Alligator Records--50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music

Various - Alligator Records--50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music- Alligator Records

Alligator Records is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year and, as it has in past years, compiled, 40th Anniversary Collection, a three-CD compilation of 58 recordings from the label since it released Genuine Houserockin' Music by Hound Dog Taylor, which label founder Bruce Iglauer says is the mantra that still governs the label. However, he notes the label no longer just records blues, even if the artists are deeply rooted in the blues tradition. There is also a double LP vinyl edition with twenty-four selections.

Given the diversity of contents and the purpose of this collection, it is not my intent to review the contents here. I suspect folks will find selections they don't like and others they think are timeless. Besides celebrating Alligator Records history, this compilation hopefully will introduce some of the artists and recordings that some may be unfamiliar with. There are vintage selections from Koko Taylor, Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, Fenton Robinson, and Albert Collins. Also, there are contemporary acts like Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Shemekia Copeland, and Selwyn Birchwood. 

There is a selection from the Grammy Award-winning collaboration between Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray, a track from Professor Longhair, a live Luther Allison track, a selection from Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, and a duet between Corey Harris and Henry Butler. Other performers represented here include Guitar Shorty, Billy Branch, Joe Louis Walker, Janiva Magness, JJ Grey & Mofro, Tinsley Ellis, and Coco Montoya. Also, many of the recent albums on Alligator are represented, including tracks from Chris Cain, The Cash Box Kings, Curtis Salgado, The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling, Toronto Cannon, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite, and Roomful of Blues.

In addition to his overview of Alligator's history, label head Bruce Iglauer provides short bios of the various acts. I believe his concluding comments to the liner notes states things very well, 

"Today, after 50 years, Alligator remains proudly independent and still 100% dedicated to Genuine Houserockin' Music. With a roster that includes beloved veterans like Marcia Ball, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Elvin Bishop and Roomful Of Blues, rising stars like Selwyn Birchwood and Toronzo Cannon, and the 22-year-old sensation Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, we are committed to the past, present and future of the tradition. Now that illegal downloading has been replaced by digital streaming services reaching around the globe, Alligator's music can be heard in China, India, and across Africa, and in other countries where it was never available in physical form. Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers would be amazed to see what happened to the tiny record label, now with over 350 releases, that was created to bring their music to the world. They'd be thrilled to know that billions of people can now discover the joyous houserockin' blues that they played every Sunday at Florence's Lounge."

"Alligator Records-- 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin' Music" is a vibrant celebration of the impressive (and still growing) body of music produced by Alligator Records and Bruce Iglauer.

Alligator Records provided a download to review.

Herb Wise Photographed Legendary Musicians

People You’d Like To Know: Legendary Musicians Photographed
By Herb Wise
Omnibus Press 2010

Herb Wise was an editor for Oak Publications who published Sing out as well as various books on folk and blues (Samuel Charters’ The Bluesman was originally published by Oak), when photographer David Gahr took him outside gave him a camera and had him start shooting pictures. While his initial efforts were not productive, it led to him becoming a fixture with his camera at festivals and concerts throughout North America documenting a wide spectrum of music, focusing on folk, bluegrass with some blues, country and jazz mixed in from Mariposa in Toronto, the Ann Arbor Blues Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the American Folk Life Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

This is a coffee table sized volume of his photos. There is an amiable quality to many of these which are often informal portraits although there are some very fine performance images included. Graham Vickers includes brief descriptions of the artists depicted and sometimes the circumstances the photos were made of. Striking images of Richard Havens, Sam Chatmon, Jaco Pastorious, Professor Longhair (one great picture with reflections showing in his sunglasses) , Chuck Berry, Charles Mingus, Saul Broudy, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Frank Zappa, Jackson Browne (great portrait), Sonny Terry (reclining against a trailer), Joan Baez & Kris Kristofferson, Joe Zawinul, Arlo Guthrie, Ray Charles, Doc Watson, Leon Redbone, Stephane Grappelli, Bob Dylan with the Band, an early Taj Mahal and Koko Taylor sitting in front of her van at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Its a pretty diverse group of images, and some are devoted to showing dancers at the festival while a young Rosanna Arquette is seen at the 1971 Philadelphia Folk Festival. Blue Lu Barker and Danny Barker are seen in their living room, while Roosevelt Sykes is backstage at the 1981 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.The pictures mostly come from the sixties and seventies. 

The reproduction (with a slight sepia tint) seems quite satisfactory and there is a wealth of performers captured here, some famous, others less so. People You’d Like To Know is a book you might skim through when you first get it and return to look at the images again and again. It is reasonably priced with a list price of $34.95, should be reasonably easy to fine and makes a nice addition to one’s collection of music photography books.

