2 comments about What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! (Stereo SACD).

1. I think, the remastering is on top sound quality (by the age of original recording), it sounded plastic and natural "smoked". Important notice - this is a Stereo-SACD, not a Hybrid-SACD, so it's playable only on SACD players.



2. I remembered the song "What a Diffrence a Day Makes" and bought this SACD. This is an old recording, that brings treasured music back to life. Everyone who listens wants a copy. This is as good as it gets!!

1 comments about Bushfire: Traditional Aboriginal Music.

1. If you're in to the didge, this cd is a must-have. Put your lips to the didgeridoo and blow!

5 comments about At Newport Live.

1. As noted in the album liner notes this CD is a poor example of even Ella Fitzgerald's work. Second, as noted in the Amazon Review: "Worse, the stage announcer's audible suggestion that she (Ella) move closer to the microphone results in overmodulated distortion on four-fifths of the set." Finally, Billie Holiday's voice is weak and Carmen McRae's voice is harsh in these performances.
   
   As suggested (between the lines) in the D. Davis review this CD is really only for hardcore collectors of live music. If you want to have the feeling of being at Newport for these 1957 performances including the original sound distortions and performance glitches this CD will take you there. Ella's scat singing on "Airmail Letter" is undeniably charming. Nonetheless, For most listeners almost any other CD by these artists should be considered before this one.



2. The 5 stars are for Ella's contribution to this album. Here she is folks -the one and only singin' and swingin' and havin' a ball - and you will too! Right from the getgo with This Can't Be Love, Ella gets you in the mood to feel you're right there at Newport 50 years ago...50 years...amazing! Ella caps off a great set that includes Too Close For Comfort, Lullaby of Birdland and Body and Soul, with a fantastic interpretation of Airmail Special, a true tour-de-force of incredible timing, perfect pitch and brilliant inventiveness. Others have had a stab at this number, but this is the original - and the best!
   I'm afraid, Billie and Carmen had to take a backseat to Ella at this concert. Billie sounds tired, and almost comes to a near stop during What a Little Moonlight Will Do, and the usually polished Carmen McRae just sounds distracted and under rehearsed.
   No, this is Ella's album - a brilliant, blazing, and joyous performance from the best jazz singer in the world.



3. The reviewer D.Davis (see reviews below) really did an excellent job on his/her review of this recording, in fact, he pretty much nailed it. Folks, I love all three of these legends and I was so excited to hear this CD after I made the purchase. Having said that, it has to be one of the most disappointing albums in my entire jazz collection. Billie's performance (or lack thereof) really was just plain awful and depressing. It is almost painful to listen to at times and you can really tell that she was not only dying physically due to the drugs, alcohol, etc... but also emotionally and spiritually as well. Ella does an admirable job and is by far the highlight of this album. For the most part, she will not disappoint most of her fans. The very young Carmen McCrae not only (as the above referenced reviewer pointed out) sounds a bit too 'loud' on most of her songs, she also sounds to me like she was a bit overwhelmed, almost as if she was trying to hard. She just doesn't quite have it yet, and of all of the great many recordings she has done in her life, this one is by far the least memorable in my opinion.
   
   As I stated before, I really thought that I was going to go gaga over this live recording at Newport. Unfortunately, I can not recommend this, knowing that there are countless recordings by these three legends that are so much better. I usually don't like to write negative reviews (especially when it's regarding favorite performers of mine) but this CD really does disappoint. Is it horrible? Not by a long shot. However, it's just not the Billie and Carmen that we are so accustomed to hearing and loving.



4. It was the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival and promoter George Wein programmed on successive nights arguably the four greatest jazz divas of all time--two in their prime, one clearly past it, and the fourth not as yet there. Ella and Sarah, performing on July 4 and 7, were the "book-ends," both clearly at the top of their games (I'm not one of those listeners who prefers the later Sassy). Lady Day, sounding as shaky as ever and slurring both her speech and lyrics, appeared after Ella, and an exuberant, overachieving Carmen McRae served as a set-up for the culminating concert by The Divine One.
   
