No comments about Rising Sun Collection: John Lee Hooker, 1977.

No comments about Live At The Boston Blues Festival Volume II.

No comments about Live in Seattle.

2 comments about Live in Montreux.

1. "Cross This Town" which is really a mistitle of "Crosscut Saw", "Double Trouble" and "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" feature great interplay between Eric and Otis.

   "I'd Go Home" has Otis Rush as a guest. That may actually be Luther Allison doing that song. However, that is also the wrong title.

   The rest of the cd is decent live Clapton. However if you want better live Clapton get "24 Nights" or "One More Car, One More Rider." Also, the bootleg "Spiritual Home" has the best version of "I Shot the Sheriff" ever done.




2. his live show is a great one! the recoding is good and the play between Otis Rush and Eric is really good!

1 comments about Between a Hard Place and the Ground.

1. When exactly this stuff material was recorded, where, or who else is on it is something that someone with better knowledge than I will have to supply. The liner notes don't give ANY clue. What I can tell you though is that this is NOT The Takoma/Fantasy release of the same name. It's a bunch of live recordings which the listing on the back rates as 7 out of 10. I might say it's a bit worse than that. On "I'm Glad I'm Jewish" and a few other numbers you can hardly make out the vocals at time. One way or another they're drowned out by an acoustic guitar! Which by the way is too bass heavy too.

   This is a release by Magnum America, a British company. Their other Bloomfield release which I have is "Gospel Truth". That is apparently just a recording of a speeded up live LP! Look at the comments made by another reviewer and myself. It also features singers other than Bloomers and his usual running mates (Gravenites, Troy). That release is a travesty.

   This one isn't necessarily much better but ultimately, in comaprison, this one isn't so bad either. It just isn't so good, and while I didn't give them outstanding reviews in many ways the two Laserlight CDs ("Gospel Of The Blues", "The Root Of Blues") are far superior. He plays a little (yes, only little) more electric guitar on this CD as opposed to on those releases, but if you want to know what the buzz is about you need to stick to the famous releases, like those with Paul Butterfield, Al Kooper and The Electric Flag.

   Before I forget the correct track listing isn't accurate here for the release on either the domestic or import listing. It is:
   1) Eyesight To The Blind
   2) Linda Lu
   3) Kansas City Blues (the same version, but not performance as on "The Root Of Blues")
   4) Medley: Darktown Strutters Ball/Mop, Mop/Call Me A Dog
   5) I'm Glad I'm Jewish
   6) Great Gifts From Heaven
   7) Lord, Though I Am With Thee
   8) Jockey Blues
   9) Between A Hard Place And The Ground
   10) Uncle Bob's Barrelhouse Blues
   11) Wee Wee Hours
   12) Vamp In C
   13) One Of These Days

   If someone knows where this performance was recorded I'd love to know. But anyway if you don't have it, I'd really urge you to stay away unless you are an insane completist. Like some other releases this doesn't really shine any extra light on the guy. Sure it's a fun little set, and FAR superior to "Gospel Truth" but I'm not sure that means you should buy it. Most people are into Bloomfield for electric guitar prowess and on this set you get an album that's half just a guy and his acoustic guitar. The electric stuff is better. There are moments of "Wee Wee Hours" that work nicely, but I don't think there is anything you couldn't really get on "Live At The Waldorf" which, while there is a fair amount of slide, also has better audio for when Mike solos in his more lyrical vein.

   Ultimately you have to make the decision. If you have Bloomer's classic CDs, and the major label releases (well, on "Triumvirate" that's up to you) I would consider this as an option if you still want more of the guy. Just be aware you're buying half a CD at best and you won't be disappointed.

   Since I've got it I won't get rid of it, but whether or not I'd replace it if it got lost or stolen is something I'm not too sure about...

No comments about Straight Up...Down and Dirty.

No comments about Mercy!.

5 comments about A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

1. 
   Vaughan's old band, led by his brother Jimmie, and a group of big-name blues-rock stars, play tribute to the late-great blues man. Guests are B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr. John and Art Neville.
   
   In between the songs are tributes by those guests, and some short excerpts of Vaughan's performances from various concerts. Those excerpts are great, and really show off Stevie Ray's extraordinary talent.
   
