While there are several excellent live Albert King albums available, this 2014 release is one that should not be overlooked. This is a compilation of four several different shows and venues. There is a lack of detail on personnel and the sources of these recordings.
From the Fillmore East in 1971, we get strong performances of "Blues Power," 'Crosscut Saw," and "Personal Manager." King is certainly in good voice, and his pinched note guitar is in force as well. There are five selections for The Forum in Hollywood from 1972 with sterling performances of "Angel of Mercy," "Oh Pretty Woman," "Breaking Up Somebody's Home," and "Stormy Monday." From St. Charles, Illinois in 1974, King does "Born Under a Bad Sign" and his interpretation of Ray Charles' "I Believe To My Soul." Finally, we go to The Double Door in Chicago, where Albert digs deep in "I'll Play the Blues With You."
Sound is very good at the minimum, and with the riffing Horns and the strong support from his backing bands, King sang and played out some first-rate blues.
As I type this, I am watching a video of the late Allen Toussaint on Qwest TV. It is a Baloise Session in Basel, Switzerland and was his next to last performance. He passed away after his performance the next day in Barcelona. During this performance, he performed "Get Out of My Life Woman," which he introduced noting he was the most recorded of the songs he had written. This week's Take 5 playlist is a short playlist of versions of this number.
First up we have Lee Dorsey, who made the original recording. This is from a live performance.
Next up is a version that many will be familiar with from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. This though is also from a live performance.
Next up is Joe Williams, the blues and balladeer master backed by the great Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra.
So many artists have done this including Jerry Garcia, Chris Robinson, the Jerry Garcia Band, and the great Albert King who recorded this on his classic album, "Born Under A Bad Sign."
We conclude with a live performance by Mr. Toussaint himself at the "2015 Dear Jerry Concert."
This new compilation on Stax brings together selections from various Prestige blues discs featuring Chicago blues acts with a previously unissued Albert King session that Willie Dixon produced in Chicago. This 1970 session is simply stunning as he plays some very hot guitar and sings strongly while backed by a band with a full horn section that complements his performances. The opening track, The Lovin’est Woman in Town, is an original he would record later. Here he just tears into the song with his guitar blasting away on his solo as the horns riff behind him. Equally as good is King’s rendition of Dixon’s Put It All In There and Love Me To Death. One wonders why these songs were not issued until now, as they are first-rate Albert King.
In addition to King, James Cotton handles Dust My Broom, while Otis Spann recreates his It Must Have Been the Devil. Willie Dixon handles a couple songs in an uptown vein with saxophonist Harold Ashby among those backing him. Billy Boy Arnold shows the influence of John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson on Two Drinks of Wine, derived from Sonny Boy’s Early in the Morning. Sunnyland Slim advises us that The Devil is a Busy Man, one of three tracks backed by a combo that included King Curtis and an organist. Finally, three alternate takes by slide guitarist Homesick James close this disc out.
Most of this is solid, if not exceptional, and it is well worth getting for the Albert King sides. They are that good.
I likely received my review copy from Fantasy Records. This review appeared previously in the March--June 2004 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 268). You may have to check online for the current availability of this CD or its availability as a download.
If you are thinking about a gift for the blues lover in your life, this public domain 5 CD box set certainly is well worthy considering. With 134 songs from both famous and obscure blues performers, and an 88 page booklet with an overview of the post-war Chicago blues scene and the artists heard, along with a full sessionography, it provides over 6 hours of prime Chicago blues. The mastering is as good as one can expect with some of this material coming from rare acetates or 78s.
Musically, this compilation takes us from recordings in the relaxed band sound that some scholars termed “the Bluebird Beat,” to the more familiar impassioned ensemble blues of Mississippi natives Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Elmore James. Included are the earliest commercial recordings of Muddy Waters and Johnny Shines, that were not issued until a couple decades later. There are recordings from small independent labels like the Maxwell Street based Ora Nelle label with Johnny Young’s “Money Taking Woman,” the J.O.B. label with Johnny Shines’ “Ramblin’,” Old Swingmaster for Snooky & Moody’s “Keep what You Got,” Parrot with Dusty Brown’s “He Don’t Love You,” Cool Records with Billy Boy Arnold’s “Hello Stranger,” and more.
There are artists new to me such as Grey Haired Bill, Mildred White (who recorded at a session with Pete Franklin (with Tampa Red on piano), and ‘Blues Boy’ Bill, along with representative recordings of Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf, with some of these being alternate takes to those on 78s and 45s and only available on out-of-print album reissues on labels like Blues Classics, Nighthawk, Muskadine, Flyright and others. There are also rarities from Birmingham Jones, St. Louis Jimmy, Robert Nighthawk Albert King, Baby Face Leroy Foster, J.B. Hutto, Pete Franklin, Sunnyland Slim, Eddie Boyd, Memphis Minnie and Po’ Joe Williams (aka (Big Joe).
While not every one of the 134 songs is a blues classic, this collection is filled with so many gems as well as some entertaining selections that give an solid overview of early blues recording in Chicago. Add the 88 page booklet from Blues Scholar Mike Rowe, and this release is invaluable to lovers of Chicago blues. There is almost 6 and 1/2 hours of music on these five CDs which does not duplicate any of the selections on another reissue collection, the four-disc “Down Home Blues Classics Vol. 3:Chicago” on Boulevard Vintage) which is also highly recommended if you can find it.