   The performances are far from consistent, and not one of the four is stellar enough to merit its recommendation to someone new to any of these singers. But as a teenager I had the original Verve LP, limited to most of Ella's concert on one side, and Billie's on the other. As much as Ella's scat singing impressed me ("Air Mail Special"), it was Billie's performance that made the lasting impact (perhaps akin to the effect Judy Garland's latter-day recorded concerts have on some listeners). Never before had I absorbed the dramatic lessons of a song's lyrics as completely as when Billie started her program with "Nice Work If You Can Get It." Far from seeming like she was on auto-pilot, she utterly seduced me, leading to my discovery not just of "Lady in Satin" but of all the early Columbia and Commodore recordings as well.
   
   Carmen's performance had been omitted until now, and it's an eye-opener. Far from seeming gushy and hyper, as some critics have charged, she reveals the powerful and lovely soprano register that was once hers and, above all, her gift of elocution--every syllable, consonant, vowel, and diphthong gets full value when she sings, a respect for diction that would be her trademark throughout her career. Compare Carmen's reading of "Body and Soul" with Ella's on the same disk. Carmen changes the awful construction, "My life a wreck you're making," to something far more palatable before she projects it with her customary, unmistakable clarity.
   
   Sarah Vaughan was under contract with Mercury records, so her performance has been made available for the first time, more than 45 years later, on a separate Pablo release, "Linger Awhile." She almost equals her consummate singing on another recording made at about the same time: "Live at Mr. Kelly's." About her performance at this Newport event there's one recorded moment that always grabs me: she sings way out of tune for one of the phrases at the end of the first chorus of "Sometimes I'm Happy." Intentionally? To get the listener's attention? (She succeeded.)
   
   Finally, the listener of this CD will have an opportunity to compare not merely the first three singers but 4 different rhythm sections (since Carmen's own trio was late to arrive, she employed two different trios during the course of her set).
   
   Sometimes you can get as much if not more from performances that fall short of perfection. With 3 divas and 24 songs, this recording no doubt represents one of the best values available on a single CD. Add the second CD with Sarah's performance and head for a desert island.



5. When you get 3 divas on stage at Newport each singing great material that should be a cause for celebration.
   Ella sounded pretty good,Billie close to death, and Carmen elated but overbearing missing her band that did not make it there for the most part.the backing bands rather loose presenatation makes this CD a package of musical curiousity.
   Not exactly a performance that will rank as a milestone from all the other great recorded gems that came out of Newport,but one of these kinks of a CD that offers you a glimpse of realsm into 3 singers that are important in Jazz history.
   Enjoyable and playful with added time,remastering and colorful packaging,yes, wondering what went wrong also yes, essential for the collector also yes...crucial,no.

3 comments about South Side Lady.

1. This Disques Black and Blue-album is the only one Koko Taylor recorded between leaving Chess and joining Bruce Iglauer's Alligator Records.
   It contains a couple of re-recordings of old Chess singles, like "I Got What It Takes", "I'm A Little Mixed Up", and "Twenty-Nine Ways", five live recordings, and a number of songs not previously associated with Koko Taylor. Taylor's own "What Kind Of Man Is This" makes it debut on this album, a grinding mid-tempo blues and one of her best original songs, and she does well by Lillian Offitt's "Wonder Why" and the classic boogie "Big Boss Man", usually associated with Jimmy Reed.
   
   This studio rendition of "Twenty-Nine Ways" doesn't quite match Taylor's Willie Dixon-produced Chess version, mostly because of a more "ordinary" and less charming arrangement, but the live version is very nice, and Taylor also interprets Preston Foster's "Got My Mojo Working" during the live portion of the disc, and performs a six-minute rendition of her R&B hit single "Wang Dang Doodle".
   The band is top-notch, featuring Little Walter's 50s backing group The Aces (brothers Louis and Dave Myers on guitar and bass, and drummer extraordinaire Fred Below), in addition to guitarist Jimmy Rogers and pianist Willie Mabon, whose presence is a bonus all the way through.
   
