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BLUES & GOSPEL

Little Sonny -> Nellie Lutcher
 

LITTLE SONNY
LITTLE WALTER
A.C. LITTLEFIELD & THE ORIGINAL BELLS OF JOY
LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD
JOHN LITTLEJOHN
ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD
CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON
LONESOME SUNDOWN
BIG JOE LOUIS
JOE HILL LOUIS
BIG JOE LOUIS & HIS BLUES KINGS
LOUISIANA RED
WILLIE LOVE & HIS THREE ACES
PROFESOR EDDIE LUSK
NELLIE LUTCHER
 

 
 

LITTLE SONNY Stax 8533 New King Of The Blues Harmonica ● CD $12.98
Reissue of Enterprise album originally issued in early 70s. Aaron `Little Sonny' Willis is a fine Detroit singer and harmonica player though most of this album is instrumental with only two vocals by Sonny - the old standby Baby What You Want Me To Do and his own fine Don't Ask Me Know Questions. The accompaniments are a solid hard driving rhythm section with the sound filled out by an electric organ which, for the most part, is quite effective.

 
LITTLE WALTER Chess CHD 9384 His Best ● CD $15.98
20 harmonica blues classics - Juke/ Mean Old World/ Tell Me Mama/ Blues With A Feeling/ It Ain't Right/ Last Night/ Mellow Down Easy/ Roller Coaster/ Boom, Boom, Out Goes The Light/ Just Your Fool, etc.

 
LITTLE WALTER Delmark 648 The Blues World Of Little Walter ● CD $11.98
13 tracks, 38 minutes, essential. This disc is short but oh so sweet! The first 8 tracks are from a January 1950 session cut for Monroe Passis's label Parkway in Chicago which is one of the most exciting of all blues sessions. It featured members of the Muddy Waters band of the time - Little Walter, Baby Face Leroy Foster, Jimmy Rogers and Muddy himself who was under contract to Aristocrat at the time. The group sound like they might have had a nip or two before the session and the result is a loose, exciting, urban but primitive sound with the group frequently yelling out words of encouragement to each other. The highlight of this session is the incredible two part reworking of the Mississippi blues standard Rolling & Tumbling - in the first part Baby Face takes the lead vocal with the rest of the group singing behind him and in the second part the whole group chant wordlessly producing a ferociously original sound that will not leave you unmoved. Little Walter was still finding his sound as a harmonica player and on three tracks he plays some uniquely distinctive guitar which indicates that if he had not concentrated on the harp he would have been a guitarist to reckon with. Digitally remastered from the original sources the sound on these tracks is the best it's ever been. The remaining tracks are gilding on the lily featuring 3 fine J.B. Lenoir performances cut from JOB with Snnyland Slim and two tracks by the ubiquitous Sunnyland Slim in great form with some beautiful guitar work by Robert Lockwood. The disc comes with informative notes by Jim O'Neal. This is one release that you owe it to yourself to hear! (FS)
J.B. LENOIR: I Wanna Play A Little While/ Louise/ People Are Meddilin' In Our Affairs/ LITTLE WALTER & BABYFACE LEROY: Bad Acting Woman/ Boll Weevil/ I Just Keep Loving Her/ Moonshine Blues/ Muskadine Blues/ Red Headed Woman/ Rollin' And Tumblin' (part 1)/ Rollin' And Tumblin' (part 2)/ SUNNYLAND SLIM: I Done You Wrong/ Low Down Sunnyland Train

 
A.C. LITTLEFIELD & THE ORIGINAL BELLS OF JOY Dialtone 0001 Second Time Around ● CD $14.98
11 tracks, 43 mins, recommended The Texas based Bells Of Joy were among the top gospel groups of the 50s and 60s, recording for, among others, Peacock, Checker and Nashboro and having a hit with their version of Let's Talk About Jesus. A few years ago the groups leader A.C. Littlefield decided to reform the group with another original member A.D. Watson and the addition of several other fine singers. The result is a fine collection of old time gospel quartet singing with accompaniments by guitars and drums. The excellent Littlefield is featured on lead on five songs including a remake of Let's Talk About Jesus and other tracks feature leads by Alton Cyphers or Al Brown. Fine leads with strong harmony work making for an enjoyable collection. (FS)

