NEWSLETTER #147
Blues & Gospel
Lurrie Bell
->
Curtis Jones +
DVDS
| LITTLE ARTHUR DUNCAN |
Delmark DVD 1793 |
Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge |
● DVD $22.98 |
Includes two tracks not on the CD.
|
| HOWLIN' WOLF |
Vestapol 13099 |
In Concert 1970 |
● DVD $24.98 |
Black & White, 9 songs, 60 mins, essential
Wow - it doesn't get much better than this! There is precious little live
footage of the great Howlin' Wolf available so this release is a real
stunner. Not only has not been out before but it captures Wolf in top form
accompanied by a great band including the mind bending guitar work of
Hubert Sumlin and the piano of Sunnyland Slim. Wolf howls the blues,
prowls the stage like a caged animal and wails on the harmonica on classic
Wolf favorites like Highway 49/ How Many More Years/ Killing Floor/
Back Door Man/Decoration Day and others. In between songs there are
fascinating excerpts of an interview with Wolf and Sunnyland. Video and
sound quality are excellent. A real treasure and a must have for blues
lovers. (FS)
|
| PINETOP PERKINS |
Sagebrush 01 |
Born In The Honey |
● DVD $21.98 |
DVD/ CD combination. The DVD is a 60 minute documentary
tracing the career of piano blues legend Pinetop Perkins. It includes
in-depth interviews with Pinetop himself as well as friends and fellow
musicians such as Bobby Rush, Ike Turner, Kim Wilson anhd others. The CD
features nine live tracks from a show in Chicago with Willie "Big Eyes"
Smith, Robert "Bob" Stroger and "Little Frank Kowalski and one previously
unissued studio recording of Rather Quit her Than Hit Her from
1997.
|
| SON SEALS |
Sagebrush 102 |
A Journey Through The Blues |
● DVD $21.98 |
Documentary on the life and music of this fine Arkansas
born bluesman who became one of the most exciting figures on the Chicago
scene until his premature death in 2004. It includes documentary footage,
interviews with Son himself, members of his family, producer Bruce Iglauer
and fellow musicians like Koko taylor, Dr. John and Lonnie Brooks. It also
includes three live performances by Son and his band.
|
| LURRIE BELL |
Aria 1 |
Let's Talk About Love |
● CD $15.98 |
New album, his first in a number of years, by this
outstanding Chicago blues singer and guitarist. Accompanied by a solid
band he performs a selection of well chosen covers including songs by Ray
Agee, Andrew Brown, J.B. Lenoir, Little Richard and others. Billy Branch
guests on harmonica on Willie Dixon's Earthquake & Hurricane and
Jimmy Johnson provides background vocals on J.B. Lenoir's Feeling Good.
|
|
BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND & JUNIOR PARKER |
Rev-Ola CRBAND 15 |
The Earls Of Duke |
● CD $15.98 |
28 tracks, 78 min., recommended
A subsidiary of the Don
Robey-owned Peacock Records in Houston, Duke had a number of successful
artists, but no one like Bobby "Blue" Bland who charted 45 times between
1957 and 1972, the year Duke was sold. Parker had 11 singles hit the R&B
charts between 1957-66. This album collects the earliest Duke sides
(1952-56) for both artists, before either knew the taste of national
success. Still, these tracks are not short on quality, and fans of Bland
will appreciate hearing the man develop his trademark soulful, smoky
vocals. Bland's tracks include I.O.U. Blues/ No Blow, No Show/ Army
