5 comments about Mississippi Delta Bluesman.

1. This dynamite CD is actually a reissue of the vinyl LP put out in 1979 by Folkways in NYC. I brought HoneyBoy Edwards to New York several times in the 1970s. Verna Gillis of Soundscape picked him up & waxed this solo session for Folkways (Moe Asch). The virtue of a simple, clean "back porch" recording came from her no-frills production: She put HoneyBoy in front of a couple of good mikes and this is the result! The late Bob Palmer wrote the notes. The original cover was a photo taken by "yours truly" of HoneyBoy playing at the "Foghat Tribute to the Blues" concert, but this reissue has replaced it with new "art." Judging from the samples, the sound transfer is fine! This is the FIRST HoneyBoy set to buy. Then find his 1940s session, '50s singles and the LP on Wolf (Austria) and you will have all that I recall existed when I decided to find him and bring him to NYC in 1976.



2. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL DELTA BLUES FROM A MAN WHO IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MUSICAL GOD. BUY THIS ALBUM AS SOON AS YOU CAN, GRAB A TALL BOY, AND SIT OUTSIDE ON A NICE SUMMER NIGHT AND BLAST SOME HONEYBOY EDWARDS. IT WILL SOON BE AN AMAZING NIGHT TO REMEMBER. ALSO RECOMENDED- GWAR (PRE SCHOOL PROSTITUTE)



3. The first thing you'll notice is the quality of the recording. What a tremendous job the Smithsonian Institution has done in capturing the emotion of Dave 'HoneyBoy' Edwards. This master of the Delta Blues is the real-deal, schooled with Robert Johnson, at times shadowed by his image, living testimony to the origins of country blues. Take a listen to the 'Dust My Broom / Sweet Home Chicago' medley and you'll be sure to purchase this CD.



4. Honeyboy delivers the real deal from someone who has spent time with the originators like Charley Patton and Robert Johnson. Makes you feel like you are in a back porch some where in the south! Play him often on The Crazy Coyote Blues and Jazz Power Show at 1490 KOTY in southcentral Wa. state.



5. Being a country blues artist myself; this is one of the classic delta blues albums that I was listening to when I was developing my style in the early eighties; classic country blues guitar styles delivered in the varieties of the delta blues styles of Charlie Patton,Tommy Johnson,Robert Johnson & Big Joe Williams. For listeners & guitar players new to the real delta blues; this album is a great introduction.

1 comments about Deep River of Song: Mississippi - Saints and Sinners.

1. This is essential music for anyone looking into the traditions of African American music, whether string band, blues, or whatever.
   
   There is so much heritage and so much of the traditional rhythms that have since been smothered out of Black churck music in the interventing years on the religious tunes. There are several of the old Church Rocks and preaching as musical as any song or dance here.
   
   As a string band musician on banjo, guitar, and fiddle, I naturally gravitate to the superb music of Sid Hemphill, Lucius Smith and Will Head in Sledge Mississippi (btw this is the Mississippi Cotton Pickin town that Black CW star Charlie Pride grew up in and wrote the song about). Hemphill is fantastic as a fiddle and a quiller, and this band has a distinct rhythm that no other string band matches.
   
   It should be noted that on the same day that Lomax recorded these string band selections, he recorded a number of selections by the same group playing in a band with quill or fife and drum. You can hear these if you get a copy of the "Traveling Through the Jungle" collection of Black drum band recordings.
   
   It is a shame that nobody has bothered to put all the recordings Lomax and other did of Sid Hemphill, Lucius Smith and their various band mates in 1941 and 1942 and in the 1950s out on one CD and one has to gather different CDS to find them, for example more string band music by this group appears (misplaced in) this series's Black Appalachia recording even though these people were from the hill country of Mississippi and nowhere near Appalachia. Still other string band recordings and solo work by Hemphill and Smith are on David Evan's superb collection, Afro-American Folk Music from Tate and Panola Counties, Mississippi. If you are into banjo Evans collection's booklet, a treasure for anyone into African American traiditional music in its own right, has a great explanation of Smith's banjo style.

1 comments about The Original Sonny Boy Williamson, Vol. 1.

