5 comments about Newport Folk Festival: Best of the Blues 1959-1968.

1. I read about these concerts in an interview with Bonnie Raitt. I was really surprised with the sound quality on these CDs as well as the broad cross section of artists. I consider this an essential purchase for all blues afficionados as it contains performances by nearly all of the classic bluesmen



2. Just got the CD....a great live recording of some of the foundations of blues...if you want to start collecting the blues, this is a great place to start. A great collection of performers recorded in a live situation. Son House, one of the originators of the delta blues is well represented. This album is grouped into three CDs' that are well stocked with some of the best there is !!! Get this CD....



3. It's almost hard to believe that this CD exists. So many excellent performances by legendary bluesmen like Son House, John Lee Hooker, Skip James, Muddy Waters and a whole host of others, all recorded live at the legendary Newport Folk Festival. And the sound is amazing, crisp and clear.
   
   Disc one opens with a six-song set by "Mississippi" John Hurt which includes "Candy Man" and "Stagolee", and also includes two spooky songs by an ailing but still-powerful Nehemiah "Skip" James, four songs by Son House, and songs by Bukka White and Fred McDowell, as well as two excellent acoustic solo performances by Muddy Waters. House's "Death Letter Blues" and "Empire State Express", Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied", and Skip James' "Devil Got My Woman" are among the highlights, but there aren't really any "lowlights".
   
   Disc two features a great little set by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, a wonderful rendition of Sleepy John Estes' "Clean Up At Home", three excellent songs by the underrated Robert Pete Williams, and several other fine performances, including Mance Lipscomb's version of Blind Willie Johnson's scary "God Moves On The Water", and Jesse Fuller's "San Francisco Bay Blues" (which you may have heard Eric Clapton cover on his "Unplugged" album).
   
   On disc three, Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins plays an electric guitar (gasp!) on a great, swaggering "Baby Please Don't Go", and is backed by drummer Sam Lay on "Shake That Thing". John Lee Hooker lays down haunting versions of "Tupelo" and "The Great Fire Of Natchez", as well as a gritty "Boom Boom". Muddy Waters is accompanied by pianist Otis Spann on a great, swinging "Blow Wind Blow". And the 6'6" John L. "Memphis Slim" Chatman plays a version of "How Long" to rival that of Leroy Carr himself.
   
   The vast majority of these performances are acoustic, and there is a lot of wonderful acoustic slide guitar here...Muddy Waters, Son House, Fred McDowell, Mance Lipscomb, and Bukka White all play ringing bottleneck phrases. Sonny Terry blows his customary harmonica, and Memphis Slim and Otis Spann both contribute some excellent piano playing. And while many of these songs have been available on various LP and CD releases before, "Best Of The Blues 1959-1968" includes almost a dozen previously unreleased recordings, of which Sonny Terry's & Brownie McGhee's "Drink Muddy Water", "How Long" by Memphis Slim, and John Lee Hooker's "Let's Make It", are among the greatest.
   
   This collection is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the 60s blues revival, or just acoustic blues music in general, and you won't believe the fidelity. A wonderful two hours and fifty-three minutes of music.



4. If there is a better collection of live blues than this Newport 3 CD set, I haven't heard it. This stunning CD covers 10 years Newport performances during the height of the folk blues revival in the early 60's. Many of the artists were rediscovered by blues enthusiasts like John Fahey, Al "Blind Owl" Wilson and Sam Charters by canvassing remote areas of the south and locating the M.I.A.s of the 1920-30s "race" records. Some of these performers were presumed to be dead, and Newport was their first time in front of an audience in decades. There is not a single throw-away among 16 performers and the 51 (count 'em!)cuts here.

   Vangaurd Records is to be commended for making the right artistic choices in thier production of this CD. Many of these performances had been floating around for years on other Newport collections. Producer Tom Vicker devoted an entire disc to each of these three categories: delta blues, country blues and urban blues. There is a sense of continuity on each disc without any jarring segues. Engineer Jeff Zaraya captures the warm analogic glory of the orginal performances and wisely chooses not to edit out foot stomping, hand clapping and crowd noises. Zaraya's mastering work captures the passion of the living blues and he avoids the mistake of reducing the performances to sterile museum piece curiosities.

   The scope of performers is staggering. Son House, self proclaimed mentor of Robert Johnson, whose piercing slap-time steel guitar was the alter-ego to his gritty emotional baritone. Skip James, ghost of the delta, sings in his haunting falsetto with his mastery of complex right hand poly-rhythymic bassline fingerpicking. Jesse Fuller, San Francisco's one man band, plays his ramshackle ragtime blues. Mississppi John Hurt demonstrates his wry humor and his delicate five finger picking of his brillant orginal music. Polished performers like Muddy Waters and Brownie McGee know how to pace a show and work the crowd. Harlem's Rev. Gary Davis' does "old time religion" gospel shouting and precision ragtime picking. The suprise is an obscure ex-con, Robert Pete Williams with his eerie "stream of consciousness" lyrics and elliptical song structures. Robert Pete Williams, more than any of the performers, is connected to the roots of West African folk music. By my own count, John Lee Hooker was the last performer on these recordings to die(June 21, 2001). These astounding Newport performances are, at once, a historical document, a tribute to the diverse artistry of American blues, and some of the most passionate and riveting music I've ever heard. An essential for anyone collecting blues or roots music.