   This is not an absolutely necessary purchase...not as necessary as Taylor's classic Chess sides or the best of her Alligator sides, anyway. But there is a lot of good stuff here nevertheless, and fans will certainly want a listen. Just because some of this material is out there in even better versions doesn't mean that these 1973 recordings aren't head and shoulders above most other female blues singers' best efforts. And besides, this is the only place (other than the "various artists" box set "Chess Blues") to get the irresistable "What Kind Of Man Is This?".
   3 3/4 stars. Definitely worth a listen.



2. This is a collectors item. This is when Koko wasn't with Chess or alligator records. she recorded this on Black and Blue. She really is a good team withJimmy Rogers Louis Myers Willie Mabon Dave Myers and Fred below.I would say if you want to jump and shout then pop this in your cd player. she isn't playing in this record and even does a live version of Wang Dang Doodle and a few other hits. all of her live music on this album was recorded in amstelveen,netherlands.



3. great time blues, and one f the best voices for it you'll find. hear her growl, and feel your knees give way to the beast of the blues...

1 comments about 1929-1933.

1. I've waited for this reissue for over 20 years. I found Joe Robichaux's "Stormy Weather" on 78 at a house sale, and the vitality and drive of the recording kept me wanting more. It was one of the best jazz bands I'd ever heard--New Orleans meets Swing for the first (and probably last) time.
   
   There was an LP set, which was way out of print by the time I discovered it. Then, about five years ago, I found the Document CD--which I was thankful to have. But the people at Document tend to truncate the frequencies, and I knew there was much more music in the grooves than on that reissue. (The Document CD does contain two alternate takes not available on the Jazz Oracle, which keeps it from becoming obsolete).
   
   You can imagine my delight when, by sheer chance, I managed to find an advance copy of the new Jazz Oracle reissue on eBay. Very shortly before, I'd complained on my RADIOLA! program about the inadequacy of the Document remasters and begged for a label such as Jazz Oracle to reissue the recordings as they should be heard. Well, in the new reissue, I've gotten everything I wanted. Ted Kendall, a protege of the great John R. T. Davies, has managed to transfer the full range of music to this disc. It's the next best thing to having the original shellac records and the proper stylus and equalization to play them--and a great deal less expensive.
   
   You hear the pulse of life here, and experience the deep joy of being a human being on this planet with each selection. I would have loved to have heard this band live--but this CD will more than suffice. Yowzah!

No comments about Cabin in the Sky - Original Soundtrack.

2 comments about Queen of Country Blues 1929-1937.

1. Memphis Minnie's tempestous life is reflected in ther songs. This five CD collection contains songs that tell of troublews with lovers, a bout with Meningitis, and electrical deficiencies. "KYou gotta have a socket" tells of the need of a place to plug in an iron. Menyof her songs are rife with double entrendre. Its avazing how they discribed sexual activity. Her voice is as strong as Bessie Smith's, and much easier to understand. The two guitar accompaniment, Most with Kansas Joe McCoy, is supurb. Nobody does it like her. Well worth the price.



2. I've been visiting this box-set often since picking it up a few months ago. Previous to this, I only had one Memphis Minnie disc, so the vast majority of this box was new to me. Memphis Minnie is truly one of the giants of pre-war blues, yet she seems to be somewhat forgotten. Her name doesn't often seem to roll off the tongues of even many of the people who have gotten beyond just Robert Johnson. Hopefully this low priced yet high quality collection will help fix that situation.

   I think I have ten of these great JSP boxes so far, and this is one of the very best.

   In the majority of current blues, lyrics are little more than an after thought. Just something to play a supporting role to the trite guitar wankery. The pre-war era was when blues lyrics actually had something to say, and Minnie's lyrics are an excellent window into not only herself, but also into the flipside of life (of that era) and blues... life and blues from the female perspective. Minnie would seem to be as rough and tumble as any of her male counterparts.

