5 comments about Blues Summit.

1. I liked it. They sang about the relationships between men and women. They gave some good advice in the song lyric.



2. I agree w/ those who've said that this is one of BB King's best CD's. His duet partners truly are the 'real deal' when it comes to blues artists. Unfortunately, too many of them have passed on since this was recorded 15 years ago: Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Katie Webster, and the recently departed Ruth Brown. Luckily, we have this recording to remind us just how good they all were. I recently found the DVD version in my local library & enjoyed seeing that also.



3. One of the best live performance DVD's I have watched. Great performance and well documented history phased into the product.



4. If you like BB king just a little bit this cd will make you a great fan of BB King. This is one of my favorite CDs of BB King.
   I think that one of the reasons I like the cd soo much is that BB allows his guests to shine.
   So be nice to yourself and get this cd.



5. This is a very enjoyable release from B.B. King, and friends! Well recorded and a very nice selection of songs and guests joining B.B. - I think this is what makes this recording such a treat!

   The stand out song for me is Call it Stormy Mondy with Albert Collins - a great version of this song!

5 comments about Let Me Play with Your Poodle.

1. Marcia delivers piano as sizzling uptempo or in yearning ballad forms and comes out sounding fab either way. The title track and Crawfishin' are instant classics, and all her slower moments are sweet and tender.
   
   Not a duff track in the batch. The song blend of originals and covers is well focused, and lends creedance to the great history of music and life on the Bayou (Delbert McClinton, Randy Newman).
   
   I've listended to a lot of blues influenced ivory ticklers on CD, and I've seen many a player hit the 88 keys live and in person, but Marcia delivers the right stuff from start to finish.
   
   Her voice is warm and welcoming. Session heavyweight Doyle Bramhall (Sr.), joins in to add spice to the party in session.
   
   Next time the neighbors are coming over for a BBQ, slip into something comfortable and try on a little Marcia Ball..this Poodle is worth picking up.



2. Enough said. Marcia knows her way around the piano. Well-written songs and a tight, supportive band bring out the best of this great musician.



3. Marcia is a great New Orleans blues singer. She has a wonderful stage presence and should get more national recognition.



4. I've been following Marcia off and on for the last 10 years...always thought of her as a fun artist with a nice voice and enough piano to make her credible.

   Then I heard this album...she cranks out a bunch of blistering pounding piano solos that impressed this old hard heart.

   Go get this one...by far the best of her albums




5. This was a chance purchase by my Father who shares my love of blues. I feel like I have been let into a new field of boogie~woogie, key dancin...world. This lady is fantastic, I would give my right left toe to be able to do what she does to those ivorys. Play with Your Poodle is a piece of mastery that would bring anyone out of the deepest funk they have ever been in. I thought for a minute this lady knew me in 'can't trust my heart'... Wonderful mix of boogie and soulful heart breakers... I will be working my through the rest of these! If you love piano music of this kind as I do, this is a must have..the whole CD is great....

5 comments about The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

1. This is a great album and anyone who considers themselves a blues fan should have it in their library!



2. This is great outing for one of the Blues senior citizens; a tribute by the devoted following of British Blues youngbloods who perform with due reverence for the master. Sure, its not full throttle Wolf, but the impro take of Little Red Rooster alone is worth the fare, as the compiler's recognised. This voice has left an indelible mark on the direction of Blues ever since. If you are into Beefheart or Tom Waits, trace them back to this immovable feast. Enjoy.



3. I absolutely loved this CD. Unlike other reviewers who didn't appreciate Hubert Sumlin playing rhythm guitar and Clapton playing lead, Howlin' Wolf and Mr. Sumlin, both tried and true together, give way to some new blues followers, and thank God. Look what has become of Eric as a blues front man! Not to mention the mark the Stones and Steve Winwood have left on the blues scene. I love the humbleness shown here. Also, if you watch Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD from Dallas 2004, you will note Hubert Sumlin featured as a blues great playing along side Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Robert Cray and Jimmy Vaughn. This CD is fantastic, I recommend it to any blues lover.



4. This cd exceeded my expectations. The 60's rockers backing up their idol Howlin Wolf in the twilight of his career sounded as if they had been a unit for years. The musicians manage to give the songs a fresh sound while still staying true to its roots. The Howlin Wolf although at the recording was becoming more and more ill infuses his ailing into his singing to make the listener feel the blues. Excellent CD.



5. I've often heard that "blues purists" have great disdain for this album, which leads me to think the definition of "blues purist" is "someone who tries way too hard to not like good music."
   
   Sure, Wolf was old. Sure, you can tell he wasn't in great health. But he was still perfectly able to get a song over and still had ample power upon which to draw when he needed to. The performances by the backing musicians (particularly Ian Stewart) are generally impeccable, the arrangements are tasteful if at times a bit cluttered, and Eric Clapton manages to walk the fine line between showcasing his own chops and not stepping on the toes of Wolf or his material. I think he pulls it off splendidly.
   
