5 comments about The Late Show.

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.

No comments about Live at B.B. King's, LA.

5 comments about Buried Alive in the Blues (+ Bonus DVD).

1. Run, don't walk, this CD/DVD is a must-have for all blues afficionadios. If, by chance, you grew up on in Chicago on the blues of the 60-s - 70s, this combo will feel to you like an old pair of slippers.
   Should you elect to purchase the used edition, try to find one that has the great 32-page pamphlet with it. KIf you can't, then spend the few extra bucks and get a new copy; it's worth it.
   The CBR band features Gravenites, Harvey "The Snake" Mandel, the great drummer Sam Lay, Tracy Nelson (a blues singer who started with "Mother Earth," for trivia buffs out there,) Barry Goldberg, & Corky Siegel of the infamous Siegel-Schwall Blues Band of Chicago, which was THE hot blues band in Chi-town in the early 70's. Siegel is a great harp player and fine vocalist in his own right.
   Why-oh-why did this group of exceptionally talented artists never make the "big-time?" Wow, they came so close so frequently...talk about unjust! I'm truly grateful they got together to give their fans this fine, fun CD and hopefully convert many more. It's never too late!
   While the CD includes noteworthy blues tunes, and worth the price in it's own right, it's the DVD that will knock you out! The DVD presents the history of Chicago blues dating back to about the 30's, with an emphasis on 50s & 60s artists. It features footage, interviews and narratives from prominent names in Chicago blues history, including: Bloomfield, Butterfield and Musselwhite. Footage from the Newport Folk Fest of '65 with Dylan & Bloomfield is focused on, too, along with The Electric Flag.
   A portion of the DVD is devoted to the illustrious old-timers, who are seen in concert, interviews, and simply reminiscing, including Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy & BB King. You'll also find Santana, Steve Miller & Eric Clapton discussing how the early Chicago blues music artists/scene influenced their playing style.
   I've shared this DVD with a number of friends and each person was delighted! Any fan of the artists in CBR will love the CD, and if you have any interest whatsoever in Chicago's blues history, you will surely want to view this exceptional DVD.



2. I have not listened to a lot of blues in my lifetime, but I LOVE this CD. The artists' talents are so apparent and the music so catchy. I actually bought this as a gift because I loved my copy so much.



3. This is a great CD and DVD, especially the title track. Anyone with half an interest in Chicago blues must own.



4. This is a pure 5 star rating. Every song is good to great. A STRONG HELPFUL HINT: "Listen to the CD in full first, then watch the DVD." This is a fun, CD. What I mean by that is you can tell how much these aging veterans enjoy, reawaking the ghosts of the blues. It's also obvious they enjoy each other's company. The songs range from romping electric guitar, to "cooking" harp play by Corky. One song that is different from normal a Chicago Blues song is #3 "Walk Away" by Tracy Nelson. This is a ballad that you will play for your friends, because there is no female voice portrayed so powerfully, this side of an Italian opera singer. All I could tell my friends, is that Tracy has the type of voice, that should have sung the National Anthem on national TV, at the first baseball game played in New York after 9/11! This whole CD is a gas. With all the above being said, after listening to the entire CD, and only after! Watch the DVD. You can see not only how much all these people enjoy each other, but you will be given a lesson in the history of the Chicago Blues, all the way back to Muddy Waters. Interspersed between this historical lesson, are video portions of the CD (If you obediently listened to Rick "Shaq" Goldstein's genius instructions earlier in this review!) and you get to see first hand, what you only imagined while you were tapping your feet during the CD. The boys and gal in this reunion group are getting up in years, and I sure hope they have the foresight and desire to record at least one more of these classics, before it's too late, in the immediate future. I went to the Monterey Jazz Festival in June 2006 to see them, and Nick hobbled out in very bad shape, and they only played a few short songs. (Also, unfortunately, they had mike problems when Tracy performed "Walk Away", thus making the people near me in the stands, wonder what I was bracing them for. THREE FINAL CLOSING POINTS: 1. Buy this CD/DVD package. 2. Watch the CD and then the DVD as Shaq recommends. 3. To the Chicago Blues Reunion; please record another session now!