Blues/ Lovin' Blues/ Don't Believe/ I Learned My Lesson and more;
Parker's cuts include Please Baby Blues/ Dirty Friend Blues/ Can't
Understand/ I Wanna Ramble/ Pretty Baby/ Mother-In-Law Blues, and
more. (JC)
BOBBY 'BLUE' BLAND: Army Blues/ Honey Bee/ I Can't Put
You Down/ I Don't Believe/ I Learned My Lesson/ IOU Blues/ It's My Life
Baby/ Lovin' Blues/ Million Miles From Nowhere/ No Blow No Show/ Time Out/
Wise Man Blues/ You've Got Bad Intentions/ JUNIOR PARKER: Bachelor's
Blues/ Backtracking/ Can You Tell Me Baby/ Can't Understand/ Dirty Friend
Blues/ Driving Me Mad/ I Wanna Ramble/ I'm Tender/ Mother In Law Blues/
Please Baby Blues/ Pretty Baby/ Sittin' Drinkin' And Thinkin'/ That's All
Right/ There Better Be No Feet In Them Shoes/ Woke Up Screaming
|
| BIG GEORGE BROCK |
Cat Head 1004 |
Live At Seventy Five |
● CD $14.98 |
11 tracks, 57 min., highly recommended
Recorded at Ground
Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in May 2007, Brock's third
album offers up more classic-sounding blues in the tradition of Muddy
Waters and Howlin' Wolf, whose influence drips from every track. He may be
75 years old, but Brock sounds like pure energy here, thanks in no small
part to his intense drummer, Riley Coatie, Jr. (his father is on the
guitar). The set is half originals (M Is For Mississippi), half
well-chosen covers (Forty-Four Blues, Everything's Gonna Be
Alright). Everything sounds gritty and greasy and just a little
dangerous, just the way it should; and the album does what good live
albums always do: mane you wish you were at the show. Maybe next time
around. (JC)
|
|
JEFFERY BROUSSARD & THE CREOLE COWBOYS |
Maison De Soul 1087 |
Keeping The Tradition Alive! |
● CD $15.98 |
17 tracks, recommended
Excellent collection of Zydeco and
Creole music featuring singer, accordionist and fiddler Jeffrey Broussard,
formerly with Beau Jocque & The Zydeco Hirollers. Broussard's gruff vocal
style is not always the most appealing but he is a very fine accordion
player with a rich and powerful style that owes more than a little to the
great Clifton Chenier. His band is solid with fine guitar from D'Jalma
Garnier III. Most of the songs are originals along with several from the
repertoire of Boozoo Chavis. Highlight for me is the swamp pop ballad
Richest Man by Texas singer/ songwriter Bill Carter which features
some of Broussard's best singing and playing. (FS)
|
| EDDIE C. CAMPBELL |
Wolf 120.816 |
Mind Trouble |
● CD $16.98 |
Fine set of West Side Chicago blues featuring excellent
singer/ guitarist Campbell. 15 of the tracks were recorded in Holland in
1986 and originally issued on the Double Trouble label. Eddie is
accompanied by a fine band of mostly Dutch musicians plus some fine harp
provided by Johnny Mars. Most of the tracks are good Campbell originals.
The 16th track is from a 1977 Chicago session featuring Eddie with
Lafayette Leake, Bob Stroger and Clifton james on a fine version of B.B.'s
Please Love Me.
|
| OTIS CLAY |
Echo 357 |
Walk A Mile In My Shoes |
● CD $14.98 |
Chicago soul singer Clay is actually best known for the
sides he cut in Memphis in the early 70's, including his Willie
Mitchell-produced hit from 1972 Trying to Live My Life Without You.
Since that commercial high, Clay hasn't stopped working and his latest
effort is a disc of gospel songs recorded for his own Echo imprint.