   My only two complaints about this album are A) The Steve Winwood organ solo on "Who's Been Talking" (more '60s psychedelia than Chicago blues, sounds out of place), and the criminal relegation of the great Hubert Sumlin to (barely audible) rhythm guitar duties. This is like asking Michelangelo to paint tract houses, and the album would have benefited if Clapton and Sumlin both played lead guitar.
   
   Aside from those fairly minor gripes, there's not really anything to dislike about this album if you enjoy listening to great musicians play great music. Highly recommended.

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.

3 comments about Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection.

1. Alligator does it again! Incredible compilation. If you are contemplating starting a blues collection get the Anniversary Collections by Alligator first. These CD sets introduce you to many talented artists without shelling out 100's of bucks.

   As an extra there is a video of Hounddog Taylor that you can play on your computer. Very nice!




2. The first thing I did when I got this CD was play the bonus CDROM video track of Hound Dog Tayor & The Houserockers' "Taylor's Rock" on my computer and cranked up the volume. My computer will never be the same! Taylor's slide playing is raw, powerful stuff on this nearly four-minute instrumental captured in black and white from the 1973 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Taylor also tears the roof off the house with a raucus version of "It's Alright." It's no surprise that Taylor closes out the live disc. Taylor's eponymously titled debut on Alligator was the first of his career and the first for the then fledgling blues label.

   The blues thrives in a live setting and even though I live in Nebraska, I've had the chance to see several of these artists perform at Lincoln's famed Zoo Bar, including Son Seals, Luther Allison and Coco Montoya.

   Among the five previously unreleased tracks (all on the live disc) are a ten-minute version of Albert Collins' slow blues "Dyin' Flu" and a nearly eight-minute version of Little Charlie & The Nightcats' smoldering "I'll Take You Back."

   While the live disc crackles with raw energy, the studio disc includes stellar performances as well, including Koko Taylor's white hot "Bring Me Some Water" and the Holmes Brothers' haunting "Homeless Child."

   In addition to Chicago style blues, you also get the New Orleans-influenced blues of Marcia Ball and Henry Butler, the zydeco stylings of C.J. Chenier, Texas guitarists Johnny Winter and Albert Collins, and Alligator's first-ever overseas artist--British-born Australian Dave Hole.

   If you're looking for a inexpensive introduction to Blues 101, you won't find a better textbook than this. And if you need additional incentive, 20 lucky customers will find a coupon good for the entire Alligator catalog on CD. [But this 2-CD set is a terrific consolation prize!] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED




3. Yes,this five stars are just a few,just a few of many others,infinity others from the constelation of this truly great Blues Record!
   And i'm proud to be the first to review this album.I'm proud because i'm a really bluesfan...I'm proud because i'm really a Gator fan...proud to have in my own home a collection of almost 700 cds,95% blues cds...proud to take part in this special moment of Alligator Records.The history of the Gator Records is really fantastic,and specially in the person of this visionary man,Bruce Iglauer.Bruce worked with the great Bob Koester from Delmark Records,visited many universitary shows to choose some new talents to record.Then,he left Delmark to improve his own Record,where he could get new talents.The first album recorded,
   was with great simplicity,at 1971,when he discovered Hound Dog Taylor,and it must be considered a legendary album.Many others
   appeared with rare competency since that early days.And what we can say is that Alligator is a Record, constantly growing,surprising us with rare moments,masterpieces,new talents...Shemekia Copeland is,for me the confirmation of all this competency,to believe in new talents,promotes this talents giving all of the support and took them to the stelar!
   So,i can say that i'm proud and happy to participate of this rich moment.And this album that comemorates this healthy 30th.Years,is absolutely a "Must Have",destinated to become a "Classic"blues album,not only by the quality of the bluesmen there,so still by this new concept to creates,inovates,supports all of the good news we have to the modern blues scenery!
   And what we must desire is to be alive when the 40th.Anniversary Record album, will be recorder at 2006!
   Until that,i'm happy with my collection of 130 Gator's albums....What you're waiting for?????Let's improve your own Gator's Collection...Sure you'll not be desappointed...
   You'll really be happier than ever......JUST AS I AM!

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."

4 comments about Blues Masters, Vol. 16: More Harmonica Classics.

1. An excellent compilation of blues harp playing. Buy this if you are looking to hear the best and learn some of the best techniques ever!



2. I already had two other CD's in this collection which are also harmonica
   blues. This was good, but sounded too much like the others. I also purchased the Blue's Master's slide guitar classics which is great.



