5 comments about Live in Cook County Jail.

1. BB King had already recorded over 300 songs when this album was recorded. Prime arrangements of some standards and a few lesser known tunes. If you've never seen him live, this is close to it.



2. great fun.takes you into the hall ,the booing of the sheriff and judge sets the tone for a fun gig.foot tapping and air guitar.



3. B. B. King is more than a talented musician and songwriter, he is a phenomenal entertainer as well. He works a crowd like few others with his obvious love for people and his devotion to giving his best. This album captures BB as he is best, live and in action. He does not need light shows or other props to sell his work, he just plays and sings with a style and an infectious joy that few entertainers can match. One of his best albums.



4. Fans often call B.B. King the king of the blues guitar, but if B.B. were only a brilliant guitarist he wouldn't be a household name for decades. B.B. King is also a powerful singer, a terrific interpreter of others' material, an effective bandleader and - most importantly - a thoroughly professional entertainer. You can experience all B.B. King's sides on the "Cook County Jail" CD.
   
   Virtually every cut on the CD is a powerhouse. Although the Cook County Jail setting might lead one to expect that B.B. King would play up the outlaw aspects of the blues (the way that Johnny Cash did with his prison LPs), B.B. takes the opposite approach. He delivers a well-rehearsed and utterly professional show. It must have seemed a revelation to rock fans, as most blues-rock concerts at the time were notoriously sloppy affairs. But it's what we expect from B.B. King. He may define himself as a bluesman, but B.B. applied many lessons learned from tight jazz combos.
   
   For the uninitiated, the strong performances of B.B. King's best-known hits "Sweet Sixteen" and the "Thrill is Gone" will be the selling points, but every track has its delights. For me, the strongest moment comes with "How Blue Can You Get?" Here, we clearly get to experience how B.B. King is able to feed off the energy of a responsive audience, to the point where the inmates are practically bandmembers. When we hear their laughter and applause, we know that B.B. King has won over one of the most difficult audiences to please. Every solo on the CD is well-constructed, and at no time does B.B. allow himself to become self-indulgent.
   
   The CD's short running time is the only deficit. While appropriate for an early 1970s LP, this is one short concert by modern CD standards. It would be nice to see this CD reissued with material cut from the original release (as is the usual trend for live album reissues), but there is no denying this is one of the very few live albums worth revisiting again and again. It belongs in the collection of anyone who truly loves post-war blues.



5. This CD captures the very essence of what makes Blues Boy King the King of the Blues. The power of BB's music thunders througout the CD. This album has the best rendition of "The Thrill is Gone" I have ever heard, and I've heard just about all the versions he has done over the years. You can almost see him crooning to the microphone with his eyes closed, and Lucille gives this song so much more with her solo at the end. If anything buy this CD for the "The Thrill is Gone"; as soon as you get it turn it up, sit down and close your eyes...

No comments about Basil's Bar Blues.

2 comments about Blowin' My Horn.

1. This CD puts a smile on my face and gets me dancing around the living room every time I hear it. GREAT harp, his usual wonderful tone, good arrangements, lots of energy. Mark Hummel knows how to have a good time; at least that's what comes through in his music.
   
   I bought this CD in the "Better Together" duo with the more laid-back "Rolling Fork Re-Visited" (with Johnny Dyer) and that's a good one too. Buy 'em both.



2. With his constant touring, prolific recording, and his annual get-together of all of the great harpists he can find, Hummel is quite likely the way that any new potential fans will discover the instrument. Luckily , he's also a fantastic player.

5 comments about Live at the Regal.

1. So they finally went back and remastered the muddy audio on this classic album! The new sound is fantastic -- clear as a bell. Sadly, while the audio was being cleaned up, no one bothered to clean up the very, very sloppy edits (especially in the second half), such as when the second intro of B.B. (why two separate intros, anyway?) gets abruptly chopped off and goes right into a song that from the background crowd noise came at some other point in the show. If you're going to do a live album, the tracks should at least create the illusion of a live show, especially in this digital era when fade-outs and fade-ins are no longer used, and audience applause can be smoothly edited in to create seamless transitions!
   
