3 comments about I'm the Man.

1. FAST,QUICK,EXCELLENT BUSINESS LOOK FORWARD TO DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU AGAIN.



2. SHERMAN ROBERTSON DESERVES TO BE HEARD. I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS EXCEPTIONAL PLAYING. THIS RECORDING IS LIKE A PRECLUDE TO WHAT SHERMAN IS CAPABLE OF . IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, THEN DON'T CHECK OUT HIS 1998 AUDIOQUEST RELEASE "GOIN BACK HOME". IF YOU TRULY ARE A BLUES GUITAR FANATIC AND ARE CONTINUALLY SEARCHING FOR WHO IS MAKING THE BEST BLUES TODAY, YOU WILL FIND THAT SHERMAN DELIVERS SOME KICKASS BLUES AND YOU WILL WONDER WHERE THIS MAN HAS BEEN HIDING. AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF A FIRST CLASS BACK UP BAND AND SUPERIOR SOUND QUALITY. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU ASK FOR. DON'T BELIEVE ME AND DON'T GO OUT AND GET IT.



3. i bought this album mid april 1999 on the offchance and cant stop listening to it

5 comments about Honky Tonk 'n Blues.

1. You never get tired of hearing Delbert McClinton. His raw, raspy voice brings soul, country, rhythm, & blues to a song like you've never heard. He really makes you feel a song & you can tell he feels it when he is singing. He's great.



2. Let's get it straight - this and "Let the Good Times Roll" are not really Delbert albums as though he went into the studio to cut this record. No sir, all these songs are from his 1975 and '76 albums Love Rustler and Genuine Cowhide on ABC, mixed and matched and put out again by MCA ... not like they really did much for him otherwise. That said, it's still classic Delbert and I give it 4 stars just for that. The best thing about this CD is that it has 4 more songs than Let the Good Times Roll - although it doesn't have Let the Good Times Roll.



3. Poor songwriting, poor arrangements & a general lack of inspiration dominate this album. Only on a few occasions do we hear the kind of energetic bluesy R&B that we're used to expecting from Delbert. The leadoff track is a 70's-style country tune dominated by some fast pedal steel picking, & it just doesn't work. I've heard better versions of the next two tracks, Delbert's own "Two More Bottles of Wine" (check out Emmylou Harris's version instead), and "Before You Accuse Me" (try Eric Clapton's). Delbert is usually a master at interpreting a song, & these were unpleasant surprises. "Under Suspicion" is a pointless, repetitive song from start to finish with awful background vocals. "My Baby Comes to Me" is decent with it's rinky-dink piano. Still not Delbert's best, though. "Honky Tonkin'" is an improvement with Delbert's signature horns. Finally, out of nowhere, he hits full stride with the great "Lovey Dovey". Again, the track features great horns including a fantastic sax solo. Classic Delbert honky-tonk soul. The jump-blues followup, "It's Love Baby", just doesn't work for me. "Love Rustler" is a decent funky tune until the inane background vocals take over. "Lesson in the Pain of Love" & "Solid Gold Plated Fool" are among his best work, & "Pledging My Love" is a very good ballad. On the other hand, the ballad "Please, Please, Please" is ruined by more awful background vocals. Yet another ballad, "Special Love Song", is a tired ending to a so-so collection. Other than a few must-have tracks, this is lots of filler.



4. I'm glad to see anyone getting hep to Delbert, and there's no doubt you can get a good sweat going dancing with The Man, but for God's sake don't go trying to line dance to this stuff. It'll lead to grief, probable gunplay and chalk outlines on the floor. You may think I'm fooling, but you haven't seen him perform, it's clear. What you're talking about doing is like ordering sugarfree koolaid at a wino bar, you just don't line dance in public to real honkytonk n' blues. We all know that there's Hat Acts galore these days, already watered down enough to be plenty safe for line dancing so why not have fun with those fellows. Delbert fans (in their 'uncrazed' state) want everyone to enjoy the music but y'all be safe, hear? This is the uncut stuff, and it ain't what you play to put Junior down for naptime, and it's not for line dancing. There's way too much soul, and heartache levels alone exceed government recommendations. Delbert, y'all making me rethink whether it's time for CD trigger locks. Oh the humanity.