5. Well, I've heard the music, watched the DVD, and read the reviews and after doing so am slightly amused by the somewhat overwrought enthusiasm for Buried Alive In The Blues. Sure, I like the music and enjoy the commentary, but this CD is more nostalgia and an affirmation of a musical style than a bold statement.
   We're all going to get old if we're lucky and at some point we are not going to be as good as we once were. And while it is a pleasure to see and hear these guys again, that truth will be brought starkly home to those who really remember how they were in the old days. The crown princes of white Chicago blues, Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, are long gone. So what we are left with are a few core musicians like Nick Gravenites, Sam Lay and Corky Siegel, and those on the periphery like Harvey Mandel, Barry Goldberg, and Tracy Nelson who are more remembered for their days in San Francisco (in the case of Nelson, Nashville as well) than their time in Chicago. And none sound at all like they did in their heydays.
   If you remember and love the Born In Chicago of Paul Butterfield's first album or the Drinkin' Wine of the Electric Flag's Long Time Comin' album, you will hear precisely what I mean. But what the musicians lack of the old intensity is made up for by their obvious enthusiasm. Some of the old fire is still apparent throughout, but my favorites are the Canned Heat-style GM Boogie, the smoky languor of Nick Gravenites' Left Handed Soul, Gravenites' Death of Muddy Waters, the swinging I've Gotta Find My Baby, a supercharged rendition of Harvey Mandel's old pseudopsychedelic classic Snake, and the concluding medley of old rock tunes featuring delightful vocals by Sam Lay. One I didn't like is New Truck, which is more of a redneck Top 40 country type song than it is blues. One of the reviewers mentioned it has been replaced on tour by Memphis Slim's Mother Earth. I'd rather have heard that here.
   As enjoyable as the CD can be at times, the real gem is the DVD. Here, interviews with blues musicians and historians are interspersed with music clips of some of the Chicago Blues Reunion members playing with their old bands and more importantly with the old masters. Some of the best historical sketches are provided by BB King, Buddy Guy and Nick Gravenites. You see Butterfield, Bloomfield, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter and others who were so important to the Chicago blues scene and find out how the white boys from the north side went to the black clubs of the south and west sides to learn the blues and refine their skills at the feet of the masters. One reviewer sneered that the Northside blues explosion only lasted a few years, and that is true, but its the nationwide blues mania that followed when the cream of Chicago's white bluesmen took their music to San Francisco that makes those couple of years so important. Music historians and critics still go on today about the Summer of Love and the San Francisco Sound. How long did that last? The point is, its not the length of an era but its legacy that counts.
   I give Buried Alive In the Blues 3 and 1/2 stars for the music and 4 and 1/2 for the history lesson. I bought one labeled "Collector's Edition", its a shame that it contains no informative booklet with pictures and only cursory notes on the back cover. Had John Mayall not already called one of his albums Blues For the Lost Days, that would have been the perfect title for this set. If you have a taste for blues Chicago-style and remember how it used to be, then you should find this set to be a treat worth savoring.

5 comments about The Final Tour.

1. Took me two listenings to get into this cd that a friend reccomended. Now I can't get it out of my head. Good late nite traveling music.



2. This is a great live album by one of the best voices in blues..uh soul...uh r&b...pop. And there's the rub. This was a man you couldn't put a label to. Which is why he remained a starving artist almost until the day he died. Which was way too soon for this great of a live entertainer. Hawkins could make his voice do just about anything. A very versatile singer who could run through a gamut of emotions in just one song. One of the best examples of this is his wonderful acappella version of John Fogerty's "As Long As I See The Light". This song alone is worth the price of admission here. Although he leaves a few of my faves off here, most notably "Happy Hour" and "Who Got My Natural Comb", he still gives us some of his most memorable like "Watch Your Step", "Revenge Of The Scorpio", and "Biloxi". The sound quality on this cd is excellent. It was recorded in 3 different venues. I especially liked the 3 songs he does in the Wisconsin University Auditorium, where you get the echo affect from his larger than life voice. The man could sing. It didn't matter if he was walking the sands of Venice Beach with his guitar, or playing a big room, Ted Hawkins always sounded like he was giving it all. There isn't anything slick or fancy here. Just a man and his guitar. This is a wonderful last hurrah from one of the most soulful singers ever.



