Mickey Baker - In the 50s (1952-56)

Mickey Baker - In the 50s (1952-56)

71 minutes. Mostly instrumental greasy, slinky, gut bustin' guitar. GIT IT!

Few rock & roll or R&B guitarists of the '50s and '60s have a more consistently frantic body of work than the great Mickey Baker, though his name isn't nearly as well-known as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, or Ike Turner. Baker did most of his work as a sideman, and his best-known recordings as a headliner found him playing second fiddle to Sylvia Robinson as half of Mickey & Sylvia (whose "Love Is Strange" remains a puzzling delight 50 years after it was recorded), but folks who know and love first-era rock & roll are aware of Baker's greatness, and this collection is a superb overview of his work, both as a bandleader and as a hired gun.

Containing a hefty 31 tracks recorded between 1952 and 1956, In the '50s: Hit, Git & Split runs the gamut from the low-key acoustic blues of Baker's "Love Me Baby" to the wailing electric dread of Larry Dale's "Midnight Hours," the uptempo rockabilly of Joe Clay's "Did You Mean Jelly-Bean," the easy-swinging jump blues of Sam Price's "Rib Joint," a double-time rewrite of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" on Brownie McGhee's "Anna Mae," and a rockin' re-recording by Louis Jordan of "Caldonia" with Baker's guitar answering the hearty peals of the horn section and Jordan's vocals. The word "Wild" tended to pop up in the titles of Mickey Baker's solo albums, and one spin of this disc will show you why – the man's rough-and-tumble style screamed and hollered the blues whenever he hit the strings, and Baker's solos are death-defying hoodoo magic no matter what cut you cue up. Hit, Git & Split is a thoroughly enjoyable set of vintage R&B that's good and greasy throughout, and a peerless introduction to one of the great unsung heroes of rock & roll.

Personnel & tracklist:
01 - Bill Hendricks - Spinnin' Rock Boogie
02 - Mickey Baker - Love Me Baby
03 - Mickey Baker - Brandstand Stomp
04 - Mickey Baker - Riverboat
05 - Big Red McHouston - I'm Tired
06 - Big Red McHouston - Stranger Blues
07 - Larry Dale - You Better Heed My Warning
08 - Larry Dale - Midnight Hours
09 - Mickey Baker - Shake Walkin'
10 - Larry Dale - Down to the Bottom
11 - Mickey Baker - Greasy Spoon
12 - Larry Dale - Please Tell Me
13 - Mickey And Sylvia - Where Is My Honey
14 - Mickey And Sylvia - No Good Lover
15 - Mickey Baker - Rock With a Sock
16 - Mickey & Sylvia - Love Is Strange
17 - Joe Clay - Did You Mean Jelly-Bean
18 - Charles Calhoun - Runaway
19 - Little Willie John - I Need Your Love So Bad
20 - Titus Turner - All Around the World
21 - Sam Price - Rib Joint
22 - Brownie McGhee - Anna Mae
23 - Eddie Riff - My Baby's Gone Away
24 - Louis Jordan - Caldonia '56
25 - Tiny Kennedy - Country Boy
26 - Mr Bear And His Bearcats - The Bear Hug
27 - Roy Gaines - Worried 'Bout You Baby
28 - Square Walton - Pepper-Head Woman
29 - Champion Jack Dupree - Stumbling Block
30 - Big John Greer - Come Back Uncle John
31 - Young Jessie - Hit Git And Split 