   Speaking of talent, all the guests are entertaining and fun to hear. Buddy Guy is fun to watch, too. Does anybody have more fun playing blues on his guitar than Guy? Nobody, frankly, does a super song but they are all good and, for just $10, this is a good deal.. The best number is at the end when the group jam and takes turns with solos. The finale, "SRV Shuffle," to me, was the best song on the DVD. It's so good I get tears in my eyes every time I watch and hear that last number.



2. This is one of the best of ACL and that's saying a whole lot. This 1995 tribute to Austin-based Stevie Ray Vaughn featured an all-star cast, including Stevie's brother, Jimmy, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bonnie Raitt, and more.
   
   "Pride and Joy" by Bonnie Raitt is probably my favorite of the bunch, but there's not a bad song in the collection.
   
   For such a short life, Stevie Ray Vaughn made an outstanding contribution to blues and guitar and he will be sorely missed. In my opinion, this is one of the best tributes I have ever seen or heard.



3. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King are my two favorite electric blue guitarists. I've had this CD for 10 years and it's just as great every time I play it. Until the last month (December 2006) I didn't know about amazon.com's venue for reviews, so Shaq is making up for lost time. This is without a doubt a 5 star classic! With stars paying tribute to Stevie, such as Bonnie Raitt, BB, Buddy Guy, Clapton, Doctor John, Robert Cray, brother Jimmie, and others. Buddy Guy performs a "haunting" version of "Long Way From Home". The lyrics for "Six Strings Down", which basically, welcomes Stevie to blues heaven, where he joins with the likes of Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, T-bone and others, is intelligent, touching, and oh yea! Has a good beat! SHAQ BLUES HISTORICAL TRIVIA NOTE FOR MY LOYAL BLUES FANS: "The night Stevie died, at the end of the concert in Wisconsin, Eric Clapton, told Stevie, with witnesses, "You're the best blues guitarist I ever heard!" By the way, read all of Shaq's blues reviews for all kinds of nuggets like these. P.S. Stevie's last recorded CD is "Family Style". I'll rate it a 5 here because I can't find it on amazon. It's a 4 musically, but the fact that it was the last CD he recorded, in addition to being the reuniting of brothers Stevie and Jimmie, and the hatchet between the brothers was buried.



4. Tribute albums aoften strike me as a collection of poor imitations of the original- but this is different. First and foremost, everyone on it was close to SRV, from his brother on down. They knew him, they played with him, and they understood his style. Second, and perhaps even more importantly, this was a live concert. Instead of a bunch of gunslingers trying to out-SRV each other in a studio, you have a group of great musicians, each a great stylist in their own right, and none of whom has to prove anything to anyone. The result is magical music that serves as a true tribute to that great Texas guitar player, Stevie Ray Vaughn.



5. This CD has the best blues musicians in the world paying tribute to SRV.
   Bonnie Raitt opens with a killer slide version of Pride and Joy,
   Jimmy Vaughn does a great version of Texas Flood second only to the version by Stevie.
   BB King does Telephone Song. Buddy Guy almost steals the show with Long Way From Home.
   Eric Clapton does a solid version on Aint Gonna Give Up On Love.
   Robert Cray does a strong version of Love Struck Baby
   This is a fitting tribute of musicians who are honoring SRV along with SRV's former band members.
   This is a must for any SRV fan, or any blues fan............

5 comments about Late Show, Vol. 2: Live at Maria's Memory Lane Supper Club.

1. The music here is raw and real and the crowd is having a ball. I had the opportunity to see Jimmy Smith at this same venue, Marla's (maid on The Jeffersons) Memory Lane in Watts section of L. A. When I was there it was a unique adventure. My friends were from the Midwest and working in L. A. and never even knew the club existed. I wanted to see Jimmy Smith; so, we went. Some well-dressed young adults parked our car with all the courtesy and care you would expect in Beverley Hills (It turned out they were some of Minister Farakhan's church in the neighborhood.) They were just making sure that we would want to return. The show was nearly as good as the third act of this series. It brings back memories.
   Dot Com Blues



2. This is a great aggregation of talents; I admire these vocalists very much and the musicians are very strong. However, there is not enough interaction between the singers; Vinson sounds somewhat out of shape and song selection is less then perfect (spiritual as a closing number?).
   Four stars is therefore the maximum I can give to this live cd.