5. When my baby wants good loving she comes to me.this song would be great if put in a line dance for an arobic dance exercise.Any other views on this?

1 comments about Live at the Golden Bear.

1. Although I bought this CD as a Junior Wells fan, and was definitely not disappointed by his performance, the real joy came from finding that the supporting musicians were nothing short of phenominal. Guitar player Kenneth Britt especially shines, so much that I want to know what else he did and where he is now. Douglas Fagan on sax, Willie Monroe on bass, and Bill Warren on drums all turn in stellar performances. Buy this album to hear Junior Wells live at the peak of his form, but the real pleasure is in discovering and listening to the supporting musicians.

No comments about Blues Organ Grooves.

4 comments about The Very Best of Johnny "Guitar" Watson.

1. Johnny Guitar Watson, and his contributions to early rock and roll and blues, is one of the most overlooked aspects and it is sad. 'Cause not only could this guy play a pretty mean guitar, but he could also belt out a tune. Take this into consideration: Johnny was the main inspiration for the guitar playing of Frank Zappa, a true guitar wiz. And Etta James, blues, r&b, and soul singer extroadinairre, has credited Johnny with being the inspiration of her style in singing. Not bad. This CD features Johnny's early output fro the 1950's to early 60's. This is just one phase of his musical career. This man reinvented himself so many times to stay current and all of his music is great, from playing blues, standards,jazz, and pop-funk later on. This CD is a great introduction to his music.



2. Forget about Clapton and Hendrix or Page-one listen to the first track on this cd will convince you that Johnny may have been the greatest guitarist ever in the history of Rock n Roll. 1955's classic "Space Guitar" cooks- I mean the stratocaster played by Johnny is on fire-it will blow your mind the first time you hear it-it just cooks from beginning to end. This cd also contains his 2 top 10 R@B classics "Those lonely,lonely nights" and one of my all time favorites from the early 60's "Cuttin in". So much incredible talent in this man and as with so many Black artists it saddens me that he never recieved the recognition he deserved. Etta James said her whole singing style particularly her ballad style was based entirely on the phrasing and enunciation of Johnny and I can hear it when I microscopically examine her music.Whenever some writer gets around to documenting the true story of RocknRoll( which hasn't been done to this day) the story of Johnny "Guitar"Watson will take up as many pages in that book as Elvis and The Beatles do today in literally every Rock chronical you pick up. What a great artist and what a great cd . On the instrumental spectrum of things, Rock n Roll may have started when "Space Guitar" was laid to wax way back yonder in 19 hundred and fifty five.



3. Johnny Guitar is a bad, bad man. He's been kept off of many blues fan's radar far too long and it's time he got his due. This brother got down and dirty with some nasty licks, but could also put you in a frenzy with his impassioned singing on such shoulda-been classics as "Cold, Cold Heart" and "Cuttin' In". This CD includes sides he did as a solo artist as well as nuggets from his session work days. THE O.G, the original Gangster of Love.



4. before he became a super funakteer in the 70's in the 50's&60's he was a blues&rock-n-roll guitar playing genius.he is very underrated but this disc showcases the many talents of this man not to mention his influence on many guitarists & musicians in general.

5 comments about The Guitar Wizard.

1. TAMPA RED WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF EARLY BLUESMEN WHO POPULARIZED THE SOUND OF THE BOTTLENECK GUITAR, AND HE MIXED IN GREAT GUITAR PLAYING WITH AMUSING LYRICS AND RACY SONGS. HE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND REALLY OVERLOOKED AND UNDERAPPRECIATED TODAY, EVEN THO' HE WAS PRETTY POPULAR WAY BACK WHEN. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR SO0ME GREAT BLUES FROM THE LATE 20'S-EARLY 30'S THEN PICK UP THIS CD, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE RECORDINGS ARE NOT THE BEST SOUND QUALITY.



