Blues Kings of Baton Rouge

Various Artists
Blues Kings of Baton Rouge
Bear Family

The celebrated reissue label, Bear Family, recently issued this double-CD survey of blues from this Louisiana city. As Martin Hawkins, who produced this reissue and wrote the liner notes, this is not an exhaustive history of blues in Baton Rouge as we do not know what blues might have sounded like before the first recordings were produced in 1954. It covers the period of 1954-1971, with many of the 53 recordings compiled here originally produced by Jay Miller for Excello Records. There are also field recordings that folklorist Harry Oster issued on the Folk Lyric label, which was later acquired by Arhoolie Records.

Talking blues by Slim Harpo, "Blues Hang-Over" and an alternate take entitled "Talking Blues" serve as bookends for the recordings here. There are a number of classic swamp blues including "Bad Luck Blues," "Rooster Blues" and "Winter Time Blues" by Lightnin' Slim; and "I'm a King Bee," "Rainin' in My Heart," and "Baby Scratch My Back" by Slim Harpo. Also included are "They Call Me Lazy" and "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" by Lazy Lester; "My Home Is a Prison" by Lonesome Sundown; and Hoodo Party' by Tabby Thomas; "Naggin'" by Jimmy Anderson; "Trouble at Home Blues," "Dark Clouds Rollin'," by Silas Hogan; and "Showers of Rain" by Henry Gray. These are lowdown, gutbucket blues with understated backing, and somber lyrics.

Also included are stunning country jam recordings by Butch Cage and Willie B. Thomas, the unique sober blues of Robert Pete Williams including "Angola Special," and a tribute song "Goodbye Slim Harpo"; and the down-home approach of Clarence Samuels. There is good value in the 53 tracks and nearly two-and-a-half hours of music. This is packaged as a digipack and includes a 52-page booklet with copious notes on each song from Martin Hawkins, author of "Slim Harpo; Blues King Bee of Baton Rouge." "Blues Kings of Baton Rouge" is a superb reissue that serves both as an introduction to the Baton Rouge down-home blues scene as well as an overall survey of this vital blues scene.

I purchased this CD. Here is Lightnin' Slim with Whispering Smith on harmonica.

Slim Harpo Buzzin' the Blues

James Moore, who recorded under the name Slim Harpo, died very young at a time he was about to crossover to reaching a pop audience. The mostly commercially successful of the Swamp Blues artists recorded by Jay Miller at his Crowley, Louisiana Studios, Harpo had a number of hits including "I'm a King Bee", "Raining in My Heart" and "I Got Love If You Want It." His influence at the time was reflected by the fact artists like the Rolling Stones and Johnny Winter covered his songs. The German Bear Family label has issued a 5 CD box set "Buzzin' the Blues - The Complete Slim Harpo" which contains every studio recording of his, including alternate takes as well as some live recordings issued years after his death. In addition to the 5 full CDs of music with nearly 7 hours of music, there is a large, coffee table size hard cover book by Martin Hawkins with Harpo's biography, a discussion his music and recordings. The book also contains a full discography of the music sand is richly illustrated with many rare photos. I also add the alternate takes are presented separately from the issued recordings. Bear Family releases are expensive, but no one (not even Mosaic) does Box Sets better.

This was a purchase and this brief review was one of a number of short reviews I have written for the 2015 Jazz & Blues Report Holiday Gift Guide. It is obviously a gift idea for the blues lover in your life. Here is the classic I Got Love If You Want It."

When a Guitar Plays the Blues Beckons Mister Moonlight

Best known as the writer of two songs covered by revered Pop Artists, Mr. Moonlight (the Beatles), and When a Guitar Plays the Blues (Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan), guitarist-vocalist Roy Lee Johnson made some strong distinctive blues, soul and funk recordings that never crossed over. He member of Piano Red/Dr. Feelgood’s legendary R&B Band in Atlanta in the sixties that also included guitarist Beverly Watkins. Johnson made his own recordings , initially during PIano Red’s sessions, for Columbia and other labels compiled in the Bear Family CD, When a Guitar Plays The Blues. This CD compiles 28 recordings by Johnson along with four unissued ones by bandmate Curtis Smith, providing about 72 minutes of music. The music on this was properly licensed from the original record labels and comes in a digi-pack and includes a lengthy booklet with full discographical information, copious liner notes with biographical information, rare photos and discussion on the recordings.

There was plenty I did not know about Johnson including his association with the late Robert Ward and several of the recordings which is evident on the terrific Love is Amazing, which is a musical cousin of Ward’s Your Love Is Amazing, but is a celebration of love rather than a single person that the Ward recording is. On first listen, one might have think it is the same tune, but in any event Johnson’s guitar playing holds up to Ward’s and he is a spectacular vocalist. Much of the music on is representative of the transition from rhythm and blues to soul with a pop flavored Sea Breeze (the flip of Mister Moonlight) with a terrific vocal and nicely guitar that is both atmospheric and crisply delivered. Its followed by a funky groover, Black Pepper Will Make You Sneeze, followed by the searing blues-ballad, Too Many Tears. These early sides are with Piano Red/Dr. Feelgood’s band and were produced by Don Law, who some of you may recognize as the person who oversaw Robert Johnson’s recording sessions.

The soulful Nobody Does Something For Nothing would be probably labelled as soul-blues today and showcases Johnson’s impassioned singing, while the next session produced the title track, a truly classic performance that has been over looked because of Roy Buchanan’s interpretations and other covers, but Johnson’s original takes no back seat to anyone with sharp guitar and a terrific gospel-laced vocal. Another track from the same session, the previously unissued, I’m so Happy, is a joyous soul rocker with punchy horns and a tough groove. The previously unissued That’s All I Need, has him again playing through his Magnetone amp as he does on the blues-ballad, Slowly I’m Falling in Love With You, while Two Doors Down, is an instrumental romp that some might mistake for a Lonnie Mack recording. From this session is the ballad It’s All Over, which comes across as Sam Cooke meets Chuck Willis, with a sax solo from either Grady Jackson or Boots Randolph.

I wonder if So Anna Just Love Me was a response to the Arthur Alexander classic Anna. In any event, this medium tempo soul rocker, backed with Boogaloo No. 3, became a favorite on the English Northern Soul scene. Cheer Up Daddy’s Comin’ Home, and its flip side, Guitar Man, were recorded in Muscle Shoals at the legendary Fame Studio. The former number is a strong southern soul ballad while the latter is a short piece of Stax-styled funk. The last session that is represented here is the source for a terrific rendition of She Put The Whammy To Me, that stands up to the renditions by Tommy Ridgely and Freddie King. Four previously unissued sides by Curtis Smith are included to fill this collection out.

Roy Lee Johnson recorded for Stax in the late sixties, made several singles for sundry labels over the ensuing decades, and in the 1990s another CD entitled When a Guitar Plays the Blues, that was issued on a small label and displayed that he remained musically vital. For some reason, the blues revival of recent years has somehow not benefited him to the same degree as some of his contemporaries and that is criminal. In fact, according to Martin Goggin’s copious notes, Johnson has at least an album worth of top quality soul and blues ready to be issued. Bear Family CDs are not inexpensive, but the music and packaging makes this release one to anyone who calls themselves fans of contemporary blues and soul.


This was a purchase.