ROBERT CAGE |
Fat Possum 80316 |
Cant See What You're Doing |
● CD $14. 98 |
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CHRIS CAIN |
Blind Pig 5000 |
Can't Buy A Break |
● CD $16. 98 |
Combination of sophisticated blues, jazz and
funk
|
CHRIS CAIN |
Blind Pig 74090 |
Cuttin' Loose |
● CD $16. 98 |
|
BIG AL CALHOUN |
Arcola 1003 |
Harmonica Blues |
● CD $14.98 |
Previously unissued recordings by good singer and harmonica
player Alvin "Big Al" Calhoun recorded in 1979 in St. Louis with
Henry Townsend on electric guitar. Calhoun is a powerful singer and a good
harmonica player strongly influenced by John Lee "Sonny Boy"
Williamson and a number of the songs are drawn from Sonny Boy's
repertoire. A number of the songs feature Townsend on vocal and he is
joined by his wife Vernell on three songs.
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BLIND JAMES
CAMPBELL |
Arhoolie 438 |
And His Nashville Street Band |
● CD $12. 98 |
23 tracks, 64 mins, recommended
Delightful
and unique collection featuring recordings of a Nashville street band made
in 1962 and 1963. Originally issued on LP in 1963 the CD reissue adds 8
previously unissued cuts. Being a street band playing for the passing by
public they were familiar with a wide variety of material including blues,
hillbilly, jazz and more. The group is led by singer/ guitarist Campbell who
is joined by Beauford Clay on fiddle and Bell Ray on second fiddle or guitar
plus, on some cuts George Bell on trumpet and Ralph Robinson on tuba! The
group is very loose and ragged but entertaining on songs like Have I
Stayed Away Too Long/ Will The Circle Be Unbroken/ Baby Please Don't Go/
This Little Light Of Mine/ Gambling Man/ I Never Had Nothing/ Beauford's
Boogie Woogie/ Pick & Shovel Blues and more. For some inexplicable
reason the worst tracks with some really out of tune fiddle are put at the
beginning of the CD which may discourage you from investigating further
which is a shame as once you get past those the music is a lot of fun. (FS)
BLIND JAMES CAMPBELL: Baby Please Don't Go/ Beauford's Boogie Woogie/
Beauford's Breakdown/ Buffalo Gal/ Detroit Blues/ Detroit Jump/ Do You
Remember/ Gambling Man/ Have I Stayed Away Too Long/ I Am So Blue When It
Rains/ I Never Had Nothing/ I'm Crazy About You Baby/ Jam Piece (George's
Boogie)/ Jimmy's Blues/ John Henry/ Monkey Man Blues/ My Gal Got Evil/ Pick
And Shovel Blues/ Sittin' Here Drinking/ The Moon May Rise In Blood/ This
Little Light Of Mine/ When The Saints Go Marching In/ Will The Circle Be
Unbroken
|
EDDIE C.
CAMPBELL |
Icehouse 9423 |
Gonna Be Alright |
● CD $15. 98 |
Enjoyable collection of Chicago blues from
Chi-Town veteran Campbell. Mostly original songs plus a few covers. Although
there is no information on the cover this is actually a reissue of Eddie's
1987 Double Trouble album "Mind Trouble" which was recorded in Holland with
a mix of Dutch and American musicians. The band does a good job though
harmonica player Johnny Mars is a bit over the top for my liking.
|
REV. E.D. CAMPBELL & OTHERS |
Document DOCD 5389 |
Complete Recorded Works In
Chronological Order, 1927 |
● CD $15. 98 |
20 tracks, 68 min., recommended. On
Campbell's 16 tracks he relies more on his singing voice than on his
knowledge of the Bible -- which apparently is somewhat limited -- misciting
or failing to cite scripture for most of his sermons. Assisted vocally by
Sisters Watkins and Dunlop and Brother Griffin, Campbell's approach is
untutored and a bit chaotic but not without its power, as he shouts and
strains his way to fervor and excitation. The performance is the message.
The Rev. Isaiah Shelton and the Rev. C. F. Thornton each offer a pair of
cuts to end the disc, both offering sermons with congregational singing,
neither of special interest. (JC)
|
THE
CAMPBELL BROTHERS |
Arhoolie 461 |
Pass Me Not |
● CD $12. 98 |
More gospel steel guitar music from Florida
featuring the solo and dual steel guitar work of brothers Charles (pedal
steel) and Derick Campbell (8 string lap steel) with vocals by Katie
Jackson.
