5 comments about Live.

1. Amazon had both CD's I was looking for. I was looking for them new or used and found both of them in excellent condition used!
   
   They play perfectly-no skips or scratches.



2. One of the reviewers described Delbert's music as country/r&b/blues or something to that effect. True, but when I describe him to someone who is not familiar with him I call it "roadhouse blues" and that seems to connect. I first saw Delbert in a bar in Fort Worth, TX in about 1980. One of the other reviewers complains that he is re-covering a lot of the same material. That is true-having said that, this is the best band I have ever heard him play with and the best recording and the best live performance. The entire band is great and Rob McNelly, the guitarist, is a stellar player. I asked Rob how he got the great sound on this album and he told me that he played a custom made Strat through a Vox AC-30 that was provided to him since they couldn't take all their equipment on the European tour. During the sound check he walked around the amp until he found the spot that coupled to the amp and made sure he stood there for the solos. Rob's solo CD's are worth checking out as well. This CD is fun, has tons of soul and is one I keep coming back to. Delbert's getting old (me, too) and I am glad he got this one in the can.



3. This is a great addition to anyone's music collection. I have seen Delbert many times and he only improves with age. His voice has so much soul and rhythm it is unbelievable. He is Blues to the bone. This is a must have for any Delbert Fan!!!!!!!!!!



4. If you only want to buy two Delbert CDs; then this has to be one and Room To Breathe should be the other one. If you are disappointed in either of these offerings then you have no soul!



5. For some, the claim to fame of venerable Texas rocker Delbert McClinton is that he gave harmonica tips to a young John Lennon - who put the advice to good use on early Beatles' hits such as Love Me Do and I Should Have Known Better. To others, that is a mere footnote in a recording career that stretches back to 1960 and, on the strength of his vigorous performance here, shows no sign of fatigue. McClinton, who just turned 63, is one of those Texas musicians whose brew of country, blues, rock and soul defies categorisation (Doug Sahm and Roy Head are others, consider too Barbara Lynn, and the Vaughan brothers deserve mention). This double album documents a single 2003 performance at Norway's Bergen Blues Festival. Originally intended only as a radio broadcast, it is a high-energy career review. McClinton and his six-piece band (rhythm section and two horns) mix newer songs with long-in-repertoire nuggets such as B-Movie Boxcar Blues, Giving It Up for Your Love and Otis Redding's I've Got Dreams to Remember (19 songs in all). This set drips honky tonk sweat. (This review appeared in The Age newspaper, Melbounre, Australia.)

1 comments about Live: Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford.

1. This album is a literal encyclopedia, and apprenticeship for the blues guitarist! There is no date listed as to when this was recorded, but Robben shows who he is this night and one can only guess what an illustrious carear he has awaiting him. He shows the importance of the minor 6th scale, and his Mike Bloomfield influence shows strongly. Jimmy Witherspoon a man who needs no intruduction, and is missed sadly today by many, displays his usual, dazzling charm, and stage presence.

   Even if your not a musician, crank this one up and enjoy! Also recommend: "Jimmy Witherspoon/Robben Ford, Aint Nothin'New About The Blues"

5 comments about Inspiration.

1. Enjoyed the enthusiastic blue-sy voice and excellent piano! The quality was amazing and I'd buy this one AGAIN and AGAIN!! I especially enjoyed Queen of the 88's, a great boogie beat! It's an incredible 9 minutes long at least! I hope to see Kelley Live in concert soon.



2. I've seen Kelley Hunt perform several times & she is one I will never tire of seeing. Inspiration is just the album she needed to put out to the fans as anyone who has seen her live knows this is where she truly shines! She gives it all she's got the entire show & never, ever lets up. Queen of the '88s is a real pleaser as it has Kelley telling us a little bit of her history & how she got to be the boogie woogie mama that she is! No one can sing & play that piano like she can - very, very powerful & clear whether it be rock n roll, the blues or gospel. And getting help from the great Mike Finnegan is just an added bonus. Check it out - people from Kansas can rock with the best of them anytime! And go to a concert when she comes to town - you won't regret it for a moment.




3. I picked up Inspiration after seeing Kelley perform live, she is soooo phenomenal! Recorded live at three different venues between 1998 to 2000, Inspiration keeps the listener hooked by showcasing Kelley's phenomenal range - from blues to gospel to boogie woogie. And while this CD only has nine tracks, only 2 are under 5 minutes, and two of them are over eight.