3. This is one of the 3 or 4 best albums of any genre that I've ever heard. If that sounds like hyperbole, I'm sorry, but Ted Hawkins had it all: emotional directness, great taste in covers, perfect pitch, wonderful playing--he had it all in a way very few musicians do. His interpretive efforts are as strong as any by giants like Otis Redding and Patsy Cline. What clinches it for me is his songwriting: besides being emotionally mature and honest, it's incredibly literate and fresh. I mean, "The Good and the Bad" alone has several classic lines; when you hear him sing that "Sugar is noooooo gooood/Once it's cast among the white sands"--wow. His songs stand right up to his covers: when you can write as well as Jesse Winchester and John Fogerty, well that's sayin' something. I've been a fan since 1986 (Happy Hour): this is his best work, although it leaves a few classics off.



4. Finding Ted's final album in a store in Boston on my first US trip, I stood for over an hour, headphones clasped to my head, amazed at the warmth and openness of every track.

   My wife and I had seen Ted only once, in Southport, England nearly 10 years ago, but we had never forgotten his music.

   I hadn't heard the first song he sang in Southport since that night, but when Ted began Missing Mississippi on track 19, the great paddle wheels of the river turned just like they had done all those years before.

   Robeson singing 'the folks I used to know'; Belafonte at Carnegie Hall; surely, Ted's sometimes beautiful, and perhaps more importantly, always honest rendition of his own and others' songs, is a life giving event of equal greatness.

   After an hour or so, the CD came to an end. I wiped away a small tear and bought 2 copies - one for my wife and one for my father - it was the least I could do. As a child, our home was filled with the sound of Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Creedence Clearwater Revival - all reborn in Ted's inspired interpretations.




5. The vintage busker from Venice, California, sits himself on a milk crate and with the support of his guitar he belts out a few memorial street ballads. From his very own compositions, he sings of love, jealousy and the whole damn thing. But what makes this man unique is his aging raspy voice that entices you to listen to this wise old man who has plenty to say. In LADDER OF SUCCESS he hands out his advice on how to make it to the top of the hills. "No matter what you know, you got to know somebody who knows somebody to lend you a helping hand,"and that is the key to the entertainment industry. He also manages to leave a lump in your throat when he bellows out those words of passion, "Baby!" in STRANGE CONVERSATION.

   Then you find yourself musing over SORRY YOU'RE SICK, "What do you want from the liquor store? Something sour, something sweet? I'll buy you all your belly will hold, you can be sure you won't suffer no more." Ted Hawkins died in 1995 after recording this last album. His career had just kick started and he had places to go. In BIG THINGS, he tells us that he needs to keep on moving on because he has been fooling around for too long and now it's time to write songs with stories to tell that will live on after his death. And yes, they do live on in this classic album.

3 comments about The 'Spoon Concerts.

1. Actually, I own the Italian edition of the CD, which starts with Monterey set (last 5 numbers of this CD) instead of the Reinessance club (LA) set (everything else).
   
   The great, flexible and very suggestive vocal of Jimmy Witherspoon (Spoon) is in the all-stars jazz company in both sets; the mighty tenor of Ben Webster and sensitive but explosive drumming of Mel Lewis connect the sessions (both concerts were held in 1959). On the Reneissance club set The Spoon is joined by a great youngster Gerry Mulligan, who has once again proved how capable he was of working with older musicians, Jimmy Rowles on piano and Leroy Vinegar on bass and it's quite obvious that both the singer and the players now how to merge jazz and blues.
   
   However, it is the Monterey set I really dig; with Coleman Hawkins (ts), Roy Eldridge /tp) Woody Herman (cl) and Earl "Fatha" Hines (p) (in addition to the already mentioned) cook up a storm, with some really hot solos, great accompanyiment and some explosive riffs and climaxes...
   
   The choice of material is brilliant (mostly standards); if you're new to blues or jazz, you should check out this album....



2. The CD now comes in a different cover than the one depicted here but the music inside is the same. Jimmy Witherspoon is a great singer. The music is from two different concerts and they are both well recorded. The all star back up bands are perfectly suited for his jazzy blues vocals. You can tell he was having a great time. The liner notes even mentions that this was the first time his mother attended one of his concerts. I really enjoy this CD.



3. I went on a 6 month trip with only a few tapes to listen to and this was one of them. And man did I listen! I probably played this album 100 times, and never got sick of it. This album is one of, if not the best fusions of blues and jazz that I've heard. If you're at all interested, then buy this one. It moves from slow to fast seamlessly and old Jimmy's even got a song dedicated to his mother in the audience. Its a good 'un.