mickeybaby

VA - Katanga Ahbe Casabe: Exotic Blues and Rhythm

 Happy Halloween --- 

This reissue combines the first two volumes from the “Exotic Blues & Rhythm” compilation series named “Katanga!” and “Ahbe Casabe!” with two additional bonus tracks. This album is a colorful garden of delights consisting of R'n'B and rock'n'roll based songs from the 1940s to the early 1960s that all have this slightly exotic, dark and mystical feeling from the melody structures and instrumentation. Most of the tunes at hand sound astonishingly fresh and timeless. EDDIE COLE & THREE PEPPERS with their hypnotizing groover “Police” for example present a Caribbean mento with a mambo and rhythm'n'blues feel. The beat will drag you directly from your seat and make you swing on the dancefloor. This piece finds its roots in the late 1940s and demonstrates impressively how far even the predecessors of rock music already got in their development. The simple yet haunting lead vocal harmony makes this song a steaming hot all-time fave. And this is only one out of 26 rare gems. The album already starts magically with a gloomy bluesy tune named “Green onions” played by German composer and conductor Claus Ogermann, a cover of a BOOKER T & THE MG'S tune from 1962 with a rather specific basic melody that will stay with you forever. There is much more simmering popcorn rock and enchanting exciting pop from those old times to be found on this compilation and when you reach the “Ahbe Casabe” this is where the strange and quirky charme of exotica music captures your soul even more. The title track for example is a song from the late 50s written by proto hippie Ehden Ahbez that combines a Latin groove with a vocal melody speaking of dark backstreets in oriental cities. The album is rich on colors and the view behind the obvious you are allowed to take will open an entirely new world for you. The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s had much more to offer than what we already know and this is a field of diamonds you get to dig in when you spin this record. A nice little oddity is the bonus track “The riddle of the papawhos” by Danny Staton, based on old spirituals and gospels with a 1950s pop music base. The backing vocal effects here are more than strange somewhere between a deep gnarling and chipmunk style squeaking while the lead vocals on the other hand are soulful and striking as expected. The other bonus track by Kip Tyler named “Pu-Chun-Ga” is another outstanding mad Latin tune with wild female vocals and memorable lead melody. Tracks like "Shadow Street" leave you once more somewhere in between the jungle and a haunted oriental café in a town near the desert plains of Egypt. Next to master Ike Turner (still without his later wife and coming legend Tina) with his exotic surf instrumental “Katanga” from the first part, good old rock'n'roll pioneer Bill Haley should be the most famous contributor to this musical treasure chest. The sheer sensual stimulation you receive from these 26 songs will make you groove your mind away. Regardless where you are, these catchy Rhythm and Blues tunes will turn any place into a vintage dancefloor!

TRACKLIST

01. Green Onions - Claus Ogerman Orchestra
02. Nene Aman - Artie Barsamin & Orchestra
03. I'm Going Home - Prince Conley
04. Everything I Touch Turns to Gold - Joe Valino
05. Lucky Me - Chance Halliday
06. Apache - The Chiefs
07. Katanga - Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm
08. Where Were You? - Jimmy Rushing
09. Police - Eddie Cole & The Three Peppers
10. Hey! Little Woman - Sonny Til & The Orioles
11. Woke Up This Morning - Emmet Davis
12. Classie's Whip - Classie Ballou
13. Cleopatra Kick - Jack La Forge
14. Ahbe Casabe - Marti Barris
15. They Took John Away - Steve Arlen
16. Lucky Is My Name - Bruce Cloud
17. Thirteen Women and One Man - Dickie Thompson
18. Cleo - Rene Hall
19. Asia Minor - Machito & His Orchestra
20. Lament - Mamie Perry
21. Chick Safari - Bill Haley & His Comets
22. Big Bamboo - Lord Kitchener
23. Cleopatra - Jamie Coe
24. Shadow Street - Kip Tyler

hippy

Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade (1973)

Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade (1973)

Blues rock with funk and jazz rock fusion elements

In the mold of Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, and Mike Bloomfield, Mandel is an extremely creative rock guitarist with heavy blues and jazz influences. And like those guitarists, his vocal abilities are basically nonexistent, though Mandel, unlike some similar musicians, has always known this, and concentrated on recordings that are entirely instrumental, or feature other singers. A minor figure most known for auditioning unsuccessfully for the Rolling Stones, he recorded some intriguing (though erratic) work on his own that anticipated some of the better elements of jazz-rock fusion, showcasing his concise chops, his command of a multitude of tone pedal controls, and an eclecticism that found him working with string orchestras and country steel guitar wizards. Mandel got his first toehold in the fertile Chicago white blues-rock scene of the mid-'60s (which cultivated talents like Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, and Steve Miller), and made his first recordings as the lead guitarist for harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite. Enticed to go solo by Blue Cheer producer Abe Kesh, Harvey cut a couple of nearly wholly instrumental albums for Phillips in the late '60s that were underground FM radio favorites, establishing him as one of the most versatile young American guitar lions. He gained his most recognition, though, not as a solo artist, but as a lead guitarist for Canned Heat in 1969 and 1970, replacing Henry Vestine and appearing with the band at Woodstock. Shortly afterward, he signed up for a stint in John Mayall's band, just after the British bluesman had relocated to California. Mandel unwisely decided to use a vocalist for his third and least successful Philips album. After his term with Mayall (on USA Union and Back to the Roots) had run its course, he resumed his solo career, and also formed Pure Food & Drug Act with violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris (from the '50s R&B duo Don & Dewey), which made several albums. In the mid-'70s, when the Rolling Stones were looking for a replacement for Mick Taylor, Mandel auditioned for a spot in the group; although he lost to Ron Wood, his guitar does appear on two cuts on the Stones' 1976 album, Black & Blue. Recording intermittently since then as a solo artist and a sessionman, his influence on the contemporary scene is felt via the two-handed fretboard tapping technique that he introduced on his 1973 album Shangrenade, later employed by Eddie Van Halen, Stanley Jordan, and Steve Vai. (By Richie Unterberger)

