Ben HARPER & the Blind Boys of Alabama – There Will Be a Light 2004

Blues

This album would go on to pick up a Grammy award for Best Gospel album while Harper would also win a Grammy for the track, “11th Commandment.”
**
Ben Harper’s history with the Blind Boys of Alabama has been an evolving one that has moved from being a guest on their landmark Higher Ground offering and touring with them in Europe, to the Blind Boys joining Ben and the Innocent Criminals on-stage at the front and back of the show. This album began as a series of rehearsals for collaboration on a Blind Boys of Alabama record. Recorded in two sessions, the vibe in the room was loose and creative enough that the two acts ended up with an album of collaborative material for joint release. And this is a collaboration in the truest sense of the word. It’s not just Ben playing gospel, or the Blind Boys of Alabama singing on a Ben Harper record. These ten tunes — with seven Harper originals written specifically for the sessions, the rest traditional gospel tunes and covers — showcase Harper and the Innocent Criminals alongside the Blind Boys of Alabama. The album kicks off with Harper’s “Take My Hand,” a funky gospel tune that showcases a Fender Rhodes and Harper’s wah-wah pedal underscored by the call and response of the Blind Boys repeating the title after each sung line of the verse, before Clarence Fountain takes it out. “Wicked Man” is a Southern soul tune that has a Muscle Shoals groove and a beautiful vocal weave on the refrain. “Church House Steps” is pure gospel groove with a Hammond B3 and a smoking duet between the Blind Boys’ layered harmonies and Harper on the verses with full-on blues feel in his singing and playing. There’s a killer cover of the Bob Dylan/Danny O’Keefe tune, “Well, Well, Well,” with Delta blues bottleneck shimmering through the intertwined vocal lines. The deep, nocturnal sparseness of “Satisfied Mind” is a complete re-reading of the nugget with a swampy backbeat. And this album works beautifully. Nothing sounds forced, all of it loose and comfortable and the vocal performances on both sides are simply stellar. Highly recommended.
By Thom Jurek. AMG.
**
Jam Nation hero Ben Harper tones down his lap-slide guitar flash in favor of the holy spirit for this blend of originals and gospel classics, his first full-length album with the historic singing group. They’ve worked together before, on the Blind Boys’ excellent Higher Ground and Spirit of the Century, but here the pairing that Harper has termed “a spiritual soul movement” sounds like an outright tent-revival mission. His fevered wah-wah strutting and sweet high voice take their places in the chorus alongside the raw-throated howl of Blind Boys leader Clarence Fountain and his fellow bass George Scott, who plead for salvation like powerful old lions on “Take My Hand.” The group’s alto, Jimmy Carter, sails over the funky, hiccupping blues beat put down by Harper’s Innocent Criminals on the classic “Satisfied Mind.” The best cut may be Harper’s “Picture of Jesus,” a country-music-informed adventure in old-school church harmonizing with the passionate power to touch souls. By Ted Drozdowski.
**
There Will Be a Light delivers in every way on its promise; it’s a passionate meeting of kindred spirits. Ben Harper has made the liberationist side of gospel a cornerstone of his music for over a decade, and the Blind Boys have done their thing for nearly six times that. Old souls, indeed. With the versatile Innocent Criminals backing up a quartet of Harper and septuagenarians Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter, and George Scott, There Will Be a Light shines equally on tradition and innovation. The opener, “Take My Hand,” shimmies along to a gospel gait, but is rocked out with wah-wah guitar and keyboard flourishes. Harper’s lap-steel picking on “11th Commandment” segues into Bob Dylan’s “Well, Well, Well,” reinforcing the gospel-blues atmosphere of this collaboration. Rather than praise or hymns, Harper and the Blind Boys concentrate on moral songs whose wisdom is universal, such as “Satisfied Mind,” which extols spiritual ease instead of worldly luxury. “Picture of Jesus,” the most explicit reference to the identity of the man upstairs, is a Harper original recorded on his 2003 album Diamonds on the Inside. There is a sweet inevitability to this recording; Harper was a demon guitarist from day one, but he’s never sounded better or more in control of his voice. On the a cappella “Mother Pray,” his road-tested falsetto seems to mature into its full expressiveness. It seems like Ben Harper could sing anything now, and that enticing path is but one which this Light illuminates.
By Mark Schwartz.
**
Ben Harper produced There Will Be A Light, which transcends the same tiresome self-indulgent music, and emerges as a classic gospel album. Recorded in two sessions during January and March of 2004, these 11 songs prove strong testimony to the potent combination of Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama. The latter remains one of the most dynamic and long lasting gospel groups in the business. The Blind Boys recorded a Harper song on their critically acclaimed album Spirit of the Century, and their Grammy winning release, Higher Ground.

The provenance of this project originated with the idea of Harper recording one or two songs for the next Blind Boys album that turned into a full-blown collaboration. “Take My Hand” opens the CD and proves the vitality of The Blind Boys. Harper’s strong songwriting skills shine on “Wicked Man.” He co-wrote the sanctified “Where Could I Go” with band mates Jason Yates and ex-Black Crowe guitarist Marc Ford. “Church House Steps” resonates with the powerful and majestic harmonies of the Blind Boys. On the next track, Harper plays a mighty fine Dobro instrumental comprising the “11th Commandment”.

A version of the Bob Dylan/Danny O’Keefe song “Well, Well, Well” sounds like a lowdown blues cut. The centerpiece composition complete with Beatle-esque intro, “Pictures of Jesus,” ranks as a veritable tune in any era, or musical format. An electrified blues version of “Satisfied Mind” displays the versatility of the Innocent Criminals while the traditional arrangement of “Mother Pray” stands as the most soulful song on the album.

The title track evokes a musical bliss that inspires faith in any common sinner. Harper penned “Church On Time” which represents another up-beat song on the album, with timeless lyrics:

“Revelation chapter eight
seven angels at the gate
you don’t want to make them late
we’re gonna make it to the church
on time.”

Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama achieved the difficult goal of making a gospel album for rock and roll listeners. There Will Be A Light proves as strong medicine for the soul.
By James Calemine.
**
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Bobby Butler
Oliver Charles
Rock Deadrick
Clarence Fountain
Ricke McKinnie
Leon Mobley
Juan Nelson
Tracie Pierce
Michael Ward
Joe “Jackson Joe” Williams
Jason Yates
Marc Ford
**
01. Take My Hand  3:54
02. Wicked Man  3:33
03. Where Could I Go  4:09
04. Church House Steps  4:46
05. 11th Commandment  1:34
06. Well, Well, Well  3:15
07. Picture of Jesus  3:45
08. Satisfied Mind  3:15
09. Mother Pray  3:00
10. There Will Be a Light  3:22
11. Church on Time  4:17
**

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Jack DeJOHNETTE – Selected Recordings, Rarum XII  2004
Recorded in Oslo, Norway; Los Angeles, California and
New York, United States between 1971 and 1997.

