Robert Pete Williams - The Legacy of the Blues.

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). This is the last review from that group of Sonet Blues reissues reviews.

Robert Pete Williams was discovered by folklorist Harry Oster while recording prisoners at Louisiana’s infamous Angola State Penitentiary. These recordings that originally were issued on the Folk-Lyric label (later acquired by Arhoolie on whom they have been reissued) certainly made some aware of Williams' stark, somber style of performances.  These performances drew on Williams' harsh life experiences  and were played in a manner reflecting Blind Lemon Jefferson's influence as channeled into the one-chord droning approach similar to that found in the early recordings of John lee Hooker and the recordings of Junior Kimbrough. 

His recordings led to his eventual freedom, although not until a probationary period where was almost an indentured servant farmer. Subsequently Williams recorded for Prestige-Bluesville, Ahura Mazda (perhaps reissued on Fat Possum) and this album, originally part of The Legacy of the Blues series. The ten performances here are representative of Williams unique art with his deeply personal lyrics, created out of the hard life he and others shared but distilled through his own experiences as in his re-recording of Angola Penitentiary Blues where he recalls “Locked me down, they tried me for my life; April the 6th, 1956, they sent me to Angola; Not to lie, not to lie, they tried me for my life; Cried, let’s keep the poor boy.” Come Here, Sit on My Knee features his bottleneck style that he learned from his friend, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and the performance sounds derived from Shake ‘Em On Down and other McDowell numbers, while Late Night Boogie, has him in his understated vocal singing about late at night blowing his horn with his unique guitar accompaniment. 

Williams music requires the listener’s attention although this disc sounds like it is among his most accessible recordings. Give Robert Pete Williams music some time and its virtues will hopefully become evident to you. 

I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. Here is Robert Pete Williams performing.

Sunnyland Slim Legacy of the Blues

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this every few days in next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days.

Albert Luandrew, the legendary Chicago pianist known as Sunnyland Slim, is represented by some 1974 solo recordings recorded in Stockholm for The Legacy of the Blues. With his unique touch and his vibrato-laden vocals, Slim is heard hear on ten solid performances that includes such staples of his repertoire as She’s Got a Thing Goin’ On, Bessie Mae and She Used to Love Me. 

Slim’s strong two-fisted piano and singing is displayed on the rocking Gonna Be My Baby while he gets down in the alley on Couldn’t Find a Mule singing about “Oh Captain,” and his own recasting of Woman I Ain’t Gonna Drink No More Whiskey” singing about how his woman and whiskey take advantage of him laying down firmly played but spare bass while pounding out some strong right hand lines. The longest track Days of Old recalls his early days where he experienced the harsh conditions of a southern black laborer in the dark segregation days. 

Slim remained a foundation of the Chicago blues scene until he died in 1995 at the age of 88 and these recordings are a welcome reminder of his well-documented legacy.

I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. Here is Sunnyland Slim performing.

Memphis Slim

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this every few days in next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days.

Memphis Slim, real name Peter Chapman, was another Chicago blues giant who became an expatriate, moving to Paris in 1962. Clyde Otis recorded him in New York in 1967 during a US tour with a band that included the great Billy Butler on guitar and Eddie Chamblee on tenor saxophone for a session that would not have been out of place on the Prestige-Bluesville catalog and was in The Legacy of the Blues series.

The set opens with a nice reworking of Everyday I Have the Blues and closes with Sassy Mae, completely reworked from his original which was built upon the Dust My Broom riff. Highlights include the peppy A Long Time Gone, where he sings about it being a long time since his baby called with Chamblee soaring with his solo as Slim plays his rock solid piano under him. I Feel Like Ballin’ the Jack is a retitled version of Big Bill’s Feel So Good, confidently sung. Slim’s considerable prowess on the piano is evident on Broadway Boogie, a storming instrumental with Chamblee and Butler taking crisp solos while Gambler’s Blues has him lament that “Last night I lost the best friend I ever had; I lost all my money, too bad, people how sad.” Sassy Mae which sports a larger (uncredited) horn section completes this welcome reissue.

I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. Here is Memphis Slim performing "Slim's Boogie."

