Ana POPOVIC - Live in Amsterdam 2005

Ana POPOVIC - Live in Amsterdam 2005

Blues

These Concert was recorded on January 30th, 2005 at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A home match for Ana Popovic -- the native of Belgrade lives in Holland since several years.The refrain of her first song "Don't Bear Down On Me" can be taken straight away as the motto of the whole evening: „I'm Here To Steal The Show". And indeed, that's what she does! 29-year-old Ana Popovic proves with her own songs and fresh interpretations that she is an excellent and expressive guitarist with a powerful voice. Ana's groovy music is not suitable for blues purists-she stands for modern and cross-border blues with rock, soul and jazz elements.
**
Many blues-oriented and blues-friendly artists will go their entire careers without ever providing a live album, which is regrettable because live performances are such an important part of the blues experience. Ana Popovic, thankfully, isn't one of them. This 67-minute CD is the Yugoslavian singer/guitarist's third album for Ruf Records, and it is also her first live album. Recorded at an Amsterdam, Holland, show on January 30, 2005 (when Popovic was 28), the disc paints a consistently exciting picture of her talents as a live performer. Popovic is as captivating on the aggressive, confident strut of "My Man" and Howlin' Wolf's "Sittin' on Top of the World" as she is on the moody, dusky jazziness of "Won't Let You Down" and the instrumental "Navajo Moon" (which was written in memory of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of her major influences). Although very blues-friendly, Ana! Live in Amsterdam isn't strictly a document of a blues show -- rather, it is a document of a show in which the blues meet rock, soul, funk, and jazz. An interesting point: although Popovic grew up in the former Yugoslavia and is performing for a Dutch audience on this album, all of her introductions to the songs are in English -- the language that remains a common denominator for blues performers and blues fans all over the world. These days, rock and hip-hop are being performed in a variety of languages other than English, but English remains the official language of the blues -- even if the performer is as much of a non-purist as Popovic, whose excellent Ana! Live in Amsterdam makes it clear that she did the right thing by not waiting until she was 40 or 50 to provide a live album.
By Alex Henderson, All Music Guide.
**
01. Intro 3:02 $0.99 
02. Don't Bear Down on Me 3:37 $0.99 
03. Sittin' on Top of The World 4:33 $0.99 
04. Love Me Again 5:10 $0.99 
05. Comfort to the Soul 6:03 $0.99 
06. Navajo Moon 8:56 $0.99 
07. Night By Night 4:11 $0.99 
08. Bigtown Playboy 6:00 $0.99 
09. Won't Let You Down 4:53 $0.99 
10. Jaco 6:37 $0.99 
11. Long Way Home 5:07 $0.99 
12. My Man 9:29
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Little SONNY - New King Of The Blues Harmonica 1970

Little SONNY - New King Of The Blues Harmonica 1970

Blues

The Stax empire wasn't exactly renowned for its legion of blues harpists, but Little Sonny found the Memphis firm quite an agreeable home during the early '70s (he even appeared in the label's grandiose concert film, Wattstax, albeit very briefly).

Little Sonny, whose birth name is Aaron Willis, is a product of Detroit's blues scene. He moved to the Motor City in 1953 after growing up on his dad's farm in Alabama (his mom gave him his nickname). When Little Sonny wasn't working local haunts with John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Eddie Kirkland, Baby Boy Warren, or Washboard Willie (who gave him his first paying gig), he was snapping photos of the patrons for half a buck a snap.

Sonny Boy Williamson rambled through town in 1955 and gave Willis some valuable pointers. In 1958, Sonny made his blues recording debut, cutting for both Duke ("I Gotta Find My Baby") and local entrepreneur Joe Von Battle, who leased Little Sonny's "Love Shock" to Nashville's Excello imprint.

The harpist acquired a two-track tape machine and took matters into his own hands during the early '60s, helming his tiny Speedway label. He leased "The Creeper" and "Latin Soul" to Detroit's Revilot Records (his labelmates included Darrell Banks and George Clinton's Parliament) in 1966. That set the stage for his joining Stax's Enterprise label in 1970; his first album was the largely instrumental New King of the Blues Harmonica -- a rather brash boast for a relative unknown!

Two more Enterprise sets that more effectively featured Little Sonny's vocal talents soon followed: Black & Blue and 1973's Hard Goin' Up, the latter distinguished by the Bettye Crutcher-penned "It's Hard Goin' Up (But Twice as Hard Coming Down)" and a variety of other soul-inflected tracks.

Not much was heard of the harpist in recent years until the British Sequel imprint released Sonny Side Up in 1995. His backing crew included keyboardist Rudy Robinson and guitarist Aaron Willis, Jr., (his son) both of whom graced Hard Goin' Up more than two decades before.
By Bill Dahl, All Music Guide.
**
Eli Fountain
Eddie Willis
Rudy Robinson
Little Sonny
George Davidson
Leroy Emmanuel
Herbert Williams
Richard Lovelace
Willie Hampton
**
01. Baby, What You Want Me to Do  4.01
02. Eli's Pork Chop  6.42
03. Hey Little Girl  2.44
04. Hot Potato  3.16
05. Don't Ask Me No Questions  4.03
06. Tomorrow's Blues Today  2.50
07. Back Down Yonder  2.47
08. Sad Funk  3.06
09. The Creeper Returns  4.19
10. Going Down Slow  5.32
**
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McCoy TYNER - Counterpoints, Live in Tokyo 1978

McCoy TYNER - Counterpoints, Live in Tokyo 1978
Denon Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan (07/28/1978)

Jazz

McCoy Tyner is a powerhouse pianist and this live concert from Tokyo only confirms the mastery of this jazz titan. COUNTERPOINT opens with Tyner's own composition "The Greeting." A modal tour de force, this tune features a scorching solo from Tyner and high-octane drumming from Tony Williams. However, bassist Ron Carter offers great musical contrast. During his solo, he brings the group dynamic noticeably lower, and unlike Tyner and Williams, he focuses on subtle rhythmic motifs.

Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" may be the highlight of COUNTERPOINTS. Performed as a piano-and-bass duet, it begins with intimate chords and delicate melodic gestures. However, as the tune develops, Tyner's playing becomes more extroverted and experimental. During his solo, he plays many of his trademark pentatonic licks--machine-gun-like riffs that freely embrace bitonality. Again, in contrast, Carter takes a much less modern approach to this tune. By playing more bebop-oriented lines, he juxtaposes the old with the new. Overall, this album documents the virtuosity and conceptual brilliance of Tyner and his band quite well.
From CD Universe.
**
Although these live tracks were recorded on the same evening in 1978 as McCoy Tyner's earlier Milestone album Passion Dance, they inexplicably remained unreleased until 2004. With Tyner joined by a powerful rhythm section consisting of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, the fireworks begin with an explosive interpretation of the pianist's "The Greeting." Next are two solo piano features, including a return to Tyner's exotic "Aisha" and "Sama Layuca," the latter building upon a hypnotic vamp from Tyner's left hand as thunderous chords with occasional tremolos are played by his right hand. Tyner begins Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" with a well-disguised introduction before entering familiar territory just prior to Carter's entrance, producing an absolutely stunning interpretation. The disc wraps with the return of Williams for Tyner's "Iki Mashio (Let's Go)," another over the top work comparable to the pianist's "Passion Dance," with an interlude featuring a quiet but intricate solo by Carter. Even with Tyner's fierce attack at the keyboard and his heavy use of the sustain pedal at times, the sound is remarkably clear.
By Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.
**
McCoy Tyner- (Piano);
Ron Carter- (Double Bass);
Tony Williams- (Drums).
**
01. The Greeting 11:30
02. Aisha 7:08
03. Sama Layuca 6:38
04. Prelude to a Kiss 9:20
05. Iki Masho (Let's Go) 13:58
**
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Dave HOLLAND & Barre PHILLIPS - Music From Two Basses 1971 (REPOST)

Dave HOLLAND & Barre Phillips - Music From Two Basses 1971 (REPOST)
Label: Ecm
Audio CD: (August 30, 2005)

Jazz

Even back in 1971 the idea of a set of improvised bass duos wasn't much of a commercial proposition. But that didn't stop Manfred Eicher from bringing two of the jazz scene's most creativebassists together for the 11th release on his ECMlabel.

In 1968 American bassist Barre Phillips had recorded Journal Violone, which had the dual distinction of not only being the first 'jazz' solo bass recording, but also the first album of solo free improvisation. By 1971 Phillips had joined John Surman and Stu Martin in The Trio (previous employers had ranged from Archie Shepp to Leonard Bernstein to Jimmy Guiffre).

Meanwhile English bassist Dave Holland had ended his tenure with Miles Davis, hung up his electric bass and was exploring the outer reaches of free jazz with Chick Corea and Anthony Braxton in Circle, when Eicher suggested that he team up with Phillips in the studio.

I'm not sure if Music From Two Basses was the first recording of bass duets, but it's got to be close. Not that it matters that much; this is way more than merehistorical document. On the opening brace of improvised pieces, Holland and Phillips reveal themselves both as masterplayersand (more importantly)master listeners. After five and a half minutes of cheerfully violent exploratory jousting, Phillips picks at a mournful chordal figure while Holland solos; they swap roles a couple of times, then trail off into silence.

The second piece is more episodic, crammed full of sudden shifts from arco drones to fingerbusting pizzicato to cascades of harmonics or percussive scrabbling. At one point I started to imagine that Phillips' bass must have been stuffed with rodents gnawing their way out. But don't worry;there's still melody, tenderness and a ready supply of wit on display.

