1 comments about Black Top Blues-A-Rama, Vol. 2.

1. nappy brown, earl king, ronnie earl, james "thunderbird" davis, live sets, hot mic, the crackle of the speakers, sizzling blues guitars, whiskey smooth voices, something for everyone.

1 comments about Black Top Blues-A-Rama, Vol. 1.

1. juicy live blues cd! starting off with sam myers and anson funderburgh. sam on the harp and that voice that makes people turn their heads and go towards the stage. anson makes the guitar a part of him as he puts out riffs and solos that leave you in awe. both ron levy and grady gaines put on a good set. a nice variety of blues, makes you wish you were there when they recorded it.

5 comments about Hoochie Coochie Man.

1. I got into Muddy Waters by first discovering Jimmy Rogers, his old guitarist's music and was amazed by it. So I decided to check out some Muddy Waters stuff, got this CD and it was awesome!
   
   Of course this album has his classic hit Baby Please Don't Go on it, so that makes it amazing already. I understand this is a live album, so that makes it even better. And the sound is spectacular.



2. After years of listening to Muddy's blues classics,countless recordings,with raw blues energy,(which Muddy is the master),I must say this is one "LIVE" cd I keep coming back to for it's pure laid back feeling. Outstanding recording quality adds to the enjoyment of this "live" small setting. A great,-late night- audio listening experience. A -must have- for Muddy fans and all real blues fans alike! Get this cd!



3. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know much at all about the blues, but Muddy Waters is arguably the best blues great with which to begin one's education in the subject. This revolutionary talent has influenced countless singers and songwriters ever since the day he first came to Chicago in the 1940s. It was Jimi Hendrix's electrifying performance of the song Hoochie Coochie Man that led me to Muddy Waters, an artist I had frankly never heard of before. After enjoying his music and reading a little bit about him, I was pretty surprised to know just how influential he was, is, and always will be. By way of an example or two, Led Zeppelin's song Whole Lotta Love is a reworking of a 1962 Muddy Waters number called You Need Love written by the great Willie Dixon, and the Rolling Stones actually named their band after Waters' 1950 recording Rollin' Stone. Suffice it to say that far more than merely blues artists have been influenced by this legendary performer. Waters was born McKinley Morganfield, the son of a sharecropper, in the Mississippi delta. His discovery is a terrific story in and of itself, but the real story of Muddy Waters played out in Chicago, where he revolutionized Chicago blues with his revolutionary slide guitar playing and impassioned vocals.

   This particular album is a live recording of Muddy Waters made in 1964. As another reviewer has pointed out, there are an unbelievable total of four mistakes on the track listing; the fact that such an important album from 1964 can still be released with one-third of its tracks listed incorrectly frankly boggles my mind. If you're keeping score, replace Sittin' and Thinkin', Sweet Little Angel, All Night Long, and Early Mornin' Blues with Tiger in Your Tank, Trouble No More, Rollin' and Tumblin', and I Feel Like Going Home, respectively. When you are talking about Muddy Waters, though, individual song titles aren't that important - that's how impressive all of the music on this CD really is. Backing him up are the remarkable Otis Spann on piano, George Smith on saxophone, Sammy Lawhorn on guitar, Luther Johnson on bass, and Frances Clay on drums. The songs, all written by Muddy Waters, range from "woe is me" slow blues such as Country Boy to hard-driving, rocking numbers such as Hoochie Coochie Man and Tiger in Your Tank. If you want to know what a slide guitar sounds like, just listen to Rosalie or County Jail in particular; it's quite a distinctive sound. Blues piano is exemplified by Spann's performance on songs such as 19 Years Old and Baby Please Don't Go.

   The advent of rock and roll overshadowed Waters to some degree, and his career endured some ups and downs during the 1960s, but he proves he still had it in spades in this 1964 performance (although I should add that the sound quality here is far from pristine in places). When he is really cooking on tracks such as Tiger In Your Tank, County Jail, and Long Distance Call, and the crowd is going wild, you know you are hearing the blues the way it was meant to be sung.




4. I hate to put down anything Muddy has done, but truthfully, this is the worst album of his I have ever heard. Whoever is playing bass on the first 5 or 6 songs is completely out of key, and doesn't appear to know the changes. The sound quality of the recording is very poor too. Muddy Waters does have some GREAT live albums but this is not one of them. Instead of this listen to LIVE AT NEWPORT, or MUDDY WATERS LIVE.