1. Four discs. 76,78,77,75 min. each approximately. Remastered sound. This set is by the original Sonny Boy Williamson,born in 1914,whose first release was in 1937. This was the well-known Good Morning,Little School Girl,an immediate hit. His unique vocals(he had a speech impediment)and his mastery of the harmonica became well-known throughout the South and other areas where blues were popular. His sidemen on this first disc were Big Joe Williams-guitar,Robert Lee McCoy-guitar,and on some tracks Henry Townsend-guitar with Walter Davis-piano. The tracks vary a bit in the vocal department,with McCoy,Williams and Williamson trading off on lead vocals. A look at the tracks on this disc will reveal several songs familiar to any listener of blues-but the overall feel is the same no matter who is out front. A very relaxed,"real" feel oozes out of this music,which continues through the entire set. The first sixteen tracks on disc two follow the previous formula,with vocals traded off between Williamson,McCoy and Townsend. As with a lot of music recorded during this time,there is some confusion as to who exactly played on which tracks,but that doesn't stand in the way of enjoying this music. The last eight sides feature either Elijah Jones or Yank Rachell on vocals. Jones' vocals are suitably rough sounding and fit quite well in this set. The addition of Rachell's mandolin gives these tracks even more of a down-home feel and is quite a nice addition. Disc three continues in the same vein. The only important addition is piano player Speckled Red,who takes a vocal on You Got to Fix It,otherwise he plays accompaniment to Williamson. Red's piano is out of the barrelhouse style and is a standout. There's someone named Willie Hatcher,who plays mandolin on the last few tracks and really contributes nothing of any comment. Disc four is a bit different than the others in that Sonny Boy is starting to leave behind the country sound and influences so important to his sound. The arrangements and the overall feel is starting to lean toward a more urban sound. The players on this disc are essentially the same as the above discs,the only real addition is Big Bill Broonzy on guitar. His addition gives the tracks an urban feel,that while different, is still in the style of the original Sonny Boy Williamson. Taken as a whole,this set is very fine indeed. Anyone looking for the beginnings of popular blues harmonica,played by a master,should certainly investigate this set. The down-home relaxed vocals, the easy-fitting accompaniment,and harmonica played by a master,are one of the cornerstones of blues music.

5 comments about The Classic Years 1927-1940.

1. wow this is a veary good cd not only the price is good but u get 5 cds if u are a blues lover then by this cd it will be great for youre collection



2. Blind Willie McTell was one of the all-time greatest blues guitarists and singers of his or any other era: He is definitely one of my favorites, and this CD compilation is highly recommended. One of the reviewers mentioned that this is not the definitive Blind Willie McTell CD, and I would have to agree. I would also recommend two other CD's by Blind Willie McTell: "Atlanta Twelve-String," and "Pig'n'Whistle Red." As I am writing this review I am listening to his music, and it is a pure joy to the ears. My era of blues is mainly from the 1920's to the the late 1940's. And Blind Willie McTell fits right in there with the greats of his era. I never tire of his music.
   
   This CD, "The Classic Years 1927-1940" is just magnificent. This CD is partly a focus of McTell's early years when he recorded for Lomax. And although McTell was not a 'Delta Blues' performer, he was a bridge between the Delta Blues and the more refined East Coast sound: Hence the title given by many as 'East Coast Piedmont Style. The CD itself consists of 4 discs, which were digitally remastered. McTell's 12-string guitar sounds just magnificent on the CDs. And as some reviewers have written; it almost sounds as if two or more guitarist's are playing; but there are not; at least not on the early sides. That's how great he was!
   
   You cannot beat the number of songs or the price of this JSP issued DVD. Considering the time period that these recordings were done, and the sound equipment that was used by Lomax, there is some surface noise on the Lomax sides. Not much though. And unless we have a time machine, there is really little technology can do about this. But this does not detract from the beautiful sounds of Blind Willie McTell. I would list some of his songs played on these four Discs; however, there is a listening sample here on amazon; and although it is not as good as your own system or speakers, it does give you ALL the tracks listed with a music sample. The man was just great: and this is a great McTell collection. If you do not have Blind Willie McTell in your Blues collection, then it is not a complete Blues collection. This CD is highly recommended.



