances/ Too Late Baby/ Two O'Clock in the Morning/ Win with Me Baby/ Without Me Baby/ You Got Money

 
JOHNNY CASH Charly SNAJ 741 The Complete Sun Masters ● CD $17.98
Three CDS, 100 tracks, 3 hrs 45 mins, essential
Back in stock at a lower price. The most comprehensive overview of the Sun recordings of one of the greatest country artists of the 20th century. Together with The Tennessee Two (Luther Perkins/ guitar and Marshall Grant/ string bass) they overcame their technical limitations to give Cash what turned out to be one of the most distinctive styles in country music and turned out one timless classic after another. This set features both sides of every single issued by Sun during Johnny's tenure at Sun (1954-1958) as well as singles issued after he left the label to join Columbia plus tracks found after the label was acquired by Shelby Singleton in 1969. A number of his hits were overdubbed with additional instrumentation and choruses when issued on LP and this set includes both the original and overdubbed versions. It includes undubbed versions that were originally only issued in overdubbed form and the undubbed versions are almost inevitably more exciting. It also includes the best of the alternate takes available, demos, studio chatter and a couple of performances that only exist in incomplete form. The performances have been sequenced for enjoyment rather discographical purposes and comes with a 36 page booklet with biographical info and a discussion of every track. (FS)
JOHNNY CASH: Always Alone/ Ballad Of A Teenage Queen/ Ballad Of A Teenage Queen (alternate version)/ Belshazar (overdubbed)/ Belshazar (undubbed)/ Big River/ Big River (alternate with false start)/ Blue Train/ Born To Lose/ Brakeman's Blues (incomplete)/ Cold Cold Heart/ Come In Stranger/ Country Boy/ Country Boy (demo)/ Cry Cry Cry/ Cry Cry Cry (alternate version)/ Doin' My Time/ Doin' My Time (1) (alternate version)/ Don't Make Me Go/ Don't Make Me Go (alternate version)/ Down The Street To 301/ Down The Street To 301 (alternative version)/ Folsom Prison Blues/ Folsom Prison Blues (alternate version)/ Folsom Prison Blues (overdubbed)/ Fool's Hall Of Fame/ Get Rhythm/ Get Rhythm (microphone check)/ Give My Love To Rose (overdubbed)/ Give My Love To Rose (undubbed)/ Goodbye Litle Darlin'/ Goodnight Irene (overdubbed)/ Goodnight Irene (undubbed)/ Guess Things Happen That Way/ Hey Good Lookin'/ Hey Good Lookin' (undubbed)/ Hey Porter/ Home Of The Blues/ I Can't Help I (If I'm Still In Love With You)/ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) (undubbed)/ I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You/ I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You (undubbed)/ I Couldn't Keep From Crying/ I Forgot To Remember To Forget/ I Forgot To Remember To Forget (incomplete alternate version)/ I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow/ I Just Thought You'd Like To Know/ I Just Thought You'd Like To Know (undubbed)/ I Love You Because/ I Love You Because (undubbed)/ I Walk The Line/ I Walk The Line (alternate version)/ I Walk The Line (overdubbed)/ I Was There When It Happened/ I Was There When It Happened (alternate version)/ If The Good Lord's Willing/ If The Good Lord's Willing (alternate version)/ It's Just About Time/ It's Just About Time (alternate version)/ Katy Too/ Leave That Junk Alone (demo)/ Life Goes On/ Luther Played The Boogie/ Mean Eyed Cat/ My Treasure/ My Treasure (alternate version)/ New Mexico (overdubbed)/ New Mexico (undubbed)/ Next In Line/ Next In Line (overdubbed)/ Oh Lonesome Me/ One More Ride (incomplete)/ Port Of Lonely Hearts/ Remember Me (I'm The One Who Loves You)/ Rock 'n' Roll Ruby (demo)/ Rock Island Line/ So Doggone Lonesome/ Story Of A Broken Heart/ Story Of A Broken Heart (alternate version with false start and studio chat/ Straight A's In Love/ Sugartime/ Sugartime (alternate version)/ Thanks A Lot/ There You Go/ Train Of Love/ Two Timin' Woman/ Two Timin' Woman (alternate version)/ Ways Of A Woman In Love/ Wide Open Road (demo)/ Wide Open Road (original)/ Wide Open Road (re-recording)/ Wreck Of The Old '97/ Wreck Of The Old '97/ You Tell Me/ You Win Again/ You Win Again (undubbed)/ You're My Baby/ You're My Baby (undubbed)/ You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven/ You're The Nearest Thing To Heaven (undubbed)

 
JOHNNY CASH Columbia 93033 Bootleg, Vol. III - Live Around The World ● CD $17.98
2 CD's, 2 hours 27 min., very highly recommended
These tracks are taken from live shows between 1956-1979, and one thing that comes out of the stage banter between songs is Cash's sense of humor ("I was in the air force for 12 years, from '50 to '54"). Another thing is just how talented Cash was as he covered a wide variety of material. Great songs seemed to seek him out, though by the end of his lengthy career, he seemed to have trouble finding material worthy of him. The early cuts here are full of Luther Perkins guitar greatness, and the 1970 White House appearance, which is mostly made up of religious stuff, kicks off with an introduction from President Nixon, who seems to genuinely respect Cash, who was used to performing for criminals. In a cut from a '64 show, Cash refers to Bob Dylan as "the best song write-off the age." Sound quality differs from one performance to the next, but it's always at least pretty good, and the performances themselves are consistently fine. Seventeen tracks are previously unreleased, and the booklet notes are by rock scholar Dave Marsh. What more is there to want? Perhaps the best of the first three volumes in this series. Volume 4 is due out soon. (JC)

 
THE CASS COUNTY BOYS B.A.C.M. 368 Vol. 2 - More Western Classics ● CD $14.98
32 tracks from 1940s radio transcriptions from this popular Western trio who are perhaps best known for their accompaniments to Gene Autry in the 40s and 50s. They perform in a smooth Western style in the same vein as the Sons Of The Pioneers and accompany themselves on guitar, bass and accordion. They perform a mix of old favorites (Don't Fence Me In/ Hannah Lee/ Across The Alley From The Alamo/ I Ride An Old Paint, etc) and originals (Where's Your Horse?/ When I Climb Down From My Horse/ See That You're Born In Texas, etc.)
THE CASS COUNTY BOYS: A Gay Ranchero (instr)/ According To The Evidence/ Across The Alley From The Alamo/ Along The Navajo Trail/ Bow Your Head And Pray/ Cool Water/ Cucamnonga/ Don't Fence Me In/ Going Back To My Good Old Texas Home/ Gotta Get Me Somebody To Love/ Hannah Lee/ He's Just A Dude Cowboy/ Headin' For The Rio Grande/ Hold That Critter Down/ How I Love Those Saddle Songs/ I Ride An Old Paint/ I'm Blazin' The Trail To My Home/ In My Ten Gallon Hat/ Moonlight On The Sunset Trial/ Move Along Lazy Cattle Move Along/ My Texas Home/ Press Along To The Big Corral/ Ragtime Cowboy Joe/ Ride Ranger Ride/ See That You're Born In Texas/ There's A Gold Mine In The Sky/ There's A Roundup In The Sky/ Trail To Mexico/ Wayward Wind/ When I Climb Down From My Saddle/ When It's Springtime Down In Texas/ Where's Your Horse

 
RAY CHARLES Jasmine 191 Soul + Jazz = Genius ● CD $15.98
2 CDs, 47 tracks, 151 mins, highly recommended
This collection gathers up Ray Charles' first four albums released for ABC records in the first years of the 1960s: "The Genius Hits the Road", "Dedicated to You," "Ray Charles and Betty Carter," and "Genius + Soul = Jazz," all in their entirety and then you also get the original single version of Charles' all time classic Hit The Road Jack, for a cherry on top. With these four records Ray Charles took his career to all-time new commercial success, and made him a household name in mainstream America. Only to be topped by his next record "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music," which though not featured here should kick off the next volume that Jasmine should put out. On these recordings you get the swingin' Big Band version of Ray Charles with all-time classics like Georgia On My Mind/ Basin St. Blues/ Moonlight In Vermont/ Ruby/ Josephine/ I've Got News For You/ One Mint Julep/ Birth Of The Blues, and so much more. Certainly "The Genius Hits the Road," and" Genius + Soul = Jazz" are absolutely essential recordings, but I am hard pressed to find any fault in the others, other than if you don't like the big band orchestration, or aren't a fan of Betty Carter, you might not like them as much. All in all essential stuff for Ray Charles fans and highly recommended for everyone else. (JM)
RAY CHARLES: Alabamy Bound/ Basin Street Blues/ Birth Of The Blues/ Blue Hawaii/ California, Here I Come/ Candy/ Carry Me Back To Old Virginny/ Chattanooga Choo Choo/ Cherry/ Deep In The Heart Of Texas/ Diane/ From The Heart/ Georgia On My Mind/ Hard Hearted Hannah/ Hit The Road Jack/ I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town/ I've Got News For You/ Josephine/ Let's Go/ Margie/ Marie/ Mississippi Mud/ Mister C/ Moanin'/ Moon Over Miami/ Moonlight In Vermont/ Nancy (With The Laughing Face)/ New York's My Home/ One Mint Julep/ Rosetta/ Ruby/ Stella By Starlight/ Stompin' Room Only/ Strike Up The Band/ Sweet Georgia Brown/ RAY CHARLES & BETTY CARTER: Alone Together/ Baby, It's Cold Outside/ Cocktails For Two/ Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye/ For All We Know/ Goodbye/We'll Be Together Again/ Just You, Just Me/ People Will Say We're In Love/ Side By Side/ Takes Two To Tango/ Together/ You And I

 
CHUBBY CHECKER Jasmine 189 Twist It Up ● CD $15.98
All the twistin' you could want in one place and then some. This two CD set features Chubby's first four LPs from 1960 and '61 plus his first single - The Class. Besides The Twist (the only song ever to go to #1, completely drop off the chart, then climb again to #1) & all it's sequels - Let's Twist Again (which was a British chart hit on three separate occasions/ Twistin' USA/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (he sings "twistin'" instead of "shakin'") there's also Chubby's take on other dance fads - The "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" Shimmy/ The Hucklebuck/ The Slop/ Pony Time/ The Mess Around/ Continental Walk/ The Ray Charles-Ton, etc. and even a few songs not related to a dance!
CHUBBY CHECKER: At The Hop/ Ballin' The Jack/ Blueberry Hill/ But Girls!/ Continental Walk/ Dance With Me, Henry/ Dance-A-Long/ Fishin'/ Hi Ho Silver/ Hold Tight/ Hound Dog/ I Almost Lost My Mind/ I Could Have Danced All Night/ Let's Dance, Let's Dance, Lets Dance/ Let's Twist Again/ Mashed Potatoes/ Mister Twister/ Peanut Butter/ Pony Express/ Pony Time/ Quarter To Three/ Rock Around The Clock/ Shake Rattle And Roll/ Takes Two To Tango/ The 'C.C.Rider' Stroll/ The 'Love Is Strange' Chalypso/ The 'Mexican Hat' Twist/ The 'Ooh Poo Pah Doo' Shimmy/ The Charleston/ The Chicken/ The Class/ The Hucklebuck/ The Hully Gully/ The Jet/ The Madison/ The Mess Around/ The Pony/ The Ray Charles-Ton/ The Shimmy/ The Slop/ The Strand/ The Stroll/ The Twist/ The Watusi/ Twist Train/ Twistin' Usa/ We Like Birdland/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ Your Feet's Too Big

 
JERRY COLE Ace CDCHD 1328 Psychedelic Guitars ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 72 min, recommended
This collection celebrates the magic fingers and crafty recordings of guitar virtuoso Jerry Cole. Under he auspices of groups with names like The Generation Gap, The Projection Company, T Swift and The Electric Bag, etc., Cole made a whole mess of groovy (mostly) instrumentals. On these recordings Cole comes across as a blend of Dick Dale and Jimi Hendrix, the later of which is referenced repeatedly whether through actual covers like Are You Experienced, or on tunes like Our Man Hendrix, and Strange Shadows. Needless to say there are Psychedelic sounds a plenty here, making this CD a celebration of the 1960's and all of its musical innovations and excesses. Also features covers of The Letter, and Macarthur Park, plus a host of original compositions. Guitar aficionados and fans of the swingin' '60s will certainly enjoy. (JM)

 
KING CURTIS JSP JSPCD 8812 With Al Casey - Live In New York Plus .. ● CD $16.98 $11.98
14 tracks, 78 min., recommended
Originally released on LP in 1985, this live set was recorded in 1961 at Small's Paradise in New York but should not be confused with the Atlantic album called Live at Small's Paradise. The sound here, although not of studio quality, and filled as it is with noise from the club patrons, is good enough, and documents the King Curtis at a critical point in his development. The set is part jazz, part R&B; part sax, part singing. And Curtis sounds most at home, most free on How High The Moon and Canadian Sunset, where he just blows his tenor sax for all he's worth, which is plenty. He sounds most forced and awkward on the uninspired reading of his hit The Twist, where he puts down his ax and sings. The original club date has been supplemented with 5 bonus tracks recorded in 1985 by Al Casey and band. A worthwhile addition to King Curtis' eclectic and all to brief catalogue. (JC)

 
BILL DOGGETT BGP CDBGPD 249 Honky Tonk Popcorn ● CD $18.98
18 tracks, 51 mins highly recommended
Doggett was a pianist/organist whose style was a mix of R&B, Jazz, and Blues that had a 1956 hit with the instrumental Honky Tonk. This 1969 LP, originally released on King, was issued to capitalize on the two tracks Doggett cut with James Brown producing and his band the JBs backing-a remake of Honky Tonk and Honky Tonk Popcorn; the rest of the tracks were cobbled together from recent Doggett-produced recordings. The result is a fascinating detour from Doggett's usual boogie shuffle-which he had employed since the 50's-into a blistering funk style that was in keeping with the changing times. The star of this collection, of course is Honky Tonk Popcorn; with the JBs throwing down in the background, Doggett more than holds his own on a song that's as danceable as it gets. And while the rest of the original LP tracks are not quite up to that standard, a solid groove is established-especially through After Lunch/ Mad and A Doozy - that keeps things nicely percolating along. Doggett might not have been Booker T. Jones in the organ department, but he knew how to lay down a groove and play nice with others-as demonstrated on the relentless Make Your Move. As for the bonus tracks: three songs were slated for inclusion on an album to be called "Take Your Shot," which didn't make it past the planning stage and was superseded by "Honky Tonk Popcorn." Of these, Before Lunch is the most impressive sounding like a lost Booker T. and the MGs album cut. Two other bonus tracks - Sassy B and Wet and Satisfied - will be of interest to Funkadelic fans, as these both feature guitarist Eddie Hazel and bassist Billy Nelson (who briefly left the band in a money dispute), who were in Doggett's group for a short time. Although the CD is being sold on the back of James Brown's extracurricular activities, Bill Doggett's keyboard talents and willingness to keep up with changing times, without sounding out of place, make this a winning listen. (GMC)

 
FATS DOMINO Ace CDCHD 1323 The Imperial Singles, Vol. 5: 1962-1964 ● CD $18.98
26 tracks, 55 mins, very highly recommended
The fifth and final volume featuring all the singles recorded by the great Fats Domino for Imperial features his last 12 singles issued between 1962 and 1964. Although he no longer dominated the charts as he had previously he continued to appear in the lower rungs of the charts and produced many fine sides - many of the them written by Fats or his long time producer Dave Bartholomew. Among the highlights are great versions of I Hear You Knocking (first recorded by fellow Imperial artist Smiley Lewis in 1955), the gorgeous blues ballad Nothing New (Same Old Thing), the mid-tempo rocker Stop The Clock, Fats's distinctive Creolized rendition of the pop standard Did You Ever See A Dream Walking, an intense rendition of Charles Brown's Trouble Blues and superb treatments of three Hank Williams songs Jamabalay/ You Win Again and Your Cheating Heart but pretty much everything is great with only one track featuring intusive strings - the rest is Fats and his great band. Sound is superb and the 16 page booklet has rare photos and detailed notes. Previous volumes (Ace 597, 649, 689 & 1306) are still available for $18.98 each and if you want the ultimate Fats Imperial experience the 8 CD box set from Bear Family is still available (Bear Family 15541 - "Out Of New Orleans" - $189.98) with 222 tracks! (FS)
FATS DOMINO: Dance With Mr Domino/ Did You Ever See A Dream Walking/ Goin' Home/ Hands Across The Table/ Hum Diddy Doo/ I Can't Give You Anything But Love/ I Can't Go On This Way/ I Hear You Knocking/ Ida Jane/ Isle Of Capri/ Jambalaya (On The Bayou)/ La La/ My Heart Is Bleeding/ My Real Name/ Nothing New (Same Old Thing)/ One Night/ Stop The Clock/ Teenage Love/ Those Eyes/ Trouble Blues/ True Confession/ When I Was Young/ Won't You Come On Back/ You Always Hurt The One You Love/ You Win Again/ Your Cheatin' Heart

