5 comments about Blues at Sunrise: Live at Montreux.

1. You just can't beat live Albert King. He may not be the most technically competent guitar player that ever walked the earth, but his sound and his soul are unmatched.



2. This is a very well done live recording. Both the material and the sound quality are top notch. The only thing I found missing was some additional material from the festival not on this CD. For that one must get the "Blues at Sunset" CD that contains the rest of the set as well as more excellent recordings from the Wattstax concert.



3. 
   
   
   We must praise albert king for this masterpiece! His guitar is very powerful and wild in this live performance!!!!!! Blues at Sunrise is between his best works!!!!!



4. what you're holding in your hand is one of the very best live blues album ever. I own quite a few albert's album but this one has always found a special place in my heart. Both the setlist and the performances are wonderful and it has my favourite version of i'll play the blues for you. After he says "exscuse me" he unveils a terrific solo that gets you realize what blues power is all about, the interplays with the horns section is stunning and the voice, man, the voice...if you gotta get just one album by this master get this one, you wont be disappointed



5. This concert was released after the return of Stax Records in the 1980s as a part of Fantasy Records. The initial release was the lost tape of Albert recording with John Mayall and his Jazz-Fusion band in California. This was put out as the "Lost Session". After another look in the newly recovered Stax vault (no pun intended!)tapes this concert was found. Two tracks had been previously released on vinyl as "Live at Montreux". This CD has most of the remaining part of this July 1, 1973 Montreux concert. The balance of this set can be found on the follow up release "Blues At Sunset" (1993).
   
   This set is really different. Albert has a great band (with a subdued horn section). He also has Donald Kinsey (of the Kinsey Report) on guitar, who like Jimmy King, he calls his "grandson" (he liked to do that). Albert's playing is heavy, full and forceful. He obviously plays the entire set on his neck pickup and produced a fat sound unlike that on any other King recording. This is very similar to the sound he gets on the 2004 DVD release "Albert King: Live in Sweden". The title track "Blues at Sunrise" is a reworking of one of his very first King Records recordings. He has done this tune many times but this version is really different sounding. It also shows King at the beginning of the 1970s until the 1990s when he got the reputation of being difficult to work with. He typically berates the sound man in the middle of the tune.
   
   I saw him in Australia in 1990 and he stopped the concert in the middle of "Kansas City", only his second tune, and rearranged the speakers on stage while the audience waited twenty minutes. He continued to play until he felt the Bass player wasn't holding up his end and PULLED OUT HIS LEAD IN MID-SONG! Oh Albert!
   
   The tunes are on this recording are great, as they always are at Montreux. The production is well done and edited. Highlights of the performance are the Ray Charles (RIP) tune "I Believe To My Soul". His solos in this tune are awesome, what phrasing! "Roadhouse Blues" is a great extended tune that really gives the feel of an Albert King concert. This tune was released as a self-titled cassette tape in the 1990s, now very rare. "Little Brother, Make A Way" is the most unique cut on this CD. It features the only other and only ever live version of this track from "I'll Play the Blues For You" which was his current LP available when this concert was recorded. It has Albert singing soulfully without the second voice track of the LP and doing a great guitar solo as well.
   
   I would highly recommend this CD. It is different sounding than any other Albert King recording. This shows Albert at the height of his creative devlopment and influence on the Blues genre. Buy this one along with Live Wire, Blues Power", "Blues At Sunset", "Blues From The Road", "Live 69" and "Talking Blues". These CDs are all different and show Albert's style and tone at various stages of his long career.

5 comments about Chicago/The Blues/Today!.

1. I bought the three separate Vanguard vinyl LP's years ago. Wore 'em out. They got me started on the harp and I have played ever since....or at least, tried to play. I memorized and absorbed all of this inspiring stuff, I played it so much. It has had a major influence on my entire life. What a brilliant idea by Sam Charters in the first place, and then to actually pull it off, with all these blues giants, is a simply amazing feat. Prior to that the only blues I had listened to was the Stones and Paul Butterfield, and from there I went back to the originals, like Little Walter and Muddy and Wolf and Sonny Boy.
   Those last four legends are NOT on these recordings--Walter and Sonny Boy had passed by then--but just about everyone who meant anything in Chicago blues is. Muddy's former harp player James Cotton and the one and only Otis Spann, his favorite keyboard man, are both in strong form. Cotton's version of Rocket '88 is the most rocking and explosive jump blues you will ever hear, truly a gigantically important recording. His harp performances on this set are tremendously powerful and creative, showcasing his inimitable style. Junior Wells and Buddy Guy play a strong mini-set, with Junior's vocals on Vietcong Blues some of the best he's ever done.
   It is simply incredible that these recordings feature three guys who, over the years became some of my all-time favorite musicians, and remain so to this day: Johnny Shines, Otis Rush, and Charlie Musselwhite. Not that race matters, but Charlie, just as in the very first Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969, is the only white guy on the records. Since it's Chicago blues, Johnny Shines plays electric here, and he blows the doors off with his powerful and impassioned vocals. I am convinced that Shines, unlike any musician I can name, is at least as great acoustically as he is amped up. The great Big Walter "Shakey" Horton lends superb harp to Shines', and Johnny Young's sets, and Charlie--billed then as Memphis Charlie--plays a really nice harp duet with Big Walter.
   The immortal Otis Rush, again, only in my opinion, the greatest combination blues singer/guitarist ever, tosses off a sublime version of I Can't Quit You Baby, which rivals and possibly exceeds his Cobra version.
   This is an absolutely essential recording for anyone interested in blues Chicago-style: amplified, electric, stunningly powerful. These blues will grab you and will not let you go.