5. This is the blues. Before this I had never heard any blues music. But my mom went and got me this, because Muddy tought my mom how to play the guitar. This is one of the greatest music genres ever! I fell instantly in love with this Cd. It's the best! Buy it! Trust me, you won't be dissapointed.

5 comments about How Blue Can You Get? : Classic Live Performances, 1964-1994.

1. I was stunned and very happy to find this live "best of" set, when I had been debating about which of BB's many classic live albums I should get (all I knew was that "live at the regal" and "cook county jail" are essential). Well I picked this up, and it is truly a marvelous collection of what I consider his best stuff. With this collection, I don't need to buy all of the live albums, I can have the good stuff confined to 2 discs. I recommend this to any music fan as an essential collection of the greatest living guitarist and blues singer today. It is truly a complete collection that is well worth the listen.



2. All the best live albuns are those which brings a complete show, with something special and different from a studio recording (B.B. King recorded two historic live albuns, "Live In Cook County Jail" and "Live at Regal"). This is why a collection of live recordings sounds a little bit strange. But we are talking about B.B. King, a legend of music and a great entertainer, and this album brings a good sample of his energy and charism in stage. This album covers a wide range of years in King's career, and it's a good introduction for those who are starting to appreciate blues.



3. Unbelievably scorching 2CD set of the best live blues you're likely to hear in your entire life--as most of the other reviewers allude to, the first CD is the killer; ostensibly because it covers B.B.'s early years.

   It's especially useful for those of us who don't fancy the idea of buying every single one of his live albums due to limited budgets, and it's equally useful in a 'greatest hits-live' notion.

   The second disc suffers a bit by comparison--the duets come off as novelty status at best, but that doesn't mean B.B. isn't phenomenal for his part. Check out 'Sweet Little Angel', 'Don't Answer the Door', and 'Worry, Worry' for a classic blues primer.




4. This 2-CD set is full of classic blues numbers performed exquisitely by BB. All performances are live and that adds to the excitement and sheer beauty of the music. Every number, on both CDs are worth listening to. Most of the music, specially on CD one, is superb. Stuff like, "Sweet Little Angel", "Buzz Me", and "Baby Get Lost" evoke sheer joy. The number two CD is not quite as good as the first simply because there are duets with other artists. However, if you want to listen to great blues music and sample the work of an American great don't hesitate to get this set.



5. This is great big band B.B. The classics, like Chains and Things and The Thrill is Gone, are a little heavier than their studio counterparts, and they sound great. But an even better argument in favor of this two-disc set is that there isn't one bad song. Some are better than others, but they're all good.

   Great for B.B. fans, spectacular for those that want to be. Enjoy.

1 comments about Live at Tipitina's '78.

1. This magnificent live recording of the great New Orleans pianist Tuts Washington is a classic in every sense of the word. The music is of the highest quality; the setting - on stage at Tipitina's - is historically, culturally and historically pivotal....and,the ambience is about as funky as it is possible to get. The sound quality is far from hi-fi. Washington performs on an old, beat-up piano which is seriously out of tune, but that only adds to the atmosphere, and enhances the listening experience. In many ways, this record is far better than the "...Piano Professor" cd from Rounder, especially when the elements mentioned above are taken into consideration. Listening to this cd is like taking a giant leap into a lost period in time - which still is close enough in history to have shaped the rest of New Orleans music in fundamental ways. This is a recording to cherish. The fact that it is once more available gives reason to celebrate. Beer, anyone?

2 comments about Live Book...Don't Start Me Talkin'....

1. An excellent album by a virtuoso guitarist and master raconteur. Roy Book Binder is one of the best blues musicians playing today. His live performances are outstanding, and this CD is an excellent introduction to his work. It also features a guest appearance by Jorma Kaukonen (of Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane).



2. Roy Bookbinder is the real thing. His acoustic blues is treasure. I'm lucky to have seen him in person, in the best possible venue; a small bar where you can sit right up front and listen to him tell his stories and play. Too much! This album does a really good job of capturing the live Bookbinder.

No comments about The Iceman at Mount Fuji.

1 comments about Were You There - Live 1966.