3. This is great, but it's still not all the McTell you need. To really have everything, you'll need his later recordings, titled 'Atlanta Twelve-String,' 'Pig'n'Whistie Red' and 'Last Session.' Of these three, the last one is for completists only, but the first two are not only stunning, but stunning in more modern sound quality. His voice had matured and lowered quite a bit before these more modern recordings were made, but (except for the last session where he was not only aging but drunk as well) it sounds very strong and vibrant.
   
   The JSP box here, on the other hand, focuses on his early sides and the field recordings for Lomax. Unless you own these cuts on other CDs, this is really worth getting.
   
   However, it is NOT delta blues as some reviewers like to say. Blind Willie was not from the delta and does not play in the delta style.



4. This is the only Blind Willie McTell box set you need. This four disc set gives great representaion of his work. Im not a huge fan of the female accompaniment, but its not terrible, its just not up to par with lets say Bessie Smith. His guitar work is incredible, and the drity quality should be well appreciated because of the age of the recordings. McTell has a voice that greatly captures the sound of the old time blues, the delta blues style, not the Chicago style. Also proved to be a great influence to modern blues musicians.



5. A wonderful resource for those interested in The Blues. Willie sang and played both slide and 12 string guitar and whether he performed novelty numbers, gospel or the blues, he was brilliant.
   Apart from the music, this set is worthwhile for the interview with John Lomax on disc D. I cringed to hear Lomax ask Willie about songs about 'complaining songs' such as 'Ain't it hard to be a [...], and I had to remind myself that Lomax was 'of his time' and using a term that had currency with both black and white people at that time. Willie cleverly moves the conversation along and then we are back to the music which is breathtaking. This set should be in the collection of everyone who loves the blues.

2 comments about Southern Journey, Vol. 1: Voices From The American South - Blues, Ballads, Hymns, Reels, Shouts, Chanteys And Work Songs.

1. I've played this CD over and over and still love every minute of it. The music is so varied, so beautiful. I now want to get other albums recorded by Alan Lomax, a genius for recognizing and recording great music. Highly recommended for anyone who loves uncommercial melodies and pure voices.



2. Truth be told this disc is not for everyone and I hope that this description will help those interested in hearing the ancestors of many major music forms find a good listen. Alan Lomax made an attempt to record the provincial musical styles in their home and on the participants own terms. What you get are real individuals singing and playing instruments for reasons that no longer exist today; to pass the day at work, to pass along local stories and traditions, to pass the time in jail, to provide expression for small communities, and to praise their gods where the lived and breathed. There was not a dollar to be made for any performance on this disc, and though we pay to hear it now, it had an effect on the musicians and singers. This music is not polished but it is a fantastic cd based on its content and not its production value. You won't hear music like this often in your life.

4 comments about Everybody Hollerin' Goat.

1. Othar Turner, if you were lucky to ever seem him perform, was an amazing performer and a gentleman to boot. The full energy of one of his famous annual summer goat fryups at his home in Senatobia, Missisipi is captured here. The nearest muscial form to "drum and fife" comes from the west coast of Africa, that's how old this musical form is, although there is some blues guitar mixed in on some of the tracks. The fife gives a very primordial, birdcalling edge to the drums. "Drum and fife" is an acquired taste, but like eating spices, once you've acquired that taste, you cannot get enough. Although Othar died last year, apparantly his granddaughter will keep the tradition alive.



2. This isn't for everyone, but if you're into deep blues roots, it is a must have. Blues, soul, funk, mother Africa, barbequed goat, cold beer and hot sweaty bodies: you can feel it all on this one!