 
DUANE EDDY Bear Family BCD 15778 Twangin' From Phoenix To L.A. - The Jamie Years ● CD $149.98
5 discs, 148 tracks, 358 min, highly recommended
Back in print - available as special order only. Is this enough twang for you? Clocking in at nearly six hours, Bear Family's Duane Eddy box has got to be a twang fan's dream come true: every recording the Rebel Rouser made for Jamie, from his great hits Rebel Rouser/ Cannonball Groovin'/ Peter Gunn Theme/ Forty Miles of Bad Road/ Ramrod/ Because They're Young/ Yep/ Dixie/ Kommotion/ Some Kinda Earthquake/ Pepe, etc.) to his obscure first recordings like Soda Fountain Girl/ I Want Some Loving Baby, B-sides like Theme For Moon Children, and soundtrack work. Wow! Impressive enough yes, but how does that add up to six hours? With Bear Family's customary plethora of multiple versions, that's how, such as additional stereo mixes of the original mono hits (most appearing here for the first time), alternate takes, overdub experiments, false starts, studio chatter and whatever else the Jamie vaults had in them. The five discs are not arranged chronologically, which does save us from having to hear these multiple versions consecutively, but also makes it difficult to track Eddy's emerging style as a player (not to mention Lee Hazlewood as a producer!) at times. But that's where the amazing 84-page, hardback book comes in, which chronicles Eddy and Hazlelwood's modest beginnings at no-budget Phoenix sessions through their artistic and commercial peak. Fantasic color photos, many seen here for the first time, and complete session notes, discography, chart positions, etc. As is typical with Bear Family, quite a stunning package; so complete, in fact, it may be overkill for all but the most dedicated Eddy-philes. (GDR)

 
DUANE EDDY Bear Family BCD 17249 Rocks ● CD $24.98
32 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended
The best collection available featuring the distinctive twangy guitar work of Duane Eddy particularly for rock 'n' roll fans since, except for the two last tracks, this concentrates on his more rocking sides recorded for Jamie between 1957 and 1961. All his rocking hits are here - Rebel Rouser/ Cannonball/ Moovin' n' Groovin'/ Peter Gunn Theme/ Forty Miles of Bad Road/ Ramrod/ / Yep/ Kommotion/ Some Kinda Earthquake and others as well as lesser known titles and flipsides. Many of the cuts were produced by Lee Hazelwood and feature his fine backup band The Rebels with tough sax from Steve Douglas, piano by Larry Knechtel and guitar from Al Casey. The disc ends with two of his more pop flavored titles Beacuse They're Young and Pepe included since they were such big hits. Sound quality is stunning and the 54 page booklet booklet includes appreciative notes by current guitar ace Deke Dickerson along with a clutch of wonderful vintage photos. (FS)

 
ALEC FINN Alec Finn 001 Innisfree ● CD $21.98 $13.98
13 traditional Irish tunes played on bouzouki, guitar and harmonica by Alec Finn - long time member of the great band De Dannan. With varying accompaniments (bass, bones, piano, keyboard, mandolin, etc.

 
BUDDY GUY Chess (Europe) 10397 The Complete Chess Studio Recordings, Vol. 1 ● CD $10.98
22 tracks, 68 mins, essential
This is the first disc from Chess 9337 originally issued in 1992. This first volume features his first 22 recordings cut for that label between March, 1960 and August, 1963 in chronological order and are certainly my favorite Buddy Guy recordings. Intense heartfelt vocals and searing, imaginative guitar with accompaniments by great Chicago sidemen like Jarrett Gibson/ts, Donald Hankins/ bs, Little Brother Montgomery/ p, Fred Below/ d, Otis Spann/ p, Junior Wells/ hca, Bob neely/ ts, Abb Locke/ ts and others. Includes such all time classics as Broken Hearted Blues/ First Time I Met the Blues/ I Got A Strange Feeling/ Ten Years Ago/ Stone Crazy (the fabulous extended 7 minute version)/I Found A True Love/ Hard But It's Fair/ When My Left Eye Jumps/ The Treasure Untold, etc. (FS)
BUDDY GUY: $100 Bill/ American Bandstand (aka American Bandstand Thing)/ Baby (Baby, Baby, Baby)/ Broken Hearted Blues/ Buddy's Boogie/ First Time I Met the Blues/ Gully Hully/ Hard But It's Fair/ I Found a True Love/ I Got My Eyes On You/ I Got a Strange Feeling/ Let Me Love You Baby (Single Version)/ My Love is Real/ No Lie/ Skippin'/ Slop Around/ Stone Crazy/ Ten Years Ago/ That's It/ Treasure Untold, The/ Watch Yourself/ When My Left Eye Jumps

 
BUDDY GUY Chess (Europe) 10422 The Complete Chess Studio Recordings, Vol. 2 ● CD $10.98
25 tracks, 71 mins, very highly recommended
More superb blues by Buddy featuring all the sides recorded for Chess between August 1963 and July 1967 including a couple of originally unissued tracks and four alternate takes. Sidemen on these sessions include Jarrett Gibson, Donald Hankins, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lafayette Leake, Robert Nighthawk, Gene Barge, A.C. Reed, Phil Upchurch and others. Although not quite as strong as the first volume there are still stellar performances like his version of Tiny Powell's My Time After Awhile, Leave My Girl Alone , a wonderful reworking of Sonny Boy Williamson's Keep It To Yourself as Keep It To Myself, the Gene Barge composition Mother In Law Blues and a great update of his 1958 Artistic classic Sit And Cry The Blues. Buddy tries his hand at some funk in Buddy's Groove and there are three instrumentals including, surprisingly, the Bobby Timmons jazz standard Moanin' where Buddy dials the intensity back and plays some tasty jazz guitar. Note: The back liner only list 23 cuts but the full 25 from the original CD are here. (FS)
BUDDY GUY: Buddy's Groove/ Crazy Love (Crazy Music)/ Every Girl I See/ Goin' Home/ Going to School/ Got to Use Your Head/ I Cry and Sing the Blues/ I Didn't Know My Mother Had a Son Like Me (She Suits Me to a Tee - Alternat/ I Dig Your Wig (Unedited)/ I Suffer With the Blues/ Keep It to Myself (Aka Keep It to Yourself)/ Keep It to Myself (Alternate with Organ Overdub)/ Leave My Girl Alone/ Lip Lap Louie/ Moanin'/ Mother-In-Law Blues/ My Mother/ My Time After Awhile/ My Time After Awhile (Alternate Vocal and Mix)/ Night Flight/ She Suits Me to a T/ Too Many Ways/ Too Many Ways (Alternate with Background Vocal)/ Worried Mind

 
WYNONIE HARRIS Fantastic Voyage 115 Jump Mr. Blues - The Defintive Collection ● CD $19.98
Two CDs, 50 tracks, 137 mins, very highly recommended
Terrific career spanning retrospective of the recordings of this great Omaha born blues shouter including all 15 of his R&B chart hits. Harris was known as a wild-living man, which would carry over to his live performances as well as his recordings, making for some of the wildest R&B to ever hit the charts. He started his career with the great Lucky Millinder band and sang on their 1945 #1 hit Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well for Decca. In 1945 he recorded for Philo accompanied by The Johnny Otis band on the great Around The Clock - an influence on Chuck Berry's later Reelin' And Rockin'. From there he moved to Apollo in 1945 where he had the first hits under his own name Wynonies Blues and Playful Baby. Over the next couple of years he recorded for Hamp-Tone, Bullet & Aladdin recording many great sides like Mr. Blues Jumped The Rabbit and his duet with Big Joe Turner on Battle Of The Blues but failed to crack the charts. In 1947 he signed with King Records where he remained for the next 10 years turning out hit after hit whether tearing it up on his own compositions like Wynonie's Blues/ Grandma Plays The Numbers/ All She Wants To Do Is Rock/ Good Morning Judge or completely owning other people's songs like Roy Brown's Good Rockin' Tonight/ Lollipop Mama, and I Want My Fanny Brown, Stick McGhee's Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee, or Louis Prima's Oh Babe. Lest we forget his salacious tracks like Sittin' On It All The Time, and I Like My Baby's Pudding, both penned by the team of Syd Nathan, Henry Bernard and Lois Mann. If that wasn't enough, Harris did a raucous cover of Hank Penny's country hit Bloodshot Eyes. After 1952 the hits dried up but Wynonie kept rocking the blues with songs like his sequel to Good Rocking Tonight - Bad News Baby (There'll Be No Rockin' Tonite plus Brownie McGhee's Christina, Fishtail Blues and others. The last two tracks here are from a 1960 session where he does two songs including a remake of Bloodshot Eyes. Excellent sound and informative notes by Neil Slaven. (FS/JM)
WYNONIE HARRIS: A Tale Of Woe/ Adam Come And Get Your Rib/ All She Wants To Do Is Rock/ Around The Clock Part 1/ Bad News Baby There'll Be No Rockin' Tonite/ Battle Of The Blues Part 1 with Joe Turner/ Big City Blues/ Bloodshot Eyes (1951)/ Bloodshot Eyes (1960)/ Bring It Back/ Christina/ Confessin' The Blues/ Drinkin Wine Spo Dee O Dee/ Drinkin' Sherry Wine/ Drinking Blues/ Fishtail Blues/ From Bad To Good Blues/ Good Mambo Tonight/ Good Morning Judge/ Good Morning Mr Blues/ Good Rockin Tonight/ Grandma Plays The Numbers/ Here Comes The Night/ Hey, Ba Ba Re Bop Part 1/ I Feel That Old Age Comin' On/ I Like My Baby's Pudding/ I Want My Fanny Brown/ In The Evenin Blues/ Keep On Churnin Till The Butter Comes/ Lollipop Mama/ Lovin' Machine/ Mama Your Daughter Done Lied On Me/ Mr Blues Is Coming To Town/ Mr Blues Jumped The Rabbit/ My Babys Barrel House/ My Playful Baby's Gone/ Oh Babe/ Playful Baby/ Rock Mr Blues/ She Just Won't Sell No More/ Sittin On It All The Time/ Sweet Lucy Brown/ That's Me Right Now/ That's The Stuff You Gotta Watch/ Triflin' Woman/ Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well/ Wine Wine Sweet Wine/ Wynonies Blues/ You Got To Get Yourself A Job, Girl/ Young Mans Blues

 
RAY HARRIS & FRIENDS El Toro 1042 Mississippi Rockers ● CD $18.98
33 tracks, highly recommended
Another great collection of regional rockabilly from El Toro - this time the great state of Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis and several other rockabilly greats. So it's not too surprising that around half the sides on this collection were recorded for Sun. Although most of these have been reissued several times before it's certainly nice to have all the Ray Harris and Jimmy Wages cuts in one place complete with alternate takes. Both artists are among the wildest rockabilly artists recorded for Sun - Harris had two singles issued by Sun and both sides are here along with unissued songs and alternate takes featuring Harris with a small group featuring great guitar by Wayne Cogswill. Nothing was issued on Sun by Jimmy Wages but the four songs here and two alternate takes show that he was an exceptional performer - his band is unknown but are very hot. Other Sun artists here include Gene Simmons (three songs - two originally unissued), Hayden Thompson (two great, originally unissued, songs with Roland Janes on guitar) and Glenn Honeycutt (the great unissued All Night Rock by Rold Janes. The rest of the tracks were recorded for various small Mississippi labels along with customs pressings made by Texas's Starday label and although lacking the magical imprimatur of Sun there is no shortage of great rocking from Bobby Roberts, The Hodges Brothers (originally a country group with their great), Lou Millett (another former country performer recording hot rockabilly for Johnny Vincent's Ace label), Mack Banks (two outstanding cuts recorded for his own Fame label) and others. An exceptional collection with superb sound and informative notes by Dave Penny. (FS)
MACK BANKS & HIS DRIFTING TROUBADOURS: Be-Boppin' Daddy/ You're So Dumb/ WALLY DEANE: Cool, Cool Daddy/ RAY HARRIS: Come On Little Mama/ Come On Little Mama/ Foolish Heart/ Greenback Dollar, Watch and Chain/ Greenback Dollar, Watch and Chain/ I'm Winning Now/ Lonely Wolf/ Love Dumb Baby/ Where'd You Stay Last Nite/ THE HODGES BROTHERS: I'm Gonna Rock Some Too/ DICK HOLLER & HIS ROCKETS: Uh Uh Baby/ GLENN HONEYCUTT: All Night Rock/ LOU MILLET: Just You And Me/ My Inlaws Made An Outlaw Out Of Me/ GRAY MONTGOMERY: Right Now/ RICK RICKELS AND HIS WILD GUITAR: I'm Gone/ You Gonna Go Away/ BOBBY ROBERTS WITH HIGHPOCKETS' DELTA ROCKETS: Big Sandy/ She's My Woman/ GENE SIMMONS: Crazy Woman/ Juicy Fruit/ Pop and Mama/ HAYDEN THOMPSON: Blues, Blues, Blues/ Fairlane Rock/ JIMMY WAGES: Heart Breakin' Love/ Mad Man/ Mad Man/ Miss Pearl/ Take Me/ Take Me (From This Garden Of Evil)

 
WILBERT HARRISON Acrobat ACRD 103 Let's Work Together ● CD $11.98
10 tracks, 35 mins, highly recommended
Back in print. Wilbert Harrison was one of a kind with his distinctive vocal style and approach to songs which seemed to change from session to session. He recorded quite prolifically and with so little of his material currently available on CD this reissue of his 10 of his 1969 Sue recordings is most welcome though I wished they'd included all the Sue sides. For this album Wilbert played guitar, harmonica, piano and drums with "Thunder Thumb" on bass. The wonderfully catchy title song which was a reworking of his 1961 recording Let's Stick Together became something of a hippy anthem after being covered by Canned Heat. There's a remake of his biggest hit Kansas City, some great R&B covers like Louie Louie/ Blue Monday and Stand By Me plus some typical Harrison oddities like Tropical Shakedown and Soul Rattler. Great stuff but it all ends too soon - I think it's time for Bear Family to do a complete Wilbert Harrison box set. I don't know if anyone else would buy it but I certainly would! (FS)

 
PAUL KELLY Kent CDKEND 367 Hot Runnin' Soul ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
R&B singer/songwriter Paul Kelly's name is not very well known outside of collector's circles, except for his 1970 Top 20 hit Stealing in the Name of the Lord. But the gang at Kent taken steps to rectify that situation by releasing this collection of Kelly's early solo 45s (all gathered together for the first time) recorded for the Dial, Lloyd, Philips, and Happy Tiger labels. Don't let the singer/songwriter tag fool you; this stuff is down 'n' dirty Southern Soul, most of which was recorded in Nashville with Buddy Killen (who ran Dial) in the chair. Apart from the groundbreaking Stealing, the highlights include all of the Happy Tiger sides - especially The Day After Forever/ Sailing/ Poor But Proud/ It's My Baby/ I Need Your Love So Bad, and Call Another Doctor (On the Case). If you like Joe Tex or Johnnie Taylor, then Paul Kelly just might be the guy for you. (GMC)