2. As a serious blues musician, I am always on the lookout for those few seminal recordings which I might have heard about, but not owned. To go over to the jazz world for a moment, I would put Chicago the Blues Today
   in the realm of A Love Supreme by Coltrane or Kind of Blue by Miles et al in terms of influence. And, as a harp player, the Junior Wells and James Cotton tracks are absolutely killer!!! I can't believe how good this is-one of the crown jewels.



3. Chicago: The Blues Today! contains great and classic performances. This three-CD set features two to three different artists on each CD, such greats as Otis Rush, Otis Spann, James Cotton, JB Hutto, Johnny Young, Homesick James Williamson, and Johnny Shines.
   
   Highlight are Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby, My Black Mare by Young, Spann's Stomp by Spann, and Somebody Been Talking by Homesick James. This is a great collection for your blues collection.



4. In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock and roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience.The "today" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid '60s.
   Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom.Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis
   Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and been reasonably good sellers over the 30 years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc in the mid 1980s. This new packaging puts all three volumes together, but with no bonus tracks, as no extras were recorded for these sessions.So if one already owns these sides, what's the incentive this time around? That's easy: The sound is massively improved, with the bass that was rolled off the vinyl and original CD versions now being restored. This
   makes the tracks truly come alive, especially on the Otis Rush and Junior Wells sides, both fortified with some major amounts of badass bass thumping by Roger Jones and Jack Myers, respectively. One can really hear the spaciousness of the old RCA studios where this stuff was cut for the first time, and the detailing of the mix is in sharp focus throughout, although the increased bass causes some unwanted distortion on the Homesick James Williamson tracks. The other plus is the new packaging, which features a nice booklet with detailed, updated notes from Charters, a nice appreciation from Ed Ward, and absolutely eye-boggling session photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann, that alone are worth the price of the set. With the glut of blues reissues out there, it is often a coin toss as where to best spend your hard-earned money. Even if you still have the original vinyl or CDs, this is one of the times when it would be best to spend the dough and add this one to your collection, because blues records seldom come as important, innovative, or just plain pleasurable to listen to as this set. File under "essential."



5. In the sixties, the Chicago blues scene was so vibrant, alive, and brimming with great blues that an enterprising producer could (and did) literally pull some of the finest second-line bluesmen off the street, hustle them into a studio, and turn them loose. The resulting three-disc set represents some of the finest blues ever made, yet no one on this session is named Muddy, Wolf, Johnson, or Hooker! Of course, Junior Wells (with Buddy Guy in tow) is brilliant, especially with his moving "Tribute to Sunny Boy" (Williamson, of course!) and his fabulous "Messin' With The Kid" (later covered by the Blues Brothers, among others). JB Hutto is amazing, sounding as raw and unpolished as Robert Nighthawk, yet every bit as soulful. His mighty, slide-fueled renditions of "Going Ahead" and "Too Much Alcohol" will leave you begging for more! (More blues AND more alcohol, too!) Otis Spann, Muddy Waters long-time pianist, closes out Disc One with five mellow-yet-intense pieces, including an extra-wonderful "Spann's Stomp". Disc Two kicks off right-as-rain with another former Muddy colleague, harp extraordinaire whiz James Cotton. His frenzied cover of Ike Turners "Rocket 88" is the standout of his set. Otis Rush contributes a superb version of "I Can't Quit You Baby", later borrowed by Led Zeppelin, while former Elmore James cohort Homesick James weighs in with his first-rate "Set a Date." If there is a weak point of this set, it happens during the third disc, with Johnny Young and his rather annoying use of "blues mandolin"; however, his rendition of "One More Time" is very good indeed. Finally, ex-Robert Johnson sidekick Johnny Shines closes out the set in chilling, thrilling style, with "Dynaflow Blues" and "Black Spider Blues", while Big Walter Horton and Memphis Charlie (Musslewhite) serve up a sizzling version of "Rockin' My Boogie". A great 47-page booklet accompanies this box set, and the photos of winter in Chi-town circa 1965 are haunting and evocative indeed. In short, this is a must-purchase, for this three-disc wonder, recorded it seems only just yesterday, will give you true pleasure from Chicago blues not only today but tomorrow and far into the future as well!!!

5 comments about The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

1. One of my first exposures to the world of Chicago-style blues, after a steady dirt of country-style Delta blues, was the Rolling Stones' version of the Willie Dixon classic Little Red Rooster back in the early 1960's. I thought that was a song to beat all songs and it had nothing to do its allegorical nature, you know, about sex. What, moreover, capped it for me the fact that it was originally banned in Boston- from the radio airwaves of the times. Naturally that made this teenager want to hear it even more.
   
   All this is by way of saying-yes; the Stones did a great version of that song but if you really want it heard then you must go to the master- Howlin' Wolf. That big gravelly voiced man who, in pictures that I have seen, seems to be inhaling the microphone lets it all hang out as he struts his stuff on that number. In Do the Do, Little Red Rooster, Killing Floor and on and on the Wolf sweats, bleeds, sucks up the whiskey, has another one for good measure and gets down on his knees, sometimes literally, to belt out the blues.
   