 
LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD Ace CDCHD 503 Going Back To Kay Cee ● CD $18.98
19 tracks, 52 mins, recommended
Out of print for a couple of years this excellent CD has been reissued due to public demand. Excellent collection featuring all the Federal recordings of this Texas singer and piano player cut in 1952 and '53 including two duets with the wonderful Little Esther and one with the not so wonderful Lil Greenwood. Littlefield was the first to record Kansas City as K.C. Lovin', a popular title and several of his subsequent titles like Miss K.C.'s Fine and Goofy Dust Blues were in the same vein. When Wilbert Harrison had a #1 hit in 1959 with the song Federal overdubbed additional bass and drums and reissued it - the overdubbed version is also included here. Other fine performances include the doomy minor key blues Blood Is Redder Than Wine with wonderful baritone sax from Jewel Grant, the intense The Midnight Hour Was Shining (two takes) and the hot boogie instrumental Jim Wilson's Boogie. Only his last session is a disappointment with the weird vocal effects on (Please Don't Go) O-O-O-O and the dreary pop ballad Don't Take My Heart Little Girl. A most worthwhile collection with superb sound. (FS)
LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD: Blood Is Redder Than Wine/ Falling Tears/ Goofy Dust Blues/ Jim Wilson's Boogie/ K C Loving/ Kansas City/ Last Laugh Blues/ Miss K C's Fine/ Monday Morning Blues/ My Best Wishes And Regards/ Pleading At Midnight/ Please Don't Go-O-O-Oh/ Rock-A-Bye Baby/ Sitting On The Curbstone/ Striking On You Baby/ Take My Heart Little Girl/ The Midnight Hour Was Shining/ The Midnight Hour Was Shining/ Turn The Lamp Down Low

 
LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD Ace CDCHD 736 Kat On The Keys ● CD $18.98
25 tracks, 72 mins, highly recommended Another welcome reissue of sides from the Modern label this time featuring the talents of Texas singer & piano player Little Willie Littlefield. Willie was only 18 when he made the first of the recordings here (It's Midnight cut in Houston in 1949 and a #3 Billboard R&B hit) but his singing and piano playing are solid and assured. The rest of the tracks were cut in Los Angeles between 1950 and '52 in the company of top L.A. musicians like Maxwell Davis on sax, Chuck Norris or Johnny Moore on guitar, Al "Cake" Wichard on drums and others. The music is a mixture of blues, blues ballads and boogies - Willie is a superb boogie woogie piano player. A couple of cuts are duets with female singer Little Lora Wiggins including the minor hit I've Been Lost. This fine collection includes several previously unissued alternate takes and a couple of unissued titles as well as quite a few tracks that were not originally issued on 78. Sound quality is stunning and there are decent notes by compiler Ray Topping who, as usual, refrains from providing discographical info. (FS)
LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD: 'Long About Midnight/ Ain't A Better Story Told/ Cheerful Baby/ Happy Pay Day/ Hit The Road/ I Like It/ I've Been Lost/ It's Midnight (No Place To Go)/ Life Of Trouble/ Love Me Tonight/ Lump In My Throat (Tears In My Eyes)/ Mean Mean Woman/ Money Hustlin' Woman/ Nakite Stomp (Inst)/ Real Fine Mama/ Rockin' Chair Mama/ The Nights Are So Long/ The Sun Is Shining In Your Front Door/ Til We Meet Again/ Too Late For Me/ Train Whistle Blues (aka Train Whistle Blowing)/ Trouble Around Me/ Trouble Around Me/ You Never Miss A Good Woman Till She's Gone/ Your Love Wasn't So

 
JOHN LITTLEJOHN Arhoolie 9019 Slidin' Home ● CD $9.98
Previously issued as Arhoolie 1043 - now reissued in Arhoolie's budget line series. CD issue of LP 1043 with two previously unissued tracks by this excellent singer and guitarist recorded in 1968 with a tough small band and produced by Chris Strachwitz and Willie Dixon. The material is varied an includes the intense What In The World You Goin' To Do, the lyrical slide guitar outing on Dream, the traditional sounding, and previously unissued, Nowhere To Lay My Head and a bluesy version of the Brook Benton pop/R&B hit Kiddeo. (FS)

 
JOHN LITTLEJOHN Wolf 120.859 Blues Party - Chicago Blues Session Vol. 13 ● CD $15.98
A collection of 9 tracks recorded in 1989. There are 6 songs performed by singer/ slide guitarist John Littlejohn. John is in good form, though most of the songs he has recorded previously. There's one song by Taildragger, a rather mediocre Howlin' Wolf imitator, which is worthwhile for the fine accompaniments of Luther Adams & John Primer/ guitars, Billy Branch/ harp (some really intense playing), Willie Kent/ bass and Timothy Taylor/ drums. There is a similar line up on the two vocals by Willie Kent - a powerful and effective singer. (FS)

 
ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD Bullseye Blues 9623 Just The Blues ● CD $11.98
Mid-price collection of songs drawn from Lockwood's two Rounder albums with Johnny Shines - Hangin' On/ Razzmadazz/ For You My Love/ Rockin' Free/ Blues On The Hour/ I Gotta Find My Baby, etc.

 
ROBERT JR. LOCKWOOD Delmark 630 Steady Rollin' Man ● CD $11.98
14 tracks, 41 min., good. Lockwood's first LP session (from 1970) is a little tentative, but many a blues fan will want to revisit it on CD anyway. Backed by the ever-steady Aces - Louis and Dave Myers, and Fred Below - he mines the Robert Johnson/ Muddy Waters lode in typical fashion, making up in competence what he might lack in confidence. Many of these sound like first takes, but Ramblin' On My Mind kicks in nicely, and Robert is less restrained on the few original songs. To these ears he sounds best on on the instrumentals Steady Groove/ Lockwood's Boogie/ Tanya, where The Aces' jazzy talents come through strongly. Two alternate takes are tagged on to the end. (MB)
ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR.: Blues And Trouble/ Can't Stand The Pain/ Kind-hearted Woman/ Lockwood's Boogie (alternate)./ Lockwood's Boogie (instrumental)/ Mean Red Spider/ Rambling Oh My Mind/ Steady Groove (instrumental)/ Steady Rollin' Man/ Take A Walk With Me/ Tanya (instrumental)/ Western Horizon/ Worst Old Feeling/ Worst Old Feeling (alternate)

 
CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON Blues Documents BDCD 6006 Complete Recordings In Chronological Order V. 1 1935-39 ● CD $15.98
The first of two discs presenting the complete recordings of this brilliant boogie and blues and piano player. He was an energetic and expressive player and a fine vocalist with a distinctive husky style. However he was at his best when playing instrumentals or accompanying another singer and could devote all his attention to his piano work. His four accompaniments from 1936 to the brilliant singer Red Nelson are particularly outstanding. This set also includes his first recordings from 1935 where his vocals and piano playing are joined by the guitar of Big Bill Broonzy. There are six fine sides from a private party in 1939 and 3 from a 1939 sessions including the beautiful Had A Dream and the tune that seems to have been his theme song - Streamline Train which was a variation of Cow Cow Blues. Sound is satisfactory and there are informative notes by Keith Briggs. (FS)

 
CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON Blues Documents BDCD 6007 Complete Recordings In Chronological Order V. 2 1939-43 ● CD $15.98
The second of two discs presenting the complete recordings of this brilliant boogie and blues piano player features 10 tunes from 1939 and 10 from 1943. These tracks include quite a few reworkings of previously recorded titles like I Don't Know & Streamline Train but his playing is always a joy to listen to with their flowing and inventive melody lines. The famed Pinetop's Boogie Woogie takes on new life in his hands. There are only a couple of vocals here on the remakes of Policy Blues and I Don't Know - a shame as his husky vocal renditions are most appealing. Excellent! (FS)

 
LONESOME SUNDOWN Ace CDCHD 556 I'm A Mojo Man ● CD $18.98
LONESOME SUNDOWN: Don't Go/ Don't Say A Word/ Hoo Doo Woman Blues/ I Got A Broken Heart/ I Stood By/ I Woke Up Crying (Oh What A Dream)/ I'm A Mojo Man/ I'm A Samplin' Man/ I'm A Young Man/ I'm Glad She's Mine/ I'm Gonna Stick To You Baby/ It's Easy When You Know How/ Learn To Treat Me Better/ Leave My Money Alone/ Lonely, Lonely Me/ Lonesome Lonely Blues/ Lonesome Whistler/ Lost Without Your Love/ My Home Ain't Here/ My Home Is A Prison/ Sundown Blues/ What You Wanna Do It For/ When I Had, I Didn't Need (Now I Need, Don't Have A Dime)/ You Know I Love You

 
BIG JOE LOUIS Ace CDCHD 833 Big Joe Louis/ Stars In The Sky ● CD $18.98
Two CD set at a single CD price featuring two albums from late 80s/ early 90s by popular British bluesman plus previously unissued bonus cuts from the same sessions.