2. .... and when he's dead, that's all brother." So said Big Bill Broonzy, a R&B legend himself, quoted in the wonderful five pages of liner notes written by Mark Humphrey. For the record, Hudson (Tampa Red) Woodbridge, born on December 15, 1903, passed away at age 77 on March 19, 1981.
   
   This compilation presents 17 of some of his best cuts recorded between 1928 and 1934, the first two for the Okeh label and the remainder for Vocalion. The sound reproduction varies, and while most have 78 rpm hiss, the CD was produced "using NoNoise, a noise reduction system developed by Sonic Solutions of San Rafael, California (to quote the liner notes).
   
   The humorous track 1, and 2, (both sides of Okeh 8651) feature the vocals of Papa Too Sweet and Harry Jones, with Tampa Red on guitar and Georgia Tom Dorsey at piano. The remainder have Tampa Red doing the vocals, some in conjunction with Georgia Tom, and several were both sides to Vocalion singles. The insert provides a full discography of the contents.
   
   Many of these sides would certainly have made what then passed for the R&B charts, but these (identified then as Most Played Jukebox Folk Records) did not appear until 1942. Even so, Tampa Red & His Chicago Five did make the Pop charts in 1936 with Let's Get Drunk And Truck for the Bluebird label (# 14 that August).
   
   Following the introduction of the above-mentioned forerunner of the R&B charts he had Let Me Play With Your Poodle go to # 4 in late 1942/early 1943, accompanied by Big Maceo at piano. In 1945, with Blind John Davis on piano, he took Detroit Blues to # 5 in September, followed in December by playing guitar on Big Maceo's hit, Things Have Changed (# 4). All were on the Bluebird label.
   
   Another hit didn't emerge until September 1949, as When Things Go Wrong With You rose to # 9, followed in 1951 by Pretty Baby Blues, both with Little Johnnie Jones on piano and both released on the RCA Victor label.
   
   Unfortunately, none of these charted hit singles appear in this compilation, but they can be found on other Tampa Red CDs. This one, however, should be part of any serious collection of early R&B.



3. It says something about Tampa Red that I had a terrible headache last night before listening to this CD, and by the time I finished my headache was gone.
   
   Tampa Red and his partner pianist "Georgia Tom" Dorsey (later a gospel singer /composer of "Precious Lord" fame) specialized in funny, downhome, double-entendre blues songs about whiskey, prostitution, dancing, gambling, and just having a good time. "No Matter How She Does It" is a particular hoot, as our heroes sing about a girl who "shakes it so well that the judge sent the cops to jail." Knee-slapping fun, without a word of actual profanity.
   
   Tampa Red comes off here as a sort of country blues cousin to the type of Jazz comedy and storytelling that Louis Jordan specialized in ten years later. Every existing photo of him shows him with a pleasant smile, and this infectious cheerfulness is reflected in his music, so much so that is is hard to be sad even when he sings about such ordinarily morose subjects as prison, death, and losing a loved one.
   
   There is one drawback to this collection. Having enjoyed my father's collection of scrachy 78s as a child, I usually don't have a problem with surface noise on CDs, but some of the old recordings on this CD are in such poor condition that a few songs are almost unlistenable.
   
   That aside, enjoy "It's Tight Like That" and other stuff that made grandma and grandpa get on the juke joint floor and "cut a rug."



4. As a blues musician, I often have to research the source of the songs I perform, particularly if I want to record them. I was surprised to see the name "Whitaker" show up again and again. I was vaguely familiar with "Tampa Red" (and have 78's by him) but
   unaware that he had written many of the songs that have become blues standards. This CD offers a selection of many of his songs as he performed them for the first time, and also showcases his amazing slide guitar talent, proving that he invented not only standard blues songs but also standard slide riffs and licks.
   I'd recommend this to blues lovers...and especially to blues musicians! All four dewclaws up, in my book...
   Steven C. Barr
   STEVEN C AND THE RED ROCKETS
   STEVEN C AND HIS BLACK CAT BLUES BAND
   (et al)
   Oshawa, Ont'o.