Jazz

As with the other releases in ECM’s “Rarum” series, these tracks were selected by the artist himself.
Although Jack Dejohnette has recorded as a leader and sideman for many labels, I personally feel his long association with ECM is really where he has done his best work-at least to date.
I could argue with some of the selections here-personally I would choose something like “Ebony” from the never available on CD “Inflation Blues” release to better represent his work with his Special Edition horn-oriented band. I have also been waiting for the CD release on ECM of his “Untitled” CD with his band “Directions” from 1976 and would have selected something from that as well, since I place that recording in Dejohnette’s top 5 ever. Please release this on CD ECM!
However, for all the tracks that I feel may be missing from this, it is still 1) An excellent sampler of Jack Dejohnettes work, or for fans like me, a nice re-visitation. 2)Very interesting from the point of view that Dejohnette himself chooses these particular selections as having that “something special”.
Dejohnette oddly doesn’t even focus on his own compositions-he includes an original from guitarist Mick Goodrick’s solo album where Jack plays drums as a sideman as well as a Keith Jarrett composition from their very early duet recording “Ruta and Daitya”.
Personally though I have many compilations made from my Dejohnette collection for my own listening over the years and I feel that there are 4 “must have” tracks that I cannot leave off any compilation of my favorite Jack Dejohnette recordings, and 3 of them are here.
They are “Pictures 5 & 6″ from my very favorite Dejohnette recording “Pictures” (and I feel the 2 best tracks off of that record) and “Silver Hollow” from his “New Directions” recording. The only truly “best piece” that I find missing here is “Blue” that originally appeared on the Gateway 2 recording and also appeared on Dejohnette’s other best of compilation on ECM “Works”-so try to find a remaining copy of that compilation as well for an even more complete overall picture of Dejohnette’s best ECM years.
Jack Dejohnette is not only a classic creative musician but a classy human being as well, one that continues to inspire me-as he has done in the nearly 30 years since I first discovered his music.
Long live Jack Dejohnette!!
By Phasedin.
**
John Purcell- (Alto Sax);
David Murray- (Tenor Sax);
John Surman- (Baritone Sax);
Lester Bowie- (Trumpet);
Howard Johnson- (Tuba);
Michael Cain- (Piano);
Keith Jarrett- (Electric Piano);
John Abercrombie- (Guitar, Mandolin);
Jerome Harris, Mick Goodrick- (Guitar);
Don Alias- (Percussion);
Rufus Reid, Eddie Gomez, Dave Holland- (Acoustic Bass);
Jack DeJohnette- (Piano, Drums, Percussion).
**
01. Third World Anthem-Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition  10:52
02. Jack In-Jack DeJohnette  12:34
03. Feebles, Fables And Ferns-Mick Goodrick  7:58
04. Overture – Communion-Keith Jarrett    5:57
05. How’s Never-Gateway     7:30
06. Silver Hollow-Jack DeJohnette New Directions  8:24
07. Picture 5-Jack DeJohnette    6:06
08. Picture 6-Jack DeJohnette    7:53
**

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Al COHN & Zoot SIMS – Motoring Along 1974
2004 Issue.

Jazz

The team of Al & Zoot are wonderfully reunited in this classic 70s session – an album that still crackles with all their best twin-tenor frontline styles, but which also has a more fluid, free, and easygoing feel than their work in the 50s! The rhythm session on the set features some great work by Horace Parlan on piano, giving the set a nice gutbuckety bottom, and making the whole thing come across with a lot more soul than you might expect.
**
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims were lifelong friends who were frequent collaborators both in the studios and in clubs. Cohn only led four recording sessions (two for tiny labels) during 1963-74; all featured Sims. For their Sonet date, Al and Zoot are joined by pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Hugo Rasmussen and drummer Sven Erik Norregaard and they perform three standards, two Cohn songs and Jimmy McGriff’s “Motoring Along.” Zoot plays some effective soprano on “Yardbird Suite.” As usual the two saxophonists mutually inspire each other on the cool-toned but frequently-heated bop date.
By Scott Yanow, Rovi
**
Saxophone– Al Cohn, Zoot Sims
Piano– Horace Parlan
Bass– Hugo Rasmussen
Drums– Sven Erik Norregaard
**
01. Stockholm – L.A. (4:55)
02. My Funny Valentine (8:51)
03. Yardbird Suite (8:06)
04. Motoring Along (4:56)
05. Fallin’ (7:16)
06. What The World Needs Now (8:53)
07. Stokholm – L.A. (Alternate Take) (4:06)
08. Fallin’ (Alternate Take) (6:24)
09. What The World Needs Now (Alternate Take) (7:50)
**

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Esbjörn SVENSSON Trio – Live in Paris 2005
Bootleg

Jazz

Pianist and composer Esbjörn Svensson looms among the most influential and innovative figures in contemporary jazz, drawing on inspirations spanning from Baroque to techno to create a body of work that earned both commercial and critical approval. Svensson was born in Västeras, Sweden, on April 16, 1964 — his mother was a classical pianist and his father a die-hard jazz buff, but in spite of his classical training he first gravitated toward pop, playing in a series of amateur rock & roll bands alongside high-school classmate and drummer Magnus Öström. After studying music at Stockholm’s Kungliga Musikhögskolan, Svensson worked as a session player, and in 1985 formed a bop-inspired duo with drummer Fredrik Norén. In 1993, he reconnected with Öström, and together with bassist Dan Berglund they formed the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, which would become universally known by the acronym E.S.T. Although the group’s debut LP, When Everyone Has Gone, earned scant attention, the trio quickly emerged as a fixture of the Swedish festival circuit in addition to backing singers including Viktoria Tolstoy and Louise Hoffsten — while Svensson’s piano balanced the structural complexity of his classical background with the improvisational daring of postwar influences like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, Öström’s powerhouse drumming channeled more mainstream influences like rock and funk, and in time E.S.T. earned a fan following that extended far beyond the confines of the conventional jazz cognoscenti.
By Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide.
**
Esbjörn Svensson- Piano
Dan Berglund- Bass
Magnus Öström- Drums
**
CD1
01. (Intro Announcer) 0:40
02. Seven Days of Falling 10:33
03. Eighty-Eight Days in my Veins 9:32
04. Mingle in the Mincing Machine 13:49
05. (Intro by Esbjörn) 1:53
06. In the Tail of her Eyes 9:48
07. The Unstable Table & the Infamous Fable 10:20
08. Viaticum 6:59
09. When God created the Coffee Break 9:29

CD2
01. Behind the Yashmak 16:46
02. Believe Beleft Below 9:07
03. A Picture of Doris travelling with Boris 7:52
04. Spunky Sprawl 9:39
**

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Harry ALLEN – Tenors Anyone? 1996
2004 Issue.

Jazz

Harry Allen has recorded so many great albums it just seems natural to add another one to the list. This one was cut in November 1996 and features, along with Harry, John Pizzarelli (g) Ray Kennedy (p) and Martin Pizzarelli (b). There are highlights galore on the CD. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS starts off with Harry playing the verse slowly, then going into medium tempo for the chorus. It’s a solid performance. LESTER LEAPS IN, TEA FOR TWO, and FOUR BROTHERS are all up-tempo barn burners, and Harry eats up the changes like a tornado in a lumber yard. On two tracks, MY FAVORITE THINGS, with it’s sweeping 6/8 waltz tempo, and THE PEACOCKS, he sounds like the spitting image of Stan Getz, more so than I’ve ever heard him before (he’s usually closer in sound to another Brother, Zoot Sims). They are both beautiful, lyrical cuts. Harry’s own tune COOL MAN CHU is a tribute to Chu Berry, another bold-sounding tenorman from the 1930s. Ray Kennedy is a fine pianist and plays especially well on FLYING HOME. Harry and John P. play very well together, as usual. This is an excellent CD, one of Harry’s best. But that’s not saying much since all his albums, just about, are his best. Definitely worth checking out.
By Bomojaz.
**
Fathers serious about seeing their sons one day becoming famous athletes begin developing their offspring’s skills at a very young age. In the case of Harry Allen’s father, who was a big band drummer, he played jazz records each day for Harry before he went off to kindergarten. Starting off with accordion lessons, there was a fortuitous switch to saxophone a few years later. Attending Rutgers University, Allen studied saxophone with Sahib Shibab, Bob Mintzer, and John Purcell. In 1989, he graduated from Rutgers with a degree in jazz tenor saxophone. While at Rutgers, Allen got his first gig with the help of master bass player Major Holley, where he replaced Zoot Sims at a studio recording with John Bunch, George Masso, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Ruby Braff. During the session, Dizzy Gillespie dropped by. Quite heady company for a young tenor player doing his first recording. Wholley also led Allen to Oliver Jackson, who Allen subsequently accompanied on several tours to Europe. A 1986 session with Kenny Barron was Allen’s first recording date. After that, Allen had 19 recordings to his name for such labels as Progressive, Audiophile, and Nagel-Heyer. Later, his recordings were with major label RCA-Victor. Three of his discs have been awarded a Gold Disc by Swing Journal Magazine and his CD Tenors Anyone won both the Gold Disc and New Star awards. He has recorded as a sideman with Bucky Pizzarelli (with whom he performs quite frequently), Warren Vache, and Jeff Hamilton. Allen’s musical inspiration and interpretive approach come from the giants and innovators of mainstream saxophone, including Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Stan Getz, Illinois Jacquet, and Lester Young. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Allen has pretty much eschewed the modern, avant-garde, and impressionist schools of jazz of John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Ornette Coleman. Allen continues to record extensively and makes frequent appearances at jazz festivals and concerts.
By Dave Nathan.
**
Harry Allen– Tenor Sax
John Pizzarelli– Guitar
Ray Kennedy– Piano
Martin Pizzarelli– Bass
**
01. It Was Just  One Of Those  Things
02. Blue And Sentimental
03. Flying Home
04. My Favorite Things
05. Lester Leaps In
06. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
07. America, The Beautiful
08. The Peacocks
09. Tea For Two
10. If I’m Lucky
11. Cool Man Chu
12. Four Brothers
**

