Monday, September 28, 2009

Art PEPPER - Straight Life 1953-1954


Art PEPPER - Straight Life 1953-1954
(The Savoy Sessions)
Recording Date 1952-1953
Savoy Sessions includes two different sessions:
One, from 1952, with The Art Pepper Quartet and
The other, from 1953, with The Art Pepper Quintet.
Audio Cd: 1984

Jazz

This double-LP reissues two of altoist Art Pepper's earliest studio dates as a leader. On four songs he is joined by pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Bob Whitlock and drummer Bobby White, a quiet trio that allows Pepper to dominate such songs as "Everything Happens to Me" and "Tickle Toe." In addition, Pepper matches harmonies and wits with tenor saxophonist Jack Montrose (along with pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Larry Bunker) on eight exuberant numbers including the earliest recording of Art's famous "Straight Life." But that is not all, for the second of these two LPs contains previously unissued alternate takes of all but one of the 11 pieces. Because Pepper and Montrose were in very good form during the performances, they are well worth hearing twice. In fact, a slightly later LP (titled Rediscoveries) would add 14 more versions to the legacy of these two exciting sessions. This highly enjoyable music has unfortunately only been reissued on CD thus far in random fashion.
By Scott Yanow. AMG.
**
Art Pepper Quartet (Los Angeles, CA, October 8, 1952) (2, 4, 5, 6)
Art Pepper- (Alto Sax)
Russ Freeman- (Piano)
Bob Whitlock- (Bass)
Bobby White- (Drums)

Art Pepper Quintet (Los Angeles, CA, August 25, 1953) (1, 3, 7-13)
Art Pepper (Alto Sax)
Jack Montrose (Teno Sax)
Claude Williamson (Piano)
Monty Budwig (Bass)
Paul Ballerina (Drums) (3, 7, 8, 9)
Larry Bunker (Drums) (1, 10, 11, 12, 13)
**
01. Straight Life 3:09
02. Chili Pepper 2:59
03. Cinnamon 3:09
04. Tickle Toe 3:59
05. Suzy The Poodle3:09
06. Everything Happens to Me 3:13
07. Nutmeg 2:52
08. Deep Purple 3:13
09. Whats New 3:48
10. Thyme Time 3:29
11. Arts Oregano 2:53
12. The Way You Look Tonight 3:28
13. Straight Life 2:54
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih .Abou-KHALIL, J.Kühn, J.Cagwin - Journey To The Centre Of An Egg 2005


Rabih.Abou-KHALIL, J.Kühn, J.Cagwin - Journey To The Centre Of An Egg 2005
Label: Enja

Jazz

Cacti, feet, and now ewas with an egg? While the members of his group to pursue their own projects, not the master is idle. For the well-known contemporary ensemble he has composed a piece that included the beginning of next year also by the BBC orchestra. And with his new album, an encounter with pianist Joachim Kuhn (who here also plays alto saxophone), Rabih Abou-Khalil has again put up in unpredictable directions. Bold is a veteran musician exception of the Europe Jazz. Together with Daniel Humair and Jean-FrançFrancois Jenny-Clarke, he formed more than two decades to Jenny-Clark's death, a trio, and he is one of very few pianists who have recorded an album with Ornette Coleman and belong to the quintet. Two mature musicians who are meant for each other, which together grow about their egos out, with a young percussionist who makes a huge leap forward?

The first bars of the same unusual, never been heard: a very dark sound, that you can not even distinguish instruments. Rises up the oud. Shortly after that is all about: short broached Pianosounds move "up" and play the oud, the deep bass lines. In between, the breathing, sighing and somanbul dancing percussion.
Interplay depends: high above it, diving down underneath, mirror each other, with or without displacement, regurgitate juggle with balls, can resonate the jeweilgen Tonraum. At the beginning of Little Camels e.g. "See" anything. We hear only the rhythmic tapping of camel's feet. Suddenly you get the animals targeted: they have long since passed, and almost disappeared in the distance. Early on, the pieces end with a slight question mark. In the center they sometimes come almost to a halt, then to flare unexpectedly. There are elegant essays with  The finish-the Sweet and Sour Milk, that much of a partita by JS Kuhns citizens Bach. But not only Bach, Schubert and others shines through. Something special!
Henning Bolte
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- (Oud)
Joachim Kühn (Piano), (Alto Sax)
Jarrod Cagwin (Drums), (Frame Drum)
Wolfgang Reisinger (Drums)
**
01.Shrewd Woman 3:40
02.Little Camels 2:50
03.Die Brücke 5:51
04.I'm Better Off Without You 11:16
05.Natwasheh and Kadwasheh 13:33
06.Mango 7:31
07.No Plastic Cups, Please 3:21
08.Sweet and Sour Milk 4:20
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Eddie BOYD And His Blues Band Featuring Peter Green 1967


Eddie BOYD And His Blues Band Featuring Peter Green 1967
Label: Gott Discs

Blues

In 1967, producer Mike Vernon put Chicago pianist Eddie Boyd into the studio with John Mayall and the then current version of The Bluesbreakers: Peter Green on guitar, John McVie on bass and Aynsely Dunbar on drums - there were also horn players for one track and T.S. McPhee taking over for Green on two others. In three days they cut a whopping eighteen songs, sixteen of which make up this album. Boyd preferred a slower paced style of playing, with even his faster numbers having a more swinging feel rather than really rocking. Dunbar was probably not the best choice for a player like Boyd and it's here that John McVie really earns his reputation. Compare "Steakhouse Rock" with "Rack 'Em Back". Both of these are swinging instrumentals - the former just piano and drums. Dunbar starts off way too busy and one can only imagine the look on Boyd's face that got him to finally ease up before the number mercifully ends. The second has McVie beautifully controlling and containing Dunbar's excesses through an even faster number and the resulting tension as the players race to the finish make this a highlight. Peter Green shines in his too few moments. His still strong Clapton influence is clearly heard in the opening track "Too Bad - Part One" as he darts between the heavy piano chords with perfect, stinging fills and in his too brief solo. There is a second version of this song, titled "Too Bad - Part Two" which is really more like an alternate take, but Green's playing and slightly more expansive solo shows the style of playing he would soon begin developing further with his own band. Boyd's heavy hand and preference for short arrangements don't leave Green much room, but he offers strong support on the numbers he plays on and gets to stretch a bit in the closer "Night Time is the Right Time". Special word should be granted to T.S. McPhee for his slide playing on "Save Her Doctor" and "Dust My Broom". He runs some nice variations on the all too familiar riff of the latter, making it one of the album' s stronger numbers.
Mayall's early work as a sideman on sessions such as these is a sadly overlooked aspect of his career. On his three numbers here, each a piano / harmonica duet, he truly shines; his playing perfectly capturing the feel and tonality of his idols like the second Sonny Boy Williamson. These tracks all rate as highlights.
Over all, this is a very enjoyable set, not as strong as Fleetwood Mac's recording with Otis Spann a few years later, "The Biggest Thing Since Colossus" but recommended for fans of traditional blues with a spot of British flavor.
By Richard J. Orlando.
**
UK reissue of Mississippi-born Chicago blues pianist's second album, originally released in 1967 on Decca, features 16 tracks with such British blues boom luminaries as the the entire Bluesbreakers band, John Mayall, Peter Green, John Mcvie, & Aynsley Dunbar. Gott Disc. 2004.
**
Eddie Boyd- (Piano);
Tony McPhee- (Guitar);
John Mayall- (Harmonica);
Harry Klein- (Baritone Saxophone);
Albert Hall- (Trumpet);
Rex Morris, Bob Efford- (Tenor Horn);
John McVie- (Bass Guitar);
Aynsley Dunbar- (Drums);
Peter Green- (Guitar).
**
01. Too Bad - (Part 1, with Peter Green)     2.48
02. Dust My Broom - (with Peter Green)     2.39
03. Unfair Lovers - (with Peter Green)     3.36
04. Key to the Highway - (with Peter Green)     2.35
05. Vacation From the Blues - (with Peter Green)     2.07
06. Steak House Rock - (with Peter Green)     4.15
07. Letter Missin' Blues - (with Peter Green)     3.46
08. Ain't Doin' Too Bad - (with Peter Green)     3.14
09. Blue Coat Man - (with Peter Green)     2.32   
10. Train Is Coming, The - (with Peter Green)     4.29
11. Save Her, Doctor - (with Peter Green)     2.53
12. Rack 'Em Back - (with Peter Green)     3.30
13. Too Bad - (Part 2, with Peter Green)     2.50
14. Big Bell, The - (with Peter Green)     4.46
15. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie - (with Peter Green)     2.28
16. Night Time Is the Right Time - (with Peter Green)     3.07
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Nappy BROWN - Just For Me 1988


Nappy BROWN - Just For Me 1988
Label: Jsp Records
Audio CD (September 10, 1996)

Blues

I can quite literally say that this is one of the most underrated...no, COMPLETELY IGNORED albums of all time. Such a strange, varied, unique, GREAT album.
I know what you're saying. "Who the hell is Nappy Brown?"
Why don't you find the hell out.
By Lander.
**
WELL SAID LANDER.
By themonk.
**
John Altman- Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)
Nappy Brown- Vocals, Producer
Big Jay McNeely- Sax (Tenor)
Geoff Nichols- Drums
Andy Pyle- Bass
Richard Studholme- Guitar, Harmonica
**
01. Night Time 6:04  
02. Bye Bye Baby 3:24  
03. Things Have Changed 7:27  
04. Just For Me 5:05
05. We Need To Love One Another 4:12
06. What More Can I Say 4:21 
07. You Must Be Crazy Woman 3:31 
08. Deap Sea Diver 4:38
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Eddie HARRIS - Exodus to Jazz 1961