   In this two-disc set of Howlin' Wolf classics some of those Stones did exactly what I mentioned above-went to the source. Listen in to the dialogue when the Wolf tells these trained musicians how to do the do here on Little Red Rooster. And they are all ears. That says it all. Moreover, the musical excitement builds as song after song gets you in a true blue mood. This is all about sex, about whiskey, about hardworking weeks to get to fun-loving Saturday nights. Yes, the hour of the Wolf is just before the dawn. Get this masterwork. You will not regret it.



2. Imagine the Rolling Stones as a rhythm section, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, and Stevie Winwood on keyboards. Heck, even you singing in your shower could sound good. Wang Dang Doodle is such a killer song, Clapton's guitar simply sings, and is so elegantly and tastefully done, you don't know its Clapton, but instinctively look at the CD notes to see who was playing those tastey licks!
   
   This vinyl record was one of my all time favorites. When it came out on CD and remastered with bonus tracks, I ignored the stupidly high price and took a leap of faith.
   
   If you like Clapton's blues guitar, Stevie Winwood's piano and the solid rhythm of the Rolling Stones (and who doesn't), you will love this album. I'd give it 5 stars, but I'm stingy with stars, so a 4 star it will have to be.



3. The Howlin' Wolf London sessions made The Wolf known to a larger audience who probably wouldn't have picked up the album or noticed any other Howlin' Wolf material were it not for the big name musicians (Clapton, Winwood, Wyman, Watts, et al) and a really colorful cover (Let's face it, the old Chess re-issues didn't exactly catch anyone's eye). Unlike may other efforts at fusing young British and old American blues players, this one works well enough to be worthy of continuted availabiltiy and re-issue.
   
   To appreciate this better, remember it was recorded around 1970, not 1948. The sound was different, the times were different, and the audience was different.
   
   I got to see the Wolf shortly after this came out. No recording ever captured the mesmerizing nature of his voice.
   
   This is a fun recording and I encourage listeners to enjoy it for what it is---a dynamic (and slightly imperfect) collaboration that added something to the blues and rock fusion that shaped a good deal of our musical heritage.



4. I don't get all the criticism for this collection. It is a beautifully put-together collection of one of the best blues collaboration with British rockers. I thought this CD is stellar - both discs. There are not many recordings where you get to hear the musical giants we admire conversing among each other in the midst of a jam session. This alone makes this set extra-special: the conversations during Red Rooster and Who's Been Talking false starts. The sound quality is superb. I thought it was remarkable in its own right that these guys were even able to cut such a record within something like a week. Playing with new people in unfamiliar environments can easily wreck a musician's ability to perform well. I was amazed that it was possible to get the right set of musicians together in such a hurry and work out their differences. I think when you take into account all the adversity that these people faced to make this record, you get amazed at what sort of musical talent was gathered for this record. The remixes and alternate takes on the 2nd CD are great. In fact, I like a few of them better than the originals. My favorite songs are "I Aint Superstitious", "Rockin' Daddy", "Poor Boy", "Red Rooster", and "Goin' Down Slow". But it's kind of hard to pick - I love all the songs on both the discs. And I thought the producer did great with splicing in the horn arrangements later on - in my opinion, they were quite tastefully done. The Keyboards that were added later on also provide a soft, classy touch to already great music.



5. I had read disappointing reviews but wanted to buy The London Sessions anyway. I love it. the first disc is superb, with great renditions of Killing Floor, Going Down Slow, and I Want To Have A Word With You as bonus tracks. Plus the original part of the album. The second disc could be better but listening to how a great blues master such as Howlin Wolf and his crew interacted with Brits best is amazing. the highlights for me though are the 19 year old harmonica player, Jeffery Carp, Eric Claptons skill as a blues musician, and the legend Howlin Wolf teaching the blues.

5 comments about Presumed Innocent.

1. Marcia has been influenced by many different styles of music, predominately blues and roots rock but also including R+B, country and jazz - even some Cajun. You can find elements of all these in this album though some are more obvious than others. She has never been a prolific recording artist but her albums are all of the highest quality. This wonderful album, mostly of good-time music, shows Marcia singing as good as ever and backed by plenty of great musicians, although she only occasionally shows her dynamic skills on the piano.

   The songs are mainly original (often written by Marcia) but also include covers of You make it good (a cover of an Allen Toussaint song featuring Delbert McClinton as duet vocalist), I have the right to know (originally written and recorded by Brenda Burns and also covered by Francine Reed) and I'm coming down with the blues (a Don Covay song from 1960).

   Among the original songs, I particularly like Louella (on which Marcia makes more use of her piano than usual for this album), Thibodaux Louisiana (with a touch of Cajun). She's so innocent (an outstanding ballad) and You make me happy (a great song to close the album) - but every song here is brilliant.

   If you like great rock music with a variety of other influences, this is for you.