The shorter pieces that round off the record are no less involving; "Beans" is a bleak dronescape of buzzes and ghostly harmonics, "Raindrops" a study fora shower of tinypizzicato sounds. "Just a Whisper" builds from nothing to a furious dialogue of creaks, squeaks and scrapes, while "Song for Clare" ends things on a delicate note, soured only by Phillips' woozy arco.

This is a fine record by two masters of the instrument. It's also a reminder of how important ECM was to the birth of a creative, European basedimprovised music. Forget the old gag about how no-one can keep quiet during a bass solo, this is essential stuff for lovers of the low end.
By Peter Marsh.
**
Dave Holland- Bass, Violoncello
Barre Phillips- Bass
**
01.Improvised Piece I  10.33
02.Improvised Piece II  7.46
03.Beans  3.10
04.Raindrops  4.13
05.May be I can sing it for you  1.48
06.Just a Whisper  4.57
07.Song for Clare  4.53
**
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Alexis KORNER'S Blues Incorporated - Red Hot From Alex 1964

Alexis KORNER'S BLUES INCORPORATED - Red Hot From Alex 1964

Blues

One of Alexis Korner's better and more obscure albums, Red Hot From Alex, features the 1964 version of Blues Incorporated, supported by alumnus Dick Heckstall-Smith on tenor sax on a handful of tracks, recreating their live sound in the studio. The results are reasonably successful, the group at times achieving a fairly intense, swinging ensemble sound that, at its best, carries an infectious level of excitement. This band's sound is a lot slicker throughout than that of the version of Blues Incorporated that played the Marquee Club in 1962 and 1963 and left behind the album R&B From The Marquee. The opener, "Woke Up This Morning," has a convincingly funky sound, driven by Herbie Goins' vocals, and a fairly together rhythm section, though Dave Castle's alto sax seems a little too lightweight to pull off the authenticity. The group leaps back to somewhat purer blues on "Skippin'," featuring Heckstall-Smith's tenor, Korner playing some suitably animated rhythm guitar, and Ron Edgeworth aggressively attacking his organ. The first minute of "Herbie's Tune" offers a great showcase for Korner's guitar, soon joined by Heckstall-Smith's sax, and Edgeworth's organ, while "Stormy Monday" throws a flute into an otherwise similar mix -- one can easily imagine Brian Jones dueting with Korner on those cuts. The only real flaw in the album, apart from an over-reliance on jazz at the expense of blues, is the lack of any real charismatic presence within the band, vocally or instrumentally -- "Stormy Monday" shows off the group to best advantage, with Korner in the spotlight playing some of the flashiest and most compelling blues licks of his career, and if the album could have had a few more tracks like that, it just might have found an audience not far from the listenership that John Mayall and Graham Bond were cultivating; a little too much of what surrounds the blues here, however, is significantly less exciting jazz, played well enough, but otherwise not really terribly diverting -- "Roberta," "It's Happening," and "Jones" probably went over big at the group's club dates, but just don't make for great moments on record, and Korner's own "Cabbage Greens," showcasing his low-wattage guitar pyrotechnics (which just might prove refreshing to those weary of, or only versed in, the Jimi Hendrix/Jimmy Page school of blues guitar) and Edgeworth's organ playing, isn't much more interesting. "Chicken Shack" is the track that best captures the group's sound at its most engaging, and the album is a welcome document of their work, but it's more of a historic curio than an essential acquisition, on a musical par with, say, John Mayall Plays John Mayall.
By Bruce Eder, All Music Guide.
**
01. Woke Up This Morning  2.44
02. Skipping  2.19
03. Herbie's Tune  4.10
04. Stormy Monday  4.48
05. It's Happening  2.11
06. Roberta  2.34
07. Jones  3.59
08. Cabbage Greens  2.17
09. Chicken Shack  2.31
10. Haitian Fight Song  3.37
**
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Wynton MARSALIS - Unforgivable Blackness 2004

Wynton MARSALIS - Unforgivable Blackness 2004

Jazz

The legendary Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight champion, is the subject of Ken Burns's 2005 PBS documentary, and Wynton Marsalis (a major figure in the filmmaker's 2000 miniseries, Ken Burns's Jazz) turns in a brilliant original score that captures the courage, chaos, and controversy of Johnson's racially charged feats and exploits. Compositions by Jelly Roll Morton and W.C. Handy augment the leader's quasi-Ellingtonian ragtime, blues, dirges, ballads, and stride selections. Also included are four previously released tracks, two from Mr. Jelly Lord and two from Reeltime, the Marsalis score made for (but ultimately not used in) the movie Rosewood. Of course, Marsalis is on his best trumpet behavior, and he shows a real and unacknowledged talent for writing in this idiom.
By Eugene Holley, Jr. AMG.
**
Who better to invoke the past in tune than Wynton Marsalis? After all, the stick-in-the-mud trumpet virtuoso reveres the days of yore as few others playing today, proffering them nightly before sellout crowds the world round. So when the gig came up to score Ken Burns' new documentary, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson , the choice was simple, almost ordained.
As evidenced by the title, boxer Jack Johnson's life was a dervish of accomplishment and misfortune—ascending to highs of heavyweight triumph, then plummeting to brutal lows of racial persecution and social exile. Such a life requires an accompaniment as varied as its own travails and indulgences and thus Marsalis' score was forced to shift with the shifting tides of Johnson's tragic tale.

The twenty-odd tracks on the disc are appropriately drenched in these turns and likewise shaped to convey the musical forms that populated the boxer's times. Ragtime stomps, strides and blues allow Marsalis and company to paint an evocative portrait of Johnson's America, or rather the America that built and broke the fighter's legendary spirit.

Perhaps the most surprising quality of this recording is the way in which intended antiquation blends with inevitable modernity. For card-carrying Ragtimers, a measure of delight will be found in hearing contemporary musicians whoop, squall, bump, grind and gut-bucket to fresh compositions, captured without the blips, scratches and echoes of jazz music's earliest recordings.

What's more, the album even offers an occasional taste of modern lyricism (see Victor Goines' tenor solo on "New Orleans Bump"), cleverly manifesting the unflappable progressiveness at the core of Johnson's legacy.

Although Marsalis and Burns may forever be the subject of distaste and criticism, this new collaboration is certainly worth a listen.
By Riel Lazarus.
**
Wynton Marsalis's, soulful, syncopated and very moving score is one of the finest jazz scores to have emerged since Duke Ellington did ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Marsalis draws on blues, dance and jazz idioms of the period conducting a small ensemble with all the right pieces and plenty of brass.
The opening cut, "What have you done?" is (not to pun, please) a knockout. It is dark, rhythmic and ominous. It prophesies the tragedy to befall Johnson in his prime. By comparison, the closer, "We'll meet again someday" speaks of Johnson's growing impotence in his fall from grace. Eric Lewis's nimble piano and Victor Goines' spicy clarinet, remind listeners the world continued to spin in the midst of Johnson's tragedy, and that the same world would continue to wreak havoc with its proprietary racism, politically condoned and socially acceptable, both now and then.
EMI's engineers deliver a crisp, natural acoustic to the proceedings. Liner note are interesting, but might have been longer, particularly the section written by Burns' colleague, Geoffrey C. Ward.
In all, the performance merits a more regal presentation, although I'm grateful we have it in any form.
By  Birdman.
**
Wynton Marsalis- Trumpet;
Wessell Anderson- Alto saxophone, Clarinet;
Victor Goines- Clarinet, Tenor saxophone, Bass clarinet;
Wycliffe Gordon- Trombone, Tuba on "New Orleans Bump;"
Lucien Barbarin - Trombone;
Eric Lewis- Piano, Washboard on "What Have You Done?"
Eric Reed- Piano;
Reginald Veal- Bass;
Herlin Riley- Drums, Tambourine;
Doug Wamble, Don Vappie- Banjo, Guitar;
Dr. Michael White, Sam Karam, Sherman Irby, Andrew Farber- clarinet; Gideon Feldstein- Clarinet, Bass clarinet on "Fire in the Night;"
Marcus Printup- Trumpet on "Fire in the Night;"
Stephen Riley- Tenor saxophone on "Fire in the Night;"
Kimati Dinizulu- Percussion on "Fire in the Night."
**
01. What Have You Done?
02. Ghost in the House 
03. Jack Johnson Two-Step 
04. But Deep Down
05. Love & Hate 
06. High Society
07. Careless Love
08. New Orleans Bump
09. Trouble My Soul
10. Deep Creek
11. Johnson 2-Step
12. Rattlesnake Tail Swing
13. Weary Blues
14. Troubles My Soul
15. Johnson Two-Step
16. Fire in the Night
17. Morning Song 
18. I'll Sing My Song
19. Buddy Bolden's Blues
20. Last Bell
21. We'll Meet Again Someday
**
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Mahavishnu Orchestra - Wild Strings 1972

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Wild Strings 1972
Bootleg
Live in Clveland 1972

Jazz

The best ever…thanks to the internet, there is a lot of live great Mahavishnu Orchestra to hear…it’s amazing to hear so many different versions, because when they played well, it’s like each version has different improvisation, they were a band made to improvise. Each musician is so good, and they were so creative, that they needed people taping all their shows to capture even a fraction of their musical ideas. Their albums capture just a tiny reflection of what each song was/could be, and they often doubled or quadrupled the playing time of different songs live. The music is/was always changing, which is a good thing.