   

Tracklist:

01. What the Funk (Victor Conte) 03:06

02. Fish Walk (Victor Conte) 04:46

03. Sugarloaf (Harvey Mandel) 04:16

04. Midnight Sun II (Harvey Mandel) 03:42

05. Million Dollar Feeling (Coleman Head) 03:32

06. Green Apple Quick Step (Harvey Mandel) 03:09

07. Frenzy (Victor Conte, Coleman Head, Paul Lagos, Harvey Mandel) 04:32

08. Shangrenade (Harvey Mandel) 04:14

harveyman

VA - Gabe's Dirty Blues

A little Kulture here at the ol' FCCL. This was my first introduction to the world of real raunchy r&b - the fun stuff. I've had this since the 70's and still enjoy a spin every now and then. I was really glad to find a solid rip of this that I couldn't help myself and I snagged it.

It seems this is the only rip of this floating around - originally by “Issaquah” -we thank him for this superb 2 LP set.

Being a lazy sob - if you want the technical details get them here: http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.com/2009/10/gabes-dirty-blues.html

A whoppin' good place for killer music I might add. The music in this set is pretty much available on newer comps you can get on the blogosphere including a few here at FCCL, but to me - this was my first and still one of the best. The complete 2-album set has 30 tracks totaling 78:05 minutes so grab it and enjoy.

01. Fever / Little Willie John
02. Walkin' The Blues / Champion Jack Dupree
03. Sick & Tired / Lula Reed
04. Shake 'em Up, Baby / Roy Brown
05. Work With Me Annie / Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
06. Cherry Wine / Little Esther Phillips
07. 60-Minute Man / Billy Ward & The Dominoes
08. Ride, Jockey, Ride / The Lamplighters
09. Keep On Churnin' / Wynonie Harris
10. Rocket 69 / Todd Rhodes
11. 10-Inch Record / Bull Moose Jackson
12. Black Diamond / Roy Brown
13. Jealous Love / Lula Reed
14. Bloodshot Eyes / Wynonie Harris
15. Sexy Ways / Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
16. Salty Dog / The Lamplighters
17. Monkey, Hips and Rice / The “5” Royales
18. T-99 / Tiny Bradshaw
19. Rock Love / Lula Reed
20. Wasn't That Good / Wynonie Harris
21. Annie Had A Baby / Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
22. Girl From Kokomo / Roy Brown
23. All Around the World / Little Willie John
24. I Want a Bow-Legged Woman / Bull Moose Jackson
25. Quiet Whiskey / Wynonie Harris
26. Use What You Got / Freddy King
27. Queen Of Diamonds / Roy Brown
28. Loving Machine / Wynonie Harris
29. Shake That Thing / Wynonie Harris
30. Adam Come Get Your Rib / Wynonie Harris

gabeybabey

Freddy King gives you a Bonanza of Instrumentals

King’s second all-instrumental album, Freddy King Gives You a Bonanza of Instrumentals, originally released in 1965 on King Records’ Federal subsidiary, continued the artist’s winning streak, with such memorable King originals as “Manhole,” “Freeway 75,” “Low Tide” and “Funnybone.” The 12-song LP demonstrates once again why King was one of his generation’s most revered electric guitarists.

1. Manhole 2. Freeway 75 3. Low Tide 4. The Sad Nite Owl 5. Funnybone 6. Nickleplated 7. String-a-Ling 8. Surf Monkey 9. Freddy’s Midnite Dream 10. Fish Fare 11. Cloud Sailin’ 12. Remington Ride

funkyfreds

Freddy King - Let's Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddy King

Some truly brilliant performances on this album's dozen tunes. King makes playing the guitar seem as natural walking. The songs show a tremendous variety in content, approach, technique and style--something one might not expect from even the best blues albums. Each song has some of the catchiest melodies you're likely to ever hear from a guitar player in any genre. And they are fun. Do yourself a big favor. Get this album. Then get "Freddie King give you a Bonanza of Insturmentals". Because of the dozens of blues/rock albums cut in a similiar vein, these two are at the top of the list.