   The performance is powerful and this is definitely a 5-star recording that has been royally botched by sloppy and oh-so-obvious edits. In addition, many remasters go back and add in some bonus tracks. If no original source material survives (which may be the case 42 years after this performance!), then something from the era is added as a bonus and the CD is fleshed out to anywhere from 60 to 79 minutes long. Not here. You get the original 35 minutes. No more. No less.
   
   Anyone who's seen what Legacy is doing with classic LPs (adding more to the original CD, plus a second CD of extra material) by Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, The Who, etc., surely have some idea how this great LP could have been updated for the 21st century. What we get is clearer audio, and nothing else. What a disappointment!



2. B.B. King-Live At The Regal *****
   
   Recorded live at the Regal in Chicago in 1964 this went on to become what is now widely considered the all time greatest live blues album. This is rightly deserved as this is in fact the greatest live blues album of all time.
   
   King's single note guitar lines are crisp as ever, and his vocals are beyond comparison. Aside from being obviously his best live recording, Live At The Regal is the best recording of King period. This is with out a doubt the best version of 'Sweet Little Angel' ever released. The essential version is more correct. 'Every Day I Have The Blues' and 'Its My Own Fault' are among some of the most inspired performances ever caught on tape. The albums closer 'Help The Poor' is just gut-wrenching. Pure bliss!
   
   This performance is pure electric. With every passing listen to Live At The Regal I still get chills all down my spine, and if you ask me that is the mark of a fantastic album after all these years and listens.



3. As a Memphis native, I have heard B.B. on many occasions. Never have I seen or hear him play with the same passion he did here in 1964. The quality of the recording is outstanding, with Lucille giving the center-stage on many occasions. The clarity and quality is amazing for a forty year old recording. This is the live B.B. King recording to buy. The Cook County Jail performance from 1971 is a close second, but the quality is not nearly as good.



4. recorded live at the regal theatre, chicago in 1964, this is generally considered b.b. king's best album, and deservedly so. this is simply one of the great urban blues albums of all-time. b.b.'s singing is as powerful and nuanced on this recording as it was ever to be, before or after. his guitar playing is at a peak of expressive beauty here, far more tasteful and beyond the technic, at this point, of what any rock and roll guitarist was yet capable of. yes, the rock and rollers would improve greatly in time, but this was 1964, and King was the undisputed guitar king. a fine horn section, it should be mentioned, also graces the album. the whole affair is magical. a great night in recording history.



5. BB King's Live at the Regal is a recording of a great show performed at the Regal Theater in Chicago in 1965. Considered among many, including myself, as his greatest album its a must for any blues collection. King is at the top of his form and you can hear it in his guitar playing. His band gives their all and, importantly, the song selections are magnificent.
   
   Its a great recording of a great performance. Its also a perfect introduction to the blues for neophytes as well. Highly recommended.

2 comments about Live Recordings 1965-1973.

1. It's not funny if you've never written an Amazon.com review, I guess...but if you do you'll see that it says "Please enter a title for your review", and when I can't come up with one I just do that.
   
   Eh, like you care.
   Anyway, this is one of many live albums featuring Muddy Waters, and while the annotation is only okay, the music itself is very good. The sound is a bit better than on the double-disc "Take A Walk With Me" which features most of the same recordings (so caveat emptor and all that if you already own "Take A Walk With Me"). But it's still not great, especially not on the earliest recordings, and that does detract a little bit from the experience.
   
   Seven of these ten songs are from the mid- and late 60s, including excellent, swinging renditions of "Rock Me", "Walkin' Thru The Park", and "Blow Wind Blow", all of which feature great performances by pianist Joe "Pinetop" Perkins and harpist Carey Bell in particular (and Muddy himself, of course). And Muddy employed a number of excellent, underrated bass players as well...listen to the train track groove laid down by drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and bassist Lawrence "Little Sonny" Wimberly on the 60s tracks, and the lively, liquid bass lines played by Calvin "Fuzz" Jones on the 70s recordings.
   