According to John McLaughlin, Columbia refused a live release of this show. John McLaughlin himself feels that this show in Cleveland is one of the best that the Mahavishnu Orchestra has ever done. As Irony would have it, Columbia asked their engineer and Gregg Bendian to assist with the release of this live CD. A mix was made and sent for approval to John McLaughlin. No word from Columbia since.
Incedible performance, incredible sound !!!

The concert was:
West Bruce and Laing
Procol Harum and
Mahavishnu Orchestra (as the opening act )
**
John McLaughlin- Guitar
Jan Hammer- Keyboards
Jerry Goodman- Violin
Rick Laird- Bass
Billy Cobham- Drums
*
01. Meeting of the Spirits  12.50
02. You Know You Know  12.30
03. The Dance of Maya  14.51
04. The Noonward Race  22.10
**
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Coleman HAWKINS - The Definitive Coleman Hawkins 1926-63

Coleman HAWKINS - The Definitive Coleman Hawkins 1926-63
Recorded between 1926 and 1963.
Digitally remastered by Kevin Reeves (Universal Mastering Studios-East).
This is part of the Verve Records Ken Burns JAZZ series

Jazz

He was an itinerant musician no more easily contained stylistically than he was identified with one era. Yet Coleman Hawkins commanded more respect in the jazz world than any other instrumentalist—and he commanded it for nearly fifty years. He appeared first with blues singer Mamie Smith and then with Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra in the early Twenties, and he maintained his command through all jazz’s and bebop, even to the experiments he participated in with avant artists who were his musical grandchildren.

But he invented the tenor saxophone in jazz, didn’t he And his proud bearing limitless ideas, and cavernous sound were never duplicated, on any instrument, were they? So is there a tune title more befitting him than that of his pure improvisation, "Picasso"?
**
Coleman Hawkins was the man who put the tenor saxophone on the jazz map. Though the ...    Full Descriptiongreat Bud Freeman had preceded him, Hawkins' big, bold, and affectionately rough tone set the standard for jazz saxophone styles for decades to come, influencing players from the swing era to bebop and beyond. This collection is a superb, wide-ranging summary of Hawkins' career.

This set kicks off with "The Stampede" from 1926, a Fletcher Henderson tune that heralded the swing sound that would soon take the jazz world by storm. "Body and Soul" was and is Hawkins' best-known (and loved) tune. In a sublime example of jazz ballad playing, here Hawkins adapts a well-known pop tune and makes it his own. Hawkins was also one of the first swing era giants to take to bebop, playing and recording with bop icons Dizzy Gillespie ("Woody 'N' You"), Thelonious Monk ("Ruby, My Dear"), and Sonny Rollins ("Just Friends"). Later collaborations with Duke Ellington ("Self Portrait"), and Max Roach ("Driva Man"), prove that Hawkins still had the right stuff in the 1960s.
From CD Universe.
**
Coleman Hawkins- (Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet);
Abbey Lincoln- (Vocals);
Benny Carter, Phil Woods, Johnny Hodges- (Alto Saxophone);
Don Byas, Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Rouse- (Tenor Saxophone);
Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Howard McGhee, Booker Little- (Trumpet);
Ray Nance- (Cornet);
Glenn Miller, J.J. Johnson, Julian Priester- (Trombone);
Pee Wee Russell- (Clarinet);
Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Wilson, Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Paul Bley, Duke Ellington- (Piano);
Django Reinhardt, Herb Ellis- (Guitar);
John Kirby, Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Jimmy Garrison- (Bass);
Max Roach (drums, percussion);
Gene Krupa, Shelly Manne, Cozy Cole, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Jo Jones- (Drums).
**
01. Stampede, The- (with Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra) (3:13)
02. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight- (with Mound City Blue Blowers) (3:27)
03. Queer Notions- (with Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra)s (2:48)
04. It's the Talk of the Town- (with Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra) (3:30)
05. Honeysuckle Rose- Coleman Hawkins And His All-Star Jam Band  (2:44)
06. Body And Soul- Coleman Hawkins  (3:00)
07. The Man I Love- Coleman Hawkins  (5:07)
08. Bean At The Met- Coleman Hawkins  (2:59)
09. Woody 'n' You- Coleman Hawkins  (2:58)
10. I Mean You- Coleman Hawkins  (3:03)
11. Bean And The Boys- Coleman Hawkins (2:42)
12. Stuffy- Coleman Hawkins  (3:01)
13. Picasso- Coleman Hawkins  (3:15)
14. La Rosita- (with Ben Webster) (5:02)
15. Ruby, My Dear- (with Thelonious Monk) (5:24)
16. Just Friends- (with Sonny Rollins) (4:39)
17. Crazy Rhythm- (with Benny Carter) (3:23)
18. Driva Man- (with Max Roach) (5:13)
19. Self Portrait (Of the Bean)- (with Duke Ellington) (3:50)
**
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Johnie LEWIS - Alabama Slide Guitar 1970

Johnie LEWIS - Alabama Slide Guitar 1970

Blues

Country blues artist Johnie Lewis was born on a farm near Eufaula, Alabama but spent much of his life playing at various small clubs around Chicago. His accomplished style was influenced by favorites such as Tampa Red, Barbecue Bob and Blind Lemon Jefferson. This CD presents a selection of heartfelt tunes by a truly authentic musician.
**
“... a well rounded performance built around singing, well-integrated guitar lines, solid, original tunes and a forceful vocal delivery.”
By Nick Crews.
**
Johnie Lewis was a decent, if unexceptional, singer and guitarist in the Southern rural style, particularly accomplished at playing slide. Though he was born in Alabama and grew into adulthood in Georgia, Lewis spent most of his life in Chicago, moving the city in the 1930s. A painter by profession, Lewis only pursued music as an avocation, but through one of his painting jobs, he came to the notice of a filmmaker doing a documentary about Chicago blues. His appearance in that film lead to recording sessions for Arhoolie in the early '70s.
Eighteen songs recorded by Lewis in 1970 and 1971. If Lewis were one of the few practitioners of the Southern country slide blues guitar, this would be an important document. But the fact is that because there are so many similar performers in the style who recorded more prolifically and with greater imagination, it's just a solid journeyman entry in the field. Lewis does have an affable storytelling manner to his songwriting, and gets in some nifty laidback slide licks; a couple of the more ambitious tunes were inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King.
By Richie Unterberger, AMG.
**
Charlie Musselwhite- (Harmonica),
John Lewis- (Guitar),(Harmonica),(Kazoo),(Vocals).
**
01. Hobo Blues 4:31 
02. He Met Me on Thursday Morning 3:53
03. Uncle Sam Ain't No Woman 3:45  
04. Can't Hardly Get Along 2:56
05. My Little Gal 3:57  
06. North Carolina Blues 3:46
07. I'm Gonna Quit My Baby 3:34 
08. Baby, Listen To Me Howl 4:26 
09. You Gonna Miss Me (about Dr. Martin Luther King) 2:31
10. Mistake in Life (Handsome Stranger) 2:55
11. I Got to Climb a High Mountain (about Dr. Martin Luther King) 3:14 
12. My Mother Often Told Me 2:30 
13. Lewis' Little Girl Done Stole a Black Cat Bone 4:23 
14. Jumpin' Jive 1:17
15. Poor Boy 2:21  
16. Guitar Blues (Hound Dogs on My Tracks) 3:09 
17. Comb My Baby's Hair 2:51  
18. Oh Lord, Tell Me Right From Wrong 2:53
**
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Buck69 - When She Whispers Your Name 2007

Buck69 - When She Whispers Your Name  2007

Blues

You've probably noticed by now that this editor has a thing for blues... Not just any blues but soulful blues. That's why I flipped out when Tommy sent me an email responding to my cry for new bands to be featured in our newsletters. Not only is Buck69 talented, well put together and ready for the big stage but they also have a tone that keeps you coming back for more. The use of lead and rhythm guitar is done to a classic drumbeat and vocals that rock the house. This band is there for the music and it's that transparency that makes them uniquely refreshing. If you like to dance, sing and shout, I have a feeling that Buck69 is for you. As I danced around my office when I was checking this band out, I could hardly imagine how much fun it would be to see them live. I highly recommend this band to anyone who enjoys rock or blues. Very impressive licks mixed in with a great drumbeat that makes a groove you can't help but listen to. I have very high expectations for this group and have no doubts that they will continue to improve as they walk up the ladder to a major record deal and national attention. Best of luck from everyone here at Guitar Tips!
By Jordan Warford, Editorial Manager for Guitar Tips.
**
Tom Clawson- Vocals Songwriter Guitar
Alex Clawson- Rhythm and Lead Guitar
Candice Coleman- Vocals
Buzz Anderson- Lead Guitar - Vocals
B.J. Love- Keyboards
Dave Alan- Drums - Vocals
Todd Ovall- Bass
**
01. T-Town  4:12
02. When She Whispers Your Name  4:13
03. Misery  3:51
04. Risk It All  3:52
05. Cold Wind  5:52
06. Sometimes  4:29
07. No Time For Love  3:26
08. Sex Drugs Ur Mom & Me  4:22
09. Sweet Spot  3:41
10. Good Days Bad Days  5:08
11. Someone Like Me  4:31
12. I'm A King Bee  7:39
13. The Monkey Song  5:11
14. The Best Place  4:04
**
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Taj MAHAL - Mumtaz Mahal 1995