The album and several of the songs it contains have been influential. According to 2006's Encyclopedia of the Blues, the song "Hide Away" has become "[o]ne of the most popular blues instrumentals of all time", a "mandatory staple of blues bands" at its time and "a standard for countless blues and rock musicians performing today." All Music Guide to the Blues indicates that in addition to "Hide Away", which it describes as "Freddie King's signature tune and most influential recording", several of the other songs on the album also became blues classics, including "San-Ho-Zay" and "The Stumble". Encyclopedia of the Blues adds that "Sen-Sa-Shun", too, became a favorite songs for instrumental bands. Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, who have covered "Hide Away" live on several occasions, specifically sited "San-Ho-Zay" and "Sensation" (sic) as among the Freddie King album tracks that inspired him.
1."Hide Away" (King) – 2:43 2."Butterscotch" – 3:04 3. "Sen-Sa-Shun" – 2:54 4. "Side Tracked" (King) – 3:07 5."The Stumble" – 3:14 6. "Wash Out" – 2:38 7. "San-Ho-Zay" – 2:40 8. "Just Pickin'" (King) – 2:33 9. "Heads Up" – 2:33 10."In the Open" – 3:11 11. "Out Front" – 2:40 12. Swooshy" – 2:19

fkdaances

Big Dave & The Ultrasonics ST

I have gotten quite jaded over the last few years listening to knock-off Chicago Blues clones, both white and black. It seems you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a band trying to replicate the sound created in Chicago during the 1950's. Granted, it was great music, but it gets a bit tiring after a while, listening to one sound-alike band after another.

Big Dave and the Ultrasonics starts there in a marginal way then goes out to create an original identity of it's own. This band really rocks. There's not a weak member in the bunch and they all shine equally on this album. The arrangements are as tight as can be and they have plenty of room for superb jamming and instrumental prowess. The harmonica, keyboard, drums and bass are all outstanding with a jump blues focus rather than the guitar dominated Chitown sound. good choice for blues hounds who want something on the more sophisticated side.

01. She's The King
02. Jump Street
03. Black Coffee
04. She Can't Keep A Secret
05. A Month Of Sundays
06. Back In The Hot Seat
07. I Hear Your Voice
08. Everybody Wants A Cadillac
09. Escuchame
10. Phone Fun
11. My Baby's Sweeter
12. Big Bad Blues Train
13. Junkman
14. I Can't Fly
15. Ooh My My

bigdultp1

bigdultp2

Jimmy Witherspoon with Brother Jack McDuff

"Jimmy Witherspoon recorded a series of excellent albums for Verve in the late '60s. Unfortunately, these have not received the attention they deserve, and are frequently relegated in Witherspoon's huge catalog. The Blues Is Now is arguably the finest of these recordings, and Witherspoon's voice is in top form and hugely expressive. Like all of the artist's albums of the decade, it's not the most consistent of listening experiences, but that's of little interest when songs and performances are as good as "My Baby's Quit Me" and Witherspoon's own "Late One Evening." A light-night blues classic, this is Witherspoon at his most relaxed and assured and is a joy to listen to."

01. Sweet Slumber 3:53
02. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town 2:48
03. Past Forty Blues 4:23
04. S.K. Blues 2:25
05. Late One Evening 3:03
06. Part Time Woman 3:31
07. Good Rockin' Tonight 2:17
08. I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You) 5:20
09. My Baby's Quit Me 3:12
10. My Money's Long This Morning, Baby 2:11


bloozebroz

Jimmy Thackery Live in Detroit

For all you D. C. homeys. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1953, Jimmy was raised in Washington, D.C. In high school he played in a band with Bonnie Raitt's brother David, who turned him on to Buddy Guy. A pivotal moment for the 17 year old Thackery was seeing Buddy perform at a small D.C. church, but the "moment that changed my life," as Thackery recalls it, occurred quite by accident one night when he wandered into a Jimi Hendrix show in D.C. and heard Hendrix let loose in his first gig after getting kicked off the Monkees tour.
Thackery became widely known as the innovative guitarist with the Nighthawks, one of the hardest-working and most popular blues bands of the '70's and '80's. Starting in 1974, the group recorded over twenty albums and constantly toured the U.S., Europe, Canada and Japan. Jimmy was the heart, soul, and adrenaline of the Nighthawks sound during his fourteen year tenure with the Washington, D.C.-based band, creating a distinctively raw, powerful guitar style and establishing a reputation as a spectacular soloist. This is a great sounding live show by Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers. A lot of instrumentals with great guitar solos. One of the best live recordings in the Drivers catelog. Recommended highly!!!!