 
BEN E. KING & THE DRIFTERS Jasmine 202 Dance With Me, 1958-1961 ● CD $15.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, 126 mins, essential
There are two perfect Drifters CD collections that you should get: Jasmine's JASCD 526, which collects all of the best Drifters tracks from 1953-1958 lead by the majestic Clyde McPhatter or the mighty Johnny Moore, and then this CD right here which features all the best Drifters tracks with Ben E. King on lead, plus all of King's best solo work from the early 1960's. Sure, the Drifters were two groups that were pretty much completely different in all but a name, but both incarnations made a lot of essential music. On this collection you get Under The Boardwalk/ There Goes My Baby/ Dance With Me/ This Magic Moment/ Save The Last Dance For Me/ Spanish Harlem/ Stand By Me, and so many more fantastic songs. On top of all the hits we all know, there are also some rarities like two songs by The Crowns (the group that basically became to new Drifters), and then also a great duet between Ben E. King and Laverne Baker: A Help Each Other Romance. You get all of that and more on these two CDs, sounding as great as ever! (JM)
THE CROWNS: I'll Forget About You/ Kiss And Make Up/ THE DRIFTERS: (If You Cry) True Love, True Love/ Baltimore/ Dance With Me/ Hey Senorita/ I Count The Tears/ Jackpot/ Loneliness Or Happiness/ Lonely Winds (Alt Take)/ Lonely Winds (Single Version)/ Mexican Divorce/ Nobody But Me/ Oh My Love/ Please Stay/ Room Full Of Tears/ Save The Last Dance For Me/ She Never Talked To Me That Way/ Some Kind Of Wonderful/ Somebody New Dancing With You/ Sometimes I Wonder/ Sweets For My Sweet/ There Goes My Baby/ This Magic Moment/ When My Little Girl Is Smiling/ BEN E. KING: Amor/ Besame Mucho/ Brace Yourself/ Come Closer To Me/ Ecstacy/ First Taste Of Love/ First Taste Of Love (Single Edit)/ Frenesi/ Granada/ Here Comes The Night/ I Promise Love/ Love Me, Love Me/ On The Horizon/ Perfidia/ Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps/ Show Me The Way/ Souvenir Of Mexico/ Spanish Harlem/ Stand By Me/ Sway/ Sweet And Gentle/ Yes/ Young Boy Blues/ A Help Each Other Romance/ How Often

 
THE LEFT BANKE Sundazed 6276 Walk Away Renee/ Pretty Ballerina ● CD $16.98
11 tracks, 29 mins, essential
I'm pretty sure that the term "Baroque Pop" was invented to describe The Left Banke's rich, infectious, orchestral music. The group definitely took The Beatles' classical pretentions and ran with them. Although the story of the Left Banke is of the typical sort, where you have a bunch of teenagers, or just slightly older, hitting big, getting worked over by their shady, or incompetent music business handlers, soon to break up due to unrealistic pressures and inner-group squabbles and misunderstandings (see the film "That Thing You Do" for a great take on the phenomenon.) Before their 15 minutes were up, the band crafted a couple of perfect Pop singles and a pretty amazing album. The album is named after their two big hits; Walk Away Renee and Pretty Ballerina, but there are other songs almost if not just as good as those two; She May Call You Up Tonight/ I've Got Something on My Mind/ Barterers and Their Wives, and Shadows Breaking Over My Head. Not saying that the remaining tracks aren't good as well--they are, there isn't a bad song on this record and in it's entirety, it is just about perfect. Last year Sundazed records reissued this fantastic record on CD as well as 180 gram vinyl (Sundazed 5375 - $22.98), no bonus tracks, but nice packaging and excellent sound. So if you are a fan of '60s Rock & Pop and you haven't picked one up yet, you certainly should. (JM)

 
GENE MCDANIELS Jasmine 188 Look To Your Heart - The Gene McDaniels Story, 1959-61 ● CD $15.98
2 CDs, 52 tracks, 136 mins, recommended
Gene McDaniels took A Hundred Pounds Of Clay and made a pretty big career for himself. Although that great big Pop-Soul hit is featured on this collection, it isn't necessarily indicative of what you get overall. More often than not Gene McDaniels sounded a lot more like Johnny Mathis than, say, Sam Cooke, with most of these recordings featuring lavish orchestration, lush strings and smooth vocals. This CD collection features Gene's first four albums ("In Times Like These" - Liberty (1960), "Sometimes I'm Happy, Sometimes I'm Blue" - Liberty (1960), "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" - Liberty (1961), and "Gene McDaniels Sings Movie Memories" - Liberty (1962)) in their entirety, plus a handful of bonus tracks. With "Sometimes I'm Happy ."being the most swingin' of the original albums. So you get his other early hits like A Tear/ Tower of Strength, and Chip Chip, plus versions of classics like Autumn Leaves/ Mona Lisa/ Three Coins In A Fountain, etc. So if you are a fan of artists like Johnny Mathis or Nat King Cole, you will find a lot to love on this set. (JM)
GENE MCDANIELS: A Hundred Pounds Of Clay/ A Tear/ All The Way/ And The Angels Sing/ Angels In The Sky/ Another Tear Falls/ Are You Sincere/ Around The World/ At The End Of A Rainbow/ Autumn Leaves/ Chip Chip/ Cry/ Eternally/ From Here To Eternity/ Golden Earrings/ Gone With The Wind/ Green Door/ How Long Has This Been Going On/ In A Sentimental Mood/ In Times Like These/ It Might As Well Be Spring/ It's All In The Game/ Like Someone In Love/ Look For The Silver Lining/ Look To Your Heart/ Love Is A Many Splendored Thing/ Love Is Here To Stay/ Love Me Tender/ Make A Present Of You/ Mona Lisa/ Never Like This/ Next Spring/ Portrait Of My Love/ Secret Love/ Send For Me/ Sometimes I'm Happy/ Take Good Care Of Her/ Tammy/ The Facts Of Life/ The High And The Mighty/ The Long Hot Summer/ The River And I/ The Sound Of Music/ Three Coins In The Fountain/ Tower Of Strength/ When I Fall In Love/ When I Was A Child/ Yesterdays/ You Belong To Me/ Young At Heart/ ‘deed I Do/ ‘til There Was You

 
ROCKET MORGAN & FRIENDS El Toro 1044 Louisiana Rockers ● CD $18.98
35 tracks, highly recommended
Another great selection opening with all five singles recorded for Jay Miller's Zynn label in 1958 and '59 by the obscure Rocket Morgan along with four alternate takes. Although most of what Morgan recorded is swamp pop (which is fine with me) he did record two rockabilly classics You're Humbugging Me and Tag Along. Other rockabilly artists who trekked to Crowley to record for Miller and featured here include Tommy Strange and Pee Wee TRahan. The rest of the artists recorded for small local labels or in some cases travelled farher afield to record for Sun or Starday. Among the many fine artists here are Tommy Blake, Jeff Daniels (two particularly fine cuts), Maylon Humphries, Endom Spires (a great updating of the old country song I Wonder Where You Are Tonight), The Lonesome Drifter (his classic Eager Boy), James Wilson & The Jimmie-Cats and others. This fine collection complements El Toro's reissues of Louisiana rockers Johnny Jano (El Toro 1038 - $18.98) and Al Ferrier (El Toro 1032 - $18.98). (FS)
VINCE ANTHONY: Too Hot To Handle/ TOMMY BLAKE: $F...olding Money$/ TOMMY CASSEL: Rockin' Rock and A Rollin' Stone/ Run Along, Little Girl/ AMOS COMO & HIS TUNE TOPPERS: Hole In The Wall/ JEFF DANIELS: Daddy-O-Rock/ Hey Woman/ LARRY HART: Freight Train/ DALE HAWKINS: Don't Treat Me This Way/ HOPELESS HOMER: New Way Rockin'/ MAYLON HUMPHRIES: Weep No More/ Worried 'Bout You Baby/ THE LONESOME DRIFTER: Eager Boy/ ROCKET MORGAN: Did You Leave Something Else For Me?/ Gonna Walk You Home/ I Know It's A Sin/ Irene/ Tag Along/ Tag Along (alt. take)/ This Life I Live/ Too High A Price (To Pay For Love)/ Walkin' Home/ What Ya Gonna Do?/ What Ya' Gonna Do?/ Why Can't It Be Another Lie?/ You're Humbuggin' Me/ You're Humbuggin' Me/ JIM OERTLING & THE BAYOU BOYS: Old Moss Back/ ENDOM SPIRES: I Wonder Where You Are Tonight/ TOMMY STRANGE: Nervous and Shakin' All Over/ PEE WEE TRAHAN: Bop and Rock Tonight/ JAMES WILSON & THE JIMMIE-CATS: Wilson Blues No.1/ You Won't Know Why Til I'm Gone

 
RED NICHOLS Membran 222464 Jazz Edition - Quadromania ● CD $10.98
Four CDs, 84 tracks, highly recommended
Another fine, low price, introduction to an important jazz figure from Membran - this time devoted to recordings by bands led by popular and incredibly prolific cornetist Red Nichols. The first three discs features recordings made between 1927 and 1931 while the fourth disc features 18 tracks from a 1949 sessions with completely different musicians backing Red. Many of the tracks were issued as by Red Nichols Five Pennies though some appeared as by The Charleston Chasers, The Redheads and other names. The Five Pennies was a generic name for the cornetists' studio bands, ranging anywhere from 5 pieces to a full orch. Band members are the cream of the New York session musicians playing in a style somewhere between dance music and hot jazz. Some of the fine musicians appearing on these sessions include Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Fud Livingston, Adrian Rollini, Carl Kress, Manny Klein, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden and many others. On their earlier sessions they would often do two versions of a number - an instrumental and a vocal with the vocal honors going to the mellifluous tones of Scrappy Lambert. (FS)

 
JOHNNY OTIS Ace CDCHD 1326 On With The Show - The Johnny Otis Story, Vol. 2 ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 62 mins, highly recommended
January 19th of 2012 was truly the end of an era with the death of Johnny Otis at the age of 90. Otis was among the most important figures in the development of rhythm & blues in the 1940s and 50s and it's transition to rock 'n' roll. To do justice to all of Johnny's musical accomplishments would require a multi volume box set but this volume and it's predecessor (Ace 1312 - $18.98) provide a nice overview of his recordings and both include rarities and unissued material to appeal to the diehard collector. The previous volume ended with his biggest hit Willie & The Hand Jive in 1958 which was his first crossover hit. This volume continues more of his Capitol recordings including minor hits like Mumblin' Mosie and the great Casting My Spell where he duets with the superb Marci Lee. After being dropped by Capitol in 1959 he started recording for his own Eldo label and then moved to King and cut some fine singles without much success. From 1962 through '67 he cut no sessions of his own though continued doing some production for King. In '67 he returned to recording cutting the fine funk single Keep The Faith for Eldo. He then started recording for the Biharis Kent label with a small group including his son Shuggie on guitar who was deeply involved in blues as he had been hearing some of the great guitarists his dad worked with when he was a child. They recorded the superb album "Cold Shot" in 1968 along with the fine vocalist Delmar Evans including a return to the R&B charts with the bluesy novelty Country Girl. The great album title - a blues fiddle instrumental features his old friend Don "Sugarcane" Harris. The group also recorded an LP of updated unexpurgated African-American toasts issued under the name of Snatch & The Poontangs and one track from that album is featured. From there he moved to Epic where he recorded a couple of album and there are several cuts here from that association including Shuggie updating Otis's 1947 instrumental Midnight At The Barrelhouse. The set ends chronologically with the 1974 recording of the novelty item Jaws - his final appearance in the R&B charts. From then until ill health forced him into retirement around five years ago he continued recording and performing and usually was able to attract great musicians to the band. This disc end, appropriately, with Bye Bye Baby (Until We Meet Again). Johnny was truly a national treasure and will be missed by those many, many people whose lives he impacted. (FS)
JOHNNY OTIS: Baby I Got News For You/ Banana Peels/ Barrelhouse Blues/ Bye Bye Baby (Until We Meet Again)/ Castin' My Spell/ Cold Shot/ Cold Turkey/ Country Girl/ Crazy Country Hop/ Cuttin' Up/ Goin' Back To L.A./ Good Golly/ Hand Jive One More Time/ I Got The Walkin' Blues/ I'm With You/ Jaws/ Jelly Roll/ Johnny Otis Theme/ Keep The Faith, Baby Part Two/ Let's Live It Up/ Mumblin' Mosie/ The New Bo Diddley/ The Signifyin' Monkey/ The Watts Breakaway

 
LITTLE JUNIOR PARKER Fantastic Voyage 138 Ride With Me Baby - The Singles, 1952-1961 ● CD $19.98
Two CDs, 55 tracks, essential
Finally an extensive look at the early career of this superb and important bluesman. Herman "Junior" Parker started his career in Memphis making his first recording for the Modern label in 1952 including a wonderful originally unissued duet with his fellow performer in the legenadry Beale Streeters, Bobby Bland with Johnny Ace on piano and Matt Murphy providing great slashing guitar. He then moved to Sun where he made more great sides - this time Matt's brother Floyd providing the superb guitar work. At his first session he recorded Feelin' Good which was his first R&B hit chart hit - a song that has since become a blues standard. His second session yielded Mystery Train - a song that never made the charts by Junior but was covered by up and coming Sun artist Elvis Presley. In 1953 he signed with Duke bringing with him another Memphis guitar legend Pat Hare and pianist Bill "Struction" Johnson and made several more sides with that same loose Memphis feel before being teamed up with larger bands which gave the music a more uptown feel but never straying too far from Junior's down home roots and the presence of his fine harmonica playing on many of his Due numbers added to that down home quality. Parker had a sweet clear voice that is unforgettable, even on overworked numbers like Five Long Years. His bands, usually with horn sections, had that Texas toughness, but Jr.'s presence added a special touch of soul to the mix. This set includes all his most famous songs from this period - I Wanna Ramble/ Next Time You See Me/ That's All Right/ Driving Wheel/ Sweet Home Chicago/ Stand By Me/ In The Dark and Annie Get Your Yo - many of them R&B hits. On Stand By Me and the uptempo showstopper Seven Days he adds a gospel flavor that works just perfectly. In spite of the title this collection is not just the singles but pretty much everything he recorded during this period including unissued songs and alternate takes. Superb sound, informative notes by Dave Penny and full discographical details round out at an exceptional package of this superb artist who has been poorly represented on CD in the past 10 years. (FS)

 
WILSON PICKETT Acrobat 100 If You Need Me - The early Years ● CD $11.98
11 tracks, 27 mins, highly recommended
Back in print. Short but mighty sweet collection featuring all the sides that the Wicked Mr. Pickett recorded for Lloyd Price and Harold Logan's Double L in 1963 and 1964 prior to joining Atlantic and racking up 35 R&B and pop hits. Three of the fine songs here reached the R&B charts including the great If You Need Me (covered with greater success by soon to be Atlantic stable mate Solomon Burke), the yearning I'm Down To My Last Heartbreak and the intense ballad It's Too Late. Solid deep soul throughout with great singing from Wilson and tough band accompaniment. (FS)

 
WADE RAY Bear Family BCD 17219 Idaho Red - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight ● CD $21.98
30 tracks, highly recommended
Fine collection of sides recorded between 1951 and 1957 for RCA and Fabor by this jazzy vocalist and brilliant fiddler whose fiddling showed the influence of the great jazz fiddler Joe Venuti. Ray's vocal style influenced Willie Nelson (Ray subsequently played bass in Willie's band). His recordings were mostly cut in Hollywood with top sessions musicians like Jimmy Bryant, "Speedy" West, Noel Boggs, Jimmy Wyble, Tommy Allsup and others. Although Ray never had any hits his recordings were very popular particularly the title song and his repertoire was varied with Wade doing songs from writers as varied as Cindy Walker, Irving Berlin, Jimmie Rodgers and Earl Hines! Three tracks are previously unissued including a great version of Charlie Adams' Cattin' Around and an instrumental version of the jazz favorite Perdido which gives Wade a chance to show his jazz chops. Sound quality is, of course, immaculate and the 46 page booklet has extensive notes by Rich Kienzle, rare photos and full discographical information. (FS)

 
DJANGO REINHARDT JSP JSPCD 970 Renown & Resistance, 1937-1943 ● CD $28.98
Five CDS, 134 tracks, very highly recommended
JSP's seventh volume devoted to documenting the recordings of the great Belgian gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Previous volumes (901, 904, 919, 953, 955 and 966 - $28.98) are still available. The period covered includes much of his work with American musicians (Eddie South, Benny Carter & His Orch., Rex Stewart & His Feetwarmers, Larry Adler, stride pianist Joe Turner and others). In 1939 while he and his long time associate Stephane Grapelly were touring England war was declared and being single Grapelly decided to stay in England while Django returned to his family in France. In spite of Nazi attitudes towards gypsies and jazz, Django was able to continue performing during the occupation playing with the leading French bands of the day with his talents undiminished by the turmoil and danger around him. As with previous volumes the recordings were remastered from best possible copies by engineering wizard Ted Kendall and sound fantastic. With this set JSP almost completes its reissue of all of Django's material. There is some material still to be reissued but not enough for a box set.

