5 comments about Live on Beale Street.

1. Much has been made about Bobby Bland's voice not being what it once was. He is still one of the great ones, and if one weren't aware how truly extraordinary he once was, listening to him now wouldn't be quite so depressing. But, except for the occasional trademark phlegm induced growl he'll let out, he is still great. This CD was recorded at the New Daisy Theatre in Memphis where Bland made a name for himself. He is in good form as is his solid rhythm section. The real treat is that for recording purposes Bland and Malaco Records added a keyboard player to his regular band. They got renowned songwriter and session man Carson Whitsett, who played on several Bland albums as Malaco's band leader. Whitsett is absolutely terrific. His B-3 organ work really adds life to this concert, especially since Bland's horn section unfortunately gets worse and worse as the show progresses.

   Southern Soul fans will be delighted as "Bad" Bobby Rush and Johnnie Taylor join Bland on stage. Rush is typically hilarious, and J.T., in one of his last appearances, shows what an absolute superstar he was as he belts out the Bland staple "Stormy Monday".

   Among the highlights are three songs that appeared on Bland's 1961 landmark Two Steps From the Blues album: "I Pity the Fool", "St. James Infirmary", and the wonderful "I'll Take Care Of You". The band is especially tight on Tommy Tate's and Cookie Palmer's "Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time" originally released on Malaco in 1987. Another great moment is Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine". Somewhat ironically, the original was produced by Booker T. Jones, who also played on it. Whitsett, whose playing as the song ends is almost epic, replaced Jones for a while with the MGs.

   All and all, this is an excellent live Blues show that holds up very well amongst the recordings of the legendary Bobby "Blue" Bland. It is also available on VHS and DVD.




2. ...superlatives fail me. You just gotta hear it/gotta have it. A masterful Beale Street performance of (the classics and the 'Malaco moderns') Bobby Blue Bland and his revue. Blues you can use. Do not, do not, do not miss out...



3. How long have we been waiting for this? Bobby Bland with his overwhelming band LIVE ON BEALE STREET? I am a blues fan from Germany who saw Bobby several times in the States, in Chicago and New York City. Bobby is without doubt the greatest blues singer and he proves this on this occasion. Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Rush, longtime chitlin-curcuit friends round the great recording up. Only negative side: Bobby, please look for a different horn section!! They are not in tune on this CD and not on other concerts. 5 stars for the atmosphere, the sound , the rhythm-section (10 stars!!!) and the star, only 2 stars for the horns. Nevertheless that' s the stuff dreams are made of.



4. Bobby is and always will be the greatest Man of Blues. Live on B. Street is running a close second to an actual appearance by this great and hypnotic story teller. Ain't no sunshine...Members only...all of the greatest with a little help from Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Rush welcomed but unneccesary. Bobby has the style and sound of something so soothing and warm. I recently enjoyed seeing Bobby in Mpls and he is looking and sounding better than ever before. Keep it up, hear!



5. After seeing Bobby live for the first time in Mpls in 1993 I have been hooked on Bobby- I recently saw Bobby Nov.' 98 and this album is the closest thing to being at his show. There is nothing better than Bobby live. Bobby doesn't need help, however he gets a little help on this album from a few greats Johnny Taylor - Bobby Rush. Live on B. Street is melodic, strong and soothin - Thank you Bobby.

2 comments about Live and Cookin' at Alice's Revisited.

1. This is vintage wolf. His long time sax player, eddie shaw, and of course hubert on guitar really smoke. This cd has great sound (for 1972) , remastered, and in stereo. Wolf's voice never did suffer even the following the year after a car accident. Well worth the price-my favorite wolf cd, with "real folk blues" a second. Combine with magic sam's "Black Magic" make for some rockin' blues



2. This album has been quite hard to get a hold of for a while, but here it is, remastered and featuring Howlin' Wolf backed by his powerful early-70s combo, the Wolf Gang, which included guitarists Hubert Sumlin and L.V. Williams, bassist Dave Myers, drummer extraordinaire Fred Below, legendary piano player Sunnyland Slim, and saxist Eddie Shaw.
   
   Wolf himself was in his early sixties at the time this recording was made, and starting to suffer from ill health, but he could still rise to his former heights when it came to winning over an audience.
   This album was originally issued on LP in 1972, and featured eight songs. Two excellent bonus tracks were added when it was re-released on CD, extending the running time to just under 65 minutes, and Wolf and his band sound thoroughly inspired all the way through. Howlin' Wolf doesn't perform any of his classic hits, but once you slip this disc into your CD player and turn up the volume you will hardly notice. These powerful live versions of songs like the driving "I Didn't Know", Big Bill Broonzy's "I Had A Dream" (in a thumping high-octane rendition), and the gritty "Don't Laugh At Me" are every bit as great as any Willie Dixon-penned R&B hit.
   Opening with the eight-minute "When I Laid Down I Was Troubled", Wolf and the band swagger through one blues powerhouse after another, mostly mid-tempo numbers with a few slow grinds thrown in for good measure, like the supremely funky "The Big House". Wolf's vocal performance on that one is one of his best ever; he stretches out comfortably for over seven minutes, singing certain verses he likes two or three times as the band locks in with deadly authority. And the other bonus cut, "Mr Airplane Man", is Wolf working his one-riff voodoo for all it's worth, a swinging, soulful sax riff and a groove deep enough to get lost in.
   
   You won't find a tougher, more enjoyable live blues record anywhere. Muddy's Newport album is great, and so is John Lee Hooker's "Live At The Café Au Go Go (And Soledad Prison)", but this pulsating steam engine is live blues at its very best and grooviest. The sound is not truly stellar, in spite of the remastering, but once you turn it up and start rocking back and forth in your seat with your eyes closed, you won't care one bit.