2. It's refreshing to hear music that's sung and played by a serious musician: Marcia Ball's exciting New Orleans-styled piano and her committed vocals are a happy invitation to an uplifting listening experience. This album sounds like it was recorded...in an actual *recording* studio? Yes, the air is a little tight around the mike, but do I hear a real acoustic piano?
   The highlight of the album is "She's So Innocent", a kind of album sub-title, a mello and sombre ballad beautifully rendered by Marcia. This is the quietest slow number here and the most impressive. "I Have The Right To Know" is reminiscent of the best of Percy Sledge, with a dash of Domino (as in Fats). Like many of the selections, however, it runs about one minute too long. The Don Covay co-composition "I'm Coming Down With The Blues" is a great addition. It's a lesser-known slow number and it's soulful throughout.
   The best uptempo item is "Fly On The Wall", actually a mid-tempo. The arrangement is perfect with backing vocals well mixed. A contender is the Ball composition "Louella", somewhat reminiscent of Frankie Ford's "Roberta" [aka "Loberta"], a fun lyric about some chick's penchant for making private business public. Must make a nice *set* entry.
   "Count The Days" has an entertaining hook, but the arrangement is third-rate. With lyrics presumeably derived from the Presley-related "Milcow Blues Boogie" and a chorus possibly based upon The Beatles "All Together Now" you'd think this track would cook, but the mindless repetition of "...one, two, three..." and the length of the tune leaves one perplexed by a poorly integrated novelty effect. Maybe a fun after hours sing-along but not a number to hold the third position on an album by an esteemed artist.
   The CD closes with Marcia's "You Make Me So Happy", an engaging track which directs you right back to Track One. Perhaps by leaving off a few numbers and simplifying a few more the album would really cook. Still a notable effort.
   [Marcia is included on the Island Visual Arts video "Let The Good Times Roll - A Film About The Roots Of American Music"].



3. I am a long term Marcia Ball fan. Her music and piano boogie really energizes me. Recently she appeared in concert locally (Norman OK). I took my two daughters who are in their early 20s and who were not familiar with Ms Ball. They were both mesmerized by the talent and the music of this lady. Any of her CDs are a bargain. All of her stuff is fun. All of her music is hot ... hot ... hot!



4. Think of boogie woogie, zydeco, piano skills unmatched and a great expressive style...the result is Marcia Ball...memories of past releases come to mind ~ "Hot Tamale Baby", "Gatorhythms", "Blue House", "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" and "Sing It", all on the Rounder label, composer of blues with lyrics pouring straight from the heart...I'm a big, big fan, and this latest release from Alligator Records ~ "Presumed Innocent", spells a winner.

   From ballads to New Orleans blues, Marcia keeps them coming straight at you, entire CD is a must have...don't pass this one up...Can't say enough, except...we need more of the same...so spin this, sit back and enjoy, cause' Marcia's so happy when she's with you...you're going to have a ~ BALL!

   Total Time: 52:53 on 13 Tracks ~ Alligator Records ALCD-4879 ~ (2001)




5. I was shopping in the Amaxon's Alligator web site and I saw Marcia Ball, I bought it on a wim. Not hard blues but good, fun rythm and blues. Great stuff. I don't have any others, but I will. Great Piano by Marcia, and great guitar, especially on Thibodaux, Louisiana, A great rocking tune. Delbert McClinton stops by on Scene of the Crime. If you like old fashioned fun Rythm and Blues this is great stuff...

5 comments about Slippin' In.

1. I admit to being a big fan of Buddy Guy, and while this album does not really have any of his "greatest hits", it still might be my favorite album of his, simply because of the variety of the songs and the overall high quality of the performances.
   I Smell Trouble is a great opening cut,and Shame Shame Shame has a unique rockabilly tempo to it. Little Dab A Doo, Don't tell Me About The Blues and Slippin Out Slippin In are 3 classics blues tunes, and the last song on the album, Cities Need Help, written by Buddy, adds a surprising dash of social commentary in a low key way.



2. How bad was Buddy Guy missed before he came back on the scene with "Damn Right I Got The Blues?" "Too badly to even say" is the answer. His playing on "Slippin' In" ranks as some of the best he's ever recorded.
   
   Guy demonstrates the finesse, skill, flexibility, and raw power possessed by only a very few guitar players. His solos on "Please Don't Drive Me Away" prove that what those who saw him play live even back in the 60's say is true. That Guy plays like a cross between straight blues, jazz guitarist, and heavy metal. His playing on "Please Don't Drive Me Away," "7-11," "Don't Tell Me About The Blues," and "Cities Need Help" is unbelievable at times. The same thoughts cross your mind listening to him as they do when you listen to Hendrix. "How did he do that?" "How can you make that kind of sound with a guitar?"
   
   "Slippin' In" just proves that we've got to grab a hold of Buddy Guy and not let loose of him. He's not allowed any more sabbaticals. We miss out on way too much when he's away.



3. WOW! I just finished listening to this, and I am blown away.
   I try to listen to as many different styles of music as I can. This album is a fine example of blues.
   This is what any great blues album should sound like.
   Just take this album for a spin.
   You can't really talk about one song on this record, without mentioning the other ones.
   It starts with a great opener, and follows through to the end.
   Just do yourself a favor and listen to Buddy Guy.



4. I admit I love Buddy Guy. I have seen him live twice and Slippin' In does a great job of catching his show. Raw, hard Chicago blues with some R&B and Rock. A must buy for blues fans or anyone wanting to get some BG.