Featuring duets with Carla Thomas and Soul Stirrers Arthur and Leroy
Crume, the album also sports covers of Joe South's immortal Walk a Mile
in My Shoes, and Stevie Wonder's Love's in Need of Love Today.
|
| GENO
DELAFOSE & FRENCH ROCKIN' BOOG |
Times Square 9063 |
Le Cowboy Creole |
● CD $15.98 |
15 tracks, 64 min., highly recommended
On his fifth solo
outing since leaving his father's employ, which is to say the John Delafose & the Eunice Playboys zydeco band, Geno mixes strong originals
with traditional numbers and some classic rock. The cowboy in the title
refers to the man himself and not his music, if the booklet photos are to
be trusted. In fact, there's an entire page dedicated to a horse photo
montage and another of Geno on the farm. But on the tractor or behind the
accordion, Delafose sports the smile that one can only get by doing what
one loves. His music is joyous and dance inducing, with a tip of the hat
to the past (Grand Bois Waltz) and good-time originals (Everybody's
Havin' Fun that offer contemporary zydeco at its finest. Delafose
covers Van Morrison's Domino, Check Berry's Promised Land,
the Everly Brothers' When Will I Be Loved, Clifton Chenier's
Someone Told Me It Was Over, and makes them all sound like Louisiana
originals written for the dance floor. Perhaps the best track is
Delafose's own Tout l'Jour et Tout l'Soir, which, in spite of its
she-done-me-wrong lyric, is a foot-tapping, smile-engendering good time.
His cover of Lionel Richie's schmaltzy classic Easy represents a
rare mistep here, not because it alone feels forced and reveals the
serious limitations to Delafose's vocals, which are otherwise quite
satisfying, but because nothing about the song is appropriate for the
album. Maybe he lost a bet. Still, a solid album worth adding to any
zydeco collection. (JC)
|
| ARIZONA DRANES |
Document DOCD 5186 |
Complete Recordings In Chronological Order
(1926-29) |
● CD $15.98 |
22 tracks, 67 min., recommended
Back in print. Born blind
around 1905 of mixed black and Mexican heritage, Arizona Juanita Dranes is
generally regarded as the most influential gospel piano player of the
twenties. In her performing, she combined a rousing barrelhouse rhythm on
the piano with her own and others' sanctified singing. This collection
offers her complete recorded works, solo and as a part of a vocal
ensemble, including In That Day/ My Soul Is a Witness for the Lord/ Bye
and Bye We're Going to See the King and Don't You Want to Go.
Also included are two cuts each by the Texas Jubilee Singers and Reverend
Joe Lenley, both of whom are thought to have been accompanied by Dranes,
and two bonus tracks by the Southern Sanctified Singers. Sound quality
varies a bit. Fine notes and artwork typical of Document. (DH)
ARIZONA DRANES: Bye And Bye We're Going To See The King/
Crucifixion/ Don't You Want To Go?/ God's Got A Crown/ He Is My Story/ I
Shall Wear A Crown/ I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go/ I'm Glad My Lord
Saved Me/ I'm Going Home On The Morning Train/ In That Day/ It's All Right
Now/ John Said He Saw A Number/ Just Look/ Lamb's Blood Has Washed Me
Clean/ My Soul Is A Witness For The Lord/ Sweet Heaven Is My Home/ REV.
JOE LENLEY: Let Us Therefore Come/ Lord Who Shall Abide In Thy Tabernacle/
THE SOUTHERN SANCTIFIED SINGERS: Soon We'll Gather At The River/ Where He
Leads Me I Will Follow/ THE TEXAS JUBILEE SINGERS: He's Coming Soon/ He's
The Lily Of The Valley
|
| LITTLE ARTHUR DUNCAN |
Delmark 793 |
Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge |
● CD $14.98 |
15 tracks, 65 min., almost recommended
From a long line of
Mississippi-born Chicago blues veterans comes Little Arthur Duncan, who
has been haunting blues clubs in the Windy City since the 1950s. His band,
which includes guitarists Rick Kreher (right speaker) formerly of the
Muddy Waters Band and Illinois Slim (left speaker), offers better than
respectable support for Duncan as he launches into a cover-heavy set (many
from the Chess catalogue) including Howlin' Wolf's No Place To Go,
Little Walter's I Got To Go and Blues With A Feeling, Willie
Dixon's Little Red Rooster and Young Fashioned Ways, Jimmy
Reed's Pretty Thing, and Roosevelt Sykes' 44 Blues, to name
several. But ultimately the septuagenarian's vocals and harp lack some of
the fire of days gone by, and the performances are a little tepid and only
moderately pleasing. (JC)
|
| HONEYBOY EDWARDS |
Earwig 4953 |
Roamin' And Ramblin' |
● CD $15.98 |
New album from that most venerable of Mississippi bluesmen
features 11 tracks recorded in 2007 when Honeyboy was 91 with Honeyboy
accompanied by harmonica players Bobby Rush, Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones or
Billy Branch plus other musicians. It also includes a live side from
1=2004 with Honey accompanied on harmonica by his friend and producer
Michael Frank, three tracks from 1976 - one with Sugar Blue on harmonica,
two from 1975 with Walter Horton and two tracks from his Library Of
Congress recordings in 1942.