   Guitaristically, the first major glimpse we get into her playing comes on Mister Tango Blues. Throughout this box it strikes me that Minnie may well have been a more influential guitarist than many of the more famous males of her time. She does things you can still hear people doing today. A compliment to Minnie, but yet another comment on the stale state of most blues today.

   One of the things that makes this entire box such a joy is that Minnie's music is comprised of many different styles. Whereas someone like Blind Lemon Jefferson only really did a handful of different things and everything he did fell into those categories, Minnie does everything from low-down blues to more mournful songs illustrating the female perspective, to jaunty, goofily fun tunes, jugband stuff, etc...

   If you're only interested in hearing her do When The Levee Breaks, this isn't the set for you, as it's not here. I e-mailed JSP before this box was released and they told me that it would be included on a Kansas Joe box instead. Considering how many Minnie and Joe tracks are on here, I'm not sure why that wasn't included also, but it's a small gripe considering the great price of these JSP boxes and that it it won't bother me to pick up the Joe box for Levee and all the other tracks they did together that were not included here.

   This whole box is like a musical treasure chest. Beyond "Thank you Minnie and JSP!!!" I can't think of anything more to say.

5 comments about Seven Year Itch.

1. I have seen Etta James live twice and both times it was amazing. One of the reasons I love this album so much is because it captures the live feel of her shows. As a live performer she's raw, strong, and powerful. Of the five or so Etta James albums I own, I always come back to this one. "Damn Your Eyes" is one of my all time favorite songs. Last time I had a chance to see her, she performed it as a medley with Besame Mucho and she tore down the place. This album, in my opinion, has the best collection of songs on any album she has done.



2. This is a Tough Etta Record , the band is hot and features many R&B greats. The production may leave some people [pretty picky people] a little cold as it has that 80's kind of sound , mainly due to the use of a fairlight computer always well masked mind you and also because it was made in the 80's.! It contains most of my favorite Etta James moments, and is a damm classic that shouldn't be missed.



3. The first song I ever heard Etta sing was "Damn Your Eyes" on Johnny Carson. I was instantly hooked, and bought my first Etta James cassette (yes, cassette...) the next day. Since then, I have purchased much of her music, and saw her live, in LA. What a performer, if you get a chance, see her live, she will make performers half her age look sick and talentless. This CD is my favorite I have(so far).



4. Etta James sings, quite simply, the way these songs should be sung. She delivers the precise amount of emotion and emphasis to each note and pause. It's what sets her apart.



5. Etta is great when she gets hold of a good song. Damn Your Eyes is one of those songs.

4 comments about Copulatin' Blues.

1. Get your mojo working with this CD from Mojo Records. "The Copulatin' Blues" is bound to put some of ya'll in heat.

   This CD contains tracks spanning from 1929-1947. I've only heard of one of the songs before, but there are legendary artists like Jelly Roll Morton, Alberta Hunter, and Sidney Bechet & his New Orchestra.

   While the recording quality isn't as good as on "Risqué Rhythms: Nasty 50's R& B", I think it would loose its charm if it was. These songs are rough and gritty. The recording studio did not (or could not) over produce the rawness out of the music so the edges are sharp. These are "race records" being saved from complete obscurity.

   The songs offer varying degrees of subtlety from the play-on-words in the song "Yas! Yas! Yas!" by Jimmy Strange, the Yas Yas Yas Man to the explicit version of "Shave `Em Dry" by Lucille Bogan and the downright X-rated "Winin' Boy" by Mr. Jelly Roll Morton.

   "Sissy Man Blues" records the lamentations of a man so hard up for sex, he'll take on a sissy man. And you have to be kin to Hard-Hearted Hannah to pass up Bo Carter's plea in "Please Warm My Weiner." He sounds so pitiful you just want to throw him a bun-or two.