Eddie HARRIS - Exodus to Jazz 1961
Label: Vee-Jay / Collectables
Audio CD (February 27, 2001)

Jazz

One of the biggest hit jazz LPs of the post-rock & roll era, Eddie Harris' Exodus to Jazz seemed to come completely out of left field. It was the debut album by a previously unknown artist from an under-publicized scene in Chicago, and it was released on the primarily R&B-oriented Vee Jay label, which had originally signed Harris as a pianist, not a tenor saxophonist. The impetus for its breakthrough was equally unlikely; Harris adapted Ernest Gold's stately, somber theme from the Biblical film Exodus  which had been covered for an easy listening hit by Ferrante & Teicher and made it into a laid-back jazz tune. Edited down to 45-rpm length, it became a smash, reaching the pop Top 40 and pushing the album to the upper reaches of the charts  a nearly unprecedented feat for instrumental jazz in 1961. Its stunning popularity sent jazz critics into a tizzy after all, if it was that accessible to a mass audience, there just had to be something wrong with it, didn't there? In hindsight, the answer is no. Exodus to Jazz is full of concise, easy-swinging grooves that maintain the appealing quality of the strikingly reimagined title track (particularly Harris' four originals). Far removed from his later, funkier days, Harris plays a cool-toned tenor who owes his biggest debt to Stan Getz's bop recordings, though there are touches of soul-jazz as well. He's no slouch technically, either; he plays so far  and so sweetly  in the upper register of his horn that some still mistakenly believe he was using an alto sax on parts of the record. Exodus to Jazz paved the way for numerous other crossover successes during the '60s (many in the soul-jazz realm), and while that may not be a credibility-boosting trend to start, the music still speaks for itself.
By Steve Huey, All Music Guide.
**
Eddie Harris- (Piano), (Trumpet), (Sax (Tenor)), (Vocals),
Joe Diorio- (Guitar),
Harold Jones- (Drums),
Willie Pickens- (Piano),
William Yancy- (Bass)
**
01. Exodus (6:38)
02. Alicia (3:39)
03. Gone Home (2:53)
04. A.T.C. (5:31)
05. A.M. Blues (2:45)
06. Little Girl Blue (3:21)
07. Velocity (5:08)
08. W.P. (4:31)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Horace SILVER - Blowin' the Blues Away 1959


Horace SILVER - Blowin' the Blues Away 1959
Label: Blue Note
Audio CD (March 9, 1999)

Jazz

Recorded in 1959, this is an early chronicle of one of the finest bands of the hard-bop genre, pianist Silver's classic quintet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Louis Hayes. The group already epitomized Silver's own virtues of precision and hard swing, with each soloist committed to direct and concise statements, at all times both emotionally and musically focused. There's effective contrast, too, between Mitchell's subtle turn of phrase and Cook's raw intensity, each filling in Silver's vision of a music that combined the complexity of bop and the immediacy of blues and gospel. This session contains the original recordings of two Silver standards, the serene "Peace" and the joyously funky "Sister Sadie," but the collective impact of the band is just as enduring. The group was so musically close-knit that when Silver disbanded five years later, the rest continued as the Blue Mitchell Quintet, with a young Chick Corea on piano.
By Stuart Broomer.
**
Horace Silver- (Piano)
Blue Mitchell- (Trumpet)
Junior Cook- (Tenor Saxophone)
Gene Taylor- (Double Bass)
Louis Hayes- (Drums)
**
01. Blowin' The Blues Away (Horace Silver) 4:45
02. The St. Vitus Dance (Horace Silver) 4:09
03. Break City (Horace Silver) 4:57
04. Peace (Horace Silver) 6:02
05. Sister Sadie (Horace Silver) 6:19
06. The Baghdad Blues (Horace Silver) 4:52
07. Melancholy Mood (Horace Silver) 7:10
08. How Did It Happen (Don Newey) 4:40
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Miles DAVIS - Collectors' Item 1956


Miles DAVIS - Collectors' Item 1956
Label: Fantasy
Recorded in New York on January 30, 1953 and March 16, 1956.
Release Date: Apr 17, 2007
Originally released on Prestige

Jazz

One of Miles Davis' most sympathetic collaborators was tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who shared his love for space, and his genius for melodic architecture. Rollins was only a few years Davis' junior when they first met, but Miles, by virtue of his extended stint with the Charlie Parker Quintet, was already viewed as an established stylist and leader.
This January 30, 1953 recording date introduces the fiery drummer Philly Joe Jones and teams Rollins with his idol Charlie Parker, who in a few choruses seems to presage the entire history of Sonny Rollins. Davis' "Compulsion" is a shifting, restless line, and after a leaping Davis solo, Parker charges in with a thick-toned line followed by a robust Rollins. Bird and Rollins double the melodic line on two takes of "The Serpent's Tooth," the brisker second take being the more polished. Miles begins somewhat hesitantly on "Round Midnight," but his classic core arrangement (with Dizzy's famous ending) is already in place, as Bird plays his best solo of the session.
COLLECTORS' ITEMS concludes with Miles and Sonny's final studio session together. Pianist Tommy Flanagan adds his special brand of harmonic intuition and swing, while Paul Chambers and Art Taylor round out a tightly coiled, elegant rhythm section. A muted Davis seems particularly inspired by the melody to Dave Brubeck's ballad "In Your Own Sweet Way," and Rollins doubles up with masterful restraint. "No Line" is an equestrian event--light, fast, and swinging--while the slow riff tune "Vierd Blues" features a particularly soulful Davis on open horn, egged on by Chambers' subtle counterpoint; Rollins lays way back behind the beat, with lazy, billowing melodic fragments, only to swoop back through with bold harmonic flourishes.
**  
Miles Davis- (Trumpet);
Jackie McLean- (Alto Saxophone);
Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker- (Tenor Saxophone);
Brit Woodman- (Trombone);
Walter Bishop, Tommy Flanagan- (Piano);
Teddy Charles- (Vibraphone);
Paul Chambers, Percy Heath, Tommy Potter, Charles Mingus- (Bass guitar);
Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Arthur Taylor- (Drums).
**
01.Serpent's Tooth, The - (take 1)    7.02
02.Serpent's Tooth, The - (take 2)    6.18
03.'Round Midnight    7.07
04.Compulsion    5.46
05.No Line    5.41
06.Vierd Blues    6.55
07.In Your Own Sweet Way    4.37
08.Conception    4.04
09.Nature boy    6.15
10.Theres no you    8.05
11.Easy living    5.04
12.Alone together    7.17
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Zola MOON - Almost Crazy 1998


Zola MOON - Almost Crazy 1998
Label: Postmodern

Blues

One of the most ballsy, most powerful singer-songwriters alive.tracks
ZOLA MOON IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ARTISTS ON CDBABY. HER ASTOUNDING VOCAL VIRTUOSITY, GRITTILY BRILLIANT SONGWRITING, AND INCREDIBLE INTENSITY AS A LIVE PERFORMER HAVE MADE HER A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH FOR OVER 25 YEARS. THE QUOTES BELOW ARE FROM MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, WRITERS, REVIEWERS, AND DJs FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ABSOLUTELY NO VOCAL PITCH CORRECTION OR VOCAL AUGMENTATION WAS USED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CD
**
Great musicianship and an incredible voice make Zola Moon a definite winner. For those of you who look at the Blues as an old man style of music, all I have to say is, listen to Zola! Those who have heard her, understand what I'm talking about. Those who are interested, are going to be shown the way. And those who say, ‘Fuck this Blues shit, I want my fucking RAWK!', are going to miss out. Zola is just simply fantastic!!!
**
Zola Moon sings the blues in an authentic way that's won critical acclaim from scribes all over the world. She's been often compared to Janis Joplin and Big Mama Thornton and is known for her burning live performances.
By PASADENA WEEKLY.
**
Zola Moon takes a darker tack on the blues on Almost Crazy, doing away with the cheesy, masturbatory, fake-Stevie Ray noodlings many bands mistake as blues. Her and her hand take a more under-stated approach, concentrating on good songs, and paying homage to John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson and Ella Fitzgerald. This record won't bowl you over with instrumental histrionics (although it is very well played), but will slowly, but surely enrapture you with its subtle grooves.
By Steven Booth.
**
01. Hollywood To The Hood (5:05)
02. Bad Dog Fight (4:03)
03. Comin' Back To Me (1:44)
04. The Well (4:38)
05. Love With A Thug (3:28)
06. On The Run (3:14)
07. Long Long Road (6:58)
08. Rockabilly Billie (2:49)
09. Bus Stop (3:22)
10. Alley Cat (4:51)
11. I'm Mad (5:27)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Delgado Brothers - Let's Get Back 1999 (REPOST)


Delgado Brothers - Let's Get Back 1999
Label: Mocombo
Release Date: Aug 24, 2004
Recorded at Pacifica Studios,
Los Angeles, California