01. Don't Lose Your Cool
02. Solid Ice
03. Daze In May
04. Big Long Buick
05. Landlocked
06. Detroit Iron
07. Love My Baby
08. Bomb the Moon
09. Eat It All
10. Blinking of An Eye

jthackp1

jthackp2

B.B. King Do The Boogie! Early 50's Classics

Lovingly restored and remastered. Twenty killer tracks from B.B. King's 1950s heyday, including quite a few alternate takes and a few tough-to-locate items ("Bye Bye Baby," "Dark Is the Night," "Jump with You Baby"). Many of the titles are familiar ones -- "Woke Up This Morning," "Every Day (I Have the Blues)," "Please Love Me," "Whole Lotta Love" -- but often as not, compiler Ray Topping unearthed contrasting versions from the same sessions that shed new, fascinating light on King's studio techniques.


01. Boogie Woogie Woman (2:47)
02. Past Day (3:16)
03. I Gotta Find My Baby (2:47)
04. Bye Bye Baby (2:30)
05. Woke Up This Morning (My Baby's Gone) (3:02)
06. Please Love Me (2:52)
07. Blind Love (3:07)
08. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer (2:57)
09. Whole Lotta Love (3:09)
10. That Ain't The Way To Do It (2:21)
11. Everyday (2:36)
12. Let's Do The Boogie (2:26)
13. Dark Is The Night (Part 1) (2:40)
14. Dark Is The Night (Part 2) (2:44)
15. Why I Sing The Blues (2:46)
16. Everything I Do Is Wrong (2:28)
17. The Woman I Love (2:53)
18. Jump With Your Baby (2:13)
19. Troubles, Troubles, Troubles (3:37)
20. Crying Won't Help You (2:56)

oldbbstuff

VA-Blues Guitar Duels

Blues Guitar Duels is a pretty darn good compilation of excellent guitarist who have performed together on various recordings over the years. For example you get Buddy and Phil Guy performing one of the tracks from their joint CD, "DJ Play My Blues", Hubert Sumlin performing with Ronnie Earl on a cut from "Hubert Sumlin's Blues Party", Ronnie Earl and Duke Robillard on a track from the CD "Test of Time" and Guitar Shorty and Otis Grand from the CD "My Way On The Highway". One can certainly quibble over whether there are other tracks that could have been included on this disc or whether the tracks selected are the best from each duo but it would be a pointless debate. The facts are you get a very nice sampling of what these individuals have to offer and all for a bargain basement price. Check it out and then either explore these artists further.

1. Girl You're Nice and Clean - Buddy Guy, Phil Guy 2. West Side Soul - Ronnie Earl, Buddy Guy, Phil Guy, 3. Corn Palace - Bnois King, The Smokin' Joe Kubek Band, Hubert Sumlin 4. You're Fine - Mike Morgan, Jim Suhler 5. She's Gone - Otis Grand, Phillip Walker 6. Backstroke - Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard 7. Full Gain - Grady Gaines & The Texas Upsetters, Roy Gaines, Clarence Hollimon 8. Wasp - Joe Coronado, Ray Jimenez, Mark Pollock 9. Kick Out - Otis Grand, Guitar Shorty 10. You Got to Help Me - Richard Studholme, Hubert Sumlin

bgddbl

Danny Gatton- live 77

Recorded at a variety of small clubs in the Washington, DC area, this album features tons of terrifying guitar work by the Master Blaster of the Telecaster. At the time, Gatton was becoming legendary for his blazing speed and explosive displays of improvisational genius. Gatton only recorded two albums under his own name in the 70's so this 10 song collection is quite a treat. The recording quality isn't the greatest---and you hear plennty of audience chatter and tinkling of glasses--but drop the needle anywhere on this album and be preapared to be, well, humbled. Along with displays of superhuman fretwork on cuts such as Sweet Georgia Brown and Danny's Blues, we also get to hear Gatton doing some of his signature tricks--a dicey procedure that involved starting his Echoplex playing whatever was last recorded on it, and then harmonizing over those parts while the band played along. Gatton also enjoyed filling the keyboard role with his own Hammnd B-3 sounding guitar parts, although the laye keyboardist Dick Heintze (whom Gatton cited as a key influence) is featured on the sci-fi madness of Rumble/Harlem Nocturne. The first new commercially available Gatton material to emerge in years, this CD takes you back to a place and time when one could regularly stroll into a bar and watch one of the greatest super-pickers of all time wowing the locals with his mind-bending guitar antics.
Powerhouse Records --Art Thompson Guitar Player Magazine Sept. 2007