Eddie Boyd - Sonet Blues Story series

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this batch of reviews every few days in the next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days.

Eddie Boyd, the Chicago pianist-vocalist who is most known for the classic Five Long Years, had become an expatriate in 1965 to escape racism and married a Finnish woman in 1970 prior to recording his album for The Legacy of the Blues series with some Swedish musicians and drummer Ed Thigpen for a solid session.

The opening notes of Lovesick Soul evoke Boyd’s classic before he launches in a nice Chicago blues ably backed with Peps Persson on harp as Christer Eklund adds tenor sax riffs and the rest of the set is a varied set of solid performances. Eklund sounds fine on tenor on I’m a Fool, while Boyd’s skill as a songwriter is present on Kindness For Weakness with Persson on guitar embellishing the vocal with some nice playing, while Black, Brown and White has Boyd confronting the issue of discrimination in a song that updates Big Bill Broonzy’s similar song.

Boyd’s years in Europe kept him out of the spotlight in the US, except for a brief 1986 visit associated with an appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival, but musically fertile. In addition to this welcome reissue (with two alternate takes added), Boyd’s Complete Blue Horizon Recordings, including those with Fleetwood Mac, has been issued and available at specialty outlets.

I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. Here is Eddie Boyd performing Five Long Years.

Snooks Eaglin - With His New Orleans Friends

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this every few days in next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days.

Snooks Eaglin was represented by a prior volume in this series playing solo. The 1977 recordings represented on this latest album is With His New Orleans Friends who include the great Clarence Ford on tenor sax, George French on bass and background vocals, Bob French on drums and Ellis Marsalis on piano for a set of New Orleans R&B in the mode of Eaglin’s Imperial recordings.

The songs include Down Yonder, a Smiley Lewis number that Eaglin would keep in his repertoire decades later, Roscoe Gordon’s No More Doggin’, J.B. Lenoir's Talk to Your Daughter, Fats Domino’s Going to the River and Let the Four Winds Blow, James Wayne’s Traveling Mood (which Eaglin recorded for Imperial), Fat’s Domino’s Going to the River, and even Sir Mack Rice’s Mustang Sally (which comes off as tolerable in Eaglin’s hands. 

The band plays solidly behind Eaglin here, although not quite as inspired as the bands Snooks would have on his Black Top recordings. Charters notes how Eaglin insisted on his fuzzy tone for his guitar and there is plenty of his unique guitar playing with the band playing solidly behind him and these enjoyable sides foreshadows his spectacular Black Top recordings that started a decade later. 

I likely received review copies from Jazz & Blues Report. This may still be available new or used and as downloads. Here is a Snooks Eaglin performance

Otis Rush - Troubles Troubles

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this every few days in next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days. 

Otis Rush’s volume, subtitled Troubles, Troubles, is being released for the first time in its original form. Alligator had leased it, but Bruce Iglauer edited the solos and added “noisy keyboard” (quoting Sam Charters in his notes here), was retitled as Lost in the Blues, but there was a very critical reaction including from Rush (I seem to recall).

This 1977 Swedish session was with Rush’s band at the time with Bob Levis on second guitar, Bob Strokes on bass and Jesse Green on drums tackling a diverse repertoire including Jimmy Reed’s Baby What You Want Me to Do, You’ve Been an Angel, and You Don’t Have to Go; Willie Dixon’s Little Red Rooster; B.B. King’s Whole Lotta Lovin’ (actually Please Love Me) and Troubles, Troubles; Albert King’s Got to Be Some Changes Made; and Little Milton’s Same Old Blues (on which drummer sings). Alternate takes of You Been an Angel and Same Old Blues are included. 

The song selection is mostly covers of some well known songs with Rush sounding relaxed and soulful (Little Red Rooster suggests more of Sam Cooke’s influence than Howlin’ Wolf) with plenty of solid guitar. Rush’s admiration for Albert King is evident from the opening notes of a strong rendition of Albert King’s Got to Be Some Changes Made, and he throws quite a bit of passion into Hold That Train. 

This may not be an essential Rush album, but it is a very good ‘un and the release in this untampered form is most welcome. 

I likely received a review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. This may be available used or as a download. Here is Otis Rush in performance.