THE CAMPBELL BROTHERS: End Of My Journey (Praise Song)/ I Feel Good/ I've
Got A Feeling/ It Won't Be Very Long/ Jump For Joy/ Mary Don't You Weep/
Medley Of Offertory Tunes/ Morning Train/ None But The Righteous/ Pass Me
Not, Oh Gentle Saviour/ There Is No Failure In God/ Walk With Me/ What A
Friend We Have In Jesus/ What's His Name? . . . Jesus!
|
LEROY CARR/ BLACK BOY SHINE |
Document DOCD 5465 |
Unissued Test Pressings And
Alternate Takes |
● CD $15. 98 |
23 tracks, 59 mins, highly recommended What a
pleasant surprise - some really interesting unissued songs and alternate
takes including 3 never before heard songs by the great Leroy Carr from
August & December, 1934 when he was at his peak. Most of his cuts feature
the twin guitars of Scrapper Blackwell and Josh White. There are two takes
of Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child which bears only a
passing resemblance to famous spiritual and one take each of The Stuff Is
Here (a duet with Bobby Phillips) and the beautiful Bozetta Blues.
There are also three fine alternate takes of songs previously issued on
previous Document CDs. The rest of the CD is devoted to Black Shine
featuring two takes each of seven songs and one take each of two others -
none of these have ever been issued before in any form. Although not as well
known as Carr Black Boy Shine (Harold Holiday) was an excellent and
imaginative performer and a most worthwhile companion. He was a piano player
in the "Santa Fe" style with a harmonically varied left hand and a "stride"
feel to his approach. He was also a fine singer with a solemn style rather
like that of Walter Roland. Like many Texas bluesmen his songs are above
average with references to his lifestyle and enviroment. These significant
recordings came from the archives of Art Satherly - the recording engineer
on these sessions. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative
notes by David Evans. (FS)
|
LEROY CARR |
JSP JSPCD 77104 |
And Scrapper Blackwell - Vol. 1: 1928-1934 |
● CD $28.98 |
Four C D s, 95 tracks, very highly recommended
Between 1928
and his untimely death in 1935 singer/piano player Leroy Carr and his
guitar playing partner Scrapper Blackwell produced some of the finest and
most influential blues recordings of the era. Carr's beautiful melancholic
vocals and low key, but very effective piano work was perfectly
complemented by Blackwell's wonderful acerbic guitar style. It includes
his original recordings of songs that have become blues standards like
How Long, How Long Blues/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Mean
Mistreater Mama/ Blues Before Sunrise and others. It also includes
several alternate takes and tracks not originally issued on 78s. His first
session in June 1928 yielded the classic How Long, How Long Blues
and it's popularity led to him recording five sequels using the same
melody but with (often substantial) lyric variations. Although best known
for his mournful blues, Carr also recorded a number of novelty songs and
pop ballads - the latter not always showing Carr to his best advantage.
Interestingly it seems that as his career progressed his songs seemed to
become more intense and introspective - perhaps reflective of his battle
with the alcoholism that led to his death. Blackwell's fantastic guitar
playing tended to become more prominent as the recordings progressed and
it becomes very clear what a big influence his playing was on many later
musicians. Because of Carr's immense popularity his records were played
continuously and it's hard to find his earlier recordings in good shape
and so sound quality on the earlier recordings is often rough though these
transfers are an improvement over previous reissues. Hopefully, one day,
someone will turn up a mint copy of the first How Long, How Long Blues
so we can finally hear it in all its glory. Includes informative notes by
Max Haynes. Presumably the second volume will include the rest of Carr's
recordings and all of Blackwell's issued under his own name. (FS)
LEROY CARR: Ain't Got No God/ Ain't Got No Money Now/
Alabama Women Blues/ Baby Come Back To Me/ Baby Don't You Leave Me No
More/ Baby You Done Put That Thing On Me/ Big House Blues/ Blue Night
Blues/ Blue With The Blues/ Blues Before Sunrise/ Blues Before Sunrise