 
JIMMY ROGERS Chess (Europe) 10399 The Complete Chess Recordings, Vol. 1 ● CD $10.98
25 tracks, essential
The first volume of the complete Chess recordings of this great Chicago bluesman cut between August, 1950 and October, 1956. With his warm, mellifluous vocals and melodic guitar he was one of the most outstanding performers to emerge from the Muddy Waters Band in the 50s. His recordings often featured fellow Muddy Waters band members like Little Walter, Big Crawford, Elgin Evans, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann and others but there were also some remarkable tracks with other musicians. These includes 9 tracks from 1951 & '52 featuring the incredible and underrated piano work of Eddie Ware - a mystery man who I would like to know more about. Two of these feature some amazing guitar by Little Walter - yes, Little Walter on guitar! Other musicians who pop up include J.T. Brown, Henry Gray, Odie Payne, Walter Horton, and other Chicago masters who contribute to the incredibly tight ensemble playing. There is just one classic song after another - That's All Right/ Ludella/ Today, Today Blues/ The World's In A Tangle/ Money, Marbles & Chalk/ Chance To Love (some stunning harp from Little Walter on this)/ Back Door Friend/ Out On The Road/ Chicago Bound/ Sloppy Drunk and more. Several of the songs were not originally issued on 78s but are as good as the issued sides. If you missed the original 1997 double set don't miss this! (FS)

 
JIMMY ROGERS Chess (Europe) 10423 The Complete Chess Recordings, Vol. 2 ● CD $10.98
26 tracks, highly recommended
The second disc features the remainder of Jimmy's master recordings recorded between 1956 and 1959 along with a selection of alternate takes. The opening track from an October 1956 session is Jimmy's magnificent Walking By Myself - a great song with a devastating harmonica solo from Walter Horton. The subsequent recordings are not quite as strong as the earlier recordings - most of the problem appears to be the prevalence of undistinguished material - it's as if the producers wanted to try and move Jimmy into a more rock 'n' roll flavored direction which doesn't really come off. However all is not lost as Jimmy's warm vocals are still a delight and with accompaniments from the likes of Little Walter, Walter Horton, Otis Spann, Jody Williams, Luther Tucker and others the tracks are usually worth a listen. The alternate takes includes a gorgeous though incomplete alternate take of one of Jimmy's greatest performances - Ludella with some different lyrics to the familiar version. There is also a superb alternate of 1953's Act Like You LOve Me. The rest of the alternates are from the later less interesting sessions but, as always, worth a listen. (FS)

 
THE SHADOWS Smith & Co. 2480 Just About As Good As It Gets - Original Recordings ● CD $16.98
Two CDs, 66 tracks, recommended
The Shadows were a British group that initially found fame as Cliff Richard's backing band (known originally as the Drifters). They were Tony Meehan (d), Hark Marvin(lead guitar), Bruce Welch (g) and Jet Harris (b), and enjoyed some incredible success in England with 35 hit instrumental singles. This features a cross section their early recordings including all their early hits like Apache/ Man Of Mystery/ F.B.I./ Kon-Tiki/ The Frightened City and The Savager. Although most of the tracks are instrumental there are also a handful of vocals which are quite pleasing. Several of the tunes are presented in both mono and stereo versions. 17 of the tracks are live featuring them mostly doing tunes issued as singles. Although not as energetic as their American counterparts the group had a distinctive slant that makes their music very appealing. (FS)
THE SHADOWS: 36-24-36 (stereo)/ All My Sorrows/ Apache/ Apache (stereo)/ Baby My Heart/ Baby My Heart (stereo)/ Back Home/ Be Bop A Lula (Live)/ Big Boy/ Big Boy (stereo)/ Blue Star/ Blue Star (stereo)/ Bongo Blues/ Chinchilla/ Do You Want To Dance (Live)/ Don't Be A Fool (With Love)/ Driftin'/ Driftin' (Live)/ F.B.I./ F.B.I. (Live)/ Feelin' Fine/ Find Me A Golden Street/ Find Me A Golden Street (stereo)/ Gonzales/ Gonzales (stereo)/ Guitar Boogie (Live)/ Guitar Boogie (Live)/ Guitar Boogie (Live)/ Jean Dorothy/ Jet Black/ Jet Black (Live)/ Kon-Tiki/ Kon-Tiki (Live)/ Lonesome Fella/ Man Of Mystery/ Man Of Mystery (Live)/ Midnight/ Midnight (Live)/ Mustang/ My Resistance Is Low/ Nivram/ Nivram (Live)/ Nivram (stereo)/ Peace Pipe/ Quartermaster's Stores/ Saturday Dance/ See You In My Drums/ Shadoogie/ Shadoogie (stereo)/ Shazam (Live)/ Shazam (Live)/ Shotgun/ Sleep Walk/ Sleepwalk (Live)/ Stand Up And Say That/ Stand Up And Say That (stereo)/ Stranger On The Shore (Live)/ Teenage Love/ That's My Desire/ The Frightened City/ The Frightened City (Live)/ The Savage/ The Stranger/ Theme From A Filleted Place/ Theme From Giant/ Theme From Shane

 
THE SHELTON BROTHERS B.A.C.M. 370 Volume 2 : Beautiful Louisiana ● CD $14.98
24 tracks, 68 mins, highly recommended
Complementing B.A.C.M. 010 this is another fine and varied selection of material from this versatile duo who perform a wide range of material. The earliest sides here are from 1935 where they perform in the traditional stylings of vocals with mandolin and guitar accompaniment. They are joined by fiddler Curly Fox on a superb rendition of the Mississippi Sheiks blues standard Sittin' On Top Of The World. Subsequent sessions find them with a regular fiddle and banjo for jazzier string band stylings and subsequently with a steel guitar giving their music a western swing feel. Their repertoire is diverse including sentimental songs, bawdy comic songs, pop songs, hokum and blues. A couple of their later performances features the steel guitar of the electric steel guitar pioneer Bob Dunn and Cliff Bruner on fiddle. Songs include A Message From Home Sweet Home/ Stay In The Wagon Yard/ Those Dusty Roads/ She Gave It All Away/ Doggone Crazy Blues/ Beautiful Brown Eyes, etc. (FS)
THE SHELTON BROTHERS: A Message From Home Sweet Home/ Ain't No Use To Worry Anymore/ Beautiful Brown Eyes/ Beautiful Louisiana/ Choo Choo Blues/ Doggone Crazy Blues/ Hallellujah I'm Gonna Be Free Again/ I Don't Want You If You Don't Want Me/ I Just Can't Go/ I Just Dropped In To Say Goodbye/ I'll Be Seeing You In Dallas Alice/ I'm A Handy Man To Have Around/ Leven Miles From Leavenworth/ My Girl Friend Doesn't Like Me Anymore/ Nothin'/ Oh Monah/ She Gave It All Away/ Sittin' On Top O' The World/ Someday Baby/ Stay In The Wagon Yard/ Those Dusty Roads/ When It Rains It Really Pours/ When They Baptized Sister Lucy Lee/ With Another's Arms Around You

 
GEORGE SMITH & THE CHICAGO BLUES BAND BGO BGOCD 1035 Blues With A Feeling - A Tribute To Little Walter ● CD $18.98
14 tracks, recommended
Reissue of the first full length album recorded by this great West Coast harmonica player for the World Pacific label in 1968 with three bonus cuts. Most of the disc consists of George singing or playing some of the best sides recorded by the great Little Walter who had died shortly before these recordings. On this session he is accompanied by members of the Muddy Waters band who were touring the West Coast at the time with Muddy & Luther Johnson on guitars, Little Sonny Wimberly on bass and S.P. Leary on drums. Although George's performance are splendid they are close enough to the originals that one can't but help making comparisons with the originals and these performances come off second. In spite of the lineup the backup seems a bit stodgy - probably the result of too little rehearsal. The best track here is the only non Walter song West Helena Blues - a song that George had been performing for a number of years. The bonus cuts include two more Walter songs and a version of Love With A Feeling sung by Lucille at the same sessions but without George on harp. Not a bad album but not as good as it looks at first glance. (FS)

 
THE SOLITAIRES Jasmine 180 Walking Along ● CD $15.98
2 CD's, 40 tracks, 1 hour 45 min., very highly recommended
One of the great black vocal groups of the 1950s, the Solitaires were, in respect to the distribution of records, more talented than their little label (Old Town) could handle. So they produced plenty of great songs but never did have a national hit record-- Walking Alone was as close as they came, and it's about as perfect as anything is likely to get. But it's no matter now. This 2-disc set, which covers songs released between 1954-1960, is a complete joy and outstrips the competing collections if only in offering more songs, including a few that were not originally issued (i.e., Come Back My Love, How Long, Stranger In Paradise, Silent Grief). The Solitaires lead with their hearts and eventually fell victim to the public's changing musical taste and to an ever-shifting line up. But before that happened, they made some of the smoothest, sweetest sounds ever. (JC)
THE SOLITAIRES: At Night/ Big Mary's House/ Blue Valentine/ Chances I've Taken/ Chapel Of St.Clair/ Come Back My Love/ Don't Fall In Love/ Embraceable You/ Fine Little Girl/ Girl Of Mine/ Give Me One More Chance/ Helpless/ How Long/ I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance/ I Really Love You So (Honey Babe)/ Later For You Baby/ Light A Candle In The Chapel/ Lonely/ Lonesome Lover/ Magic Rose/ My Dear/ No More Sorrow/ Nothing Like A Little Love/ Please Kiss This Letter/ Please Remember My Heart/ Pretty Thing/ Round Goes My Heart/ Silent Grief/ South Of The Border/ Stranger In Paradise/ The Angels Sang/ The Honeymoon/ The Wedding/ Thrill Of Love/ Walkin' And Talkin'/ Walking Along/ What Did She Say/ Wonder Why/ You're Laughing Cause I'm Crying/ You've Sinned

 
THE TUNE WRANGLERS B.A.C.M. 372 Drivin' The Dogies Along ● CD $14.98
23 tracks, 65 mins, highly recommended
Fine selection of western swing flavored string band music by this San Antonio group fronted by singer/ guitarist Buster Coward with hot fiddler Tom Dickey plus banjo and bass. They subsequently added jazz flavored piano and then the exciting electric steel guitar of Eddie Duncan. Their early sides from 1936 and early 1937 like They Go Wild Over Me/ They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree/ I've Got No Use For The Women and That Little Texas Town are particularly fine with a lively raucous feel to them. As the personnel changed significantly in '37 and '38 their style changed to a somewhat more sedate approach but always featuring fine vocals and musicianship. (FS)
THE TUNE WRANGLERS: A Little While Ago/ Back To Nevada/ Dixie Moon/ Dreams Of The Silver Memories OF Gold/ Drivin' The Dogies Along/ Echo Valley/ Honey Smile For Me/ I'll Never Let You Cry (instr)/ I've Got No Use For The Women/ In The Shadow Of The Pines/ It Ain't Gonna Rain No More/ Leave Me With A Smile/ Look Out For The Ghost/ Old Montana Moon/ Ride On Old Timer Ride On/ Ridin' For The Rio Grande/ Rio Pecos Rose/ Sweetest Girl In The World (My Blue Eyed Jane)/ That Little Texas Town/ They Cut Down The Old Pine Tree/ They Go Wild Over Me/ When The Sun Goes Down In Arizona/ Who'll Take Your Place When You're Gone

 
IKE & TINA TURNER BGO BGOCD 1002 Delilah Power/ Airwaves ● CD $19.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
BGO continues their twofer reissues of Ike & Tina's Liberty LPs with their last two albums for the label from 1977 and 1978. "Delilah's Power" is a mix of material including a number of Tina originals including the title song - an ode to women power. It also includes her great cover of Hoyt Axton's Mevber Been To Spain, Sly Stone's I Want To Take You Higher and a sensational rendering of the pop standard Stormy Weather. "Airwaves" is all Ike originals including the deep soul gem Too Many Ties To Bind along with hard driving R&B numbers like Strange/ Flee Flee Flee/ We Need And Understanding and more. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1315 Fender - The Golden Age, 1950-1970 ● CD $18.98
28 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
This collection compliments the fantastic Fender guitar book reviewed in our Books section. What we have here is a fine overview of that classic Fender sound in the hands of a variety of its greatest progenitors. From the early days of the pedal steel guitar, to the evolution of the Telecaster, to the revolution of the Stratocaster, you get Fender's history through the hands of some of is greatest players. Starting with the pedal steel, which is wonderfully represented by the likes of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys - Boot Heel Drag, and Tennessee Ernie Ford with Cliffie Stone's Band - Catfish Boogie. From there you get a wide selection of iconic artists and innovators. Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues, The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run, Dick Dale - Miserlou, The Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought The Law, Booker T. & The MGs (Steve Cropper just wouldn't sound right without a Fender) Green Onions, etc. Some of the lesser known, or at least lesser-comped tracks are what really sells this though, great cuts like Feelin' Good / Please Love Me by ke Turner, Jet Harris' killer version of Besame Mucho (dig that low end man,) Memphis Soul Stew by King Curtis, and many more. On top of all that you get a number of artists like Hank Snow, Faron Young, Barbara Mandrel, (literally) singing the praises of Fender in old radio spots. A fitting homage to a legendary instrument, one that certainly helped define the sound of American music in the 20th century. (JM)
THE BEACH BOYS: Fun, Fun, Fun/ BOOKER T & THE MGS: Green Onions/ JOHNNY CASH: Folsom Prison Blues/ THE CRICKETS: I'm Looking For Someone To Love The/ KING CURTIS & THE KINGPINS: Memphis Soul Stew/ DICK DALE & THE DEL-TONES: Miserlou/ DONOVAN: Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)/ TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD WITH CLIFFIE STONE'S BAND: Catfish Boogie/ THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law/ JET HARRIS: Besame Mucho/ DALE HAWKINS: Susie-Q/ RONNIE HAWKINS & THE HAWKS: Who Do You Love?/ JAN HOWARD: Fender Radio Ad/ THE KINGSMEN: Louie Louie/ BARBARA MANDRELL: Fender Radio Ad/ WILLIE MITCHELL: Soul Serenade/ JACK NITZSCHE: The Lonely Surfer/ BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS: Buckaroo/ OTIS REDDING: Rock Me Baby (Rockin' And Rollin')/ OTIS RUSH: All Your Love (I Miss Loving)/ THE SHADOWS: Wonderful Land/ HANK SNOW: Fender Radio Ad/ IKE TURNER: Feelin' Good-Please Love Me/ THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: Beginning To See The Light/ THE VENTURES: Walk - Don't Run/ BOB WILLS AND HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS: Boot Heel Drag/ THE YARDBIRDS: I Ain't Got You/ FARON YOUNG: Fender Radio Ad