I purchased this and it was originally submitted as a review for a Holiday issue of Jazz & Blues Report that was issued, but has appeared in the Jan-Feb 2018 issue (Issue 376). For a taste of some of the music, here is Dusty Brown's recording of "He Don't Love You,"
This is my blues column from the March 1977 Buffalo Jazz Report which
had Benny Goodman on the cover. My column was relatively lengthy, and included a Blues On EP segment which I will post next week. There would be no column for February
issue as the Blizzard of 1977 that paralyzed the city around the time
the issue would have come out. I have noted the first 58 issues of Buffalo Jazz Report (now Jazz & Blues Report)
have been digitized and can be downloaded from the University of
Buffalo Library system. The website for these archived issues is: http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/BuffJazz.
Note that Southern Record sales from which I obtained some releases no longer exists. The albums I reviewed (with the exception of the Gabriel Brown and the Albert King) are available as CDs (although they may be on different labels) with the exception of the Gabriel Brown. The Otis Rush Japanese live album is available on Delmark as So Many Roads. Lot of live blues in the Buffalo are in March. Muddy Waters will be joined by James Cotton and Johnny Winter at Shea's Buffalo on Saturday, March 12. Saturday, March 19 finds Bobby Bland and B.B. King at the Shea's Buffalo. Robert Jr. Lockwood, who was supposed to have been at UB Feb. 4 will be a featured act at the UB Folk Festival the weekend of April 15 and 16. Lockwood will most likely be playing Friday night April 15. More details next month. Gabriel Brown is a country blues artist, who, during the forties and early fifties, was based in New York. An English reissue of his music Gabriel Brown and his Guitar (Policy Wheel PW 4592) reveals him to be a talented performer. Brown's singing reminds me of Kokomo Arnold, a one-time Buffalo resident (60 years ago) whose music influenced many blues artists including Robert Johnson. Brown's guitar work is interesting and the selection of material is varied. Highlights include "I'm Gonna Take It Easy with slashing bottleneck guitar, Cold Love and the mildly pornographic "It's Getting Soft. While external packaging is somewhat skimpy, a booklet with all known biographical information and lyric transcriptions is included. There is some surface noise but these are on the originals and the sound is overall pretty clear. There are 18 selections including two 1930s recordings by one Poor Bill on which Gabriel may have played 2nd guitar. A very worthwhile reissue which, like the Otis Rush live album, Southern Record Sales can supply. Albert King's new Utopia album Albert Live (CYL2-2205) was recorded at Montreux. It is a double record with generous playing time (almost 90 minutes) as Albert tackles a wide variety of material from Watermelon Man to Stormy Monday, with the typical intensity and featuring his pinched note guitar playing. On one long number, Jam in A Flat he is joined by rocker Rory Gallagher (who is on other tracks). and bluesmen Louisiana Red and Lowell Fulson. The packaging is nice, though Robert Palmer's notes are media-hype.
Hard Again- Muddy Waters -(Blue Sky PZ 34449) is Muddy Waters first album since leaving Chess. Musically this is a pleasant set with support from Johnny Winter, James Cotton and Joe Willie 'Pinetop' Perkins. The presence of Winter and Cotton should help sell this though others could have replaced them without hurting the music. 'Pinetop' proves to be a worthy successor to the late Otis Spann and does play some brilliant blues piano. Tunes include reworkings of Muddy's Mannish Boy and I Can't Be Satisfied, Willie Dixon's I Wanna Be Loved and several new tunes that are in the same mould. Muddy seems to sing strongly but the recording mix I find grating. Johnny Winter should be thanked for helping Muddy get more recognition, and also some financial rewards, which is a nice way to show his appreciation for Muddy. Muddy has made many of the classic recordings in the Chicago band blues idiom and in comparison to them this album suffers. With such recent blues albums as those by Otis Rush and Son Seals out I can't give this anything but a qualified recommendation. Otis Rush's very first record, I Can't Quit You Baby was a top ten record on the r'n'b charts in the mid-fifties. Otis, despite being one of the finest and most individualistic performers in the post- B.B. King guitar dominated blues, has never been able to achieve, much less maintain, a position of popularity and recognition as one of the blues' premiere performers. As both a singer and guitarist Rush bows to no one and has been compared favorably to the legendary country bluesman Robert Johnson. Rush on record has been hard to find until recently. Last year Delmark released Cold Day in Hell a fine album that was Otis' first American recording issued in 7 years. Bullfrog Records has just issued Right Place, Wrong Time (301) which Otis recorded for Capitol Records in 1971, but which Capitol chose not to release. I refer you to the liner notes for speculation why this excellent set wasn't issued as this is probably the finest set of Otis Rush out and one if issued a few years back might have established Otis as a publicly recognized master of the blues. The album is tightly produced with horn arrangements recalling many of Albert King's fine Stax recordings of the time. Rush's guitar work also suggests King, though Otis is a more fluid guitarist and a stronger, more intense vocalist than King (which is high praise indeed.) The material on this set is varied and the recording mix provides for Otis' guitar work to be properly framed. Material includes rave-ups like Tore Up and Natural Ball, cooking instrumentals Easy Go and I Wonder Why and the slow blues on which Otis lets his soul out. The title track and Take a Look Behind are bound to become blues classics and are masterpieces of the modern blues idiom as Otis' anguished singing is couple with blistering guitar. This album is a must for blues enthusiasts. Also Trio Records of Japan has issued Blues Live (PA-3086) featuring Otis live in concert with just a rhythm section doing cooking renditions of I Can't Quit You Baby, All Your Love, and So Many Roads before an enthusiastic Japanese audience. This is available from Southern Record Sales, 42 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101 though its price as an import may deter some buyers it is a most impressive workout. Delmark Records owns the American rights to this, though it may be some time before they issue it. They can supply the Bullfrog release which hopefully wiII be in local stores. Bullfrog Records is tied to Advent so stores carrying Advent should be able to get this. (If you write to Southern Record Sales, mention you read about them here). {{As noted this is available as So Many Roads}} on Delmark}}
Alligator is a small label that has excellent distribution locally and an impressive small catalog of modern blues. Son Seals' new set Midnight Son (AL 4708) is an excellent set of hard, intense blues sung with guts and played with Son's stinging Chicago guitar. Tight horn arrangements along with Son's cooking band has produced a varied set from the funky No, No Baby, the driving Don't Fool With My Baby to the slow Going Back Home, which should win Son new fans. This is even better than Son's first album, (Alligator AL 4703). Alligator also has excellent albums by Hound Dog Taylor, Big Walter Horton, Fenton Robinson and Koko Taylor out and they show concern for preparation and programming which sometimes small and major labels don't provide.