(alternate)/ Blues She Gave Me/ Box Car Blues/ Broken Spoke Blues/ Carried
Water For The Elephant/ Christmas In Jail/ Corn Licker Blues/ Court Room
Blues/ Depression Blues, The/ Dirty Dozen, The/ Don't Say Goodbye/ Don't
You Get Tired/ Four Day Rider/ Gambler's Blues/ Gettin' All Wet/ Gone
Mother Blues/ Goodbye Blues/ Hard Times Done Drove Me To Drink/ Hold Them
Puppies/ How About Me/ How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone/ How
Long, How Long Blues/ How Long, How Long Blues No. 2/ How Long, How Long
Blues No. 3/ How Long, How Long Blues Part 2/ Hurry Down Blues/ I Keep The
Blues/ I Know That I'll Be Blue/ I Won't Miss You When You're Gone/ I'm
Going Away And Leave My Baby/ I'm Going Back To Tennessee/ Jail Cell
Blues/ Just Worryin' Blues/ Let's Disagree/ Let's Make Up And Be Friends
Again/ Lifeboat Blues/ Lonesome Nights/ Long Road Blues/ Love Crying
Blues/ Love Rides All/ Low Down Dirty Blues/ Low Down Dog Blues/ Mean
Mistreater Mama/ Mean Mistreater Mama (alternate)/ Mean Mistreater Mama
No. 2/ Mean Old Train Blues/ Memphis Town/ Midnight Hour Blues/ Moonlight
Blues/ My Own Lonesome Blues/ My Woman's Gone Wrong/ Naptown Blues/ New
How Long Blues, The/ Nineteen Thirty One Blues/ Papa Wants A Cookie/ Papa
Wants To Knock A Jug/ Papa's Got Your Water On/ Papa's On The House Top/
Prison Bound Blues/ Prison Cell Blues/ Quittin' Papa/ Rainy Day Blues/
Shady Lane Blues/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/ Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless
Child/ Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (alternate)/ Stormy Night
Blues/ Straight Alky Blues Part 1/ Straight Alky Blues Part 2/ Straight
Alky Blues Part 3/ Taht's Tellin 'em/ Take A Walk Around The Corner/
Tennessee Blus/ That's All Right For You/ There Ain't Nobody Got It Like
She Got It/ Think Of Me Thinking Of You/ Tired Of Your Low Down Ways/
Truth About The Thing, The/ Truthful Blues/ What More Can I Do/ Workhouse
Blues/ Wrong Man Blues/ You Can't Run My Business No More/ You Don't Mean
Me No Good/ You Got To Reap What You Sow
|
SISTER WYNONA
CARR |
Specialty 7016 |
Dragnet For Jesus |
● CD $15. 98 |
If you're thinking that no album called
Dragnet For Jesus could be all bad, you're right. This, the first
collection of Sister Wynona Carr's gospel recordings cut on Art Rupe's
Specialty label between 1949-54, is an absolute delight. Included, of
course, are underappreciated classics like The Ball Game/ In A Little
While and Ms. Carr's first effort, the swinging Each Day. But
what makes this set essential is the unreleased material (17 of 26 cuts),
including the title track with Carr as Joe Friday, Operator, Operator/ 15
Rounds For Jesus/ I Heard The News, a religious rewrite of Good
Rockin' Tonight, and three radically different versions of Our Father
- one featuring Brother Joe May, one Rev. C.L. Franklin. Excellent notes by
Opal Nations and Lee Hildebrand. Highly recommended.
[JC]
|
CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND |
Blind Pig 5007 |
Dance All Night |
● CD $15. 98 |
High-energy Zydeco party music
CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND: Cuyan/ Got to Make Her Mine/ I'm
Coming Home/ Love You Right/ Old Time Zydeco/ Rock Me Baby/ Stay a Little
Longer/ The Zydeco King/ They Want to Party Now/ Tule Ton Son Ton/ Turn On
Your Love Light/ Zydeco Extravaganza/ Zydeco's The Way To Go
|
BO CARTER |
Yazoo 1064 |
Banana in Your Fruit Basket:
Red Hot Blues 1931-1936 |
● CD $15. 98 |
Bo Carter was a fine guitarist and singer
from Mississippi who played occasionally with the Ms. Shieks and frequently
on his own. There are three Yazoo collections of his work, all of them
worthwhile (#1014 - Greatest Hits 1930-1940 and #1034 - Twist It
Babe may be unavailable until they emerge as CD's), but this straight
reissue of the Banana LP is the most unbridled. The album is all
double-entendres: you can tell half the story by reading some of the titles
- Pig Meat Is What I Crave/ What Kind Of Scent Is This/ Mashing that
Thing/ Don't Mash My Digger So Deep/ Pin In Your Cushion/ My Pencil Won't
Write No More. Yet Banana In Your Fruit Basket is not a novelty
record, just the honest ramblings of a wild, apparently one-track mind. Good
sound; recommended.
[JG]
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