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1317 Smash Boom Bang! The Songs & Productions Of Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer ● CD $18.98
26 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Here's another installment in Ace's great songwriters series. This time you get the team of Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer, no, they weren't one of the competing advertising firms on "Mad Men," but a fine songwriting and producing trio who were responsible for a few of the greatest popular Rock & Roll songs of the mid 1960's. We're talking Night Time and I Want Candy, by The Strangeloves, My Boyfriend's Back by The Angels, and Hang On Sloopy by The McCoys. On top of those absolute gems, you get some fun nuggets like Lets Stomp by Bobby Comstock, Hide & Seek by The Sheep, and Don't Monkey With Tarzan by The Pygmies. So you can tell that Gottehrer and co. Didn't take themselves too seriously and had a lot of fun with what they were producing. Other songs of note are Sorrow also by The McCoys, a killer cut and probably their second best song, Chubby Checker's At The Discotheque, and Gonna Make It Alone by Ronnie Dio & The Prophets, a fine rocker in the mode of Dion, by a great group whose singer would be better known years later as Ronnie James Dio. A ton of informative notes accompany all this fine music and make for a overall hit, even if a couple of the tracks are painfully corny. (JM)
THE ANGELS: My Boyfriend's Back/ THE BEACH-NUTS: Out In The Sun (Hey-O)/ JERRY BUTLER: Giving Up On Love/ CHUBBY CHECKER: (At The) Discotheque/ THE CHIC-LETS: I Want You To Be My Boyfriend/ DIANE CHRISTIAN: Wonderful Guy/ BOBBY COMSTOCK: I'm A Man/ Let's Stomp/ RONNIE DIO & THE PROPHETS: Gonna Make It Alone/ DION: Swingin' Street/ THE JIVE FIVE WITH EUGENE PITT: What Time Is It?/ PATTY LACE & THE PETTICOATS: Girls Don't Trust That Boy/ THE MCCOYS: Hang On Sloopy/ Sorrow/ DEAN PARRISH: Tell Her/ THE PIN-UPS: Lookin' For Boys/ RAY POLLARD: The Drifter/ THE POWDER PUFFS: (You Can't Take) My Boyfriend's Woody/ THE PYGMIES: Don't Monkey With Tarzan/ THE SHEEP: Hide And Seek/ GILES STRANGE: You're Going Up To The Bottom/ THE STRANGELOVES: I Want Candy/ Night Time/ DEBRA SWISHER: You're So Good To Me/ RON WINTERS: Snow Girl/ Back In The Usa

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 1330 Memphis Boys - The Story Of American Studios ● CD $18.98
24 tracks, 66 mins, very highly recommended
In conjunction with the excellent book of the same title by Roben Jones, "Memphis Boys" tells the story of Chips Moman's American Recording Studio and the cast of characters, like Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, B.J. Thomas, Mark James, and others who made American one of the most enigmatic of all the Southern recording studios of the 1960s & 1970s. American was famous for a number of reasons: one, as a nurturing ground for acts like The Box Tops, Merrilee Rush, The Gentrys, and others. Their respective hits The Letter/ Angel of The Morning, and Keep On Dancing, all came out of American and are all featured here. The studio was also famous for labels like Atlantic, Stateside, Goldwax, etc., having their great Soul acts record there, with Solomon Burke's Shame On Me, Joe Tex's Skinny Legs and All, and Arthur Conley's Funky Street all represented, to name just a few. More than anything else by far, though, are two groundbreaking albums that were recorded at American: Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis" and Elvis Presley's return to Rock & Roll credibility "From Elvis in Memphis," (plus tracks on the follow up "From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis.") Dusty's album would solidify her standing in Rock & Roll history and would provide the massive single Son of a Preacher Man, which is featured here. Elvis' American outing would capitalize on the momentum of his "68 Comeback" T.V. special and would feature some of his last truly great songs. This collection features Elvis' recording of I'm Movin On, as well as Mark James' original recording of Suspicious Minds. On top of all that you get such killers as Shake A Tailfeather by James & Bobby Purify, You've Got My Mind Messed Up by James Carr, and so on. I could obviously keep going on about all the great recordings and stories the American Recording Studios produced, but I think you get the idea; both this CD and the book are very highly recommended indeed. Unfortunately the book is not currently available through Roots & Rhythm. (JM)
THE BOX TOPS: The Letter/ SOLOMON BURKE: Shame On Me/ JAMES CARR: You've Got My Mind Messed Up/ ARTHUR CONLEY: Funky Street/ LC COOKE: Let's Do It Over/ KING CURTIS & THE KINGPINS: Memphis Soul Stew/ THE GENTRYS: Keep On Dancing/ THE GLORIES: Dark End Of The Street/ CLAY HAMMOND: Suzy Do It Better Than You/ MARK JAMES: Suspicious Minds/ PERCY MILEM: I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)/ DANNY O'KEEFE: Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues/ WILSON PICKETT: I'm In Love/ SANDY POSEY: Born A Woman/ ELVIS PRESLEY: I'm Movin' On/ JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY: Shake A Tail Feather/ MERRILEE RUSH: Angel Of The Morning/ JOE SIMON: Nine Pound Steel/ DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: Son-Of-A Preacher Man/ JOE TEX: Skinny Legs And All/ BJ THOMAS: I've Been Down This Road Before/ OSCAR TONEY JR: For Your Precious Love/ SPENCER WIGGINS: The Power Of A Woman/ BOBBY WOMACK: More Than I Can Stand

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Cactus 107 High On The Hog: Small Label Hillbilly Bop & Honky Tonk ● CD $15.98
29 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Another terrific collection of up-tempo country from small labels recorded in the 50s and early 60s. It opens with the great Haywire Jones by Freddie Frank - a ballad about an oil well tragedy and is appropriately followed by a story about the Oilwell Girls by Slim Willett from an obscure Winston LP. Other artists include Leon Tassin (the fine talking blues Get A Move On Baby), Rex Rineheart (the great bluesy rocker Going Back To My Baby with acoustic guitar, fiddle and steel guitar), Voni Morrison (the fine Bakersfield sounding Too Broke To Break), The Echomores, Chuck Ray, Frank Ole'shay, Lee Voorhies, The Stoltz Brothers ( a fine version of the Cowboy Copas favorite Alabam), Rocky Harper and others. I've heard of very few of the artists but it reveals how much great music was being made by independent labels that was a lot more honest than much of what was coming from big labels. (FS)
ROY ALDRIDGE: It's Not Easy To Forget/ BILL ANDERSON: No Song To Sing/ RAY BEACH: Walking Blues/ THE ECHOMORES feat JOHNNY SKILES: What-Cha-Do-In'/ GENE EUFIELD: The Big Tree/ FREDDIE FRANK: Haywire Jones/ HARLEY GABBARD: You've Got Your Man/ KEN GALLOWAY: Bayou Lou/ ROCKY HARPER: Show Me Love/ JAMIE HILLIARD: I'm Going Back To My Indian Maiden/ ED LYNCH: Cornfed Country Girl/ JACK MORRIS: Cooing To The Wrong Pigeon/ VONI MORRISON: Too Broke To Break/ LEE NICHOLS: Baby You Got Everything/ FRANK OLE'SHAY: Love, Love, Love Me, Honey Do/ ERNIE OLEACHEA: Drifting Vagabond/ NORMAN PHELPS: Good-Bye Blues/ CHUCK RAY: I May Not Be Able But I'm Willing To Try/ REX RINEHART: Going Back (To My Baby)/ JON ROLLINS: I Got Wheels/ JOHNNY ROWLAND: Ohio Baby/ ROY SHEPARD: Blue Days & Nights/ GENE SMITH: Privacy/ OTT STEPHENS: Oh Broken Hearted Me/ THE STOLTZ BROTHERS: Alabam/ CARL TANNER: Sweet Talking Baby/ LEON TASSIN: Get A Move On, Baby/ LEE VOORHIES: Load Up My Heart/ SLIM WILLET: Oil Patch Girls

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Cactus 108 High On The Hog: Small Label Hillbilly Bop & Honky Tonk ● CD $15.98
29 tracks, 67 mins, highly recommended
Another great collection of uptempo hillbilly rarities. Freddie Frank and Slim Willet return from Volume 6 with two more songs about life in the oilfields - Tool Pusher From Snyder and Roughneck. The disc opens with the remarkable Cactus Kid's Talkin' Bues by Gene Parson with lyrics that border on the surrealistic. Other artists include Bill Bradley (the fascinating Drunkard's Diary), Nelson Riddle (fine bluegrass from Starday), Larry Edwards (a terrific reworking of the old favorite Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane), Eddie Collins (the soulful I've Been Around Too Late with some innovative guitar (or is mandolin?) work), Bob Bartmess, Cuzin Roscoe, Victor Friese, Tommy Vaughn, Richard Tallpine (the offbeat Inhuman Woman with a rhythm that sounds like hillbilly reggae!), Jimmy Heath and many other fine artists you've probably never heard of! (FS)
CARROT TOP ANDERSON: Mope Along/ HAL ANDREWS: Darlin'/ BOB BARTMESS: Girl Crazy/ Model-T-Heart/ JOE BEE: What Good Would It Do/ AL BENNETT: It's In The Cards/ BILL BRADLEY: Drunkard's Diary/ EDDIE COLLINS: I've Been Around Too Long/ LARRY EDWARDS: Walkin' Cane/ FREDDIE FRANK: Tool Pusher From Snyder/ VICTOR FRIESE: Let's Pitch A Little Woo/ DON HAGGARD: Somebody Has Clipped Your Wings/ JIMMY HEATH: I Quit/ DON HESS: I'm Getting Nowhere With You/ PAT KINGERY with JENNIE COOK: Volcano/ EARL LEE: I'll Be Waiting/ GENE PARSON: Cactus Kid's Talkin' Blues/ BILL PENCE: Too Late To Cry/ NORMAN PHELPS: Don't Bother Me With Your Troubles/ TOMMY RIDDLE: When You Kiss Me Darling/ BOB ROACK: Have A Talk With Your Heart/ CUZIN ROSCOE: Sing Me A Song/ BOB STANLEY: Heartaches & Tears/ Your Triflin' Ways/ RICHARD TALLPINE: Inhuman Woman/ TOMMY VAUGHN: Don't Make A Fool Out Of Me/ SLIM WILLET: Roughneck/ EDDIE WRIGHT: Somebody's Got To Lose/ NELSON YOUNG: Sunrise

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Charly SNADCD 561 Southern Soul Shake! ● CD $15.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended
Two seminal collections of deep 60's Southern Soul from the Memphis based SSS International label and its affiliates, Silver Fox and Minaret, originally released in 1978 and 1982 respectively on Charly. Disc one contains the first LP, Music City Soul, while disc two contains the other LP, SSS Soul Survey, and both discs feature bonus tracks along with the original LPs' track listing. SSS International was owned by Shelby Singleton and issued some of the best deep soul singles of the late 60's, even though Singleton made most of his money reissuing the Sun catalog, which he had purchased from Sam Phillips in 1969. The first disc boasts the bigger guns: Big Al Downing, Bettye Lavette, T-Bone Walker, Wilbert Harrison, Robert Parker, Johnny Adams, and Hank Ballard (duetting with Lavette) all provide some smoking cuts, eg Harrison's original version of Let's Stick Together, Adams' Reconsider Me (the follow up to earlier hit Release Me, which is on disc two), and Lavette's He Made a Woman Out of Me. The second set has its highlights too: Mickey Murray's Lonely Room, Big John Hamilton's I Have No One and How Much Can a Man Take?, Danny White's One Way Love Affair, and, from the bonus tracks, Hank Ballard's version of Sunday Morning Coming Down. And the soul masterpiece Crying In The Streets by George Perkins belongs in the collection of anyone who loves soul. In addition, many of these tracks are new to CD, so the question is: what are you waiting for? (GMC)
JOHNNY ADAMS: Georgia Morning Dew/ If I Could See You One More Time/ Reconsider Me/ Release Me/ DORIS ALLEN: A Shell Of A Woman/ Hanging Heavy In My Mind/ HANK BALLARD: Sunday Morning Coming Down/ REUBEN BELL: Action Speaks Louder Than Words/ Too Late/ TOMMY BUSH: (I Just Want) Some Leaving Alone/ CLIFFORD CURRY: Soul Ranger/ BIG AL DOWNING: Cornbread Row/ Medley Of Soul/ These Arms You Push Away/ JOHNNY DYNAMITE: The Night The Angels Cried/ GEORGIE BOY: The Pleasure Of My Woman/ EDDIE GILES: That’s How Strong My Love Is/ WILLIE CHARLES GRAY: I've Really Got Something To Be Proud Of/ My Ancestors/ BIG JOHN HAMILTION: How Much Can A Man Take?/ BIG JOHN HAMILTON: Before The Next Teardrop Falls/ I Have No One/ Lift Me Up/ Take This Hurt Off Me/ Them Changes/ BETTY HARRIS: There’s A Break In The Road/ WILBERT HARRISON: From The Bottom Of My Heart/ Let’s Stick Together/ WILLIE HOBBS: The Game Of Love/ Yes, My Goodness, Yes/ BETTYE LAVETTE: He Made A Woman Out Of Me/ My Train’s Coming In/ Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go/ CALVIN LEAVY: Cummins Prison Farm/ CLARENCE MURRAY: Baby, You Got It/ MICKEY MURRAY: Lonely Room/ Shout Bamalama/ ROBERT PARKER: You See Me/ You Shakin’ Things Up/ GEORGE PERKINS & THE SILVER STARS: Cryin’ In The Streets/ PEGGY SCOTT: Every Little Bit Hurts/ Big City Blues/ Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries/ Soulshake/ JOHNNY SOUL: I Almost Called Your Name/ Lonely Man/ GLORIA TAYLOR: You Gotta Pay The Price/ T-BONE WALKER: All Night Long/ DANNNY WHITE: Natural Soul Brother/ DANNY WHITE: One Way Love Affair

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Charly SNADCD 664 Mr. Joe's Jambalaya - Loaded Down With The Blues ● CD $15.98
Two CDs, 46 mins, highly recommended
If you missed out on the now out of print three CD Charly set "The Instant Minit Story" this is a chance to get a goodly number of titles from that set featuring a geat selection of New Orleans blues and R&B recorded for Joe Banashak's Minit, Instant, Alon and Seven-B between 1959 and 1971. These tracks were originally on a single and double LP originally issued in the 1980s. "Loaded Down" is an excellent collection of 14 straight blues cuts. There are four cuts by fine singer/ guitarist Boogie Jake including his often reissued Bad Luck & Trouble. There are two down home cuts from noted New Orleans guitarist Edgar Blanchard and two wonderfully raucous tracks from singer harmonica player Polka Dot Slim. Diamond Joe's soulful double sided Screamin' & Moanin' is featured in its unedited 6 minute version. There is a fine previously unissued cut by The Pitter Pats featuring the high pitched vocal of Alex Scott and some excellent guitar which is rather buried in the mix. The album is rounded out by two tracks by Nolan Pitts and two previously unissued tracks by the excellent Eddie Lang. "Mr Joe's Jambalaya" was a double LP featuring R&B sides including some of the labels big hits like Ooh Poo Pah Doo by Jessie Hill, Mother-In-Law by Ernie K.Doe, I Like It Like That by Chris Kenner and others along with great lesser known cuts from Roy Montrell, Lee Diamond, Willie Harper, Eldridge Holmes and others. Like other Charly re-reissue packages it seems that they have not newly remastered the recordings and the resulting sound is a little on the dull side though perfectly listenable. Includes new notes by Bob Fisher. (FS)
ALLEN & ALLEN: Beverly Baby/ JOE ’MR GOOGLE EYES’ AUGUST: Everything Happens At Night/ EDGAR BLANCHARD: Somebody's Doin' Me Wrong/ Tight Like That/ EDDIE BO & INEZ CHEATHAM: Lover And A Friend/ CHICK CARBO: In The Night/ LARRY DARNELL: Son Of A Son Of A Slave (Aka Stomp Down Soul) Part 1/ THE DEL ROYALS: Always Naggin'/ LEE DIAMOND: I Need Money/ DIAMOND JOE: Moanin' And Screamin' (Parts 1 & 2)/ LEE DORSEY: Lottie Mo/ SKIP EASTERLING: I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man/ BARBARA GEORGE: Something You Got/ WILLIE HARPER: New Kind Of Love/ JESSIE HILL: Ooh Poo Pah Doo Parts 1 & 2/ ELDRIDGE HOLMES: The Sooner You Realize/ MATTHEW "BOOGIE JAKE" JACOBS: (If I Only Had A) Chance For Your Love/ Bad Luck And Trouble/ Early Morning Blues/ Loaded Down/ ERNIE K-DOE: Mother-In-Law/ CHRIS KENNER: I Like It Like That Part 1/ EDDIE LANG: I'm Gonna Make You Eat Those Words/ The Fooler Parts 1 & 2/ The Sad One/ CALVIN LEE: Valley Of Tears/ RAYMOND LEWIS: I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You/ LITTLE BUCK: Whisper My Name/ ROY MONTRELL: Mudd/ OLIVER MORGAN: The La La Man Part 1/ AARON NEVILLE: Over You/ ART NEVILLE: All These Things (Full-Length Version)/ THE PITTER PATS: It Do Me Good/ Nervous Condition/ NOLAN PITTS: Way In The Middle Of The Night/ What Is Life?/ POLKA DOT SLIM: A Thing You Gotta Face/ Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry/ ESKEW REEDER: Green Door/ ROGER & THE GYPSIES: Pass The Hatchet Part 1/ THE SHOWMEN: It Will Stand/ BENNY SPELLMAN: Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette)/ THE STOKES: Whipped Cream/ IRMA THOMAS: Ruler Of My Heart/ ALLEN TOUSSAINT & THE STOKES: Go Back Home/ Poor Boy, Got To Move