Taj MAHAL - Mumtaz Mahal 1995

Blues

In 1992, producer Kavichandran Alexander recorded California bottleneck guitarist Ry Cooder and North Indian classical musician Bhatt in a Santa Barbara church, and the resulting A Meeting by the River won a 1994 Grammy. Here, Alexander returns to the church with Bhatt and Cooder's old bandmate, Taj Mahal, a blues musician who named himself after the most famous mausoleum in India. Bhatt, a Ravi Shankar student, plays the mohan vina, an instrument he invented to combine the timbre of the arched-top American jazz guitar with the sympathetic strings of the Indian sitar. Ravikiran plays the chitra vina, perhaps the world's oldest slide instrument; Mahal plays National steel guitar and adds moaning scat vocals. With their sliding pitches, all three instruments find the notes between the notes of traditional Western scales, and the three players find a common ground in the religious/sexual cries that skid through scales.
By Geoffrey Himes.
**
Taj Mahal- Vocal and Guitar
Narasimhan- Ravikian-Chitra Veena
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt- Mohan Veena
**
01. Coming of the Mandinka (Taj Mahal) 5:14
02. Come On in My Kitchen (Robert Johnson) 11:31
03. Rolling on the Sea (Taj Mahal) 5:01
04. Mary Don't You Weep (Traditional/arr. Taj Mahal) 6:43
05. Stand by Me (Jerry Lieber) 7:02
06. Johhny Too Bad (Trevor Wilson) 5:47
07. Curry and Quartertones (Taj Mahal/Narisimhan Ravikian/V.M. Bhatt) 2:46
**
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Buckwheat ZYDECO - One for the Road 1979

Buckwheat ZYDECO - One for the Road 1979

Blues
 
The debut album from Buckwheat Zydeco, the heir to the late Clifton Chenier's crown. The mood is more relaxed than a lot of his later work, but the technical ability is all present. Instead of the jumping horn sections and flashing accordion work that dominates the majority of the catalog, here there is a collection of deeply blues-based songs. The tone is a little slower and a little more bass-heavy, but the music has the same lump of power in it deep down. That power is based more in emotion than in party-readiness now, though. Those who have heard the prior major-release albums might enjoy this one as a new dimension to Buckwheat's music. On the same note, it's a decently large step from what the average listener might have already heard. The party music here has the same bounce to it, but the instrumentation is different. The non-party music is more prevalent anyway, with some exceptional playing and vocals on the part of the bandmembers, as well as Dural himself. Pick it up for a nice change, but listen to the whole collection for the full picture.
By Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide.
**
Contemporary zydeco's most popular performer, accordionist Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural was the natural successor to the throne vacated by the death of his mentor Clifton Chenier; infusing his propulsive party music with strains of rock and R&B, his urbanized sound -- complete with touches of synthesizer and trumpet married traditional and contemporary zydeco with uncommon flair, in the process reaching a wider mainstream audience than any artist before him. Dural was born in Lafayette, Louisiana on November 14, 1947; with his braided hair, he soon acquired the nickname "Buckwheat" (an homage to the Our Gang character), and by the age of four was already touted as a piano prodigy. Although often exposed to traditional zydeco as a child, he preferred R&B, and by the mid-1950s was playing professionally with Lynn August; Dural's notoriety as a keyboardist quickly spread, and he also backed notables including Joe Tex and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

In 1971, Dural founded Buckwheat and the Hitchhikers, a 16-piece funk band which he led for the next half-decade; however, in 1976 he finally fell under zydeco's sway when recruited to back Chenier -- a friend of his father on tour. Originally brought on as an organist, Dural picked up the accordion within two years and began learning from the master himself; rechristening himself Buckwheat Zydeco, he formed his own combo by 1979, the Ils Sont Partis Band (translated as "They're off!, " so named in honor of the cry heard at the beginning of each horse race at the Lafayette track). Upon signing to the Blues Unlimited label, the group debuted in 1979 with One for the Road, followed in 1980 by Take It Easy, Baby. After 1983's 100% Fortified Zydeco, the group moved to the Rounder label, where they issued the Grammy-nominated Turning Point; its 1985 follow-up, Waitin' for My Ya Ya, was similarly honored.

In 1986, New York-based music critic Ted Fox helped Buckwheat Zydeco land a deal with Island Records, in the process becoming the first zydeco act ever signed to a major label; Fox subsequently acted as their producer as well. The group made their Island debut in 1987 with the acclaimed On a Night Like This, another Grammy nominee; that same year they also appeared in the hit movie The Big Easy, further increasing their public visibility. Taking It Home followed in 1988, but after 1990's Where There's Smoke There's Fire, Buckwheat Zydeco was dropped by Island, signing to Charisma for 1992's On Track. The years to follow saw the band drifting from one label to another, signing to Warner for 1994's Choo Choo Boogaloo, then hopping to Atlantic for 1997's Trouble; although their commercial fortunes may have dipped, they remained hugely popular as a live attraction, despite purists' charges of commercialism, and celebrated two decades of music in 1999 with The Buckwheat Zydeco Story: A 20 Year Party.
**
Buckwheat Zydeco- Accordion, Keyboards
Stanley Dural- Organ, Vocals, Piano-Accordian
**
SIDE ONE
01. I Bought a Raccoon 3:23
02. Zydeco Honky Tonk 2:44
03. Madame Coco Bo 3:13
04. Rock Me Baby 4:19
05. Please Little Girl (Let Me In) 3:29
06. Zydeco Rock 2:31

SIDE TWO
07. Bim Bam, Thank You Mam 3:01
08. You Got Me Walkin' the Floor 4:18
09. Zydeco Boogie Woogie 2:15
10.One for the Road 3:27
11. Lucille 3:26
12. Buckwheat Music 2:23
**
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Backslide Cats - Only Good For The Blues 2003

Backslide Cats - Only Good For The Blues 2003

Blues

This CD is created by the two founding members of Backslide Cats; Roger Häggström (writing this) and Jan Ivarsson.
On this CD We have worked together with drummer Jim McCarty (www.drum-tracks.com) and keyboard players Mikael Bergström ...    Full Descriptionand Frank Josephs. Why this name?A cool name, we feel like we're coming back to the crime scene after 20+ years.Band History:Jan and I met up about four years ago. We have been playing together and with other people since then.Your influences?Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, Willie Dixon, the Kings, Bessie Smith and you name it from all the other great bluesmen there is.
**
This is a translation of a review in "Jefferson" no. 137. Jefferson is a Nordic blues magazine: Backslide Cats Only good for the blues Bluehall 1 (50 min) From Örnsköldsvik comes Roger Häggström who has made this record at home and written all the tunes himself. He also manages the singing in a satisfactory way. Backslide Cats consist besides Roger of Jan Ivarsson: guitar bass, Jim MacCarty: drums and Mikael Bergström: Hammond organ. Good musicians all of them, no doubt about that; the Hammond organ is handled in a way worthy of imitation. The fact that it is a home recording where you have unlimited recording time makes the sound a little too stiff and perfect here and there, but that's not only a bad thing. This dish is very personal and gives you some associations to "The Blues Band" and the choice of tunes is thoroughly varied. Here you find ZZ Top-inspired rock blues like for example "Everywhere" - groove of a caliber! Canned Heat boogie in "Living Our Lives Alone", slow handsome blues in "Heartbeat Away", jazzy blues in "Soothing". The last-mentioned is a pearl, very nice delivery. It's always fun for me to hear home recordings, they are often more honest compared to expensive studio products and the contributors decide themselves how it shall be. This is a pleasant CD; there is just enough variation and it never gets dull. To be a home recording made under simple circumstances they have managed to create a tight and snappy sound.
By Göran Svensson.
**
01. Only Good For The Blues (3:34)
02. Living Our Lives Alone (3:23)
03. Heartbeat Away (5:17)
04. Everywhere (3:42)
05. Shadow Blues (4:38)
06. Low And Lonely (3:52)
07. Dead And Gone (3:59)
08. Moonshine Blues (3:16)
09. Soothing (3:51)
10. Take My Hand (2:56)
11. Do Your Thing (4:43)
12. Tears On My Pillow (3:28)
13. Gone (3:43)
**
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Albert KING - New Orleans Heat 1978

Albert KING - New Orleans Heat 1978

Blues

This is a wonderful recording (1978). If you're the kind of person that sits up and notices when you hear real talent, then pay attention to this one. It is "pure" Albert King, in every sense of the word; the New Orleans studio musicians are so tight and so there for him, they let him shine. The bass was so good, I had to see who it was: George Porter Jr. Excellent funk to some arrangements and the horns are icing on the cake: tight, tight but so relaxed at the same time.
I don't know if you can get horns like that anywhere BUT New Orleans...
One of my very, very favorite albums...
By Unknown.
**
Kenneth Williams- (Percussion),
Leroy Breaux- (Drums),
Robert Dabon- (Piano (Electric)),
June Gardner- (Drums),
Albert King- (Guitar),(Guitar (Electric)),(Vocals),
Leo Nocentelli- (Guitar (Electric)),
George Porter, Jr.- (Bass),
Wardell Quezergue- (Piano (Electric)),
Allen Toussaint- (Piano),
Charles "Hungry" Williams- (Drums),
**
01.Get Out of My Life Woman (3:40)
02.Born Under a Bad Sign (3:27)
03.The Feeling (4:57)
04.We All Wanna Boogie (3:14)
05.The Very Thought of You (4:15)
06.I Got the Blues (9:06)
07.I Get Evil (3:57)
08.Angel of Mercy (5:53)
09.Flat Tire (2:49)
**
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Clark TERRY - Swahili 1955

