2 comments about Not The Same Old Blues Crap II.

1. Outstanding sampler from Nortern Mississippi Hill Country Blues label Fat Possum. Much prefer this sampler to the first one. This has that gritty country blues feel with many songs feeling like they were recorded in a leaky basement(and many were). Standouts are the two RL Burnside tracks: "Goin down South" is a staple of his music and the version included of "Walkin Blues" is top notch. The previously unreleased "I Feel Good Again" by Junior Kimbrough and Charlie Feathers is worth more than the low 4.99 price to buy this. The Asie Payton tracks are both stunners and Paul Wine Jones and Super Chikan add some diversity in style with there numbers.



2. Actually, this is the same old blues...; the "purists" who run the label either don't know it or won't admit it. This sort of purist nonsense is as old as the music but whenever another generation comes along there's another spasm of it. As for the selections, this is really fine music, as varied as you could possibly want. Even some greasy old soul that somebody probably smokes cigars to while they're swilling beer (just to mention a couple seemingly proscribed activities mentioned in the liner notes). But this label records stuff Alligator never did, right? Way wrong; Hound Dog Taylor was as funky as any of this.

   Filter out all the Fat Possum trademark noise and leave that to the college students to whom it matters. This is a very fine collection of blues that any blues fan will thoroughly enjoy. Maybe a slight lean toward the rural and the rocky but so what?

1 comments about Telarc's We Got the Blues.

1. I buy a lot of "samplers" looking for songs or artists that I haven't heard before. I bought this one a while back because it was just too cheap to pass up and what a surprise! There's a great mix of blues styles and proven performers, and the music mix and sound quality were much better than I expected.

   This is a great bargain!

2 comments about Rough Guide to Chicago Blues.

1. The caption is the opening line from the eight pages of liner notes written by Robin Wise, and it concludes with "Chicago Blues ... a virile and proud new genre." And what you get here from the British-based World Music Network are 21 representative tunes of that form of the Blues, performed by its most famous artists.
   
   The sound quality is excellent, and while I also assign 4 stars rather than the maximum 5, it isn't for the same reason as stated by another reviewer, i.e., the abrupt endings/fading early. That, where it happens, is most likely a result of the original recordings, but even so it isn't distracting to any great degree.
   
   Rather, I deducted 1 star for the simple reason that the liner notes, while telling you the name of the original album from which each selection was culled, only hints at the year of the recording in most cases, and in some doesn't even do that. I suppose, given the album names, one could research the Web and try and determine when the albums were cut, but that's something the producer, Phil Stanton, should have done. Even then, knowing when the album was recorded doesn't necessarily tell you if the track concerned was actually recorded at that time, as it wasn't uncommon to throw in much earlier cuts here and there.
   
   And if it's R&B hits you're seeking, I can tell you that the only track here that was an original hit single is I Can't Quit You Baby by Otis Rush. Indeed, a # 6 R&B in late 1956 on Cobra 5000, and written by Willie Dixon, it was the only charter for this Mississippi-born singer/guitarist. "Dust My Broom" was, of course, a hit for Elmore James (billed then to Elmo James) in 1952 on the Trumpet label, but this version was, according to the notes, recorded for Arhoolie Records "in the 1960's."
   
   If you like the Chicago Blues style you will certainly enjoy this CD.



2. -that's more than enough to get you through a full slab and your choice of sides (as my friends and i did just this evening!). rough guide generally does exemplary work, and the only reason i'm not giving them 5 stars here is the fact that some songs fade out way early, or simply cut off abruptly. even with this, you've got a collection of pretty much every great chicago blues musician, and the feel of a night on the town. bring me another slab- i'll work it off later!

1 comments about A Smooth Jazz Tribute to Luther Vandross.

1. simply amazing ...................amazing..........no words are needed to convey the power of his music. god is so very lucky to have him in his paradise. a true gift of love to all who are human. simply amazing. thank god for his love.....

2 comments about Memphis Blues.

1. As usual, JSP is not shy with the quantity of titles provided in this amazing 4-CD set of Memphis Blues. All of the songs in this collection were recorded by Sam Phillips at his Memphis Recording Services studio between 1951 and 1954, with some of them getting released on his home-grown Sun label. Many of the titles however, were not released until years after they were recorded, due to recording quality issues or due to Phillips' reluctance to market them as hit-parade material.
   
   While some of these songs overlap the ones issued on the Varese 3-CD set "Sun Records: Ultimate Blues Collection", there is plenty of stuff here for collectors and non-collectors alike to go crazy with. The sheer volume of material itself is almost overwhelming but the musical integrity suffers not in spite of.
   
