IMPORTANT NOTE: We
currently do not have a shopping cart. The company who handled our
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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
Hardbound, 261 pages, counts as six CDs for shipping
A
wide ranging survey of a century of jazz based heavilly on quotations
from interviews with hundreds of musicians linked together into a
compelling narrative.
81 mins, black & white and color, disappointing
In the
early 1970s rock photographer Bob Gruen and his wife Nancy toured with
Ike & Tina, filming them on the road and behind the scenes. This footage
is now being made available for the first time. In addition to live
performances from Ike & Tina and the band there is also footage of them
at home, backstage, rehearsing and on the road. There are some great
live performances of songs like River Deep Mountain High/ Gulf Coast
Blues/ Heard It Through The Grapevine/ You've Got To Get That Feeling/ I
Smell Trouble, etc. but in spite of the blurb on the back that
refers to Gruen as a "legendary rock photographer" the video and audio
quality are merely adequate. Much of the off stage footage is repetitive
and boring with the folks standing and walking around doing and saying
very little of interest. I think there might have been the makings of a
good documentary here in the hands of a first class editor but that is
not the case here and the main reason to get this would be for the live
performances. (FS)
28 tracks, recommended
The Barrier Brothers were an
excellent traditional styled bluegrass group featuring brothers Herman,
Earl & Ernest with fiddler Gene Dykes though on most of the recordings
here the fiddle player is Benny Martin. Most of the performances here
are drawn from LPs issued the Phillips label in the early 60s where they
did covers of songs mostly made famous by other bluegrass artists -
particularly Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs along with some lesser
known items and bluegrass versions of honky tonk country favorites like
Gotta Travel On and Smoke Along The Tracks. The
performances are excellent with fine lead vocals, excellent harmonies
and solid instrumental work but is hard not to make comparisons with the
originals and find these versions somewhat lacking. There are also four
tracks recorded for the obscure Armoneer label in 1959 with the brothers
doing their own songs and these are more rewarding. (FS)
12 tracks, highly recommended
The Blue Sky Boys, real
names Bill and Earl Bolick, recorded prolifically from the mid-30's well
into the 60's with very little change in their style and are revered as
one of the all time great country brother duos. This CD reissues
recordings original made for Capitol in 1965 and subsequently reissued
by the John Edwards Memorial Foundation in 1976. The recordings are full
of their sweet lonesome harmonies and their pleasing guitar and mandolin
work on traditional ballads, popular, sentimental and sacred songs -
Corrine Corrina/ Midnight Special/ Poor Boy/ I Don't Want Your Greenback
Dollar/ The Unquiet Grave/ Oh Marry In Time and others. The 30 page
booklet that came with the J.E.M.F. LP release is embedded in the CD as
a PDF file. (FS)
10 instrumental tracks recorded in the 1970s by
acclaimed Nashville session guitarist - Rose Garden/ Help Me Make It
Through The Night/ Woman Sensuous Woman/ Easy Loving, etc.
Keep Me In Mind - Complete Liberty &
Imperial Singles 3
● CD $18.98
27 tracks, highly recommended
The third and final
collection of DeShannon's A and B-sides cut during her ten year stay a
Liberty Records; this batch covers the years 1967 to 1970. The hit
during this period was 1969's Put a Little Love in Your Heart,
but the gems don't stop there; the quirky Changin' My Mind and
Me About You, I Keep Wanting You, and a lovely cover of John
Sebastian's Didn't Want to Have to Do It are just the beginning.
And Jackie's own songwriting doesn't get lost in the shuffle:
Effervescent Blue/ Keep Me in Mind/ Mediterranean Sky, and Nicole
are classy affairs. Jackie DeShannon fans will not be disappointed with
this last installment in her Liberty Records saga. (GMC)
This celebrated gospel singing group from Chicago rose
to fame during "the Golden Age of Gospel" (1945-65) and became popular
recording artists. The three sisters, Evelyn (alto, piano), Mildred
(soprano) and Geraldine (tenor/piano), with their younger brother Donald
(tenor) was a multitalented family out of the sanctified church. It was
Evelyn, the oldest sister, who developed a skill to work standard
Protestant hymns into rhythmically exciting gospel songs. As a youth she
had accompanied Mahalia Jackson. While sister Mildred's lyrical soprano
was equal to Delois Barrett or Marion Williams, sister Geraldine's
executions at the piano rendered her the title, "the Erroll Garner of
Gospel". Little brother Donald became a singing pastor at an early age.
His fiery preaching and catchy singing is featured on the latter part of
the CD. But it is Evelyn's moving, sonorous solo voice that is heard on
the majority of the tracks, when she is not harmonizing with her
sisters. Gospel Friend Records has selected the Gay Family's most
stirring performances, covering the period 1948-1977, from their
recordings for major companies like Savoy, Chess/Checker and
Peacock/Song Bird, as well as for local labels. Includes 12 page booklet
with informative notes by Robert Sacre and full discographical data.
24 tracks, 59 min., recommended
Hamp, who played for
royalty and President Woodrow Wilson, was the highest paid radio artist
in 1931, and yet he is all but unknown these days. He was a sensation
from the late 1920's right through most of the Great Depression, and
recorded a series of Rhapsody in Rhythm shows (between the late 1920's
and 1937) that were distributed to subscribing radio stations across the
country, thanks to the Transco Radio Transcription Company. This release
collects 24 of the roughly 150 performances for Transco. Many of the
better cuts feature the jazz of the Rhythm Rascals, while several of the
other tracks seem devoid of any real emotion or feeling. Hamp's talent
may not have been for all times, as much of his charm does not translate
across the years. The album is quite interesting nonetheless, and serves
as the closest thing to a time machine anyone is likely to find in the
next while. (JC)
Exciting and original album from Alabama singer/
guitarist King who accompanied by a solid down home band lays down a
basic rhythm and sings original songs. The songs have a political
message usually dealing with racial inequalities and oppression and
sometimes bringing it down to a local level by dealing with the
residents of Pickens County, Alabama where he lives. The vocal approach
is different with King doing a call and response duet with second
vocalist Willie Lee Halbert.
12 tracks, 52 mins, recommended
CD issue of 1978 album
by this brilliant and provocative singer. Includes traditional songs,
original songs and songs from writers like Joe Dolan and Ian Campbell.
He is accompanied by many fine musicians like Andy Irvine, Barry Moore,
Noel Hill, Tony Linane, Gabriel Mckeon and others. (FS)
18 tracks, 50 mins, essential
We've turned up two copies
of this out of print set - so first come, first served. Snooky's playing
was transitional between the 40s style of John Lee Sonny Boy Wiliamson
and the more urgent intense style of Little Walter. The first 2 tracks
on this disc are from rare recordings made in 1947 for the obscure
Planet label featuring Snooky accompanied by singer/ guitarist Moody
Jones including the wonderful instrumental Boogie which was, in
some respects, a precursor to Little Walter's later instrumental
efforts. The remaining tracks were recorded for JOB - mostly from the
early/ mid 50s along with a couple from the late 50s or early 60s.