Clark TERRY - Swahili 1955

Jazz

With the exception of three songs cut as V-Discs in 1947, this set contains flugelhornist Clark Terry's first recordings as a leader. Joined by trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, baritonist Cecil Payne, pianist Horace Silver, Oscar Pettiford on cello, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Art Blakey, Terry performs eight obscure songs that are arranged quite expertly by Quincy Jones. Terry sounds much more influenced by Dizzy Gillespie than he would in just a couple of years, but his good-humored musical personality and control of his horn were already obvious. With Pettiford offering occasional cello solos (in addition to playing second bass) and Cleveland in top form, this is an LP long overdue to be reissued on CD.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
This edition comprises two early sessions by Clark Terry. The CD's first 8 tracks marks the trumpeter's recording debut as a leader, and, as is customary, the title of the original LP simply bore his name. He counted on the inestimable collaboration with Quincy Jones, who had been Terry's trumpet student in Seattle. This is the first time Clark has had a whole LP in which to express himself. By the time you have heard it all, if you did not know it before, you will be convinced that this is one trumpet player who not only plays as he feels, not only has complete command of his instrument, but also has something to say that is purely and delightfully personal. In the future, it will neve take you more then 16 bars of any Terry solo to enable you to be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt who is playing.
From World Records.
**
Clark Terry- Trumpet
Jimmy Cleveland- Trombone
Cecil Payne- Sax (Baritone)
Horace Silver- Piano
Oscar Pettiford- Bass, Cello
Wendell Marshall- Bass
Art Blakey- Drums
**
A1. Swahili (Jones) (6:05)  
A2. Double Play (Jones) (3:30)   
A3. Slow Boat (Henderson, Terry) (4:25)   
A4. Co-Op (Terry) (3:43)
 
B1. Kitten (Terry) (5:30)    
B2. The Countess (Green, Terry) (6:38)     
B3. Tuma (Jones) (3:02)   
B4. Chuckles (Terry) (4:21)
** 
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Branford MARSALIS QUARTET - Braggtown 2006

Branford MARSALIS QUARTET - Braggtown 2006
Label: Marsalis Music

Jazz

The name Marsalis gets a lot of buzz (thanks largely to Wynton's celebrity status), but, name recognition notwithstanding, Branford Marsalis (who was, of course, the Tonight Show band leader for some time) remains one of the most vibrant and ...    Full Descriptioncreatively driven players in contemporary jazz. BRAGGTOWN (2006) is a testament to Marsalis's will to push himself artistically. As usual, John Coltrane is a major reference point, but Marsalis also draws on fusion, bop, swing, funk, and classical (see his adaptation of Purcell's "O Solitude"). Backed by a crack rhythm section, BRAGGTOWN confidently accesses the wide universe of jazz both past and present.
**
Tenor/soprano saxophonist Branford Marsalis is a master of the "burnout"--an intense but deliberate and focused style of jazz that has its roots in John Coltrane. Unlike many Trane-ologists, however, Marsalis uses Trane's concepts instead of the master's notes. On Braggtown, named for a neighborhood in Durham, North Carolina, Marsalis delivers a virtual clinic on how to play 21st-century jazz, with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, pianist Joey Calderazzo, and bassist Eric Revis. The pieces range from the uptempo "Jack Baker" and "Blakzilla"--Watts's polyrhythmic props to Godzilla--to the reverent rendition of the 17th-century composer Henry Purcell’s "O Solitude," and Revis's intense, long-form composition, "Black Elk Speaks," complete with his impassioned, Mingusian bass solo, with references to Star Trek: The Next Generation. On all of the tracks Marsalis's tone is impossibly brilliant and burnished, and for my money, this recording is the worthy successor to his 1990 masterpiece, Crazy People Music.
By Eugene Holley Jr.
**
This album is really the tale of two Branfords, the first being the tenor saxophone wielding scrapper fighting his way through bruising workouts that sound like Crescent era John Coltrane, chased by Elvin Jones own doppelganger, Jeff "Tain" Watts. The other Branford is the romantic poet using his soprano saxophone at crawling tempos to create lush patient improvisations. Besides Marsalis and Watts, Joey Calderazzo plays piano and Eric Revis plays bass. The burning tenor songs make the biggest impact on me, they are the easiest to understand as they are firmly rooted in the past and paovide the frame of reference in the music that John Coltrane had pioneered in the mid-1960's.

"Jack Baker" leads off the album and along with the Watts feature "Blakzilla" and "Black Elk Speaks" the music is very exciting and very much in the post bop tenor saxophone tradition. Often, Calderazzo and Revis become superfluous to the music, and Marsails and Watts break away and interact much like Coltrane and Jones at their most intense. The soprano saxophone features, "Hope," "Fate" and "O Solitude" are much more difficult for me to understand, as the music is taken at a very slow pace and requires a lot of patience to listen to and understand. Marsalis also has a very limpid tone on the soprano, which although quite individual and unique, is not something that reaches out and grabs your attention. So in the end, there is an interesting album which runs the gamut from very fast to very slow, becoming the tortoise and the hare simultaneously.
By Timothy G. Niland.
**
Branford Marsalis- Tenor & Soprano Sax
Joey Calderazzo- Piano
Eric Revis- Bass
Jeff "Tain" Watts- Drums
**
01. Jack Baker (14:12)
02. Hope (11:02)
03. Fate (8:24)
04. Blakzilla (12:39)
05. O Solitude (7:48)
06. Sir Roderick The Aloof (5:45)
07. Black Elk Speaks (14:18)
**
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Hank JONES, Christian McBRIDE & Jimmy COBB - West of 5th 2006

Hank JONES, Christian McBRIDE & Jimmy COBB - West of 5th 2006
Recorded January 29, 2006 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, New York City

Jazz

What a nice selection of music to satisfy any jazz enthusiast. Hank and company are so in sync and bring out the nuances of these familiar pieces with such elegance and refinement. Truly a pleasure to listen to such playing. The years of dedication to their craft brings something to this there just isn't any substitute for. These musicians truly are symbiotic in their playing, with never a trace of showboating. And the sound is truly an open window right into the studio. It's like you're there, even in standard redbook format.
By Edward Weeks Sager.
**
Hank Jones- Piano;
Christian McBride- Bass;
Jimmy Cobb- Drums.
**
01. On Green Dolphin Street  5:22
02. Mr. Walker  4:26
03. Speak Low  8:00
04. Child Is Born 5:28
05. If I Were a Bell  5:51
06. Billie's Bounce  5:18
07. Lotus Blossom  6:27
08. Confirmation  4:53
09. We'll Be Together Again  6:53
10. Stella by Starlight  4:50
11. Eleanor 4:48
**
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Little CHARLIE And The Nightcats - Nine Lives 2005

Little CHARLIE And The Nightcats - Nine Lives 2005

Blues

Nine Lives is Little Charlie & the Nightcats' tenth album (counting a live one and a best-of) for Alligator Records. Guitarist Charlie Baty, Rick Estrin on harmonica, and a new rhythm section of J. Hansen on drums and Lorenzo Farrell on bass are all solid, road-tested professionals, capable of delivering blisteringly heavy instrumentals like the one that closes this album ("Slap Happy" is easily the best track here). The strong playing would have been enhanced by a fresh vision and some variations on the prevailing theme of a hard-working, hard-drinking simple man who has trouble with women, spends (or loses) all of his money, and seems generally amazed at it all. Everything here sounds fine, however.
By Steve Leggett. AMG.
**
Rusty Zinn- Vocals Background  
Ronnie James Weber- Vocals Background
George Zinn- Vocals Background 
R.H.Hairless- Vocals Background
Chris Siebert- Piano
Lorenzo Farrell- Bass
John Firmin- Sax Tenor
Scott Peterson- Sax Baritone
Little Charlie Baty- Guitar
Rick Estrin- Harmonica, Vocals.
**
01. Keep Your Big Mouth Shut 4:35
02. Handle With Care 5:02
03. So Good 3:43
04. Got To Have A Job 3:29
05. Circling The Drain 4:49
06. Don't Cha Do Nothin' 4:17
07. Cool Johnny Twist 6:21
08. Tag (You're It) 4:49
09. Quittin' Time 5:32
10. Deep Pockets 5:03
11. Wall To Wall 3:08
12. Sugar Daddy Sweet 3:17
13. Slap Happy 3:47
**
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Walter TROUT - Viva Las Vegas,Live 2004

Walter TROUT - Viva Las Vegas,Live 2004

Blues

Sure, in interviews the rock stars say it's all about the music. But then why not play jazz—or, as Frank Zappa called America's great art, the music of unemployment? The truth is that even the most heavily tattooed and pierced deviant in this week's mtv instant hit is there to live out a fantasy of acclaim and fortune. It isn't like these folks have a lot of other avenues to get rich and famous if rock star doesn't worked out for 'em: Most guitarists I've met would otherwise be going through life asking folks if they want their fries supersized and letting the girlfriend pay the rent. And then there are the drummers ...

But I have no doubts that for the New Jersey-born guitar player Walter Trout, the music really was the only thing calling him to his vocation. Why else would he specialize for more than a decade now in making the sort of blues-rock that hasn't been popular since the heyday of Foghat? Trout actually lands more on the blues side of things. In reviews, Trout's playing—on a 1973 Stratocaster—is frequently compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan. The comparison is fair if you keep in mind that Trout's playing is in no way derivative. Trout's notes can whiz and sing a melody all their own. But he has only the chops while Vaughan also had magic and charisma. So Vaughan died in 1990 a superstar, the year Trout's debut received a European-only release. By then, Trout—who, being three years older than Vaughan, was pushing 40—could be under no illusions that his playing was ever going to land him on radio or MTV.