 
JOE HILL LOUIS Ace CDCHD 803 Boogie In The Park ● CD $18.98
28 track compilation of sides by this wonderful one-man band recorded for Modern, Meteor and other Bihari labels in the early 50s.

 
JOE HILL LOUIS Bear Family BCD 15524 The Be-Bop Boy With Walter Horton And Mose Vinson ● CD $19.98
Self-taught bluesman (guitar, harmonica, drums) Joe Hill Louis never took the world by storm, or lived to see the age of 36. But he did make some damn fine blues records, some with producer Sam Phillips at the controls. This disc collects 26 sides recorded for Phillips between March '52 and Sept. '53, when Louis was either leading the sessions or playing his guitar for Walter Horton or Mose Vinson. For low-down, no frill blues She Treats Me Mean And Evil is tough to beat, though Sweetest Gal In Town/ Got A New Woman/ I'm A Poor Boy give it a shot. A few songs benefit from famous Sidemen Jack Kelly (pno) and Willie Nix (dms), Dorothy Mae being one of the best. The cuts by Vinson and Horton are frequently wonderful too, especially Little Walter's Boogie/ My Love Has Gone. Usual flawless packaging from Bear Family. (JC)

 
BIG JOE LOUIS & HIS BLUES KINGS Ace CDCHD 622 Big Sixteen ● CD $18.98
New album from popular British blues band.
BIG JOE LOUIS & HIS BLUES KINGS: 3-6-9/ Another Married Woman/ Back Door Slam/ Catfish/ Christmas Eve 1993/ Down Jamaica Way/ Ella Mae/ I Can Tell/ I Took Care Of My Homework (but Jody Got My Girl And Gone)/ I've Got To Be More Selective/ Leaving On My Mind/ Rock'n'roll Baby/ She Was All The World To Me/ The Way I Feel For You/ Treat Your Daddy Right/ Wine Head

 
LOUISIANA RED Collectables 5419 The Lowdown Back Porch Blues ● CD $13.98
Although Iverson Minter aka Louisiana Red has been over-recorded in the past 10 years, these recordings from 1962 and '64 are his best, featuring Red on vocals, electric guitar and harmonica accompanied by bass and drums. Red sings and plays with passion and conviction on witty topical songs like Red's Dream and Ride On Red, Ride On, intense slow blues like Working Man Blues and Sad News (the latter with some nice slide guitar) and upbeat items like I'm Louisiana Red and Two Fifty Three. 12 tracks originally issued on Roulette, and reissued on Vogue LP & CD with additional cuts. The sound quality won't win any awards, but since the original recordings were excellent the sound here is perfectly acceptable.(FS)

 
WILLIE LOVE & HIS THREE ACES Purple Pyramid 832 Greenville Smokin' ● CD $13.98
18 tracks, 50 mins, essential Mississippi juke joint blues at its finest. This album reissues all 18 cuts recorded by this fine Mississippi piano player for Trumpet between 1951 and 1953 - four of them never issued on 78 rpm. Love is accompanied by a small group and the resulting sound has a rough juke joint quality to it with declamatory vocals and barrelhouse piano by Willie and loose but exciting backup by the band. Love's material is mix of originals and raucous variations of traditional blues songs. Among the guitarists featured on these sessions are Elmore James, Joe Willie Wilkins and Little Milton Campbell! A few of the cuts feature some appropriately down home tenor sax work. Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes by Marc Ryan (if you can raed them!). (FS)

 
PROFESOR EDDIE LUSK Delmark 650 Professor's Blues Revue ● CD $11.98
First solo effort by this Chicago blues keyboardist, now on CD. Features vocalist Karen Carroll and guitarist Joey Woolfalk.

 
NELLIE LUTCHER Collectables 2788 Real Gone/ Our New Nellie ● CD $15.98
Two rare Capitol albums on one CD featuring this fine jazz flavored blues vocalist.
NELLIE LUTCHER: (all Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings/ Alexander's Ragtime Band/ Blue Skies/ Come And Get It, Honey/ Do You, Or Don't You Love Me/ Fine Brown Frame/ Have You Ever Been Lonely/ He's A Real Gone Guy/ Hurry On Down/ It Had To Be You/ Let Me Love You Tonight/ My Little Boy/ My Mother's Eyes/ Nearness Of You/ Ole Buttermilk Sky/ Rose Colored Glasses/ So Nice To See You, Baby/ Someone To Watch Over Me/ Sunny Side Of The Street/ That's A Plenty/ The Lady's In Love With You/ This Can't Be Love/ Three Little Words/ You Made Me Love You

 

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