This review originally appeared in the September 2010 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 329).  I received a review copy from a publicist. Needless to say this would make a great holiday gift for music lovers.

Davis Coen's Bright Blues Lights

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, now resident in Charleston, South Carolina with time spent in among various places New York City and Connecticut, Davis Coen brings a variety of musical elements to his thoroughly engaging Blues Lights For Yours and Mine (Soundview). Influences that can be detected include Tom Waits, Professor Longhair, Eric Von Schmidt, John Hurt, Bob Dylan, and John Lee Hooker, which he incorporates in this album that gets down in the alley at times as well as takes us to a rollicking barrelhouse.

The opening Basement With the Blue Light, is a blues and soul tinged ballad with an appealing vocal and a nice understated guitar break, whereas Mambo Jambo, is a lively Crescent City flavored rocker. Jack Of Diamonds takes the classic country blues from Texas (think Blind Lemon Jefferson and Black Ace) and adds a Mississippi Hill Country groove for a rocking original take on this theme, while Accelerated Woman, is a stunning stomp-boogie that is clearly inspired by early John Lee Hooker.

With a small group backing he then delights us with a Piedmont rag, Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down, that crosses Dave Van Ronk with a light juke joint groove, followed by a return to New Orleans for his rendition of, Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand, derived from Professor Longhair’s recording of this traditional blues theme and sporting some rollicking piano, while Lordy Lord, sounds to these ears like a reworking of an old Frankie Lee Sims tune. A bit of traditional spiritual flavor is found on Since I Left My Burden Down, with his deft acoustic guitar supported by the rhythm.

Down in the Alley, is another rollicking number featuring some barrelhouse flavored piano, before he closes this set with a solo rendition of CC Rider. What totally impresses about this disc is how even at its most traditional, Coen never simply copies but adds his own seasoning and his heartfelt, yet restrained performances come across so much more compelling than artists who are superficially more emotional. Not having heard of Davis Coen prior to this CD, this writer emphasizes how impressed he was by this and how the music has stayed fresh even after several hearings.

One can download this at itunes and cdbaby.com and amazon.com are among those carrying this CD. Coen’s website is www.daviscoen.com.

This review was submitted to a publication a few years ago, but apparently never ran. My review copy came from a publicist.

French Boogie Blues and Zydeco Releases

There is a myth that there was very little new blues of note recorded in the 1970s. The fact is labels like Alligator, Delmark and Blind Pig produced fine albums, and labels like Stax and Jewel produced strong modern urban blues. Also, there were a number of recordings released in Europe, usually by touring American musicians, on labels like Isabel and Black & Blue. Three reissues from Barclay’s Maison de Blues series caught my attention when issued three decades ago, and these new CD releases allow me to replace my worn vinyl LPs. Memphis Slim & Buddy Guy, Southside Reunion, was recorded when Buddy Guy and Junior Wells were touring Europe in September 1970. This 35 year old session brought together the expatriate Slim with the Buddy Guy-Junior Wells Band for what was a terrific session mixing Slim’s rolling barrelhouse piano, urbane singing and the tough sound Guy and Wells put together with one of the great blues bands of all time. Guy and Wells had Phil Guy on rhythm guitar, Ernest Johnson on bass, A.C. reed and Jim Conley on sax and Roosevelt ‘Snake’ Shaw on drums. When Slim kicks off a duet with Buddy on the opening When Buddy Comes to Town, the music takes off on a cooking shuffle that I doubt Buddy could come close to matching today with his more hard rock approach, and how many modern rhythm sections could handle the shuffle groove or settle in so able behind Slim on Leroy Carr’s classic, How Long Blues? Guy also handles the vocal on You’re the One while Wells ably supports on harp throughout. An alternate take of You’re the One, and Jamming at the Castle are bonus tracks and come across as worthy companions for a really magnificent reissue. Professor Longhair was at the beginning of his re-emergence as a performer when he recorded the 1974 release Rock’n’Roll Gumbo, which was reissued on George Winston’s Dancing Cat label in 1985 with horns added to the reworking of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Maison de Blues reissue is musically the same as the Dancing Cat and had Fess pared with Gatemouth Brown on guitar (and fiddle for Jambalaya,) with a rhythm section of Julius Farmer on bass, drummer Sheba Kimbrough, who recently (October 2005) passed away, and Alfred ‘Uganda Roberts on congas. The music is marvelous as the empathy between Brown and Fess is obvious throughout whether on remaking Hey Now Baby and Tipitina or bringing a fresh take to Junco Partner, Ray Charles’ Mess Around, Stag-O-Lee, and Mean Ol’ World. After the mix of funk and blues grooves, the album closes with just Fess at the piano taking care of business on (They Call Me) Dr. Professor Longhair. This is perhaps my favorite Longhair album, and interestingly Rhino took seven songs from this when they did their two-CD Professor Longhair anthology. The third reissue is Clifton Chenier’s Frenchin’ the Boogie, recorded at a time when Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Duval was part of the band on keyboards. The Frenchin’ in the title refers to the fact that Chenier sings a number of blues and rhythm and blues classics in Creole French. There are several nods to Louis Jordan, Caledonia, Choo-Choo Ch’Boogie, and Laissez Les Bon Tons Roulet (a retitled Let the Good Times Roll) along with versions of Shake Rattle and Roll and Going Down Slow mixed with a waltz. Chenier was in peak form for this 1976 session, singing ebulliently and soulfully, putting as much soul in his piano accordion as Jimmy Smith on the organ and the Red Hot Louisiana Band rocking as hard as any band ever did. Like the other two releases, this is spectacular stuff. The above was a relatively recent (March-April 2006) review from Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 280) of some reissues of blues recordings from Europe. They are still available (although perhaps easier to get as downloads than hard physical copies). I likely received review copies from Jazz & Blues Report.