Blues

"...the all original material, which melds blues, rock, funk and even New Orleans R & B elements, is affectingly personal." Billboard"Brotherhood never sounded so simple or so sweet" Blues Revue Magazine"These guys cook! With that [John] "Juke" ...    Full DescriptionLogan-produced essential, GROOVE GREASE...party time, with deep soul!" Pasadena WeeklyFather of the British Blues, John Mayall, chose to cover two Delgado Brothers original tunes for his latest release. Both songs can be heard in their original form here on "Let's Get Back..." This team of brothers have been playing their distinct East LA sounds together for years, with big brother Bob laying down the bass, Joe tearing it up on guitar, and adding his smoky vocals, and Steve rounding things out, drumming and leadsinging. From their early days in El Monte, California, their neighborhood jam sessions (beautifully depicted in their tune "Church of El Monte") would bring in musicians and friends alike, like Ray Solis, a kick-ass percussionist, and David Hidalgo, who went on to form the now legendary band, Los Lobos, who appears as a guest artist on their latest release."Let's Get Back..." on Mocombo Records, produced by legendary Blues harpman John "Juke" Logan, has been described as a standout in the sometimes similar sounding genre that can be the Blues.
Living Blues (1-2/00, p.98) - "...sounds somewhere between Los Lobos and Robert Cray, but the intervening years have given their music increased maturity and assurance....This an excellent release..."
Cd Universe.
**
Joe Delgado- (Vocals, Guitar);
Steve Delgado- (Vocals, Drums);
Bob Delgado- (Bass);
David Hidalgo- (Vocals, Guitar, Accordion);
John "Juke" Logan- (Harmonica, Organ);
Doug MacLeod- (National Acoustic Guitar);
Michael "The Saint" Thompson- (Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Hammond B-3 Organ).
"Reverend" Ray Solis- (Congas, Shakere, Tambourine, Maracas).
**
01. Come With Me Baby (Can't Go Wrong)
02. Let's Get Back
03. Real Deal
04. If I Don't Get Home
05. No Regrets
06. Finally Home
07. Mixed Signals
08. L.A. Ellie
09. Something About My Baby
10. Blue Line
11. One For The Children Label     MocomboLabel     Mocombo
12. Struttin' Joey "D"
13. Church Of El Monte
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Count BASIE - Blues by Basie 1950 (REPOST)


Count BASIE - Blues by Basie 1950 (REPOST)
Label     MSI Music
Release Date: Jan 01, 2006

Jazz

Count Basie was among the most important bandleaders of the swing era. With the exception of a brief period in the early '50s, he led a big band from 1935 until his death almost 50 years later, and the band continued to perform after he died. Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. Basie was not a composer like Duke Ellington or an important soloist like Benny Goodman. His instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and became broadly influential on jazz.

Both of Basie's parents were musicians; his father, Harvie Basie, played the mellophone, and his mother, Lillian (Childs) Basie, was a pianist who gave her son his earliest lessons. Basie also learned from Harlem stride pianists, particularly Fats Waller. His first professional work came accompanying vaudeville performers, and he was part of a troupe that broke up in Kansas City in 1927, leaving him stranded there. He stayed in the Midwestern city, at first working in a silent movie house and then joining Walter Page's Blue Devils in July 1928. The band's vocalist was Jimmy Rushing. Basie left in early 1929 to play with other bands, eventually settling into one led by Bennie Moten. Upon Moten's untimely death on April 2, 1935, Basie worked as a soloist before leading a band initially called the Barons of Rhythm. Many former members of the Moten band joined this nine-piece outfit, among them Walter Page (bass), Freddie Green (guitar), Jo Jones (drums), and Lester Young (tenor saxophone). Jimmy Rushing became the singer. The band gained a residency at the Reno Club in Kansas City and began broadcasting on the radio, an announcer dubbing the pianist "Count" Basie.

Basie got his big break when one of his broadcasts was heard by journalist and record producer John Hammond, who touted him to agents and record companies. As a result, the band was able to leave Kansas City in the fall of 1936 and take up an engagement at the Grand Terrace in Chicago, followed by a date in Buffalo, NY, before coming into Roseland in New York City in December. It made its recording debut on Decca Records in January 1937. Undergoing expansion and personnel changes, it returned to Chicago, then to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston. Meanwhile, its recording of "One O'Clock Jump" became its first chart entry in September 1937. The tune became the band's theme song and it was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Basie returned to New York for an extended engagement at the small club the Famous Door in 1938 that really established the band as a success. "Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry Bush," with Rushing on vocals, became a Top Ten hit in the fall of 1938. Basie spent the first half of 1939 in Chicago, meanwhile switching from Decca to Columbia Records, then went to the West Coast in the fall. He spent the early '40s touring extensively, but after the U.S. entry into World War II in December 1941 and the onset of the recording ban in August 1942, His travel was restricted. While on the West Coast, he and the band appeared in five films, all released within a matter of months in 1943: Hit Parade of 1943, Reveille with Beverly, Stage Door Canteen, Top Man, and Crazy House. He also scored a series of Top Ten hits on the pop and R&B charts, including "I Didn't Know About You" (pop, winter 1945); "Red Bank Blues" (R&B, winter 1945); "Rusty Dusty Blues" (R&B, spring 1945); "Jimmy's Blues" (pop and R&B, summer/fall 1945); and "Blue Skies" (pop, summer 1946). Switching to RCA Victor Records, he topped the charts in February 1947 with "Open the Door, Richard!," followed by three more Top Ten pop hits in 1947: "Free Eats," "One O'Clock Boogie," and "I Ain't Mad at You (You Ain't Mad at Me)."

The big bands' decline in popularity in the late '40s hit Basie as it did his peers, and he broke up his orchestra at the end of the decade, opting to lead smaller units for the next couple of years. But he was able to reform the big band in 1952, responding to increased opportunities for touring. For example, he went overseas for the first time to play in Scandinavia in 1954, and thereafter international touring played a large part in his schedule. An important addition to the band in late 1954 was vocalist Joe Williams. The orchestra was re-established commercially by the 1955 album Count Basie Swings - Joe Williams Sings (released on Clef Records), particularly by the single "Every Day (I Have the Blues)," which reached the Top Five of the R&B charts and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Another key recording of this period was an instrumental reading of "April in Paris" that made the pop Top 40 and the R&B Top Ten in early 1956; it also was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame. These hits made what Albert Murray (co-author of Basie's autobiography, -Good Morning Blues) called the "new testament" edition of the Basie band a major success. Williams remained with Basie until 1960, and even after his departure, the band continued to prosper.

At the first Grammy Awards ceremony, Basie won the 1958 awards for Best Performance by a Dance Band and Best Jazz Performance, Group, for his Roulette Records LP Basie. Breakfast Dance and Barbecue was nominated in the dance band category for 1959, and Basie won in the category in 1960 for Dance with Basie, earning nominations the same year for Best Performance by an Orchestra and Best Jazz Performance, Large Group, for The Count Basie Story. There were further nominations for best jazz performance for Basie at Birdland in 1961 and The Legend in 1962. None of these albums attracted much commercial attention, however, and in 1962, Basie switched to Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records in a bid to sell more records. Sinatra-Basie satisfied that desire, reaching the Top Five in early 1963. It was followed by This Time by Basie! Hits of the 50's and 60's, which reached the Top 20 and won the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Performance by an Orchestra for Dancing.

This initiated a period largely deplored by jazz fans that ran through the rest of the 1960s, when Basie teamed with various vocalists for a series of chart albums including Ella Fitzgerald (Ella and Basie!, 1963); Sinatra again (the Top 20 album It Might as Well Be Swing, 1964); Sammy Davis, Jr. (Our Shining Hour, 1965); the Mills Brothers (The Board of Directors, 1968); and Jackie Wilson (Manufacturers of Soul, 1968). He also reached the charts with an album of show tunes, Broadway Basie's ... Way (1966).

By the end of the 1960s, Basie had returned to more of a jazz format. His album Standing Ovation earned a 1969 Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance by a Large Group or Soloist with Large Group (Eight or More), and in 1970, with Oliver Nelson as arranger/conductor, he recorded Afrique, an experimental, avant-garde album that earned a 1971 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band. By this time, the band performed largely on the jazz festival circuit and on cruise ships. In the early 1970s, after a series of short-term affiliations, Basie signed to Pablo Records, with which he recorded for the rest of his life. Pablo recorded Basie prolifically in a variety of settings, resulting in a series of well-received albums: Basie Jam earned a 1975 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance by a Group; Basie and Zoot was nominated in the same category in 1976 and won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist; Prime Time won the 1977 Grammy for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band; and The Gifted Ones by Basie and Dizzy Gillespie was nominated for a 1979 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Group. Thereafter, Basie competed in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Big Band, winning the Grammy in 1980 for On the Road and in 1982 for Warm Breeze, earning a nomination for Farmer's Market Barbecue in 1983, and winning a final time, for his ninth career Grammy, in 1984 for 88 Basie Street.

Basie's health gradually deteriorated during the last eight years of his life. He suffered a heart attack in 1976 that put him out of commission for several months. He was back in the hospital in 1981, and when he returned to action, he was driving an electric wheel chair onto the stage. He died of cancer at 79.

