Muddy Waters Blues Band Mud In Your Ear

Muddy Waters Blues Band

Mud In Your Ear

Douglas

Douglas Records has made available on compact disc, “Mud In Your Ear”, 15 selections by the Muddy Waters Blues Band originally issued on two vinyl albums issued back over forty years ago on what was then Alan Douglas’ new label. Muddy Waters is on the session, but limited to backing guitar although taking a few recognizable slide solos. His band at that time included Luther ‘Snake Boy’ Johnson on vocals and guitar; George ‘Mojo’ Buford on harmonica and vocals; Otis Spann on piano; Sammy lawhorn on guitar; Lawrence ‘Sonny’ Wimberly on bass and Francis Clay on drums. 

Johnson and Mojo, along with Spann, would have been featured on the Band’s opening selections before Muddy would be brought up. This recording allows Johnson and Buford to have more of the spotlight then they would live as well as allows us to hear this edition of Waters Band upfront. Johnson takes the bulk of the vocals including a nice rendition of Washboard Sam’s “Diggin’ My Potatoes,” and Muddy’s “Long Distance Call,” with his take on the “another mule kicking in my stall” climax. The title track, heard in a lengthy version and a brief reprise, is an rocking instrumental rendition of “Got My Mojo Working.” There are also solid renditions of “Coming Home Baby” and Jimmy Smith’s “Chicken Shack,” songs that were typical opening numbers. 

Johnson’s “I’m So Glad” is a pretty strong original with Muddy adding some stinging slide. Also nice are his interpretations of a couple lesser known Waters numbers, the brooding “Remember Me,” and Waters’ “Evil,” where he sings that when you see him coming better run and hide. Spann is particularly superb on these and Buford adds some nice harp. Buford comes across well on the first-rate “I’m So Glad,” and “Watch Dog.” The latter number is a slow blues with a clever lyric about needing a watch dog to look after things when he goes away on business. 

This was a tight band and these are solid performances. Johnson did record overseas after leaving Muddy Waters but died much too young while Buford made several albums until his passing a few years back. This is a good document of the Muddy Waters band of the time before Spann left, and while this is not an essential reissue, it is a welcome one.

This was a purchase. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2012 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 344). Here is a performance from Luther ‘Snake Boy’ Johnson.

James Cotton It Was A Very Good Year

James Cotton

It Was A Very Good Year

Just a Memory JAM 9144-2

It Was a Very Good Year/ Mystery Train/ She’s My Baby/ One More Mile/ How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)/ I Can’t Quit You Baby/ Sweet Sixteen/ Midnight Creeper/ Hootchie Cootchie Man/ You’re So Fine. 46:55.

Cotton, vcl, hca, Albert Gianquinto, p; Luther Tucker,g; Bobby Anderson, b; Francis Clay, d. September 28, 1967. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

This is the third disc deriving from live performances by the James Cotton band at the New Penelope Cafe in Montreal in September 1967 on Just a Memory. These must be among the last performances by the Cotton band with Albert Gianquinto on piano. This writer saw Cotton and his band in Cleveland in early Fall 1967 (possibly a week or two after the engagement which produced this recording), by which time a saxophone had replaced pianist Gianquinto. In any event , this was one of Cotton’s best bands and if this recording lacks the highest of fidelity (the drums are too prominent), the sound is acceptable. 

1967 may well have been a very good year in Montreal with Expo ‘67, but the title track is a feature for Gianquinto’s jazzy piano before the band brings Cotton up to the stage. There is a nice mix of songs from Cotton as he opens up with Jr. Parker’s “Mystery Train” before tackling Sonny Boy Williamson’s “She’s My Baby” which Cotton had recorded as “Sugar Sweet,” and his own “One More MIle”. The inclusion of Marvin Gaye’s Motown hit “How Sweet It Is,” is an indication that the boundaries between blues and soul were not as demarcated as some find today. 

Luther Tucker’s guitar is spectacular on Cotton’s solo rendition of Otis Rush’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” and the lengthy “Sweet Sixteen” where he really stretches out. Cotton has the lengthy “Midnight Creeper” to showcase his harmonica mastery. Cotton also sings here as well as he ever did and the level of the music supports the memory of this being a great blues band. Incidentally, the closing “You’re So Fine,” is erroneously credited to Little Walter. It is a reworking of the Johnny Otis song that was a hit for the Fiestas.

This review was written in 2001 and likely published in Cadence from whom I likely received a review copy. I had previously reviewed another CD "Seems Like Yesterday" from this engagement, and it was posted back in 2012. Here is Cotton and band from 1967 doing "Off The Wall."

James Cotton in 1967 Seems Like Yesterday

The Canadian Just a Memory label continues its documentation of live blues performances in Montreal in the late 1960s. The latest release, Seems Like Yesterday is by James Cotton from a September 28, 1967 appearance at the New Penelope Cafe, which was around the time when this writer saw Cotton at La Cave in Cleveland. I do not believe Cotton had the same band when I saw him. I believe that Alberto Gianquinto, who is on piano, had left Cotton, being replaced by a saxophonist, but I definitely recall the late, highly underrated Luther Tucker on guitar, drummer Francis Clay and bassist Bobby Anderson backing James at La Cave. Musically, this release mixes the blues and soul repertoire that characterized Cotton’s first Verve-Forecast album with renditions of songs from James Brown (I Feel Good); Big Jay McNeely (There is Something on Your Mind, although Cotton’s vocal is based on Bobby Marchan’s hit version, not McNeely’s original with Sonny Warner on vocals); and Bobby Bland (Good Time Charlie), along with classic Chicago Blues themes from Willie Mabon (I Don’t Know) and Little Walter (It Ain’t Right). Likely recorded from the soundboard, this may not be high fidelity, but one can hear what is going on. In addition to his first-rate harp, Cotton was in strong voice back then and sounds particularly convincing on Stormy Monday on which Tucker plays in an especially striking fashion. Cotton’s openness to a variety of sources is shown by his rendition of Nat Adderly’s Work Song. This may have been inspired by Paul Butterfield’s famous recording of the tune. Because of the less than perfect sound, casual listeners may pass on this. Others who remember this particular band, or are fans of Cotton will want this for historical and other reasons. This review appeared originally in the July-August 1998 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 233) and I probably received a review copy from a publicist or the label. Here is James Cotton from 1969 in a low-fidelity and slightly washed out video.