   Other highlights include a lively "Trouble No More" and a supremely soulful "Long Distance Call", but every track is a gem, really. Most of these songs can be found live elsewhere, like on the superb "Mojo: The Live Collection", "Muddy Waters At Newport", "The Lost Tapes", and Charly's underexposed "Chicago 1979", but this one is certainly a keeper as well.
   Minus one star for the mediocre fidelity, otherwise it's great.



2. I was prepared to be disappointed by this disc. I saw Muddy, Pinetop, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (I can't recall the other players now) play an outdoor show in Southern Illinois when I was just a college kid in the mid '70s. I was simply blown away then, and have kept my eye open for any live Muddy from that period since. When I happened upon this disc, I jumped at the chance to get it, (on half.com by the way), but with serious doubts it could even get close to that mythic show. After the fourth song, "Long Distance Call" (one of three recordings from the '70s; the rest are from 1965-68) I was sold. Although the recordings, especially the earlier ones from the '60s, are low-fi, Muddy's magnificence shines right through. Each song is a gem. Get it if you can.

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

2 comments about The Kershaw Sessions: Live at the BBC.

1. This album is amazing; simply Ted Hawkins with his very rudimentary solo quitar accompaniment. I gather most cuts were recorded at a residence or in radio studios. Nonetheless, the sound quauty is good and the performances come across as heartfelt and "authentic." This music cannot be easily categorized... blues, pop, soul... who cares. The feeling is there. The enunciation of the lyrics is another real strength. Every word comes through and many will break your heart. I do not know which songs Hawkins wrote. Many of them are familiar to me, but even if they are you feel you've heard them for them first time. I bought some other Ted Hawkins albums, some with musician backup and studio recording, but this one comes closest to what is unique about this performer. A cross between Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Sam Cooke, a capella, if you can imagine that.



2. Where do I begin with the praise for this amazing singer? Should i tell you that it brings tears to my eyes? That I get choked up at the sheer beauty, soulfulness, and unparallelled musicality of Ted Hawkins?

   If you love soulful singers, you need this album in your life. The comparisons with Sam Cooke are no b.s. Ted Hawkins was touched by God. There are only a small handful of singers in this category. Some of them: Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Nina Simone, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline.

   I wish to God I had seen this man sing in person.....he will heal your soul with the honey balm of his voice.

3 comments about "Live" As It Gets.

1. Recently got this and sereral other Doug MacLeod CDs from Amazon. As usual,I was not disappointed. Doug MacLeod is the BEST blues man since Dave "Snaker" Ray first came on the scene.
   This live CD is a joy. Juke Logan supplies some tour-de-force harp and Doug gives the best vocals and guitar in bluesdom(is that a word?)....With great songs like the powerful HIGH PRICED WOMAN, GREASE IN MY GRAVY, Juke's HUSTLER in which he does some wonderful Louis Prima style vocals, to the already classic DOOLAH and HEY BARTENDER, you can't go wrong with this album. I only wish I lived near where Doug performs so I could go see him like I used to 40 years ago...Come on back to Norfolk, Doug.
   Do yourself a favor and get this CD. You'll thank me when you do.



2. I had seen these guys performing at BB King's in LA and was happy to see they had captured their onstage magic on tape. They have a great rapport and it shows on this CD....really funny and entertaining. So much blues sounds the same out there, but these guys are unique and stand out.



3. Some of the music lovers complain that the blues is too sad and downbeat. "Live As it Gets" refutes that notion with funny songs,ad-libs,thoughts and introductions. This a one night acoustic blues party from a couple of guys who really play raw music. These are honest songs from a guys perspective talking about everything from a pretty woman "Tight White Pants" to a wife trying to turn her husband into eating health food, "Doug's First Protest Song". This is a good live cd that will get both men and women a few laughs, solidifying we do come from different planets.

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.

5 comments about Rockin' Wild in Chicago.

1. sound quality - not up to today's standards. it makes one think of turning up the stereo and putting the album on the turntable, and hearing those first crackles and pops of something special. don't worry about the sound quality, the tracks themselves are killer, absolutely killer. magic sam is incredible on the guitar. legendary.