5. Okay, I'm a Buddy Guy fan, and rarely am I disappointed when I'm listening to him. This album is exciting, and if you think you like the blues at all, you need to listen to this.

5 comments about The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson.

1. I saw recently where Elvis Costello had this, or some other SBW collection, in his current Top Ten play list. That got me thinking.
   
   Handyman owns a fairly deep collection of wide ranging, well-worn and warped blues LPs.
   My most heavily traveled avenue of interest being the post-war 1950's Chicago blues scene.
   
   I have a few vinyl volumes of SBW Chess material. Those recordings are desert island blues picks for me.
   
   Sonny Boy Williamson's take on the blues has a particular funky edge, a particular off-beat that I cannot describe in musical terminology, but which I have always found distinctive and attractive.
   
   The goldmines of the frontliners; Muddy Waters, Howlin'Wolf, Elmore James,John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy etc have been unearthed and scavenged for years.
   
   Sonny Boy's mine is a bit harder locate but, the blues treasure lying therein is, in my humble opinion, of equal intrigue and value, and holds a particular shine.
   
   I encourage anyone getting onboard the never ending blues train to make room for some SBW in their satchel.



2. THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BLUES SINGERS..STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO BB KING AND RAY CHARLES..IT DONT GET ANY BETTER..AND NOW I FINALLY SEE WHERE THE YOUNG BRITISH GROUPS LIKE THE ROLLING STONES AND ETC. FROM THE 60'S COPIED THEIR STYLE...AND WITH THE HARMONIC SOUND TOO...GO TO THE ROOTS FOR THE TRUE SOUND CAUSE NOTHING ELSE CAN COMPARE!!!



3. This is a superb collection.
   Singer/harpist Aleck "Rice" Miller may have started calling himself "Sonny Boy Williamson" to take advantage of the fame of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson from Tennessee. But he wasn't a cheap imitator - Miller was one of the major blues artists at Chess Records in the 50s, alongside Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and probably the best harmonica player the blues has even seen.
   
   Rice Miller was a tremendous songwriter whose keen attention to detail was quite unusual in a genre which relied heavily on cliché and a handful of repeated patterns. He penned witty, sometimes romantic, sometimes venomous lyrics, and tunes memorable enough to rival those of Chess stalwart Willie Dixon. He was an equally terrific singer, highly expressive, and usually backed in the studio by superstar musicians like Dixon, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann and Robert "Jr." Lockwood.
   
   Sometimes a double-disc compilation is stretching it, especially for the casual fan, but these 45 tracks are not even close to being too many. Absolutely everything on "The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson" is worth a listen, and I can easily name another dozen songs which should have been here...Miller's recordings for Chess maintained an incredible level of quality.
   There are really too many highlights to mention, but among the very best songs are "Don't Start Me To Talkin'", "All My Love In Vain", "Your Funeral And My Trial", "Let Me Explain" and "Fattening Frogs For Snakes" from Miller's first Chess LP, as well as "Help Me", "Checkin' Up On My Baby", "Too Young To Die" and many, many more - and more than half of these tracks are not on the single-disc MCA/Chess-release "His Best", which should be sufficent reason to pick up this fine collection instead.
   
   And while you're at it, get Miller's early Trumpet recordings as well on Arhoolie's "King Biscuit Time"!



4. Though I had heard many of his songs performed by others, I did not know the name Sonny Boy Williamson until I heard a John Mayall song about him thirtysome years ago. Recently, my dormant interest in the Delta blues was rekindled, so I decided to try and find out just what this Sonny Boy was about.
   Where better to start than a box set? I really had no idea what to expect when I bought it, but what I got was more than expected. I took the set on a recent road trip and listened to both discs more than five times each and found something new to like each time.
   The verdict? I love this stuff. Not only can Sonny Boy play his blues harp like no other, he can really sing. His songs are well-written and are often humorous when they are not meant to be. The sound is great too, one can hear every instrument at work, particularly the drums which drive the easy swing of Sonny's blues.
   My favorites? I like every song. If I had to pick, Unseen Eye and Somebody Help Me would be near the top.
   The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson dishes out a heaping plateful of raw blues at its primitive finest. Don't miss out on this one, its money well-spent.



5. Sonny always had a great story song- There was always some predicament going on or some trouble he was in or just simply him being nosey and signafying on other folks problems. And all of this made him the best story teller. I absolutely love his storytelling in song. He was without a doubt the most compelling storyteller in all of Blues history. Buy this cd it's great and listen to the great stories. Sonny in one song says quote- "My baby asked me for 100 dollars and I didn't have but 99"- or the greatest (aint gone be no more sugar daddy) song ever recorded called "Fattening frogs for snakes" and of course his biggest hit is included on this package-1955's "Don't start me talking" because Sonny says when he starts talkin "he'll tell everything he knows". All of these are great classic blues songs from a true blues genius.

2 comments about JUNIOR WELLS : BLUES LEGENDS.

