NEWSLETTER #140
Blues & Gospel
Etta Baker & Cora Phillips
->
Meade Lux Lewis
SONNY
TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE/ MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT,
ETC |
Shanachie DVD 607 |
Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest |
● DVD $16.98 |
The first show feature five ongs by the duo plus one solo by
each and five where they are joined by Pete. The second show features two
songs by Mississippi John Hurt, three by Hedy West and three by Paul
Caldwell plus several solos by Pete.
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BIG
GEORGE BROCK & THE HOUSEROCKERS |
Cat Head 001 |
Club Caravan |
● CD $14.98 |
12 tracks, 41 min., highly recommended
How good can an
unknown bluesman in his seventies be, backed as he is with a band of
unknowns where everyone is related by blood? Pretty damn good. Over the
years, the Mississippi-born Brock has blown life into his harp with the best
(Muddy Waters,, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed), owned several blues clubs
(including the one where a stray bullet from the gun of a drunken patron
killed his Brock's wife), and played and lived a lot of blues. On this
album, recorded studio live in three and a half hours with "no overdubs or
computer trickery," Brock is backed by the Riley Coatie band (a.k.a. The
Houserockers), made up of Riley and his (grown) children, who play like they
just walked out of 1957. Brock's sound in reminiscent of early Howlin' Wolf
records, not just in the style of his singing or harp playing, but in the
physical power of both. Eight of the 12 songs are Brock originals, including
the outstanding minimalism of M For Mississippi, where harmonica is
boss. As authentic as it gets. (JC)
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BUTCH CAGE &
WILLIE THOMAS |
Arhoolie 9045 |
Old Time Black Southern String Band Music |
● CD $9.98 |
Simply wonderful collection of raucous good time blues
featuring vocalist/ fiddle player Butch and vocalist/ guitarist Willie
Thomas recorded by Harry Oster in the early 60s. All but one track are
previously unissued and feature the duo doing Bugle Call Blues/ Mean Old
Frisco/ Hen Cackle/ Rock Me Mama/ Easy Rider Blues/ I Had A Dream Last
Night/ Sneaky Ways, etc. Blues at its most natural and honest withour
any artifice.
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SUGAR PIE DESANTO |
Jasman 10006 |
Refined Sugar |
● CD $15.98 |
New album from veteran Bay Area singer DeSanto is an
entertaining collection of blues, R&B and blues ballads - mostly original
songs by Sugar Pie and producer James Moore.
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DAVID
"HONEY BOY" EDWARDS |
Document 32-20 8 |
Blues, Blues |
● CD $16.98 |
Fine Mississippi bluesman recorded in Austria in 1975. David
accompanies himself on acoustic guitar and ocassionally on neck-rack
harmonica on a selection of mostly blues standards - Catfish Blues/ Sweet
Home Chicago/ Bumble Bee/ Kansas City/ Take Me In Your Arms, etc.
David's warm husky vocals and fine guitar work helps bring these warhorses
to life. For a studio recording these recordings sound a bit muffled.
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LOWELL FULSON |
Classics 5164 |
The Chronological Lowell Fulson, 1949-1951 |
● CD $14.98 |
The fourth volume of Lowell's recordings features 22 sides
recorded between early 1949 and September 1951 including two of his biggest
R&B hits Blue Shadows
and Lonesome Christmas, Parts 1 & 2.
It also includes his great rendition of Sinner's Prayer that
later was covered by his former band member Ray Charles.
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THE GOSPEL KEYNOTES |
MCA Special Products 13514 |
At Their Best |
● CD $6.98 |
10 sides by this fine gospel group recorded for Nashboro in
the 60s and 70s for Nashboro featuring the powerful leads of Willie Neal
Johnson.
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PETER GREEN'S
FLEETWOOD MAC |
Silverline 284508 |
Live At the BBC |
● CD $19.98 |
2 "DualDisc"s (CD/DVD), 36 tracks, 1 hour 49 min., highly
recommended
Long before Bill Clinton used one the their songs as his
presidential re-election campaign theme, Fleetwood Mac sang the blues. These
live recordings originally hit the BBC airwaves between 1967-71 when the
band's lineup consisted (depending on when) of Danny Kirwin, Jeremy Spencer,
John McVie, Peter Green, and Mick Fleetwood. As late-1960s British
blues-revival bands go, Fleetwood Mac was about as good as it got, which was
damn good. But Green left after three LPs for a more Christian life and
Spencer split after Kiln House for similar reasons. And then things changed.
But these performances mark the glory days before the insane success of
their eponymous LP or "Rumours". For whatever reason, Black Magic Woman
isn't here, but their instrumental hit (in the UK) Albatross is (in
live form, of course) as is the mighty Oh Well, as well as such
straight-shooting blues as Believe My Time Ain't Long, Baby Please
Set A Date (Elmore James being a big influence),and Mean Mistreatin'
Mama. Not accidentally, of the three songs bearing Spencer's name, one
sounds like Elvis and the other two are Buddy Holly knock-offs, though
pretty good ones. A few of the tracks include guest musician Christine
Perfect, a sign of things to come. The DVD sides contain all the tracks in
5.1 surround sound, which is swell, but oddly the extra stuff is the same on
both, including as it does, some liner notes and photos and little else. (JC)
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GUITAR SLIM |
Classics 5139 |
The Chronological Guitar Slim, 1951-1954 |
● CD $14.98 |
The first of two CDs to present the recordings of this great
and influential bluesman.