James Booker's Unpredictable Keyboard Magic

The late James Carroll Booker III was one of the most unique and brilliant of the New Orleans pianists, recording on Imperial as a young teenager, later recording an organ instrumental, Gonzo, named after a character in a movie about drugs that became a minor hit, and doing hundreds of recording sessions including New Orleans R&B dates, and with artists as diverse as Ringo Starr, the Doobie Brothers and Freddie King. Plagued by personal demons, perhaps arising from a lifelong battle with drugs and alcohol (which he attributed to a prescription he was given after being hit by ambulance in his youth), his behavior was often erratic and his music could be extremely extroverted or painfully withdrawn inward. A child prodigy, he played Chopin as a child, and was drawn to the music of Errol Garner and Liberace. As indicated he played on countless sessions, although made few recordings under his own name. Like his moods, his playing could be inconsistent. While it was usually marvelous, he could ramble on, noodling. The various nicknames he had, Little Booker, Gonzo, Junco Partner, the Bronze Chopin or the Black Liberace, may give you an idea of what to expect. Rounder has added, to the few albums issued under his name, two new albums drawn from over 60 hours of live recordings of Booker playing the upright piano at New Orleans’ Maple Leaf Bar, perhaps his steadiest gig. These provide a fascinating glimpse at one of major piano stylists of recent pop music idioms. Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah and Spiders on the Keys present slightly different perspectives on Booker’s art. Resurrection is comprised primarily of medleys of vocals along with his pounding boogie accompaniment while Spiders is an instrumental album. There is some overlap in the material. Tico Tico and Papa Was a Rascal can be heard on both, although in different forms. The latter tune is pure Booker, as he reworks the melody of St. Louis Blues. The vocal version contains outrageous lyrics including a warning to watch out for the CIA. Booker’s singing is also outrageous, suggestive somewhat of Professor Longhair, and may be an acquired taste. His song medleys often feature changes in tempo and mood. Many of the songs on Resurrection have some connection with New Orleans R&B, such as All By Myself, Lawdy Miss Clawdy and Junco Partner. His use of cross rhythms is reminiscent of Professor Longhair, although his piano playing is more ornate. Booker’s originality will be evident from listening to these. Furthermore, he could play songs very differently at different times. The version of Junco Partner, is quite different from a previous recording of his I had heard. And then he could follow that with Chopin. His versatility, and command was uncanny, leading to the admiration of many including Harry Connick, Jr.. Spiders is all piano and, includes interpretations of pop tunes, including Eleanor Rigby and the unlikely choice of A Taste of Honey. Particularly nice is Gonzo’s Blue Dream, which suggests Professor Longhair’s Tipitina. His solos have some disassembly of the melodies, but his style primarily is one of embellishing the melody. In any event, these two CDs make for fascinating listening, and both have been frequent visitors to my compact disc player. Its been some time since James Booker left this plane of existence. The review appeared in slightly different form in the December 1993 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 187) and these recordings are still available.