No comments about Raw.

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 Where Have You Been? Live in Montreux 1976-1994.

1. Due to the fact that Chicago blues great, Luther Allison, had to flee Chicago to earn a living playing da blues, (See earlier Shaq Review!) the famed Montreux Jazz festival became his stage. Included on this CD are nothing but "live" performances from this venue covering the years 1976-1994. Every cut is great, so you can't miss with this selection, but let me point out a few extra ordinary highlights! I have heard many performances of "Little Red Rooster", and this performance by Luther is the absolute best. It is 11 minutes and 30 seconds long, and every second, is a gift. No one has ever performed "The Sky Is Crying" live, better than Stevie Ray Vaughn, and in Shaq's opinion, Albert King is second. But, this performance by Luther, highlighted with a slide guitar, is a different approach, and interestingly, enjoyable. And how "bitter sweet", must it have been, for Luther, under self-exile, in Europe, to earn a decent living, singing, "Sweet Home Chicago!" This CD is a must, for any true electric blues enthusiast!



2. Fans of the blues have always been blessed to have the Montreux Jazz Festival since it has produced a huge number of classic performances with just about every great blues artist. When comparing Luther to his fellow Chicago bluesmen, his sound is more similar to Buddy Guy than Muddy Waters due to his raw, energetic, & frenzied guitar solos. Just about everybody has recorded Willie Dixon's 'Gambler's Blues,' but Luther's version recorded at Montreux back in '76 absolutely smokes. His extended version of 'Little Red Rooster' heats things up with the same intensity. 'Bad News is Coming' recorded in '84 & 'Bad Love' recorded in '94 are two other fiery tracks. I also highly recommend Luther's 'Live in Chicago' CD (recorded in '97). Between the two live CD's, they encompass the majority of Luther's best work.



3. Luther Allison was one of those artists that seemed to play better live than in the studio. This CD is compiled with performances over almost 20 years. Even though some of the material is very familiar, Luther has a fresh take on the songs and he delivers all of them with a lot of energy. There's really not a weak cut on the disc and for those of us who never saw Luther in concert, this is a great memento. Many of the cuts feature some fine jams and the disc is a very generous length also.



4. The day I saw Luther Allison play live changed me forever. For months after that I practiced the guitar for hours every day, hoping one day to approach his skill level. This is the kind of performer Luther Allison is. This album comes in a close second to his stunning "Live in Chicago". Fans of blues standards may even prefer this one, because it contains his takes on "Sweet Home Chicago", "Little Red Rooster", and "The Sky is Crying", just to name a few. I'll miss Luther to the day I die. He was one of the greatest bluesmen ever. Check out his son, Bernard Allison. His style is different, more Stevie Ray/Jimi influenced, but every bit as exciting and dynamic as his father's.



5. tome this is the greatest live blues recording the late great luther allison,this cd contains versions of sweet home chicago,same thing,gamblers blues to name a few,luthers guitar playing is at the top of his game,if you love luther this a the live video from paradise is great.

1 comments about Live at B.B. King's.

1. Having acquired both "It Ain't Easy" and "Money Road" a while ago, I was pleasantly surprised to come across this rather obscure album, which I scooped-up immediately, in a small CD shop in Mendocino, CA (of all places!). While there are those who feel that the Radio Kings' sound is derivative of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, I would say that their sound is cleaner and purer, i.e. more to the core of this type of Blues. The Blasters and Roomful of Blues are on this continuum, and then farther towards rock would be the Smoking Joe Kubek. Tasty!

3 comments about Live at the Gaslight.

1. This is a very good, live, albeit relaxed, McDowell album. I prefer his acoustic recordings to this disc. The song selection on these two discs is a bit more oriented towards newcomers to the Blues than it is to hardcore fans. For instance, we don't get songs like "I Worked Old Lu and I Worked Old Bess" on this disc. There is no bad Fred McDowell album, but I prefer his Arhoolie work to this disc. "Mercy" and "John Henry" are wonderful.



2. These discs should go a long way toward solidifying Fred McDowell's reputation as a Delta legend. His playing is fluid, his singing filled with power. I found the second set even better than the first; Fred's chemistry with the audience and the sheer brilliance of his music made for an electric performance. The quality of the recording is superb. Don't miss this one.



3. Mississippi Fred is among my 5 favorite blues masters of all time. His playing defines blues slide guitar. ''Live at the Gaslight'' finds Fred at the top of his game - it's as if he knew this was going to be his very last recording. He plays his butt off. His singing is intense. This is a great collection of songs. Sound quality is superb - it sounds like Fred is in your living room. This is a great way to relive a show I would give a million dollars to have been at. A double disc full of gems! I would highly recommend this disc...

1 comments about Live at Antone's, Vol. 1.

1. I just returned from a live performance by the "living legend" of Boogie Woogie. Prior to my trip from San Antonio to Antones blues clup in Austin to See Mr Perkins perform, I gave this CD a listen. This recording truly captures the ambiance of the Austin blues club that has been the "Fort Apache" of the blues south of Chicago. Pinetops personable performance on the recording is exactly the way it is if you were standing next to the piano (as I was). "Big fat Mama" tends to stand out as my favorite boogie woogie tunes done by Mr. P, though his others such as "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" with it's halts in the progression by Pinetop instructing "Stop!, dont you turn a page" This performance was recorded when Pinetop was 86 years old. He is 88 now and still rocks those keys as if he were 20. I couldn't help but tell Mr P "Pinetop, you the Best!"

No comments about Chicago Blues Session, Vol. 18: Live on the Road.

No comments about Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge.