Etta James The Montreux Years

Etta James
The Montreux Years
BMG

This Etta James double album is one of the initial releases (Nina Simone being the other) from the Archives of The Montreux Jazz Festival in conjunction with The Claude Nobs Foundation. The Foundation was founded to oversee the Claude Nobs audio and visual archives of recordings of performances at the Festival. There are 21 performances from six performances from 1975 to 1993 over the two CDs (and this is available in other formats including double LPs).

The CDs are packaged in a small hardback package. There are booklet notes from Bob Merlis, Etta James' press agent as well. The notes provide an overview of how her career was intertwined with her Montreux performances. There is an interview with guitarist Brian Ray who plays on her appearances from 1975, 1977, and 1978. Others heard on various selections, including guitarists Bobby Murray Josh Sklair, Cash McCall, saxophonist David 'Fathead' Newman, trumpeter Ronnie Buttacavoli, and saxophonist Ritchie Howell, Howard Johnson on tuba, and drummer Herman 'Roscoe' Ernest III. Montreux Jazz producer Claude Nobs adds harmonica to several tracks.

The first disc is a mix of performances from 1977 to 1993. Most are with the Roots Band that included guitarists Bobby Murray and Josh Sklair. The second CD is her first performance at Montreux. Although the personnel are not listed in the booklet, they include guitarist Brian Ray and saxophonist Klaus Doldinger and introduced by the announcer before Etta starts her performance. There is over two and a half-hour of music on the two discs.

As noted, the first disc is a selective ion of performances from different Festival appearances. They find James in fine form with a mix of material opening with "Break-in' Up Somebody's Home." There are several performances contemporaneous with her "Seven Year Itch" album inching stunning renditions of "I Got the Will" and "Damn Your Eyes." The two early performances on this disc are from when she was on the Chess family records. They include the powerful "Tell Mama" and one of several renditions of Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do" that are on this album, including one retitled as "Running and Hiding Blues." Of particular note is the superb medley she does, "Medley: At Last/ Trust in Me/ Sunday Kind of Love." She introduces them by saying they thought she was going to be a jazz singer. Interestingly, "At Last" is not performed on its own, but this medley is superb with her timeless singing ably supported by The Roots Band. On an encore from 1978 of "Baby What You Want Me To Do," there are some fiery solos from Brain Ray and saxophonist Gene Dinwitty.

The second disc from 1975, her first European performance, features a fair amount of blues, although it opens with a fiery performance of The Staples' "Respect Yourself." This concert was a blues-heavy program with powerful renditions of "Drown in My Own Tears," "Dust My Broom," "Baby What You Want Me To Do," Rock Me Baby," and "Stormy Monday." During "Drown in My Own Tears" there is a point where she sings without a microphone to showcase her power as a singer. The high point of this set is "I'd Rather Go Blind," with one of her most compelling vocals.

 Etta James was a force of nature, and she was not simply a powerful singer but a nuanced one with an excellent sense of tonal and rhythmic dynamics. Her backing bands, whether the ones with Brian Ray or The Roots Band, are terrific throughout these performances. Sometimes they get to stretch out and solo. At other times, they wonderfully support her improvised scatting and shouts. The sound and production are excellent, and this superb album is an auspicious initial release for "The Montreux Years" series.
 
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Etta performing at Montreux.

Notable recordings of 2012 - Part 1

The first of several days recapping some of the finer jazz and blues releases that came out recently. Today I focus on recordings I reviewed in the first half of 2012.

New Jazz Recordings

Bass clarinet specialist Jacob Stein had a marvelous Delmark release, The Story This Time. "Stein has put together a fine band for the musical explorations heard on this very absorbing recording." 

Catherine Russell had another album of musical treats with her latest album, Strictly Romancin’ (World Village). It is the vein of her well received Sentimental Streak and Inside This Heart Of Mine, with a similar program of mostly long forgotten blues, ballads, love songs and swing from the twenties to today.

The Planet D Nonet, a group of musicians from the Motor City who perform a range of music issued a terrific double CD, We Travel The Spaceways: The Music Of Sun Ra (East Lawn Records).

The Rick Germanson Quartet had one of several excellent Live at Smalls recordings on the clubs Smalls Live label. Pianist Germanson was joined that night by the trumpet of Dr. Eddie Henderson, the bass of Paul Gill and the drums of Lewis Nash for some sterling hard bop. 

Saxophonist Paul Carr, who produces the annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Maryland each February, had a terrific recording, Standard Definition (PCJ Music), on which he was joined by  Terell Stafford (trumpet), Joey Calderazzo (piano), Mike Bowie (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums). It was selected by Capital Bop as among the best 2012 jazz recordings by DC area artists.