Accompanying Snooky are outstanding musicians like Moody Jones, Alfred
Elkins, Eddie Taylor, Sunnyland Slim, Alfred Wallace and others. Except
for the chaotic last session this is post war Chicago blues at its
finest with eight tracks not originally issued on singles. Sound quality
is excellent and Bill Dahl provides detailed background information.
This music should be in the collection of every lover of Chicago blues.
(FS)
10 tracks, 39 min., recommended
San Francisco Bay
Area-based Roulette has been applying steel guitar techniques to the
blues for a long time now, having recorded with fellow bluesmen Earl
Hooker and Charlie Musselwhite, as well as the musically unpredictable
guitar slinger Henry Kaiser. His first solo LP came in 1978 when Janus
Records released "Sweet Funky Steel," which has apparently never been
reissued on CD. His other solo outings include a pair of Hi Horse
releases and two more on Tradition and Moderne of some critical acclaim.
This 2012 release finds Roulette in comfortable blues territory along
side such friends as guitarist Harvey Mandel and Barry Melton, among
others. David LaFlamme adds his violin work to Directly From My Heart
To You and Funky Chicken. Blues belter Kathi McDonald sings
up a storm on It Hurts Me So. Fans of Freddie "Spider" Roulette
will surely be satisfied with this most recent outing, as will newcomers
with a hankering for some pedal steel magic. (JC)
24 tracks, 73 min., recommended
Close harmony male
singing was vastly popular in the first two or three decades of the 20th
century, and the Shannon Quartet, who sang on radio and on shellac under
more names than you'll ever have, was among the most popular. This
collection of electric (as opposed to acoustic) recordings made between
1925-1928 offers an explanation why. To modern ears much of the material
here is somewhat mild, but many of the performances are flawless
examples of the barbershop form, a form the Shannon Quartet helped to
pioneer. And while two dozen performances in a row may be a bit much for
some, the sound restoration by Bryan Wright is exceptionally fine. And
Glenn Robison's booklet notes provide an incredible wealth of
information that makes this collection all the more appealing. [Most
unfortunate choice of rhymes: "banjos ringing" and "darkies singing,"
but that's history for you.] (JC)
26 tracks, 59 min., highly recommended
This collection
of Simon and Garfunkel's earliest singles recorded together (as Tom &
Jerry) and apart (as Jerry Landis and Artie Garr) between 1957-61 should
prove fascinating to the folk duo's many fans, as it traces the
development of their sound. Sure they start out aping Elvis, just like
everyone else. But their admiration for the Everly Brothers is readily
apparent on such numbers as Our Song. And sure a lot of Simon's
vocals are heavy on the sugar, but his song writing chops come to the
fore on Play Me A Sad Song and elsewhere. Somewhat surprisingly,
two of the better cuts belong to Garfunkel's 1961 single on the Octavia
label: Private World, which he penned, and Forgive Me,
both of which sound more like both would sound later. Also included are
the Tico And The Triumphs cuts and the The Mystics' All Through The
Night, featuring Simon on second tenor; and I Begin featuring
Simon on lead. Not quite Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., but at least Monday
afternoon around lunchtime. (JC) ARTIE GARR: Beat Love/ Dream Alone/ Forgive Me/
Private World/ JERRY LANDIS: Anna Belle/ I Wish I Weren’t In Love/ It
Means A Lot To Them/ I’m Lonely/ Just A Boy/ Loneliness/ Play Me A Sad
Song/ Shy/ The Lipstick On Your Collar/ THE MYSTICS: All Through The
Night/ I Begin (To Think Of You)/ TRUE TAYLOR: Teenage Fool/ True Or
False/ TICO AND THE TRIUMPHS: I Don’t Believe Them/ Motorcycle/ TOM &
JERRY: (Pretty Baby) Don’t Say Goodbye/ Baby Talk/ Dancin’ Wild/ Hey
Schoolgirl/ Our Song/ That’s My Story/ Two Teenagers
24 tracks, 59 min., highly recommended
The second in
Ace's planned Red Sovine trilogy (the first being Red Sovine: Honky
Tonks, Truckers & Tears - Ace 1052-$18.98), chronicling the Billboard
hits from 1964-80 finds the man behind the instantly identifiable
baritone trying his luck on covers as well as a few originals (though
not by Sovine). His versions of George Jones' No Money In This Deal/
Why Baby Why/ Color Of The Blues,and Accidentally On Purpose
must have cut into the originator's bottom line considerably, so popular
were they. Sovine also covers the Delmore Brothers classic Blues Stay
Away From Me with satisfying results. His duet with Minnie Pearl (Nobody's
Business) is fine, but when he teams up with Lois Williams on the Wayne
Raney's Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me (best country song title
ever?) the results sparkle. (Any Lois Williams albums out there?) Many
of these sides are seeing the light of day for the first time in the
U.K., and Ace does its usual high quality production all around. (JC)
24 tracks, highly recommended
Another great collection
of R&B, blues and rock 'n' roll from the catalog
of Johnny Vincent's Ace
label and subsidiaries. Like previous volumes this is essentially and
expanded version of an LP originally issued in the 1980s though in this
case one track had to be dropped from the original album for contractual
reasons but the nine bonus cuts make up for it. Several tracks were not
originally issued and a number here are making their first appearance on
CD. New Orleans is heavily represented with three tracks by the great
Huey "Piano" Smith & THe Clowns including their original version of
Sea Cruise with Huey & Jerry duetting. Johnny Vincent though the
song was ideal for new white artist Frankie Ford and took the backing
track and dubbed Ford's vocal on it with great success and resulting in
Huey leaving the label. Other New Orleans artists featured include Alvin
"Red" TYler, Earl King, Big Boy, Eddie Bo, Lee Dorsey and Sugar Boy
Crawford - the latter with an originally unissued version of Jockomo.