|
| DAVID EVANS |
Inside Sounds 0532 |
Needy Time |
● CD $14.98 |
14 tracks, 51 mins, highly recommended
David Evans is one
of the nation's leading blues researchers having written extensively on
country blues over the past 40 years and spent time with many of the
country blues legends. He is also a fine musician in his own right and has
learned well from the many great musicians he has associated with. His
singing is powerful but unforced and is a splendid guitarist with a style
that shows his influences without slavish imitation. His material is a mix
of traditional songs, songs from the repertoire of great country bluesmen
and original songs that are strongly rooted in traditional styles. Two of
these are topical songs that are among the highlights here - Bring The
Boys Back Home is a scathing commentary on the Iraq war and God
Rode In The Windstorm uses the tune of God Moves On The Water
for another powerful commentary - this time about Hurricane Katrina and
the response. On the latter he is given wonderful vocal backup from Spirit
Of Memphis Quartet. Arrangements are varied ranging from solo to small
groups which includes, in various combinations - guitar, tambourine,
harmonica, jug, violin, washboard and more. Most of the recordings are
recent but there are also a few from the 60s and 70s including a version
of Bottle Up And Go from 1979 where he joined by Sleepy John Estes'
partner Hammie Nixon on vocal, jug & kazoo and two tracks from 1964 and
'67 where is joined by Alan Wilson of Canned Heat fame. A very fine
release. (FS)
|
| THE FAIRFIELD FOUR |
Acrobat 4205 |
Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around |
● CD $13.98 |
Just arrived - fabulous collection of 30 of the earliest
tracks by this outstanding gospel quartet drawing on recordings made for
Bullet and Dot between 1946 and 1951. Some of this material was on a long
out of print P-Vine album but the rest is new to CD. Includes Better
Leave That Liar Alone/ Where Shall I Go/ Amazing Grace/ I'm Going To Live
The Life I Sing About/ Dig A Little Deeper In God's Love/ Lift Him Up,
etc.
|
| FRANK FROST/ JERRY
MCCAIN |
P-Vine PCD 24047 |
Southern Harp Attack |
● CD $22.98 |
Great collection of down home blues recorded for Jewel in
the mid/ late 60s with 13 tracks by Frost and 14 by McCain.
FRANK FROST: Didn't Mean No Harm/ Feel Good Babe/ Five
Long Years/ Got My Mojo Working/ Harp And Soul/ Harpin' On It/ Janie On My
Mind/ My Back Scratcher/ Never Leave Me At Home/ Pocket Full Of Money/
Pretty Baby/ Ride With Your Daddy Tonight/ Things You Do/ JERRY MCCAIN:
728 Texas (where The Action Is)/ Homogenized Love/ Honky Tonk, Pt. 1/
Honky Tonk, Pt. 2/ I Don't Care Where I Get My Loving/ Juicy Lucy/ Love
Ain't Nothing To Play With/ Midnight Beat/ Put It Where I Can Get It/
She's Crazy 'bout Entertainers/ Somebody's Been Talking/ Soul Spasm/ Stick
'em Up/ Sugar Baby
|
| LLOYD GLENN |
Classics 5187 |
The Chronological Lloyd Glenn, 1954-1957 |
● CD $14.98 |
Complementing Classics 5016 (now
deleted!) and 5069 this is the third
volume devoted to the recordings of this brilliant Texas born pianist.