5 comments about Attack of the Killer V: Live.

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan cited Lonnie as one of his main influences and this record clearly supports that. Incredible tone, attack and phrasing. Absolutely one of the best live electric blues recordings I have ever heard.



2. Live Blues / Rock from one of America's best guitar slingers and the King of Tone & Whammy, Lonnie Mack. My only complaint is that at 8 cuts, it "ain't" nearly long enough! Someone please talk Lonnie into coming out of semi-retirement to give us "Part 2"!



3. I bought this CD solely because I loved a duet by Lonnie & Stevie Ray Vaughn that I heard on the Midnight Blues station on iTunes (Midnight Blues is now off the air, damn it). I do like "Attack" a lot but I confess that I was rather hoping/expecting a sound a little more like that of Corey Stevens or Stevie Ray himself. And I think a live-recorded album (oops -- showing my age) is generally not the best way to acquaint oneself with a "new" artist: the audience noise is too distracting for a first-time listener. With all that said, "Attack" is indeed an excellent recording and I certainly recommend it.



4. I love this cd. I saw Lonnie Mack play in 1992 at the blues fest in Peoria,IL. I got to go backstage and the man and even partied with him! He is very nice and down to earth. It was an experience that I will never forget.



5. I've owned this CD for many years, and it's one of a handful that's always on the play list. Probably not a month goes by when I don't listen to it once. Phenomenal guitar, a lot of energy, and excellent sound quality for a live performance. Mack is one of the great guitar players and makes it all seem effortless. My favorite track is Stop, but I pretty much listen to the whole album every time.

5 comments about Live and Burning.

1. Son Seals shows his skillful and masterful guitar playing on "Live and Burning." Originally released in 1978, Seals is playful in mood and exquisite in his playing.
   
   He shows his skills on such songs as "I Can't Hold Out," ""Blue Shadows Falling," "She's Fine," and "Call My Job."
   
   Seals would succumb to diabetes years later, but would leave a legacy of great blues music. This record does nothing to dispel that notion.



2. Son Seals has the heart of a Chicago Bluesman, but as mentioned in a prior review of another Son Seals CD, he just doesn't have the chops. This live CD seems to lose power, and clarity with each progressive song. Would I go to the neighborhood juke joint on a Friday night with a couple of buddies, and listen to Son? Absolutely! Would I pay to go to a decent priced concert of Son's no! Would I buy the five CD's of his I now own, knowing what I know now? No!



3. David J. Brown, reviewer below, has a problem with Alligator Records. I have that same problem - Bruce Iglauer's studio sucks most of the energy out of his blues artists' performances when it records studio albums. It is ironic that this happens because Iglauer's first label signing, Hound Dog Taylor, recorded his albums with a lot of excitement, much like live albums (in fact on several of his songs, his live versions were a bit more tame than the studio versions). One of Iglauer's greatest finds, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials (fantastic live band, incidentally) had no concept of how a studio album was to be recorded and in the space of a few hours in their first trip to Alligator's studio, ripped off ten songs as if they were performing for an audience at a club and came up with Roughhousin', which might be be the best "studio" album Alligator ever put out. If you look a bit further in Alligator's catalog, you'll also find a solitary Buddy Guy album, Stone Crazy, which is a studio album that captures a great deal of Guy's live passion and dispenses with the politeness of most of his studio albums; however, there is a caveat - this album was actually recorded in France by another label and merely released in the U.S. by Alligator.
   
   It is also ironic that I first heard Live & Burning at the venue where it was recorded, the resurrected Wise Fools Pub, in Chicago in the fall of 2001. Dave Hole, unquestionably the most brilliant artist Alligator has ever signed (I've seen 300+ live acts and Dave Hole is hands down the most exciting guitarist I've ever seen), was playing there that night and they played the entirety of Seal's outstanding live album there while waiting for the place to fill up. They waited in vain because Iglauer and/or the owner of the club dropped the ball ridiculously by not promoting the show. As far as I could tell, there were two places on the face of the earth that advertised the show, the website of the Perth, Australia guitarist himself, and the billboard next to the front door of the club. Consequently, there were never more than 20 people there at a time, a crime for which Iglauer should have been publicly flogged. Hole played a great show, notwithstanding that at points the "crowd" was barely in double digits. During the break after his first set, I approached Hole and the mighty Bruce Iglauer himself, introduced myself, told Hole I drove over 150 miles to see him play and chatted for a bit. I then asked both Hole and Iglauer why it was almost a universal truth that blues studio albums never capture more than a small fraction of the excitement and intensity of a live blues show. Iglauer seemed personally insulted by the question and didn't particularly agree with my premise and mumbled some nonsense. Dave Hole, in contrast, said "That's a really good question!" thought for a bit and explained that he can really channel and feed upon the crowd's enthusiasm into his playing at a live show and also stated that the acoustics of a studio are so different from that of a club that it makes a big difference, too.
   