Saxophonist and composer Dan Blake has a new release on BJU (Brooklyn Jazz Underground) Records, The Aquarian Suite, where he leads a piano-less quartet with Jason Palmer on trumpet, Jorge Roeder on bass and Richie Barshay on drums. "The mix of Blake’s stimulating writing with the high level of the performances, both in terms of the intelligent and spirited solos, and high level of the ensemble playing result in this excellent release."

Evan Christopher had a new release in his Clarinet’s Road series, In Sidney’s Footsteps(STR Digital Records). As indicated by the title, the music of Sidney Bechet is inspiration for the music here, although not all the performances are of songs recorded by Bechet. "There is a presence to his clarinet and the performances on this wonderfully recorded album that continues to delight after repeated listening. In Sidney’s Footsteps may be Evan Christopher’s most exceptional recording yet. Given the high level of his prior albums, that is saying something."

Harmonica wizard Gregoire Maret had an eponymously titled debut recording for Entertainment One. Maret’s playing is delightful and captivating. This is music that should have a wide appeal given the wonderful playing as well as the lyricism evident throughout this. Wonderfully recorded, Grégoire Maret’s self-titled debut should bring him well-deserved recognition.

Another release by the SmallsLive label in its Live at Smalls series of recordings was by the trio of tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama, Bopjuice. This excellent location recording evoked the classic Sonny Rollins Live at the Village Vanguard.

New Blues

About Heritage Blues Orchestra, And Still I Rise (Raisin’ Music) I wrote "The foundation of the Heritage Blues Orchestra are the voices of Junior Mack, Bill Sims, Jr., and Chaney Sims who bring such a range of moods and emotions in the marvelous vocals here. This trio could do a recording without instrumental accompaniment and be as compelling as they are here. And I Shall Rise is an compelling, contemporary exploration of African-American musical roots.

Mark Hummel’s Blues and Lonesome: Tribute to Little Walter (Rockinitus Records) is an excellent compilation from recordings he has made over the years in homage to Little Walter.

Michael Roach and I had an association with the DC Blues Society two decades ago, and I had been following his maturation as a performer over the years after he left his native Washington and moved to England. He has also become important as a blues educator and historian. Innocent Child is his most recording on his Stella Records label. The varied repertoire here is matched by Michael’s natural, heartfelt vocals and adroit and thoughtful guitar. The result is the marvelous music on Innocent Child. 

Fifty years after Big Bill Broonzy’s passing, Billy Boy Arnold recorded a tribute album, Sings Big Bill Broonzy on Electro-Fi.  "This recording was heralded in Bob Riesman’s Broonzy biography, and its release has met the expectations for it. Today, one might find it hard to appreciate how significant Big Bill was in the history of the blues. Along with Riesman’s book, this tribute recording addresses that in a fine and spirited manner."

Guy Davis issued a memorialization of his one-man show, The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues, on his Smokeydoke Records with assistance from Bob Porter which enables those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Davis perform this show to enjoy it. The music and stories are about 91 minutes and therefore spread over two CDs.

Quintus McCormick, Delmark release Still Called The Blues. Delmark's Steve Wagner recalled his reaction when he first heard Quintus McCormick when recording his 1st Delmark album, Hey Jodie. “Wow this cat could be the next Johnnie Taylor!” I might suggest a bit of Tyrone Davis and Artie ‘Blues Boy’ White as well after hearing McCormick’s new Delmark release Still Called The Blues. This will appeal to a very wide grouping of blues lovers and is proof that Quintus McCormick is among today’s finest blues and soul performers.

Nathan James had an excellent Delta Groove CD, What You Make Of It, with his touring band, The Rhythm Scratchers. " I was not familiar with Nathan James’ music prior toWhat You Make Of It, but I was impressed to already acquire one of his prior recordings. There is some seriously good, original blues by Nathan James and The Rhythm Scratchers here."

Reissues or Newly issued Vintage Jazz and Blues Recordings

Dr. Robert E. Sunnenblick produced for his Uptown label a Dexter Gordon live album, Night Ballads Montreal 1977. Gordon was with his band of Eddie Gladden on drums, Rufus Reid on bass and George Cables on piano. This CD has over 70 minutes of ballads which might  be a bit much for some in one sitting. Still the terrific music makes this a highly recommended addition to the body of Long Tall Dexter's recordings. 

Reissue Universal released on its Hip-O-Select label, the four-CD Heart & Soul: A Retrospective, that in its four CDs surveys Etta James recordings from her debut as The Wallflower doingRoll With Me Henry, for Modern Records to the previously unissued 2007 recording of Rodney Crowell’s Ashes By Now. This was issued prior to her passing.

Tom Hoskins recorded and interviewed Hurt at the time of his location of Mississippi John Hurt on March 3, 1963. These recordings, the first since Hurt recorded in the 1920s, were issued on a fascinating new release on Spring Fed Records, Discovery: The Rebirth of Mississippi John Hurt. Wonderfully remastered, the CD has 19 tracks including a previously unissued and lengthy interview where Hurt and his wife talks about his early life and recordings, and life after those recordings.