Lloyd's playing beautifully blends blues and jazz and on these sessions he
is mostly accompanied by bass and drums with the brilliant guiatr of Jesse
Ervin added for one session and Jack McVea joining for a session where
Lloyd does new versions of two of his biggest hits Old Time Shuffle
and Chick-A-Boo.
|
| BUDDY GUY |
JSP 8808 |
Live At The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago
1979 |
● CD $16.98 |
Newly packaged reissue of 1979 recordings made at the
famed Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago. Buddy is accompanied by his regular
band of the time (brother Phil on guitar, J.W. Williams/ bass, etc). Songs
include Buddy' Blues, Part One/ I've Got A Right To Love My Woman/ The
Things I Used To Do/ Buddy's Blues, Part 2/ Don't Answer The Doore,
etc.
|
| JOHN LEE HOOKER |
Proper BOX 111 |
The Boogie Man |
● CD $25.98 |
4 CDs, 98 tracks, just under 5 hours,
essential
298
minutes of the finest Boogie ever made! Proper has done an outstanding
job, gathering up a meaty portion of the legendary John Lee Hooker's early
recordings and putting them all in one fantastic set, with beautiful sound
and copious liner notes. Recordings here are from between 1948 and 1955,
the last of which was done in Chicago, while all of the rest were done in
Detroit. While this collection has some of his well-known songs like
Boogie Chillen/ Crawling King Snake/ I'm In The Mood, etc., this is
chock full of lesser-known cuts that aren't compiled that often. Starting
off with his very first recording with just his guitar and a slab of wood
to stomp out a rhythm on, (does a blues great like Hooker need anything
more?) throughout his formative years. Years that would see him solidify
his relationship with long time side man, guitarist Eddie Kirkland, who
appears on about a third of the tracks and also see him record for a
mystifying amount of labels, under a varied amount of pseudonyms like John
Lee Booker, Texas Slim, etc. A good job is done here clearing up the
mysteries and picking out the choicest of tracks. Recording quality can be
a little shaky on some of the more obscure tracks, but it's well worth it
for the gems that they provide. Certainly there have been a lot of
collections of Hooker's material, but if you don't have all of the early
stuff, you should; it is all absolutely essential and Proper records are
an industry high water mark for their sound and presentation. (JM)
JOHN LEE HOOKER: 609 Boogie/ Bad Boy/ Black Man Blues/
Bluebird/ Blues For Big Town/ Boogie Awhile/ Boogie Chillen/ Burnin' Hell/
Can I Say Hello/ Catfish/ Come Back Baby/ Crawling King Snake/ Crying All
Night/ Decoration Day Blues/ Devil's Jump/ Do My Baby Think Of Me/ Do The
Boogie/ Don't Go Baby/ Don't You Remember Me/ Down Child/ Drifting From
Door To Door/ Forgive Me/ Four Women In My Life/ Goin' Mad Blues/
Graveyard Blues/ Grinder Man/ Ground Hog Blues/ Heart Trouble Blues/
Helpless Blues/ Hey Boogie/ High Priced Woman/ Highway Blues/ Hobo Blues/
Hoogie Boogie/ House Rent Boogie/ Howlin' Wolf/ Huckle Up Baby/ I Don't Be
Welcome Here/ I Don't Want Your Money/ I Gotta Be Comin' Back/ I Love To
Boogie/ I'm Gonna Kill That Woman/ I'm In The Mood/ It's A Crime And A
Shame/ Just Like A Woman/ Landing Blues/ Late Last Night/ Leave My Wife
Alone/ Let Your Daddy Ride/ Louise/ Low Down-Midnite Boogie/ Mad Man
Blues/ Miss Eloise, Miss Eloise/ Miss Lorraine/ Miss Rosie Mae/ Moaning