Michael P. Smith JazzFest Photographer Supreme RIP

I remember years ago attending a Smithsonian Institute Folklife Festival in Washington which was devoted in part to the culture of Louisiana and New Orleans. It was chance to hear some blues like the late Boogie Bill Webb as well as it was my first exposure to the Mardi Gras Indian tradition other than the recordings of The Wild Magnolias and The Wild Tchoupitoulas, as members talked about and demonstrated the making of a costume as well as the various traditions involved. At the store where they sold items related to the Festival was a book of black and white photographs, Spirit World: Pattern in the Expressive Folk Culture of African-American New Orleans, It was essentially a catalogue of one of his exhibits documenting aspects of the cultural life and communities of New Orleans that was totally new to me, such as spiritual churches, and I slowly began to understand the interrelationship between the churches, the Indians, the music and other interrelated aspects that were the foundation for the New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Music that I loved (well I still d0). The book was republished by the Louisiana print house, Pelican, and is readily available.

I soon became aware of the importance that Smith had in documenting the music, culture and communities of New Orleans. His photos graced album covers and t-shirts (I proudly had t-shirts of his photos of James Booker and Clifton Chenier). Subsequently I acquired his marvelous book, A Joyful Noise: A Celebration of New Orleans Music, which is out of print.

When I first attended the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, in the mid-190s, I went to his tent in the crafts section of the Festival grounds which his daughter Leslie (herself a very fine jazz singer) was manning, and eventually purchased his then recently published book on the Mardi Gras Indians as well as a poster made from the Dancing Cat Professor Longhair album cover that was signed by him. Since I framed it upon getting home, it hangs in my bedroom.

Subsequently I purchased his New Orleans Jazz Fest, A Pictorial History, which chronicled the first 20 or so years of the festival from images of Mahalia Jackson with the Eureka Brass Band; Jackson with Duke Ellington, George Wein and Cousin Joe, Rashaan Roland Kirk with Herbie Mann's Band, Como Fife and Drum Band, Sonny Stitt with Ellis Marsalis, Sweet Emma Barrett, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Stevie Wonder with the Meters, Dizzy Gillespie and Bongo Joe, Benny Spellman, Professor Longhair, Nina Simone, etc (and that's in the first 50 odd of 200 pages). This book is in black and white and was followed by an JazzFest Memories with color photography which was done in collaboration with Allison Miner who wrote about the Festival's history.

I am obviously a fan of his work and was saddened when I found out he passed away on Friday, September 26. The New Orleans Times-Picayune celebrated his marvelous life in an obituary, Cultural archivist Michael Smith dies. If that link does not work, try http://tinyurl.com/3oz49v

An excerpt from John Pope's piece.

"Michael P. Smith, a photographer who spent three decades capturing vivid, vibrant images at jazz funerals, Mardi Gras Indian ceremonies and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, died Friday at his New Orleans home of two diseases that destroyed his nervous system. He was 71.

A man of boundless energy who devoted himself to the culture he chronicled, Mr. Smith seemed to be everywhere at whatever event he was shooting. Fellow photographers joked that every good Jazzfest picture they took included the back of Mr. Smith's head.

Mr. Smith's subjects included Mahalia Jackson, Irma Thomas, James Booker, Harry Connick Jr., Professor Longhair and the Neville Brothers, as well as anonymous mourners, strutters and Indians whom Mr. Smith always managed to capture caught up in the moment.

"I don't think there's another photographer who has more sensitively documented very significant aspects of the second half of 20th century New Orleans culture," said Steven Maklansky, a former curator of photographs at the New Orleans Museum of Art."

The biography of him on his website, www.michaelpsmithphotography.com notes the many honors he earned. "In the last few years, Mike Smith has been honored with numerous awards. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 2002 and was named Music Photographer of the Year by Offbeat magazine. In 2004, he received a Mayor's Arts Award from the Arts Council of New Orleans and a Clarence John Laughlin Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Orleans/Gulf South chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). In 2005, he received the Delgado Society Award (New Orleans Museum of Art), the first photographer to be so honored."

In Spring, 2007, the collection of his negatives and copyright to his work was transferred to the New Orleans Collection. The collection was over 500,000 negatives, most of which have never been printed and the New Orleans Collection intends to make more of his work available in the future. Smith's photographs are also in the permanent collections of the Bibliotheque National in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution and, locally, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Louisiana State Museum.

His work has not only entertained my eyes but enriched my understanding and love of the music of New Orleans. I know that I am not alone with this sentiment.

A brief sample of his images can be downloaded from the website of The Historic New Orleans Collection. One can download issues of the newsletter, THNOC Quarterly at http://www.hnoc.org/publications/publications-quarterly.php#. It is the Spring 2008 issue.