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Dave HOLLAND Quintet – Critical Mass 2006

Jazz

The Dave Holland Quintet was born in 1983 (the first incarnation of the band) on the album, Jumpin’ In. The original 1980s quintet (which had no chordal instruments—only bass, drums, and brass and reed instruments) went on to record two more albums after that. In 1997, Holland formed a second quintet, one which would gain more recognition and accolades over the course of its career (which still continues to this day), including multiple Grammy nominations and wins. The current quintet includes Robin Eubanks on trombone and cowbell; Steve Nelson on marimba and vibraphone; Chris Potter on saxophones; and Nate Smith on drums. Their music is a mixture of progressive-minded modern post-bop and avant-garde jazz, characteristically with asymmetrical rhythms and creative harmonies.

Intellect and physicality have always been close partners in the music of Dave Holland. As a bassist he combines a bruising tone with smartly nimble execution; he doesn’t make it seem easy, but good, and right. He accomplishes much the same balance in his compositions, and with his signature band.
”Critical Mass” is the Dave Holland Quintet’s first studio album in five years, though it doesn’t feel that long. Mr. Holland has kept the group visible, not only on tour but also as the nucleus for his dynamic big band. And not much has changed about its basic sound or style.
Mr. Holland still writes for a frontline of Chris Potter on tenor and soprano saxophones and Robin Eubanks on trombone, often entangling them in serpentine counterpoint. Steve Nelson still provides the only harmonic accompaniment, sparingly, on vibraphone. Mr. Holland lays
down his usual concrete foundation, against which a drummer can either abrade or glide. (There’s a different drummer now, Nate Smith, but his propulsive style adheres to the established model.)
As on past albums, the ensemble favors funk over swing and features tunes by each of its members. And it once again manages to pair combustion with containment, so that even when things heat up  as they often do, most vividly on ”Full Circle,” by Mr. Eubanks  there’s still control.
But the title still works: critical mass is the point at which this band resides. There are many examples on the album, none better than the squalling climax of Mr. Nelson’s ”Amator Silenti,” the album’s closing track. It’s a moment all the more impressive for what has preceded
it: more than an hour of heightened performance of the sort that gives reliability a good name.
By Nate Chinen.
**
The jazz phrase “in the pocket” can mean simply keeping good time, or it can suggest an intuitive connection between members that allows each musician to anticipate the moves of his or her band mates. On the superb Critical Mass, the Dave Holland Quintet proves itself worthy of both definitions. Double bassist Holland, sax player Chris Potter, drummer Nate Smith, trombonist Robin Eubanks, and vibraphonist Steve Nelson play with an ESP few jazz groups achieve, and they make it sound effortless. Critical Mass sails through its New Orleans-inflected tunes like a marathon swimmer — active, but graceful. This energy originates with Holland, whose bass undergirds the clean timbre of the horns and sunny sounds of the vibraphone. On the Indian-inspired melody of ‘Secret Garden’, the vibraphone and horns, create a polyrhythm that both grounds and destabilizes the listener. Such a feeling typifies Critical Mass, a nearly flawless album whose inventiveness is only outweighed by its serenity.
By Stephanie Hanson.
**
Chris Potter- Tenor and Soprano Sax
Robin Eubanks- Trombone
Steve Nelson- Vibraphone, Marimba, Tambourine
Dave Holland- Bass
Nate Smith- Drums
**
01 The Eyes Have It 6:59
02 Easy Did It 11:14
03 Vicissitudes 9:56
04 The Leak 5:43
05 Secret Garden 8:40
06 Lucky Seven  8:34
07 Full Circle 12:12
08 Amator Silenti 9:15
**

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Alberta ADAMS – Detroit is my Home 2008

Blues

Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Alberta has been singing non-stop since 1947, touring with the likes of T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and appearing at the Apollo Theater with Dizzy Gillespie.

Alberta has long been the undisputed queen of the blues here in Detroit.  She started as a dancer in the late 1940′s and has been doing it ever since.  Along the way she toured with T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Cleanhead Vinson and even played the Apollo Theater with Dizzy Gillespie.  It is amazing that a woman born in 1917 is still out there doing it and doing with power.  She continues to represent the real old school and still touring.

Alberta has just completed her third CD for the Eastlawn label, called “Detroit Is My Home.”  On it she sings with three different and amazing pianists:  Mark Braun, aka Mr. B, Al Hill (from the Bettye LeVette Band) and Ann Rabson, from Virginia.  Ann is a member of Saffire, a great all female blues band that tours internationally.  All three are fine pianists that offer different takes on the blues.  Mark being the boogie-woogie expert, Ann coming from an old-timey music background and Al, whom has toured with Alberta, being a little funkier than the others.  All three are great Alberta Adams fans.
As with all of Alberta’s work for Eastlawn, this CD ws produced by her long-time manager / drummer / bandleader, RJ Spangler.

On the new CD Alberta sings boogie-woogie, slow blues, ballads, New Orleans style R&B and other various styles of blues, always putting her very personal take on the groove. Alberta also contributed several songs, which sets her apart from many traditional female blues singers. This is her third full-length CD for the Detroit-based Eastlawn label. Alberta has also recorded for Cannonball, Chess, Savoy and the Thelma (Gordy) labels.
**
“It’s hard to find singers like Alberta Adams today, male or female. She puts her whole soul into every word she sings, so much passion. Also, her voice is one of a kind – it can only belong to a person who have learned the blues first hand, not from records or books. Mrs. Alberta is the blues. Her phrasing, vocal delivery and timbre, it’s all amazing is every setting she chooses for herself, from straight blues to jazzy numbers. The music on “Detroit Is My Home” suits her talent well. Songs are well crafted and all the players give their best and sound great. With talented piano players as guest stars this album is a treat!”
By Charlie Lange.
**
Alberta Adams- Vocals
CeeCee Collins- Background Vocals
Thornetta Davis- Background Vocals
Paul Carey- Guitar
Ann Rabson- Piano
Al Hill- Piano
Shawn McDonald- Hammond Organ
Keith Kaminski- Saxophone
Chris Rumel- Bass
Pat Prouty- Acoustic Bass
Kurt Krahnke- Acoustic Bass
RJ Spangler- Conga, Tambourine, Drum
**
01. Keep on Keepin’ On
02. I’m Worried
03. Hello Little Boy
04. Tired of Being Alone
05. Detroit Is My Home
06. Struttin’ My Stuff
07. Always Home
08. Wet Clothes
09. Doctor Blues
10. Long Gone
11. I’m on the Move/Every Day
12. Hopin’ It Will Be Alright
**