The great Texas bluesman Frankie Lee Sims is here with both sides of his
Vin single and we have some swamp pop from Johnny Fairchild, Elton
Anderson and Jimmy Clanton and the disc ends with rocker Jimmy Lee
Fautheree with a version of Baby, It's Love from 1958 - a song
written by Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery and recorded as a demo that
didn't appear for many years. Sound quality is superb and the 12 page
booklet has detailed notes from Tony Rounce. (FS) JESSE ALLEN: Baby Say You Will/ ELTON ANDERSON: Roll
On Train/ Shed So Many Tears/ JOHNNY ANGEL: Baby It's Love/ EDDIE BO:
Roll 'Em Back/ CHARLES BROWN: Love's Like A River/ JIMMY CLANTON: What
Am I Living For/ You Aim To Please/ SUGAR BOY CRAWFORD WITH MAC
REBENNACK'S ORCHESTRA: Jockomo/ LEE DORSEY: Rock/ JOHNNY FAIRCHILD: Well
I Never Get Tired/ HUEY AND JERRY: Sea Cruise/ EARL KING: Packing Up/
BIG BOY MYLES: Who Can I Turn To/ RONNIE AND THE DELINQUENTS: Keeps
Dragging Me On/ ALBERT SCOTT: Hey Hey Baby Come Home/ FRANKIE LEE SIMS:
She Likes To Boogie Real Low (A.K.A. Blue Light Boogie)/ Well Goodbye
Baby/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH AND HIS CLOWNS (VOCAL: DANNY WHITE: Educated
Fool/ HUEY "PIANO" SMITH AND HIS CLOWNS: If It Ain't One Thing It's
Another/ CALVIN SPEARS: Doing The Rock And Roll/ ALVIN "RED" TYLER AND
THE GYROS: Classy Lassie/ BOBBY WEBB: Somebody Else Is Taking My Place/
BOBBY WOODS: Love Is My Business
Rolling With The Punches - The Allen
Toussaint Songbook
● CD $18.98
24 tracks, highly recommended
Ok y'all, in the past
we've made available for your entertainment several collections of
immortal New Orleans producer/songwriter/performer Allen Toussaint's
body of work ("Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky", Charly 624 - $17.98; "The
Complete 'Tousan Sessions", Bear Family 15641 - $21.98) that focused on
his 50's/60's golden era; now comes the latest installment in Ace's
Songwriter series, which means to put the spotlight on Toussaint's
songwriting prowess. Unlike the Charly set, this compilation puts equal
emphasis on the rock and pop recordings of his work along with the
Crescent City R&B we've come to expect. The result is some familiar and
not-so familiar recordings that are a delight to hear. Among the
familiar are the Pointer Sisters' sassy 1973 reworking of Yes We Can
Can, which was a sizable hit in its day; Glen Campbell's even bigger
hit cover of Southern Nights from 1975; and Robert Palmer's
appropriately New Orleans soaked version of Sneakin' Sally Thru the
Alley from 1974. The not-so-familiar, but still great, includes
Hercules by Boz Scaggs, Shoo-Rah from Frankie Miller, and
best of all, the late, great Lowell George giving his all on What Do
You Want the Girl to Do. Throw in superb R&B performances like
Solomon Burke on Get Out of My Life Woman, Ernie K-Doe on Here
Come the Girls, and Millie Jackson getting down on I'll Be
Rolling (With the Punches), and you have a collection that not only
provides some excellent music, it also proves that Toussaint is/was a
true master at his craft. (GMC) SOLOMON BURKE: Get Out Of My Life Woman/ GLEN
CAMPBELL: Southern Nights/ DON COVAY: Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky
(From Now On)/ LEE DORSEY: Holy Cow/ Occapella/ LOWELL GEORGE: What Do
You Want The Girl To Do/ Z.Z. HILL: Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing
Me)/ MILLIE JACKSON: I'll Be Rolling (With The Punches)/ THE JUDDS:
Working In The Coal Mine/ ERNIE K-DOE: Here Come The Girls/ BILL MEDLEY:
Freedom For The Stallion/ THE METERS: Ride Your Pony/ FRANKIE MILLER:
Shoorah/ MARIA MULDAUR: Brickyard Blues (Play Somethin' Sweet)/ AARON
NEVILLE: Let's Live/ ROBERT PALMER: Sneakin' Sally Thru' The Alley/ THE
POINTER SISTERS: Yes We Can Can/ BONNIE RAITT: What Is Success/ THE
RHINE OAKS: Tampin'/ BOZ SCAGGS: Hercules/ BENNY SPELLMAN: Fortune
Teller/ IRMA THOMAS: Sweet Touch Of Love/ ALLEN TOUSSAINT: Soul Sister/
WARREN ZEVON: A Certain Girl
They All Played For Us - Arhoolie
Records 50th Anniversary Celebration
● CD $54.98
2010 marked the 50th anniversary of the birth of Arhoolie
Records - one of the leading roots music labels in the world and one
that has steadfastly worked at making people aware of the great
diversity of vernacular music throughout the USA and, in so doing, has
helped to popularize music that might otherwise have been confined to
local communities. To celebrate the occasion and to help raise funds for
The Arhoolie Foundation a series of concerts were held in the Bay Area
in early 2011 featuring artists that have recorded for Arhoolie or whose
lives and music were touched by Chris Strachwitz's vision. This
incredible 192 page hard cover book with four CDs documents that
occasion in grand style. The four CDs feature 70 tracks with
performances by Santiago Jimenez Jr., Ry Cooder, David Doucet, Laurie
Lewis & The Right Hands, The Goodtime Washboard 3, Barbara Dane
accompanied by Bob Mielke's All Stars, The Savoy Doucet Cajun Band, The
Treme Brass Band, Country Joe MacDonald, Los Cenzontles, Taj Mahal and
many more. The book features more than 200 superb full color photos of
the event by Mike Melnyk along with text with biographies of the
performers and articles from many of the performers describing what
Arhoolie means to them and the impact it has has had on their lives and
music. Because of its size this set counts as 18 regular CDs for
shipping purposes.