"Am I livin' my childhood dreams / you might say it's true," he sings on "The Life I Chose," from his new disc, Relentless, concluding, "But be careful what you wish for / It just might come to you." As a child, Trout managed to meet Duke Ellington and his legendary band. By then, the fame of these musicians had long been eclipsed by rock stars. But in his biography, Trout recalls the profound impact the encounter had on him. "I was there for two hours while Duke, Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonsalves sat in a circle and talked to me about music and life. I was in awe." Trout walked away with a sense of the true rewards that can come from a life dedicated to music that has nothing to do with fame. Walter Trout taught himself to play guitar and chose his future before he was 16.

If he didn't find instant success, Trout's prodigious, torrid playing got him plenty of work as a sideman. He backed John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton; he also did a five-year stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. In 1981, Trout got his dubious break when he replaced the late Bob Hite as the singer for Woodstock veterans Canned Heat. Of course, by the '80s, this was a nostalgia-circuit going nowhere. But it kept Trout working and playing.

Despite the odds, Trout's extraordinary playing managed to get noticed one night in 1989 by a Danish concert promoter, who offered to help Trout finance the launch of a solo career. So it was in Denmark that Life in the Jungle, his solo debut, was recorded and there that it was originally released. Trout's playing is on fire as he rips through honed takes on songs from the repertoire established by his former employers, from Canned Heat to John Mayall. The disc went unreleased in America until earlier this year, but its impact helped establish Trout as high-profile player in Europe. In fact, a BBC Radio poll ranked Trout the sixth greatest guitar player of all time. A major label briefly picked him up.

But the years have gone by and Trout has never had a shot at the big time. He hasn't even come close. There are no hits, no Grammy awards, no gold records. Not even a No. 1 record on the Billboard Blues Chart. But Trout has achieved something far more precious in the music industry than commercial success. He has a career. He has released 13 CDs, and thanks to his brilliant playing and relentless tours has built a loyal fan base to buy them. Screw the fashions and screw the fickle tastes of the PlayStation generation. Walter Trout gets to keep making music his way.
By Richard Abowitz.
**
Disc 1:

01.Dust my room
02.Reason i am gone
03.Talk to ya
04.Cry if you want to
05.Work no more
06.walkin´ in the rain
07.Best you got
08.Finally gottan over you


Disc 2:
01.I am tired
02.The life i chose
03.Marie´s  mood
04.Gotta leave this town
05.I don´t  want my mtv
06.Life in the jungle
07.Serve me right to suffer
08.Good enough to eat
**
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Herbie MANN - Memphis Underground 1969

Herbie MANN - Memphis Underground 1969

Jazz

Herbie Mann has always been open to new trends in his music. For this 1969 studio session, he and three other top soloists (vibraphonist Roy Ayers and guitarists Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock) went down to Memphis and combined their talents with a topnotch local rhythm section. The music effectively mixes R&B and country rhythms with the lead jazz voices, although the material, which includes "Memphis Underground," "Hold On! I'm Comin'," and "Chain of Fools," is rather weak.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Herbie Mann– Flute
Roy Ayers– Vibes, Conga on "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Larry Coryell– Guitar
Sonny Sharrock– Guitar
Miroslav Vitouš- "Fender bass" on "Hold On, I'm Comin'"
**
The Memphis rhythm section;
Reggie Young– Guitar
Bobby Emmons– Organ
Bobby Wood– Electric and Acoustic Piano
Gene Christman– Drums
Tommy Cogbill or Mike Leech- "Fender bass" (individual tracks not specified)

(Fender bass" mentioned on the album's credits is a slang term for "bass guitar", commonly used by musicians, arrangers and producers in the 1950s and 60's. It was used to specify that an electric bass (as opposed to an acoustic instrument) was desired for a session. The word "Fender" refers to the creator of the first mass-produced instrument, Leo Fender, but does not necessarily mean that an instrument manufactured by the Fender company was used on the session)
**
01. Memphis Underground (7:07)
02. New Orleans (2:07)
03. Hold On, I'm Comin' (8:52)
04. Chain of Fools (10:42)
05. Battle Hymn of the Republic (7:12)
**
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Buddy RICH - Buddy's Rock 2005

Buddy RICH - Buddy's Rock 2005
(4 CD Box Set)

Jazz

This massive four-disc set of Buddy Rich tunes on Quadromania is not to be confused with the same single-disc of the same title issued by Jazz Time in 1981. That disc is included here as the final outing, featuring Rich in session with the great Lionel Hampton. The rest of this material is a wildly assembled cross-section from his recordings made in the '40s through the late '50s (with some scant material from the '60s and '70s thrown in) with nary a concern shown for chronology, recording quality, or personnel. It's confounding and even frustrating to make your way through it with any sense of continuity. This is a portrait, pure and simple, but is so willy-nilly in its assemblage that despite the attractive price tag, fans and collectors would be better served by looking elsewhere for something more representative.
By Thom Jurek. AMG.
**
When it came to technique, speed, power, and the ability to put together incredible drum solos, Buddy Rich lived up to the billing of "the world's greatest drummer." Although some other drummers were more innovative, in reality none were in his league even during the early days. A genius, Buddy Rich started playing drums in vaudeville as "Traps, the Drum Wonder" when he was only 18 months old; he was completely self-taught. Rich performed in vaudeville throughout his childhood and developed into a decent singer and a fine tap dancer. But drumming was his purpose in life, and by 1938 he had discovered jazz and was playing with Joe Marsala's combo. Rich was soon propelling Bunny Berigan's orchestra, he spent most of 1939 with Artie Shaw (at a time when the clarinetist had the most popular band in swing), and then from 1939-1945 (except for a stint in the military) he was making history with Tommy Dorsey. During this era it became obvious that Buddy Rich was the king of drummers, easily dethroning his friend Gene Krupa. Rich had a bop-ish band during 1945-1947 that did not catch on, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, recorded with a countless number of all-stars in the 1950s for Verve (including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Art Tatum, and Lionel Hampton), and worked with Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, Tommy Dorsey (1954-1955), and Harry James (off and on during 1953-1966). A heart attack in 1959 only slowed him down briefly and, although he contemplated becoming a full-time vocalist, Rich never gave up the drums.

In 1966, Buddy Rich beat the odds and put together a successful big band that would be his main outlet for his final 20 years. His heart began giving him trouble starting in 1983, but Rich never gave his music less than 100 percent and was still pushing himself at the end. A perfectionist who expected the same from his sidemen (some of whom he treated cruelly), Buddy Rich is definitively documented in Mel Tormé's book Traps the Drum Wonder. His incredible playing can be viewed on several readily available videotapes, although surprisingly few of his later big band albums have been made available yet on CD.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Bob Asher- Trombone
George Berg- Sax (Tenor)
Sid Brown- Sax (Baritone)
Eddie Caine- Sax (Alto)
Candido Camero- Conga
Jack Carmen- Trombone
Lesley Mitchell Clarke- Sax (Alto)
Paul Cohen- Trumpet
Al Cohn- Sax (Tenor)
Tadd Dameron- Arranger
Mario Daone- Trombone
Allen Eage-r Sax (Tenor)
Harry "Sweets" Edison- Trumpet  
Al George- Sax (Tenor)
Terry Gibbs- Vibraphone
Phil Gilbert- Trumpet
Jimmy Giuffre- Sax (Tenor)
Lionel Hampton- Vibraphone
George Handy- Piano
Neal Hefti- Arranger
Bill Howell- Trumpet
Sam Hyster- Trombone
Jimmy Johnson- Bass 
Stanley Kay- Drums
Barney Kessel- Guitar
Barry Kiener- Piano
Teddy Kotick- Bass
Linda Larkin- Vocals
Harvey Lavine- Sax (Baritone)
Frank LePinto- Trumpet
Al Lorraine- Trombone
Johnny Mandel- Trombone
Steve Marcus- Sax (Tenor)
Warne Marsh- Sax (Tenor)
Hal McKusick- Sax (Alto)
Doug Mettome- Trumpet
Paul Moen Sax- (Tenor)
Billy Moore Jr.- Arranger
Bitsy Mullens- Trumpet
Tony Nichols- Piano
Louis Oles- Trumpet
Romeo Penque- Sax (Alto)
Tubby Phillips- Bass
Dale Pierce- Trumpet
Gary Pribeck- Sax (Tenor)
Jimmy Pupa- Trumpet
Dottie Reid- Vocals 
Red Rodney- Trumpet
Jimmy Rowles- Piano
Aaron Sachs- Sax (Alto)
Nick Sands- Sax (Alto)
Pinky Savitt- Trumpet
Jerry Schwartz- Piano
Joe Shulman- Bass
Joe "Run" Simmons- Bass
Earl Swope- Trombone
Jerry Therkeld- Sax (Alto)
Charlie Walp- Trumpet
Tom Warrington- Bass
Buddy Rich- Director, Drums, Vocals
**
Cd 1
01. Little Handicap
02. You Got Me Cryin' Again
03. Dateless Brown
04. Desperate Desmond
05. It Couldn't Be True
06. Quiet Riot
07. Baby, Baby All the Time
08. Iggity Song
09. Route 66
10. Ready to Go Steady
11. Rich-Ual Dance
12. It's About Time
13. Oop-Bop-Sha-Bam
14. What Is This Thing Called Love
15. Just You, Just Me