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Big TWIST & The Mellow Fellows – Playing For Keeps 1983

Blues

Larry “Big Twist” Nolan heartily epitomized the image “300 pounds of heavenly joy.” Based in Chicago, the huge singer and his trusty R&B band, the Mellow Fellows, were one of the hottest draws on the Midwestern college circuit during the 1980s with a slickly polished sound modeled on the soul-slanted approach of Bobby Bland, Little Milton, and Tyrone Davis.
Twist started out singing and playing drums in rough-and-tumble country bars in downstate Illinois during the late ’50s and early ’60s (chicken wire-enclosed stages were a necessity on this raucous scene). Young saxist Terry Ogolini jammed often with the big man at a joint called Junior’s in a Prairie State burg called Colp. Ogolini and guitarist Pete Special spearheaded the nucleus of the first edition of the Mellow Fellows in the college town of Carbondale during the early ’70s, with Twist doubling on drums. After taking southern Illinois by storm, the unit relocated en masse to Chicago in 1978.
Their eponymous 1980 debut album for Flying Fish accurately captured the group’s slick sound, while the 1982 follow-up, One Track Mind, attempted to be somewhat more contemporary without losing the band’s blues/R&B base. A move to Alligator in 1983 elicited an album co-produced by Gene “Daddy G” Barge, whose sax solos previously enlivened R&B classics by Chuck Willis, Gary (U.S.) Bonds, Little Milton, and countless more. The group’s final album with Twist up front was the Live From Chicago! Bigger Than Life!!
Numerous personnel changes over the years failed to scuttle the band, and neither did the death of Twist in 1990 from diabetes and kidney failure. Martin Allbritton, an old singing buddy of Twist’s from downstate who had previously gigged around Chicago as frontman for Larry & the Ladykillers, had already been deputizing for the ailing Twist, so it fell to Allbritton to assume the role full-time. Barge shared the singing duties at selected gigs and on the band’s 1990 album Street Party.
Special left the organization not long after that, taking the name Mellow Fellows with him when he hit the door. That’s when the remaining members adopted the handle of the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings. With Ogolini and longtime trumpeter Don Tenuto comprising a red-hot horn section, they’re still a popular, dance-friendly fixture around the Chicago scene.
By Bill Dahl.
**
“Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows” is one of the consummate Chicago R&B bands. Why they aren’t known outside of Chicago and the midwest is a mystery to me as well as the rest of their fans, I’m sure.
Larry Nolan (otherwise known as Big Twist) handles the vocals on a full R&B band with horn section. You only need to listen to “300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy” to know their style of music — *powerful* vocals from Larry, a solid bass line and plenty of horns thrown in for good measure. Big Twist’s enormous vocal talents are displayed on many of the tracks, in particular “I Brought the Blues on Myself” and “I Want Your Love”.
I was fortunate enough to see “Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows” in concert before Big Twist’s untimely death. “Playing for Keeps”, even though it is not technically a live album, captures the power and immediacy of their live concert quite well.
I own both “Playing for Keeps” and “Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows” (their debut album) and would recommend “Playing For Keeps” as the first Big Twist album to purchase. In my opinion, “Playing for Keeps” is their best work but the debut album is worth puchasing if you like what you hear in “Playing For Keeps”.
By Bruce Williams.
**
Larry “Big Twist” Nolan- (Vocals, Harmonica);
Nanette Frank- (Vocals);
Robin Robinson- (Background Vocals);
Pete Special- (Guitar);
Jim Exum- (Tenor Sax, Trombone);
Terry Ogolini- (Tenor Sax);
Steve Eisen- (Baritone Sax);
Paul Howard , Don Tenuto- (Trumpet);
Mike Halpin- (Trombone);
Chris Cameron, J, Sidney James Wingfield- (Keyboards);
Tango West- Bass
Willie Hayes, Wayne Stewart- (Drums).
**
A1. 300 Pounds Of Heavenly Joy
A2. Flip Flop
A3. I Want Your Love
A4. Polk Salad Annie
A5. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
B1. I Got A Problem
B2. I Brought The Blues On Myself
B3. We’re Gonna Make It
B4. Just One Woman
**

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Lucky PETERSON – Black Midnight Sun 2002

Blues

Black Midnight Sun is the first release on the Dreyfus label by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lucky Peterson, joined here by producer Bill Laswell on bass and former Parliament/Funkadelic drummer Jerome “Bigfoot” Braily. While the disc features a few Peterson originals, the majority of the album relies on cover versions. Luckily, Peterson picked several that he’s well suited to tackle, including “Herbert Harper’s Free Press” (Muddy Waters), “Lucky in Love” (Mick Jagger), “Is It Because I’m Black” (Syl Johnson), “Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone” (Johnnie Taylor), “Talkin’ Loud and Saying Nothing” (James Brown), and “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me Africa” (Sly Stone). Black Midnight Sun is a combination of electric blues, rock, soul, and funk that, for the most part, works just fine.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
Guitarist-organist-singer Peterson shatters the boundaries of blues to make his finest album. First, there’s the sound: crystalline, enveloping, and beat-conscious thanks to producer and bassist Bill Laswell. Then there are the stories, which range from Peterson’s take on the two-timing “Jody” yarns that run through southern blues to the hard-edged contemplation of prejudice “Is It Because I’m Black.” His taste in covers is great, too, from a New Orleans funk version of the overlooked Muddy Waters anti-war gem “Herbert Harper’s Free Press News” to obscure soul demigod Howard Tate’s “She’s a Burglar” to Sly Stone’s “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me Africa.” And jazz genius Henry Threadgill’s flute helps Peterson transform Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’” into an ethereal psychedelic trip. Best of all, though, is the sheer visceral quality of Peterson’s performances. His singing is strong, confident, and low-pitched, and his guitar is especially artful and gritty, finally matching the power of his organ virtuosity. Put this one on 2003’s “best-of” list.
By Ted Drozdowski.
**
Lucky Peterson- (Vocals, Guitar, Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer);
Henry Threadgill- (Flute, Horns);
Alex J. Harding- (Baritone Sax);
Graham Haynes- (Cornet);
Jesse Dulman- (Tuba);
Bill Laswell- (Bass);
Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey- (Drums).
**
01. Herbert Harper’s Free Press News 5:20
02. Lucky In Love 5:15
03. Is It Because I’m Black 4:50
04. Jody’s Got Your Girl And Gone 3:53
05. Smokestack Lightning 5:07
06. Black Midnight Sun 4:58
07. She’s A Burglar 4:39
08. Truly Your Friend 5:19
09. Talkin’ Loud And Saying Nothing 4:12
10. Changes Your Ways 5:29
11. Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa 5:59
**

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Djeli Mousa DIAWARA & Bob BROZMAN – Ocean Blues 2000

Blues

After an extended comedy of near misses in Paris, Bob Brozman finally met Djeli Moussa Diawara in the middle of the Indian Ocean, on the isle of Réunion. The versatile American ethnomusicologist-guitarist and Guinean kora master sat in together and immediately decided that a duet album was in order. On Ocean Blues they revel in the textural possibilities of their instruments, as the cascading glissandos and muscular attack of Diawara’s modified steel-pegged kora (West African harp) encounters Brozman’s exuberantly virtuosic slide and blues guitar. Worlds collide and collude as this two-way fan club creates their brave new music. The pair moves from intuitive cross-cultural politeness to playful theremin-like swoops and whines to ferocious toe-to-toe face-offs. Their singing is another study in contrasts and egoless cooperation–Diawara’s filigreed jali wail and Brozman’s bluesy growl unexpectedly turn out to be made for each other.
By Christina Roden.
**
01. Kanun 4:50
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
02. Maloyan Devil 5:59
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
03. Almany 5:42
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
04. Dakon 3:12
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
05. Uncle Joe 4:56
Written-By – Trad.
06. Hip Hop 4:38
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
07. Nkaminyo Yelena Ma 6:49
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
08. Voyage Dans Le Désert 4:21
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
09. Malaga 4:00
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
10. Sabari 5:46
Written-By – Bob Brozman , Djeli Moussa Diawara
11. Malaïka 5:57
Written-By – F. William
**