1. Sweet Georgia Brown 2. Canadian Sunset 3. Nit Pickin' 4. Walkin' With Danny 5. Harlem Nocturne 6. Soul Sauce 7. Danny's Blues 8. Fingers on Fire 9. Rumble / Harlem Nocturne - (Bonus Track) 10. Sweet Geogria Brown - (Bonus Track)

dgl77

Louis Jordan - One Sided Love Then Sakatumi

These 1968 Recordings Represent One of his Last Visits to a Studio in the United States. Originally Released on the Pzazz Label this was a Rare Collectors Item for Over 30 Years. All the Titles Are Making their Worldwide Debut on CD! Great stuff.

1. One Sided Love 2:06 2. Bullitt 2:48
3. New Orleans And Rusty Old Horn 2:40
4. You Gotta Go 2:32 5. I'll Get Along Some-How 3:38 6. Wild Is The Night 2:33 7. Sakatumi 3:14
8. What's On Your Mind 2:48 9. Monkey See, Monkey Do 2:32 10. Watch The World 2:55
11. The A-Men Corner 2:46 12. Santa Claus, Santa Claus 3:24

ljslala

Legends of the Guitar – Electric Blues Vol. 1

Great compilation of classic electric blues. Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, BB King, T-Bone Walker, and those are the artists on the first 4 songs. Each song different than the other, and each one played with precision by a master guitar player. This has that older sound to it, like when Muddy Waters plugged that amp in for the first time. Check out the tremendous guitar playing on the last track - See Me in the Evening - with Hound Dog Taylor providing the riffs.
1. Rollin' and Tumblin', Pt. 1 - Muddy Waters 2. All Your Love (I Miss Loving) - Otis Rush 3. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now - B.B. King 4. Strollin' With Bones - T-Bone Walker 5. Stormy Monday Blues - Bobby "Blue" Bland 6. 300 Pounds of Joy - Howlin' Wolf 7. Find My Baby [*] - Eddie Taylor 8. Texas Hop [*] - Pee Wee Crayton 9. Love My Baby - Little Junior's Blue Flames 10. Personal Manager - Albert King 11. Dust My Blues - Elmore James 12. Story of My Life - Guitar Slim 13. Help Me - Charlie Musselwhite 14. Mean Town Blues - Johnny Winter 15. Tell Me Pretty Mama - Lightnin' Hopkins, 16. Hucklebuck - Earl Hooker 17. See Me in the Evening [*] - Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers, Hound Dog Taylor

gpleb1

Legends of the Guitar – Electric Blues Vol.2

More excellent classic electric blues. These 2 discs are an excellent intro to the world of electric rock oriented blues and good to have all in one place.

1. Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) - Rufus Thomas 2. Just Like a Woman - B.B. King 3. Texas - Electric Flag 4. Another Kinda Love - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 5. Boogie Chillen' - John Lee Hooker 6. Lookin' Good - Magic Sam's Blues Band 7. Carry My Business On - Houston Boines 8. Going Down - Freddie King 9. Double Crossing Time - Eric Clapton, John Mayall 10. Long Distance Call - Muddy Waters 11. Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulson 12. Okie Dokie Stomp - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, 13. Lucy Mae Blues - Frankie Lee Sims 14. Playgirl - Snooks Eaglin 15. Fallin' Rain - James Cotton Blues Band 16. Worried About My Baby - Howlin' Wolf 17. Vietcong Blues - Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band 18. Frosty - Albert Collins