5. This is a nice cd set done by the folks at Vanguard records. They collected many of the cuts that have been previously released into one collection, with some tasty unreleased tracks.

   Regarding the artists & their material.. well, you really can't go wrong with sets by Mississippi John Hurt, Muddy, Son House, John Lee Hooker, & etc. The artists on disc 1 alone is a "who is who" of the early blues that were only heard on scratchy vinyl before these organized festivals existed. Some might've considered them past their so called "prime", but their performances don't reflect upon it, as they take the listener & the white crowd on a trip down the Delta. Some of the performances on this package are unbelievable.

   Might be me, but John Lee Hooker's set REALLY stands out. He sounds DANGEROUS, & his unreleased tracks alone make this package a well worth buy.

   An interesting note, that in this mostly acoustic set is the inclusion of two Butterfield Blues band cuts. Having these cuts on different sources, it was great to hear them sonically remastered in all its glory.

   Recommended, but more importantly, this is essential listening.

5 comments about Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton.

1. WOW!!! 5***** The best of the BEST...Cannot say enough about this..but u cannot go wrong in this purchase!!! WOW!!!



2. I love this set, but for the price, I think it's more for those who, like me, fell off into the deep end. For the money, I would recommend the JSP set, it's $25 and has all of Patton's recordings.
   The JSP definetly has more noise reduction, which can be a plus to newbies,(but I prefer the more original sound of the recordings, no matter what. They are history after all.) That said, you get a copy of Fahey's long out of print book,( Which goes for more then $200) plus an amazing packaging by Revenant. There is much material hear to study.



3. This is the musical equivalent of a family Bible. You will pass it down from children to grandchildren. It cannot be likened to any other boxed set I have ever seen - not even the lavish and fantastic Bear Family country and rockabilly sets from Germany. The Folkways reissue of the Anthology of American Folk Music comes close in look and feel, but it's still 100 miles behind.

   There are three points that I would make to a potential purchaser that may not be totally obvious:

   1. These recordings sound really, really good for those on the old Paramount label - where the recordings were done poorly, no metal parts exist, and all extant CDs are dubbed from 78 RPM shellac pressings, some of which are in pretty bad shape (at one point the only existing copy of Willie Brown's "Future Blues" was broken in half!). I have not heard JSP's Patton boxed set, which would seem to be a great substitute at $25 for somebody who does not want to pay $150. However, I do have JSP's "Legends of the Country Blues," which has the 1930 Son House Paramount recordings that are on disc 4 of this set. This sounds much better. The JSP sounds more No-Noised to me, while this sounds more alive on the high end. I say that as someone who has bought a lot of the JSP sets, and who would have no hesitation recommending their work generally.

   2. This is not 7 CDs of just Charley Patton. This is a really good introduction to pre-Robert Johnson Delta blues. You get all the Paramount recordings of Son House, Willie Brown and Louise Johnson, two of whom were seminal figures, and the last of whom was just fun. (Somebody ought to make a movie about the roadtrip Patton, House, Brown and Johnson took to Wisconsin to record these tracks. They could get Charles Dutton to play the guy from the Delta Big Four who drove them.) You get a CD of some pretty essential stuff by various artists, including Tommy Johnson. You get the Delta Big Four, Son Sims and some others. You get a CD of interviews.

   3. It's bittersweet to say, but this set may get overtaken by future discoveries. It's criminally ironic that a full-body, first-generation photo of Charley Patton finally surfaced a year after this box came out. Also, it's known that there are other Patton recordings for which 78s have yet to be found; they may turn up if they haven't already.

   You KNOW you want to buy it. Don't you?




4. The previous reviews make some valid points about this stunning box set-it is really special, and like thing that are incremntally finer, it is geometrically more [money]- and i take my blues pretty seriously...
   it is, as mentioned, like a fine rare book-and the essential music (the first 5 cds ) are available ... in the Complete Works of Charley Patton (the five cd set in a slip case-limited liner notes) also listed here, and affordable for 'us bluesmen'.

   I am writing this to let all know that, aside from two additional cds, one containing interviews by others about Patton, and one of other artists who performed his work (thus the "worlds of CP" ), and some very cool posters and stickers and lovely packaging and other toys and eye candy, the essence is available for a fraction of the cost-same stuff from "masked marvel productions" the orignator of this lovely tome -made in the UK. Unless you really love CP and will listen to this lots, I recommend the [shorter] set-it is still the stirring blues of this great, complete.




5. From the reviews I know this is worth the money there is allot of rare stuff on here especially the Willie Brown song "Pallet on the Floor" this is my main reason for wanting to get this box set so bad. This is the only place you can get that Willie Brown song according to Yazoo2002 "Masters of the Delta Blues, Friends of Charlie Patton" he only recorded two songs in his life time "M&O blues" and "Jinx Blues" one of the most awesome Delta blues songs I have heard (Jinx Blues). Oh yeah one more thing I would have given this 5 stars but where in the world is the Ishmon Bracey recording I mean he was one of Charlie Patton's worlds also (lol) wasn't he not to mention one of the best Delta Bluesmen to strum a guitar it just seems incomplete to have Kid Bailey, Son House, Willie Brown, Tommy Johnson, Bertha Lee and no Ishmon Bracey .... The poor guy is probally squirming in his grave right now leaving him out like that yall otta be ashamed of yourselves (Yazoo would have never done a thing like that). Just for that I'm giving this 3.5 stars now (but I'm still gonna save the money to buy this) p.s how in the hell is a Bluesman suppose to afford this boxset....