Blues/ Moon Is Rising/ Morning Blues/ My Baby's Got Somethin'/ My Daddy
Was A Jockey/ Need Somebody/ Nightmare Blues/ No Friend Around (T.B.'s
Killing Me)/ No Mortgage On My Soul/ Playing The Races/ Queen Bee/
Questionnaire Blues/ Ramblin' By Myself/ Real Gone Gal/ Road Trouble/ Rock
House Boogie/ Sally Mae/ She Left Me By Myself/ She Was In Chicago/ Slim's
Stomp/ Sometime/ Stomp Boogie/ Strike Blues/ Sugar Mama/ Talkin' Boogie/
The Numbers/ The Story Of A Married Woman/ Thinking Blues/ Three Long
Years Today/ Throw This Old Dog A Bone/ Time Is Marchin'/ Tuesday Evening
Blues/ Turn Over A New Leaf/ Turnin' Gray Blues/ Union Station Blues/
Walkin' The Boogie/ Wandering Blues/ War Is Over (Goodbye California)/
Wednesday Evening/ Weeping Willow Boogie/ Whistlin' And Moanin' Blues/
Who's Been Jiving You/ Worried Life Blues
|
| LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS |
Proper BOX 123 |
Texas Thunderbolt |
● CD $31.98 |
Another winner from Proper featuring 110 sides recorded by
the king of Texas country between 1946 and 1955 - a healthy percentage of
the sides he recorded during this period. Includes 48 page booklet.
LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: (let Me) Play With Your Poodle/
Abilene/ Ain't It A Shame/ Ain't It A Shame/ Another Fool In Town/
Appetite Blues/ Automobile Blues/ Baby Please Don't Go/ Bad Luck And
Trouble/ Bad Things On My Mind/ Beggin' You To Stay/ Black Cat/ Black Cat
Bone/ Bluebird Blues/ Blues For My Cookie/ Can't Get That Woman Off My
Mind/ Candy Kitchen/ Cemetery Blues/ Coffee Blues/ Contrary Mary/ Crazy
'bout My Baby/ Daddy Will Be Home One Day/ Dark And Cloudy/ Dirty House/
Disagreeable/ Don't Think 'cause Your Pretty/ Evil Hearted Woman/ Freight
Train Blues/ Give Me Central/ Goin' Back And Talk To Mama/ Grievance
Blues/ Grosebeck Blues/ Had A Gal Called Sal/ Happy New Year/ Have To Let
You Go/ Henny Penny Blues/ Highway Blues/ Honey Babe/ I Can't Stay Here In
Yourtown/ I Just Don't Care/ I'm Beggin' You/ I'm Wild About You Baby/ Ida
Mae/ Jackstropper Blues/ Jake Head Boogie/ Katie Mae Blues/ Last Affair/
Life I Used To Live/ Lightnin' Special/ Lightnin's Boogie/ Lightnin's
Boogie/ Lightnin's Boogie/ Little Mama Boogie/ Lonesome Dog Blues/
Lonesome Home/ Lonesome In Your Home/ Long Way From Texas/ Mad With You/
Mama's Baby Child/ Merry Christmas/ Miss Loretta/ Miss Me Blues/
Mistreater Blues/ Moanin' Blues/ Moonrise Blues/ Morning Blues/ Movin' On
Out Boogie/ My Baby's Gone/ My California/ My Little Kewpie Doll/ Needed
Time/ Nightmare Blues/ Nothin' But The Blues/ One Kind Favour/ One Kind Of
Favour/ Picture On The Wall/ Policy Game/ Praying Ground Blues/ Racetrack
Blues/ Remember Me/ Rollin' And Rollin'/ Rollin' Woman Blues/ Sad News
From Korea/ Santa Fe Blues/ See See Rider/ Shine On Moon/ Short Haired
Woman/ Shotgun Blues/ Sick Feeling Blues/ Sittin' Down Thinking/ So Long/
Some Day Baby/ Somebody's Got To Go/ Sugar On My Mind/ T-model Blues/ Tap
Dance Boogie/ Tell It Like It Is/ That Mean Old Twister/ The War Is Over/
Tim Moore's Farm/ Unpredictable Woman/ Unsuccessful Blues/ Untrue Blues/
West Coast Blues/ What Can It Be?/ Whiskey Headed Woman/ You Caused My
Heart To Weep/ You Don't Know/ You're Not Goin' To Worry My Life Anymore/
Zologo
|
| FRUTELAND JACKSON |
Electro-Fi 3401 |
Tell Me What You Say |
● CD $15.98 |
Newest from popular acoustic blues performer.