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Joanne Shaw TAYLOR – White Sugar 2009

Blues

She’s already being called “the new face of the blues” by the press in her native Britain, but her debut album is the first opportunity most Americans will have to hear Joanne Shaw Taylor’s sharp, fiery take on blues-based rock. Opening with the dark and sultry “Going Home,” Taylor makes her intentions clear from the very beginning: her sound is raw, funky, and soulful, and she’s as likely to reference Jimi Hendrix’s R&B-inflected blues-rock as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rock-inflected blues. She’s also unwilling to be hemmed in: notice the gorgeous guitar intro on “Just Another Word,” and the way that the song goes well outside the lines of traditional blues structure without erasing them. Also notice the especially Hendrix-y “Kiss the Ground Goodbye,” the lovely instrumental title track, and the stark, spare “Heavy Heart.” The latter is the finest track on the program; it features a brilliant chord progression and a sly bluebeat outro that reveals a sense of humor that is otherwise pretty much hidden. The album ends on a very powerful note, with the slow-burning “Blackest Day.” The challenge on this song is the solo, and she meets that challenge brilliantly, twice, and in two very different ways: once with gentle regret and then again with forsaken rage. A spectacular debut from a major talent.
**
“I have played with all sorts of blues musicians all over the world, I even made a film ´Deep Blues´ where I went to Mississippi and recorded some legendary players such as R.L Burnside and Jesse -Mae Hemphill. Last year I heard something I thought I would never hear….a British White Girl playing blues guitar so deep and passionately it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!” (Dave Stewart/Eurythmics).

When Dave Stewart had his big experience, Joanne Shaw Taylor was only 16. Her skills at the Telecaster were so perfect that the bluesfan and Eurythmics-frontman asked her to join his supergroup D.U.P. to tour europe in 2002. She was also offered a record contract but the label went bust. Today Joanne is 23 and happy about the fact that she took her time with the recording debut: “I wanted to take time out to really work on my craft and make sure that when I did an album it was the best that I could do.”

For “White Sugar” Joanne took a plane to Memphis where her label RUF had booked Jim Gaines´ studio. Jim had worked with some of Joanne´s idols like Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He brought in the experienced sessionmen Steve Potts (Drums) und Dave Smith (Bass). “Working with these guys was totally easy. I knew of them because of Luther Allison and the Jonny Lang albums. They didn´t know the tracks until five minutes before we recorded them. I made them listen to the songs once and then play them. It was fantastic. They got so much feeling and soul. They are amazing guys to work with.”

The power trio – that´s the kind of band which suits Joanne Shaw Taylor, also at home in Birmingham, where she and her trio play the pubs, clubs and festivals. “I always wanted to try the power trio thing, like Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Paladins or Jimi Hendrix. I thought it would bring me on as a guitar player and a singer – which I think it has done. And” – Joanne chuckles – “it´s also cheaper, you know.”

She talks about some influences. When Joanne was a little schoolgirl, she was caught by the rough side of the blues: SRV, Albert Collins, the Paladins, Jimi Hendrix. At christmas she got her first electric guitar. The old classical guitar, which she had played since she was eight, vanished from the children´s room. “As soon as I heard SRV and Albert Collins I knew pretty much that I wanted to do that full stop. That was the lifestyle route that I was goin´ to go down. It was never a hobby. It was always very serious and dedicated to it.”

“White Sugar” is the proof. The confident and young british woman keeps the traditions of her idols but she is going her own way. With her record debut she demonstrates her talent with ten songs that she has written herself. Playing the hard stuff à la SRV, making us feel the bite of her telecaster just like Albert Collins did or working out charming little riffs from the Jimi Hendrix book – Joanne is always seeking – and finding – new terrain. Funky shuffles, soulful ballads or the hypnotic hookline of the title track, a burning instrumental, she presents her craft powerfully. Some songs were written during the the flight to Memphis, a few others were written 10 years ago and are kind of her signature tunes. There is the autobiographical “Kiss The Ground Goodbye”, deep feelings come wirh “Heavy Heart” or “Blackest Day”, a song that Joanne wrote when she was 14. “With ´Blackest Day´ I really wanted to show my influences.” She can be proud of her first album. “”She´s my pride & joy…” SRV once sang. Her fans will be proud of Joanne, too…

“She plays with more attitude and flare than most.
Massive potential here. Inspiring.”
**
Joanne Shaw Taylor- (Vocals, Guitar);
Dave Smith- (Bass Guitar);
Steve Potts- (Drums).
**
01.Going Home
02.Just Another Word
03.Bones
04.Who Do You Want Me To Be?
05.Time Has Come
06.White Sugar
07.Kiss The Ground Goodbye
08.Heavy Heart
09.Watch ‘em Burn
10.Blackest Day
**

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Donald BYRD & 125th Street, N.Y.C. – Words, Sounds, Colors And Shapes 1982
Elektra 60188

Jazz

A definite soul based session for Donald Byrd  and that’s saying a lot here, because his previous decade’s worth of work had all had some sort of R&B focus! The main force behind the set here is Isaac Hayes  who’s producing, arranging, and playing most of the keyboards on the album. Oddly, Ike’s not singing at all  and vocals are instead handled by Rose Williams, Diane Davis, Pat Lewis, and Myra Walker  plus the Hot Buttered Soul group on backing vocals. Most tunes have such a strong vocal focus that Byrd’s horn gets far less solo space than before  but overall, the album’s still got a nice mix of funky jazz and modern soul, and grooves a lot better than most other efforts of this nature from the time. Great, long overlooked grooves from Byrd! Titles include “Sexy Dancer”, “Midnight”, “High Energy”, “Star Trippin”, “Forbidden Love”, and “Everyday”.
**
Donald Byrd produced by Isaac Hayes.
But, beware ! Those who expect a mix between the Blue Note sound of Byrd and the Stax sound of Hayes might be very, very shocked. This is a disco-funk album, typical of the early 80′s, full of vocals by Byrd’s group, 125th Street, N.Y.C., and Hayes’ group, Hot Butter Soul Unlimited. Not bad, but quite unexpected. Byrd’s trumpet is hardly heard at all.
**
Donald Byrd- Trumpet
Albert Crawford Jr.-Acoustic Piano, Fender Rhodes, Clavinet
Diane Evans, Diane Davis, Rose Williams, Myra Walker, Pat Lewis- Vocals
Isaac Hayes- (Piano, Fender Rhodes Piano, Synthesizer, Vibraphone, Percussion, Bells
William Duckett- Guitar
Glenn Davis- Percussion
Ronnie Garrett- Bass
Eric Hines- Drums
**
A1. Sexy Dancer 5:00
A2. Midnight 5:06
A3. So Much In Love 3:58
A4. High Energy 5:44
B1. Star Trippin’ 5:20
B2. I’m Coming Home 4:20
B3. Forbidden Love 5:17
B4. Everyday 3:08
**

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Red GARLAND – It’s A Blue World 1958
1999 Issue. OJCCD 1028-2

Jazz

Of the miles of Red Garland sessions recorded in the late ’50s, some of the tapes didn’t see the light of day until many years later. This session, except for “Crazy Rhythm,” first appeared in the early ’70s, and is typical of Garland’s trio work of the ’50s, evoking a mid-century nightclub atmosphere from Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with the perfectly gauged help of bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. “Since I Fell for You” and “Teach Me Tonight” are taken at relaxed tempos, and after Garland’s trademark block chords in the left hand and octaves in the right hand take care of the themes, they ride easily and winningly. “Crazy Rhythm” zips along at the usual steeplechase pace, with a fluid bebop solo from Garland and some agile bowing from Chambers (Chambers also gets an unusually lengthy bowed solo on “This Can’t Be Love”), and the title track closes the CD reissue on a jaunty note. Garland fans — and for that matter, fans of Vince Guaraldi, whose chord voicings very much resemble those of Garland — need not hesitate.Amazon.com reviewer:
This seems to be one of the lesser known Red Garland Trio efforts, and whether you already like Red or don’t know his work yet, this recording is WELL worth getting to know. If you dig Miles and Trane, you may know Red without knowing his name, but you’ve probably remarked, quietly backing up the frontmen, a piano player with a distinctive touch that gives his piano an almost bell-like tone. That’d Red Garland. Red’s piano is pure sugar, and very well complimented by Paul Chambers bass– often bowed so well that it begins to sound like a human voice singing. This in one of those records that’ll become an old friend, taking up permanent residence in your CD player.
**
I took the advice of Harry Abraham from the liner notes of November 1970 for the original LP and played the songs in the order he recommended, starting with “Crazy Rhythm” and following that sequence. He was right!

