No comments about After Hours.

2 comments about Live and Dirty.

1. Every now and again I get lucky and find a musician who blows me away that is located right in my back yard. My last find was Eva Cassidy and her wonderful producer Chris Biondo; and that record "Eva by Heart" made my year.

   Now I've stumbled belatedly upon Washington DC's Tommy Lepson and the Lazy Boys. Tommy is a double threat -- not only does he possess one of the strongest soul voices God ever gave a white man (think Joe Cocker on steroids), he is maybe the best Hammond B-3 player I've ever heard.

   The B-3 is a staple of vintage R&B; if your not familiar with it, remember back to the organ on Procol Harem's "Whiter Shade of Pale". Tommy and his band, The Lazy Boys, are a stripped-down, 4 piece unit with Tommy's B-3 alternatley serving the purposes otherwise typically handled by rhythm guitars, horn sections, etc. But that really doesn't do him justice. You've just got to hear the huge amount of sound and FEELING he gets from this vintage instrument.

   And wait till you hear The Lazy Boys' Paul Bell play guitar -- his arrangements bring a new life to classic soul. Buy a few copies and give them to your friends. If your friends don't love it, get new friends.




2. Tommy Lepson is a great and acomplished musician. Over the years he has been a mainstay in the DC area music sceen and has always provided enjoyment where ever he plays. Along with his crack band the Lazy Boys, Tommy fuels a variety of musical types from R&b to Soul and Rock and Roll.; Check this out, it's one hell of a live record.

1 comments about Live at the Mint.

1. Were I to believe all the music reviews that one reads, I for one, would not have as many duds in my collection as I do, and I certainly would not have bought Witherspoons 'Live at the Mint'.

   I have, and it is one of the best CD's that I have.

   Witherspoon cut this CD after a bout with throat cancer, his voice has obviously lost its old power, and shows the ravages of that disease.

   Witherspoon remains great. Whenever his voice weakens (as it does)Fords guitar swoops in like a hawk, and is witness to the great sideman that he can be and the friendship that he shared with Witherspoon.

   To state that Fords partnership here with 'Spoon is 'noble and commendable' and that the CD is 'great inspite of' Witherspoon, is insensitive, ridiculous and spouts from the lips who do not understand the genre nor true friendship.

   The blues is not about beautiful voices, the blues is about life, and above all, pain, and the expresion of it. At least Witherspoon did not have to act the Blues, he lived it, and died it.

   Those who wish to listen to beautiful voices should limit themselves to boys choirs. 'Live at the Mint' is a great Blues CD, but buy it for what it is- a great Jimmy Witherspoon CD.

4 comments about Live at the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, Vol. 1.

1. This album is a compilation of performances reordered in different years during the W.C. Handy Blues Awards nights by different blues stars. As you would expect all the performances here are very good so that you would not rate this album less than four stars. Joe Louis Walker does a very good job on the acoustic Bluesifying, however what makes the difference is the stunning, incendiary version of Cherry Red Wine by the IMMENSE Luther Allison that by itself justifies the purchase of this CD. Simply amazing! A must have for all the Luther and blues fans.



2. good tunes, live performance energy, wide variety of styles and artists. nice disc to have in your collection. get it and find out why bobby rush can be a hoochie man.



3. I liked it alot. Some new work I have never heard before. Can't wait for more volumes.



4. Presumably, this should feature the best living and active blues musicians, and there are indeed some big names on here. Things get off to a strong one-two punch with Joe Louis Walker doing a solo number called "Bluesifying," in which he pays tribute to all that has gone before him, and then Luther Allison testifies with "Cherry Red Wine." Piazza's "Low Down Dog" is fun, but then comes the law of diminished returns. Rufus Thomas, accompanied by Raitt, was probably a lot of fun to see doing "Walking the Dog," but if you want to get excited by this song, get the original record. Then Deborah Coleman and Bernard Allison team up for a grossly undercooked guitar workout, followed by a rote acoustic blues from Paul Rishell and Annie Raines. The mystery of Susan Tedeschi's career continues as she sings "Just Won't Burn" devoid of any real nuance or connection to the emotions of the song; she does have a pretty voice, but does nothing with it. Taj Mahal brings things back up a bit with a neat version of Horace Silver's jazz tune, "Senor Blues," thus pulling us away from the 12-bar clichés of the preceding three songs. Then there's Bobby Rush. Now, I'm no fan of this guy, but I have to give him props for knowing how to stretch a little song about being jealous of his woman wearing a tight dress for other guys to see into an 8 minute tour de force of egocentric performance. Really, the groove is impeccable, and when he starts saying his name over and over again, you'd swear he's on the verge of orgasm. Bonnie Raitt ends the album on a solid professional note, with a version of Don Covay's "Three Time Loser" that sits as a neat counter-punch to Tedeschi's earlier soulless delivery. So, do we have an essential portrait of where the blues are today? Heck no, but with two great cuts, and three more good ones, it's at least a decent listen.

No comments about Swinging At Carnegie Hall.

No comments about Live in Paris.

No comments about Bo Roberts & The Port City Allstars: Live.

No comments about The Rising Sun Collection.

1 comments about Live at the Smithsonian.

1. My order is everything I hoped it woud be. Rather hard to find, but Amazon has it. No long wait to get it. I'm back, ordering more cd's!!

No comments about Live.