2. I have been playing blues for a long time in the same style of Magic Sam, I was even compared to Magic Sam once. I have just about every artist on CD, but hearing Magic Sam live just sends chills down my spine. I have never heard anything like this! This blows away his clean cut albums "West Side Soul" and "Black Magic". Since Robert Johnson I have yet to hear anything so impassioned as Magic Sam on "Live In Anarbor" and this album. This doesn't exist anymore, everyone is copying now!! It is sad that the only reason great albums like this exposing the hot Chicago music scene at the time exist now only because he died so young. Wish "Just a Little Bit" this type of music was avalable from that time when the live scene was hot in Chi town in the 60's. Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Lonnie Brooks...



3. I first bought Magic Sam's record in 1984. It was the "Live at Ann Arbor & In Chicago" album and I was 18 years old, only in my 5th year of playing guitar. I definitely hadn't seen him perform live so I can't make any comparison. But I never had any complains about the sound quality with that album and neither with this one. For crying out loud, we're talking about blues music in the '60 folks. To those who complain about the poor sound quality, I'd like to suggest listening to the Rolling Stones' first live album from 1966. And I'm not just saying it's because of the screaming. Even a band like the Stones becoming #1 at the charts competing with the Beatles in those days, couldn't have released a live record with better sound quality.
   
   Before purchasing this CD from amazon, I read all the reviews. But when I actually palyed the CD I had forgotten which tracks were the "terrible" ones. After listening to the first track I thought it was going to get worse. But it didn't at all.
   
   This is another very important sound source of a great legend who had to pass away before seeing today's technology. I'd rather appreciate it and savor every moment to actually try and capture how it must have been if I were there in front of him myself.
   
   I don't remember in which of the two live albums' reviews it was, but someone wrote that people should listen to the studio albums. But why ? Why miss out all the raw excitement of live performance ? All that power and energy that you can actually feel from Magic Sam's live records (CDs) is a true Blues experience outside the live joints downtown. Just close your eyes and feel it. I myself rarely listen to his studio stuff.
   
   Someone also wrote that the "Magic" was gone by this time and Sam is doing the same thing over and over again. What's wrong with that ? It was his style of the moment which we should appreciate to actually have this chance to experience.
   
   Maybe today's high technology is spoiling us in a way. But all the noise you hear from the CD, is also part of this recording. I at least, can feel the air. And you can too because it's not so hard. For those who complain but still have this CD, just get used to it. It's worth it.



4. I don't know how anybody can give five stars for this album. The sound quality for the first eight songs is really bad. Far worse than usual delmark live records from the 60s and 70s. The second half is about the same sound as comparable CDs by Jimmy Dawkins or Otis Rush, but still a little worse.
   This makes it impossible to enjoy the first half of the CD, while the second half is allright. If you're a completist, you'll go for this one, otherwise, I think there are better albums to enjoy Magic Sam's wild West Side Blues



5. I assume you already love West Side Soul and Black Magic, or you wouldn't be reading this far along in the reviews. Don't let the sound quality turn you off, this is classic, beautiful Sam at his best; some phenomenal talent and showmanship that you're obviously not going to get anywhere else. Here you can enjoy listening to what so many others learned from him (and what he learned from the great guitarists of his time). The live takes are priceless; the ladies are screaming to get up on stage and touch this magic man and his guitar. The recording at the Copa (tracks 1-8) sounds like an old mono deck set in the middle of a gym. Delmark did a service to the listener in putting better and better sounding recordings as you get deeper into this CD. I've got Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Richie Valens recordings that sound a lot worse and I still love them (not to mention Robert Johnson's for crying out loud). If you love 60's blues guitar, and if your a fan of anything played by Freddie King, Albert Collins, Robert Nighthawk, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Luther Allison et al, trust me, you're going to love adding this Magic Sam recording to your collection. In these performances, you also get a taste of sax players Eddie Shaw and A.C. Reed, and others performers "back in the day".