gpleb2

Canned Heat - Instrumentals

This beautifully packaged 15 track CD is mostly instrumental as the title implies. Track 1, Parthenogenesis is a visionary 20 minute blues suite opening with a modal jews harp and then moving through various sections. The sections of Parthenogenesis could all be separate songs in their own right, in this case though, the way they seamlessly blend together makes for a solid continuous composition. When Bob Hite's voice appears it is mixed way down and somehow seems more tasteful that way. It is similar (somehwhat) with Mayall's Bare Wires and Blues from Laurel Canyon, not so much in style, (although there are similarities and Mayall does plays piano on one of the sections) -- but in the concept of a blues suite. It is followed by Down in the Gutter but Free which opens with a delightful tongue-in-cheek blues shout by Hite accompanied by sizzling guitar, harp, bass and hammond B3. The call and responses between the various instruments nicely intensify during the long instrumental outro. Fito de la Parra's 2 drum solo workouts on this CD are anything but cliche boogie band stuff, he brings a definite central Mexican influence to a R&B timbral blues drum sound. Sometimes refered to as L.A.'s Coltrane, Charles Lloyd appears here on his blues outing 'Don't Care What You Tell Me', Lloyd's potent early 70s rock crossover work is often passed over, with his Wave and Geeta LPs/CDs still out of circulation, its a special treat to hear Lloyd's blues rock collaboration with the Heat appear here. The remainder of the CD is mostly upbeat Jump Blues, Boogie style stuff, track 12 Gorgo Boogie stands out with a rustic and potent duo of Fito de la Parra on Drums and Robert Luca on a toneful guitar that sings delta ghosts on and between the strings and notes. Although the Canned Heat and their fans were often having some good fun with all the lyrics of their original lineup's hits, this CD shows the serious and ongoing instrumental prowess of the band. There is no shortage of fun in this music too, but done by Canned Heat instrumentalists, who on these tracks again prove themselves to be blues-rock heavyweights.

1. Parthenogenesis: Nebulosity/Rollin' & Tumblin'/Five Owls/Bear Wires 2. Marie Laveau 3. Mi Huautla 4. Down in the Gutter But Free 5. Skat 6. Terraplane Blues 7. Hill Stomp 8. Don't Care What You Tell Me 9. Caterpillar Crawl 10. Hucklebuck [Live] 11. JJ Jump [Live] 12. Gorgo Boogie 13. Junior's Shuffle 14. Mambo Tango [Live] 15. Blues After Hours [Live][#]

chinz

White Boy Blues V2

Just what it says.

1. Five Long Years - The Yardbirds 2. Bright Lights - The Downliners Sect 3. Telephone Blues - John Mayall 4. Can I Get a Witness - Steampacket 5. See See Rider - Eric Burdon 6. Little Miss Understood - Rod Stewart 7. Gin House Blues - Amen Corner 8. Snake Drive - Eric Clapton 9. Ain't Gonna Cry No More - Tony McPhee 10. Can't Quit You Baby 11. Draggin' My Tail - Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page 12. Don't Want You No More - The Spencer Davis Group 13. Spoonful - Canned Heat 14. Stormy Monday - The Graham Bond Organisation 15. Peter Gunn - Roy Buchanan

wbblz

British Blues Breakers

Nice comp of early British white boy blues. A few rare ones and some favorites.

1. I'm Your Witch Doctor - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 2. Man of the World - Fleetwood Mac 3. I'm a Man - The Yardbirds 4. Baby What's Wrong - The Downliners Sect 5. Boom Boom - The Animals 6. They Call It Stormy Monday Blues, Pt. 1 - Chris Farlowe 7. L.A. Breakdown - Jimmy Page 8. Train Time - Jack Bruce 9. Tribute to Elmore - Eric Clapton 10. Steelin' - All-Stars, Jeff Beck 11. I Tried 12. Freight Loader - Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page 13. Look Down at My Woman - Jeremy Spencer 14. Cry Me a River - Steampacket 15. Dimples - The Spencer Davis Group

bbr

Rhythm Room Blues

Bob Corritore - producer, musician & club owner - delivers this single live CD by performers ranging from Delta blues to West Coast to Chicago! First out is Mr. Kim Wilson, harmonica ace and singer in the tradition of Smiley Lewis and Jr Parker. His cover of Sonny Boy's shuffle "Eyesight of the blind" sets the mood and tells everyone what this will be about: straight blues from the heart! R L Burnside plays Delta guitar with deep soul, Nappy Brown brings more of the swinging West Coast style and Henry Gray (from Howlin' Wolf's old band) gives us some the trademark Chicago big town blues. Despite the various styles on this CD it is an engaging listen, with top-notch musicians including Bob Corritore on harp and excellent sound. The final track, the often covered Eddie Boyd slow blues "Five Long Years" oozes out of the speakers with Rusty Zinn and Billy Flynn trading stinging guitar lines and on top of that Kim Wilson's killer harp tone and emotional singing! This is over 10 minutes of emotion - and you can even hear a couple of reeds in Kim's Chromatic harp buzzing of exhaustion in the onslaught. As a sampler of contemporary blues artists in a live setting this is a good CD, but it may be more of a memory to anyone who's ever been at the Rhythm Room or fans of a specific artist on the album. Either case, this is good music that definitely deserves to be heard.