1. THIS DVD IS A SAMPLING OF THE KIND OF BLUES CLUB WORK THAT MADE THESE GUYS LEGENDS.IT'S RAW NATURE IS CAUGHT HERE BUT WITH SOME DRAWBACKS.THE VIDEO AND AUDIO QUALITY ARE MARGINAL AT BEST.THE SOUND SOMETIMES FADES IN AND OUT WHICH IS ANNOYING FOR ME. THE VIDEO QUALITY IS AVERAGE AT BEST WITH SOMETIMES SHARP IMAGES THEN SOFT.TO REALLY ENJOY THIS SHOW, YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN THERE WITH THE ADDITION OF A FEW DRINKS TO SMOOTH OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS.THESE GUYS ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE BLUESMEN BUT THIS SHOW DOES NOT DO THEM JUSTICE. ONLY FOR THE HARDCORE BLUES LOVERS



2. This is the new offering from Blues Legends. Previously they have issued DVDs on Freddie King, Albert King and Memphis Slim with Sonny Boy Williamson. This concert is set at a place called Nightstage and they perform for 71 minutes. Footage of Buddy Guy as a younger player and concerts of Buddy with Junior Wells during their extended partnership are rather scarce. They have several snippets of material on other discs, the best being the now unavailable "Muddy Waters at Montreux" show. However, part of this show is on the Buddy Guy DVD with his Boxed Set released last year.
   
   The concert here is a video transfer as you would expect and the sound is excellent. It begins with Buddy Guy coming on and offering only part of his recorded performance. We have seen some of this set previously on the Buddy Guy DVD from the Boxed Set. Buddy does a part of "The Things I Used To Do", "Crazy About You", "Stormy Monday" and playing like T-Bone Walker. This is the only big flaw in this presentation. The entire show should have been reproduced. Anyway, what we have is rare and good. Buddy plays in his usual style and with his thinline Guild guitar.
   
   Buddy offers "Look Over Yonder Wall" a funky "Crazy About You" with him playing over the top of the guitar's neck and "I Just Want To Make Love To You" as a tribute to his mentor Muddy Waters. Junior is then introduced and comes out to play Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" and a tribute to Muddy Waters as well ending with "Trouble No More", great classic Chicago Blues.
   
   When Junior joined Muddy Waters Band as a youngster he replaced Little Walter, what shoes to fill! Walter had recorded his masterpiece "Juke" and left the band. Junior offers us a version of "Juke" in this show. It, unfortunately, is a big disappointment. At this stage in their career, I feel, both Wells and Guy were well known and accepted. They were more intent on showmanship and not musicianship. However, the material on these people are so hard to get we have to give it 5 stars (like the Albert King program in this series-see my review)
   
   The boys then go on to Sonny Boy Williamson's "My Younger Days" and the Chicago classic "I Got My Mojo Working" which are fine performances. Junior ends the set with a James Brown tribute. This is something he always did. When I saw him in Sydney in 1991 he opened with "I Got You (I Feel Good) in a bright yellow suit looking and sounding and dancing like James Brown! Here Junior offers "Super Bad" and then right into "I Got You (I Feel Good)". A very sound ending to the show.
   
   The bonus features are good, but the interview is hard to hear due to the background noise in the club. And it goes on for a long time! The bonus performances however are excellent and include "Little By Little" (not the Rolling Stones tune) from the main performance (see there are extra tracks we did not get!) and then from a place called "The Channel" in Boston we hear "Better Than I Love Myself" which, to me, is one of the best tracks on the whole DVD. Note: The DVD cover is wrong "Little By Little" is not at the Channel Club, it's at the original concert venue Nightstage.
   
   OK this Blues Legends offering is great. We need as much material on these real innovators as we can possibly get. It would be so fantastic to see T-Bone Walker anywhere but he had a PBS concert with Shuggy Otis and his father in about 1975, Magic Sam at Ann Arbor, Albert King at the Fillmore, B.B. King at the Cafe Au Go Go, Little Walter, and so many more. I hope this series will continue! These people have also given us the excellent "American Folk Blues Festivals" series as well. Currently we are waiting eagerly for the Howlin' Wolf concert due to be released in October.

5 comments about Together Again...Live.

1. I'm not sure if this is the same performance my husband and I were fortunate enough to be in the audience for. It was for "Blues In The Schools" at County Hall in Charleston, SC. It has to have been a long time ago, because County Hall no longer exists. It was replaced many years ago by an auditorium and now a Performing Arts Center and a Coliseum. We just don't get the same kinds of performers there that we prefer. So I rely on my CDs. I can't remember the date; one of my children was in the High School band and this performance was designed for introducing youngsters to this genre' of music. I think it was great. I don't remember the profanity, so this probably isn't the one, since there were plenty of school kids in the audience. Hard to believe that Bobby "Blue" could behave that long isn't it? But he did and they were both just outstanding. This CD certainly was similar to what we saw that night. I have always loved blues, along with any number of other genre's of music. So I jumped at those tickets and I've never forgotten that show. It was wonderful. Even though my husband isn't crazy about 'blues' like I am, (he prefers Bluegrass), I caught him patting his foot and nodding his head quite a bit. (I don't think he was nodding off.) Could'a been though. I think it was the first in a long time and possibly the last good Blues show ever performed in Charleston. If there have been more, they got past me. It was about the time of this recording because our daughter was in the Junior Band and HS band until 1981 (from 1975). I will be purchasing the other versions right now. Or as we say in SC, 'rat now.



2. Bobby & BB is a awesome cd.The music takes you back. I recommend this cd to anyone who likes blues. You feel like you're at the concert in person.