This is my blues column from the November 1976 Buffalo Jazz Report which had Dexter Gordon on the cover to promote his appearance at the Tralfamadore Cafe in November. As I noted the first 58 issues of Buffalo Jazz Report (now Jazz & Blues Report) have been digitized and can be downloaded from the University of Buffalo Library system. The website for these archived issues is: http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/BuffJazz.
Albert King is one of the best known contemporary guitarist-singers in the blues and his new Utopia album Albert (BULI-
1731) is an attempt to present a commercially successful
album. Albert King's recordings have always manifested a
funkiness and when he was with Stax he had Booker T., and the
Stax crew providing sometimes sympathetic and sometimes
ridiculous music (Albert King sings Elvis). Despite disco
touches on some tracks, and a girl chorus on others this is
pretty direct music, and blues with a funky touch. Albert sings and plays straight forwardly, but is burdened
by overkill in the back up as he is drowned in a large band
setting. The music isn't bad or slick, just too busy. Also a
couple of Willie Dixon tunes I'm Ready and My Babe suffer
from the arrangements and the fact that Albert can't convey
the aggressiveness of Muddy Waters on I'm Ready, nor the
Iittle boy charm of LittIe Walter on My Babe. Stoll its not a
bad album as Albert does play with fire, but better material
and a more laid back playing would lead to a more satisfying
session of blues. But would a more satisfying set sell better?
I don't know. The Finest of Folk Bluesmen is a mistitled anthology as only
the John Lee Hooker tracks on this Bethlehem (BCP-6017)
anthology are country blues, the rest being mostly urban and
jazz oriented performances. Among those included are Eddie 'Cieanhead' Vinson, Jimmy Rushing, Lonnie Johnson and Memphis Slim and this is a very enJoyable set of mostly uptown
music from the late 1940s and the early 1950s.
Great Bluesmen/Newport (Vanguard VSD 17/78) is a collection of country blues recorded lve at various Newport Folk Festivals and is recommended especially for those who don't
have many blues records as it provides idroduction to a number of fine artists including Robert Pete Williams, Son House,
Mississippi John Hurt, and Skip James. John Lee Hooker and
Lightnin' Hopkins are not heard at their best though Robert
Pete WiIIiams' Levee Camp Blues, Skip James' Hard Time
Killing Floor Blues and Son Souse's Son's Blues areespecially
compelling.
The latest addition to the Stax Remasters series of Concord is the classic Albert King album, Born Under a Bad Sign. Previously reissued on CD in 2002, this latest remastered edition includes five previously unissued bonus tracks. Originally issued in 1967 it was amongst the earliest blues albums I purchased (I may have bought it in mono not stereo) and still remains among my favorite blues albums of all time and is one of those blues records that truly are essential.
Originally comprised of three singles along with five songs from another session, King backed by Booker T and the MGs and the Memphis Horns, the album contained a number of recordings that became staples of the blues and rock world including the title track, Crosscut Saw, The Hunter, As The Years Go Passing By, and Laundromat Blues. Whether first recorded by King or not (such as Crosscut Saw originally done by Tommy McClennan and then The Birmingham Blues Boys, or As The Years Go Passing By originally performed by Fenton Robinson for Duke), King placed his stamp on every tune including the unexpected delight of his take of the Ray Noble ballad The Very Thought of You.
The album’s impact can be seen by Cream’s cover of the title track as well as Ike and Tina’s cover of The Hunter (with Albert Collins on guitar), and covers of his music that continue to today. This album as much as any Albert King album displays the strength of his vocals as well as his guitar playing with his tone and nuanced playing. Included are alternate takes of the title track, Crosscut Saw (with an additional chorus at the end), The Hunter, and Personal Manager, as well as an untitled instrumental. In the liner booklet, Bill Dahl provides an astute overview of the music. Michael Point’s notes from the previous reissue along with Deanie Parker’s original 1967 liner notes also are included. As I previously stated, Born Under a Bad Sign is an essential blues album, and this Stax Remasters release improves on its earlier CD reissue.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of Albert performing Born Under a Bad Sign.