   The CD kicks off with Kelley's 'lusty growl' and killer drum beats in a story of "I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N" (think Aretha Franklin's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T"), thanking an ex-lover for letting her find herself. "Stronger Wings" is a very gospel-feeling tune and Kelley's vocals soar. "Treat Me Right", "Back in the Saddle", and "Forgive and Forget" are all upbeat romps that showcase Kelley's trademark boogie-woogie style of piano playing and show her as a strong woman. The guitar throughout "Just Like Oxygen" is awesome and Kelley's 'bluesy' voice grabs you and tells you a tale of wanting. "Natural Thing" is another great gospel-type tune, heavy on the piano and drums. "Love Never Dies" (Lullaby for Charles) is a soaring ballad which gives me chills when I listen to it. I saved my fave song for last..."Queen of the 88s" is Kelley's tribute to her childhood piano teacher, Mary Burke Norton, also known as the 'last of the red-hot mamas'. Kelley alternates between speaking the story and singing it and while it is over nine minutes in length, it not 'long'. It is an AWESOME song!

   If Mary Burke Norton was the Queen of the 88s, than Kelley Hunt is the Princess, ready to ascend the throne. She may not be mainstream, but I have never seen anyone tickle the ivories like her and I don't think the mainstream is ready for such a talented, diverse artist!




4. After hearing Kelly Hunt perform at Boondocks in Amarillo, TX, I was sold on this lady! Not only can she play the 88's like no one around today, but she can sing as well. Her voice can make you cry or laugh or shout out loud. What a blues singer!



5. Kelley Hunt has one of the most versatile voices I've ever heard. She seems equally at home belting out raucus lowdown blues, crooning like a gospel queen, or torching low and sexy. Her vocals are strong but perceptive, penetrating and sensitive at the same time. And you would be hard pressed to find a keyboardest with a better left hand. Kelley can boogie-woogie with the best. Don't pass up a chance to see her live.

5 comments about Live.

1. I have heard of the Fabulous Thunderbirds for years- but never owned any of their music til now. WOW! A High Energy driving band to say the least!
   They have an outstanding grasp of blues, rhythm & blues, rockabilly, you name it -they can play it- I highly recommend this for summertime road trips and playing it loudly in the car!



2. This CD is a perfect example of Texas blues. It's as close to hearing them lived ( as I did last week) as possible. I recommend it to anyone who likes good old fashioned American music. M



3. The California Geoseismic Institute must have sworn The Big Quake had hit LA when these guys hit the stage and let loose on "The Things I Used to Do." David "Kid" Ramos romps-there's no better word-on guitar behind the bulldozer drumwork of Steve Hodges, Willie Campbell's relentless bass, and Gene Taylor's cracking piano. However, it's Kim's love of singing that makes him the perfect lead vocalist: he can hold a phrase in his voice like Aretha Franklin until the dials jump on their own (check it out on the aforementioned "Things"), and there's that great baritone barrel chest to support it. Even better, when he grabs the harmonica and starts to pump, it literally buzzes like a giant barber's electric shears. Whooo, you can feel it right down to your shoes! This is what a house party should look and sound like.



4. In this February 2000 concert disc, the Fabulous Thunderbirds eschew the raw rocking sound that made their early records sound so vital for a full band sound complete with horns and (on the closing number) female background singers. Kim Wilson, like BB King before him, obviously sees that many concertgoers want a fuller sound when listening to their music live and the additional musicians certainly provide that sound. The horns in particular have the effect of taking some of the covers, such as "Wrap It Up" and "Things I Used to Do," away from pure blues and back to the rhythm and blues roots they originated from. Kim Wilson's vocals on these tracks are fabulous, and Kid Ramos plays some stinging guitar as well. Old favorites "Tuff Enuff" and "She's Tuff" sound tougher and finer than ever, while "My Babe" takes on the full-throttle rocking power of a high speed locomotive. Fans of Kim Wilson's harmonica playing may feel a little shortchanged; "Early Every Morning" is the only harp showcase on the album, with Wilson blowing like a maniac. A glorious, if all too brief, moment of solo improvisation. Overall, the band is tight, the numbers are together, and the music features many rockable, danceable moments, even though Live, like most such discs, cannot replicate the excitement of an in-person appearance.