Cd 2
01. Just You, Just Me
02. Let's Blow
03. Somebody Like You
04. Oh What It Seemed to Me
05. Handicap
06. Poor Little Richard Bud
07. Goof and I
08. It's So Peaceful in the Country
09. What'll I Do
10. Carioca
11. Thou Swell
12. South
13. It's About Time
14. On a Slow Boat to China
15. Flamingo
16. He's Funny That Way
17. Man Could Be a Wonderful Thing
18. Over the Rainbow
19. Robbin's Nest

Cd 3
01. Yellow Rose of Brooklyn
02. Easy Does It
03. All Sweets
04. Nice Work If
05. Barney's Bugle
06. Now's the Time
07. You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me

Cd 4
01. Moments Notice
02. Giant Steps
03. Buddy's Cherokee
04. Take the "A" Train
05. I'll Never Be the Same
06. Buddy's Rock
07. My Funny Valentine
08. Latin Silk
**
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The Derek Trucks Band - Live at Georgia Theatre 2004

The Derek Trucks Band - Live at Georgia Theatre 2004

Blues

This double-set CD is, in a word, fantastic. I am amazed and incredulous that it is only available either as an import or through the occasional vendor for over 25 bucks. This one should be on everyone's holiday want list! If you are familiar with Derek Trucks, this live set extends the jam and expands the fusion. Blistering guitar by young Derek hisself, plus the funk/jazz flute by Hofi Burbridge, new vocals by Mike Mattison, and the groove laid down by Yonrico Scott & Count M'Butu (and Todd Smallie on bass). A bit of Allmans old and new, jammin' like Gov't Mule, and throw some hot jazz in there (at times I heard shades of 70's Herbie Mann...ooo!), plus de funk (kind of a touch of Santana, too). It's just perfect. Not sure if you're in the mood for jazz or funk or blues or rock? No problem! Stick this in your player and get down-- or get up. You can do both, or either. Someone, somehow should make this more accessible and affordable. This ain't no commercial pop-crap; this is quality music. Derek Trucks is a genius. This is my choice for the best of the year. Find it, buy it, have fun, enjoy!
**
The development of the Derek Trucks Band has followed a progression that appears to be the perfect marketing plan. But there’s nothing any more contrived about the sequence of events than there is simply the music itself. The release of the band's diverse major label debut, Joyful Noise , segued smoothly to the next year’s almost-all instrumental Soul Serenade (actually recorded before Noise but held up in legalities), demonstrating why seeing DTB live had become such a powerful experience.
No surprise then that a year later, we now have Live at The Georgia Theatre , available as an online download through iTunes and directly from the DTB website as well. With the dual virtues of individual instrumental chops and band unity brimming on such eclectic choices as Rahsaan Kirk’s “Volunteered Slavery,” this set also marks the next step in the group’s evolution, as it features the regular vocal contributions of Mike Mattison; whether wailing ecstatically on “Gonna Move” or whispering on “Feel So Bad,” Mattison is never an intrusion, but instead gives the listener a chance to hear how Trucks plays around a singer, where you can hear him demonstrating an equally sure grasp of nuance and dynamics.

The contributions of latter-day (2002) recruit Kofi Burbridge, brother of Allman Brother bassist Oteil, have broadened as well, so that his multiple keyboards, as well as the injection of airy flute work, extends the range of the band even more. And with Mattison around, the Derek Trucks Band now has two first class vocalists—listen to their call and response on “Joyful Noise.” Burbridge and drummer Yonrico Scott strut their respective stuff on “Angola” before the entry of the rest of the band, including bassist Todd Smallie, who makes his presence felt in the deft navigation of the lightning changes in the band’s direction. The sound recording captures such detail impeccably, but impressive as is that technical virtue, it’s less so than the noticeable democracy at work within DTB.

That’s no small compliment to its leader since the profoundly imaginative approach Derek Trucks takes to electric guitar is all the more extraordinary given his comparative youth. The scholarly, spiritual approach to music suggested in the liner notes suggests the source of his humility, perfectly in keeping with his beatific countenance, which itself belies the intensity with which he plays. Giving new definition to the role of guitar hero, he takes a Far Eastern approach in his playing, where patience is a step in the deconstruction and rebuilding of the band’s momentum during a performance such as “Sahib Teri/Maki Madni.”

Sleek (the DTB original “So Close, So Far Away") or syncopated (Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly tune ”Freddie’s Dead”), the purity of inspiration and execution over the course of two-plus hours will doubtless bring delight to any true aficionado of progressive music, all the more so because Live At The Georgia Theatre suggests that the reach of the Derek Trucks Band may never exceed its members' collective grasp.
By Doug Collette. AAJ.
**
Kofi Burbridge- Flute, Keyboards, Vocals
Mike Mattison- Vocals
Count Mbutu- Percussion
Yonrico Scott- Percussion, Drums, Vocals
Todd Smallie- Bass, Vocals
Derek Trucks- Guitar
**
Cd 1:
01 Kam-Ma-Lay 8:53
02 Gonna Move 6:29
03 Volunteered Slavery 4:36
04 Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni 15:03
05 Leaving Trunk 4:58
06 I Wish I Knew 5:29
07 Angola 10:12
08 Feel So Bad 7:41
*
Cd 2:
01 For My Brother 13:28
02 Sonido Alegre 15:15
03 Joyful Noise 11:58
04 So Close, So Far Away 5:52
05 Freddie's Dead 10:20
**
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Charles MINGUS - Pithecanthropus Erectus 1956

Charles MINGUS - Pithecanthropus Erectus 1956

Jazz

One of the great figures in modern jazz, bassist Charles Mingus was the ultimate triple threat: a master of his instrument, a jazz composer of the first rank, and an insightful leader of a series of extraordinary and incendiary bands. Raised in Los Angeles, Mingus was a devotee of Duke Ellington, whose compositional style had an unsurpassed effect on the young composer. As a player, however, Mingus was drawn to his contemporaries, who included Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach (indeed, Roach and Mingus co-owned their own Debut Records during the '50s). Perhaps his greatest contribution was bridging the gap between those two generations: in Mingus's music, one could always explicitly hear the continuity between the big bands and the bebop era, the affinity between the romantic and the modern. Although he had recorded extensively for numerous labels including his own Debut Records, Mingus's relationship with Atlantic would yield many of his greatest recordings. Cut in 1956, Pithecanthropus Erectus was his first date for the label, and it provided something of a breakthrough for Mingus in his use of extended compositions: the 10-minute title track, and the lovely "Profile of Jackie," are among the bassist's finest recordings. The band is notable for the inclusion of the under-recorded tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose.      
By Fred Goodman.
** 
This is a showcase for Mingus the bassist as well as Mingus the composer. His sound is recorded extremely well, and his technique, sense of rhythm, and improvisation are just astonishing. I've never heard his bass so well before.

He begins the title cut with a 4-bar motif that's almost as compelling as "A Love Supreme." He works this motif with virtuosity, and he is especially effective in his interplay with the pianist, Max Waldron. While some may see this as a harbinger to free jazz, it's really quite accessible, and the "wild" sounds return logically to the theme. Emotionally gratifying; it's one of his best works.

The big disappointment here is "A Foggy Day (in San Francisco)." Mingus places various urban sound effects, which "The Penguin Guide to Jazz" calls superficially jokey." To me, it's just simply annoying. The repeated taxi horn sounds, etc. are just done too often. Were it not for the overall quality of the other music, I'd take away a * from this CD. Foggy Day does feature some nice sax work (Jackie McLean, J.R. Monterose), swinging bass, and some whistle blowing a la 70's and 80's funk. (Was Parliament listening?).

"Profile of Jackie" is a brief (3:07) mood piece, McLean nicely interpolates "Chelsea Bridge" and his playing is soulful and sharp. It's a beautiful ballad with nice comping by Mingus, and Willie Jones' deft touch on drums.

Love Chant is the longest piece here (14:56) and, I think, is overlooked in the Mingus discography. There's some very progressive bass work propelling an initially slightly cool jazz/modal sound. The first third features interesting percussive effects, effective abstractions on the piano, and mellow tones on the horns. After this, the beat picks up (sometimes veering into some hard bop accents), and the horns soar above Mingus' beautiful playing. Once again, the Mingus/Waldron improvisations are excellent.

Again, this is an excellent CD, even with the somewhat overdone "Foggy Day." Not sure what they did, but it has an almost live sound to it that I loved. Brief liner notes by Nat Hentoff, and more extended notes on each cut by Mingus enhance one's appreciation of each track. Very highly recommended!
By M. Allen Greenbaum.
**
Charles Mingus- Acoustic Bass,
Willie Jones- Drums,
Also:
Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, J.R. Monterose.
**
01. Pithecanthropus Erectus (Mingus)   10:36
02. A Foggy Day (Gershwin, Gershwin)   7:50
03. Profile of Jackie (Mingus)   3:11
04. Love Chant (Mingus)   14:59
**
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Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Songs For Sad Women 2007

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Songs For Sad Women 2007

Jazz

Showing respect and audacity in equal measure, the music of Lebanese oud player/composer Rabih Abou-Khalil has always stretched musical boundaries and traversed time. His is a music which embraces tradition, and challenges it. On Songs for Sad Women Abou-Khalil marshals a stripped-down ensemble which plays with air akin to intimate chamber music, yet with the soul of timeless folk music.
The combination of Armenian 'duduk,' (a double-reed instrument related to the cornet whose origins pre-date both Christianity and Islam), the bizarrely-shaped 'serpent,' (a baritone cousin of the tuba which looks to have sprung from the imagination of an Asian calligrapher), frame drum and oud, makes for sound, which is at once familiar yet difficult to define. On "Songs for Sad Women' the middle east meets North Africa, and folk and jazz flirt and dovetail, riding in each other's currents.