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chess (Europe) 10398 Chess Blues Guitar : Two Decades Of Killer Fretwork, Volume 1 ● CD $10.98
23 tracks, highly recommended
The first disc of Chess 9393 surveying some of the great blues guitarists who recorded or Chess and affiliated labels between 1949 and 1969 including rare and unissued sides. This first disc covers the period 1949 through 1958. It opens with Robert Nighthawk's slide guitar masterpice Anna Lee and includes sides from Johnny Shines, John Lee Hooker (an alternate of Walkin' The Boogie without the overdubbed speeded up guitar), Morris Pejoe, John Brim, Eddie Boyd (with Robert Lockwood on guitar), Howlin' Wolf (the great Willie Johnson on guitar), J.B. Lenoir, Bo Diddley, Jody Williams (two tracks including the originally unissued What KInd Of Gal Is That?), Lafayette Thomas and more. Sidmen on these sessions is a who's who of great Chicago musiciasn including Little Walter, Big Crawford, Henry Gray, Elgin Evans, Louis Myers, Ernest Cotton, Eddie Chamblee, Lafayette Leake and others. (FS)
CHUCK BERRY: Guitar Boogie/ BLUE SMITTY & HIS STRING MEN: Date Bait/ EDDIE BOYD: Just a Fool/ JOHN BRIM: It Was a Dream/ BO DIDDLEY: Who Do You Love?/ LOWELL FULSON: Reconsider Baby/ Rollin' Blues/ EARL HOOKER: Frog Hop/ Guitar Rumba/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Walkin' the Boogie (alternate take)/ HOWLIN' WOLF: I've Got a Woman/ J.B. LENOIR: Give Me One More Shot/ JOE HILL LOUIS: When I Am Gone (Treat Me Mean and Evil)/ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK: Anna Lee/ DANNY OVERBEA: Forty Cups of Coffee/ MORRIS PEJOE: Tired of Crying over You/ JIMMY ROGERS: That's All Right/ JOHNNY SHINES: So Glad I Found You/ LAFAYETTE THOMAS: Old Memories/ MUDDY WATERS: Loving Man/ Sad, Sad Day/ JODY WILLIAMS: Lucky Lou/ What Kind of Gal Is That?

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chess (Europe) 10400 Aristocrat Of The Blues - Best Of Aristocrat Records 1 ● CD $10.98
25 tracks, 73 mins, very highly recommended
Originally half of Chess 9387. The first of two discs exploring recordings made for the Aristocrat label which was founded by Charles & Evelyn Aaron in April 1947. They were bought out by Leonard & Phil Chess the following year who ran the label until 1950 when they changed the name to Chess. Although many of the artists recorded for the label were jump blues the emphasis on the two CD set is on the label's down home blues recordings with only a taken representation of jump blues performers. The two disc include all the recordings made for the label by Muddy Waters including originally unissued titles and includes titles under his own name as well as his accompaniments to other artists. This disc starts with five jump blues sides including Tom Archia's outrageously risque Fishin' Pole and Andrew Tibbs ironic tribute to the recently deceased Mississippi governor - Bilbo Is Dead. In September 1947 Sunnyland Slim and Muddy Waters entered the studios and together with bassist Big Crawford cut two songs each. The following April they did a six song session adding Alex Atkins on alto sax for four songs. Muddy also did two songs accompanied by only Crawford - remakes of songs he had recorded for the Library Of Congress in 1942. The success of the resulting 78 encouraged the Chess brothers to record Muddy in this format for a number of years. Altogether this disc has 10 sides by Muddy himself along with four cuts backing Sunnyland Slim, two providing some stellar slide work on songs by St. Louis Jimmy and two providing accompaniment to the superb voclist Leroy Foster. This disc also includes one track from the superb piano player Forrest Sykes and one track from the first session by the great vocalist and slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk. (FS)
TOM ARCHIA: Fishin' Pole/ Ice Man Blues/ THE FIVE BLAZES: Chicago Boogie/ LEROY FOSTER: Locked Out Boogie/ Shady Grove Blues/ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK: My Sweet Lovin' Woman/ CLARENCE SAMUELS: Boogie Woogie Blues/ ST. LOUIS JIMMY: Florida Hurricane/ So Nice and Kind/ SUNNYLAND SLIM: Fly Right, Little Girl/ Johnson Machine Gun/ My Baby, My Baby/ She Ain't Nowhere/ FORREST SYKES: Forest Sykes Plays the Boogie/ ANDREW TIBBS: Bilbo Is Dead/ MUDDY WATERS: Down South Blues/ Good Looking Woman/ Gypsy Woman/ I Can't Be Satisfied/ I Feel Like Going Home/ Kind Hearted Woman/ Little Anna Mae/ Mean Disposition/ Sittin' Here and Drinkin' (Whiskey Blues)/ Train Fare Home

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chess (Europe) 10413 Chess Blues Guitar: Two Decades Of Killer Fretwork, Vol. 2 ● CD $10.98
22 tracks, highly recommended
This disc brings us recordings from 1958 through 1969 and includes a number of tracks not originally issued as singles - many that first made their appearance on Japanese P-Vine LPs. Artists include Muddy Waters, Lafayette Thomas (the originally unissued Claim On You from West Coast guitar giant), Otis Rush, Chuck Berry (the fine I Still Got The Blues from his "Chuck Berry On Stage" LP but without the phony dubbed on applause), Elmore James (the all time classic Talk To Me Baby), Albert Kin, Howlin' Wolf (the dumb song Hidden Charms rescued by spectacular Hubert Sumlin guitar), Little Milton, Robert Nighthawk (the great originally unissued Someday from 1964 - no slide but great guitar from Buddy Guy on guitar and harp by Walter Horton), Buddy Guy, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (a splendid originally unissued version of Sonny Boy Williamson's Cross My Heart from 1965), Hound Dog Taylor (one side of his obscure 1967 Checker single with great slide and fine harp by Walter Horton), Lonnie Brooks, JOhnny Littlejohn (the originally unissuied She's Too Much) from 1969. (FS)
CHUCK BERRY: I Still Got the Blues/ LONNIE BROOKS: One Sunny Day/ CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN: Cross My Heart/ EDDIE "GUITAR" BURNS: Treat Me Like I Treat You/ BO DIDDLEY: I Can Tell/ My Babe/ BUDDY GUY: Broken Hearted Blues/ Buddy's Boogie/ Leave My Girl Alone/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Hidden Charms/ Killing Floor/ ELMORE JAMES: Talk to Me Baby/ ALBERT KING: Won't Be Hanging Around/ LITTLE MILTON: I Can't Quit You Baby/ What Kind of Love Is This?/ JOHN LITTLEJOHN: She's Too Much/ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK: Someday/ JIMMY ROGERS: Rock This House/ OTIS RUSH: I'm Satisfied/ HOUND DOG TAYLOR: Watch Out/ LAFAYETTE THOMAS: Claim on You/ MUDDY WATERS: Walkin' Thru the Park

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chess (Europe) 10442 Aristocrat Of The Blues - Best Of Aristocrat Records 2 ● CD $10.98
26 tracks, essential
This volume features 15 tracks by Muddy - many with just Big Crawford providing great slap bass accompaniment to Muddy's fabulous vocals and slide guitar and some with Leroy Foster on rhythm guitar. One session features songs with his then current band with Johnny Jones on piano, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar and Leroy Foster on drums. This session also features two sublime vocals from Jones including the original Big Town Playboy. There are seven more cuts from the magnificent Robert Nighthawk including two songs forever associated with him - Sweet Black Angel and Anna Lee. The disc is rounded out by tracks from down home singer and harmonica player Forest City Joe and one jump blues from Duke Jenkins. Some truly magnificent music! (FS)
FOREST CITY JOE: Memory of Sonny Boy/ DUKE JENKINS' ARISTOCRATS: Baby, I'm Sick of You/ JOHNNY JONES: Big Town Playboy/ Shelby County Blues/ ROBERT NIGHTHAWK: Anna Lee/ Jackson Town Gal/ Prison Bound/ Return Mail Blues/ She Knows How to Love a Man/ Six Three O/ Sweet Black Angel/ MUDDY WATERS: Burying Ground Blues/ Canary Bird/ Hard Days/ Last Time I Fool Around With You/ Little Geneva/ Mean Red Spider/ Muddy Jumps One/ Rollin' and Tumblin', Pt. 1/ Rollin' and Tumblin', Pt. 2/ Screamin' and Cryin'/ Standin' Here Tremblin'/ Streamline Woman/ Where's My Woman Been/ You're Gonna Miss Me/ You're Gonna Need My Help

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chess (UK) 9830153 Chess Northern Soul ● CD $14.98 $10.98
Fine selection of 20 cuts of soul sides popular in the British Northern Soul clubs recorded for Chess, Checker and Cadet between 1965 and 1972. Includes quite a few tracks not readily elsewhere. Includes tracks from Marlena Shaw, The Radiants, Denise LaSalle, The Gospel Classics, Tony Clarke, Little Milton, The Dells, Tommy & Cleve, Ramsey Lewis & others. Includes 16 page booklet with notes, photos & label shots.
FONTELLA BASS: Leave It In The Hands Of Love/ TERRY CALLIER: Look At Me Now/ Ordinary Joe/ TONY CLARKE: Landslide/ The Fugitive Kind/ THE DELLS: Make Sure/ Run For Cover/ Wear It On Our Face/ MAMIE GALORE: It Ain't Necessary/ THE GEMS: I Can't Help Myself/ THE GOSPEL CLASSICS: More Love That's What We Need/ DENISE LASALLE: A Love Reputation/ RAMSEY LEWIS: Wade In The Water/ LITTLE MILTON: More And More/ You Colored My Blues Bright/ BOBBY MCCLURE: Peak Of Love/ THE RADIANTS: Hold On/ MARLENA SHAW: Let's Wade In The Water/ TOMMY & CLEVE: Boo Ga Loo Baby/ THE VALENTINOS: Sweeter Than The Day Before

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Chrome Dreams 5078 The Roots Of Drone ● CD $19.98
2 CDs, 37 tracks, 126 mins, highly recommended, but not for everybody
Although so many of these "Roots Of" collections ("Roots Of Rockabilly," "Roots Of Bob Dylan," etc.) are kind of getting burnt out, This collection takes on a brave new frontier: "Drone" music. Drone is a term that can be applied to a variety of music, but the Electronic, Experimental and Industrial musical movements are probably what most would consider to be using the "Drone" sound. Not being the most technically minded, I will leave it up to Wikipedia to define Drone as: "A drone effect can be achieved through a sustained sound or through repetition of a note. It most often establishes a tonality upon which the rest of the piece is built. A drone can be instrumental, vocal or both." So what are the "Roots of Drone," you might ask? Well, a lot of fantastic and esoteric music can certainly qualify. On this collection you get Blues by John Lee Hooker - Wandering Blues, and Howlin' Wolf - I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline,) Jazz from Miles Davis So What, Gospel from Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers - Come and go to That Land, and The Swan Silvertones - Trouble My Way. There's also Indian music from Ravi Shankar, Tibetan music, music from The Wam Tribe of New Guinea, Classical music, Country music, vintage experimental music by the likes of John Cage ("4:33" of silence, doesn't get more Drone than that,) and of course Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny!! Wagner, Bo Diddley, One String Sam, Rolf Harris, the Scots Guard, Miklos Rozsa, Clarence Ashley, and many more. I found all kinds of fantastic and mind-expanding stuff on this collection, and although I certainly won't recommend it for just anybody, if you want to go on a brave musical journey, than definitely take this trip. (JM)
CLARENCE ASHLEY: The Coo-Coo Bird/ BATUTA, RUMANIA: Batuta, Rumania/ SIR THOMAS BEECHAM & THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHEST: Haydn Symphony No 104 'London' (Spiritoso)/ THE BORODIN QUARTET: Shostakovich String Quartet #4 in D, Op 83-4 Allegretto/ JOHN CAGE: 4:33/ AUSTIN COLEMAN, JOE WASHINGTON & GROUP: Good Lord (Run Old Jeremiah)/ SAM COOKE & THE SOUL STIRRERS: Come and Go To That Land/ MILES DAVIS: So What/ VEENA DHANAMMAL: Nijamarmamulan Raga Umabharanam Chro05078/ BO DIDDLEY: She's Alright/ Signifying Blues/ GEORGE FORMBY: Hindoo Man/ ROLF HARRIS: Sun Arise/ HOWLIN' WOLF: I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)/ FLOYD JONES: On the Road Again/ KHUDA BOX MANDRANI: Lero, Baluchistan/ YVES KLEIN: Monotone Symphony/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Wandering Blues/ PIPE MAJOR MACINTOSH: Pibroch o' Donald Dubh/ EFISIO MELIS: Mediana/ MONKS OF THE KUME TARSANG MONASTERY OF L: The Eternal Voice/ LOU MONTE: The Shiek Of Araby/ ONE STRING SAM: I Need A Hundred Dollars/ THE ORIGINAL UDAY SHANKAR COMPANY OF HINDU M: Raga Bhairava/ THE PIPES & DRUMS OF THE 2ND BATTALION SCOTS: Skye Boat Song/ FIDDLIN' ECK ROBERTSON: Sally Goodin/ MIKLOS ROZSA: Ben Hur/ GIACINTO SCELSI: Trio For Stings/ RAVI SHANKAR: Raga Simhendra Madhyamam/ JAMES SHORTY & VIOLA JAMES CONGREGATION: Jesus on the Main Line/ THE HARRY SIMEONE CHORALE: The Little Drummer Boy/ THE SWAN SILVERTONES: Trouble In My Way/ WAGNER: Rheingold Prelude (Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch)/ WAM TRIBE NEW GUINEA: Live Beetle Jew's Harp/ MUDDY WATERS: Mannishi Boy/ WEBERN: Five Pieces For Orchestra (Third Movement)/ LA MONTE YOUNG: For Brass

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Clifton 3016 Ladies First ● CD $17.98 $11.98
A collection of recordings made in the 1990s of 50s and 60s doo-wop songs featuring male groups with female lead. Includes Ami Ortiz with The Clif-Tones, Fellas & Cliftonaires, Lisa Vitti with The Luvables and The Cliftonaires, Pamela Cartagena with The Valentinos, Sandra Italiano with The Cliftoniares, Blue Stars and more.. Songs include Whadaya Want?/ I'm So In Love/ Blue Moon/ Beat In My Heart, etc.
AMI & HER FELLAS: My Birthday Wish/ AMI & THE CLIF-TONES: Charles My Darling/ AMI & THE CLIFTONAIRES: I Do Believe/ AMI & THE CLIF-TONES: Sitting Here/ Somewhere In Life/ CHERIE & THE CROSSTONAIRES: Cherie (dottie)/ JOANNE & THE I-DEALS: Beat In My Heart/ LISA & THE LUVABLES: Blue Moon/ LISA & THE CLIFTONAIRES: We Kissed In The Shadows/ PAM & THE VALENTINOS: Kingdom Of Love/ PATTY & THE CLIFTONAIRES: I'm So In Love/ My Baby's Gone/ SANDRA & THE GLEAMS: Come Home/ SANDRA & THE BLUE STARS: It's Only A Paper Moon/ SANDRA & THE CLIFTONAIRES: Mi Gram Amor (my Great Love)/ Whadaya Want?