Count Basie was admired as much by musicians as by listeners, and he displayed a remarkable consistency in a bandleading career that lasted long after swing became an archival style of music. After his death, his was one of the livelier ghost bands, led in turn by Thad Jones, Frank Foster, and Grover Mitchell. His lengthy career resulted in a large discography spread across all of the major labels and quite a few minor ones as well.
By William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide.
**
Compilation featuring Basie's classic material for the Sony label. These sessions were recorded between the years 1939-50 and highlight great players such as;

Jimmy Rushing- (vocals),
Clark Terry- (trumpet),
Don Byas- (saxophone),
Buddy De Franco- (clarinet),
Freddie Green- (guitar)
and Jo Jones- (drums).
Count Basie; J. Rushing (vocals).
Includes the Basie standards: 'How Long Blues', 'Take Me Back', 'Baby' and 'I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town'.
BLUES BY BASIE is a collection of tracks recorded by the legendary big band leader Count Basie.
**
01. Tootie
02. How Long Blues
03. Way Back Blues
04. Blues (I Still Think Of Her)
05. Harvard Blues
06. Bugle Blues
07. Take Me Back Baby
08. The Golden Bullet
09. Nobody Knows
10. Royal Garden Blues
11. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
12. Bluebeard Blues
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Buddy GUY - I Left My Blues In San Francisco 1967 (REPOST)


Buddy GUY - I Left My Blues In San Francisco 1967
Label: Mca
Audio CD (October 25, 1990)

Blues

Guy's last Chess album finds him shifting gears to keep up with the scene. His turns on "Keep It to Yourself," "Crazy Love," "When My Left Eye Jumps," "Leave My Girl Alone," and "I Suffer With the Blues" are some examples of this mercurial guitarist at his explosive best. The rest of the album is filled with groovy, soul-styled workouts; some of them succeed and some sound a bit dated, but overall this is one of Buddy's stronger efforts.
By Cub Koda, AMG.
**
A classic recording by one of Chicago blues' finest living legends, Left My Blues in San Francisco consists of 11 smoking tracks, featuring Buddy Guy's matchless guitar work and equally distinctive vocals. This recording is for people who like their blues straight up; like whiskey, it burns all the way through. Included are some of Guy's classic original songs, such as "She Suits Me to a Tee" and "I Suffer with the Blues," as well as excellent performances of "Buddy's Groove," "Keep It to Yourself," and "Goin' Home." All of this material can also be found on the Complete Chess Studio Recordings collection, but if you're new to Buddy Guy, Left My Blues in San Francisco is an excellent place to start. By Genevieve Williams. AMG.
**
Gene Barge- Sax (Tenor), Producer, Orchestration
Lefty Bates- Guitar
Milton Bland- Sax (Tenor)
Reggie Boyd- Bass
Greg Fulginiti- Mastering
Jarrett Gibson- Sax (Tenor) 
Buddy Guy- Guitar, Vocals
Lafayette Leake- Organ
Abe Locke- Sax (Tenor)
Jack Meyers- Bass
Matt "Guitar" Murphy- Guitar  
A.C. Reed- Sax (Tenor)
Charles Stepney- Drums, Orchestration
Leroy Stewart- Bass
Phil Thomas- Drums
Sonny Turner- Trumpet
Phil Upchurch- Bass
Murray Watson- Trumpet
**
01. Keep It To Myself 2:35
02. Crazy Love 2:25
03. I Suffer With The Blues 2:48
04. When My Left Eye Jumps 3:57
05. Buddy's Groove 3:47
06. Goin' Home 2:42
07. She Suits Me To A Tee 2:17
08. Leave My Girl Alone 3:29
09. Too Many Ways 2:17
10. Mother-In-Law Blues 2:46
11. Every Girl I See 3:40
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Champion Jack DUPREE - His Blues Band featuring Mickey Baker 1967 (REPOST)


Champion Jack DUPREE - His Blues Band featuring Mickey Baker 1967
Label: Decca
Audio Cd: 1989

Blues

Producer Mike Vernon brought the veteran barrel-house blues piano player Dupree to London to record with the likes of Eric Clapton, John Mayall and Mickey Baker These albums date from 1966 and 1967. Originally released on the Decca record label, they are a fascinating part of the British blues boom of the late 60´s... Remastered from original master tapes CD slipcase and new sleevenotes.
*
Dupree's playing is almost all straight blues and boogie woogie, with no ballads or pop songs, not even blues ballads. He was not a sophisticated musician or singer, but he had a wry and clever way with words: "Mama, move your false teeth, papa wanna scratch your gums." He sometimes sang as if he had a cleft palate and even recorded under the name Harelip Jack Dupree. This was an artistic conceit, as Dupree had excellent, clear articulation, particularly for a blues singer.
*
They released one album in 1967 under the name 'Champion Jack Dupree & his Blues Band featuring Mickey Baker' Champion Jack Dupree & his Blues Band Featuring Mickey Baker and one compilation in 1969 under the name 'Champion Jack Dupree & Mickey 'Guitar' Baker' Jack and Mickey in Heavy Blues. All songs were recorded in London, April 4/5, 1967, and were produced by Mike Vernon. Mickey 'Guitar' Baker's birth name is McHouston Baker.
**
Champion Jack Dupree- (Piano and Vocals)
Mickey Baker- (Guitar, Tambourine and Vocals) on 1,3,4,6,13
John Baldwin- (Bass Guitar)
Ronnie Verrell- (Drums)
Albert Hall- (Trumpet)
Rex Morris- (Tenor Saxophone)
Bob Efford- (Tenor Saxophone)
Harry Klein- (Baritone Saxophone) on 1,9
Mike Vernon- (Whistle) on 1
**
01. Barrelhouse Woman 2:05
02. Louise 3:08
03. One Dirty Woman 2:26
04. When Things Go Wrong 2:41
05. Cut Down On My Overheads 3:03
06. Troubles 4:39
07. Tee-Nah-Nah 2:05
08. Caldonia 2:26
09. Under Your Hood 2:40
10. Come Back Baby 3:04
11. Baby Let Me Go With You 1:46
12. Garbage Man 3:45
13. I Feel Like A Millionaire 2:47
14. Right Now 3:25
15. Georgiana 3:15
16. Shake, Baby, Shake 2:21
**
NoPassword
*
DLink

Larry GARNER - Embarrassment To The Blues? Live In Europe 2002


Larry GARNER - Embarrassment To The Blues? Live In Europe 2002
Label: Ruff

Blues

The singer/songwriter that has all the honesty and power of the blues is back live with his third CD for Ruf. The two time W.C. Handy nominee musician, poet, storyteller has been thrilling people for years in Europe with his playful stories. The Baton Rouge guitarist brings his swamp blues tradition with current subjects and problems of everyday life to the people all over the world.
**
Whoever makes a concert with Garner has experienced can be a fine "gleanings" hold for all other just a first impression and maybe a kick, one of the next and possible concerts to attend.
Garner is not only a musician, he is also a storyteller (and also has a long tradition in the blues), as well nachzuhören here.
Again and again he gives "Everyday Wisdom" at best, this and his lyrics are "on the pulse of time", current events, what the people moving, it is processed.
And although his music in the tradition of Louisiana and Chicagoblues roots, he has not sealed the present, he is not a recurring pattern in the sense of many classical pieces of the Blues: the best there.  No, rather he only own composition, namely:
Blues for the 21st century, then, overgrown with the tradition, a successful combination.
Garner's music is not only full of blues, soul and even did a few elements of pop music may be found here. (vgl. „Somebody“. (see "Somebody".
But "genuine" Blues in the style of the Louisiana Swamp Blues a la Silas Hogan is the wonderful "Born to sing the Blues", with the Austrians Dozzler at the Harp.
Dozzler is, moreover, a keyboardist, as hardly any other Europeans, the blues of the south of the USA in his game has absorbed. I could at a concert with enthusiasm to convince, by the way it was precisely in this occupation.
Of the pieces I think another highlight, the elegant and somehow very "friendly" sounding "Where the blues turn black." (Was somehow "Hitcharakter")
Its very relaxed way to play without having to be loud and powerful boom, Garner shows in the fantastic "Keep on playing the blues," excellent, as the slack off, and this really good drummer Blue Trahan, who sent me here on the occasion of the concert also already noticed was very pleasant, beautiful, relaxed and swinging like he plays.
Also - a great team here with the Garner occurs.
"The blues is not nothing but the life's ups and downs that is the message on the same piece, which brings Garner with powerfully sympathetic voice-over ...
The 1952 in New Orleans-born Garner still belongs to the "younger" of the Blue scene.
**
Larry Garner- Vocals, guitar
Christian Dozzler- Vocals, harmonica, keyboards
Michael Vann Merwyk- Slide guitar
Miguel Hernandez- Bass
Stoney Trahan- Drums
**
01. Dreaming Again 4:20
02. Had to Quit Drinking 6:17
03. Born to Sang the Blues 10:31
04. Somebody 7:57
05. Larryism 1&2 1:58
06. Where the Blues Turn Back 6:03
07. Larryism 3&4 1:41
08. Blues Ain't Nothing 12:18
09. Keep on Playing the Blues 11:52
10. The Haves and the Have Nots 8:28
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Sonny ROLLINS - Saxophone Colossus 1956


Sonny ROLLINS - Saxophone Colossus 1956
Label: Prestige/OJC
Recorded at: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey 1956
Audio CD (March 21, 2006)
Remastered.
Jazz

The year 1956 marked a turning point for Sonny Rollins. Out of the ashes of what had been a talented but troubled young tenor saxophonist, came a new Sonny Rollins, his purpose clarified and strengthened, his muse razor sharp and brimming with new visions. As a new member of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Organization, he was inspired as much by their spiritual consistency as their artistic integrity. By his own admission, even as a jazz tadpole, Sonny Rollins possessed a brawny sound and a powerful rhythmic drive...but other elements were missing.

With SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS, Sonny Rollins created a personal vision of the tenor saxophone and modern jazz brimming over with joy and conviction. SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS was a breakthrough recording, praised for its lyrical power, thematic logic, relentless swing and spontaneous invention. Borrowing a page from his West Indian roots, Rollins' "St. Thomas" employed elements of Caribbean folk melodies and calypso rhythms to create an exotic, dancing tenor anthem--one of the most identifiable, beloved themes in all of jazz--driven along by Max Roach's melodic drumming, Tommy Flannagan's shimmering accompaniment, and the saxophonist's swaggering melodic invention.

Rollins displayed fresh harmonic power and innovative methods of thematic develpment throughout SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS. On the swinging starts and stops of "Strode Rode" and the dreamy blues cycles of "Blue 7," Rollins began his solos with simple melodic motifs, and orchestrated them into grand, elongated thematic statements--every note made meaningful by Rollins' extraordinary sense of development and intuitive musical architecture. In addition, his tenor timbre took on renewed vigor and complexity on.
CD Universe.
**
Sonny Rollins recorded many memorable sessions during 1954-1958, but Saxophone Colossus is arguably his finest all-around set. Joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Max Roach, Rollins debuts and performs the definitive version of "St. Thomas," tears into the chord changes of "Mack the Knife" (here called "Moritat"), introduces "Strode Rode," is lyrical on "You Don't Know What Love Is," and constructs a solo on "Blue Seven" that practically defines his style. Essential music that, as with all of Rollins' Prestige recordings, has also been reissued as part of a huge "complete" box set; listeners with a tight budget are advised to pick up this single disc and be amazed.
By Scott Yanow. 
**
Though he lacked the improvisational fire of John Coltrane or the restless curiosity of Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins played with a rich, round tone that complemented his melodic inclinations, making him the most accessible of the postbop musicians. Saxophone Colossus is the most successful of the late 1950s albums that made his reputation. Rollins's playing never falters; he's backed by the redoubtable Max Roach on drums, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Doug Watkins on bass. Rollins is equally at home with the lilting Caribbean air of "St. Thomas," standards ("You Don't Know What Love Is"), blues ("Strode Rode," featuring a driving Flanagan solo), and a smoldering version of Brecht-Weill's "Moritat" (better known as "Mac the Knife"). If you are new to jazz, there is no better place to start than Saxophone Colossus.
By Steven Mirkin.
**
Sonny Rollins (Tenor Saxophone);
Tommy Flanagan (Piano);
Doug Watkins (Upright Bass);
Max Roach (Drums).

01. St. Thomas  Rollins  6:48 
02. You Don't Know What Love Is  DePaul, Raye  6:31 
03. Strode Rode  Rollins  5:19 
04. Moritat  Brecht, Weill  10:05 
05. Blue 7  Rollins  11:17 
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Miles DAVIS – Blue Moods 1955


Miles DAVIS – Blue Moods 1955
Label: Ojc  
Audio CD: (July 1, 1991)
 
Jazz

Blue Moods brings together Miles Davis with Charles Mingus, accompanied by Elvin Jones on drums. The arrangement of "Alone Together" was by Charles Mingus, while the other tracks were arranged by Teddy Charles.

It was released on Mingus's own Debut Records label. According to the original sleeve notes, the relatively short playing time of the album was because "the recording was cut at 160 lines per inch (instead of the usual 210 to 260 lines per square inch) making the grooves wider and deeper and allowing for more area between the grooves for bass frequencies […] and was deemed necessary to reproduce the extended bass range and give the listener more quality to that of high fidelity tape recording."
**
Miles was fresh from his triumph at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival when he agreed to record for his old friend Charles Mingus's label. Considering the volatile temperaments of the two protagonists, the music is surprisingly calm, but according to Elvin Jones, 'if they had just printed the conversations in the studio at that time, that would have been a best-seller.' Woodman had known Mingus since boyhood, and Charles was then a frequent musical associate with similar ideas about composing and arranging. The charts here are all by Teddy, except 'Alone Together', which is by Mingus. OJC/Fantasy Records.
**
In the '50s, the party line among New York jazz critics was that hard bop was the "true faith" and that cool jazz was lightweight and unemotional. But Miles Davis knew better. The trumpeter (whose Birth of the Cool sessions of 1949-1950 proved to be incredibly influential) was smart enough to realize that cool jazz and hard bop were equally valid parts of the house that Charlie Parker built, and he had no problem working with cool jazzmen one minute and hard boppers the next. Recorded for Charles Mingus' Debut label in 1955, Blue Moods is an excellent example of cool jazz. However, not all of the musicians who join Davis on this album were full-time members of jazz's cool school. Although vibist Teddy Charles was cool-oriented, Mingus (upright bass) and Elvin Jones (drums) were never considered cool players  and the lyrical trombonist Britt Woodman was, in the '50s, best known for his association with Duke Ellington. Nonetheless, the things that characterized cool jazz -- subtlety, restraint, and understatement -- characterize Blue Moods. Mingus and Jones were certainly capable of being forceful and aggressive, but you won't hear them being intense on this disc; a very laid-back, gently introspective approach prevails on interpretations of "Easy Living," "Alone Together," "Nature Boy," and "There's No You." Clocking in at 27 minutes, Blue Moods is quite skimpy by most standards -- unfortunately, Fantasy didn't have any alternate takes to add. But even so, Blue Moods offers considerable rewards to those who have a taste for '50s cool jazz.
By Alex Henderson, All Music Guide.
**
Miles Davis- Trumpet
Britt Woodman- Trombone
Charles Mingus- Bass
Teddy Charles- Vibraphone
Elvin Jones– Drums
**
01. Nature Boy 6:14
02. Alone Together 7:16
03. There's No You 8:04
04. Easy Living 5:04
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Junior WELLS - You're Tuff Enough 1998 (REPOST)


Junior WELLS - You're Tuff Enough 1998
Label: Mercury / Polygram 
Released: 1968

Blues

Another period of the veteran Chicago harp man's career that awaits CD documentation — and one of the most exciting. Wells's late-'60s output for Bright Star and Mercury's Blue Rock subsidiary frequently found him mining funky James Brown grooves (with a bluesy base, of course) to great effect — "Up in Heah" and his national smash "You're Tuff Enough" are marvelous examples of his refusal to bend to purists' wishes (though there's a glorious version of Bobby Bland's blues-soaked "You're the One" that benefits handily from Sammy Lawhorn's delicate guitar work).
By Bill Dahl.
**
Blues purists may feel like pulling their hair out upon hearing such a James Brown style funk album from Junior Wells, but those with an open mind may find Wells' fusion of funk and blues to be worth a listen. Sure its completely different from what we expect from the man, but the fact is that Junior Wells executes it so well you have to forgive him for his boldness is producing this type of project. No one before him has ever done such a fine job of combining the best of blues and funk into a single form, but here it flows well, aided by Wells outstanding harmonica lines. Though it can be a little to slick for its own good in places, it generally retains a consistant quality throughout. This is definatly not one for the purists and probably a bad idea if you're looking for a blues album. If, however, you are looking for funk-blues at its best, this is a fine disc.
By  Alex "Harpskier"
**
Were it not for Junior Wells's superlative harmonica playing and expressive voice, You're Tuff Enough might have been a muddle of drums and horns. Wells, however, was a strong enough musician that it's he, not his backing band, that stands out most strongly on this recording. This recording illustrates Wells's prescience in incorporating elements of funk and rock into his music. Check out the James-Brown- inflected "Up in Heah," or the rock-out feel of the title track, which appeared on national R&B charts in 1968. One hears echoes of Brown on "You Ought to Quit That" as well. But Wells could sing the blues straight up as well, as he shows with a sweet rendition of "You're the One." While not quite the classic that 1965's Hoodoo Man Blues (which featured Buddy Guy on guitar) was, You're Tuff Enough is an excellent collection, one whose reissue on CD is long overdue.
By Genevieve Williams.
**
01. You're Tuff Enough 2:19
02. It's All Soul 2:25
03. Gonna Cramp Your Style 2:07
04. Where Did I Go Wrong 3:06
05. That'll Hold Me 2:17
06. Sweet Darling Think It Over 2:22
07. Up in Heah 2:01
08. You're the One 3:20
09. You Ought to Quit That 2:08
10. Messin' With the Kid 2:11
11. The Hippies Are Trying 4:09
12. Junior's Groove 2:14
13. Girl You Lit My 1:59
14. It's a Man Down There - Junior Wells, Crockett, G.L.
15. I'm Your Gravy Train 2:22
16. Leave My Woman Alone 2:53
17. I Can't Stand No Signifying 2:48
18. I Just Wanna Groove 2:43
19. You Better Watch Yourself 2:09
20. What Is That You Got 2:07
21. Another Mule Kicking in Your Stall 3:28
22. Party Power 2:14
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