It has bothered me over the years that some jazz “critics” have classified the piano stylings of Red Garland as “cocktail music”. If you have an excellent, actually one of the best, piano trios, with the exception of the recording studio, the only venues would be the intimacy of a jazz club or an onstage appearance at a jazz concert. Certainly the fact that these musicians played with Miles Davis in what I consider his prime years is testimony in itself!

The first pianist that was a favorite of mine at an early age was Erroll Garner, in no small part because of his distinctive style. Likewise the style of Red Garland has that distinctiveness. With his trademark block chords in the left hand coupled with octaves in the right hand, he was instantly identifiable.

This set shows the versatility of these musicians, not only Garland, but bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor as well. Listen to Paul Chambers bowing his instrument on the very fast paced “Crazy Rhythm” and “This Can’t Be Love”. There is certainly nothing lacking in the Art Taylor’s drumming on the latter selection.

“It’s a Blue World” is played at a faster tempo than I normally associate with it but seems appropriate. The remaining two numbers, “Teach Me Tonight” and “Since I Fell For You” are very relaxed. “Since I Fell For You” was a popular recording for Al Jareau as well as the theme for the TV series “Moonlighting” back in 1985(?). It’s a perfect closer for the “final” late set.
By Robert J.Ament.
**
This seems to be one of the lesser known Red Garland Trio efforts, and whether you already like Red or don’t know his work yet, this recording is WELL worth getting to know. If you dig Miles and Trane, you may know Red without knowing his name, but you’ve probably remarked, quietly backing up the frontmen, a piano player with a distinctive touch that gives his piano an almost bell-like tone. That’d Red Garland. Red’s piano is pure sugar, and very well complimented by Paul Chambers bass–often bowed so well that it begins to sound like a human voice singing. This in one of those records that’ll become an old friend, taking up permanent residence in your CD player.
**
Red Garland- Piano
Paul Chambers- Bass
Art Taylor- Drums
**
01. This Can’t Be Love (8:30)
02. Since I Fell for You (12:43)
03. Crazy Rhythm (3:27)
04. Teach Me Tonight (9:03)
05. It’s a Blue World (5:34)
**

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Archie SHEPP – Fire Music 1965

Jazz

Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp was an essential voice in the revolutionary jazz of the 1960s, creating a music that insistently linked art and social issues. He was also a musician who fused the past and present in jazz, leapfrogging over bebop to develop a sound that combined the expressive breathiness of Ben Webster with the new vocabulary of free jazz. Those qualities are much in evidence in these 1965 sessions.

The principal band here is a sextet, and it brings a primal force to Shepp’s charging, complex, multidimensional compositions. But within this potent brew, individual voices distinguish themselves. Altoist Marion Brown’s lines always invoke the blues, while trumpeter Ted Curson, a veteran of Charles Mingus’s bands, provides a sense of detached perspective. The riffing horns create a backdrop for some of Shepp’s most volatile orations on “Hambone” and “Los Olvidados” as his tenor seems to shout, shriek, strut, and cajole with a life of its own. A live septet version of “Hambone” is even more turbulent than the studio take. The rest of the Album heads off in a variety of directions. Duke Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” is recast with some fresh dissonance. Taking his initial cues from Webster, Shepp goes on to turn the ballad into something very much his own, though still Ellingtonian in spirit. His arrangement of “Girl from Ipanema” adds unlikely fire to the Jobim tune, while “Malcolm,” a poem inspired by the assassination of Malcolm X, has Shepp’s voice and tenor accompanied by just bass and drums. While these diversions might now seem forced or melodramatic.
**
Archie Shepp- Tenor Sax
Ted Curson- Trumpet
Joseph Orange- Trombone
Marion Brown- Alto Sax
Reggie Johnson- Double Bass (except track 3)
Joe Chambers- Drums (except track 3)
David Izenzon- Double Bass (on track 3)
J.C. Moses- Drums (on track 3)
**
A1. Hambone   12:28
A2. Los Olvidados   8:53
B1. Malcolm, Malcolm – Semper Malcolm   4:48
B2. Prelude to a Kiss   4:49
B3. The Girl from Ipanema   8:33
**

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Music Inc. & Big Band – Music Inc. & Big Band 1970
Recorded November 11, 1970
1991 Issue. SECD 9010, 660-51-009

Jazz

The remarkable Music, Inc. Big Band remains the apotheosis of trumpeter Charles Tolliver’s singular creative vision. Rarely if ever has a big band exhibited so much freedom or finesse, while at the same time never overwhelming the virtuoso soloists on whom the performances pivot. Built around the core of Tolliver, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Jimmy Hopps, the music boasts the kind of give-and-take born equally of talent and telepathy — each player seems to communicate with his colleagues on a higher plane, delivering performances to rival any in their careers. Tolliver in particular plays like a man possessed, summoning an energy and clarity that slice through the big, bold arrangements like the proverbial hot knife through butter.
By Jason Ankeny.
**
This was the first release from Strata-EastRecords, the label created in 1971 by Music Inc.’s co-leaders, Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell. For the debut, the two lead an advanced, hard bop session of their own compositions arranged for a quartet augmented by a 13-member brass and wind orchestra. The writing has an affinity with McCoy Tyner’s modal hard bop from this same period, e.g Tyner’s Extensions (Blue Note). Similarly, Cowell’s playing shares with Tyner’s a powerful technique, effective use of rippling two-handed arpeggios, and an ability to make its presence felt in a large group. Jimmy Hopps (drums) and Cecil McBee (bass) round out the core quartet. Hopps’ blend of muscular drive and nuance is akin to Louis Hayes or Freddie Waits. McBee’s technical command and slabs of fat, earthy tone are captured wonderfully. The orchestra includes trumpeters Richard Williams and Virgil Jones, reed players Jimmy Heath and Clifford Jordan, and trombonists Garnett Brown and Curtis Fuller. The music moves seamlessly from trio and quartet configurations to full orchestration. The centerpiece is Tolliver’s “On the Nile,” which evokes a majestic procession of ancient Egyptian nobility sailing the broad Nile, the blue and silver waters sprayed with sunlight. Like one of the pharoah’s prized falcons, the pure tone of Tolliver’s flugel horn soars overhead buoyed by the orchestra’s rich chords. Cowell’s “Brilliant Corners” is equal to “On the Nile” in elegance and class, while his “Departure” and “Abscretions” are in a more funky vein. Tolliver’s “Ruthie’s Heart” alternates stripped-down statements from the quartet with sections of full on punch from the horns. His “Household of Saud” is the most purely hard bop of the six tracks. As the launch release for a new label, this was a bold debut. Tolliver and Cowell were presenting vital new pieces that had a direct lineage with the large-scale works of Ellington, Monk, and Mingus.
**
Charles Tolliver- Arranger, Trumpet
Virgil Jones- Trumpet
Larry Greenwich- Trumpet
Danny Moore- Trumpet
Curtis Fuller- Trombone
Dick Griffin- Trombone
Garnett Brown- Trombone
John Gordon- Trombone
Clifford Jordan- Flute, Reeds
Jimmy Heath- Flute, Reeds
Wilbur Brown- Flute, Reeds
Bobby Brown- Flute, Reeds
Howard Johnson- Tuba, Baritone Sax
Stanley Cowell- Arranger, Piano
Cecil McBee- Bass
Jimmy Hopps- Drums
**
01. Ruthie’s Heart Tolliver
02. Brilliant Circles Cowell
03. Abscretions Cowell
04. Household of Saud Tolliver
05. On the Nile Tolliver
06. Departure Cowell
**