5 comments about The Chess Box :Muddy Waters.

1. 72 tracks on this compilation, and not a single flaw.
   The Plantation Recordings from the early 40's and his late 70's albums produced by Johnny Winter are all fine, because again, he just couldn't open his mouth and sing a BAD song.
   But leave these ones alone, and get The Chess Box (Everything he has done for Chess between 1947-1972). Just like other Chess artists (Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy) - the Chess years are his best by far, and the tracks put chronologically here serves you ear and historic sense great.
   The music here is absolutely astonishing - Muddy's clear, throaty famous vocal and whining slide work, Little Walter's/James Cotton's weeping harmonicas, Otis Spann on piano and all the other members of this legendary blues band.
   
   5 stars without a doubt. Just get it.



2. I love all these songs. The only problem I have is, there are recordings of these songs that are much longer. Mannish boy, Long distance call, Got my mojo working, She's 19 Years old, and many others have versions where the song is over 5 minutes. Unfortanately, these are all short versions.



3. McKinley Morganfield was born in Mississippi in 1913. He was given the name of Muddy Waters by his grandmother at an early age.
   
   Muddy Waters was one of the Blues musicians who was deftly able to make the transition from the cotton field, delta, acoustic blues, to the electric sound which has remained with us since. He not only made the transition, but set an example for others.
   
   Disc one of the box set covers the period 1947-1954. Disc two covers the hits of the 1950's, many of which inspired English rockers who were preparing to hit the shores. And Disc three covers the latter period from 1960 through 1972. It should be noted that there are recordings before and after the time periods on this box, and as such, this box set could not be termed "all inclusive". Not covered are the very early years of Muddy's singing, as covered by The Complete Plantation Recordings. And the Blue Sky recordings (I'm Ready; Hard Again; King Bee) of the 1980's cover the latter part of his career. This box set covers the meaty, main portion of his career and are definitely the set to get if you are going to get just one for your collection. The book that comes with this 3-CD set also gives a very nice overview of Muddy's life and career, something that the mp3 downloads cannot do.
   
   Muddy Waters was one of the most influential blues singers of all time and influenced generations of singers who came after him. If you plan on getting only one collection of Muddy Waters, I would strongly recommend this 3-CD set. You can now buy the songs individually through Amazon, but it is strongly recommended to buy the box set en total.
   
   They get no bluer than this. Muddy was, and is, the real deal.
   
   Highly recommended. 5 Stars.



4. This is simply the best collection of blues recordings ever! If you like the real blues, you must add this set no matter the cost. It makes you long for music that can be felt and not just heard like most anything recorded in the last quarter century.



5. More casual fans will probably be better served by MCA/Chess's much cheaper (but very good) two-disc compilation "The Anthology: 1947-1972". But if you're looking for the best and currently most thorough available overview of Muddy's recordings for Aristocrat and Chess, this is it.
   It is not the final word on Muddy Waters - his excellent latter-day recordings with Johnny Winter as producer aren't here, and you'll need some of his live stuff as well - but these 72 tracks do include the vast majority of his best songs from 1947 and twenty-five years on.
   
   Disc one spans 1947-1954, and most of the 24 tracks feature just Muddy Waters on slide guitar and bassist Ernest "Big" Crawford backing him, although the great Sunnyland Slim rolls the ivories on a few songs, like the delightful 1947 single "Gypsy Woman".
   Muddy's arsenal of slide guitar riffs may seem limited, but his playing on the 1948 hit "I Can't Be Satisfied" and the mellow "Train Fare Home" is really great, demonstrating what a fine guitarist he actually was.
   
   Percussion doesn't show up until two-thirds of the way through the disc, when the "classic" Muddy Waters band begins to take shape: Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on second guitar, drummer Elgin Evans, and Otis Spann playing the piano.
   Along with the songs already mentioned, the lean, mean "I Feel Like Going Home" and "Rollin' And Tumblin'" are among the highlights on disc 1, which ends with the tough, swinging "Blow Wind Blow" and the classic "Hoochie Coochie Man". Big Walter Horton plays superb harmonica on "Blow Wind Blow".
   
   Disc 2 includes the majority of Muddy's classic 50s singles, from "I'm Ready" and the thumping "I Just Want To Make Love To You" to "Got My Mojo Working", the Bo Diddley-ripoff "Mannish Boy", and the superbly swinging "I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love". Harpist James Cotton appears for the first time on "I Love The Life I Live", blowing a truly inspired harmonica riff.
   And there are several lesser-known songs here as well, including previously unreleased takes and singles which make their LP/CD debut on this album. Most of them are good, although not quite great, with the exception of a very fine rendition of Jimmy Oden's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet".
   
   Disc 3 covers 1960-1972, and includes a few live recordings, as well as two alternates from the sublime "Fathers And Sons" sessions. Opening with the great live "I Feel So Good" from the Newport album, it is highlighted by Muddy's version of Eddie Boyd's "Twenty-Four Hours", the mid-60s hit singles "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had", and a hornless version of "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I'm Gone", one of the few good cuts from the otherwise forgettable "London Sessions" album.
   