   One of my favorite tracks is "New Rubbin' On That Darn Old Thing" by Oscar's Chicago Swingers. It's not as edgy as the other songs, but it gets you be-boppin' to the beat. "Get Off With Me" by Coot Grant and Kid Wesley Wilson wins points not only for being evocative, but for Coot's charming, beguiling voice. She may sound like an innocent girl, but the sailors know better.

   Alberta Hunter's "You Can't Tell The Difference After Dark" is the one tune I have heard before. This CD has the original 1935 release and Hunter's torch performance makes me think of Marlene Dietrich. But my first encounter with this song was on "The Glory of Alberta Hunter" album recorded in 1982 a few years before her death when her voice is older and more mature. Lesbian or not, at the time Hunter sounds like a grandmother who knows that there may be snow on the roof but grandpa still keeps the home fires burning. Frankly, I prefer this later version rather than the original on this CD.

   Overall there is inconsistency in the CD because of the range of years it covers. You can hear the changes in recording quality and even songwriting ability. "Risqué Rhythms" is a more cohesive compilation because its scope is better defined. But the purpose of this copulatin' blues CD is aptly presented.

   Anyway, as a whole "The Copulatin' Blues" is a good investment.




2. This is really great material. The lyrics and music are fantastic and really transport you to another time and place. I highly recommend this and related albums including "Reefer Songs" which was also reprinted on this label and anything on the Jass or Stash labels if you can find them.



3. A must have for Blues lovers. All the rawness of old blues, celebrating sex or the lack of it, with humor, passion and the sincerity of the true blues singer. Fine audio quality with all the cracks and pops preserverd far behind the vocals. Everything you'd expect from a great label.



4. If you like blues I advise you to listen it! They just made it how it must be!

5 comments about Jump for Joy.

1. This has become my favorite Koko Taylor CD. You truly do want to jump for joy when you listen to it.



2. Chicago blues queen Koko Taylor has yet to make a bad album, really. "Jump For Joy" is probably the least of her eight Alligator records...the production is too slick and there are too many mediocre songs, but it's far from being a total waste of time. On the contrary: Taylor's own "Stop Watching Your Enemies" is one of her best self-penned songs, and the slow and soulful "Time Will Tell" is another highlight.
   
   Both of those songs are included on Taylor's Alligator compilation "Deluxe Edition", though. There are a couple more really good songs here, like the swinging "The Eyes Don't Lie" and the gritty "I Don't Want No Leftovers", but much of this material is a little too generic. There is nothing bad on this disc, not at all...it just isn't all that great, either.
   A duet between Koko Taylor and Lonnie Brooks ought to be something to savour, but the corny "It's A Dirty Job" is a wasted opportunity. Maybe my expectations are too high, but I have all of Taylor's albums, and almost all of them are so good that you kinda get spoiled!
   
   "Jump For Joy" is a solid record, it just isn't as remarkable as "Force Of Nature" or "I Got What It Takes" or "The Earthshaker".
   Fans will certainly want to pick it up, but casual listeners ought to start elsewhere. And don't forget to pick up Taylor's classic Chess sides on 1969's "Koko Taylor" or "What It Takes: The Chess Years"!



3. Only Time will tell and can't let go are some really good songs. But those songs shouldn't be the reason you buy this album. Buy this album because Koko can sing and she sings what happens everyday. Koko sings the truth and I encourage you to buy this album.



4. If you like your blues with the strained vocal element that Koko delivers, then this is probably more your style. There are some reasonable songs, but many of the tracks have horn filling which immediately says to me that the general sound lacks. Definitely yesterday's blues for me. Criss Johnson on guitar provides the best sounds on the album particularly on the opening track 'Can't let go'.



5. This is the best album Koko's had recorded yet! She really knows how to choose some of the best guests to enrich any set of records! Specially here Ray Allison(drums);Billy Branch(harmonica);Gene Barge(saxes);and Lonnie Brooks(guitar)...gave a constelation quality to this work.Marvellous in all the ways!