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS El Toro 1053 El Mexican Rock And Roll, Vol. 2 ● CD $18.98
29 tracks, recommended
Complementing El Toro 1028 this is another entertaining collection devoted to the early years of rock 'n' roll in Mexico. The first volume covered the years 1955 to 1957 and this one covers 1956 to 1959. Many of the artists on the first volume were long active bands doing rock 'n' roll tunes with a big band flavor - often incorporating elements of Mexican music. On this volume we see the emergence of younger performers and the records have a more driving rock 'n' roll swing to them though the emphasis is still on larger jazzy groups than was the norm in the USA. Apart from Juan Garcia Esquivel who moved to the U.S.A. and became known as Esquivel most of the artists will be unknown in this country. Many of the songs are covers of U.S. rock 'n' roll hits like Rock Around The Clock/ See You Later Alligator/ Heartbreak Hotel/ Sh Boom, etc. and there is even a cover of The Platters' My Prayer by Los Cinco Latinos who do a nice job though sounding nothing like doo-wop. The teenage Los Lunaticos do the fascinating Elvis Perez which switches from mariachi to rock 'n' roll with the lead singer imitating The King. A thoroughly enjoyable and important collection with an excellent 8 page booklet with lots of illustrations and notes on all the artists. (FS)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Indigo 2537 The Devil's Music ● CD $22.98 $12.98
3 CDs, 49 tracks, 181 minutes, highly recommended
We've turned up a few more copies of this fine, and much in demand, out of print set. At the beginning of 1976, a small four-man crew and Giles Oakley set off from the UK to travel the deep South, Chicago and New York, to work exclusively on a documentary that became a five-part series which aired on BBC television as The Devil's Music. This 3-CD set stands as proof of how valuable Oakley's work was. Disc one includes fascinating songs by Sam Chatmon (Stop And Listen/ Sam's Rag/ Who's Gonna Love You Tonight), Big Joe Williams (Highway 49/ Watergate Blues), and Bukka White (Aberdeen, Mississippi), as well as juke performers like Sonny Blake, Joe Willie Wilkins (Mr. Downchild is superb), and Houston Stackhouse with a fine version of the tried-and-true Mean Red Spider, then continues with Fenton Robinson and Billy Boy Arnold laying down some effective rocking Chicago style blues. Disc two contains fine outings by Good Rockin' Charles, Little Brother Montgomery, and Henry Townsend, but James Deshay is startling on a half-dozen, especially his gripping version of Crossroads, worth the price of admission for its blazing juke-joint guitar. Disc three collects eleven 'live' performances from the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival with Memphis Slim taking four slots, Sonny Boy Williamson gets five (and he's masterful on each), and Matt "Guitar" Murphy has two blistering instrumentals, including a great Taking Off. Sound quality runs from good to superb (a few of the juke-joint recordings are a somewhat muddy) and Neil Slaven's liner notes are well-done and informative. The eight-page booklet has some great photos but recording details are scant and need to be extracted from the notes. Considering almost all of the performers on this set are now gone, it does them justice by showing how vital and strong they were during these periods. A wonderful match to this would be the BBC digging out the series and transferring it to DVD... let's hope this happens! (CR)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS JSP JSPCD 77154 Memphis Marvels - Memphis Gospel, 1927-1960 ● CD $28.98
Just arrived. Another great gospel collection compiled by Opal Louis Nations - this time devoted to Memphis artists or artists recorded in Memphis. Four CDs with 105 tracks. Although it includes recordings from the 1920s and 30s the majority of sides are from the 1940s and 50s and in addition to many very rare 78s it also includes some unissued songs from radio transcriptions. Artists include The Gospel Travelers, Southern Wonders, A.C. & Blind Mamie Forehand, The Sunset Travelers (with O.V. Wright), Sons Of Jehova, Spirit Of Memphis Quartet, The Silvertones, I.C. Glee Quartet, The Prisonaires, Hunki-Dori and others.
JAMES ANDERSON & THE ANDERSON HARMONEERS: Something Within Me/ QUEEN C. ANDERSON & THE BREWSTER SINGERS: Bank In The Sky/ Jesus Is The Perfect Answer/ These Are They/ QUEEN C. ANDERSON W THE BREWSTER ENSEMBLE: I Never Heard Of A City/These Are They/ THE ANGEL VOICES: Tell The Angels/ Walkin' & Talkin' With Jesus/ THE BETHEL QUARTET: Jesus, The Light Of The World/ So Glad I've Got The Stone/ THE BREWSTER SINGERS: So Glad I've Got Good Religion/ The Old Landmark/ THE BREWSTERAIRES: Bye And Bye I Will See Jesus/ Hold On/ Jasper Walls/ King's Highway/ More Of Jesus And Less Of Me/ That's Enough/ Treading The Wine Press Alone/ Wait Until My Change Comes/ When We Shall Meet Face To Face/ Where Shall I Be When That First Trumpet Sounds/ THE DIXIE NIGHTINGALES: I've Got A New Home/ In My Savior's Care/ A.C. & BLIND MAMIE FOREHAND: Honey In The Rock/ I Wouldn't Mind Dying If Dying Was All, No 1/ I Wouldn't Mind Dying If Dying Was All, No 2/ I'm So Glad Today/ THE FOUR STARS: That's Enough For Me To Know/ Way Up On High/ THE I.C. GLEE QUARTET: All My Sins Been Taken Away/ If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again/ Riding On The Seminol/ When They Ring Dem Golden Bells/ THE GOSPEL TRAVELERS: God's Chariot, Pt 1/ God's Chariot, Pt 2/ There's A Man at Your Door/ REV. W. HERBERT BREWSTER & HIS CAMP MEETING OF T: Give Me That Old Time Religion/ The Hope Of This World Is Jesus/ HUNKI-DORI: Down Home/ I Hear The Savior Calling/ Old Time Religion/ Workin' On The Building/ THE JONES BROS: Gospel Train/ THE JONES BROTHERS: Look To Jesus/ THE PRISONAIRES: Frank Clement (What About)/ Softly And Tenderly/ A Prisoner's Prayer/ THE SILVERTONES: Swing Swing/ These Bones Gonna Rise Again/ What A Beautiful City/ THE SONGBIRDS OF THE SOUTH: 99 1/2 Won't Do/ He Is Able/ Jesus Met The Woman At The Well/ Where Could I Go/ THE SONS OF JEHOVAH: High Cost Of Living/ I John Saw/ It's Me Lord/ Jesus Hear My Plea/ Jesus Hold My Hand/ On An Island/ On Calvary/ Rock My Soul In The Bosom Of Abraham/ Something Within/ Teach Me (Our Prayer)/ Teach Me Lord/ The Holy Bible/ WDIA Saturday Song/ WDIA Song/ Waiting For Me/ We Are Blessed/ What Could I Do/ Keep Me And Teach Me/ THE SOUTHERN JUBILEE SINGERS: Blessed Be The Name/ Forgive Me Lord/ He Never Left Me Alone/ There's A Man In Jerusalem/ THE SOUTHERN WONDERS: As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest/ Come On Over Here/ Gambling Man/ How Much More Can I Bear/ I Was A Sinner/ I'll Fly Away/ Lord, Stand By Me/ More Like Jesus/ My Jesus Is All/ Thank You, Jesus/ The Chapel/ There Is Rest For The Weary/ Who Is That Knocking?/ THE SPIRIT OF MEMPHIS QUARTET: Happy In The Service Of The Lord/ How Many Times/ I'll Be Satisfied/ Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jerico and other songs - medley/ Milky White Way/ My Life Is In His Hands/ Sweet Honey In The Rock/ THE SPIRIT OF ST. JAMES: Any Way You Bless Me Lord/ I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray/ THE SUNSET TRAVELERS: I Am Building A Home/ My Number Will Be Changed/ Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down/ Yes, Yes, I've Done My Duty/ Lazarus/ Move These Things/ UNKNOWN: I'm Working On The Building

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Light In The Attic 81 Listen Whitey! The Sounds Of Black Power, 1967-1974 ● CD $18.98
16 tracks, 76 mins, essential
Described (by the sticker on the front) as "the definitive Black Power aural document", this collection of political and social rabble rousing from both Black and white instigators is nothing if not provocative. How could it not be with stuff like speeches from Stokely Carmichael and Eldridge Cleaver, comedy from Dick Gregory, spoken word from the Original Last Poets, and inflammatory music from Bob Dylan (the semi-obscure George Jackson), Roy Harper, Gil Scott-Heron, and John and Yoko on display. This CD is basically the 'soundtrack' to Pat Thomas' book "Listen Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power"; compiled with an ear to diversity and selection, the author is keen to point out that the people featured on this album "didn't necessarily speak for or to each other." (italics his) The selections are not only diverse, but also rare: at least seven tracks have not appeared on CD before, several more are currently "out of print", and the rest haven't been anthologized before. Although nearly every track is of its' time, there are a couple of timeless moments deservedly preserved; this compilation is worth it for Dylan's acoustic version of George Jackson - only available as the B-side of the original 1971 single-alone. In addition, the liner notes-by Thomas himself-are outstanding. Just remember, this CD is a reminder of a time when people spoke their minds and demanded action.for good or ill. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Not Now 369 The Very Best Of Burlesque ● CD $9.98
2 CDs, 50 tracks, 138 mins, highly recommended
Nearly naked girls have had quite a soundtrack over the years. This swell collection gathers up a Double-D-cups worth of the sleaziest, horniest and just plain down & dirtiest tunes that were ever bumped and grinded to. The usual suspects you would expect to hear are here, like The Stripper by David Rose, Harlem Nocturne by The Viscounts, Cherokee by Earl Bostic, Walkin' With Mr. Lee by Lee Allen, and Honky Tonk (Part 2.) by Bill Doggett, etc. Plenty of Louis Prima, Link Wray, Dizzy Gillespie, and more to swing those hips to. Lots of great surprises are peppered throughout this collection and those are what really give this CD its high recommendation. Tracks like: Satellite Baby by Roosevelt Sykes, More Bounce To The Ounce by The Lynn Hope Quintet, Do You Want It? by Julia Lee, Cab Calloway's version of The Honey Dripper, Bull Moose Jackson with Big Fat Mamas Are Back In Style Again, and so on. If you don't have a good time listening to this collection, you might want to check your pulse. (JM)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Proper BOX 28 Gettin' Funky - The Birth Of New Orleans R&B ● CD $26.98 $17.98
Four CDs, 107 tracks, 294 minutes, highly recommended
Disc one is devoted to "Piano Power" containing 28 cuts from Champion Jack Dupree, Professor Longhair, and Archibald while disc two offers 26 cuts from "The Pioneers;" Dave Bartholomew, Paul Gayten, and Smiley Lewis. The third disc collects "The Hitmakers" with 28 sides from Roy Brown, Fats Domino, and Larry Darnell, where the final CD focuses on "Hip Shakin' Mamas, Crooners, and Shouters" with 25 gems from Chubby Newsome, Alma 'The Lollipop Mama' Mondy, 'Blazer Boy' Locks, Erline Harris, Jewel King, and others. From Champion Jack's early down-home style, to the uptown grace of Dave Bartholomew's band, and Professor Longhair's combining of calypso, blues, Latin, and more, the powerful horns, riffing guitars, and battered pianos tell the story of New Orleans. The set comes with a 54-page booklet loaded with solid notes, rare photos, and a full discography. Wonderful. (CR)
ARCHIBALD: Ballin' With Archie/ Crescent City Bounce/ Little Miss Muffet/ My Gal/ Shake Baby Shake/ She's Scattered Everywhere/ Stack-A-Lee, Pts. 1and2/ JOE "GOOGLE EYE" AUGUST: I Cried/ Just to Be Home With You/ DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Ain't Gonna Do It (Rest of My Life)/ Basin Street Breakdown/ Country Boy/ Gert Town Blues/ Good Jax Boogie/ Messy Bessie/ Mr. Fool/ Nickel Wine/ Pyramid/ ROY BROWN: (The Girls In) Big Town/ Good Rockin' Tonight/ Lolly Pop Mama/ Long About Midnight/ Miss Fanny Brown/ Please Don't Go/ Rainy Waether Blues/ Ridin' High/ Rock-A-Bye-Baby/ Rockin' at Midnight/ Roy Brown Boogie/ Special Lesson, No. 1/ Woman's a Wonderful Thing/ HOSIE DWINE CRAVEN: Mercury Boogie/ LARRY DARNELL: For You My Love/ I'll Get Along Somehow Pts. 1 and 2/ Lost My Baby/ FATS DOMINO: Boogie Woogie Baby/ Brand New Baby/ Careless Love/ Detroit City Blues/ Every Night About This Time/ Hey! Fat Man/ Hey! La Bas Boogie/ Hide Away Blues/ Korea Blues/ Little Bee/ She's My Baby/ The Fat Man/ CHAMPION JACK DUPREE: Big Time Mama/ Dupree Shake Dance/ Junker Blues/ PAUL GAYTEN: Baby, What's New?/ Backtrackin' (Dr. Daddy-O)/ Confused/ Fishtails/ I Ain't Gonna Let You In/ I'll Never Be Free/ My Rough and Ready Man/ Now That You're Gone/ You Oughta Know/ You Shouldn't/ ERLINE HARRIS: I Never Missed My Baby/ Jump and Shout/ JOHNSON BROTHERS COMBO: Mellow Woman Blues/ JEWEL KING: 3x7=21/ Don't Marry Too Soon/ I Broke My Mothr's Rule/ I'll Get By/ SMILEY LEWIS: Dirty People/ Growing Old/ If You Ever Loved a Woman/ Lowdown/ My Baby Was Right/ Slide Me Down/ Where Were You?/ JAMES "BLAZER BOY" LOCKS: Blazer Boy Blues/ New Orleans Women Blues/ ALMA "THE LOLLIPOP MAMA" MONDY: A Job for a Jockey/ Baby Get Wise/ Boogie's the Thing/ Miss Lollipop's Confession/ She Won't Leave No More/ Streetwalkin' Daddy/ CHUBBY NEWSOME: Back Bitin' Woman/ Bedroom Blues/ Chubby's Confession/ Close to Train Time/ Hip Shakin' Mama/ New Orleans Lover Man/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Bald Head/ Been Fooling Around/ Between Night and Day (In the Wee Wee Hours)/ Boogie Woogie/ Byrd's Blues/ Hadacol Bounce/ Her Mind Is Gone/ Hey Little Girl/ Hey Now Baby/ Hey Now Baby/ Longhair Stomp/ Longhair's Blues-Rhumba/ Mardi Gras in New Orleans/ Oh Well/ Professor Longhair Blues/ She Walks Right In/ Walk Your Blues Away/ Willie Mae/ TOMMY RIDGLEY: Shrewsbury Blues