   There is nothing here from the misguided and completely superflous "Electric Mud", or from Muddy's last Chess-effort, "The Woodstock Album", but that detracts little or nothing from the greatness of this compilation, the finest overview of Muddy Waters' Chess sides available.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin Remasters.

1. LED ZEPPELIN-REMASTERS: If the Led Zep box set is too much of a good thing for you (or too tough on your purse strings), then this two CD abbreviated set (plus an interview disc) is the next best thing. Chronologically skimming the cream from all their classic albums, disc one is pretty much one of THE definitive histories of heavy metal, from the bombastic first track COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN to the last, that eight minute all-time FM radio juggernaut that need not be mentioned by name here. In between, you get the psychedelic blooze of DAZED AND CONFUSED, the stereo headphone demonstrater WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, the gargantuan crunch of IMMIGRANT SONG, and most of LED ZEPPELIN IV. The second, weaker disc represents the less interesting last half of their career, tho' the cuts from HOUSES OF THE HOLY and PHYSICAL GRAFFITTI are on a par with anything from Zep 1-4 (the reggae-accentuated D'YER MAK'ER, KASHMIR's hypnotic pulse). The wimpy ALL MY LOVE especially sounds like a final gasp, and it was, actually. There will never again be another partnership as musically volcanic as that of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and at long last, Led Zeppelin gets a greatest hits treatment worthy of its legacy. RATING: FOUR STICKS



2. I am not a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan. But I have come to have enormous respect for the quartet of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. I have come to realize that the efforts of a great work ethic have produced some of the stuff that legends are made of - and Led Zep takes the cake. As a 30 something music fan, I decided this would be one of my first entry points into the Led Zeppelin music library. 'Remasters' seemed like the perfect entry point - most of Zeppelin's great songs remastered on 2 CDs - plus a third 'Interviews' CD to get insight into the band. This box set is very good. It doesn't deliver that knockout punch or homerun, but it is very good.

   First the packaging - It seems that nowadays everything that is above 2 CDs that is considered a "Boxed Set". There really have become 2 categories of Boxed Sets. The first is a "Classic Boxed Set". This comes in a covered box about the size of an LP and contains CDs (sometimes in jewel cases, sometimes just on the bottom of the box) and a book about the same size. The second type is more like a 5.5" x 10" hardcover book which I term "Hardcover Box Set'. The CDs basically are stored in the hardcover binding and the book is in the middle. I much prefer what I call the Classic Boxed Set to the Hardcover format. The 'Led Zeppelin Remasters' set is a subset of Hardcover format. The disappointing thing - no book in the middle. Just two little booklets in the upper left corner. I know Led Zeppelin has more comprehensive boxed sets (The Complete Set and the 4 CD set), but I still would have liked to see a little more here.

   The music is on 2 CDs and basically is divided into Early Zeppelin and Late Zeppelin. The first CD encompasses songs through the 'Led Zeppelin IV' album while the 2nd CD takes us to the end with songs from 'In Through the Out Door'. I think the Zeppelin fan will be satisfied here. I am more of a fan of the later stuff. I was very disappointed to find that 'Fool in the Rain' was not included on this set. However if you want to hear remastered versions of 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Kashmir', and 'Trampled Underfoot' - you won't be disappointed. On a side note, I think those are the three best Zep songs.

   The third CD is divided into 3 sections over 43 tracks. The first section is a profile of the band which is 28 minutes long, but much of that is taken up by replaying songs such as Kashmir. I think it would have been nicer to go deeper with the band profile. The 2nd section is Station Liners and if you are a die-hard fan, this is perfect. I wish more boxed sets had preserved this type of stuff. The third section is individual Q&A with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones. Much like the first section, it doesn't go as deep as I would have liked to hear. The potential is there, it just doesn't deliver the depth.

   All and all, I'm still happy I got this and it left me for wanting more.




3. Is this the album in which "Stairway to Heaven" is an instrumental? Played with an electric guitar for about 5 1/2 minutes.



4. I saw Zeppelin back in 1970. By the mid 70's "Stairway to Heaven" was a staple of midnight rock radio, and already acquiring the varnish of an FM "classic." But by then I had already lost touch with their album output. Now, thirty years later I've got my hands on this remastered set. Given that I used to listen to them on an 8 track player in my car, this is a revelation. I had to wait a long time to hear Zep on a decent stereo system, but better late than never.
   
   That Zeppelin was a blues based band was always overshadowed by their popular acclaim as a "heavy metal" band. This set sets the record straight. They kicked [...] as a rockin' blues band. Period.



5. I put 4 stars because I feel that they just shouldve put this out as a double disc set and ditch the "interviews" disc. And [get rid of] the "Early Days" and "Latter Days" and there you have it. the perfect "Greatest Hits" compilation of Zeppelin. Good selections too. My only complaint is they should've replaced "Dyer Maker" (which just sounds like pop to me) with "Over The Hills & Far Away".

5 comments about American Roots Music.

1. My wife and I had been eyeing this boxset for a few years now and she finally broke down and got it for me this past holiday season. It's a nice mix of country, blues, gospel, cajun/zydeco, tejano and native American. Overall, the box set is excellent. I don't think there is a bad tune on there, but I do feel it felt short on gospel, folk, cajun, zydeco, tejano and native American styles. There's only about 6 or 7 tracks for each of those styles where an entire 16-19 track disc is dedicated to both country and blues. The set should have been 6 discs instead or it should have been limited to just country and blues. Likewise, I felt it strange that an American Roots boxset included no jazz, for jazz is the only true first American born music, which is based on the blues of course. It's a great collection though and I enjoy listening to it every time. The long wait was worth it. I highly recommend it.