3. If you are looking for the wellsprings of music, this CD might be a good place to start. This is as close to Africa as American music gets. The Mississippi fife-and-drum tradition has been explored on record by Alan Lomax and others, and it is always surprising to people unfamiliar with this music that such things exist. This CD is a powerful addition to the recorded heritage of Mississippi and the United States. Since 1923 or so, 90-year-old Othar Turner has been playing cane fifes of his own making, and family and friends accompany him down on his farm with drums--bass and snare. He holds 2-day picnics filled with fife-and-drum music, traditional blues jams, barbecued pig and goat, moonshine whiskey, beer and pop. Fife playing is an art in the oral tradition, passed on from generation to generation. Turner learned it from R.E. Williams, and taught it to his children and grandchildren. You might want to start with track five, one of three versions of "Shimmy She Wobble" on the CD. Turn up the volume and lose yourself in the sounds of hypnotic drumming, shouts, chants and screams, and fife. Then listen to the cricket-saturated "Roll and Tumble," one of several slide-guitar blues on the CD. Then roam freely and take it all in. If you really want to know the roots of music--all music--this is a place to start. Turner and friends make music from someplace deeper than we experience most of the time; but you can find it in yourself if you allow yourself to get lost in this stuff. Especially recommended for those who want to know blues and rock's beginnings.



4. Mr. Turner, a 91 year old former sharecropper from Senatobia, MS. is the last person playing a type of music called "African American Fife and Drum" music. It predates, and is one of the foundations for, the Blues. The music is a combination of African, Blues and march rhythms. You have to hear it to believe it and understand what I am talking about.

   The recordings on this CD are primarily "field recordings" that capture the atmosphere in which this type of music is played, i.e., a picnic or party-type setting. To fully appreciate what a picnic is, go to Mr. Turner's home in Senatobia Mississippi on Labor Day weekend and attend his annual picnic, which has been a tradition at his home for over 25 years. You will never forget the experience and you will never forget the hospitality of Mr. Turner and his family.

   Alan Lomax called African-American fife and drum music his most important discovery, and Mr. Turner has been honored by the Smithsonian, the National Endowment for the Arts, and has been featured in the Oxford American and on ABC's Good Morning America. Listen to this incredible and unique album and you will see why!

No comments about Roamin' and Ramblin'.

5 comments about Sonny & Brownie at Sugar Hill.

1. In the early 1960's San Francisco had a remarkable two block section called the Broadway strip. Here one could find clubs featuring most every ethnic variety of music - except the blues. When Sugar Hill opened in May of 1961, the void was filled. Terry and McGhee had a following in the Bay area from their concerts but now blues fans could see them in a club setting, which let their talent, authenticity, and charisma shine more brightly.
   
   The songs on this disc are all originals (I Got A Little Girl, however, is quite similar to Robert Johnson's I Got A Woman) and, though the duo had played in Europe and many big US cities, show how they dug deep into their souls as they continue to inovate and make each song better. Sometimes the songs have a more contemporary feeling, other times it sounds like they were playing like they did as young men (at the time of this recording Terry was 50, McGhee 47).
   
   The sound quality of the disc is outstanding. Many live recordings have too much audience and background noise. On this disc that noise is kept to an absolute minimum. Fantasy Records, which released the majority of Creedence Clearwater Revival's LPs, remastered this in 1991 and audiophiles will not be disappointed. The sound quality rivals - surprisingly - vinyl.
   
   Terry and McGhee are a duo that sound like more. If you've never heard them one listen is all it will take to make you a fan. This is traditional blues at its finest.



2. These guys are great together, get this CD and enjoy the blues live the way it's supposed to be enjoyed!



3. Sugar Hill was an upscale blues joint in San Francisco, and Sonny and Brownie played it just 6 months after it opened, this CD being the results of that engagement. And it's a beauty. Often on record dates with these two giants, Brownie takes most of the vocals, with Sonny singing 2 or 3 songs; on this one, Sonny sings just as much as Brownie. (Early in their career Brownie once told Sonny that if he wanted half the money he was going to have to sing, not just play harmonica.) Sonny is an old-time blues singer, preferring older forms, traditional verses, all done in his raspy, unrefined voice. Brownie is smoother in voice and likes to experiment a bit with the blues form. For example, BORN TO LIVE, sung by Brownie, is 32-bars long, with a bridge, though it's drenched with blues feeling. WORRY, WORRY, WORRY also is slightly different, and includes a "whomp" at the end of each phrase. Sonny sings JUST ABOUT CRAZY, which sounds very much like a work song, while I FEEL ALRIGHT NOW is a secular spiritual. Both men are in excellent form here. Blues fans should find a lot to love on this CD.