3. You've heard that saying about a hundred monkeys clattering away at a hundred typewiters for a hundred years...I don't know excactly how it goes in English. Anyway, it seems that an ape called Jo Jo ended up writing a review rather than the collected works of William Shakespeare.
   I mean, honestly...what do you think an album titled "Blues Masters vol. 16 - More Harmonica Classics" is?!
   
   Well, never mind.
   This is a very nice companion volume to Blues Masters vol. 4 ("Harmonica Classics"). Most longtime blues fans will own much or even all of this material already, of course, but beginners or "mid-level" blues fans should delight in the wealth of excellent material on this disc - aggressive up-tempo freight train harmonica and slow, smouldering fills and solos.
   
   Most of the really big guns are here, like James Cotton, Slim Harpo, Little Walter Jacobs, Sonny Terry, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Wells, white boy Paul Butterfield, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, and Aleck "Rice" Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II).
   And most of the more obscure stuff is very interesting as well: William Clarke's "Pawnshop Bound", Lazy Lester's rendition of "I Hear You Knockin'", a great, swaggering "The Briar Patch" by Gary Primich, Papa George Lightfoot's thumping "Jump The Boogie", a raw early electric blues with a gritty sandpaper vocal, and Doctor Isiah Ross' tough, energetic "Come Back Baby".
   
   This is far from everything you need to know about blues harmonica, of course, and a couple of tunes were chosen for the harp playing rather than their overall musical quality, I guess.
   But there is a lot of quality stuff here, making "More Blues Harmonica" a really good buy for all but the most hardcore blues fans (they'll own 9/10 of this stuff already).



4. This power-packed CD is a must for both players and lovers of the harmonica, particularly of the blues-harp variety.

   Most all of the tunes here are listenable, but some mighty powerful stuff abounds. On Howlin' Wolf's number, he sounds as if he's playing 2 harps at once. Junior Wells, in his rendition of Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Help Me," does a moving tribute to Sonny II both vocally and harmonically (as Sonny II died shortly before this was recorded). Sonny I is well represented here with "Shake Your Boogie" (although his harmonica is drowned out by the other instruments in parts of this song).

   The king of Country blues harmonica, Sonny Terry, does an amazing turn with "Hootin' Blues Pt. 2" which defies written description. Wisely, Magic Dick Seltzer's classing "Whammer Jammer" is also included, as it sounds as if this tune may have been inspired by the above-mentioned Sonny Terry tune (listen and compare).

   So for anyone who likes good harmonica music, listen and enjoy. For aspiring harmonicists, you may have think you've got it down pat, but listen to this to see how far you still need to go.

5 comments about 20th Century Masters: The Best Of B.B. King (Millennium Collection).

1. I absolutely love B.B. King. He and his partner, (his guitar) "Lucille," get plenty of focus on this 10-song collection. Their big songs like 'Sweet Sixteen,' 'The Thrill Is Gone' and their duet with Bobby 'Blue' Bland 'Let The Good Times Roll' all appear on this set.
   
   But, the reason that I'm not giving this set five stars is because it stops at just 10 songs. B.B.'s songs can get pretty long, but at just 10 songs, there is plenty of room for more great ones. Where are some of his EMI year songs like 'Every Day I Have The Blues'? That's a very disappointing omission.
   
   Overall, if you want a quick, cheap B.B. King retrospective spanning a two decade period (1962-1983), than look no further. This set gets the job done well. But for B.B. King fans who want more than just ten songs, stick with records like 'Great Moments With B.B. King.'
   
   But at the end of the day, his installment in UMG's '20th Century Masters' series isn't terrible. But it could be a LOT better.
   
   Recommended for the budget-minded casual B.B. King fan.



2. A lot of songs for little money, however, there are no liner notes and the sound quality is very poor. To some it may sound "authentic," but there are many other compilations that are a much better introduction to B.B. King.



3. start level 5 points
   length -1 point
   no pre 60's tracks -1 point
   crossover tracks (although I like Into the night) -1 point
   result = 2 points - do not buy



4. Dollar for dollar, the Millennium Collection CDs are disappointing, and that is putting it nicely.
   
   You can get many more songs for not much more money by looking at other collections, or "Best of" CDs. I see these in the store and am always amazed that people buy them. Not just for BB King, but for numerous artists.
   
   Dollar for dollar, this is simply the worst way to sample the King.



5. This is the best B.B. King CD value for the money. It's a little shallow song-wise and leaves out so many gems form his long, fruitful career, but it's some of his most accessable music. Traces of soul, rock, and '80s pop fall in with the blues on the album's ten tracks, making a good choice for the pop muisc collector or casual fan. More ardent fans will, and should, want more, but it's worth the price for what you get.

5 comments about The Original Lost Elektra Sessions.