2. The PBS American Roots Music series - both the 4 part documentary on DVD and 4 CD boxed set - is a commendable work. It is an incredible education in not only popular American music and culture, but history, and should be required viewing and listening in high schools.

   Many of the problems in American Society and its youth today stem from a complete lack of pride and self-awareness. A quick survey of popular music and culture reveal a frightening level of ignorance of America's history, values, and ideals. In short, while the series focusses on America's musical traditions, it does a fantastic job of conveying a sense of America's "roots" in a positive, enriching manner.

   The DVD documentary strikes a perfect balance between glossing over, and becoming bogged down in, the material. Unlike the Ken Burns' projects that exhaust the viewer's interest and collapse under their own weight, the series is informative and educational, yet entertaining. It is not MEANT to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject - and so some reviewers here are missing the point - that would take 40, not 4, episodes. Rather, it is an introduction and a sampler; peaking our curiosity and prompting us to investigate and research further the wonderful heritage of music out there. And in that, it succeeds marvelously.

   What also impressed me was the documentary's remarkable objectivity. While it eschews political correctness, it doesn't necessarily candy coat anything either. What it does do is present the material in a respectful, thoughtful, intelligent, and unbiased manner - something so lacking in today's political and social discourse. So in this sense, folks looking for something with an "agenda" - conspiracies, skeletons in the closet, and historical revisionism - may be disappointed by the documentary.

   The CD boxed set is equally well-done: a fantastic booklet, thorough liner notes, and collection of songs that is a music lover's dream. Again, it is intended to be a sampler - great songs by landmark artists - not an exhaustive account of American Roots music. And also like the documentary, its meant to be a enriching, uplifting - not deconstructing - experience.

   If the series has a shortcoming, it is the absence of one of the major "roots" - Jazz - which was no doubt and most unfortunately excluded, because of the recent Ken Burns' PBS documentary. But to exclude Jazz from the discussion of American Roots music, means we do not have the entire picture. And so in that sense, the series is somewhat flawed.

   Still, its hard to find any other fault with the series. This is a work that TRULY embraces and celebrates America's cultural diversity. Entertaining and enlightening, I would heartily recommend owning the box set and DVD for one's own edification as well as a way to help introduce friends and family to REAL American music - in all its forms.




3. An Awsome Collection Of Hard To Find Roots Music In A Box
   Set Thats Worth The Money



4. Excellent collection, except I wish they could have picked another B.B. King tune than the overrated "The Thrill Is Gone."



5. One doesn't envy anyone charged with the task of assembling a collection of essential recordings in America's many folk and vernacular genres. As such things go, American Roots Music is decent enough, though inevitably anyone who knows the music will wonder at the omissions (for example, of Dock Boggs or any of the classic old-time string bands). Perhaps the major problem here is that the four discs encompass such a range of styles that they can hardly begin to do justice to any one of them. The serious listener will already have much of this in his or her collection. Of course it's not exactly a painful sacrifice to hear "Waiting for a Train," "Uncle Pen," "Black Snake Moan," "Cross Road Blues," or any of a number of other warhorses, yet again. I was least familiar with the music on Disc #4 (Cajun/Zydeco/Tejano/Native American) and so enjoyed it the most. A particular treat is Mingo Saldivar's lively version of the old Johnny Cash hit "Ring of Fire." Saldivar doesn't just sing the lyrics in Spanish; he reinvents the melody, making it sound as if "Ring" were always supposed to be a conjunto tune. The disc ends anticlimactically, however, with the inexplicable inclusion of a New-Ageish composition, when a reprise of the wonderful series theme song (a movingly organic rendition of "Worried Man Blues" by performers representing a variety of traditions) would have been a more proper send-off. As a primer set in an unusually attractive package, American Roots Music will do, more or less, but seasoned followers of our homegrown sounds will seek their pleasures elsewhere.

3 comments about The Complete Vanguard Recordings.

1. Big Mama Thornton is without a doubt one of the legends of the blues. What is so upsetting to me is that her wonderful vocals are coupled with an extremely untalented backing band. I haven't done enough research to know the history of the musicians she recorded with but if you listen to the majority of Big Mama's songs, the guitar and piano solos are just horrendous. It's really a shame that someone didn't have the foresight to team her up with some seasoned musicians.



2. I am a "born again" blues listener. This colletion of three CD's could probably be called the rollercoaster of Texas-based blues. Ms Thornton is the connection to past female blues greats, such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. This is the performer that inspired Janis Joplin. The first CD, (a live performance recorded in a jail) includes "Ball and Chain", which she dedicates to Janis. The second CD entitled "Sassy Mama" includes "Rolling Stone", "Mr Cool and "Sassy Mama", the title track rocks as if it were a live recording. The final CD is a previously unreleased collection that, to me is the best of the three. All are good!