5. Len Here!
   Whenever this great bluesman is bein' played thar's no dought who it is. By listnin' to his voice or gtr. He's one of the few blues men that (for me) I've never heard a bad song from.
   Len!

5 comments about Triumvirate.

1. I have been relistening to this album in the last few days and suddenly thought to look at the Amazon reviews.
   
   For the first time in a long time, I find myself disagreeing with some clearly serious reviewers.
   
   I rate this as a five star album precisely _because_ it is a laid-back display of the genius of three very different bluesmen who have made a superb album in which not one of them tries to steal the show and in which all contribute their particular skill to form a magnificent whole.
   
   True, you won't find a firework display of Bloomfield guitar playing, but you will hear Bloomfield's guitar in its place, as you will Dr. John's piano and swampy rhythms, and John Hammond's smoky voice and blues delivery. It's a weird and wonderful three-way crossroads where Lousiana meets Chicago meets East Coast.
   
   The material is excellent and track selection is sensitive, with each artist getting at least one showcase item: e.g. Dr. John (Sho Bout to Drive Me Wild); Bloomfield (Rock Me Baby), John Hammond just about everywhere since he does the vocals...
   
   Add to this the fact that it is a superior production, beautifully recorded in LA and San Francisco and I rate this album as one of the best I own.



2. This is the blues equivalent of Blind Faith, a supergroup that never took off. The reason is on the record, a lackluster, tepid effort from three guys who each waited for the other to take the reins and run. No one did. While it's not awful, and some tracks are quite enjoyable ("Cha-Dooky-Doo," "I Yi-Yi"), the overall experience leaves you a bit wanting. Personally, I would have liked a lot more Dr. John and Bloomfield, and a lot less Hammond. At least on this recording, he strikes me as out of his depth and simply not in the same league as his band mates.
   
   I did notice the inestimable Thomas Jefferson Kaye sat in on these recordings, no doubt supplying the chemical support needed to keep these guys happy and in the studio. Apparently, according to the liner notes, that was not an easy job. This is a curio, for hard-core fans of these musicians only.



3. You know the saying. So when you get a New Orleans/piano legend, a delta blues revivalist, and the leading white American blues guitarist of his today together you would expect a dynamite jam session. What this album feels more like though is that everyone waited back for the "magic" to happen. And it never did. There isn't much here to celebrate. That's not to say it's bad. It just doesn't live up to expectations.

   For someone who bought this to hear Bloomfield's guitar it's too far back in the mix and there's too little of it. I also like Dr. John but there isn't enough of his New Orleans funk here either. It's just sort of 'eh'. At the same time if a young blues/r&b outfit put this out today we'd probably talk about the promise they displayed and admire their restraint. It just doesn't do the individual artists justice. The liner notes, once you've got the CD, give you a warning as they cover the failed first attempt for these guys to find some chemistry in playing together. Not terrible, just unremarkable.




4. The year was 1973, an era when super groups were the vogue a la Blind Faith. The idea was to take a piano player whose style was New Orleans Cajun- Dr. John, a guitar icon with roots in Chicago Blues - Mike Bloomfield and a vocalist who reverently performed delta blues classics - John Hammond. It could have worked and made a huge impact on the music of the day and brought more people to the way of the blues - it didn't. Instead it was a blip in all of these great musicians careers - few people took note of it then or now.

   While none of the artists on the album seem to be spotlighted to show the degree of talent that they possessed, it is an interesting cd with some good numbers on it. Such numbers as Cha dooky-doo and I yi yi seem silly and dated - others as Sho Bout to Drive me Wild, It Hurts Me Too and Rock Me Baby are noteworthy and a good listen.

   All in all, the cd is worth the price, especially for fans of Dr. John, Mike Bloomfield or John Hammond. For those not familiar with their work or blues in general another cd would be a better choice.




