2 comments about Blues at Montreux.

1. King Curtis was a sax player extraordinaire. His soulful playing can be heard on tunes by the Coasters, Nina Simone, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, the Beatles, Duane Allman and Aretha Franklin to name but a few. Champion Jack Dupree was a self proclaimed "barrelhouse piano player" who learned to play as a teenager in brothels and speakeasies.
   
   Champion Jack recorded approximately 74 albums in his lifetime with his best being "Blues From The Gutter". For this particular recording, King Curtis was in Montreux in 1971 to back up Aretha Franklin and Champion Jack was on hand for a solo performance. The collaboration of the two was one of those unexpected impromptu decisions that made history. The sax of King Curtis is jazzy and soulful and when combined with the rollicking piano of Champion Jack, creates the atmosphere of a late night jazz session in New Orleans. Dupree's "Junker Blues" never sounded grittier and "Sneaky Pete", a song about wine that sells for 50 cents a gallon, is given new life with the addition of Champion Jack's piano. Sadly, Champion Jack asks at the beginning of the CD "I wonder what I will be doing in 1999?" Neither man lived to see it. Champion Jack died January 21, 1992, in Hanover Germany and King Curtis was murdered outside his New York apartment just three months after this recording. If you like sax and barrelhouse piano, this CD is first rate.



2. A great jam featuring my favorite horn player Curtis Ousley and the for-real piano blues of Champion Jack. This recording might have been heard live in a bar with 4 people there, (all ex-wifes), outside at someones wedding, or in a stadium with 20,000 screaming fans. Nothing pretentious, and great tunes. A good representation by all.

1 comments about Louisiana Live from Mountain Stage.

1. An album for music lovers who want to be near the Mountain Stage , but it's impossible.My body is in Greece but my heart (and ears) are in Louisiana.

1 comments about Vintage Live: 1975.

1. This is early Rod Piazza. He was young and full of energy. Here on this live set we see him burn through plenty of tracks a la Paul Butterfield. Although many people get tired of that kind of blues, you can't go wrong. It will always sound good. Rod also has a good band playing with him. One of whom is Larry Taylor on bass who played with John Mayall on the "Jazz Blues Fusion" and "USA Union" albums. If you are a true Piazza fan then you don't need convincing and if you want a good solid blues harp album, pick this up, it is tough stuff.

No comments about Made in Germany.

No comments about Live In Detroit With Howard Glazer And The El 34s.

3 comments about Live in Japan.

1. This album, along with TEASING YOU and SOUL'S EDGE, feature Snooks at the top of his game. He has one of the baddest rhythm sections around, the George Porter Jr. Trio, backing him up on all three of those records. If you love american R'n'B, Soul and Classic Blues you will love this record. Snooks is ferocious on guitar and the opening cut "Quaker City" features some of the most interesting and deeply felt Blues guitar you will ever hear. But, besides all the amazing guitar work, it is the warmth and joy in this man's heart which comes through strongest. You can't help but feel his passion and joy for life in this CD. Buy it if you want to feel good about life.



2. Excellent live album - makes you feel like you are there! Guitar sounds great in a variety of settings. Very different from most of your average blues albums.



3. One of the most spectacular practicioners of the lost art of rhythm guitar(to say nothing of his lead work), Snooks can literally burn up the fretboard. He is a living repository of 1000's of tunes and a link to a type of traditional singing and playing that died with the advent of modern recording technology. To call this music 'blues' or 'soul' is a disservice, labels cannot contain the music of Snooks Eaglin.

No comments about Groundhog Night: Groundhogs Live.

2 comments about It's a Blues Thing.

1. this is an fantastic album...the real ray...with a voice deranged ( " sconvolgente " ), sing songs fabulouses .great " A girl i used to know " ...very terrific!!! mauro from italy



2. Many Ray Charles fans might not even know this album exists. It is on a small label and information about it is not readily available. The liner notes give a glowing review of the concert, but do not offer any information on the location or date.

   This concert was most likely was recorded in 1968 or 1969. Based on the guttural but strong sound of Ray's voice and the setlist, consisting of tunes he recorded from the early 1960s to late 60s, we already have clues that the concert dates from at least the late 60s. He plays two tunes from his 1968 release, "A Portrait of Ray" ("Eleanor Rigby" and "I Won't Leave"). In Michael Lydon's recent biography, "Ray Charles--Man and Music," he writes of some 1967 Las Vegas shows which included "the band, the Raelets, Billy Preston, and Ray." During the opening Ray's rendition of "Let's Go Get Stoned," we can listen as Ray talks briefly about how he sometimes feels lonely despite being around 1,000 people. Ray continues preacher-style, "When I feel like that...what I do...I call up Mr. Billy Preston and I say...," then starts in with the chorus. Thus, we can deduce that Preston is playing organ during this concert. According to Lydon, the Ray Charles Show, as it was called, went on the road and continued through at least 1968, probably into 1969 (Lydon writes, "Billy Preston wouldn't be back in 1970...").

   This album is a hidden treasure for several reasons:

   1) This is the only known live recording from this era of Ray's career.

   2) This is the only known recording of Ray playing any of the included songs.

   3) Ray is in amazing voice, singing, during this period, in a gruff style that sounds drastically different from just a few years before and after. It is a snapshot taken as his voice was maturing beyond the softer, innocent sound from his Atlantic and early ABC years.