R.J. MISCHO - West Wind Blowin' 1999


R.J. MISCHO - West Wind Blowin' 1999
Label:  Crosscut

Blues

Chicago Blues is one of the hardest styles to make a name for yourself in. Immensely popular since the 1950's, the genre has attracted thousands of practioners. On the harmonica there are literally hundreds of Little Walter imitators and standing out in the crowd really takes some doing.
RJ Mischo was living in Minneapolis when he had the opportunity to see Muddy Waters in concert. The event was life-changing for Mischo and since that time he's made it his quest to perfect the Chicago sound. Surrounding himself with other Blues practioners Mischo leads his band with an impressive amount of authority. His harmonica playing shows that he has studied the masters and has mastered the art of Chicago-style harmonica playing. The songs on this CD are impressive and definitely fit well into the library of Chicago Blues recordings.
This CD is definitely worth listening to.
By Peter Krampert.
**
Minneapolis native, R.J. Mischo began playing the harmonica more than 20 years ago and has gained a reputation as one of the best interpreters of classic Chicago blues harmonica. During his days in Minnesota R.J. played with most of the Twin Cities’ blues legends including Mojo Buford, Sonny Rogers, Percy Strother and Milwaukee Slim. After forming his own band R.J. was introduced to audiences worldwide when he and guitarist Teddy Morgan began playing as the RJ & Kid Morgan Blues Band featuring Percy Strother. In 1992 they released their critically acclaimed "Ready To Go" album on Blue Loon Records. That album was followed in 1994 with "Gonna Rock Tonight." With band personnel changes, R.J. formed R.J. Mischo and his Red Hot Blues Band and quickly became one of the regions top blues acts, winning several Minnesota Music Academy Awards including the award for Best Harmonica Player in 1996. After several successful tours of Europe, R.J. Mischo and his Red Hot Blues Band recorded 2 more CD’s, "Rough ‘N’ Ready" (1996), and "Cool Disposition" (1997), on the prestigious German label, Crosscut Records. In 1998 R.J. moved to San Francisco and began performing regularly in the Bay area as well as touring extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. R.J.’s newest release, "West Wind Blowin’" (1999) features more of his robust harp playing with guest appearances by Rusty Zinn and Steve Freund. Whether R.J. Mischo is playing down-and-dirty, back-alley-blues or supercharged West Coast jump he always delivers some of the best blues harmonica playing found anywhere today.
**
For many years, R.J. used to live in Minneapolis.
Two years ago he moved to California, and that's where his new one was recorded. It sounds a little rougher than the last one. In the spotlight are R.J.'s superb harp technique, but also the collaboration of two fine guitarists. Mischos fat and low tone builds a nice contrast to Zinn's elegant guitar phrasing, and Freund's Chicago style picking. This is another great one from R.J.!
 R.J. Mischo, Rusty Zinn, Steve Freund, Johnny Ace, Walter Shufflesworth.
**
01. Money Back Guarantee (3:09)
02. RJ Get Up! Milk That Cow (2:23)
03. Watch Out (3:15)
04. What I Got To Have (3:53)
05. West Winds Are Blowing (3:38)
06. Bit Off More Than I Could Chew (4:39)
07. Goat Whiskers (3:00)
08. Goin' In Your Direction (2:57)
09. Jelly Sellin' Woman (5:33)
10. I Feel So Good (4:51)
11. Courtin' In a Cadillac (2:13)
12. Miss Heidi Ho (3:55)
13. It's My Life (5:07)
14. How Much More (4:16)
15. South City Fog (3:51)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Benny CARTER - Sax ala Carter! 1960 (REPOST)


Benny CARTER - Sax ala Carter! 1960 (REPOST)
Label: Blue Note / Capitol
Audio CD: 2004

Jazz
  
This review is from: Sax ala Carter! (Audio CD)
Originally released on United Artists in 1960, this very pleasant album features Benny Carter's fluid, inventive alto sax playing in a superb quartet setting (Jimmy Rowles - p, Leroy Vinnegar - b, Mel Lewis - d). Carter was a brilliant player with a tone instantly recognizable - and he made everything he played seem as easy as breathing. There is a constant dancing quality to his soloing, most evident here on MOON OF MANAKOORA and the two takes of FRIENDLY ISLANDS, though it's obvious on all the medium and up-tempo selections. An unexpected treat is Benny playing soprano sax on one tune, a rare occurrence, though Benny could and did play all the reads as well as trumpet and trombone. Rowles is an excellent piano player and plays very bluesy on GHOST OF A CHANCE and also takes an intriguing solo on THE ONE I LOVE. Apparently meant and marketed for those who thought they liked mainstream jazz provided it didn't stray too far from the melody, this CD is not a banged out throw off; the playing is high in quality (as is everything associated with Benny Carter) and gives much pleasure with repeated listening. Definitely worth having.
By Bomojaz.
**
This album represents just a small facet of Benny Carter's musical activity during the '50s and '60s, a good deal of which was occupied by writing and arranging in Hollywood. Nevertheless, Carter always seemed to be involved in a number of projects, this 1960 release being just one.

Accompanied by a first-rate trio of Jimmy Rowles (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass) and Mel Lewis (drums), the "King" tackled a collection of fairly familiar tunes on a then-United Artists album in 1960. As biographer and annotator Ed Berger points out, while the album was aimed at a broader listening audience than strictly jazz fans, Carter did not simplify his solos to suit the hoi polloi.

Brevity being the soul of wit, nearly all of the selections weigh in at about three minutes apiece, yet Carter and company manage to cram a lot of playing into each cut. Even when stating the various melodies, whether on "All or Nothing at All," "Ghost of a Chance," or a surprisingly uptempo "For All We Know," Carter shows you can wring a lot out of a tune before getting to a formal solo. Rowles is, at times, downright ebullient, in both his accompaniment and his solos, similarly cramming a lot of ideas into limited space without sounding forced or contrived.

The backing of the trio is typically rock-solid for a Carter small group, with Vinnegar and Lewis providing the leader with the strong support he liked. Lewis plays with a forcefulness that he displayed with larger ensembles of the time, such as Terry Gibbs' big band, a style that mellowed after he returned East and started his own band with Thad Jones.

The album contains two interesting Carter footnotes, his overdubbed saxophone stating the melody on "Friendly Islands" and "Moon of Manakoora," and one real gem—his soprano saxophone playing on "Ennui." Given how he sounds on that tune, it's a shame he never attempted to do an entire album on the instrument.
By Mitchell Seidel.
**
Benny Carter- (Soprano, alto, & Tenor saxophones);
Jimmy Rowles- (Piano);
Leroy Vinnegar- (Bass);
Mel Lewis- (Drums).
**
01. And The Angels Sing 2:58  
02. Everything I Have Is Yours 3:36  
03. I Understand 3:07  
04. All Or Nothing At All 3:18  
05. I'll Never Smile Again 2:24  
06. If I Loved You 3:46  
07. Far Away Places 3:25  
08. I Should Care 4:00  
09. For All We Know 3:02  
10. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost Of A Chance With You 2:50      
11. The One I Love (Belongs To Someone Else) 3:07  
12. Moon Of Manakoora 2:42  
13. Ennui 2:21  
14. Friendly Islands 3:10  
15. Friendly Islands 3:07
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Nat ADDERLEY - Introducing Nat Adderley 1955


Nat ADDERLEY - Introducing Nat Adderley 1955
Label: EmArcy / Verve
Audio CD (February 6, 2001)

Jazz

Altoist Cannonball and cornetist Nat Adderley arrived in New York from Florida without fanfare in 1955, but they rapidly established their credentials, sitting in with bassist Oscar Pettiford's group at Café Bohemia. Within days they were recording as leaders for Savoy, and a few months later they were both appearing on Norman Granz's family of labels. Originally issued on Mercury's Wing subsidiary, this session from November 1955 has been one of the rarest of modern jazz recordings, never previously reissued in either LP or CD format. It's a delight, from the flag-waving "Watermelon" on, an early essay in the emerging hard-bop idiom that's rich in swing, blues inflections, and the Adderleys' gift for lyricism. Nat's style was already a distinctive mix of Gillespie and Miles Davis, while Cannonball tempered the influence of Charlie Parker with the sweeter, earlier sound of Benny Carter. They get tremendous support from an all-star rhythm section of Horace Silver, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes, and the compositions, co-credited to the brothers and executed with fraternal familiarity, are already distinctive, including the playful "Little Joanie Walks" and the contrapuntal "Two Brothers." "I Should Care," the only standard, is a fine feature for Nat's burnished cornet sound, while Cannonball's liquid alto stands out on "New Arrivals."
By Stuart Broomer. AMG.
**
Ironically, I found the standard I SHOULD CARE, featuring Mr Nat Adderley's cornet, the most affecting music on this disc. The other nine were originals by brothers Mr Julian and Nat Adderley.
To my ear, this was a walk through for these outstanding musicians, some of them, like Mr Haynes and Mr Silver, and Mr Chambers, among the greatest in modern jazz. But if you like the standard bebop unit of trumpet, sax and rhythm, go for it. Nifty packaging and high quality remastering.
By  Ian Muldoon.
**
The debut recording session of the Adderley brothers, saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and trumpeter Nat. Given the shining star of recognition that Cannonball achieved in his short life, it's amazing that the brothers' first date would be with Nat as leader. And the band on this record is, well, stellar, even for that time in 1955: Paul Chambers on bass, Horace Silver on piano, and Roy Haynes on drums. Issued in the Desert Island Discs series by Verve, this is truly one of them. It's a hard, post-bop date that features a quintet of excellent players having a good old time in the studio. All tunes are by the Adderley brothers, who, at this time, were free to exploit their own identities (Cannonball had yet to be saddled with his "new Bird" status, since Charlie Parker had been dead less than six months). They were undiscovered and under-heard, playing only a smattering of dates in New York clubs after their exodus from Florida. Many of the tunes here, "Watermelon," "Little Joanie Walks," "Two Brothers," "Crazy Baby," and "Blues for Bohemia," would be in both men's sets for decades to come. And whether ballad or bebop, the rhythm section kept the front line in check. The exuberance is allowed by the trio of Silver, Chambers, and Haynes, rather than dictated by the Adderleys. It's gorgeous to hear all the Benny Carter in Cannonball's playing, and the Roy Eldridge in Nat's. Going track for track or looking for standouts here would be fruitless. This is a day in 1955, top to bottom, when some of the finest musicians in the world didn't know it yet. They got together for a good time and a blowing session that became a legendary moment in the history of jazz. Enough said.
By Thom Jurek, All Music Guide.
**
Nat Adderley- Trumpet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley- Alto sax
Horace Silver- Piano
Roy Haynes- Drums
Paul Chambers- Bass
**
01. Watermelon (2:44)
02. Little Joanie Walks (4:01)
03. Two Brothers (3:29)
04. I Should Care (4:25)
05. Crazy Baby (5:59)
06. New Arrivals (6:38)
07. Sun Dance (3:48)
08. Fort Lauderdale (3:18)
09. Friday Nite (3:11)
10. Blues For Bohemia (5:21)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Miles DAVIS - Kind Of Blue 1954 (REPOST)


Miles DAVIS - Kind Of Blue 1954
Label: Columbia Legacy-Sony
Release Date: 03/25/1997

Jazz

Perhaps the most influential & best-selling jazz record ever made. If this is your first encounter with Kind of Blue, be forewarned that it’s likely to become an indispensable part of your life.
More than a milestone in jazz, Kind Of Blue is a defining moment of twentieth century music, one of those incredibly rare works of art that achieve equal popularity among musicians, critics, and public at large. The rest of us might tend to agree with Jimmy Cobb, the drummer on the album, who commented on Kind of Blue that it “must have been made in heaven.” Don’t we all enjoy taste of heaven now and then?
If this is your first encounter with Kind of Blue, be forewarned that it’s likely to become an indispensable part of your life. But chances are you’ve encountered Kind of Blue before, and are wondering why you need another edition. Apart from the addition of a bonus track, one reason is much improved sound. Early digital remasterings sounded thin and piping to connoisseur’s ears; this reissue was remixed on an all-tube three track machine, an old Presto much like the one used for the original recordings. Now the instruments sound rich and full, like real instruments rather than tinny simulacra. Another reason, if you happen to be a musician, you may have already noticed another problem when you tried tried to play along with earlier versions of Kind Of Blue. Three tunes were in the wrong key, which means that the original album and all subsequent reissues were recorded at the wrong speed – making all the pitches slightly sharper than in “real life.” Here, for the first time, is Kind Of Blue complete, sounding big and rich and true to life and right on key. If you are going to heaven, might as well go first-class all the way.
**
With BIRTH OF THE COOL, Miles Davis distilled a new tonal palette for jazz. As early as 1954, Miles reacted to the escalating chordal complexity of hard bop by fashioning an evocative blues based on a simple scalar pattern ("Swing Spring"). KIND OF BLUE was the ultimate fulfilment of this approach,with Miles providing his collaborators little more than outlines for melodies and simple scales for improvisation. By emphasising the blues and the improvisor's melodic gifts, KIND OF BLUE precipitated a major stylistic development--modal jazz.
Charles Mingus had experimented with pedal points throughout the 1950s, and the melodic freedom of Ornette Coleman's Atlantic sides was also predicated on freedom from chord changes. But KIND OF BLUE was to prove the most influential, enduring work of its kind. There was just such a vibe about these 1959 sessions--Miles' lyric genius and burgeoning stardom, the innovative voicings and rarefied touch of pianist Bill Evans, the electrifying presence of Coltrane and Cannonball--that some thirty-plus years after its initial release, KIND OF BLUE is still recognised as Davis' point of departure towards jazz's less-explored regions.
Bill Evans' translucent chords and Paul Chambers' famous bass line heraldthe revolution that is "So What": Davis and Evans' taut, coiled lyricism stands in sharp relief to the saxophonists' labyrinthine elation. The fat, shimmering beat of the classic Evans/Chambers/Cobb rhythm team is an oasis of calm throughout the childish blues "Freddie Freeloader". Often credited to Davis, "Blue In Green" is an Evans masterpiece, in which the rhythmic oasis becomes a smoky mirage for Davis' minor reveries on muted horn. The waltzing "All Blues" is one of thesmoothest, most swinging grooves in the history of jazz, while "Flamenco Sketches" reflects Miles fascination with the earthy melodies and brooding metaphors of the Iberian peninsula...a harbinger of his next masterpiece, SKETCHES OF SPAIN. KIND OF BLUE remains Miles Davis' most evocative piece of musical haiku.
**
Paul Chambers- Double bass
Miles Davis- Trumpet
John Coltrane- Tenor Saxophone
Wynton Kelly- Piano
Bill Evans- Piano
Jimmy Cobb- Drums
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley- Alto Saxophone
**
01. So What   9.22
02. Freddie Freeloader   9.46
03. Blue In Green   5.37
04. All Blues   11.33
05. Flamenco Sketches   9.26
06. Flamenco Sketches (Alternate Take)   9.32
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*
1 2
*

Tab BENOIT - Brother To The Blues 2006 (REPOST)


Tab BENOIT - Brother To The Blues 2006
Label: Telarc

Blues

Louisiana native Tab Benoit has been slinging his swamp-R&B-blues-rock concoction for the better part of 15 years, and from the sound of this disc's opening two tunes, it seems that little besides his backing band has changed. But when the title track kicks in with sorrowful fiddle, crying pedal steel (also played by Benoit), and a lovely, lonely honky-tonk melody, it's clear the singer/guitarist has decided to visit some unique territory. Country stalwarts Jim Lauderdale and Billy Joe Shaver swing by to provide duet vocals for Benoit's versions of their songs. Even Hank Williams Sr.'s "I Heard That Lonesome Whistle" gets covered as Benoit finds the blues at the heart of the country standard. Those who are not county lovers need not be concerned that Benoit has gone all George Jones on them. He still grinds out slabs of tough bayou rocking in the crackling "So High" and the opening "Pack It Up." There's also a heartbreaking, loungey, slow blues ("Somehow") and a soul-seared cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" that shows how effective Benoit is as an interpretive vocalist. The funky Little Feat/Neville Brothers-styled "Can't Do One More Two-Step" truly brings it home on a diverse outing that stretches boundaries and adds depth to Benoit's already impressive roots.
By Hal Horowitz.
**
Tab Benoit- Vocals, guitar, pedal steel guitar;
Tony Haselden- Guitar, banjo;
Nelson Blanchard- Organ, piano, electric piano;
Leon Medica- bass;
David Peters- Drums, percussion;
Waylon Thibodeaux- Fiddle;
Jim Lauderdale, Billy Joe Shaver- Vocal.
**
01. Pack It Up   3.53
02. Bring It On Home To Me   5.03
03. Brother To The Blues   4.04
04. Why Are People Like That?   3.01
05. I'm On Your Side   2.44
06. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle   4.29
07. If You Love Me Like You Say   5.49
08. Comin' On Strong   3.29
09. So High   4.56
10. Grace's Song   4.01
11. Moon Coming Over The Hill   3.11
12. Somehow   5.56
13. Can't Do One More Two-Step   4.22
*
NoPassword
*
DownloadLink:
*
1 2
*

Scott HENDERSON - Well To The Bone 2002 (REPOST)


Scott HENDERSON - Well To The Bone 2002
Label: Blues Bureau Int'l
Recorded at Tommy Tedesco Studio, Hollywood, California.

Blues

Scott Henderson is nothing if not unpredictable. In Tribal Tech and Vital Tech Tones he has distinguished himself as an endlessly creative performer with impeccable musicianship. Well to the Bone also bears a heavy dose of creativity, to be sure, yet many of the selections come off as oddly disconcerting. Despite its label, the disc has been filed away here at AAJ under Fusion instead of Blues because even adamant blues non-purists might shake their heads in confusion.
“Lady P” typifies the experimental side of Henderson’s mutant blues, its constant rhythmic shifts making it nearly impossible to pin down the meter from one bar to the next. Wade Durham’s vocals recall Corey Glover of Living Colour as much as anyone else, and the vocal reverb on “Devil Boy” seems a misguided attempt to pass him off as Jimi Hendrix. Durham sounds like he takes himself too seriously. Thelma Houston fares much better on the straightforward title blues and “Lola Fay.”

Not everything is hot and heavy. “Ashes” is pretty in an off-kilter way, and “Rituals” ends the album on a pleasant note. Of course, there is a good deal of humor involved as well, never more so than on the fun-paced “Hillbilly in the Band,” where the sound of a barking dog keeps interrupting Henderson’s solo. Kicked off by a chant sample, “Sultan’s Boogie” is just about what you’d expect, a hard groove laid over a Middle Eastern mode.

The big problem here might be the sameness of tempo and Henderson’s guitar timbre, which makes much of the disc sound like it’s all cut from the same cloth. It’s the same sort of problem that John Scofield used to have before he expanded his horizons. Odd for Henderson to seem stuck in a rut since he doesn’t evince that problem within his other bands, but it certainly holds him back here. Not a bad album by any means, but not as rich in variety as we’ve grown to expect from him.
By Todd S. Jenkins. AAJ.
**
Scott Henderson is one of those guitar players that makes you want to skip practice because, what's the point? You'll never be that damn good on the guitar. His latest CD "Well to the Bone," is the evolutionary follow up to 1997's "Tore Down House." While "Tore Down House" was a marriage of Blues and Fusion, "Well to the Bone" is Fusion-Blues. Imagine Stevie Ray Vaughn jamming with Weather Report.
Blues purists look elsewhere. This recording is flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet right over their heads. It's Incendiary! Earthy blues concepts. Rubbery whammy bar phrasing. Playing inside, outside, over a cerebral hot bed of progressions that take you on a journey. Twisted, soulful, sometimes dreamy songs full of humor, longing, and even incest. Maximum strength liquid Strat tones caress as well as scream throughout.