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GUITAR SLIM |
Collectables 7700 |
Atco Sessions |
● CD $12.98 |
15 tracks, 37 mins, essential
Previously on Atlantic 81760.
Guitar Slim was a brilliant and influential singer and guitarist whose
career was cut short by his early death at the age of 33. This album
presents all the recordings he made for Atco between 1956 and '58 - his
last. It includes both sides of his four Atco singles, one track that was
only available on a long deleted album and six tracks that have never been
issued before in any form. Six tracks were recorded in New Orleans with top
New Orleans sidemen and the rest were recorded in New York with excellent
bands. Although several of the songs fall into the novelty category there
are also some of Slim's distinctive blues ballads which give his gospel
flavored vocals and stinging guitar full reign. The unissued sides include a
brilliant version of Gatemouth Brown's My Time Is Expensive and two
takes of Guitar Slim Boogie, his only recorded instrumental and one
which also seems to owe a debt to Gatemouth. Excellent sound, informative
notes by Jeff "Almost Slim'" Hannusch and full discographical information.
(FS)
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LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS |
Classics 5079 |
The Chronological Lightnin' Hopkins,
1949-1950 |
● CD $14.98 |
The fourth volume devoted to the great Texas bluesman
features 24 sides recorded in 1949 and 1950 for Gold Star - Fast Life
Woman/ Zologo (organ Blues)/ Old Woman Blues/ Henny Penny Blues/ Grievance
Blues/ Race Track Blues/ Seems Funny Baby/ All I Got Is Gone/ Bad Luck And
Trouble, etc.
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IVORY JOE HUNTER |
Ace CDCHD 1092 |
Woo Wee! |
● CD $18.98 |
Another fine collection of sides drawn from the original
King acetates - this one features 26 tracks recorded by Ivory Joe Hunter. It
includes his very first postwar recording from 1945 backed by Johnny Moore's
Three Blazers which Joe originally issued on his own Ivory label - the
masters were acquired by Exclusive and then by King. The remaining titles
were recorded for King between 1947 and 1949 featuring Joe with various
groups including sessions with members of the Duek Ellington Orch. including
a couple with violin from Ray Nance. The music is a mixture of blues,
boogie, jump tunes, ballada and pop.
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BULL MOOSE JACKSON |
Classics 5156 |
The Chronological Bull Moose Jackson,
1950-1953 |
● CD $14.98 |
22 tracks, good
The third volume of Bullmoose's recordings
features two risqué classics - Nosey Joe and Big Ten Records
as well as a couple of other fine R&B sides like Bootsie and Meet
Me With Your Black Dress On but the majority of the sides here are pop
ballads - not blues ballads but pop ballads, often with orchestral
accompaniment. Most R&B fans will probably find much of this disc tough
going, I certainly did but if you want to have it all in chronological order
- here it is! (FS)
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TUTU JONES |
Doc Blues 6809 |
Tutu Jones Live |
● CD $14.98 |
Solid set of live blues from Texas singer/ guitarist Jones
accompanied by a small tough band. A few good originals along with covers of
songs from Bobby Bland, B.B. King, Johnny Taylor, Elmore James and others.
Nothing too original but generally fine singing and playing.
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B.B. KING |
Ace CDCHM 1084 |
The Blues |
● CD $13.98 |
18 tracks, 49 mins, highly recommended
The latest in this
series of reissue of original Crown LPs with bonus cuts features his second
LP originally issued in 1958 and features singles drawn from sessions cut
between 1951 and 1958 including the hits When My Heart Beats Like A
Hammer/ I want To get Married and Troubles, Troubles, Troubles.
Bonus cuts include three tracks from his out of contract session for Chess
which the Biharis quickly put the lid on before they were issued which was
good thing since they are inferior, particularly the appaling Tickle
Britches. There's also a great alternate take of Sweet Little Angle
and the excellent RPM single I'm In Love which has never been on CD
before. Great sound quality and the usual informed noets from John Broven.
(FS)
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EARL KING |
Sonet 986 926-0 |
The Sonet Blues Story |
● CD $13.98 |
10 tracks from this fine New Orleans singer and guitarist
recorded in the 70s with a fine small band including Clarence Ford and David
Lastie on saxes and Maurice Richard on piano. Most of the songs are remakes
of songs he first recorded in the 50s and 60s and includes Let's Make A
Better World/ Do Re Mi/ Time For The Sun To Rise/ Baby Sittin'/ The Panic's
On, etc.
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MEADE LUX LEWIS |
Classics 1401 |
The Chronological Meade Lux Lewis, 1946-1954 |
● CD $14.98 |
19 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
The fourth collection
in Classics' chronological survey of the recordings of this great blues and
boogie piano player (complementing Classics 722, 743 & 841). It opens up
with four great solo sides from a 1946 Jazz At The Philharmonic concert
including a stellar rendition of his theme song Honky Tonk Train Blues.
This is followed by a nine track studio session where he is accompanied by
bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Frank Williams on a selection of mostly
blues and boogie favorites including Jumpin' With pete/ Cow Cow Boogie/
Yancey Special/ Pinetop's Boogie Woogie and, of course, Honky Tonk
Train Blues. The final six track studio session from 1954 finds him the
company of drummer Louie Bellson and feature a number of tracks that feature
a more jazz flavored approach - even the boogie tracks are a bit restrained
and exhibit more improvization than on his earlier recordings and show the
depth of his piano skills. Sound is excellent - notes are dispensable. (FS)
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