1. Eyesight To The Blind Kim Wilson With Bob Corritore 2. Rollin' & Tumblin' R.L. Burnside With Bob Corritore 3. Livin' Too Close To The Edge Sonny Rhodes With Bob Corritore 4. Sinner's Prayer Henry Gray With Bob Corritore 5. How'd You Learn To Shake It Like That Sam Lay With Bob Corritore 6. Long Haired Donkey R.L. Burnside With Bob Corritore 7. Henry's Houserocker Henry Gray With Bob Corritore 8. In My Younger Days Mojo Buford With Bob Corritore 9. Nightmare Blues R.L. Burnside With Bob Corritore 10. Lemon Squeezin' Daddy Nappy Brown With Bob Corritore 11. Goin' Down South R.L. Burnside With Bob Corritore 12. I'm Gonna Shoot Her Sam Lay With Bob Corritore 13. Five Long Years Kim Wilson With Bob Corritore

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Sugar in My Bowl – Vintage Sex Songs

Sugar In My Bowl gives us a great collection of eighteen songs from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. These songs all explore the theme of romance sung by some of the greatest female artists of the day. It's great to see how these songbirds used simple everyday words to convey romantic ideas to their public without being caught by the censors. The legendary Bessie Smith begins the track set with "I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl." Awesome! Bessie sings this bluesy number to a tee and she never misses a note! The piano accompaniment works well but it still lets Bessie's vocals remain squarely in the spotlight. "I Want A Tall Skinny Papa" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe sports a big band flavor with a great male backup chorus to make this number take flight! Sister Rosetta sings this with all her heart and it shows as you listen to "I Want A Tall Skinny Papa." "Just Give Me A Man" from Mabel Scott does indeed offer romantic hope to all men as she sings of how she wants to spend time with just about any--or all--of the men she can get her hands on! What a hoot! Mabel sings very well and the musical accompaniment enhances "Just Give Me A Man." Awesome! Some of the songs on this CD use certain words to be rather suggestive. Take a listen to "Sam The Hot Dog Man" by Lil Johnson with its great arrangement and "Hot Nuts (Get 'Em From The Peanut Man)." I think you can put two and two together for yourself. SMILE There's also an interesting early recording by Dinah Washington entitled "My Lovin' Papa;" we see Dinah showcasing her talents as a first rate jazz singer as early as 1945. Great! Sister Rosetta Tharpe returns to perform again; this time she performs "Rock Me," an excellent tune indeed. Love that guitar intro! One of the more recent numbers on this CD would be the superb "Rocket 69" performed so ably by Connie Allen with a backup chorus harmonizing to perfection! "Rocket 69" sports that early rock and roll flavor which works wonders for this awesome number. Give this one a listen and you'll love it--I am sure of it! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. This one's gonna be tough because the last number on this CD uses explicit lyrics to explore the subject of love. Lucille Bogan sings "Shave 'Em Dry (Version 2)" with great energy and you can tell she's enjoying every minute of this lascivious song! The sound quality is poor but you'll be able to hear every last word Lucille sings. M. Sherwin

1. I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl - Bessie Smith 2. I Want a Tall Skinny Papa - Sister Rosetta Tharpe 3. King Size Papa - Julia Lee 4. He's Just My Size - Lillie Mae Kirkman 5. Just Give Me a Man - Mabel Scott 6. Man for Every Day in the Week - Sippie Wallace 7. Sam the Hot Dog Man - Lil Johnson 8. Nobody in Town Can Bake a Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine - Bessie Smith 9. Hot Nuts (Get 'Em from the Peanut Man) - Lil Johnson 10. My Lovin' Papa - Dinah Washington 11. Rock Me - Sister Rosetta Tharpe 12. I'm a Mighty Tight Woman - Sippie Wallace 13. Garter Snake Blues - Victoria Spivey 14. If It Don't Fit (Don't Force It) - Los Enemigos 15. What's the Matter With Me? - Albinia Jones 16. Rocket 69 - Connie Allen 17. Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got - Julia Lee 18. Shave 'Em Dry [Version 2] - Lucille Bogan

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