Abou-Khalil's oud playing is understated and tasteful, much in the vein of guitarists Jim Hall or Bill Frisell, particularly in the way his solos seem to evolve from nothing, gradually seducing the listener. A case in point is his wonderful solo on "How Can We Dance if I Cannot Waltz?" that typifies the 'less is more' approach. On "Best if you Dressed Less" we can discern the odyssey of the oud from the middle east to the Iberian peninsula and its influences. Here Abou-Khalil's more vigorous playing sounds like a slower flamenco rasgueando. Elsewhere, his oud provides tremolo tension or plays unison lines, and in truth, he has never sounded better.

In recent years Abou-Khalil has often eschewed the bass for euphonium, tuba and here, the serpent. It is employed in much the same way as a bass, but also lends a brassy richness to the unison lines and at other times acts as a drone. In the hands of Michel Godard it is also transformed from accompanying role to a leading one on "Para O Teu Bumbum" where his solo, though almost comedic belies a tremendous technique. The other half of the rhythm section, Jarrod Cagwin, plays beautifully throughout the album. He animates the music with his shimmering brushes, light, deft touch on the frame drums and tambourine, which shimmies and swings like a belly dancer's coin belt.

This is a fine group, surely one of the best that Abou-Khalil has brought together. Gevorg Dabaghyan excels on duduk; his mournful, passionate solo on "Mourir pour ton decollete" is as expressive as the human voice, on a song which could be a lament for every mother from Al Quds to Beruit, and from Turkish Kurdistan to Baghdad. On "Best if You Dressed Less" the duduk sounds like an Indian flute. Despite the title of the album, the music is not all wailing lament; although leaning towards the melancholy there is much beauty in the playing, passion too.

This is a highly satisfying addition to Rabih Abou-Khalil's impressive discography; graceful and poetic, and one that lingers in the memory.
By Ian Patterson. AAJ.
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- Oud
Gevorg Dabaghyan- Duduk
Michel Godard- Serpent
Jarrod Cagwin- Drums
**
01. Mourir Pour Ton Décolleté (7:29)
02. How Can We Dance If I Cannot Waltz (7:08)
03. Best If You Dressed Less (6:56)
04. The Sad Woman Of Qana (8.46)
05. Para O Teu Bumbum (7:08)
06. Le Train Bleu (6.55)
07. A Chocolate Love Affair (11:09)
**
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Mighty LESTER Band - We Are Mighty Lester 2006

Mighty LESTER Band - We Are Mighty Lester 2006

Blues

Featuring the captivating Todd Dewberry on vocals, the powerful Mighty Horns, and a rock-solid rhythm section, Raleigh, North Carolina-based Mighty Lester has the crowd on their feet within seconds of hitting the stage. Drawing on influences from Kansas City, West Coast and Chicago Blues to Memphis Stax Soul, Mighty Lester keeps your hands clappin’, your toes tappin’, and your butt shakin’ all night long. Formed in 2000 as a trio, they quickly expanded to a seven-piece with harmonica and two saxes. After their first club gig, the core of the band decided to kick it up a notch. They let the saxes, harp and keys go and brought in a full horn section, new keys man and dropped the harp altogether. Hitting the stage in September 2001 for their first live gig with the new lineup they were crowned the champions of the Triangle Blues Society 2001 Blues Competition and made the semi-final round in the 2002 International Blues Challenge.
Having spent a few years perfecting their craft and finding just the right mix of people, they were proud to be crowned the champs at the 2005 Piedmont Blues Preservation Society Blues Challenge. They are had a phemoninal showing in Memphis for the 2006 International Blues Challenge with numerour radio requests, gigs and tour offers and even a sit down with a major label executive.
More recently, Mighty Lester had the Blues Track of the Day five times and the Blues Track of the Week two times on Garageband.Com. They also were featured as the opening track on a recent episode of the Roadhouse Podcast.
**
A powerhouse band that delivers a real-deal set of jump, swing and Stax-flavored soul all in one CD. Recorded live-in-studio, the music has all the energy and punch of a live gig-not easy to do with an eight-piece band. Solid rhythm, big horns and soulful vocals from beginning to end.
WINNER of IBC 'Best Self-Produced CD' and 3rd place in the indie band competition.
**
If you like your blues hot, honkin', jumpin' and jivin', Mighty Lester's got what you need. The Raleigh-based, horn-heavy octet pumps out jump blues and classic R&B from the '50s to the '70s.
Guitarist Lenny Terenzi strings up a framework based on the stylings of the two blues Kings, Albert and B.B., with some Albert Collins and T-Bone Walker tossed in for spice. Todd Newberry is Lester's voice, his gospel background providing a righteous element to the band's back-alley blues and Stax vocabulary.
But Lester's backbone is the horn section. Baritone saxman Joe Sunseri was Gatemouth Brown's musical director for eight years and has played ...
From Independent Weekly.
**
The Mighty Lester Band is celebrating their fifth year together of performing and touring and has released this, their second CD titled “We Are Mighty Lester”. This band is getting a lot of great reviews for their live shows and also getting a lot of airplay on XM Satellite Radio (currently #5)! I give this disc 3.4 out of 5 on the STLBluesometer rating. Go check them out at the upcoming International Blues Challenge or visit them online at MightyLesterBand.com
By Joseph "UJ" Miller.
**
Todd Dewberry- Vocals
Lenny Terenzi- Guitar
Jon Newell- Piano, B-3
Dave Falardeau- Bass
Rick Cassidy- Drums
Joe Sunseri- Baritone Sax
Alex Almasy- Trumpet & Trombone
Jeff Thomas- Tenor & Soprano Saxes
**
01. Gonna Ball Tonight  3.29
02. Whiskeyhead Mama   3.12
03. Give My Love A Try   4.23
04. Greenbacks   2.55
05. Skankin’  4.22
06. Big Booty Baby   2.43
07. Bring Me The Bottle   5.00
08. She Knocks Me Out   3.30
09. Last Week’s Blues   3.27
10. Let’s Call It A Day   2.57
11. Swingin’ At Lesters   3.54
12. Sorry Didn’t Do It   3.29
**
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T-Model Ford - Jack Daniel Time 2008

T-Model Ford - Jack Daniel Time  2008

Blues
 
T-Model Ford, like several of his Mississippi Delta blues peers, enjoyed a hard-earned, late-career renaissance over the last decade or so, thanks to his raw, sweaty recordings for Fat Possum Records. Ford now hopes to continue that flourishing for the relative young Mudpuddy Recordings, and his first effort for the new label, a live disc called "Jack Daniel Time," lacks some of the grit and punch his Fat Possum efforts had. However, the new album is still proof that the Mississippi blues tradition remains alive and well to this day, especially because it's the real Delta deal. Recorded with long-time, down-home cohorts at a juke joint with a leaky roof, the CD especially shines when Ford performs by his lonesome on his first-ever non-electric recordings.
By Ryan Whirty.
**
80-something-year-old Delta bluesman, T-Model Ford delivers his signature, raw, real Mississippi blues - featuring performances with an all-star band as well as his first solo acoustic recordings ever.
80-some years of hard livin’ and lovin’, fightin’ and cuttin’ has led to this: a brand new album of whiskey-soaked blues on a brand new label - the man they call “T-Model Ford” on Mudpuppy Recordings.
T-Model (a.k.a. The Taildragger) hails from Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup territory in Forest, Mississippi. He spent years in Clarksdale and currently resides in Greenville, Mississippi. Through his long and storied life, T-Model has been married five times, survived a stint at Parchman Farm and served two years on a Tennessee chain gang. He’s also played a bit of blues along the way and is as likely to be found playing huge European festivals as he is harassing the ladies at his favorite juke joint, Red’s Lounge, where this CD was recorded (live to tape with no overdubs).
Joining T-Model on “jack daniel time” is Terry “Harmonica” Bean – now in his late forties – who started his professional blues career backing up T-Model but quit him after one too many fights broke out at their gigs. Drummer Lee Williams is a veteran of the Clarksdale blues scene and another regular at Red’s. On hand as a very special guest was one of T-Model’s first drummers (and ex-Jelly Roll King), the legendary Sam Carr.
In between band sessions, T-Model also took time to play a few solo acoustic numbers – his first non-electric recordings ever. The session, itself, was predictably chaotic with rain occasionally finding its way through the leaky juke joint roof and on to the drum set and assorted electronics, but the Taildragger’s spirit never dampened. After all, as T-Model (and Mudpuppy Recordings) will tell you, it’s “jack daniel time”!
**
01 I Love You, Babe (Acoustic)    2.29
02 Red's Houseparty    4.04
03 Jack Daniel Time    3.39
04 Big Boss Man    3.15
05 Rock Me Baby    2.17
06 That's Alright Mama    2.15
07 Hi-Heel Sneakers    5.00
08 Got a Woman    3.39
09 Mistreatin' Woman    5.25
10 Killing Floor    3.49
11 I Love You, Babe (Band)    6.49
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