   Sam Phillips had a sensitive nose for talent and this attribute ensured that many who came to his studio looking to make a record were not overlooked. Even Sam Phillip's janitor/plumber got to put down 2 songs (Mose Vinson) and the evidence is that the guy could have made a living as a musician. The long term result of all of this musical activity is that JSP have compiled here, a priceless miniature archive of indigenous Memphis area blues circa post-WW2.
   
   Here also, are some rare and early titles by better-known artists like Earl Hooker, James Cotton, Little Jr. Parker, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Big Walter Horton, Ike Turner, Bobby Bland, and Johnny Ace. All of these artists went on to other labels and more success following the demise of Memphis Recording Services.
   
   The real treasures however, are the numbers waxed by the artists who made a few titles then left the business or vanished. The listener of this set will be treated to much additional pleasure from Doctor Ross, Joe Hill Louis, Jimmy DeBerry, Sammy Lewis, Willie Johnson (who became Howlin Wolf's working guitarist for a while), Willie Nix, and Houston Stokes.
   
   Liner notes by long-term blues booster Neil Slaven are comprehensive and do a good job of drilling directly to the political times, the music business, and to the historical significance of this fine music. Collect this music now while it is still available in an artistically presentable format; it won't stay around like this forever.
   
   Listeners who enjoy the music on this collection are encouraged to seek out the 4 single CD volumes of Memphis and neighbouring area blues, recorded for the Modern Records label (a competitor to Sun Records) around the same time, and re-released recently by Ace Records in England.
   
   Five Stars JSP. Keep it coming.



2. This 4-disc set collects over 100 post-war blues sides recorded in Memphis, just about all for Sam Phillips' Sun label (in fact, quite a number of tracks are duplicated on the multi-disc Sun blues box issued a number of years ago). Early sides by such major blues artists as Howlin' Wolf, Little Milton, James Cotton, and Roscoe Gordon are here, but it's usually the lesser known artists that provide the surprises and highlights: Woodrow Adams, Hot Shot Love, Raymond Hill, Pat Hare, and L.B. Lawson all knocked my socks off with their recordings. A number of inclusions are alternate takes. The blues from Memphis offer a wide variety of styles, from boogie-woogie to the deepest down-home heartbreakers. JSP specializes in 4-disc boxes revolving around particular themes, and all of them are superb: lots of music, great selections, the best sound available - all at a bargain price. This set is no exception. Post-war blues fans will find this set a total knockout; I call it a must-have set. Grab it while you can.

1 comments about This Is the Blues Harmonica.

1. This is a great disc. If you want to learn about the range of harmonica blues styles, with a heavy emphasis on the sweet sounds of Chicago, this is a great place to start. Also, for long time fans of this music, there are several previously-unreleased gems from Jr. Wells, Carey Bell, and others. A must-have...

No comments about Blues Next: The New Generation.

No comments about Mojo Mamas.

3 comments about Genuine Houserockin' Music (Vol. 1).

1. this is good blues compilation. if you are just becoming a blues fan, pick it up, it will introduce you to some of the hall of fame blues players. lonnie mack is especially good on satisfy suzie. johnny winter rocks. hound dog taylor - incredible. if you are already a blues fan, this is a good cd to have, nice party cd, road trip cd, or just a way to introduce a new listener to the wonderful world of the blues.



2. This album was once memorable. However, as time goes by its impact has diminished. It is a sampler from Alligator records to prompt sales of its artists. The best tracks are the Roy Buchanan track (may he rest in peace) and the Jimmy Johnson 'You don't know what love is'. Most of the other tracks no longer excite. However, the 'Hound Dog Taylor' tracks are always worthwhile, particularly if you know the history of Alligator which built itself on sales of hound dog.



3. This disc has quite the variety of blues music. If you like blues or blues-rock, you will enjoy this CD. Johnny Winter's "Sound The Bell" and Lonnie Mack's "Satisfy Suzie" are 2 of the highlights. If you've never heard of Hound Dog Taylor, get ready for some "raw" blues with "Don't Blame Me". This is a great CD!

2 comments about The Best of Mountain Stage Live ,Vol. 4.

1. This is a collection of songs played live on the Mountain Stage radio show. Most of the songs here are the blues, but there are other styles represented. My personal favorite is the acappella version of "Purple Haze" by the Bobs.



2. I have had all eight of the Mountain Stage series for a number of years and they all get play time in my house. Somehow, though, I always come back to this one. It's a good thing.

   Marcia Ball rips through "That's Enough..." If you don't dance to that, you're dead. The soulful Charles Musselwhite lays down one of the best guitar licks I've ever heard on "It's Getting Warm in Here". Pops Staples recalls his days traveling with Martin Luther King including a conversation the day before MLK was killed.

   Get the disc and be happy.