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Rhino (UK) 79757 After Hours: The Collection, 1965-1974 ● CD $37.98
3CD, 75 tracks, highly recommended
Surprisingly no frills (i.e. no liner notes) compilation of Northern Soul from the record vaults of the Atlantic, Atco, Loma, Reprise, and Warner Bros. labels cut during the years 1965 to 1974. As would be expected of a compilation created by Northern Soul DJs, there's a lot danceable music to be had here from a wide variety of artists, from all levels of music notoriety. Given the fact that the "Northern Soul" tag didn't apply to R&B records necessarily, the variety of artists is quite astonishing: everyone from The Coasters to Ella Fitzgerald, from The Marketts to Joanie Sommers. That said, there's some storming cuts from The Blossoms (That's When the Tears Start), Bobby Womack (Find Me Somebody), Esther Phillips (Catch Me I'm Falling), Hal Frazier (After Closing Time), Archie Bell and the Drells (Here I Go Again), Percy Sledge (Baby Help Me), and Darlene Love (Too Late To Say You're Sorry). And that's just for starters. The pleasures of this CD are too numerous to mention, but I will say that being able to hear early tracks from The Pointer Sisters, Sister Sledge, and The Three Degrees is definitely a treat. Some might consider three discs, with no proper notation, to be overkill, but if you're the type who can appreciate hearing later period Mary Wells and The Drifters, or Leslie Uggams doing her damnest to "rock out", then this set is for you. (GMC)
BEN AIKEN: Satisfied/ THE AMBASSADORS: Good Love Gone Bad/ THE APOLLAS: Mr. Creator/ THE ASTORS: In The Twilight Zone/ THE HARVEY AVERNE DOZEN: Think It Over/ DARRELL BANKS: Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me)/ ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRELLS: A Thousand Wonders/ Here I Go Again/ THE BIG GUYS: Hang My Head And Cry/ THE BLOSSOMS: That's When The Tears Start/ VALERIE & BOBBY CAPERS: West 4th Street/ ALICE CLARK: You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me)/ THE COASTERS: Crazy Baby/ JOHNNY COPELAND: Sufferin' City/ DAVID & RUBEN: I Love Her So Much It Hurts Me/ THE DELIGHTS ORCHESTRA: King Of The Horse/ THE DRIFTERS: You Got To Pay Your Dues/ THE DYNELLS: Call On Me/ LORRAINE ELLISON: I Got My Baby Back/ THE EMBERS: Where Did I Go Wrong/ ELLA FITZGERALD: Get Ready/ HAL FRAZIER: After Closing Time/ CARL HALL: Mean It Baby/ CAJUN HART: Got To Find A Way/ JIMMY HUGHES: Slippin' Around With You/ THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS: Frantic Escape/ DEON JACKSON: Ooh Baby/ LINDA JONES: A Last Minute Miracle/ Just Can't Live My Life/ My Heart Needs A Break/ DELILAH KEENEBRUEW: Bright Lights/ BEN E. KING: I Can't Break The News To Myself/ PATTI LABELLE & THE BLUEBELLS: You Forgot How To Love/ LARRY LASTER: Go For Yourself/ BARBARA LEWIS: I Remember The Feeling/ LIFE: Tell Me Why/ DARLENE LOVE: Too Late To Say You're Sorry/ BARBARA LYNN: Take Your Love And Run/ This Is The Thanks I Get/ You're Losing Me/ TAMI LYNN: I'm Gonna Run Away From You/ THE MARKETTS: Stirrin' Up Some Soul/ THE MARVELLOS: Something's Burnin'/ CLIFF NOBLES: My Love Is Getting Stronger/ THE PATTERSON SINGERS: How Can You Say That Ain't Love/ AL PERKINS: Nothing Is Impossible/ ESTHER PHILLIPS: Catch Me I'm Falling/ Just Say Goodbye/ PLUS 4: Happiest Girl In The World/ THE POINTER SISTERS: Send Him Back/ THE MIKE POST COALITION: Afternoon Of The Rhino/ LOU RAGLAND: Since You Said You'd Be Mine/ ROY REDMOND: Ain't That Terrible/ VALA REEGAN & THE VALARONS: Fireman/ WENDY RENE: Bar-B-Q/ BOBBY SHEEN: Something New To Do/ SISTER SLEDGE: Love Don't Go Through No Changes On Me/ PERCY SLEDGE: Baby Help Me/ JOANIE SOMMERS: Don't Pity Me/ THE SOUL BROTHERS SIX: I'll Be Loving You/ Thank You Baby For Loving Me/ THE STOVALL SISTERS: Yes To The Lord/ WILLIE TEE: I Want Somebody (To Show Me The Way Back Home)/ THE TEEN TURBANS: We Need To Be Loved/ CHARLES THOMAS: Man With The Golden Touch/ THE THREE DEGREES: Contact/ TONY & TYRONE: Please Operator/ IKE & TINA TURNER: Somebody (Somewhere) Needs Me/ LESLIE UGGAMS: Don't You Even Care/ THE VOICE BOX: I Want It Back (Your Love)/ THE WATTS 103RD. STREET RHYTHM BAND: The Joker (On A Trip Thru The Jungle)/ MARY WELLS: Can't You See (You're Losing Me)/ Keep Me In Suspense/ BOBBY WILSON: Feels Good/ BOBBY WOMACK: Find Me Somebody

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Rhythm & Blues 012 Rumba Blues - The Mambo Years ● CD $16.98
30 tracks, 75 mins, essential
If there's anything that gets a woman's hips movin' quicker than the Mambo, I'd like to know what it is. Nothing gets them swinging like that great Rumba beat and here's a collection of nothing but top notch tunes with that irresistible beat. A lot of the usual suspects are here: Smiley Lewis with One Night, Ruth Brown with Mambo Baby, Little Richard with Slippin' and Slidin', The Clovers Lovey Dovey" etc. Then there are some fantastic rarer cuts like Thirteen Women by Dickie Thompson and song that Bill Haley would sell a lot more records with, but not come close to topping. Then you have Salty Dog by Marvin Phillips, an amazing version of Baby Please Don't Go by the mighty obscure New Orleans singer Rose Mitchell with Dave Bartholomew and band backing), and John Lee Hooker even gets into the act with Mambo Chillun. plus Jimmy McCracklin, Eddie Bo, Bo Diddley, Huey "Piano" Smith, Big Maybelle, Illinois Jacquet, Clyde McPhatter, and so many more greats. Every single song on here is fantastic; I said it and I will stand by it! Comes with a super thick booklet with all kinds of notes and cool pics. If you only buy one Rhythm & Blues collection this month, make sure this is the one. (JM)
CHUCK BERRY: Drifting Heart/ EDDIE BO: Hey, Bo/ RUTH BROWN: Mambo Baby/ THE CLOVERS: Lovey Dovey/ BO DIDDLEY: Bo Diddley/ JUNIOR GORDON: Blow Wind Blow/ THE GRIFFIN BROTHERS: Griff's Mambo Bad/ GUITAR GABLE: Congo Mombo/ CHUCK HIGGINS: Dye-Ooh Mambo/ JOHN LEE HOOKER: Mambo Chillun/ JOE HOUSTON: Mambo/ HOWLIN' WOLF: Evil So/ ILLINOIS JACQUET: Mambocito Mio/ ELMORE JAMES: Can't Stop Loving/ DUKE JENKINS: Mambo Blues/ SMILEY LEWIS: One Night Long/ NEIL LEWIS AND HIS QUINTET: Harlem Nocturne/ LITTLE RICHARD: Slippin' And Slidin'/ BIG MAYBELLE: New Kind Of Mambo/ JIMMY MCCRACKLIN: I Cried/ CLYDE MCPHATTER: Thirty Days/ ROSE MITCHELL: Baby Please Don't Go/ MARVIN PHILLIPS: Salty Dog Tears/ THE PLATTERS & LINDA HAYES: Let's Babalu Me/ CHRIS POWELL & THE BLUE FLAMES: Mambo Gunch/ CANDY RIVERS & THE FALCONS: Mambo Baby To-Nite/ BOB ROUBAIN WITH CLIFFIE STONE: Here Comes The Train/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH: We Like Mambo/ DICKIE THOMPSON: Thirteen Women/ CHUCK WILLIS: I Feel So Bad

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Sony (UK) 91875-2 Be My Baby - The Girls Of The Sixties ● CD $29.98
3 CD set, 70 tracks, highly recommended
This is a curious collection because not only do the compilers admit that not all the tracks are from the 60's (the disclaimer says "although all of the artists included were active in the 1960s, a small number of the tracks were taken from the 1950s and 1970s") - for example, the Three Degrees are represented by When Will I See You Again, a song from 1974 - but there's no rhyme or reason to the track sequencing. Still, as compilation of girl power, it's pretty strong and various genres and sub-genres are showcased; everything from girl groups (The Ronettes, The Crystals, The Shirelles, The Shangri-Las) and R&B (Millie Jackson, Ike & Tina Turner, Bettye Swann, Carla Thomas) to Pop (Doris Day, Lesley Gore, Jackie DeShannon, Peggy Lee) and Motown (Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Martha & the Vandellas, The Supremes). There's room for 60's icons like Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Janis Joplin, Etta James, Laura Nyro, and Aretha Franklin. Even country music is touched on through Lynn Anderson and Skeeter Davis. Of course, since this is a European released CD, there's the usual British talent that might (or might not) be familiar to Americans: Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Clodagh Rodgers, and Cilla Black. In essence, there's something for everyone on this thoroughly entertaining CD set. (GMC)

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Tompkins Square 2653 Aimer Et Perdre: To Love And Lose, Songs 1917-1934 ● CD $25.98
Two CD set with 36 tracks of vintage vernacular music recorded in America between 1917 and 1934. The emphasis here is on the music of Ukrainian and Polish immigrants but also includes Cajun music, old time country and one cut by African-American songster Richard Rabbit Brown. Comes beautifully packaged with 60 page copiously illustrated including three new drawings by R. Crumb along with several of his older illustrations. Artists include Cleoma & Joe Falcon, Leo Soileau & Moise Robin, Jozef Brangel & The Wiejska Orkestra, Kandel's Orchestra, Dennis McGee & Sady Courville, Lewis McDaniel & Gid Smith, Orchestra Michala Thomasa and others. There is very little duplicaton with the recently issued JSP box of Ukrainian music.
AMEDE ARDOIN & DENNIS MCGEE: Two Step De Maman [Mama's Two Step]/ EMRY ARTHUR: She Lied To Me/ DOUGLAS BELLARD: La Valse La Prison [the Prison Waltz]/ DOCK BOGGS: False Hearted Lover's Blues/ JOZEF BRANGEL: Oberek Z Migroda [Oberek From Migroda]/ BRATIA ORKIESTRA "HOLATIKY-KUZIANY": Obertana Z Molodom [Hoedown With the Bride]/ THE BREAUX FRéRES: One Step a Marie [Mary's One-Step]/ BRODER KAPELLE: Chernovitzer Bulgar [Dance From Chernovitz]/ RICHARD RABBIT BROWN: Never Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice/ THE CARTER FAMILY: I Never Will Marry/ FRANCISZEK DUKLI WIEJSKA BANDA: Uwiedziona Dziewczyna [the Cheated Girl]/ JOSWELL DUPUIS: L'abandonnér [The Forsaken]/ CLEOMA FALCON: Aimer Et Perdre [To Love and To Lose]/ BLIND UNCLE GASPARD: Assi Dans Les Fenetre De Ma Chambre [Sitting In the Window of My Room]/ DELIN T. GUILLORY: Quelqu'un Est Jalous [Someone is Jealous]/ HAPPY HAYSEEDS: Ladies Quadrille/ PAWLO HUMENIUK: Peresuqyny [a Reception For the In-Laws]/ ILRAINSKA ORCHESTRA PAWLA HUMENIUKA: Ukrain-Ske Wesilla W Ameryci, Pt. 1 [Ukrainian Wedding In America, Pt. 1]/ Ukrain-Ske Wesilla W Ameryci, Pt. 2 [Ukrainian Wedding In America, Pt. 2]/ KANDEL'S ORCHESTRA: A Freilachs von Der Chuppe [a Happy Dance From the Wedding Ceremony]/ LEWIS MCDANIEL: I Went To See My Sweetheart/ DENNIS MCGEE: Vous M'avez Donne Vôtre Parole [You Gave Me Your Word]/ Madam Young Donnez Moi Vôtre Plús Jolie Blond [Madam Young, Give Me Your Sw/ MUZYKA KAROLA STOCHA GóRALSKA ORCHESTRA: Po Cos Dziewce Powiedziala [Girl, Why Did You Tell?]/ SAMUIL PILIP'S LEMKIWSKA ORCHESTRA: De Tuy Bew Yamiezku? [Where Were You Johnny]/ MOISE ROBIN: Je Veux Marier [I Want To Marry]/ STEFANA SHKIMBY I CYGANSKA ORCHESTRA: Cyganske Vesilia, Pt. 3 [a Gypsy Wedding, Pt. 3]/ Cyganske Vesilia, Pt. 4 [a Gypsy Wedding, Pt. 4]/ THE STONEMAN FAMILY: Too Late/ MICHALA THOMASA: Kolomyika Buczacka [Kolomyika Dance From Buczack]/ Tanec Husar [Hussar Dance]/ UKRAINSKA ORCHESTRA MICHALA TOMASA: Hutzulka W Semerczyni [Hutzulka From Semerczyni]/ UKRAINSKA SELSKA ORCHESTRA: Holubka Polska/ Marusia [Little Mary]/ Polka Mazurka/ Wesilny Kozak [Wedding Breakdown]

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Triple Crown 110 Before They Were Hits - We Did It First, Vol. 10 ● CD $17.98
25 tracks, 66 min., recommended
In which listeners are treated to the original version of a song, rather than the hit that most know. As usual, sometimes the hit beats the miss, as it does in the case of Jan and Dean's take on The Todds Popsicle. More often than not, however, the original version cuts its revenue-producing offering, as with The Arrows' I Love Rock And Roll, which Joan Jett covers almost note for note, without ever touching the energy of the original. Of particular interest is the original version of the Drifters' hit Up On The Roof, which is listed as by Unknown. It's clearly a demo, with one voice and one piano. And those who have never heard the Village Callers' original Evil Ways may be surprised at the debt Santana owes. And Jay Wiggins' original of Sad Girl is at least as cool as the Intruders' hit. Interesting too that Larry Weiss' original Rhinestone Cowboy never sold as well as Glen Campbell's version, though the latter is more about imitation than re-imagining. Plenty of fun here, though the complete lack of booklet notes and session info (not even dates) is a real weakness. (JC)

 
TONY JOE WHITE Universal (NL) 533 767-0 Collected ● CD $27.98
3 CD set, 54 tracks, highly recommended (for fans), recommended (for everyone else)
This compilation of the original swamp pop king, Tony Joe White, is either fascinating or frustrating depending on your point of view. This chronological three disc set gives short shrift to his late 60's/early 70's recordings (which some feel is his greatest period) in favor of his 90's wilderness years when his recordings weren't even released in the U.S. For fans, a glimpse into this little known era of his career (spread out over discs two and three) is a godsend-especially when one gets to hear things like Steamy Windows (originally written for and recorded by Tina Turner), (You're Gonna Look) Good In Blues, and the epic Closer to the Truth. But music lovers less familiar with TJW might be more interested in hearing a collection more centered on his Monument/Warner Brothers period, when he was arguably at his creative peak. And for those folks, one disc might not be enough to warrant the price of admission, even though the key tracks from that era - Rainy Night in Georgia/ Polk Salad Annie/ Roosevelt and Ira Lee (Night of the Mossacin) and Soul Francisco - are present and accounted for. However, no matter which side of the fence you fall on, the fact remains that this is stunning music deserving of a hearing from anyone who will pay attention. (GMC)

 
JIMMY WITHERSPOON Chess (Europe) 10401 Spoon So Easy ● CD $10.98
14 tracks, recommended
Fine selection of sides recorded by the great blues shouter for Chicago's premier blues label. 10 of the tracks were recorded in Chicago in 1954, '55 and '56 with great Chicago musicians like Lafayette Leake, Willie Dixon, Lee Cooper, Harold Ashby and others and includes several Dixon compositions. The remaining four sides were recorded in Kansas City in 1959 with a band led by his old bopss Jay McShann. Though not among Spoon's best recordings there's lots of fine singing ad playing. Includes It Ain't No Secret (a secular reworking of the old gospel song)/ Live So Easy/ I Can Make It With You/ When The Lights Go Out/ T.W.A., etc. (FS)

 
JIMMY WITHERSPOON Jazz Beat 539 Singin' The Blues ● CD $18.98
22 tracks, 73 mins, recommended
Fine selection of sides from this great blues shouter with 20 tracks from 1958 and two from 1970. The first 12 sides reissues his complete "Singin' The Blues" album originally issued on Pacific Jazz with 'Spoon in the company of jazz giants like Gerlad Wilson or "Sweets" Edison/ tp, Teddy Edwards & Jimmy Allen/ ts, Hampton Hawes and others. There are seven cuts from the same year recorded for Constellation with a smaller group with Edwrads, pianist Paul Moer and others and the final 1958 sides is one side of his obscure Rip single. The last two cuts from 1970 were recorded for ABC with Edison, Plas Johnson, Mel Brown and others. Spoon's singing is a joy ranging from full throttle blues shouting to low key and sensitive and the bands provide superb accompaniments. The material is a mix of old favorites (When I've Been Drinking/ When The Lights Go Out/ 'Taint Nobody's Business/ Goin' To Chicago Blues, etc.) and newer songs (All That's Good/ In Blues/ Cry The Blues/ Spoon's Beep Beep Blues, etc.). Sound quality is superb and 16 page booklet features the original liner notes to the Pacific Jazz album along with new notes by Bernard Lee. (FS)

 

 
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