   Most of the under-50 crowd out there that grew up listening to guitarists like Jimmie Page and Eddie Van Halen and have graduated toward less guitar-specific alt rock bands probably have a fairly dim view of blues if all they have heard are the typical blues studio albums featuring what sounds like a big band playing with a few featured BB King-esque 20 second guitar solos. In contrast, Live & Burning is the real thing - raw, exciting, passionate and fiery, much more so than Seal's Alligator studio albums. If you have a friend who is a rock fan who you want to convert to a blues fan, this might be the album that will open his or her eyes about the true nature of blues. If you are a fan of the prim and proper old-style blues from half a century ago, this live disk probably won't be your cup of tea, but who knows - maybe Son will open your eyes too. Buy this disk and enjoy something exciting.



4. I have a problem with Alligator Records. The over-produced sameness and glossy slickness of the stuff they did for Son Seals' studio albums is in direct contradiction to the rawness of his basic style. This album, however, shows it the way it should be...warts and all.
   Son's guitar playing and singing are direct and powerfull (ie: raw and aggressive). This album shows him doing what he did best: kicking out hard, ripping bar blues. The song "Funky Bitch" is worth the price of the album on its own. His other live album "Spontaneous Combustion" is great too, but "Live and Burning" kicks its butt, steals its wallet, and dumps it in the alley.
   If you like a lot of slick, Hollywood horn arrangements and syrupy production look elsewhere, but if you want to hear what it sounds like listening to a killing machine tear the house apart.... THIS is the album for you.



5. This is an awesome collection of electric blues. Some reviewers rate this behind Seals' "Spontaneous Combustion", but I prefer this one. S.C. is also solid, but "Live & Burning" is a little more "raw". Great cuts thoughout, and a really good mix. One of my favorite blues CDs - and I have a LOT of blues CDs.

5 comments about An Evening of Acoustic Music.

1. Blues on steroids. If you like blues guitar, this is the cd to have, and the playing meshes perfectly with his near perfect vocal interpretations. He had a good night, probably the best of his career.



2. I haven't heard everything Taj Mahal has recorded, but I've heard a lot of it, and this is the best CD of his I know of BY FAR. It's absolutely awesome. The electric guitar sound he gets here just blows you away. His version of STAGGER LEE is a direct throwback to Mississippi John Hurt and it is stunning. DUST MY BROOM is as good as any of the many versions Elmore James recorded of his famous song. COME ON IN MY KITCHEN is haunting and brilliant, in a different way, as Robert Johnson's original version. No matter how many times you listen to this music it continues to give pleasure. If you love the blues, this is a must-have CD.



3. From the heartfelt Crossing and Come on in my Kitchen to Big Leg Mama, this album traverses alot of emotions and really packs a great blues punch. I have enjoyed this album alot and it is a great live recording, definitely worth your purchase. Taj mahal is an extremely versatile and talented artist and this live recording strongly reflects both of those characteristics.



4. At first listen, the guitar can be a little annoying, but once you get into the mood of the CD, it's phenomenal. I've never seen Taj, but would love too, this CD is why. I find one of the most enjoyable ways to listen to is on a clear night with your window open while you drift off to sleep. At the point the songs take an aural quality that is hard to desrcibe--just great though!



5. The "Acoustic" in the title is a bit of a misnomer. Taj plays an electric piano on a couple of cuts (which is fine) and his guitar sounds like it's miked through an amp with the "chorus" effect turned up to 11 (which I could have done without).

   Some reviewers have panned the songs where he's accompanied by Howard Johnson (not the hotel guy) on tuba, calling them "sloppy", however, in my opinion, these are the highlight of the CD. In particular, "Cake Walk Into Town" stands out- This is a song that should be prescribed for people that are chronically depressed, as it never fails to put a smile on my face.