   The collection includes a booklet written by Ed Ward, the rock historian for National Public Radio's "Fresh Air". In this booklet one will discover that Ms Thornton was a far more flamboyant personality than Janis, preferring Gin and Milk to Janis' Southern Comfort. Another fact that will surprise you will be her connection to Elvis Presley's fame. Every track rocks, she lifts you by the collar and screams you into the blues. This collection is a must for anyone that enjoys hard drivin female blues vocalists




3. This three disc set is one that I keep finding myself returning to time and time again. It's raw power and energy, like being assualted with rythm. Each track refuses to be ignored. Big Mama Thornton rips into song with a power reminiscent of Koko Taylor and Janice Joplin. Every time I've listened to this I find it incredible that Big Mama Thornton hasn't received more recognition than just "Hound Dog". If you like music as an experiance (versus just background noise) do not miss this!

5 comments about Verve Story 1944-1994.

1. For his tireless, effective, and classy promotion of first-rate musicians, Norma Granz must surely be one of the great cultural influences of our century, even if no one but jazz types know of him. More admirable (because courageous and selfless)is that he absolutely forbade racial segregation in his audiences and for his musicians. Granz was famous for making sure that ALL his musicians received first-class treatment, without distinction.

   And what first-class music his people made! From the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" series to his long tenure with Verve (which he founded), Granz brought together the very, very best jazz musicians, under the best conditions, and let them play what moved them.

   This collection is a fine, fine introduction to what Granz accomplished--and extraordinarily fun to hear.

   If you're looking for a great intro to jazz, you could do worse than to start here. (For pedagogical purposes, Ken Burns' five-CD set, "The Story of America's Music," is more comprehensive, and it has much to commend it. Listening to that set, though, requires an interest in being educated, as much as an interest in listening to jazz--some of the discs are jarringly uneven in tone, mood, style, and sound quality.)




2. What is jazz? Dixieland? Big-band? Kenny G? (Perish the thought!
   Forgive me for such heresy!)

   I write this review about halfway
   through the stunning Ken Burns "Jazz" chronicle on PBS
   (January 2001) - I felt compelled to get this set out for my
   late-night listening, and am glad I did!

   This 4-CD set contains
   almost 5 hours of great jazz performances by the giants - Louis
   Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz,
   Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson... well, you can read the
   list.

   Sound quality is awesome, especially considering that some of
   these recordings are over 50 years old. Verve obviously wanted this
   to be a quality product, to commemmorate their golden anniversary.
   And the performances - if you have NOT heard them before, you will be
   alternately slack-jawed with amazement and grinnin' like a possum
   eatin' a sweet potato!

   Jazz aficionados will probably already have
   most of this material - none of it is new or unissued, all of it is
   classic jazz. If you're like me - you've had some exposure to jazz
   and want to add some good stuff to your collection - you can't go
   wrong with this set. If you get picked to be on Survivor Island, you
   just might want to take it with you... I would!




3. the best compilation of jazz music ever! this is a must for all music lover and you'll know after you've listened



4. I scored this at a used "rock&roll shop for 20 bucks. Little did they no the value. This is totally awesome. The best part is the "assortedness" of it. I was leary of sound quality, but it is very good. The version of Dizzy's "Manteca" is almost worth the price. The only person missing is Kenton, but as we know, he wasn't a verve man. BUy it, its worth it.



5. I spotted this album in a friend's jazz collection. It has become a favorite of mine. Its perfect to give as a gift. Great listening, and a wonderful intro to Jazz.

5 comments about Roots of Rock N Roll: 1946-1954.

1. A real history lesson in the roots of Rock-A-Billy and Rock n Roll. If you enjoy music you'll enjoy this cd...Some great songs, by great artisit. It rocks, it rolls and it will have all the cats jumpin'
   
   A welcome addition to anyones music collection. Very well done, with great song selection.
   
   
   The Mean Eyed Cat
   KNON 89.3
   Dallas, Texas



2. For those of you who are interested in the roots of much of the music that's everywhere, this is a perfect starting place. Here are three discs to show you where almost all great pop music, Post World War II, came from. It couldn't have been picked much better. There are vocal groups, jump blues bands, and thank God, some country songs. They seem to have done a great job with licensing and all that too. I had quite a few of these records and got this as a recent birthday gift, but there was still plenty to thrill me.
   
   One warning: You'll want to follow up by buying almost everything you can by these great artists. It's a happy disease.



3. I've been collecting rock and roll for a long time, and there are some gems on this cd that I've never heard. This is a very concise,thoughtout, and meaningful collection. Oh to have been "back in the day" when these were filling the air-waves. This is a great cd. You will not go wrong.!



4. Most of us cats n kitties out there know that rock n roll was created from white country music and black rhythm and blues. That may be the long and short of it, honeys, but the truth is that this great big 3-CD box set also contains numbers that might be considered jazz ("Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop"), gospel ("Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air"), musical theatre ("Ol' Man River"), comedy ("Riot In Cell Block #9"), and, of course, blues ("How Many More Years", "Hootchie Cootchie Man"). As a matter of fact, both country and r and b came from the blues, but that is a story best told another day. Roots of Rock N Roll: 1946-1954 contains all the above unforgettable performances plus too many more to mention, and the hip compilers at Hip-O records did a masterful job of assembling this assortment, guaranteed to reward listeners with hours of listening pleasure. A great collection, to be sure. However, in the interest of better informing the potential buyer, I feel I must add a couple of cautions. One: Although there are relatively few country selections (maybe half a dozen or so), I realize that country music is a polarizing genre, which means that some listeners really LOVE it and some really HATE it. These particular tracks, from Hank Williams "Move It On Over" (later covered by George Thorogood), to Hank Snows "I'm Movin' On" (later recorded live by The Rolling Stones---look it up!) are pretty soulful, but if you are put off by "steel guitars and a twang" at all, then you may not like them. Two: When you come right down to it, some of these choices don't stand the test of time. Example: Johnny Ray may be seen as an influence on both The Four Seasons and Dion and the Belmonts, but I confess I'm rather bewildered why his rather ordinary pop song "Cry" spent so many weeks atop the charts. And while Faye Adams recording of "Shakes A Hand" created tremors throughout the South when whites and blacks dared to risk arrest by reaching across segregated dance floors to shake hands every time this song was played, the truth is it's not that great a number. And while we're on the subject: "Shotgun Boogie" may showcase Tennessee Ernie Ford's cornpone persona to perfection, but "Sixteen Tons" would have been a much better choice; the latter number is one of the finest fusions of country, pop, gospel, and r and b ever recorded, and it's omission from this collection is a glaring one. Finally, the collection bogs down at times with too many slow numbers. For my money, the compilers could have doubled the number of jump blues songs and made a better collection. Still, don't let these rather minor troubles worry you. Rather, get this collection and marvel at how anyone could be a "Sixty Minute Man", find out where Elvis got his "Hound Dog" from, and, most of all, delight in the unstoppable energy of trains in such unforgettable classics as "Freight Train Boogie" and "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie"!! OUTASITE!!! So get Roots of Rock N Roll today and party down while deciding whether or not to dye your own roots!! Crazy, Man, Crazy!!!!



5. Typically, we're asked to believe that rock and roll started with Elvis. Or that rock and roll was, more than anything else, an evolutionary variation on country music. Or that rock and roll represented (and continues to represent) a white-black fusion.

   Certainly, this collection lays waste to the first two notions. In his informative liner notes, Pete Grendysa tells us that rock and roll existed long before the main (i.e. middle-class white) record-buying public knew about it. And the country examples are relatively few. I'd have been happy if they were none, but I can live with the well-chosen examples here.

   In particular, Hank William's "Move It On Over," while not exactly rock and roll (a two-beat pulse doesn't qualify as such, to my ears), does feature a verse identical to the first four bars of "Rock Around the Clock." And, like Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" (Disc 2, track 4), it is a hillbilly boogie in standard twelve-bar blues form. It's not far from the mark.

   And The Delmore Brother's "Freight Train Boogie," from 1946, turns into pure Carl Perkins near the end, easily out-rocking anything Elvis recorded at Sun. Having heard other Delmore Brothers sides that aren't anything like rock and roll, I was surprised and delighted by this number.

   But the black recordings are the real, and whole, point of this collection. Such sides have far too often been disgracefully dismissed by too many rock historians as primitive, artistically-incomplete efforts by African-American musicians struggling toward something higher--"something higher" meaning, of course, Elvis. But listen for yourself. Most of these African-American numbers rock with the force of a thousand Elvises. And these are not performances striving to become whole; they are more than whole. The musicianship, for the most part, is assured and aggressive and infinitely more competent than some of what was to come after rock and roll had conquered the pop charts.

   Many thanks to the genius who thought to include Lionel Hampton's 1946 if-it-ain't-rock-and-roll-what-the-heck-is-it masterpiece "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" (with its wonderful, be-boppy jazz piano chords in eight-note triplets at the start). Many more thanks for Jimmy Preston's 1949 recorded-in-an-insane-asylum "Rock the Joint" (however did Bill Haley manage to tame this tune down so drastically?). More thanks, even, for Hal Singer's proto-surf "Cornbread" (1948), Percy Mayfield's masterful "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (1950), and Ruth Brown's superbly soulful "Teardrops from My Eyes" (1950, again--a great year for Soul).

   The best compilation of its kind. If you want to know the real Story of Rock and Roll, you've got to hear the records. And they're here.

5 comments about The Long Road to Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music.

1. I was assigned this CD and Book collection for a class at my university. I must say that I am throughly impressed at all the historiacl information and woderful songs that were chosen. This is an indept look at Black music from Africa to present.



2. Valentine Pringle's "John Henry" and Cortez Franlkin's "Stagolee" is easily worth the price of admission.



3. I am an average white guy in his forties who purchased The Long Road... when it first came out in'01. Please read the other reviews for facts, details and editorials... I am here to warn you. If you are prone to being emotionally effected by beautiful, soul piercing harmonies performed by a tribe of professional and basic folk then avoid this musical journey. If you hate tears of awe rolling down your cheeks every time you experience a number of songs especially from disc 2 and 5...while I'm listening, my eyes well up just in anticipation of hearing "We look like Men of war" or "All Round' de Glory Manger"... then steer away. Many of these tunes play in my head especially during particularly tough days at work. Play it LOUD or avoid at all costs.