The following review appeared in the September/October 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 286) I have made minor corrections. I should note that my original review did not include the recording's subtitle, Post-War Urban Blues Classics From the Eisenhower Era (1952-1960). While J.B. Lenoir waxed a blues protesting the hard times during the administration of President Eisenhower during the 1950s, most of the recordings compiled on Eisenhower Blues (Empire Musicwerks) lack such a topical center but simply are strong blues recordings with most having a down home flavor. Long-time collectors will have some or many of these performances, but these remastered sides sound really nice. Others will discover a number of little known artists that have much to say. There are a couple of gems from Lenoir, including the title track and the lively medium tempo boogie, Fine Girls. The CD opens with John Brim’s topical Tough Times, with Jimmy Reed on harmonica.
Others heard here of note include Jody Williams (as Little Papa Joe) doing a peppy Lookin’ For My Baby; Harp player and vocalistDusty Brown (recently heard on Severn’s Chicago harp anthology) on his fine downhome Yes, She’s Gone, more down home harp and vocals from Little Sammy Davis (who is still active and occasionally on Imus’ radio show) doing 1958 Blues based on the Rollin’ & Tumblin’ riff; and Joe Hill Louis’ Jealous Man (as Johnnie Louis) which sports a wild guitar break. There is Sunnyland Slim’s Goin' Back to Memphis, another Rollin & Tumblin’ variant; Willie Egan’s wild Fat Domino-inspired rocker Wow Wow Wow; a couple from Baby Boy Warren with Calvin Frazier on guitar and Washboard Willie (I believe on washboard), including Mattie Mae, adapted from a John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson recording; an early Albert King recording (showing a bit of Elmore James influence), (Be on Your) Merry Way; and Little Willie Foster’s tough Fallin’ Rain Blues.” There are other equally fine songs by others on this collection with annotation from Bill Dahl making for a treasure trove for the blues fan.
As a sample of this here is Dusty Brown's Yes, She’s Gone.
Amongst recent reissues in Concord’s Stax Remasters reissues is the classic album Woman To Woman by Shirley Brown. Brown had one of the last big records for Stax (although on the Truth subsidiary) and the title track with an opening rap about calling this woman that Shirley found her number on a piece of paper in her man’s pants and then singing to tell the woman she will do everything to keep her man. Exhibiting a powerful gospel-rooted vocal, she delivers a commanding vocal performance.
The Arkansas native was brought to Stax by Albert King with whom she he performed shows with. On the album she was backed by a band that included Al Jackson Jr. on drums; Bobby Manuel on guitar; Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn on bass; Marvell Thomas on piano; and Lester Snell or organ with the Memphis Horns, and supporting vocals and orchestra. And they are present for varied material including It Ain’t No Fun, where she sings about her man coming home and acting just like a friend and that it ain’t much fun living by oneself and the one you love loves another. The song incorporates a rap in the middle.
A different mood is present on the Caribbean flavored groove of Long As You Love Me, as she lets us know she’ll be all right and she delivers this in a bit more relaxed vein. Jerry Ragovoy penned Stay With Me Baby, and Brown’s strong cover of the Lorraine Ellison original leads one to speculate how she might have handled other Ragavoy songs such as Piece Of My Heart and Cry Baby. More heat is present on Frederick Knight’s I Can’t Give You Up, with a relaxed rhythm.
Five tracks are appended to the original release. Yes Sir Brother, with a strong dance groove, is from the same sessions that produced the original album. There are three covers of Aretha Franklin recordings of which Ain’t No Way benefits from being less familiar than Respect or Rock Steady. Not that these are bad recordings, but they are overshadowed by Aretha’s original recordings and influence. The disc closes on a lengthy reworking of Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, I’m Yours, opening with a rap before she starts digging into the Stevie Wonder classic at a lumbering tempo and pouring out all her heart into her vocal. The tempo picks about 2/3 of the way through with the brass adding fuel to her vocal fire.
Included are the brief original notes as well as Lee Hildebrand’s notes to a 2008 English reissue and a more recent consideration from Billboard’s Gail Ellison that add background to what is contained but as Ellison whote “Stop reading and start listening.” Fans of Stax and souther soul who don’t have this in previous reissues will certainly want this excellent reissue.
I received a review copy from a publicist or the record label. In more recent years Shirley recorded for Malaco and here is a video of her performing.
It might surprise blues fans, but the Austrian Wolf label has issued 14 albums by Magic Slim & the Teardrops, way more than any other label. And these are not some run of the mill issues. Three of them have won WC Handy Awards and five were recorded at the legendary Zoo Bar which became Slim’s musical home some time ago. The 14th and latest Wolf album is Rough Dried Woman, which is subtitled “Magic Slim’s best 14 songs.” It is compiled from sessions recorded for Wolf between 1986 and 1992 and include 3 previously unissued live recordings. Present on all the recordings are Slim, his brother Nick Holt on bass guitar and second guitarist John Primer with four different drummers present on the sessions.