5. I don't know what album the other reviewers are listening too, but it can't be the one I've got. I'm a HUGE Kim Wilson fan, I just love Kid Ramos to death, and the T-Birds have always been in high rotation in my house. But this? This is "Kim Wilson and the Contractual Commitments featuring Kid Ramos"

   Seriously, if you want live Kim Wilson, get "Smoking Joint" if you want live T-Birds, get "Different Tacos" and any of Ramos' solo albums are way better than this. (And if you enjoy hearing Gene Taylor play 8-to-the-bar octaves, there's no hope for you, so buy this...)

   I'm giving this 2 stars only because I like Wilson's voice, and Ramos does his usual crack job on most of it.
   But T-Birds?!?? No way, man.

5 comments about Live at Ann Arbor & In Chicago.

1. sound quality - not so good. everything else about this disc -excellent. actually the sound makes it sound like getting your hands on a blues album, getting it down to your old turntable, and playing it trying to pick up any thing you can from it. he is definitely magic.



2. Live at Ann Arbor and In Chicago does not have the greatest sound. This fact would be admitted by anyone. Any concert taped by a tape recorder can only be remastered so much, if at all. So understand that the sound on this recording is not the best.
   
   But when you consider that Magic Sam Maghett was one of the great blues guitarists ever, that he has influenced every generation of blues musicians since his arrival on the scene, and when you remember that when he died in 1969 at the age of 32 with only two recorded albums, you should be willing to give a little to get a whole lot back.
   
   And these recording do give a lot. They show the Magic Sam we know and love from West Side Soul and Black Magic, the skilled guitarist, the compelling, pleading voice, and gifted songwriter. But they also show a Sam Maghett we would encounter only a live show - a master showman who knew how to engage his audience, a performer who might show up to a gig without a guitar or a band, but who could dig up a guitar and a band, and sound as if they had rehearsed for days.
   
   This live recording is a valuable document for all blues and Magic Sam lovers. Don't miss out because of understandable imperfections.



3. Currently, I'm goin' through the 'Rough Guide to the Blues' matching my own blues collection w/ the recommendations in the book - hoping to refine and add to my current discs; this 'live' disc is a top recommendation - personally, I do not own this CD, but I have had 'West Side Soul' & 'Black Magic' for many years - great albums; thus, I probably will not buy this 'live' compilation but its reputation and the writings of others certainly warrants a higher rating, despite the poor sound, often a 'victim' of these outings.



4. SO HERE HE IS...MAGIC SAM...LIVE...AS WELL AS NOT LIVING...ANYWAY YOU HAVE HIM HE IS A GREAT MAN OF THE BLUES...SO WHAT IF SOME OF THE TRACKS ARE NOT PRODUCED UP TO THE LEVEL OF OTHER RECORDINGS....THEY ARE THE BLUES....AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS....THE BLUES IS A FEEL...LIKE A BLESSING FROM HEAVEN....BLUES COMING THROUGH MAGIC SAM IS A WONDERFUL THING TO BE AROUND....DIG HIS LIVE TRACKS...IT SAYS IT ALL...RAW ...ROLLICKING...AND REAL...THAT IS WHAT THE BLUES IS ...WAS....AND WILL ALWAYS BE....THANK YOU MAGIC SAM...YOU ARE MUCH MORE THAN MAGIC...YOU ARE A MIRACLE...HOLLYWOOD JOE http://www.hollywoodjoe.com http://www.hollywoodjoe.8m.com hollywoodjoe@usa.com 212-989-6193



5. Magic Sam was magic.One of the greatest blues talents ever.This was one hell of a show,great guitar and great vocals.The setlist was also very good.The only problem is the sound,it's really bad.Save your money and buy one of his studio albums.I suggest either West side soul or Black magic.You won't be sorry.

1 comments about Live 69.

1. This set is definately a collector's item. It was recorded in May 1969 in Wisconsin and captures King at the height of his playing, during his time at Stax records. He is in good form and has a band with a horn section, unlike his famous Stax live albums (e.g.,Live Wire, Blues Power). He goes through his normal set, but includes some great surprises such as a great version of "Personal Manager", one of his classic self-penned slow blues numbers. This tune had previously only appeared on two of his albums- the original and one other live version (with no horns!!).The sound quality is fair, as I guess you would expect, there is tape hiss, but this is a great addition to anyone's blues collection. I am surprised that Scorsese's "The Blues" does not have a CD of Albert on offer!
   