4. My boyfriend gave me this collection last year. He's a musicanwith a deep love of all roots music. I'm black; he's white. We listened to this together and we both found it to be a revelation.
   If you are looking for field recordings, this is not the collection for you. The sound is not quaint and tinny (although I love those recordings too). Instead, this is a collection that shows how 'black' music (that is, music from the African Diaspora to America) changed and grew over time, and produced sounds that we still hear today. The selection ranges from Louisiana Creole (the ancestor to today's Zydeco) to Civil War tunes (contrary to the information you'll find on the web and other places, not all black Civil War music was in dialect, and the marching songs are rousing in their patriotism and pride), to good-time music (the ancestor to hip-hop, R&B, and modern pop). The most disturbing piece is the slave sermon, which should probably be played in every classroom in America during discussions of the Revolutionary War, which is followed by a worship service similar to the types held by slaves in private, and acts as a good counterbalance to the prior piece.
   
   My boyfriend and I found ourselves bonding over the Civil War music, as he is an avid bagpiper and very much into Celtic culture. We talked about the roles of Irish and black soldiers in the Civil War and what they had in common in terms of not being viewed as human by most of society. We also enjoyed hearing people like Brownie Magee, not on a fuzzy old recording, but in a living, vibrant fashion.
   
   People who think that 'black music' is only for black people must also think only Italians should listen to opera and that Jimi Hendrix wasn't really a rock musician. This is _American_ music, and as such, should be in the collections of anyone interested in American history, 20th century music, or African-American culture. American music has had a variety of influences, and these recordings could help younger people and even a lot of adults become interested in music history, just as did 'Down From the Mountain'. In many ways, this music is more 'roots' music than anything in ' O Brother, Where Art Thou?', because it truly tries to go back to the source. As an anthropologist I might quibble over the inclusion of the African section without qualifying it as possibly being ahistorical (we don't actually know if those exact songs were sung in the time before slavery, but it's likely that are similar ones contemporary to the time), but other than that, I'm very happy. For once we have a music collection that does not focus solely on slavery and misery. There's a lot of joy and hope here, and a strong sense of reliance, which is perhaps the best trait that Americans have as a whole.



5. There are lots of reviews or word of mouth on this CD box set that, quite frankly, focuses on all the wrong things. To pigeonhole this box set a "must for black families" vastly understates the raw power and broad appeal of this collection. This box set is bigger than that; it's much more than just a quaint time capsule for blacks to listen to. It's fun, entertaining, and can go toe-to-toe with any of the best new music releases out there right now.

   This music is basically the foundation of ALL popular music celebrated in the Western world today. Rock, Top 40 Pop, Salsa, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Hip-hop, Country, Bluegrass, they ALL owe an immeasurable debt to the music and culture brought over to the Western hemisphere by African slaves.

   The collection starts with African chants and tribal music, and some of the instrumental and vocal arrangements could easily be from modern pop music. As it moves from the African black music experience over to the early Black American music experience, it's easy to hear how African music evolved in America to become the modern American pop, rock, hip-hop and R&B music we know today. People always mention how African music is the roots of pop, rock, soul and Afro-latin music, but this collection really drives the point home when you listen to old tribal music and hear beats and vocals that sound uncannily like those heard in today's modern music genres. There is no modern popular genre that doesn't owe a great debt to African-based musical sensibilities, and although we hear it said all the time, this box set actually illustrates the point better than a million articles and academic speeches ever could.

   This collection is more than a history lesson or a source of pride for blacks. That almost makes it sound cold and academic. This collection has WARMTH and personality; it's great entertainment and just plain incredible music. Listen to it regardless of your race, political orientation, or ideology. Buy it and enjoy it because you love good music and want to hear the roots of it straight from the source, not just as a source of racial pride or as an acedmic study in music history.

2 comments about Sun Records: Ultimate Blues Collection.

1. Well, this is it. Unless you own the very pricey Sun box set on Bear Family, you'll want to purchase this 3-disc compilation if you are a blues lover and the "Sun Sound" rings your bell. This set is an absolute bargain and it contains most of the best blues titles that Sam Phillips ever recorded. Yup, it's all here; Big Walter Horton's "In the Mood", and "Easy" are in the desert island top 10 for blues harp instrumentals. Little Milton Campbell can be heard doing a respectable imitation of early B.B. King, and Little Jr. Parker's perfect voice is not to be missed. Other highlights are the great Earl Zebedee Hooker - King of the slide guitarists - performing some very rare tracks in the Robert Nighthawk mould plus Rufus Thomas (later of Stax records fame) doing his best to knock Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog off the charts with his version of Bear Cat. James Cotton fans will be intrigued to hear Jimmy's sandpaper voice (but no harp) on his earliest sides. And not to be missed are one-man bands Joe Hill Louis and Dr. Ross blasting their harmonicas and wanging away on drum kits and guitars sounding like a full blues band in a jook. No doubt that a certain Mr. P. was listening to some of these same titles on his radio set while growing up in Memphis. Informative notes by journalist-aficionado Bill Dahl and some nice photos are supplied in the enclosed 8 page booklet. Get this set now. Like so many of the great vintage blues reissues, this won't be around long and you'll kick yourself if you miss it.



2. This comprehensive three CD, 75-track collection covers some of the best blues recordings Sun Records has to offer. Featured in this box are tracks by genuine blues legends like: Rufus Thomas, whose "Bear Cat" was Sun's first national hit in `53; Little Junior Parker (including the original "Mystery Train"), Walter Horton, Earl Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Little Milton (including his rocking 1953 debut single, "Somebody Told Me"), Billy "The Kid" Emerson's original 1955 waxing of "Red Hot," Rosco Gordon, and plenty more.