3. with two blues powerhouses like Etta James and Cleanhead Vinson, there's no way you won't like this CD. This was recorded live in 1986 in blues club in L.A. featuring Red Holloway, Shuggie Otis, and Jack McDuff, and you feel like you're right there for the performance. Ettas James sounds great, and I am not really too impressed with a lot of her later stuff after the 60's and early 70's.



4. the blues is beatiful...

   etta and eddie got that smokey, silky, low-lush soul flowin with this...
   i've been lissenin to vol. one forever!!! and i could never find this one, but i lucked up into it one day a couple months ago and found it in the basement of some back-alley, burnt-down record shop and ever since then, i keep it with me wherever i go...
   this is "instant blues" - jus add bourbon and heartache and you got yourself an event!




5. It's never better than live and this 1986 recording and its companion finds blues legends Etta James and Eddy "Cleanhead" Vinson at the top of their game at an L.A. blues club. Etta sounds great but don't loose sight of the band, Shugie Otis and Red Holloway, et al. create a groove and Vinson's alto brings it all home. A performance for all time. Not to be missed. Sound quality is excellent.

4 comments about Hot Barbeque/Brother Jack McDuff Live!.

1. This compilation is exciting-because Jack McDuff is always great- but this is live. It has some of the problems of most live albums- some so so tracks- but overall- this is great fun and just over-filled with hot barbeque soulful jazz.



2. This double billing of two great McDuff albums is absolutely essential.
   The band line-up on both recordings is:
   
   Jack McDuff - Hammond Organ
   Red Holloway - Tenor Sax
   George Benson - Guitar
   Joe Dukes - Drums
   
   The recordings date from 1965 (Live!) and 1966 (Hot BBQ). Listen to the opening track on the Live! album and tell me this isn't some of the hottest swinging blues playing you've ever heard. The solos are blistering, starting with Tenor Sax, then Guitar and finally Hammond Organ. Of course when this was recorded George Benson was only known as a Guitar player and had yet to make his name as a cross-over artist. Its great to hear him play some down home stuff. Of course there are quite a few restrained numbers as well, but these only increase your enjoyment of the down-home stuff.
   
   The CD finishes with a fantastic version of "Undecided". This drives along at an indecently fast tempo with all members of the band playing their socks off.



3. Putting HOT BARBEQUE and LIVE on one CD's a real good move... as these are the CDs that really set the WHOLE sound of what a post-Jimmy Smith Ultra bluesy, toe-tappin', juke box rattlin' booty shakin' Jazz organ group's supposed to sound like... and to boot - - LIVE... not the cooled down worked out studio stuff, but TIGHT, HOT and LIVE...
   
   Although Jimmy Smith is usually attributed as to the reason why so many pianists were jumping over to the Hammond, the truth is that it was probably "disciples" Griff and McDuff who helped set the sound just as much, especially if you walked into a club back in the day and got to hear the real thing live. (Jimmy Smith's reputation was as "the virtuoso", whereas Jimmy McGriff played the blues... and Jack McDuff played the blues and COOKED an' BURNED to boot!)
   
   My all time favorite tune on this CD is A REAL GOODUN', because I think it captures the essence of the sound... so hot, so swinging, and you can actually hear the people in the backround getting into it (though at times you can tell some stuff is edited and overdubbed!) - - In addition, I think to be an organist and not atleast know the sound of HOT BARBEQUE as well as ROCK CANDY would be like... claiming to be a guitarist and not knowing the difference between a FENDER or GIBSON, or a classical musician and never having heard of BACH...
   
   Anyway, I already reviewed LIVE... and I stand by my word... what's great about both albums is the variety of ground covered... From gut shaking R & B, to swinging bop and standards grooved up...
   
   Line up on HOT BARBEQUE includes Red Holloway, sax; George Benson on Guitar and the epitome of the perfect Organ Groove drummer Joe Dukes. Live features the same ensemble plus Harold Vick.
   
   In conclusion, these are the albums I recommend to musicians any time they want to play a gig with me and I'm playing organ, because in terms of what an organ group should sound like... this is the foundation. Other organists may have "taken it farther", but in terms of setting the rules of groove, this is THE BOOK ! ! !



4. I bought this CD because I wanted the classic '63 Live album on CD, but I accidently discovered the first half "Hot Barbeque" to be one of Brother Jacks underappreciated studio efforts. The King of Jazz Organ is Jack McDuff and Jack is also prog-rock king Keith Emerson's biggest influence, especially in the gritty dirty Hammond sound Jack was somehow able to achieve.