   This CD was produced by Kevin Eggers who released his double album "Live Blues" for Utopia Records in the mid 1970s (This has been rereleased this year as "Blues From The Road"). This CD is excellent! The versions of his standards sound fresh and there is the tantalizing surprise of his instrumental version of "You Don't Love Me" (from his first full studio LP "Years Gone By"). He includes a 17 minute jam on "Please Come Back To Me" and his "As The Years Go Passing By" is the best version of this tune ever! He is in top form and doesn't even stop the show or complain when there is feedback from the mikes during his performance. This was the Albert who was so influential on blues and guitar in general, the real Albert King. Get this recording, it is the first wholly new selection released from King since 1995. There was the European release of the set "Rainin in California", but that was in the early 1980's and he was with his Fantasy Records band in another groove. This is Albert at age 46 and in top form, how he really played! This CD is essential for blues lovers!

No comments about Electric Blues Doctor Live.

3 comments about On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out.

1. Well Mr. Baldry is selling CD's isn't he. This one has got some really hot licks and vocals. Unfortunatly, it doesn't have the studio version of "Don't try to lay no Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll". That was the reason I bought the CD. After all, that is the only song some of us old rockers ever heard from Mr Baldry. I still haven't found the studio version. I guess it's toss up. Mr Baldry could sell a lot of CD's with The studio version, or he can promote his new stuff with the tickle on the song list. This CD wasn't quit worth the Bucks, but has some pretty good rifs.



2. Not knowing much about Long John Baldry, I took a chance when buying this CD. Here's my tip: make sure you've heard a lot of blues (not just the famous classics) before buying a blues CD. Like so many other Blues favorites Baldry's best songs seem so much un-like his other tunes. They are up-beat and have great sing-along lyrics. However, most of the other stuff on BALDRY'S OUT is repetitive, somewhat off-key, and not catchy at all. It's hard to believe since Baldry's voice is so damn powerful and soul-touching. Maybe that's because most of the songs on the album do what the blues do: utilize lots of instruments and use up a lot of time trying lots of things with them. And that's just not what this non-blues fanatic craves. On the up-side Baldry strikes a cord with "It Ain't Easy," and "Midnight in New Orleans," two amazing hits that make great use of lyrics, backround vocals, and, of course, Baldry's voice. For instance there are the lines- "It Ain't Easy to go ahead when.. you're.. going down!!!", and " Driving down Highway 61, thinking Brother Johnson you are the one..." Overall, these two songs, along with parts of "Stormy Monday Blues," and the infamous 9+ minute "Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King of Rock And Roll" make this CD worthwile. And you gotta love that voice...even when singing German to the Hamburg audience.



3. I have listened to Long John Baldry since I was in high school. Begining with the first time I heard "Don't Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" I was hooked.

   Those who have heard, and who hasn't, Eric Clapton and Elton John, have already heard Long John Baldry without their knowing it. The influence which Long John Baldry has had on their music comes out clearly in the riffs and the words.

   Long John's music shows the influence of some of the greatest blues players that have been around. The vocals are fantastic. The blend of the songs on this album will take you all over blues territory along with a little jazz.

   If you want to go off into blues heaven then I highly recommend this album.

5 comments about Ray Charles Live.

1. Um, er, buy it?
   
   I don't dig horns. This is a horn-centric CD. It is perfect. Ray is/was the man, it's very simple. Endorphin City.



2. The other reviewers are right, this IS the heart & soul of Ray Charles. I first heard the "Live in Newport" half of this CD in 1959 in northern Sweden.A young Swedish girl played it for me. 100's of times. It shaped the way I hear music, set the standard, especially "The Right Time" and "Tell the Truth". Why did Ray stop making this kind of music? Only explanation I can think of is that he was following the market. To tell the truth, I don't know that many people even today who can really relate to it. The Beatles, yes, but these unbelievable songs, no. Seems they just ain't got soul. So it's to nice hear stories of people with whom this music STUCK. It IS music for a lifetime.



3. This album has the best live recordings of Ray's classics "A fool for you" and "Drown in my own Tears". Just those two songs are enough reason to buy the album.