3. I went to the concert when this album was made; the reproduction is great. Both this album and "Together For The First Time,Live", will be an asset to any blues lovers collection.



4. though I dig the first one better overall there is something about the musical chemistry that B.B.King&Bobby Bland have that blends there styles together so well. "Let the Good Times Roll" is on Point. B.B. with Lucille&Bobby on Vocals make a strong combination. this is a Good Live set.



5. I have been listening to this record for over 25 years, BB:s tone on this record still strikes me as it did the first time I heard it. One of BB:s outro:s in one of the medleys on this record is a fantastic value for the price paid for this alone. You can hear a young BB play really loud and strong making his amp sing in fantastic overtones on this one, not that nice and sweet studio tone. The two artists, BB and Bobby, works very well together and if their first record together was Bobbys, this is definitely BB:s.

5 comments about Genuine Houserockin Christmas.

1. ... then your guests are either Chamber Music enthusiasts ... or they're dead.
   
   Here are 16 tunes performed by artists currently employed by Alligator Records, an independent blues label started up in Chicago in 1971 by one Bruce Iglauer, who began what is now one of the top indie operations on a shoe-strong in 1971. Over the years he has gathered together some of the best contemporary blues artists on the planet, and in this 2003 release they lend their talents to one of the liveliest Christmas-themed albums currently available.
   
   Leading off with her own Have You Heard The News? is the Queen Of The Blues, Ko Ko Taylor (born Cora Walton on September 28, 1935 in Memphis), delivered with her patented rough and powerful voice. She's followed by Carey Bell (born Carey Bell Harrington on November 14, 1936 in Macon, Mississippi) performing his own composition as well, Christmas Train. In addition to the vocals, Carey blows a mean harmonica in the Chicago Blues style he was so famous for before tragically passing away on May 6, 2007. Arkansas-born guitarist/vocalist Michael Burks, a W.C. Handy Award nominee for Best New Artist in 2000, does a nice job on Christmas Snow, while Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials give us a driving rendition of Christmas Time. Born in Chicago on April 4, 1955, vocalist/slide guitarist Ed Williams co-wrote the tune with his bassist James "Pookie" Young and Iglauer.
   
   Next up are Shemekia Copeland (born in New York City on April 10, 1979 and the daughter of vocalist/blues guitarist Johnny Copeland) with her sultry Stay A Little Longer, Santa which she wrote in conjunction with several others, and The Holmes Brothers from Tidewater, Virginia doin the Clarence Carter classic Back Door Santa. Lead vocalist Wendell Holmes, also on guitar and organ and vocalist/bassist Sherman Holmes, are hoined by drummer Popsy Dixon and vocalist/tambourine player Catherine Russell. W. C. Clark (born Wesley Curley Clark on November 15, 1939 in Austin, Texas) is a former member of the Joe Tex band and known, as you will quicky discern from Christmas Party, as the "Godfather of Austin Blues."
   
   The pace picks up considerably with Zydeco Christmas, written and performed by Clayton Joseph Chenier, son of the legendary Clifton Chenier, alternately described as "the crown prince of zydeco" and "the best living zydeco singer and accordionist," and then slows back down with Christmas Day Blues, composed by vocalist/guitarist John Cephas, one half the duo of Cephas & Wiggins along with harmonica player Phil Wiggins, who both hail from Washington, D.C. It then picks up again with one of my favourites on the album, Christmas Fais Do Do, done by the writer, and vocalist/pianist extraordinaire Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949 in Orange, Texas)
   
   Santa Clause (Do You Ever Get The Blues?), written by guitarist Chris Vachon, comes from the large horn-driven band known as Roomful Of Blues, first formed in 1967 in Westerly, Rhode Island by guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley. Then comes the driving Really Been Good This Year, written by pianist/vocalist Ann Rabson, one-third of the delightful trio Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women from Washington, D.C. that also includes guitarist/vocalist Gaye Adegbalolo and vocalist.mandolin player Andra Faye.
   
   
   Guitarist/vocalist Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr. in Dubuisson, Louisiana on December 18, 1933) performs his own composition, All I Want For Christmas, and on A Bluesman's Christmas, written by Dave Steen we hear the former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Coco Montoya (born Henry Montoya in 1951 in Santa Monica, California). The jump tune, It's Christmas Time Again, written by harmonica player/lead vocalist Rick Estrin, comes to us from Little Charlie & the Nightcats, a four-piece combo that includes Estrin, guitarist Little Charlie Baty, drummer Jay Hansen, and bassist Lorenzo Farrell. Closing out the album is guitarist/vocalist Dave Hole, originally from Heswall, Cheshire, England, who performs the self-penned Fattening Up The Turkey.
   
   The sound is excellent and in the fold-out insert you get 8 pages with photos of each artist/group and a list of their back-up musicians.



2. If you get tired of hearing the same old Christmas songs every year then you need this album! What I love about these songs is that they are strikingly original and unique. The old classics remind me of Christmas and tradition but I love to shuffle these songs into the mix to keep it fresh .... and these songs get noticed and help start conversations. Many people have heard nothing but the Christmas standards all their life. Then they hear one of these funky blues tracks and notice the Christmas lyrics and always ask about it.. Nobody ever wants to talk about Jingle Bells or Silent Night, but play Shemekia Copeland's Stay A Little Longer, Santa (or anything on this album) and people notice it. I downloaded the MP3 album version and it worked fine into my Apple i-book G4 running i-tunes.