1. I recommend this album to anyone who likes Bob Dylan's second masterpiece [not second album], Blonde On Blonde, as these 2 albums have that same THIN WILD MERCURY SOUND.
   
   I'm not here to give a second rate, third rate, fourth rate history lesson, just recommending an EXCELLENT album, by an EXCELLENT blues band, what a shame this was scrapped at first... then again there's much more room for appreciation now...



2. A must have for all blues lovers as well as those who need to hear the voice of the consumate blues man,Paul Butterfield. I know I was thrilled to hear these early recordings that were recorded before the release of the first album and featuring the original line-up.



3. This album is a rare, and precious gem that fits quite comfortably between the first album, and East-West. The people at Elektra discovered that sometimes true gold can be found without digging in a gold mine. And they struck real gold, not fools gold. And on the list of gems are songs like Spoonful, Everything's Gonna Be Alright (which I haven't heard since the release of Woodstock 2), Mellow Down Easy (the only repeat out of 19 songs), Rock Me, and Poor Boy. This is not only to be added to the Essentials list, but the top 2 must haves have now become three.



4. Not enough Bloomfield guitar, but his keyboard playing fits in well. Butterfield and drummer Sam Lay are on fire, while Elvin and Jerome do a fine job, as usual.



5. Beautiful archival music from the masters of seminal white electric blues Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield.

5 comments about Biggest Thing Since Colossus (Sony).

1. For everyone who loves gifted musicians and good tracks....The association of Otis Spann and Peter Green will remain a GREAT MUSICAL moment....forever.
   Listen to again and again...without moderation !



2. I love Otis Spann. Both his solo work and as a member of Muddy Water's band. This album sees Spann hooking up with the original Fleetwood Mac line up san their drummer (what was his name?). Otis' piano nicely compliments Peter Green's guitar, which is a little more restrained then usual on this album. This album features some great rockin' tunes and as well as some excellent slow blues like 'Ain't Nobody's Business'.
   
   Don't be put off by the strange album cover. This is a great, great blue album. Also check out Fleetwood Mac's Engliash Rose for more great Peter Green material.



3. I have about all of Otis Spann's CD's that are available. I did not care for this CD that much. The sound of his great piano playing was washed out and upstaged by the noisy guitars. Also, he departed from his traditional Chicago Blues CD and went with a more fast paced rock and roll type sound. I would recommend Otis Spann's Best Of Vanguard Years instead.



4. Clapton, Hendrix, Beck, Page all have reputations as great blues, blues/rock guitarists. Peter Green was THE best. Just listen to this album.

   It starts with "My Love Depends On You" with the Chicago Blues piano virtuoso Otis Spann singing his heart out and playing an inspired piano accompaniment. I always thought Otis sounded at least 30 years older than he was. He was a Pisces and that ethereal quality associated with the sign of the fish comes through his I've-see-it-all voice and fluid piano playing. Who better to complement the great underappreciated bluesman, than the great underappreciated Green God? Unlike the typical guitar "gods", Green played only the notes necessary, he didn't overpower the other musicians and certainly never does so with Otis' voice. Green is a Scorpio many times over with an expansive dose of Sag that allows him to reach deep down and express emotion with soaring openness. Never was this more evident than on this track! This is simply one of the most moving performances you'll ever hear.

   "Walking" is a more exuberant, up-tempo number that still retains Otis' plaintive soulfulness. Great, unusual drumming from Otis' friend S. P. Leary!

   "Ain't Nobody's Business" features some of Green's softest and most tender guitar playing ever. His playing on this track is like an intense, yet gentle carress. This is NOT background music!

   Those are my favorite tracks, but there isn't a truly weak track on the entire cd. The empathy between the two water-sign greats is evident throughout, especially when Otis implores Peter to "Play me the blues now, baby!" and Peter does just that on "My Love Depends On You". Otis became a fan of Peter's, struck by the guitarist's depth of feeling, intensity and tenderness.

   One surprise is that "Hungry Country Girl" a mini hit for Otis recorded at this same session wasn't included in this reissue. If you get this cd, seek out this song as well. I'll never forget hearing it on a 1000 watt all-black radio station that could only be heard on the south side of Chicago and Gary, Indiana, played by Pervis Spann (no relation to Otis). Pervis Spann was a legendary DJ who called himself "Pervis Spann, your all day, all night blues man!"

   This album is absolutely the best example of the blues fathers meeting the sons. Hooker 'N Heat is my #2. I hope you enjoy.




5. As admirer of Otis Spann and Peter Green, to find this album was such a pleasure. Spann is his usual constant, but Peter Green show how good a blues guitarist he was. He plays with such simplicity but has so much feeling in what is played. Green can play one note and have so much more effect that some modern guitairists who try to play at the speed of light.