4. The LP begins with The Right Time 4:06 to open one concert; then picks it up again to start off the second concert which was recorded in mono. The first question I looked at was which order works. I have owned the LP for years, but I cannot say which order is accurate - maybe going back to the orginal 2 albums might give a hint.
   
   Either way these live recording match the power of Ray Charles at the height of his powers. It also shows that he has sax skills to match his piano. I saw him do it here in Seattle a couple of times.
   
   So the order is different. If it really irks you, then import them into iTunes and arrange them to match the LP. That's what I did to SGT. Pepper.
   
   The CD is great, but Ray Charles continued to evolve as an artist. Check out The Best of Ray Charles. So I drop a star for dropping and adding and rearranging the CD version. Still, at this price and after seeing RAY, this is where the performances live.



5. As a junior in high school (Druid Hills), I and several of my classmates attended the radio station WAOK 25th anniversary show at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta (1959). The Ray Charles set was one of many. The show was and remains the best I've ever seen, but the performance by Ray Charles, his band and the Raylettes was without equal. The energy of "What'd I Say", "tell The Truth" and "Night Time Is The Right Time" was incredible. The set was recorded on a WAOK monural tape recorder and later played over the air. The response of the radio audience was overwhelming, resulting in the ultimate release of the Atlantic album (which we bought at the Central Record Shop at 5 points, on the day it was released). We were white teenagers who loved the music played on WAOK (a predominately black station) and even then we realized it was never going to get any better than
   Ray Charles on a May 1959 evening. I still can't believe he's gone, but then I crank up "What'd I Say" or "Tell The Truth" and the years melt away...

2 comments about Live at B.L.U.E.S..

1. Younger brother 64 years old of the veteran bluesman Eddie Burns, the Mississippi-born bluesman Jimmy Burns that began playing guitar about the age of ten, has distinguished his modern Chicago blues with some tastefully integrated soul accents and churchy emotionalism. He derived his earliest inspiration from the music of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and others.
   This record `Live at B.L.U.E.S.' really is great, very great, I knew it because I've heard Jimmy in others registers `Leaving here walking' or `Back to the Delta' frankly first class. Returning to the ` live at Blues' all the Blues in the record are very good but it is only fair to emphasize that Lowell Fulson's "Three O'Clock Blues" with Jesse Fortune appearance is absolutely terrific, "Country Boy in the City" is vocal - guitar exhibition, "Miss Annie Lou" typical of his repertorie and very amussing, great and real Chicago Blues with Little Walter's "Can't Hold Out Much Longer", boogie at maximum and explosive guitar with "Better Know What You're Doing" in conclusion a very great register. I recommend it highly and give it 4,5 stars.



2. Younger brother of the veteran bluesman Eddie Burns, the Mississippi-born bluesman has distinguished his modern Chicago blues with some tastefully integrated soul accents. His latest Delmark disc (and DVD) is Live at B.L.U.E.S., the celebrated Chicago club. With his solid band of second guitar, Tony Palmer; Greg McDaniel, bass; and James Carter, drums, Burns launches his live set with what is perhaps his signature song, Leaving Here Walking, with striking guitar and his vocal of leaving and going back to his woman back in Mississippi. Its a crisply delivered performance with a solid solo as well. Mixing in other Burns originals like Better Know What You're Doing and Miss Annie Lou with fresh, interesting reworkings of Little Walter's Can't Hold Out Much Longer, and Elmore James' Wild About You, Baby, Burns showcases his aching, soulful singing with fine playing. Perhaps a few songs go on a bit too long and some solos are more jams over a bass vamp, but this is a live performance after all and is representative of the solid performances by Burns that this writer has seen. A bonus is a guest appearance by Jesse Fortune who is terrific on Lowell Fulson's Three O'Clock Blues which is mis-attributed to B.B. King. There is nearly 70 minutes on the CD and the DVD has an additional two songs for 80 minutes. I have never been the B.L.U.E.S. and wonder if the room is a narrow room with a somewhat small stage as many of the camera angles of the performers are directed upward at the faces or instruments of Burns and band members and not many at eye level and less crowd shots say than the wonderful videos of Mississippi Heat and Tail Dragger. Still the additional songs are not filler and could have been interchanged with some of the songs on the CD without changing the quality of the cd. Thanks Delmark for another solid CD/DVD release.