|
| LIL SON JACKSON |
Document DOCD 5681 |
Volume 2: 1950-1952 Restless Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
Second of three volumes devoted to the commercial
recordings of this superb Texas country blues singer/ guitarist. Many of
these tracks feature Son accompanied by other musicians ranging from just
string bass to full groups with bass, piano, drums and sax which
occasionally get in the way but his beautiful soulful vocals are well to
the fore and the songs all have a down home sensibility. Like the first
volume there is a little more high end filtering than I would like but
it's not too offensive and there are no digital artifacts.
|
| LONNIE JOHNSON |
Classics 5177 |
The Chronological Lonnie Johnson,
1948-1949 |
● CD $14.98 |
23 tracks, recommended
Complementing Classics 5153 which
covered later recordings from 1949 through 1952 this one features earlier
sides - 23 tracks recorded for King between August 1948 and May 1949
including two top ten R&B hits - Pleasing You (As Long As I Live)
and his cover of Russ Morgan's contemporary pop hit So Tired.
Lonnie with his sweet vocals and distinctive guitar perform a selection of
pop ballads, cool blues, jump tunes and jazz flavored instrumentals
usually in the company of piano and bass with tenor saxist Paul Renfro
added for the two instrumentals. Although the repertoire is heavy on pop
ballads and the spectre of his big hit Tomorrow NighT hangs over a
number of tracks there is enough of interest here to make it well worth a
listen. (FS)
|
| CURTIS JONES |
Columbia/ Blue Horizon 722 474-2 |
The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions |
● CD $18.98 |
21 tracks, highly recommended
Curtis Jones was an excellent
and distinctive singer and a very fine blues songwriter as well as a fine
piano player who was the originator of the songs Tin Pan Alley/
Lonesome Bedroom Blues and Decoration Day Blues. Curtis started
recording in the late 30s and recorded fairly regularly on and off until
his death in Munich, Germany in 1971. Curtis visited Europe in 1962 and
decided to make his home there and these excellent sides were cut in
London in 1968 with Curtis accompanied by a sympathetic rhythm section and
originally issued on the LP "Now Resident In Europe". Curtis sang in an
intense high pitched (not falsetto) style and accompanied himself with
some powerful and imaginative piano work - he was no master musician but
his playing provided a perfect backdrtop to his vocals. On a couple of
tracks he accompanies himself on guitar (the instrument he first started
playing in his teens) and his guitar playing is pleasingly idiosyncratic.
The songs are mostly originals along with a couple of blues standards and
Jimmy Reed's You Don't Have To Go. The 12 bonus tracks on the CDs
include a couple of additional songs and a bunch of alternate takes and
while the alternates are not indispensable they are certainly worthwhile.
There are also a couple of brief but interesting interview snippets.
Superb sound and in depth notes from producer Mike Vernon.
|
Back To New Release Index
Back
To Home Page
Roots & Rhythm
P.O. Box 837
El Cerrito, CA 94530 USA
Toll Free Order Line : 888-ROOTS-66, Fax : 510-526-9001
© 2007 Roots & Rhythm. No part of this site may be reproduced without written permission
|