4. This December, 1961 recording captures Sonny and Brownie at the famous Sugar Hill nightclub in San Francisco.
   It ranks among their best albums, alongside "Backwater Blues" and "Live At The New Penelope Cafe", and both men perform some of their best songs.
   
   Brownie McGhee's melodic "Born To Live The Blues" has the audience clapping along, and the swinging "Keep On Walking", the terrific set-closer "Sweet Woman Blues", and Sonny Terry's energetic "Just About Crazy" are also among the highlights.
   But that could be said for almost the entire album, actually..."Sonny And Brownie At Sugar Hill" is one of the duo's best original albums, even without classics like "Walk On" and "I'm A Stranger Here" (those can be found on "Backwater Blues", which is sort of a companion volume to this one, having been recorded just a week later at the same venue).
   
   Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee split the lead vocals about equally, and Sonny plays his characteristic sturdy harmonica and sings gritty backing vocals on most of Brownie's songs (listen to the wonderful tough folk/blues shuffle "Baby, I Got My Eye On You" for a perfect example).
   Fans of the so-called Piedmont blues genre - or just acoustic country blues in general - should go for this fine album right away. It captures all of what made Sonny & Brownie so great.



5. This live album captures a pair of legends at their best. Sonny and Terry fueded through their long careers but perhaps those very emotions fueled their amazing energy on these tracks. If you in any sense consider yourself a fan of the blues, you *must* own this album.

   Best line:
   (Tie)
   "Have to take your Christmas in your overalls"
   "Rocks was my mother and father's pillows"
   "Hooray, Hooray, this woman is killing me"

   Best guitar:
   "I Feel Alright Now"

   Best Harmonica:
   "Born To Live The Blues"

   Best Sonny "Whoop":
   All of them ;)

   Tune That Is Impossible Not To Get Stuck In Your Head:
   "Keep On Walking"
   (Well, actually just about every track)

   Curious factoids for the Brownie McGhee fan -- Brownie in his later years had a bit of an acting career. Brownie played Toots Sweet in Angel Heart and appeared and played some wonderful guitar on an otherwise truly dreadful episode of Family Ties.

No comments about Dirty Blues.

3 comments about Last Session.

1. Blind Willie McTell was in his prime best on this last session recording from 1956 and could'nt have been more laid back telling stories to these classic songs as your right there in the tavern with him,listening to his fine singing and extraordinary twelve string guitar playing while you're slugging down gin,and as you're listening maybe Willie does stumble a word or two,who cares,after all,Willie McTell is a legend of the blues as you can hear on this OBC cd song after song,Blind Willie McTell went out with a loud bang,the songs speak for themselves.



2. This fascinating 1956 recording finds Willie sitting on a stool in a pawn shop near the end of his life, drunkenly reminiscing about his life and music, and playing tunes dating back to WWI. He is not quite as sharp as you will find him on my personal favorite Blind Willie Mctell recording, the 1949 session released under the name "Atlanta 12 String" (two tracks from that later session are included here). He hesitates and slurs his way through his classic "Kill it Kid," and his phrasing elsewhere also lacks his characteristic precision.

   But what makes this recording a must for anyone who has fallen uder the spell of Willie McTell--a monumentally underappreciated musician and protean virtuoso of American musical forms from ragtime to country--is the glimpse it gives into his character and life. He plays a tune from his days with a traveling Plantation show in 1918, a country tune, and whatever else strikes his fancy. And for me the imperfections only make the record more vivid, almost as if you are sitting in the room with Willie, sharing his bottle of corn whiskey and watching his wrinkled old hands fly over his battered old 12-string.

   I recommend you start with one his other records and get this when you have become a full-fledged member of the cult of Willie.




3. This recording is a real gift and time piece of it's era. McTell was a true genius of the acoustic 12-string. His life story of "blind man goes off to see the world" is incredible enough in it's own rite. The fact that his recording career was stymied by an early "opportunity" to record with Lomax which spawned a deep distrust of record producers makes the existance of this recording all the more significant.

   Rediscovered in the 50's as a street musician, his vocal qualities and technical skills were as good or better than his early recordings. His music links country blues, urban blues, gospel, and white audiances of the time.

   Politically incorrect lyrics tell it all. It's great to see this recording on a CD!