One song in particular "Ashes," a somber ballad that erupts into a psychotropic gospel dirge at a wake, blends Hendrix/Mayfield style rhythms with the kind of soloing that could only come from a supreme being.

The divine and utterly soulful Thelma Houston returns along with new comer Wade Durham to more than deliver the vocal goods. Kirk Covington on drums, John Humphrey on bass, and Scott Kinsey on percussion, swing with soul and precision without ever sounding metronomic. For those with an open mind who like a lot of adventure and unpredictability in their blues, this CD is a must own.
By Oscar Jordan.
**
Scott Henderson- Guitar
Kirk Covington- Drums
John Humphrey- Bass
With special guests:
Thelma Houston- Vocals (selected tracks)
Scott Kinsey- Electronic percussion

01. Lady P (7:14)
02. Hillbilly in the Sand (5:06)
03. Devil Boy (6:41)
04. Lola Fay (6:24)
05. Well to the Bone (4:50)
06. Ashes (6:53)
07. Sultan's Boogie (6:30)
08. Day's Da Way it go (6:54)
09. That Hurts (6:16)
10. Rituals (8:01)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Shuggie OTIS - Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight 1971-72 (REPOST)


Shuggie OTIS - Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight 1971-72
Label: Raven
Release Date: Oct 14, 2003

Blues

It's staggering to consider that Shuggie Otis had virtually been forgotten by the time his delightfully idiosyncratic 1974 album Inspiration Information resurfaced in 2001. The precociously talented guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist ...    Full Description(and son of band leader Johnny Otis) had been no stranger to success. In 1977 the Brothers Johnson took their cover version of Shuggie's sublime "Strawberry Letter 23" to #5 on the US Billboard Pop chart, selling a million copies in the process. The original version appeared on his 1971 album "Freedom Flight", a stunning work that mixed virtuoso electric blues with gentle psychedelic soul/R&B ballads. 1970's "Here Comes Shuggie Otis" saw the guitarist attack a selection of uniquely swampy blues shuffles and Hendrix-styled rockers. Both albums were ahead of their time and sound fresh and vibrant today.
**
John Otis Jnr., 30 November 1953, Los Angeles, California, USA. A precociously talented guitarist, Otis was encouraged by his dance band father, Johnny Otis, who had him playing bass and lead guitar onstage in his early teens. Johnny Otis featured him on his 1969 Kent album, Cold Shot!, and through that Al Kooper espoused his cause and recorded his debut album for CBS Records. Father and son then both signed to Epic, and Shuggie appeared on his father's albums, Cuttin' Up (1970) and The Johnny Otis Show Live At Monterey! (1971), as well as doing session work for Don "Sugarcane" Harris and playing bass on one track on Frank Zappa's Hot Rats. Four solo albums of indifferent quality were issued by Epic before Otis retired at the grand old age of 22. In the years that followed, he continued to do session work for his father but drug problems hampered his efforts at reviving his own career, although he continued to remain active with a live band. "Strawberry Letter 23', originally featured on 1971"s Freedom Flight, was a big US hit for the Brothers Johnson in 1977.
**
Shuggie Otis- Organ, Piano, Percussion, Celeste, Harpsichord,
Slide Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Arranger, Bass, Guitar
Harris Singers Robinson- Vocals
Richard MacKay- French Horn
Aynsley Dunbar- Drums
Abe Mills- Drums
Stix Hooper- Drums
Wells Kelly- Drums
Mike Kowalski- Drums
Paul Lagos- Drums
Melvin Moore- Trumpet
Isadore Roman- Violin
Eunice Wennermark- Violin
Stu Woods- Bass
Hank Jernigan- Flute, Saxophone
Joe Lichter- Violin
Irving Lipshultz- Celli
Hyman Gold- Celli
Ginger Smock- Violin
Bob Mitchell- Trumpet
Jim "Supe" Bradshaw- Harmonica, Vocals (Background)
Ray Johnson- Piano
Sherlie Matthews- Vocals (Background)
Clydie King- Vocals (Background)
Venetta Fields- Vocals (Background)
Leon Haywood- Organ
Preston Love- Flute, Saxophone
Marilyn Baker- Viola
Al McKibbon- Bass
Willie Ruff- French Horn
Richard Aplanalp- Flute, Oboe, Sax (Tenor)
Gene "Mighty Flea" Conners- Trombone
Rollice Dale- Viola
Wilton Felder- Bass, Bass (Electric), Harpsichord, Celeste
Jackie Kelso- Flute, Saxophone
Al Kooper- Organ, Piano
George Duke- Organ, Piano (Electric), Celeste
Plas Johnson- Saxophone
Johnny Otis- Percussion, Tympani, Harpsichord, Piano, Vocals (Background), Producer, Celeste,
**
01.Oxford Gray: Felder, Hooper, Otis, Otis 6:55
02.Jennie Lee: Felder, Otis, Otis 2:11
03.Bootie Cooler: Otis, Otis 2:41
04.Knowing (That You Want Him) Aldrich, Otis 2:31
05.Funky Thithee: Otis, Otis 3:13
06.Shuggie's Boogie: Otis, Otis 5:34
07.Hurricane: Felder, Otis, Otis 2:18
08.Gospel Groove: Otis, Otis 4:15
09.Baby, I Needed You: Otis, Otis 3:43
10.The Hawks: Otis, Otis 2:28
11.Ice Cold Daydream: Otis 2:20
12.Strawberry Letter 23: Otis 3:57
13.Sweet Thang: Otis, Otis 4:11
14.Me and My Woman: Barge, G. Barge 4:16
15.Someone's Always Singing: Kahn, Otis 3:22
16.Purple: Otis 7:07
17.Freedom Flight Otis: 12:57
18.One Room Country Shack [*] Walton 3:35
*
NoPassword
*
DownloadLink:
*
1 2

Junior WELLS – On Tap 1991 (REPOST)


Junior WELLS – On Tap 1991

Blues

Junior Wells- Vocals, Harmonica
Sammy Lawhorn- Guitar/left channel
Phillip Guy- Guitar/right channel
Johnny “Big Moose” Walker- Piano and Organ
A.C. Reed- Tenor sax
Charles Miles- Alto sax
Herman Applewhite- Bass
Roosevelr “Snake” Shaw- Drums
**
Underrated mid-'70s collection boasting a contemporary, funky edge driven by guitarists Phil Guy and Sammy Lawhorn, keyboardist Big Moose Walker, and saxman A.C. Reed. Especially potent is the crackling "The Train I Ride," a kissin' cousin to Little Junior Parker's "Mystery Train."
By Bill Dahl.
**
This is an excellent Jr. Wells cd. It is blues with a touch (and sometimes a slap !!!) of funk. The personnel on this cd, Jr. Wells and virtouso guitarist Sammy Lawhorn (formerly of Muddy Water's band)used to rule the roost at the Legendary Theresa's club at 4801 S. Indiana on Chicago's South Side in the 70's and early 80's. The cover p[ic is Jr. behind the bar at Theresa's. This cd is a pretty good example of what you could hear for a $1 on any given night Jr. wasn't on the road in those days. That is not a misprint. the cover was $1. Blues with a touch of funk was Jr's trademark and he goes a little extra funky sometimes, but when he got down to straight blues, he was the man (he learned it right from his musical father (Muddy). If you went to Theresa's to see Jr., it was wise not to get too riled up on liquor though because everybody (especially the band) in the place was packing heat-lol. James Cotton and Jr. used to trade sets on Wed. If we invented time travel, this era would be on my top 5 list (along with seeing Muddy in the 50's and the blues and rock of the late 60's). Put this cd in and go back in time to when the blues legends roamed the clubs of Chicago.
By  Bob Condon.
**
01. What My Mama Told Me 4:04
02. So Long 5:37
03. Key To The Highway 4:38
04. You Gotta Love Her With A Feeling 5:24
05. The Train I Ride 5:02
06. Watch Me Move 4:02
07. Someday Baby 4:46
08. Junior's Thing 5:05
09. Goin' Down Slow5:53
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Gene AMMONS - Goodbye 1974


Gene AMMONS - Goodbye 1974
Label: Prestige / Ojc
Cd Released: 2005 (Ojc)
Jazz

It is ironic that on tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons' final recording date, the last song he performed was the standard "Goodbye." That emotional rendition is the high point of this session, a septet date with cornetist Nat Adderley, altoist Gary Bartz, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Louis Hayes, and Ray Barretto on congas. In contrast to the somewhat commercial studio albums he had recorded during the past couple of years, this set was much more freewheeling, for Ammons was clearly happy to perform the material (which included "It Don't Mean a Thing," "Alone Again (Naturally)," and "Jeannine") without any tight arrangements, in the spirit of his Prestige jam sessions of the 1950s. It's a fine ending to a colorful career.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Gene Ammons- (Tenor Sax);
Gary Bartz- (Alto SaxS);
Nat Adderley- (Cornet);
Kenny Drew- (Piano);
Sam Jones- (Bass);
Louis Hayes- (Drums);
Ray Barretto- (Conga).
**
A1   Out In The Sticks (6:27)
A2   Alone Again (Naturally) (5:55)
A3   It Doesn't Mean A Thing (5:38)
*
B1   Jeannine (6:27)
B2   Geru's Blues (7:34)
B3   Goodbye (4:32)
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*