27 tracks, 73 min, essential
Complementing Arhoolie 427
("Cajun Honky Tonk - The Khoury Recordings" - $12.98) and Arhoolie 373
(Nathan Abshire & The Pine Grove Blues - "French Blues" - $12.98) this
is another fantastic collection of seminal Cajun honky-tonk tunes from
the golden age of the Cajun dancehalls. In the early 50s, Cajuns revived
a fierce pride in their culture and music, fueled by such boisterous
songs as Jole Blon & Pinegrove Blues. George Khoury, a
Turkish businessman, was in the right place at the right time, owning a
record store and juke box distribution business in Lake Charles, one of
the busiest towns in Cajun country. As he recorded and sold 78s, local
musicians came to be recorded and help augment and advertise their
flourishing club work, up to 8 dances a week. The recordings here cut
between 1949 and 1956 are as raw and down home as it gets with such
legendary performers as accordionists Lawrence "Blackie" Fruge, Nathan
Abshire, Lawrence Walker and their bands and fiddler Cleveland Crochet
and his band along with lesser known but equally worthy performers such
as Jimmy Choates & The Melody Boys, Vincent & Cagley, Shuk Richard & The
La La Aces (featuring legendary vocalist Marie Falcon) and others. In
addition to accordion and fiddle many tracks feature the soaring sounds
of the steel guitar from such great musicians as Jay Stutes, Pee Wee
Lyons, Atlas Fruge and others. A glorious selection of waltzes,
two-steps, blues and a Cajun rhumba from Nathan Abshire. Sound quality
from these incredibly rare 78s is superb and the CD is packaged in a CD
sized 88 page hardback book with extensive notes by Dave Sax, rare
photos and full discographical data. Cajun music doesn't get much better
than this! Counts as two regular CDs for shipping. (FS)
10 CDs, 200 tracks, highly recommended
Another of those
great low priced box sets from Documents Records in Germany and this one
is another collection of rockabilly from the mid/ late 50s with an
emphasis of some of the more obscure recordings. If you have a lot of
rockabilly reissues then you probably have evrything here but, if not,
there is a lot of great rockabilly here. Disc 1 starts off with David
Houston's Sugar Sweet from 1956 which is a hot rockabilly version
of a blues giant's Muddy Waters' song of the previous year! Among the
other artists are Dave Rich, Ted Harris, Jackie Lee Cochran, Dub
Dickerson, Mel Robbins, Billy Barrix, Mac Vickery, Sammy Masters, John &
Jackie, The Paris Brothers, Dusty Rose, Bobby Lee TRammelll and many
others. Sound quality is excellent. As usual there are no notes but the
music speaks for itself! (FS) JERRY ADAMS: Old Black Joe/ THE ALCONS: Black Jack/
BILL ALLEN: Please Give Me Something/ BILLY BARRIX: Almost/ Cool Off
Baby/ BOLEAN BARRY: Long Sideburns/ CARL BELEW: Cool Gator Shoes/ JOHNNY
BELL: Flip, Flop and Fly/ THE BERRY KIDS: Go, Go, Go Right Into Town/
Rootie Tootie/ You're My Teenage Baby/ BILLY THE KID: Apron Strings/
JOEY BISCOE: You Lovin' Doll/ THELMA BLACKMON: I Wanta Waltz/ BOB &
LUCILLE: Eeny Meeny Miney Moe/ BOBBY & THE DEMONS: The Woo/ EDDIE BOND:
Flip Flop Mama/ Slip Slip Slippin' In/ SKEETER BONN: Rock-A-Bye-Baby/
CHARLIE BOP TRIO: Mister Big Feet/ THE BROTHERS: Lazy Susan/ GENE BROWN:
Big Door/ LEW BURDETTE: Mary Lou/ DORSEY BURNETTE: Let's Fall in Love/
CECIL CAMPBELL: Rock and Roll Fever/ STEVE CARL: Curfew/ JOHNNY CARROLL:
Corrine Corrina/ Crazy, Crazy Lovin'/ NAN CASTLE: Star Light, Star
Bright/ CHARLEY & JUNIOR: Cuddle Lovin' Baby/ THE CHAVIS BROTHERS: Baby
Don't Leave Me/ SANFORD CLARK: Lonesome for a Letter/ JACK CLEMENT:
Whole Lotta Lookin'/ CLIFFY & JERRY: Go To Sleep Little Suzie/ JACKIE
LEE COCHRAN: Mama Don't You Think I Know/ Ruby Pearl/ AL COKER: Don't Go
Baby/ ALVADEAN COKER: We're Gonna Bop/ THE COLLINS KIDS: I'm In My
Teens/ Just Because/ Whistle Bait/ KEITH COURVALE: Trapped Love/ THE
CREEL SISTERS: Stop the Clock Rock/ SIMON CRUM (FERLIN HUSKEY): Bop Cat
Bop/ PAT CUPP: Long Gone Daddy/ MAC CURTIS: Half Hearted Love/ JEFF
DANIELS: Daddy-O-Rock/ PAUL DAVIS: Big Money/ RONNIE DEE: Action Packed/
LEE DENSON: New Shoes/ BOB DENTON: Playboy/ Skinny Minnie/ ARNIE
DERKSEN: She Wanna Rock/ JACKIE DESHANNON: Trouble/ LARRY DIAMOND: True
Love Come My Way/ DUB DICKERSON: My Gal Gertie/ ARLIE DUFF: Alligator
Come Across/ BERNIE EARLY: Your Kisses Kill Me/ JOHNNY FALLIN: Party
Kiss/ THE FARMER BOYS: My Baby Done Left Me/ DERRELL FELTS: It's a Great
Big Day/ PAT FERGUSON: Fool I Am/ PAT FLOWERS: Rock-Sock the Boogie/
EDDIE FONTAINE: Cool It Baby/ Don't Ya Know/ Nothin' Shakin'/ One and
Only/ JOHNNY FULLER: All Night Long/ BOB GALLION: Baby Love Me/ My
Square Dancin' Mama/ MICKEY GILLEY: Come On Baby/ DICK GLASSER: Catty
Town/ Crazy Love/ LOU GRAHAM: Wee Willie Brown/ BILLY GRAY: Tennessee
Toddy/ BUCK GRIFFIN: Stutterin' Papa/ ROY HALL: All By Myself/ Don't
Stop Now/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on/ WAYNE HANDY: Betcha Didn't Know/
I Think You Oughta Look Again/ RON HARGRAVE: Latch On/ BILLY HARLAN:
School House Rock/ TED HARRIS: Just Thought I'd Set You Straight/ ROBERT
LUKE HARSHMAN: Stop Talkin', Start Lovin'/ JIMMY HEAP: Go Ahead On/
Sebbin' Come Elebbin/ BOBBY HELMS: Tennessee Rock and Roll/ DWAYNE
HICKMAN: School Dance/ JOHNNY HORTON & BILLY BARTON: Bawlin' Baby/ DAVID
HOUSTON: Sugar Sweet/ FERLIN HUSKEY: Slow Down Brother/ AUTRY INMAN:
Dream Boat/ It Would Be a Doggone Lie/ Mary Nell/ RUSTY ISABELL:
Firewater/ Mexicali Baby/ THE JET-TONES: Jet Tone Boogie/ JIMMY &
JOHNNY: Sweet Love On My Mind/ JOHN & JACKIE: Little Girl/ HOYT JOHNSON:
Little Boy Blue/ KAY CEE JONES: Johnny, Johnny, Johnny/ LOU JOSIE:
Breezin' Out/ Why Did You Leave Me/ JACK KING: I Just Learned To Rock/
DAVE KIPP: No Sweet Baby/ BAKER KNIGHT: Bring My Cadillac Back/ Just
Relax/ THE LANE BROTHERS: Little Brother/ Uh Uh Honey/ ROC LARUE: Baby
Take Me Back/ JIMMY LEE & WAYNE WALKER: Love Me/ THE LEGARDE TWINS:
Roll, Rock'n Roll That Hula Hoop/ JOEY LONG: Lealla/ KENNY LORAN: I
Chickened Out/ BOBBY LORD: Beautiful Baby/ So Doggone Lonesome/ DICK
LORY: Ballroom Baby/ THE LOUVIN BROTHERS: Cash On The Barrelhead/ Red
Hen Hop/ MATT LUCAS: Put Me Down/ BOB LUMAN: Red Hot/ ROSE MADDOX: My
Little Baby/ Wild Wild Young Men/ THE MADDOX BROTHERS & ROSE: The Death
of Rock and Roll/ GENE MALTAIS: Crazy Baby/ JANIS MARTIN: Teen Street/
JERRY MASON: Strange Feeling/ SAMMY MASTERS: Pink Cadillac/ Some Like It
Hot/ THE MATYS BROTHERS: Crazy Street/ THE MCCOYS: Full-Grown Cat/ EDDIE
MILLER: Patty Cake Man/ THE MILLER BROTHERS: Hey Pretty Baby/ BILLY
MIZE: Solid Sender/ JOE MONTGOMERY: Planetary Run/ FREDDIE NEIL &
FRIEND: Listen Kitten/ TERRY NOLAND: Ten Little Women/ BOBBY NORRIS: I
Went Rockin'/ THE PARIS BROTHERS: This is It/ RONNIE PEARSON: Hot Shot/
DICKIE PODOLOR: I Love You Girl/ JOHNNY POWERS: Long Blond Hair, Red
Rose Lips/ LEWIS PRUITT: Crazy Bullfrog/ JERRY REED: When I Found You/
THE RHYTHM JESTERS: Rock to the Music/ DAVE RICH: Rosie Let's Get Cozy/
Rosie Let's Get Crazy/ JIM RINGO: I Like This Kind of Music/ MEL
ROBBINS: Save It/ CARSON ROBISON: Rockin' and Rollin' with Grandmaw/ THE
ROCKIN': Saints Cheat On Me Baby/ MIMI ROMAN: Little Lovin'/ DUSTY ROSE:
Hula Rock/ Rockin' Maracas/ CHARLIE RYAN: Hot Rod Lincoln/ DEL SAINT &
THE DEVILS: Rock Yea/ FRANK SANDY: Let's Go Rock And Roll/ TOMMY SCOTT &
HIS RAMBLERS: Dig Me Little Mama/ Jumpin' from Six to Six/ RONNIE SELF:
Petrified/ RAY SHARPE: That's The Way I Feel/ JEAN SHEPARD: He's My
Baby/ Jeopardy/ THE SILVA-TONES: Roses are Blooming/ CHUCK SIMS: Little
Pigeon/ BOBBY SISCO: Go Go Go/ Tall, Dark and Handsome Man/ CHESTER
SMITH: You Gotta Move/ RED SMITH: Whoa Boy/ RED SOVINE: Juke Joint
Johnny/ THE SPROUTS: Goodbye She's Gone/ Luscious Lovin' Lucy/ Teen
Billy Baby/ ANDY STARR: Rockin' Rollin' Stone/ NIKI SULLIVAN: It's All
Over/ RONNIE SUMMERS: Salt and Pepper/ BOBBY SYKES: Touch Of Loving/ TOM
TALL: Hot Rod Is Her Name/ Don't You Know/ JOE TATE: I'm Free/ VINCE
TAYLOR: Brand New Cadillac/ JOE THERRIEN JR.: Come Back To Me Darling/
Hey Babe, Let's Go Downtown/ Rock-A-Billy Boogie/ You're Long Gone/
BOBBY LEE TRAMMELL: I Shure Do Love You Baby/ JUSTIN TUBB: Rock It On
Down To My House/ CONWAY TWITTY: Long Black Train/ KIP TYLER: Rumble
Rock/ MAC VICKERY: Goin' Back to St. Louis/ BILLY WALKER: Leavin' on My
Mind/ SLIM WILLET: Come Sundown/ MAC WISEMAN: Step It Up and Go/ DANNY
WOLFE: Pucker Paint/ ART WOOD: Hey Jibbo/ RUSTY YORK: Sugaree/ THE YORK
BROTHERS: Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby/ FARON YOUNG: Alone With You/
I Can't Dance
Stop And Listen! Rare Black Band
Recordings, 1923-1930
● CD $18.98
Just arrived. 24 track selection featuring first time
re-issues of alternative takes, test pressings and impossibly rare
issues of 1920's black bands featuring both the legends and 'the lost'
musicians of classic hot jazz. Includes Tiny Parham & His "Forty" Five,
Ted Claire's Snappy Bits Band, Leroy Smith & His Orchestra, Sammy Lewis
& His Bamville Syncopaters, Joe Jordan's Ten Sharps & Flats, Dixon &
Channey, etc..
2 CD's, 2 hours 20 min., highly recommended
The first in
Jasmine Records' series where they gather doo wop groups by geography
rather than by label (which sometimes has the same effect, sometimes
not), rates high marks if only for providing an excuse to listen to
tracks such as Willows' Church Bells May Ring and Baby Tell Me.
The first 15 tracks (an album's worth!) belong to various incarnations
of The Willows, and the second 15 to The Valentinos. Disc 2 is split
between The Nutmegs (one of the finest doo wop outfits on the East
Coast) and The Fiestas. The set includes all the hits (regional and
otherwise) for each group and plenty more. A successor (?) to the late
great and sadly out-of-print Relic Records doo wop series. (JC) THE FIESTAS: Dollar Bill/ Don't Make Sense/ Good News/
I'm Your Slave/ Last Night I Dreamed/ Look At That Girl/ Mr. Dillon, Mr.
Dillon/ Our Anniversary/ So Fine/ So Nice/ That Was Me/ You Could Be My
Girlfriend/ THE FIVE WILLOWS: All Night Long/ Delores/ My Dear Dearest
Darling/ Rock Little Francis/ White Cliffs Of Dover/ With These Hands/
TONY MIDDLETON & THE WILLOWS: Let's Fall In Love/ Only My Heart/ Say
Yeah/ The First Taste Of Love/ THE NUTMEGS: A Dream Of Love/ A Love So
True/ A Story Untold/ Betty Lou/ Comin' Home/ Gift O Gabbin' Women/ Key
To The Kingdom/ Make Me Lose My Mind/ My Story/ My Sweet Dream/ Rock Me,
Squeeze Me/ Ship Of Love/ Someone Somewhere (Help Me)/ Whispering
Sorrows/ THE VALENTINES: Christmas Prayer/ Don't Say Goodnight/ Falling
For You/ Hand Me Down Love/ I Love You Darling/ I'll Never Let You Go/
K-I-S-S Me/ Lily Maebelle/ My Story Of Love/ Nature's Creation/ Summer
Love/ Tonight Kathleen/ Twenty Minutes/ Why/ Woo Woo Train/ THE WILLOWS:
Baby Tell Me/ Church Bells May Ring/ Do You Love Me/ Little Darling/ My
Angel
Doo Wop Across America - Ohio, Michigan,
Indiana, PA
● CD $15.98
2 CD's, 57 tracks, 2 hours 36 min., highly recommended
The second release is Jasmine Records geographic look at doo wop
features The Edsels (whose name probably seemed like a good idea at the
time), The El Dorados, The Counts, and The Turbans, all four of whom had
at least one major hit (all included here of course) during the golden
age of doo wop. The Edsels get 10 cuts, including the biggie Rama
Lama Ding Dong and the ballad You Do Love Me, and the rest of
Disc 1 shows off the considerable skills of The El Dorados, who were
good enough to merit an original LP (with a classic cover) in the 1950s
when black vocal groups were usually relegated to the 78 or the 45rpm
format. Their At My Front Door, which always ends too soon, is
the very idea of cool made vinyl, or in this case, plastic encased
aluminum. Indiana's own The Counts get the lion's share of Disc 2, and
although they only had one hit (Darling Dear), it's a wonder they
didn't have more commercial success. The Turbans take the last dozen
sides, their massive hit When You Dance among them. Decent
booklet notes too. Can't wait until the Jasmine label tackles the South.
Keep 'em coming fellas. (JC) THE COUNTS: Baby Don't You Know/ Baby I Want You/
Darling Dear/ From This Day On/ Heartbreaker/ Hot Tamales/ I Need You
Always/ I Need You Tonight/ Let Me Go Lover/ Love And Understanding/ My
Dear My Darling/ Sally Walker/ She Won't Say Yes/ To Our Love/ Wailing
Little Mama/ Waiting Round For You/ THE EDSELS: Bells/ Could It Be Me/
Do You Love Me/ Don't Know What To Do/ Let's Go/ My Whispering Heart/
Rama Lama Ding Dong/ Rink-A-Din-Ki-Do/ Three Precious Words/ What
Brought Us Together/ THE ELDORADOS: A Fallen Tear/ Annie's Answer/ At My
Front Door/ Baby I Need You/ Bim Bam Boom/ Boom Diddie Boom/ Chop Ling
Soon/ I Began To Realize/ I'll Be Forever Loving You/ Language Of Love/
Little Miss Love/ Love Of My Own/ My Loving Baby/ Now That You've Gone/
One More Chance/ Rock And Roll's For Me/ She Don't Run Around/ There In
The Night/ Three Reasons Why/ THE TURBANS: All Of My Love/ B-I-N-G-O/
Bye And Bye/ Congratulations/ I'll Always Watch Over You/ I'm Nobody's/
It Was A Night Like This/ Let Me Show You (Around My Heart)/ Sister
Sooky/ The Wadda-Do/ Valley Of Love/ When You Dance
Two CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended
Another of One
Day's quick surveys of a significant label - this time devoted to the OKeh label in the 50s. OKeh was one of the pioneering blues and country
labels in the 1920s though by 1951 when it was a subsidiary of Columbia
it featured a wide range of music. In 1951 it was decided to devote the
label primarily to rhythm and blues and artists in other fields were
transferred to Epic or parent label Columbia. This is a fine selection
of R&B, blues and doo-wop along with some white rock 'n' roll and
rockabilly recorded in the 1950s and includes succesful artists like
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Chuck Willis and Big Maybelle along with fine
lesser known performers like Billy Lamont, Laverne Ray & The Raytones,
Lloyd "Fatman" Smith, Lois Lee and Hurricane Harry (the original version
of My Last Meal later recorded by Jimmy Rogers). Brook Benton
made his first recordings for OKeh though it wasn't until he moved to
Mercury in 1959 that the hits started flooding in and rock & roller
Frankie Tyler is an early recording by Frankie Valley. There are also
two superb sides from 1957 by Billy Stewart accompanied by the vocal
group The Marquees which featured a young Marvin Gaye among its members.
Superb music with excellent sound and brief notes. (FS) GAR BACON: Marshall, Marshall/ DOC BAGBY: Sylvia's
Callin'/ BROOK BENTON: Bring Me Love/ The Kentuckian Song/ BIG MAYBELLE:
I've Got a Feelin'/ One Monkey Don't Stop No Show/ The Other Night/
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/ THE BUDDIES: Castle Of Love/ DAVE "BABY"
CORTEZ: Honey Baby/ You Give Me Heebie Jeebies/ THE DOLLS: Please Come
Home/ THE EVENTUALS: Charlie Chan/ DERRELL FELTS: It's A Great Big Day/
Lookie Lookie Lookie/ THE FIVE SCAMPS: Red Hot/ PAUL GAYTEN: Cow Cow
Blues/ JAY HAWKINS: I Put A Spell On You Screamin'/ SCREAMIN' JAY
HAWKINS: Frenzy/ Person to Person/ You Made Me Love You/ HURRICANE
HARRY: Last Meal/ BIG JOHN & THE BUZZARDS: Oop Shoop/ THE KID & THE
PONIES: The Pony/ MARIE KNIGHT: Come Tomorrow/ BILLY LAMONT: Country
Boy/ LOIS LEE: I've Got It Bad For You Baby/ LITTLE JOE & THE THRILLERS:
Lonesome/ Peanuts/ Please Don't Go/ Run Little Girl/ THE MARQUEES (FEAT.
MARVIN GAYE): Wyatt Earp/ LAVERNE RAY & THE RAYTONES: I've Got That
Feeling/ THE SCHOOLBOYS: Pearl/ Please Say You Want Me/ JOLLY BOY
SHEPARD: You Care/ THE SKEE BROTHERS: 4 Aces Of Love/ That's All She
Wrote/ LLOYD "FATMAN" SMITH: Miss Mushmouth/ THE SMOOTHTONES: Don't Keep
Our Love Hidden In The Dark/ BILLY STEWART & THE MARQUEES: Baby You're
My Only Love/ Billy's Heartache/ SUNNY & THE SUNGLOWS: Golly Gee/ SANDRA
THOMPSON: (My Baby Don't Love Me) No More/ THE TROYS: Ding A Ling A
Ling/ FRANKIE TYLER: If You Care/ I Go Ape/ CHUCK WILLIS: Charged With
Cheatin/ Ring Ding Doo/ Two Spoons of Tears
Two CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended
Aladdin Records,
founded by brothers Eddie & Leo Mesner in 1945, was among the most
important of the independent labels to emerge in the immediate post war
era. Concentrating almost exclusively on African-America music it
recorded music in every genre - down home blues, jump blues, rhrythm &
blues, doo-wop, gospel and jazz and had a great deal of success
releasing over 500 singles over a 15 year period and racking up many
hits. A two CD set with 50 tracks can only begin to scatch the surface
of the labels considerable output but it does a nice job featuring some
of the label's biggest hits in both the R&B and pop charts along with a
selection of less familiar titles including a couple of it's little
known but excellent rockabilly releases though no gospel or jazz are
included. Among the artists featured here are Shirley & Lee, Gene &
Eunice, Thurston Harris, Aggie Dukes, The Five Keys, Lightnin' Hopkins,
THe Sharps, Jesse Belvin, Lowell Fulson, Floyd Dixon, Marvin & Johnny,
Charles Brown, The Four Palms, Charles Brown and many others.A superb
selection of music with fine sound and brief notes. (FS) THE ALADDINS: Remember/ LEE ALLEN: Rockin' At Cosmo's/
JEANETTE BAKER (JEANETTE & DECKY): Crazy With You/ JESSE BELVIN: Let Me
Dream/ BIP & BOP: Ding Dong Ding/ CHARLES BROWN: Trouble Blues/ THE
CHESTNUTS: Wiggle Wiggle/ THE COOKIES: Don't Let Go (Hold Me, Hold Me,
Hold Me)/ THE CRAWFORD BROTHERS: I Ain't Guilty/ THE CRYSTALS: I Love My
Baby/ THE DAYBREAKERS: Up, Up And Away/ THE DEVILLES: Do Wop/ FLOYD
DIXON: Call Operator 210/ Sad Journey Blues/ AGGIE DUKES: John John/ RAY
ELLIS & ORCHESTRA: Darling It's Wonderful/ THE FIVE KEYS: Hucklebuck
With Jimmy/ The Glory Of Love/ THE FOUR PALMS: Jeanie, Joanie, Shirley,
Toni/ LOWELL FULSON: Don't Leave Me Baby/ GENE & EUNICE: Ko Ko Mo (I
Love You So)/ This Is My Story/ THURSTON HARRIS: Hey Little Girl/ Over
And Over/ Little Bitty Pretty One/ THE HEART THROBS: So Glad/ BILLIE
HOLIDAY: Blue Turning Grey Over You/ LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS: Shotgun Blues/
JIMMY INMAN & THE IMPOLLOS: You Never Realized/ THE JIVERS: Ray Pearl/
JOHN & JACKIE: Little Girl/ LOUIS JORDAN: Dad Gum Ya Hide Boy/ Messy
Bessy/ THE LOVERS: Tell Me/ MARVIN & JOHNNY: Smack Smack/ Yak Yak/ AMOS
MILBURN: Chicken Shack Boogie/ THE MONITORS: Candy Coated Kisses/ THE
ROCKETS: Loch Lomond/ THE SHADES: One Touch Of Heaven/ THE SHARPS: Our
Love Is Here To Stay/ SHIRLEY & LEE: Feel So Good/ Let The Good Times
Role/ FLIP SLOAN: Little Girl In The Cabin/ THE SQUIRES: Dreamy Eyes/
SUGAR PIE & PEE WEE: One, Two, Let's Rock/ FATSO THEUS & THE FLAIRS: Be
Cool My Heart/ BIG 'T' TYLER: King Kong/ THE VELVETONES: The Glory Of
Love/ BOBBY WALL: Baby It's Too Much
4 CDs, 112 tracks, essential
The Cosimo Matassa Story
(Proper Box 129 - on sale - $18.98) has been one of our most popular
items, not least because it contains some very great and very essential
music. Such a set cried out for a second helping, and, five years later,
Proper has delivered another dynamite collection of R&B and rock 'n'
roll sides cut in one of Matassa's four New Orleans recording studios.
What can one say? This collection does not disappoint: it not only
includes artists that got overlooked the first time around (Jessie Hill,
Aaron Neville, Frankie Ford, Jimmy Clanton, Paul Gayten, Bobby Marchan,
Chris Kenner), it also goes deeper into the catalogs of Little Richard,
Fats Domino, Art Neville, Huey "Piano" Smith & the Clowns, Ernie K-Doe,
and Lee Dorsey who made the cut last time. Sure, much of this music has
been readily available on other various artist collections as well as
hits packages by many of the artists in question, but there hasn't been
a collection as well compiled and annotated as this one containing this
material. If you own volume one, there is no reason on earth why you
shouldn't own volume two. (GMC) JOHNNY ADAMS: I Won't Cry/ LEE ALLEN: Tic Toc/ Walkin
With Mr. Lee/ JOE (MR.G) AUGUST: Everything Happens At Night/ JOE BARRY:
I'm A Fool To Care/ DAVE BARTHOLOMEW: Four Winds/ Shrimp And Gumbo/
EDDIE BO: I Love To Rock 'N' Roll/ Oh, Oh/ Walk That Walk/ CHARLES BROWN
& AMOS MILBURN: Educated Fool/ JERRY BYRNE: Lights Out/ BOBBY CHARLES:
Laura Lee/ JIMMY CLANTON: A Letter To An Angel/ Just A Dream/ ROLAND
COOK: Hear My Plea/ Tell Me Baby/ SUGAR BOY CRAWFORD: She's Got A Wobble
(When She Walks)/ THE DEL-ROYALS: Always Naggin'/ DIAMOND JOE: Moanin'
And Screamin' (Pts. 1 & 2)/ ERNIE K. DOE: A Certain Girl/ I Cried My
Last Tear/ Mother-In-Law/ Ta-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta/ FATS DOMINO: Be My Guest/ Bo
Weevil/ I Can't Go On/ I Want To Walk You Home/ I'm Walkin'/ Let The
Four Winds Blow/ My Girl Josephine/ Walking To New Orleans/ When My
Dreamboat Comes Home/ Whole Lotta Lovin'/ LEE DORSEY: Do-Re-Mi/ Lottie
Mo/ Ya Ya/ FRANKIE FORD: Alimony/ Roberta/ Sea Cruise/ What's Goin' On/
PAUL GAYTEN: Just One More Chance/ Nervous Boogie/ Tired Of Cryin'/
Windy/ BARBARA GEORGE: I Know/ Something You Got/ WILLIE HARPER: New
Kind Of Love/ CLARENCE 'FROGMAN' HENRY: But I Do/ Lonely Street/ You
Always Hurt The One You Love/ JESSIE HILL: Oogsey Moo/ Ooh Poo Pah Doo
(Pts. 1 & 2)/ Whip It On Me/ JOE & ANN: Gee Baby/ JOE JONES: You Talk
Too Much/ CHRIS KENNER: I Like It Like That/ Something You Got/ EARL
KING: Everybody's Carried Away/ SMILEY LEWIS: Mama Don't Like It/ One
Night/ She's Got Me Hook, Line And Sinker/ LITTLE BOOKER: Teenage Rock/
LITTLE RICHARD: All Around The World/ Baby Face/ By The Light Of The
Silvery Moon/ Good Golly, Miss Molly/ Jenny, Jenny/ Lucille/ Miss Ann/
Send Me Some Lovin'/ Shake A Hand/ LEE LLEN: Creole Alley/ BOBBY
MARCHAN: Chickee-Wah-Wah/ Don't Take Your Love From Me/ Rockin' Behind
The Iron Curtain/ BIG BOY MILES: New Orleans/ BOBBY MITCHELL: I'm Gonna
Be A Wheel Someday/ ROY MONTRELL: Mudd/ AARON NEVILLE: Even Though
(Reality)/ Let's Live/ Over You/ Show Me The Way/ ART NEVILLE: Arabian
Love Call/ Cha Dooky-Doo/ What's Going On/ Zing, Zing/ LLOYD PRICE: Woe
Ho Ho/ PROFESSOR LONGHAIR: Go To The Mardi Gras/ MAC REBENNACK: Storm
Warning/ TOMMY RIDGLEY: When I Meet My Girl/ SHIRLEY & LEE: Rockin' With
The Clock/ THE SHOWMEN: Country Fool/ It Will Stand/ HUEY SMITH & HIS
CLOWNS: Would You Believe It (I Have A Cold)/ HUEY 'PIANO' SMITH & HIS
CLOWNS: For Crying' Out Loud/ HUEY 'PIANO' SMITH & THE CLOWNS: Don't You
Just Know It/ Don't You Know Yockomo/ Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie
Woogie Flu (Pt. 2)/ Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Pt.1)/
THE SPIDERS: Witchcraft/ T.V. SLIM: Flatfoot Sam/ JOE TEX: You Little
Baby Face Thing/ IRMA THOMAS: Cry On/ It's Too Soon To Know/ THE THREE
STOOGES FEATURING FRANKIE FORD & J: Chinese Bandits/ ALLEN TOUSSAINT:
Java/ ALVIN 'RED' TYLER: Snake Eyes/ Junk Village/ Peanut Vendor/
CHARLES 'HUNGRY' WILLIAMS: Darling/ CHARLES 'HUNGRY' WILLIANS: So
Worried
Just arrived . Duke Ellington's earliest and rarest
titles in one set demonstrating how Ellington's genius evolved through
the hot jazz & swinging dance band traditions of the 1920s.Includes
Choo Choo (Gotta Hurry Home)/ Trombone Blues/ (You've Got Those)
Wanna-Go-Back-Again Blues/ Lil Farina/ Immigration Blues/ New Orleans
Low Down/ Black An Tan Fantasy/ Doing The Frog, etc.
2 CD's, 40 tracks, 1 hour 46 min., fans only
The clues
are there. The brief booklet notes speak of 40 incredible songs
including her biggest hits but say nothing of recording dates. The label
is Gusto/King which probably does not own the rights to Wells' Decca
material. One of the albums covers on this twofer boasts "As seen on
TV." One listen confirms that these are latter-day remakes and not the
original recordings of Kitty Wells' greatest hits. The pace of the songs
tends to be slower, the classic voice a bit older, the production
poorer. Having said that, it's still the late great Kitty Wells, and
these versions aren't bad. For fans who want to hear it all, this may be
a worthwhile addition to their Kitty Wells collection. Those who want a
greatest hits package of original recordings should listen elsewhere. (JC)
Two CDs, 50 tracks, highly recommended
A superb
introduction to the great country bluesman Joe Lee "Big Joe" Williams.
Big Joe Williamson was a remarkable performer in many ways - unlike many
of the country blues singers rediscovered by blues enthusiasts in the
60s, Joe had never retired from music or recordings. Starting with his
first recordings in 1935 he was a regular visitor to the recording
studio up until shortly before his death in 1982 at the age of 79. He
was a brilliant performer with a unique style partly due to the frequent
use of a 9 string guitar, a creation he put together from parts of
regular guitars. His material was a mixture of traditional songs,
original songs and improvised combinations of traditional blues verses.
A number of his songs have become blues standards - most notably Baby
Please Don't Go - song that has been recorded more than 1,000 times
since Joe first recorded it in 1935. The version featured here comes
from a 1947 session featuring Joe accompanied by his good friend - the
great singer and harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson. The recordings
here cover the period 1935 and 1961 and includes versions of many of the
songs that would become his trademark and he would record on numerous
occasions like Crawlin' Kingsnake/ Highway 49/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/
Stack Of Dollars/ Don't You Leave Me Here, etc. About half the
tracks feature Joe solo while the rest feature him with various
accompaniments ranging from the string bass of Ransom Knowling to small
groups producing a sound that falls into the mainstream of postwar
Chicago blues. While the lack of discographical info (apart from dates)
and the cursory notes are unfortunate this provides a nice inexpensive
introduction to a great artist. (FS) BIG JOE WILLIAMS: 45 Blues/ Arkansas Woman/ Baby
Please Don't Go/ Bad Heart Blues/ Banta Rooster Blues/ Blues Left Texas/
Break 'Em On Down/ Crawlin' King Snake/ Delta Blues/ Don't You Leave Me
Here/ Down In The Bottom/ Drop Down Blues/ Drop Down Mama/ Four Corners
Of The World/ Goin' Back/ Greystone Blues/ Haunted House Blues/ Highway
49/ I Done Stop Hollering/ I Got A Bad Mind/ I Got The Best King
Biscuit/ I'm Getting Wild About Her/ Indiana Woman Blues/ Jiving The
Blues/ Juanita/ Jump, Baby, Jump!/ King Biscuit Stomp/ Long Tall Woman,
Skinny Mama Too/ Mama Don't Allow Me/ Mellow Apples/ Mellow Peaches/ My
Baby Keeps Hanging Around/ No More Whiskey/ No.13 Highway/ Overhaul Your
Machine/ Overhauling Blues/ P Vine Blues/ Peach Orchard Mama/ Poor
Beggar/ Shetland Pony Blues/ Sloppy Drunk Blues/ Somebody's Been
Borrowing That Stuff/ Somebody's Been Worryin'/ Someday Baby/ Stack Of
Dollars/ That Thing's In Town/ Throw A Boogie Woogie/ Tijuana Blues/
Walk On, Little Girl/ Yo Yo Blues
25 tracks, recommended
Though he was never a big star
Clyde Alexander "Skeets" Yaney was a popular performer thanks to his
lengthy stay at radio station KMOX in St. Louis. Yaney was an engaging
singer from Indiana who started his musical career in the 1930s and was
National Yodeling Champion seven times. The tracks here were recorded
between 1947 for a number of different labels and the early sides find
him accompanied by his band The Ozark Champions whose personnel are
unknown but are excellent with some particularly nice fiddling. Later
sides find him with Nashville studio musicians like Chet Atkins, Jerry
Byrd, Don Helms and others. Songs featured include When My Blue Moon
Turns To Gold Again/ I'll Get Along Somehow/ You Can't Keep The Tears
Out Of My Eyes/ Before You Break My Heart/ Hello Trouble/ Meet Me In The
Chapel,
etc. Most of the rest of Yaney's recordings can be heard on
Cattle 304 "Train Track Shuffle" ($18.98). (FS) SKEETS YANEY: After I'm Gone/ All The World Is Lonely
Now/ Apple Of My Eye/ Before You Break My Heart/ Darling What Is Life
Without Love/ Don't You Tell A Soul/ End Of The World/ Faded Cactus
Blossoms/ Hello Trouble/ I Saw You Cheatin' Last Night/ I Was Never
Nearer Heaven In My Life/ I'll Get Along Somehow/ If It Was A Teardrop/
If You Don't Love Me (Please Leave Me Alone)/ Just What You Want Me To
Do/ Meet Me In The Chapel/ Never Can Be/ Ordinary/ Play Me That Old Song
Again/ The Love I Threw Away/ Under The Light Of Western Stars/ We'll
Keep 'Em Flying/ When I Lost You/ When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/
You Can't Keep The Tears Out Of My Eyes