   The CD lags a bit on "Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie Anymo" (live or in the studio, this is a song that is always an endurance test to me to see if I can get through it) and the part where he coaches the audience on clapping in time, which I've never heard any audience do. This is one of those things that are much more fun in person that hearing on a CD, and could have been left off.

   I also urge all fans of Taj and Ry Cooder to check out Austin, TX group "Bad Livers", especially "Hogs on the Highway" - Banjo & Tuba at it's finest!

5 comments about Live from Cell Block D.

1. Being a traditional blues purist and a blues vocalist of 20 years myself, I was disappointed in this cd by Tracy Nelson. She is a fantastic piano player, singer and song writer, but she often strays to other music genres that I simply am not interested in. This cd was not cell block material- does not compare in power at all to Big Mama Thornton's "Jail".



2. Incredible. Must have. I can't emphasize how great this album is for any Tracy Nelson enthusiast. If this CD contained only "Down So Low" it would be worth the price plus more. Just get it.



3. for Tracy Nelson to get better. I remember hearing Down So Low when it first came out and was stunned. Until listening to this live recording, I didnt think it could be improved upon.. but I guess age and experience have given her the ability to make it even more mesmerizing. I bought the CD, got in my truck, drove off, put in the CD, and started to listen. I pulled off the road because I didnt think I should be driving.
   
   As the other reviewers note, this is one thrilling performance. Her voice has gotten richer, and the delivery cant be beat. "God Will" is worth the price of the CD all by itself.
   
   For those who are long time fans, listen to her original version of some of these songs, and the ones on this CD back to back. You will hear a wonderful transformation.



4. I really can't top the first three reviews. They said it all. I will add that I was glad to see a version of "God Will", since I love that song. Hearing it sung by Tracy, who has been my favorite singer since I first heard her back in Madison, Wisconsin, in college, was a real thrill.
   I was glad to see the arrangments taking a bit of a back seat to her voice on this CD, allowing her "blues belter" vocals to come to the foreground. The slower than usual tempos on some cuts also helped to highlight Tracy's incredible vocal talent.
   I agree with James, if you have a chance to see her live, don't miss it. She can stand three feet away from the microphone when singing, and still blow you right out of the room with the power of her voice.
   Buy it...you won't regret it.



5. Devotees of singer Tracy Nelson (and I certainly number myself among them) have been waiting for years for an official 'live' release from this phenomenal artist. Tracy has released 21 albums prior to this release, all of which have their wonderful moments and some are downright clasics(including 2001's independently released EBONY & IRONY, as well as I FEEL SO GOOD, and MOVE ON from the 1990s (both on Rounder Records), and several re-releases from her early days in the 60s and 70s). It's all great stuff, but even folks who love her studio work have been known to come out of one her concerts utterly astonished. It's almost as though even the best studio settings cannot do this astonishingly powerful singer justice.

   I've always said that if I were a waiter in a club where Tracy Nelson was performing, I'd probably be fired before the night was through. Because I'd doubtless just stand there stock still, tray in hand and jaw dropped to my chest (if not the floor) in a state of complete awe.

   So at last, we have the live album that many of us have been awaiting for the last two decades or longer. It's probably a cliche to say that it was "worth the wait," but in fact, it was.
   This release is the work of a mature artist, one still very much in control of her instrument, but also whose artistry and vision has only deepened over the years. She wrote her signature song, the classic "Down So Low" when she was in her early twenties--a remarkable feat for someone so young--but the version included on this recording seems to come from an even deeper place. She sings every song on this record with conviction and authority, but nowhere is it more evident than on "Down So Low" and on Memphis Slim's blues classic "Mother Earth"--both of which she recorded for the first time in 1968.

   Tracy has assembled a crackerjack band for this recording. She does not always work with a horn section, but when she does, the results are nearly always stellar. The horns give her that extra oomph and send her already soaring vocals into the stratosphere. And she has found a great setting and a more than enthusiastic audience in that Tennessee prison. This is an audience starved for music, and even if they had no idea who Tracy was beforehand, they respond eagerly and gratefully to what they soon realize is a truly first rate performance.

   The selection of material could not have been better. Aside from the two early classics mentioned above, there are new versions of songs from throughout Tracy's lengthy career. She opens with a "I Need All the Help I Can Get," originally recorded in the 90s for Rounder. It's a rousing opener and sets the tone nicely. She follows with a song that she has never actually released on record, although she has been known to perform it live before, Patsy Cline's classic "Walkin' After Midnight." Tracy is one of the few singer's who can take on a Patsy Cline number and successfully make it her own. (Eat your heart out, LeAnn and k.d.) So in the space of two songs, she demonstrates her astonishing range and versatility. She follows up with another new track, Lyle Lovett's "God Will," a song which fits her voice perfectly and which demonstrates that she did not leave all sense of irony back with the last record's "ebony."

   Her powerful r&b shouters never cease to astound, and stand up to repeated plays. But those repeated plays will also demonstrate the subtlety with which she approaches the ballads included here. Her phrasing on "God Will" and on "Tennessee Blues," first recorded in 1972 or '73, is controlled, disciplined and intelligently executed. She could teach a master class--provided she could find students worthy of her time.

   Tracks that will be more or less familiar to fans are given new life in their live versions. Songs like the recent "Got A New Truck" and 1974's "After The Fire Is Gone" were originally recorded as duets (and remarkable ones they were too; the former having been a joint effort with another great lady, Marcia Ball, and the latter a collaboration with the legendary Willie Nelson--who is, by the way, NO RELATION), and as good as the originals were, it's great to hear Tracy tackle them as solo numbers. Nearly all previously recorded tracks have been revamped in ways that fans will find interesting, if not illuminating.

   Nearly every review of Tracy Nelson's recorded work or of her live performances includes the observation that it's a downright shame that she is not better known. That's another cliche that's become hard to avoid when talking about this great singer. From everything I know about her, I don't think she particularly cares about reaching superstar status. She is first and foremost, an artist. But like many of her devoted fans, I still am eager to spread the word to as many receptive souls as possible. I figure it's doing them a favor.

4 comments about Live From Chicago : An Audience With The Queen.

1. I'd have liked this live album to be louder and rowdier, but there is plenty of great music here nonetheless, and a lot to be said for the lean, mean sound.
   Koko Taylor is backed by a solid combo which would have been even better if it had included a pianist and perhaps a harmonica player, but guitarists Michael Robinson and Eddie King are terrific, and Taylor herself just can't be beat.
   
   Opening with a really good "Let The Good Times Roll" and winding down with the obligatory "Wang Dang Doodle", "Live From Chicago" also includes a couple of lesser-known songs, like the slow burner "The Devil's Gonna Have A Field Day", and the wonderful "Going Back To Iuka", an irresistable mid-tempo blue shuffle with a thundering syncopated drum beat a la Howlin' Wolf.
   Slightly rewritten versions of Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" and Willie Dixon's "Let Me Love You" are a little bit clichéd, but nowhere near awful, and Taylor's vocals falter the tiniest bit during an otherwise very good "Find A Fool, Bump Her Head", but she gets her own back with a tremendous growling performance of "Come To Mama" and a thoroughly stylish "I'd Rather Go Blind".
   
   A must-have for fans, and casual listeners should find an awful lot to like as well. It could have been just that little bit better (and rowdier), but "B+" Koko Taylor is still head and shoulders above most everybody else.



2. You wonder what kind of music gets you singing in the shower or in the car. WEll let me tell you something this is the album right here. This Woman never gets tired she is full of energy. I will tell you that that Koko did one of the best versions of WANG DANG DOODLE on here.She always stays upbeat and won't leave you dissapointed.Koko keep on with it because you make your listeners very pleased with what you do. Her growls will make you start growling sooner or later.You better buy this Album because it is a classic.



3. Such a powerful performer! I want a granny like her...
   the excelent song selection and the great sound makes this cd my favourite koko taylor's.
   Long live the queen!



4. This album proves why Koko Taylor is truly the queen of the blues. With a voice that sounds like broken glass, she can bring you waaaaaayyyyy up (Find a Fool, Goin' Back to Iuka) or way down (I'd Rather Go Blind). Her band is tight, and she drives them just right. It seems like her voice just gets better and better the older she gets. If you haven't had the opportunity to see Koko yet, this CD will inspire you to start checking the paper. Buy this album and let her show you how the blues is meant to be sung.