Mr Butler's extraordinary piano blues

The are few musicians that I would call astonishing. New Orleans pianist Henry Butler qualifies to my ears. I remember the first recording of his that I listened to, the marvelous For All Seasons on Atlantic. Mostly backed by a trio that included David Holland on bass and Herman Jackson on drums (Steve Turre plays trombone on one track), the album generally is a strong hard bop piano set, but the highpoint is his solo rendition of W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues, on which his musical explorations bring a truly fresh take on this classic song. After this disc, his recordings have become less jazz-oriented and more blues-r’n’b focused.

His newest recording is PianoNOLA on Basin Street Records. Co-produced by George Winston, who produced Butler’s Orleans Inspiration, this disc is a collection of live solo performances that include several instrumentals as well his renditions of several blues and R&B classics. The strength of this recording is his piano playing especially on the marvelous renditions of Basin Street Blues, his own tour de force Orleans Inspiration, and the late Alvin Batiste’s North American Idiosyncrasies. As a vocalist, Butler sometimes come off as a bit melodramatic to these ears, but even on such a well-known number as Professor Longhair’s Tipitina, he radically reworks it in his stunning original solo and the piano and a wordless vocal part lifts up his rendition of the Ernie K-Doe classic, Mother-in-Law. While the overwrought vocal on Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, is perhaps the low point, the rollicking Let It Roll,’ (originally heard on the marvelous VU-DU-Menz album with Corey Harris) picks things up. If this reviewer finds this uneven, there is no question that there are many inspired moments throughout this disc. Maybe his wonderful Orleans Inspiration will get reissued.

Some Outstanding Blues Reissues of 2007

In a second of three posts here are some reissues of first release of vintage blues and R&B that I believe merits your consideration. I have links to my reviews of the cds on this blog.
Andrew Brown - Big Brown Blues (Black Magic) Magic collection by singer who may superficially be described as in the style of Little Milton.
Johnnie Taylor - Live at the Summit Club (Stax). The Soul Philospher in a great live performance from time of Wattstax with a heavy blues emphasis on material.
Henry Townsend - The Real St. Louis Blues (Arcola) Distinctive acoustic blues by one who performed with Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Roosevelt Sykes, Walter Davis and others. His minor key piano blues are particularly moving. This label has some really important releases out and I do not believe they have been publicized but they certainly deserve. I became aware of this label last year so even though its a pre-2007 release I am including it.
Various - Bullet Records Blues (SPV Blue). Excellent collection of blues by the likes of Walter Davis and St. Louis Jimmy that was issued on Nashville label.
Various - Bullet Records Rhythm & Blues (SPV Blue). Another of Fred James' compilations of vintage Nashville labels with some great jump blues starting with Wyonnie Harris (with Sun Ra on piano). He has other notable reissues on SRV Blue of the Champion and other labels, but these two on Bullet are musically the finest.
Various - Crescent City Bounce (JSP) Wonderful European public domain 4 CD set of rare New Orleans recordings including great sides by Archibald, Smilin’ Joe, Roosevelt Sykes, Tommy Ridgely, Earl King and others.
Various - Down Home Blues Classics- (2CDS) California & West Coast 48-54 (Boulevard Vintage). Simply stunning downhome blues performances by the likes of KC Douglas, Sidney Maiden, Black Diamond, Little Son Willis, Haskell Sadler, Slim Green and others
Various - Down Home Blues Classics- (2CDS) Memphis & the South (Boulevard Vintage). Another compilation of terrific downhome blues with Willie Love, Willie Nix, Joe Hill Louis, Lightning Slim, Schoolboy Cleve, Big Joe Williams, John Lee, Luther Huff, Dr. Ross and more.
Various - MERCURY RECORDS- (2CDS) The New Orleans Sessions 1950 & 1953 (Bear Family). Expanded compilation that includes early recordings by Professor Longhair and others (including Lee Allen's first recordings as a sideman).

James "Wee Willie" Wayne

Many may be familiar with the song "Junco Partner". The song was written and originally by James Wayne although most are probably familiar from more modern recordings by Professor Longhair, James Booker and Dr. John (On his Gumbo album). He also has another recording Traveling Mood that Snooks Eaglin recorded for Imperial and Black Top (This link to Dan Phillips blog Home of the Groove has a nice label shot of the Imperial 45) and also nicely done by Dr. John on his live recording on Hyena, Right Place, Right Time.

On the post-war blues internet group at yahoo, this interesting link of Wayne's dealings with California judicial and mental health systems was provided and it is worthy of further publicizing. People v. James Douglas Wayne

Thanks to Terence McArdle for posting this link.