   4) Ray heavily features Billy Preston's soulful and wise organ playing. This gives way to #5...

   5) "A Girl I Used to Know", with Billy's organ surrounding Ray's voice and piano, becomes an entirely different, more powerful, church-influenced tune than the studio version. Ray gives it the same treatment as he has often given other live versions of ballads (think of the 6 minute version of "Drown in My Own Tears" or the 7 minute edition of "A Fool For You" from "Ray Charles Live"), slowing it down to squeeze every bit of emotion from every single note played and every single word sung. Ray leads us on a journey as he weaves in and out of softly stated, emotionally quivering verses and gospel-drenched screams. It is one of the greatest, inspired performances in Ray's catalog.

   The only blip on this recording is a 15:29 straight blues medley with Esther Phillips singing lead vocals. I have my doubts that this actually took place during one of Ray's shows. The sound consistency seems to change slightly, and there is no evidence that Ray nor Billy is playing behind her. Plus, the audience sounds more sparse--for the only time, you can hear the individual yells and applause of people reacting to Phillips, as opposed to the full indistinguishable crowd noise that marks the rest of the disc. It sounds as if the audience for Phillips is in a blues bar and Ray's audience is in an auditorium.

   There is one other track where Ray invites a singer by the name of Sister Clydie (possibly a Raelet?) to sing the lead exclusively on "Ode to Billy Jo," but we hear Ray introducing the singer and the sound of this recording is consistent with the songs that Ray sings. There is no such introduction on this record for Esther Phillips. Ray's fans are unlikely to be disappointed by Sister Clydie's feature. Esther Phillips performance, however, seems to be of a lower quality, as well as different style, than what Ray was likely to feature. Although I can not prove without a doubt that Phillips' medley has nothing to do with Ray's concert, this type of inclusion has been known to occur with small record labels issues in the past.

   Esther Phillips' performance, along with Sister Clydie's, makes up 22:14 minutes of this recording. With the full album clocking at 44:48, that leaves Ray singing for only 22:34, half the album.

   Despite the short time we hear Ray singing, his playing and singing, along with Preston's and the rest of the band's, is so rich (and rare) that "It's a Blues Thing" is a must-buy for all of Ray's fans. Ray's contributions taken alone are 5 stars, however, Phillips' drawn-out, unremarkable medley, along with Ray's short time at center stage, weighs the album down.

   The tracklisting:
   1) Eleanor Rigby (3:26)
   2) Let's Go Get Stoned (3:19)
   3) Crying Time (3:28)
   4) You Are My Sunshine (3:30)
   5) Esther Phillips guest Medley: Monolog / You Must Be Crazy / Long John Blues / Jelly Jelly Jelly (15:29)
   6) A Girl I Used to Know (4:31)
   7) Ode to Billy Jo (Sister Clydie) (6:45)
   8) I Won't Leave (4:05)

1 comments about Sassy Mama!.

1. A energetic jump blues session with Mama shoutin' the blues withh all the sass of Dinah Washington combined with Big Maybelle!!! This cd is full of energy and rockin' rhythm. Fun session taht finds Mama in particularly fine form! A fun party cd!

4 comments about Sound of Jazz: The Memorable 1957 Telecast.

1. Suprinsingly enough, the music that was performed and recorded in front of the cameras was of a much higher quality and excitement, and this applies to all of the performers, some of which are not even found on the Columbia CD: the Basie band, Billie's All Stars, Red Allen, the Monk trio... So I suggest you try to get a hold of the truly original soundtrack (The legendary Sound of Jazz telecast, Label: Bandstand, BDCD1517, Italy 1990, ASIN: B000001BC5). Unfortunately, this CD and the actual CBS footage (Sound of Jazz-Complete Edition, Format: Import, NTSC, DVD Release Date: July 5, 2005, ASIN: B0007D4MO0) are currently unavailable on amazon.



2. I think this is an excellent and probably unique recording for those who love jazz. But - this is not the original telecast, as its sub-title - "The Memorable 1957 Telecast featuring...." seems to hint. This is a recording made some days before and featuring a number of alternative personnel. Where were Monk and Mulligan? The owner of the original video tape has a responsibility to put out a companion to this CD, to compliment it, warts and all - like Allen's and Rushing's monologues, the big bands ragged starts, and Allen's quacking at the beginning of his two pieces. The video must surely contain one of the most poignant little solos by Lester Young, and not his sorry statements on this CD.



3. Nostalgic, romantic, bittersweet, enduring, Triumphant! The meaning of Life is expressed vocally and musically by these artist. The passion of Billie Holiday. The bittersweet storytelling in a phrase by Lester Young. The power of Coleman Hawkins. The fire of Roy Eldridge. The sensual romanticism of Ben Webster. The way your heart is lifted with wings when you hear them. Music such as this speaks to the silent voice in your soul, the unutterable voice, that pains or Life may have stifled but can never deafen. Clap hands, souls sing, foot stomp, smiles/eyes beam.



4. I was fortunate to actually view the live blackand white television performance of this great-est of all time jam session by the greatest jazzmusicians of our time. The video tape of thisevent is available but unfortunately the qualityis poor. However, it is well worth the price tosee and hear these "cats" perform.