Magic Slim’s music is not fancy. It is pretty simple and direct with Slim’s emphatic driving guitar with its single note runs that show a bit of Albert King’s influence, the interaction with him and his second guitarist who during this period was John Primer, and brother Nick’s bass which originated the “lump ta lump” style made for the strong, immediately recognizable Teardrops sound. Nick passed away a little while ago and this CD is dedicated to his memory.
From the opening rendition of Big Mac’s Rough Dried Woman through the reworking of Buster Benton’s Spider in My Stew, to the concluding notes of Roy Brown’s Hard Luck Blues, this is typically solid Magic Slim recording. And the songs come from a variety of sources including Albert King, Lefty Dizz, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Lee and Roy Brown. In this strong grouping of blues a few tracks stand out. There is a terrific slow rendition of “Matchbox Blues as done by Albert King as well as the down-in-the alley, slow grind of the cover of Lefty Dizz’s Bad Avenue. Slim’s marriage of a Dust My Broom groove to Bo Diddley’s Before You Accuse Me, is an driving rocker while the medium tempo reworking of Eddie Taylor’s Bad Boy is similarly irresistible before the stunning live rendition of Hard Luck Blues.
One rarely will go wrong with a Magic Slim recording and Rough Dried Woman is one of the better ones by him.
Corey Stevens was born in Illinois and moved to the Los Angeles area after graduating college and looking at his album covers is one who would be linked in among the post-war Stevie Ray Vaughan blues-rockers. While not being familiar with much of his catalog, 2007's Albertville (Ruf), a tribute to albert King, is worth a mention.
This is a recording where Stevens channels Albert King's guitar style and often the arrangements are based on King's originals. Its a program of songs I am generally familiar with a couple of exceptions such as A Real Good Sign, and Another Pretty Face. It is certainly nice to hear Stevens do his straight rendition of Breaking Up Somebody's Home and That's What The Blues Is All About. I may have heard one or two of his prior recordings but his restrained, slightly muffled vocals certainly emulate King's down-home, laid-back singing. Stevens adds his own licks on guitar in addition to channeling King’s style on selections as well, so he goes beyond simple imitation. Stevens doesn't rush the tempo or rock out on the performances either. Cold Women With Warm Hearts, with its mid-tempo having obvious appeal to the swing dancers.
Albertville may not be an essential blues album, but Stevens' affection to the late blues legend is evident on this heartfelt tribute.
I believe I may have received a review copy from a publicist.
In August 2009, Joe Kessler and I had a chance to interview Chester Chandler, the blues performer known as Memphis Gold for the Dutch publication Block. This interview was translated into Dutch for publication, but we have felt it would be helpful to have the interview in English. Joe transcribed it and this is the last part. I should point out that interviews with Memphis Gold have appeared in Jefferson Blues, Blues & Rhythm and Living Blues. The latest Memphis Gold CD was recently released, Pickin’ High Cotton (Stackhouse) and includes selections with Robert Lighthouse.
I sent it (Prodigal Son) to some of everybody. I sent that CD overseas and I wanted everybody to get a copy of it. There have been not even 2,000 copies of that CD out. I still sell it online, as a digital download now, but I don’t even have copies of it anymore (the first CD Memphis Gold). Jim O’Neil came up to see me. He had gone through a very tough divorce, a black lady he had 2 children by, so he went defunct from what he was doing down in the Sunflower State, and he moved to Kansas City. At that time when Jim came up here, he came up here for a wedding and he needed a place to stay. I said, “Jim, man, come up to my house and stay with me. I got plenty of room for you.” I started talking to him, and said, “Jim, I know you’re starting over with the record company and everything. I’d like to come in at the bottom level. I’ll put up my own money. I’d like to use your name.” So we drew up a contract. He doesn’t have a lot of money to put out to me now, but he’s growing, he’s coming back to where he used to be. You know, he had Rooster Records for years. After he lost it and sold it, he took his 2 children and they had become the most beautiful wonderful children. They’re coming to their teens now, but I know what he’s had to go through with his teens and with his old CDs and memorabilia and stuff that he’s got. Anyway, we drew up a contract, and I said, “Jim, I’ll do everything I can. All I want to do is just use Stackhouse Records, and we’ll try and work on it together.” Now I can feel some things that he wants to do for me.
After playing on New Year’s Eve 2007, I played at the City of Falls Church’s First Night. About a week later on January the 8th, I was helping a friend do a couple of trees in Maryland as a favor. I’m working and had already been up 3 of the biggest oak trees I had been up in a long time. I was getting ready to get off (of work) when Barbara said there’s a tree next door the lady wants to have come down, a pine tree. She said let’s try to tie this job up. I said, “I’m tired, Barb.” But I go up this tree, and as soon as I get up to about 35 feet, I throw my rope over a limb. The limb was around 2 inches in diameter. I know this limb can hold me. I threw the rope over and I’m sitting in my saddle trying to rest myself. As I’m trying to rest myself, I’m talking to somebody on the ground, and that rope left and slipped right to the middle of the limb. That’s where the breaking point was. It broke and went “crack”. And down I went. I’m going 35 feet backwards. I know I’m either gonna bust my brains or I’m gonna break my shoulder blades. I’m thinking as I’m falling, I wanna hit my butt. When I’m about 10 from the ground, I turned, and hit my butt bone, but it still broke my back.
Since then, I’ve been recouping, but I’ve still been writing and playing the blues I’ve still been staying upbeat. I think my music is the only reason that I’m doing so well. I had a little bit of a setback. On January the 18thof this year (2009) I went downstairs in my apartment to get a pedicure the day before I was gonna do the Red, White, and Blue Ball. Larry King was there, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic was there and it was the first time I was ever gonna see Sly Stone perform and stay at a gig. Peter Paul, Mary, Ben Vereen was there. We were all in the same show. The day before I did this gig, the lady (giving me the pedicure) scrubbed my foot to a second degree burn and there was a big blister on the bottom of my foot. If I had been a diabetic like the rest of my family, I would have lost my foot. It took until May for my foot to get well. In that time, I wasn’t able to walk or do therapy.
In March, around the time of my birthday, I was happy to release Gator Gon’ Bitechu. The reason for the title is (in tribute to DJ) the “Gator” down at WPFW and all the ladies he called the Gatorettes. Since he is one of the premiere blues DJs in this town (Washington DC), I decided to write Gator’s Gon’ Bitechu. I’ve had some good reviews and reviews that weren’t so good, but that’s the Blues.
At the same time, I was working on a second album with Robert Lighthouse, a Swedish-born musician who used to play on the street with Charlie (Sayles). I was trying to release both of them at the same time, but I ran out of money. The second album is an acoustic, old traditional album. It’s a down home thing. Robert Lighthouse is a phenomenal guitar player and contributed a lot to the album. I’m finishing it up now. If I was able to get them both out at the same time, that would have been a kicker – a rejuvenation and I’d probably be walking again. I figure I’ll be walking again maybe by later October. I’m putting a song on my new album for the guy who owns John Brown’s Cabin, the Kennedy Farm in West Virginia. I’m putting a song on there for John Brown, who got hung. I was invited up to the John Brown House. He owns the farm now.
I gave Charlie the name “Hollywood Charlie” in about ’99 or 2000 because of his swagger and the moves he makes, he’s like Hollywood pictures. I was K.D. King and became Memphis Gold. They were calling me K.D., King Dog, ‘cause when I was at the Vegas, every night they were open, I was going somewhere with some girl. I was a dog. When I first got to Washington I had 2 gold teeth in my mouth. I was sitting with Barbara one night and I said “I want a new name”. She said “Everybody’s trying to be a king, like Albert King, B.B. King, Little Jimmy King.” She said “you’re from Memphis and you have gold in your mouth, so you’re Memphis Gold”.
Little Jimmy King knew me from Memphis. He called and told the promoter of a show in Alaska. They brought me up there and we had a guitar shoot out. We had the greatest time (in Alaska). I was playing with his band. I opened up for him the first night, he opened up for me the second night.
All of the songs I record are songs I’ve lived. There are some funny songs, there are some songs that I feel. I sit down and I laugh and think about the women I’ve been with, like on the Prodigal Son, “I got these six women”. I’ve been married 6 times, and I’ve got 2 children by 2 women outside of those 6 marriages. I’ve settled down a lot. Barbara has been background and has settled me down a lot, so it’s out of my blood, I guess. And I’m a little older now.
I don’t think I could do anything different with my life. I wrote a really morbid song on my last CD. It’s called “In My Next Life”. Barbara asked me why I wrote that song. I said, “Maybe I missed out on something. Maybe I missed out on a girl or two!”
I played the Chesapeake Blues Festival twice. I played with Big Joe Maher (drums) and John Previti on bass; I’ve played with some of the most top notch musicians in this town, and it’s by the grace of god. This town has some really great musicians, I must say.
I like to listen to Howlin’ Wolf now. I just close my eyes and I can just see the type of life that he lived. He and Albert King were very ornery. They were two of a kind. Albert King was standing outside the door one night when I was playing Crosscut Saw. I walked out and he said, “Come here, boy. You’re a pretty good damn guitar player. Don’t try to play like me. Just do what you do.” From that day on, I may still play a couple licks from him, but I try to keep to my own style, sanctified Beale Street gutbucket blues.
The Red, White, and Blue ball from this year was my favorite gig because of the people that were there, even though I was sitting in a chair. The audience was out there in dress uniforms and I was pumping them up.
Barbara started a foundation called (Building Bridges America Foundation?) Bridging the Gaps to help handicap disabilities, autism, we’re gonna put on a festival in Crystal City, at Gateway Park, which holds about 7,000 people. I love (my town) Arlington, …even though I don’t have enough to pay the rent (laughs). The rent just jumps out of the sky sometimes. Last month, there were a couple of houses I painted. I’m not doing trees no more but I do services for other people. I have a guy who is a carpenter; he’s Hispanic, and others. I try to keep those guys working. I go there and supervise, and people, they trust me. Last month I did the house of a guy with Georgetown University. This guy trusted me and just tossed me the keys to his house and said “Memphis, do such and such a thing and paint my house.” So I’m making money doing different things than cutting trees.
Veteran of tours with Rod Stewart, and Billy Squier as well as spending time in the James Montgomery band, Jeff Golub has distinguished in recent years as a jazz guitarist. His most recent album has him heading back to the blues with a tribute recording The Three Kings (Entertainment One), a tribute to Albert, B.B., and Freddie King. As he states, "When you look at the modern blues and rock vocabulary, it's almost impossible for anyone to play something that doesn't reflect their influence somehow. Featured on this disc is Henry Butler on keyboards and vocals, who co-produced it with Golub, Andy Hess on bass, and Josh Dion on drums, percussion and vocals. Special guests include Sonny Landreth and Robben Ford, while others in the studio include Chris Palmaro on Hammond B3, and horns and synth strings are heard as well.
There is a mix of covers and some originals that make for an entertaining collection of performances. Butler helps things start with the opening rendition of Let The Good Times Roll, and Born Under a Bad Sign, both solidly sung by Butler, but modeled on the recordings by B.B. and Albert respectively. Golub's instrumental "I Plain Sight, enables him to escape the shadows of both while also allowing Landreth to add a sharp slide guitar solo. Help the Poor, is not an overly familiar part of B.B.'s repertoire and Dion takes a fine vocal with a fresh arrangement. It is followed by Freddie King's instrumental Side Tracked, with Robben Ford adding a solo on a nice rendition with some nice twists in the backing.
Oh Pretty Woman, sounds slowed down slightly from Albert King's original and has a fine vocal from Butler with solid guitar and followed by a hot shuffle rendition Every Day I Have the Blues, with Dion taking another fine vocal. After Golub's hot solo, Butler takes a rollicking piano solo. Then a couple more of Freddie King's songs are tackled with Butler singing Have You Loved a Woman, and Dion on I'm Tore Up. with Golub's hard-edged guitar sounding like a mix of Freddie and Albert in his very solid playing."Freddie's Midnite Dream, a Sonny Thompson penned instrumental from his Cotillion recordings follows, and its lazy feel contrasts with many of King's better known instrumentals with Golub varying in intensity against the light background.
Stumblin' Home is an original instrumental based on The Stumble with nice use of the lower range. Butler wrote the original Three Kings with his celebration of Albert, Freddie and B.B., with a slight New Orleans funk rhythm and punchy horns to support Golub's driving guitar. The disc closes with an instrumental rendition of The Thrill Is Gone, but one is surprised to see that B.B. is credited as composer of the Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins penned classic (and Hawkins 1951 original made the R&B charts). Golub's playing is pretty solid with judicious use of sustain along with Butler’s jazzy piano.
The Three Kings is a very enjoyable collection of blues performances. While most of the disc is comprised of covers, they are not slavish copies although most will be overshadowed by the originals. Drummer Josh Dion was a revelation as a vocalist on his three selections and the originals stand out in the set of solid blues performances.
Concord Records has just issued a two-disc compilation of the legendary Albert King’s recordings for Stax, The Definitive Albert King on Stax.” It is compiled from a number of the recordings the late great bluesman recorded for Stax and Fantasy although it does not include selections from all of the King recordings. 34 recordings are compiled on the two discs and Bill Dahl provides the informative annotation.
This is an interesting, if at times, curious compilation which includes Pops Staples and Steve Cropper vocals from a Stax 45 from the sessions King did with them (but hardly definitive Albert King), but not include performances from some of the excellent live albums from Montreux and the Fillmore that Fantasy issued under the Stax logo. A number of performances are credited to their 45 release such as Born Under a Bad Sign, Oh Pretty Woman, Crosscut Saw, I’ll Play the Blues For You, Everyone Wants To go to Heaven and Angel of Mercy, but a forgettable Honky Tonk Woman, is taken from an album Lovejoy. The 45 version of Blues Power is included as is a live rendition of Match Box Blues.
Amongst such indispensable blues recordings as Crosscut Saw, Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home, I Wanna Get Funky, That’s What the Blues Is All Bout, and Drowning on Dry Land are lesser King performances such Hound Dog, Honky Tonk Woman and a remake of Crosscut Saw. Certainly some of what was included might have been cut for say one of King’s riveting renditions of Ray Charles’ I Believe To My Soul, or one of his collaborations with Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Albert King is one of the most influential blues artists of the past several decades and his Stax comprise the most substantial part of his legacy. A better selection of material would transformed made a very good collection into a superb one.
My review copy was supplied by the record company.
Singer-guitarist Joe Pitts is a name new to these ears, but this Arkansas native has put together a hard hitting self-issued release Ten Shades of Blues, that looks at him covering some of his inspirations and others he just likes. With his rhythm of Jimmy Lynnon bass guitar and assorted drummers, keyboards and harp, he handles ten songs that display his gravelly, unforced songs and his fluent guitar. Initially hearing the blues-rock of the British invasion, he discovered Albert, B.B. and Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Robert Johnson and others on the blues highway.
Interesting opener is Breaking Up Somebody’s Home, with his guitar centered performance derived more from Albert King’s recording than other renditions, and he takes a solo that displays his own style. There is loose accompaniment for his take on Muddy Waters’ Cross-Eyed Cat, with some nice harp playing, slide guitar and more modern-styled guitar on the coda. His vocal is pretty solid here but his vocal is a bit over the top on Walter Trout’s Clouds on the Horizon, on which he plays some screaming guitar. With an insistent groove, his vocal is more restrained in delivery and he does a nice take on Luther Allison’s Pain in the Streets. The organ playing adds a nice touch to the backing on this track.