5. I wanted to first respond to BluesDuke's initial review of Triumvirate...He characterized John Hammond, Michael Bloomfield and Dr. John as performers who had sumpreme control of themselves. I disagree. Hammond, Bloomfield and Renneback are three of the most erratic performers around. I have seen Hammond on good and bad nights and on bad nights he drinks too much beer and makes you wonder if he's going to fall off his stool. Dr. John is probably the most gifted player of the piano around, (listen to some of his stride piano playing) but if the vibe is not right, he sleepwalks his way through a set. Michael Bloomfield was a heroin casualty. The saddest set of music I ever saw was Bloomfield playing with his brillant Electric Flag ensemble in Chicago in the late 60's. Michael's playing was technically impecible and loaded with passion but he had to play the entire set laying on the floor of the hall because he was "rushing" from a near overdose of heroin. I would advise each consumer to select the CDs which reflect the strengths of each of these artist's careers, rather than this insipid "supergroup" album which only underscores the problematic nature of each artist's brilliance.

5 comments about New York City ~The Remix Album~.

1. I may be a kid but I know stinky when I hear it. Who is this guy to so obviously cash in on someone else's talent? I read that Ms. Jones did not even give him permission to put this vile product out. Mr. Malick, you are a loser. Let's see what you can come up with WITHOUT a multimillion seller artist doing all the work for you.
   
   Noah L.



2. Though I don't know much about Peter Malick himself and the music that he makes, he made quite an impression when he released New York City with America's favorite singer, Norah Jones. After hearing the album, I considered it another Jones classic after her first album (Come Away With Me). I never really even knew that there was going to be a REMIX album until I had spotted it one day when I was doing my weekly shopping. The REMIX album was a real big dissapointment when he was lured into saying "yes !" to a remix album in the first place. If you are the kind of person who is into the club scenery of things and really dig the kinds of hard beats and rhythms interpreted into each song that this album brings, then I hope you can enjoy it more than I did after feeling the feeling I got after hearing each of these songs being torn up by hard-driven beats (I mean no offense of course, but this idea was really bad for Malick...Jones as well). I've never even heard of the artist, Split - Vizionz in my life before and I assume he's a "newage" rapper that decided to try and make a debut appearance in the song, New York City.
   
   Stick to the original album folks and don't purchase it unless you really like it.



3. I thought the first album was a fine piece of musicianship, in many ways more enjoyable than the two much hyped commercial releases by Ms Jones.
   
   As a musician I give this an embarrassing thumbs down.
   
   I see they are coming out with another rehash in the chill genre. Go ahead milk it for all its worth.



4. In my opinion, something is only a gimmick for money when the product sucks. Although this album isn't exactly a "required" CD like the unmixed New York City, it's still very, very good.
   
   First off, just because it's "Remixed" does Not mean there's big powerful base lines and wild synths, these aren't club songs. I think the best genre to put this in would be Lounge. Songs like New York City, Deceptively Yours, Strange Transmissions are transformed into brilliant loungey hits while still keeping with the original jazzy theme. "Things You Dont Have To Do" comes with a vocal mix as well as a dub, both reek of summer and have some incredible slap guitar.
   
   I love this cd. It's original, professional, and fun! I love hearing Norah Jones in a setting that isn't as slow and boring as her original stuff. I also find it impression that she can sound just as glorious with a few extra beats and sounds as with her jazz stuff. It just proves that a good voice does well wherever it goes.



5. i'm not going to comment on this album as an original work by norah jones and peter malick, instead i am going to discuss production of remixes. really, all i can say is that lance desardi is a genius of deep house, and regardless of whether you care for norah jones, the vocal sample and the seamless groovy production of his mixes is reminiscent of st germain. as an album of deep house, i would argue that it is marvelous, and should be appreciated for the lush lounge vibe that it imparts. it reminds me of late night hotel rooms. several popular dance mags gave it stellar reviews. so...if you like st germain, dimitri from paris, soulstice, or blue six give this a listen. it's sad that norah doesn't like this type of music, cause her voice and a bass heavy sound, in my opinion, is like heaven.

No comments about How Blue Can You Get.

No comments about A Celebration of Blues: Great Blues Harp.