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Buddy JOHNSON & His Orchestra – Rock ‘N Roll 1956
MGW 12005
Thx To *boogiewoody*

Jazz

Thanks to an anonymous donor who sent in vinyl rips and cover scans of this Buddy Johnson LP which was originally released on Mercury in 1956 and reissued on the Official label in 1988.

Our donor is a sax player who provides an interesting sidelight on the influence of this album and of Buddy Johnson’s tenorman Purvis Henson (that’s him with Buddy on the front cover of the Official issue) on the players who were keeping this music going back in the 1980s

“This record was a major influence on almost all of the White Blues and Rhythm and Blues Bands that were working the East Coast circuit in the 80′s including Roomful. We all circulated tapes of this Album to each other. It is not all that surprising considering that Little Walter listed Buddy Johnson as a major influence and even covered “I’m Just Your Fool”. The main Sax player Purvis Henson has been an influence on all of us Sax players, what an incredible player. I am including both the original Mercury cover art and the Official release. Hope you dig it Bro.”

Bandleader, pianist, arranger, songwriter and vocalist Buddy Johnson was a major figure in R&B history, not just because of the longevity of his recording career (1939 – 1964) but also because of the sheer quality and versatility of his band. In the 1940s The Buddy Johnson Orchestra had a string of hits on Decca (many featuring vocalists Ella Johnson, Buddy’s sister, and Arthur Prysock) and was a huge live attraction in their New York base and in the Southern States. Like other top big bands of the era, their repertoire included dance tunes, boogies, blues and ballads. As the era of the big band faded in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Buddy managed to keep his band together, both on the road and in the studio.
In early 1953 Buddy signed for Mercury, revitalising his chart career and starting a new phase of success for the band which had already survived the transformation from swing to R&B and now found itself at the forefront of the rise of rock ‘n’ roll as it became part of the live shows promoted by Alan Freed and his New York rival Tommy “Doctor Jive” Smalls.
The precedent was set in 1953 when The Buddy Johnson Orchestra was part of the first of the really big R&B touring package shows – The Big Rhythm and Blues Show organised by the Moe Gale agency – which also included Ruth Brown, Wynonie Harris, The Clovers and Lester Young. The show drew huge audiences as it travelled through the Eastern States, The Midwest and The South. In Cleveland it drew 10,000 to a show hosted by Alan Freed who would use the band on his own rock ‘n’ roll package shows such as his Boston show of May 1955 which included Bo Diddley, Nappy Brown, The Five Keys, The Moonglows, Dinah Washington, Little Walter, Al Hibbler and Dakota Staton. As late as January 1959, with its hit making days long gone, the band was on the “Biggest Show of Shows” along with The Platters, Jimmy Clanton, Clyde McPhatter, The Crests, The Cadillacs, Bo Diddley and Duane Eddy.
In the same month Buddy’s contract with Mercury was not renewed and the band signed for Roulette but their only single release on the label met with indifference, for the days of that now largely forgotten genre, Big Band Rock ‘n’ Roll, were well and truly over. Before the end of 1959 Roulette released an LP titled “Go Ahead and Rock Rock Rock” credited to both Buddy and Ella. In the early 1960s deteriorating health brought Buddy’s retiral from the music scene. Ella also retired, to take care of Buddy who passed away in 1977, with Ella passing away in 2004.
**
A1. I Don’t Want Nobody (To Have My Love but You)   2:38
A2. Doot Doot Dow   2:47
A3. Bring It Home to Me   2:26
A4. You Got It Made   2:23
A5. A Pretty Girl (A Cadillac and Some Money)   3:00
A6. Any Day Now   2:31
B1. It’s Obdacious   2:33
B2. Crazy ‘Bout a Saxophone   2:30
B3. (Gotta Go) Upside Your Head   2:37
B4. Ain’t but One   2:57
B5. A-12   2:41
B6. I’m Just Your Fool   2:49
**

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Sugar Pie DeSANTO – Go Go Power 2009
(The Complete Chess Singles).

Blues

2009 compilation from the Soul/Blues vocalist, spanning her years on the Chess label, 1961-66. This 24 tracker comprises all of her Chess singles, including a UK-only gem, three classic duets with Etta James and a great previously unissued track. Many of the selections have never been released outside the USA before or are reissued here for the first time ever.
**
Although Sugar Pie DeSanto has had a long career, most would agree that her peak as a recording artist was with Chess Records in the 1960s. All of the tracks issued on her Chess singles are on this CD, including a 1966 U.K. 45 (“There’s Gonna Be Trouble”) not issued in the U.S., as well as a previously unreleased bonus cut, the quite fine and tough “Witch for a Night.” Nine of these cuts that appeared on 1960s singles, in fact, never appeared on an album anywhere prior to this CD. While not many of these sides made much chart noise, over these years DeSanto proved herself one of the finer, and certainly one of the grittiest, woman singers straddling the lines between bluesy R&B and contemporary soul. She’s most known for the raunchier, sassier, bluesiest side of her repertoire, and there are, as expected, plenty such examples on this CD, including her moderate hit duet with Etta James (“In the Basement”) and her witty answer record to Tommy Tucker’s “Hi Heel Sneakers” (“Slip-in Mules [No High Heel Sneakers]“). Those who know DeSanto mostly as a soul-blues artist, though, might be surprised — and usually pleasantly so — to hear her do some quality material here that’s more in the mainstream early- to mid-’60s soul style. Some songs even approach the fringe of the girl group and Motown sound, and occasionally she even adeptly handles ballads, like “Ask Me” (more famous in its hit version by Maxine Brown) and the more memorable 1965 recording “Never Love a Stranger.” Not every song here is too distinctive, but the batting average is pretty high. Considering how heavily the Chess catalog has been mined in the CD era, it’s odd that it took so long for such a comprehensive DeSanto collection to appear, but Ace has done its typical fine job with the packaging, including detailed historical liner notes.
By Richie Unterberger.
**
Sugar Pie DeSanto is one of the best-known female soul singers of the 1960s, particularly in the UK, where she was a frequent visitor. She appeared at the Folk Blues Festivals in Europe in the mid-60s and is still going strong, performing around the world.
Several of her tracks are popular on the Northern soul, mod and new breed scenes. She was inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame in 2008. Go Go Power, one of her rarest 45s, was used in a recent British TV ad campaign.

There was a CD of Sugar Pie’s Chess recordings released 10 years ago, but that set comprised just 12 cuts and is now deleted. Our 24-tracker comprises all of her Chess singles, including a UK-only gem, three classic duets with Etta James and a great previously unissued track. Many of the selections have never been released outside the USA before or are reissued here for the first time ever.
**
…This CD is truly rockin’ and Sugar Pie sounds a lot like Tina Turner–when she was with Ike. But DeSanto has a style all her own with better clarity than Turner especially on some of the slower type ballads on this set like “Ask Me,” “Crazy Lovin’,” “I Love You So Much,” ” Love Me Tonight,” “Never Love A Stranger,” and “Somewhere Down The Line” (one of three duets with Etta James).