Eric Gales' Freedom For My Demons brings blistering blues-rock guitar over a melodic line that evokes Stormy Monday, as he fervently delivers the lyric about the demons are dealing and what he’s selling sure looks fine but give Joe some freedom from his demons and some peace of mind. Put the Shoe on the Other Foot, is a nice rendition of an Albert Collins recording with some nice playing that suggest Collins without trying to be a sound-alike, while Pitts’ rendition of I’m Worried, is a bit more in the vein of Allman Brothers than Elmore James with a bit of distortion on his vocal.The jazzy, low-key No Stranger to the Blues, features some atmospheric rhythm guitar and biting single note chicken scratching runs with a nice vocal.
A bit more rock flavoring is heard on the guitar on a nice shuffle take on John Mayall’s Walkin’ on Sunset, with Terry Bradley adding slide guitar here. The disc concludes with Peter Green’s The World Keeps On Turning, on which he takes to an acoustic guitar and his fingerpicking that contrasts nicely with some chording as he sings about nobody sees him crying or knows how feels while his relaxed delivery contributes to a moving vocal performance. Its a nice end to a collection of generally solid, engaging performances. This should be available from cdbaby, itunes and other sources. Weblinks for Joe Pitts include http://joepitts.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Pitts-Band/54309185026.
The review originally appeared in the Dec.15 2010-Febuary 1, 2011 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 332) to which I made a few minor edits. I received a review copy from the publicist for this recording.
First in my List of Outstanding Jazz and Blues Recordings of 2010. I start with Vintage Blues Recordings which includes not simply reissues but also releases primarily consisting of older material.
Junior Wells & the Aces Live in Boston 1966 (Delmark). The release of a sixties club performance by Junior Wells with the Aces (Louis and Dave Myers as well as drummer Fred Below) captures Wells in top form and displays the manner Wells interacted with his primarily white college audience was not far removed from how he interacted with the folks at Pepper’s Lounge. Albert King / Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Session (Stax). While the music has been available from the legendary encounter on CD, this combined deluxe DVD and CD includes much unissued video by the two. Tremendous meeting of two legends.
Little Smokey Smothers & Elvin Bishop Chicago Blues Buddies (Brown Derby). Compiled as a fundraiser for Smokey, who recently passed away, I wrote “a solid retrospective of a wonderful partnership with the release of the first-rate 1993 Chicago Blues Festival performances particularly welcome as are the tracks that Alligator and Black Magic graciously lent to this project … .”
Otis ReddingLive on the Sunset Strip (Stax) The classic live recordings which include the full sets of a legendary performance. “Over four decades later, Otis Redding’s music remains as gripping as when he performed on the Whiskey’s stage. Obviously those having the earlier reissues may not need this, but others who love “Sweet Soul Music,” will want this.”
Luther Allison Songs From the Road (Ruf) CD and DVD of previously unissued performances by one of the greatest live blues performers ever. “What a joy to listen and watch previously unissued performances by Luther Allison after all these years. It doesn’t get much better than this release which is quite reasonably priced and should be available from itunes or amazon and better retailers.”
Sista Monica Soul Blues & Ballads (Mo Muscle Records). A terrific retrospective for which I wrote, ‘There is a generous amount of music here with thirteen outstanding performances for about 70 minutes by one of the blues and R&B world’s finest singers here. I add that she could have selected from her earlier recordings, a dozen different performances and had as compelling a recording. She is just that dynamic and soulful. For those lacking anything by the Sista, here is a good place to start.”
Freddie King Texas Flyer (Bear Family). This is the second Bear Family box sets that has also tyhe commercially issued recordings by the legendary blues singer and guitarist. This set also has the live recordings he did for RSO and much previously unissued live performances. Between the two sets on Bear Family (The 7CD Taking Care of Business is the earlier one) one has about 15 hours of guitar blues of the highest level and one can reevaluate some of the stuff that one might have dismissed four decades ago. Special note should be made of the hard cover book with Bill Dahl's biographical and musical notes and pianist Dave Maxwell's recollections of working with King. The book also has some incredible photographs and full discographical information.
Little Willie John Mister Little Willie John + Talk To Me (HooDoo Records) Two early albums by the great rhythm and blues singer who died way too soon with a number of his classic songs including Fever, Talk to Me, Home at Last, All Around the World, and Drive Me Home. Christine Kittrell, Call Her Name:Complete Recordings 51-65 (Bear Family). Nashville was once known as much for its Rhythm and Blues scene as hillbilly music, and the queen of that scene was Christine Kittrell. Bear Family has compiled all of her recordings from 1951 to 1965 (many produced by legendary songwriter-producer Ted Jarrett) that shows a terrific singer that had some mostly regional success but was the equal of some of her better known contemporaries. On one selection, a John Coltrane rips out a sax solo that stands out.
Big Walter Horton Blues Harmonia Giant (JSP) 3-CD box that reissues this important harmonica masters early recordings for a variety of labels along with some of his choice accompaniments and a bonus CD of a live 70's performance with his primary disciple, Carey Bell. I blogged extensively on this reissue.
Bob Corritore Harmonica Blues (Delta Groove). Harmonica player Bob Corritore has championed traditionally styled Chicago blues for decades. This Delta Groove release showcases his considerable skills on the harmonica with a number of blues legends, a number of whom are no longer with us including Robert Lockwood, Nappy Brown and Koko taylor as well as Eddie Shaw, Louisiana Red, Big Pete Pearson and others. There is enough older material to place this in the Vintage category as opposed to a straight new release.
Posts