Barbecue Any Old Time: Blues From The Pit 1927-1942 (Old Hat Records) is a relatively recent compilation of vintage jazz and blues recordings that celebrate barbecue, the distinctly southern American form of cuisine, usually slow--cooked over a pit. "This mix of lively downhome blues and rollicking early jazz and vocal harmony recordings is a definite musical feast well digesting like the delicious culinary tradition the songs salute. WIth the excellent annotation and engineering of the source material, this is an excellent collection."

Ruf Records issued a double CD set by Omar and the Howlers, Essential Collection. This is a career and label spanning compilation that covers the two or so decades of the recording career of Omar Dykes. I noted that nothing on this was less than first-rate.

Among the better reissues celebrating 40 years of CTI was the CTI Masterworks release of Stanley Turrentine’s Don’t Mess With Mister T. The addition of bonus tracks make this even stronger a reissue than a simple reissue of the original album would have been.

An excellent compilation of modern West Coast Uptown Blues is the English Ace collection of Al King and Arthur K Adams, Together: The Complete Kent and Modern Recordings. I wrote that this "is an important reissue of two powerful, if neglected blues artists (although thankfully Adams is still with us and continuing to make strong, original music)."

It is odd to hear Herman ‘Little Junior’ Parker referred to as a fairly obscure figure in the history of African-American music as Dave Penny does in the liner notes of the excellent two-disc, Fantastic Voyage public-domain reissue, Ride With Me, Baby: The Singles 1952-1961.  This is a very welcome, overdue, and highly recommended, reissue of Parker’s singles from the first decade of his recording career. 

The Heart and Soul of the late Etta James

I never had the pleasure of seeing Etta James perform. Several times I attended events she was supposed to perform at, but each time she withdrew shortly before the performance. I can only remember her by her body of recordings as well as television appearances she made. I remember the memorable episode of the original PBS Soundstage program where she sang a duet with Dr. John on I’d Rather Go Blind.

The first albums of Etta James I purchased included the double-CD compilation of her Essential Chess Recordings and one of her albums on Island which included a stormy rendition of Standin’ On Shaky Ground, and the classic Otis Redding number “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember. What was striking about her was her husky, earthiness, yet the ability to caress a ballad so that her signature song was a song written in the forties, At Last. She could be a force of nature and yet caress a ballad. Few could handle the range of material she did with the same conviction and authority. There was the church rooted style of Something Got a Hold on Me or I’d Rather Go Blind and the romanticism of At Last, as well as her latter day recordings of standards.

While the recordings she listened to by Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington, one of the most important influences on her singing was her dear friend, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson. Some, who were not aware may have called Watson, “the female Etta James” but if she was asked she would correct them and state she was the female John Watson. This might be evident if one mixed some of Watson’s slow recordings like Cuttin’ In or Embraceable You, with James’ ballads or her Billie Holiday Tribute, Mystery Lady. Her impact can be seen in the number of recordings of her songs by others, with At Last becoming a wedding standard.

Prior to her death, Universal released on its Hip-O-Select label, the four-CD Heart & Soul: A Retrospective, that in its four CDs surveys her recordings from her debut as The Wallflower doing Roll With Me Henry, for Modern Records to the previously unissued 2007 recording of Rodney Crowell’s Ashes By Now. The first disc opens with 9 recordings from Modern including Roll With Me Henry, and her jump blues Good Rocking Daddy. The bulk of this compilation derive from her stay at Chess starting from All I Could Do Is Cry, her duet with Harvey Fuqua of Willie Dixon’s Spoonful, the standards At Last and Sunday King of Love, duets with Sugar Pie DeSanto and her visits to Muscle Shoals which produced Tell Mama, I’d Rather Go Blind, and Otis Redding’s Security. Before she left Chess they experimented with other producers turning in renditions of St. Louis Blues, Tracy Nelson’s Down So Low, and Randy Newman’s Sail Away.

After her tenure at Chess she produced a moving version of Alice Cooper’s Only Women Bleed, for Warner Brothers (although I prefer the rare Ike and Tina Turner rendition) and was caught live with Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson for Fantasy represented here on Percy Mayfield’s Please Send Me Someone To Love. She joined Island and produced a stirring “Damn Your Eyes,” that today perhaps only a Bettye LaVette could do equal justice to. Not everything is top level. Her duet with B.B. King on Big Jay McNeely’s There Is Something on Your Mind, is a nice track but not as powerful as the original with Little Sonny Warner on the vocal or Bobby Marchand’s two-part reworking which is the source for the King-James interpretation here. Blues remained a core of her music whether on The Blues Is My Business, or the acoustic blues rendition of Elmore James’ The Sky Is Crying.

I purchased this box set.  Here is Etta singing At Last.