The rest of the tracks are funky, with infectious beats, and explosive. Since it covers the time period between 1961-1966, when rock ‘n’ roll was in its infantile and evolving stages, it’s not hard to imagine groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones listening to Sugar Pie to get their inspiration.

DeSanto is of mixed ethnicity, which explains her exotic looks, and was born Umpeylia Marsema Balinton. She was re-christened as “Little Sugar Pie” by band leader and hipster Johnny Otis, and not only is she a talented singer but she also wrote a lot of the songs included in this collection.

My favorites tracks are “In The Basement pt.1″ (duet with Etta James), “Witch For A Night,” “Go Go Power,” “Good Timin’,” and “Use What You Got.”

Ace Records/Universal/Island did a fantastic job remastering the songs on this 2009 release, which all sound as though they were recorded yesterday, and the CD comes with a booklet with pictures of Sugar in action and wonderful liner notes by Mick Patrick that tells you all about Sugar, her career and her life.

GO GO POWER…CD is like finding a needle-in-a-haystack. Who knew there was such wonders to discover in music? If you like blues mixed with rock then I highly recommend this CD.
By Alex Honda.
**
Excellent collection of tracks from the early sixties by Miss Sugar Pie. This release is long overdue and we finally get these great songs in one place. Most of these tracks are tough R&B with a few that are more pop oriented but there are some real killers here. This woman had a genuine swagger to her – sort of the female Muddy Waters. If you like rockin’ R&B from the 60′s, you need this one in your CD player!
**
01. Soulful Dress
02. I Don’t Wanna Fuss
03. In The Basement, Part 1 – Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto
04. Witch For A Night
05. Slip-In Mules (No High Heel Sneakers)
06. Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools
07. Go Go Power
08. Do I Make Myself Clear – Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto
09. Mr. & Mrs.
10. Good Timin’
11. Here You Come Running
12. Ask Me
13. Can’t Let You Go
14. Crazy Lovin’ – Sugar Pie DeSanto & The LaFlammes
15. I Love You So Much
16. It Won’t Be Long
17. Jump In My Chest
18. Love Me Tonight – Sugar Pie DeSanto & The LaFlammes
19. There’s Gonna Be Trouble
20. Use What You Got
21. Never Love A Stranger
22. Open Your Heart
23. Somewhere Down The Line – Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto
24. In The Basement, Part 2
**

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Papa Don McMINN – Boogieman 2009

Blues

Papa Don McMinn is a Memphis Music legend.

He was instrumental in the rebirth of the Home of the Blues: Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee. During the mid-1980s, Papa Don’s band had the “house gig” at Rum Boogie on the corner of Beale and Highway 61. Everyone who was anyone was there, and when the big names came to town to record or perform, there was only one place to go – to see Papa Don McMinn and his Rum Boogie band.

Twenty five years later, Papa Don is still creating and perpetuating his special brand of Southern Music, a concoction of Delta and Boogie Blues. Papa Don’s current band, Nightrain, is anchored by his sons, Doug on drums and Rome on bass.

Don has performed all across the planet, and he’s worked and recorded with the likes of Memphis Slim, John Mayall, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Albert King, among others. Some of the notables who’ve made cameo appearances with Papa Don’s band are Joe Walsh, Gregg Allman, Rufus Thomas, Jon Bonjovi, Billy F Gibbons,
and Eddie Floyd.
**
This Memphis music veteran helped start the rebirth of Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee, home of the Blues. His special brand of “Southern” music ranges from Delta Blues to Boogie Blues. As an international entertainer, he has performed for audiences of all ages.
As his way of helping to preserve the future of the Blues, Don offers workshops to aspiring musicians and songwriters.
**
Papa Don McMinn, a veteran of Memphis Music, singer/guitarist, brings you his particular brand of “Southern Style” music — ranging from Real Delta Blues to Blazing Southern Rock influenced blues and boogies. Don’s new CD, recorded at Cadre Studios, is an honest tribute to the “Memphis Sound.” It is a collection of 10 great tunes with a fresh approach to what Don has been doing for so many years…. bringing honesty and the real Memphis “thang” to audiences around the world, in his own distinctive style.
Top notch Memphis boogie blues, I saw Don play in Memphis at BB King’s and his friendly, down to earth style had the whole place smiling. And, short of actually being there, this collection of tunes captures that feeling. If you ever get to Beale St., you gotta catch Don McMinn, if you can’t make it, buy the CD or better yet, do both! Long may you whale Pappa Don!
**
01. The Boogie Man 3:08
02. With What’s Left Of My Old Friends 4:51
03. Mr. Crump 2:46
04. If You Got It, I Can Get It 2:43
05. The Magic Of A Woman 4:11
06. You Can’t Judge A Book 4:17
07. Ain’t Love Strange 4:11
08. The Blues Ain’t Nothing 3:21
09. I Can’t Get A Handle On Love 3:21
10. Hold Me Tight 3:24
**

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T-Bone WALKER – Stormy Monday Blues 1973
CR 30144

Blues

They call it stormy Monday, yes but Tuesday’s just as bad.
They call it stormy Monday, yes but Tuesday’s just as bad. Wednesday’s even worse; Thursday’s awful sad.

The eagle flies on Friday, Saturday I go out to play.
The eagle flies on Friday, but Saturday I go out to play. Sunday I go to church where I kneel down and pray.

And I say, “Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
Just trying to find my baby, won’t you please send her on back to me.

The eagle flies on Friday, on Saturday I go out to play.
The eagle flies on Friday, on Saturday I go out to play.
Sunday I go to church, where I kneel down, Lord and I pray.

Then I say, “Lord have mercy, won’t you please have mercy on me.
Lord, oh Lord have mercy, yeah, won’t you please, please have mercy on me.
I’m just a-lookin’ for my sweet babe,
So won’t you please send him home, send him on home to me.
**
A1. Stormy Monday Blues
A2. All Night Long
A3. My Patience Keeps Running Out
A4. Glamour Girl
A5. T-Bone’s Way
A6. That Evening Train
B1. Louisiana Bayou Drive
B2. When We Were Schoolmates
B3. Don’t Go Back to New Orleans
B4. Got to Cross the Deep Blue Sea
B5. You’ll Never Find Anyone) To Be a Slave Like Me
B6. Left Home When I Was a Kid
**

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Josh SMITH and The Rhino Cats – Woodsheddin’ 1995

Blues

Florida-based guitarist Josh Smith and his band, the Rhino Cats, have been making waves up and down the East Coast blues club scene since the release of their two albums of material, Woodsheddin’ (1996) and Born Under a Blue Sign (1995).
Although Smith is only 17 as of this writing, he joined forces with a veteran Fort Lauderdale area blues band, the Rhino Cats, in 1993. The group of road-ready veterans were so impressed with Smith’s guitar playing (he was all of 13) that they asked him to join. The two albums they’ve recorded together got them noticed by radio programmers and club owners up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest, and the group spends their summers touring, when Smith gets out of school. Since forming in 1993, Smith and the Rhino Cats have played major blues festivals around Florida, including the Riverwalk Blues Festival, the Sarasota Blues Festival and the Fort Myers Blues Festival.

Already, Smith has shared stages with Jimmy Thackery, Chris Duarte, Kenny Neal, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, Debbie Davies, Double Trouble, Joanna Connor, Tinsley Ellis and Lucky Peterson.

Through careful management of his career, Smith could take it national and become one of the greats of the fifth generation of blues guitarists, helping the music evolve well beyond the year 2000.
By  Richard Skelly, All Music Guide.
**
01. The Maddog
02. Walkin’ Blues
03. New Time Coming
04. Sea of Time
05. What Went Wrong
06. Let It Rock
07. Guitar Jones
08. Read It In Your Eyes
09. Little Wing
10. Machine Gun
**

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