3. Everyone has an opinion, and looks like I am in the minority about this cd. I'm a long time blues fan and what I hear here is a collection of poorly produced cuts. The common thread seems to be Bruce Iglauer as producer on most of the cuts that struggle. I bought this cd because I have enjoyed 'Alligator Records Christmas Collection' for years. I have given that cd away as gift's and recommended it to a lot of friends. The Houserockin' cd seems to be collection of folks going through the motion for the most part. There are some exceptions, Marcia Ball almost saves the cd by herself, Roomfull of Blues, Saffire the uppity blues women, and Coca Montoya all do good work. One of my favorite live acts, Little Charlie and the Nightcats with Charlie Baty doing some great guitar work, loses out to Rick Estrin's lyrics that are almost impossible to understand (as usual). If you don't have the Alligator Christmas Collection, buy it, if you do, check around for some other blues Christmas offerings. And yes I know Bruce Iglauer produced many of the cuts on Christmas Collection. Go figure.



4. When you have had your fill of the local radio station fare, and when you grow tired of the Time Life classic collection, pull out the Genuine House-rockin' Christmas disc for an evening of blues-inspired holiday fun! This is not the first collection you will want to pull out to get you in the Christmas mood as the jingle bells of tradition are replaced with the accordion and fiddle of a hopping Zydeco party, but it sure is a great change of pace during the holidays that gets better with repeated play. While I still enjoy the classics that I grew up with (including Ray Conniff and Mitch Miller...), this is one of the discs I pull out when I want to take a break from the cocoa in front of the fire and want to put my dancing shoes on. It is great for Christmas parties, and many friends have heard it and gone on to get it for themselves. So if you are wondering if it is your cup of tea, take a listen to the sample tracks here, and if you like what you hear don't hesitate to add it to your collection.



5. I got this CD for my husband who is a Blues lover. He loves it and we rocked to it all through Christmas. I highly recommend this!

5 comments about His Best: 1947 to 1955.

1. There may be slightly (and I do mean slightly) better produced Muddy Waters CDs, but this stands out as my favorite. It has an intimate, yet at the same time outstanding, archival feel. Without R+B musicians like Muddy Waters its hard to imagine the evolution of mainstream Rock.
   
   This CD has got to be in any music anthology, and certainly in any R&B collection.
   
   It is a cultural treasure.
   
   Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Muddy Waters
   At Newport
   Let's Roll
   Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
   The Ultimate Collection
   The Essential Bessie Smith
   The Definitive Soul Collection



2. If it weren't for Muddy Waters, hard rock might look totally different...if it would have even come about. So many classic bands took inspiration from Muddy or covered his songs. Just look at the Rolling Stones (who took their name from one of his songs and covered "I Just Wanna Make Love to You"), the Allman Brothers ("Trouble No More"), Aerosmith (who covered two songs on their recent HONKIN' ON BOBO), Ted Nugent ("Baby Please Don't Go"), Eric Clapton ("I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man") and many others.
   
   But, that statement ignores the quality of this music, which is great. The early tracks like "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "Rollin' and Tumblin' (Pt. 1)" are raw and intimate, just Muddy backed with acoustic guitar and stand-up bass. But the later electric tracks are even better. "I'm Ready," "Mannish Boy," "I Want You to Love Me," and more are stone cold blues classics. Muddy's backing band of the time included Willie Dixon and Little Walter and their great ensemble playing on these tracks contribute to their greatness.
   
   This is a mandatory CD for fans of blues and rock. Get it now.



3. Anyone besides me love this line? Anyway...
   Though it's hard to say who invented rock, bluesmen can be given much credit for it. I really find it surprising that my friends who are, like me, rock fans aren't into the blues, since blues pretty much shaped rock.
   Okay, onto the album itself. It's a damned good one, if you're a fan of the blues and this isn't in your collection, the Ghost of Muddy Waters will be coming for you, and he'll be pissed... especially if it's after a long night of him drinkin' T.N.T and smokin' dynamite. Believe me. You need classics like I Can't Be Satisfied, Rollin' and Tumblin', Rollin' Stone, Baby Please Don't Go, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Hoochie Coochie Man, I'm Ready, Mannish Boy and Trouble No More in your collection. And though some rock bands covered these songs excellently, Muddy's versions win out nine times of ten. Oh, and did I mention Willie Dixon plays bass on, and writes, most of these songs?



4. I don't see how anyone could improve. In a talent competition he'd obliterate the competitors on his first note.



5. If you are a blues fan you have to have at least one Muddy Waters CD and this would be the one. "Mannish Boy" is probably my favorite. This is the first Muddy Waters song I ever heard although I had heard plenty of his songs done by other artists. It was used in a beer commercial (Budweiser I believe)back in the early '90's and I had to find out who it was. His version of the often recored "Baby Please Don't Go" is my favorite version of this song. This is an essential CD if you are just getting into blues. Also see Howling Wolf's "Rocking Chair album" and "Moaning at Midnight." And for Delta Blues, Robert Johnson's complete recordings since it is only two CDs and Son House's "Father of the Delta Blues."