1. Club-goers favourites Zoot Money's Big Roll Band recorded as they were meant to be heard - live and in person. Recorded in early 1966, shortly before the recording session that produced their second UK LP ZOOT! and their debut US LP, this one is a knock-out. It shows the group running the gamut of their band-book; Hammond organ driven soul-jazz, slow blues, and energetic R&B and Soul work-outs. The musicianship is quite notable, especially the sax section, and both Zoot and Paul Williams turn in great vocal performances. All this PLUS a guest appearance by the sensation (but under-rated, if not virtually unknown) Herbie Goins! Recorded at Dick Jordan's Klook's Kleek club in North London, this one is a sweat-soaked, wear-out-your-loafers must.

1 comments about Live at Breninale 92.

1. i'm doing this from memory, so pls bear with me: pat ford, drums; stanley poplin, bass;andy just, harp;john wedemeyer, guitar. the arrangements of cover tunes, e.g. "Take Out Some Insurance", sport riveting themes, the originals are genuine, solos are world-class virtuoso deals, solid vocals. one of my favorite live albums of the past few years.

4 comments about Live at Winterland Ballroom '73.

1. I have been a Buttrfield fan since I saw him at the Café Au Go Go in NYC in the 1960's.
   I go out of my way to collect anything that he had done and this CD was one I had not seen.
   It was well-recorded but the band and the performance were uninspiring.



2. Great performance by one of the best bands ever. Shows Better Days at their best!



3. This is an absolute great live album. The sound is great and Butterfield's Better Days Band are in excellent form. I wonder why this never came out in the domestic market so it could be better availiable. This is one album that should be bought for all Butterfield fans. The vocals are first rate and it includes an introduction by Bill Graham. Too bad the whole show which included Mike Bloomfield was not released. Get this now--just a click away.



4. This is a tight, well played live set from Paul Butterfield's last and perhaps finest band, Better Days. Better Days consisted of Butterfield on harp and vocals, Geoff Muldaur on keys, guitar, and vocals, Ronnie Barron on piano and vocals, legendary studio musician Amos Garrett on lead guitar, Bill Rich on bass and Christopher Parker on drums. Better Days was relatively short-lived, releasing only two studio albums on the Bearsville label in 1973 and 1974. This set is a very welcome addition to their body of recorded work. Better Days was one of the rare bands made up of veteran musicians who brought a wide variety of musical backgrounds and experiences into a seamless mix. Paul Butterfield was a harp player second to none; he certainly merits inclusion in the short list of harmonica greats, along with Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter Jacobs, Junior Wells and a few others. His gritty vocals brought a strong Chicago-blues component to the Better Days sound. Geoff Muldaur was a veteran of the east-coast blues school, having played with Jim Kweskin and also releasing several fine albums his then-wife, Maria Muldaur. Geoff played rhythym and slide guitar and keyboards with Better Days, in addition to sharing the vocal work with Butterfield and Ronnie Barron. Barron, a New Orleans native, played piano and sang with a deep and beautiful cajun sound. Amos Garrett was a well respected studio musician who had played with Kweskin, Geoff and Maria Muldaur, and others. His solo on Maria's hit "Midnight at the Oasis" is widely considered a masterpiece by guitarists. Garrett was probably the finest guitarist to play with Butterfield since Michael Bloomfield left the original Butterfield Band in 1967. Better Days was reminiscent of their Woodstock neighbors, The Band, in several respects. Each group had three strong lead vocalists who could easily have carried their own band. In addition, each group was comprised of veteran players who knew enough to sublimate their egos to the music---there is no showing off, there are no virtuoso turns (quite an anomoly for the early 70s!) These folks were smart enough and experienced enough to know what to leave out, as well as what to play. This live set is a nice showcase of what this fine group of musicians had to offer. Butterfield shines on the opener, "Countryside", a previously unrecorded number by this group. Geoff Muldaur has two excellent vocal turns here, "Small Town Talk" (written by Bobby Charles and Rick Danko), and Nick Graveneties' "Buried Alive in the Blues". Amos Garrett has a lower profile on this set than I'd like, but his solo on Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a thing of beauty. This show was recorded on February 23, 1973, at Winterland Ballroom. The lineup that night was the Elvin Bishop Group, Michael Bloomfield and Friends, and Paul Butterfield's Better Days. The Better Days set was followed by a reunion of the original Butterfield Blues Band alumni, Butterfield, Bloomfield, Bishop, and Mark Naftalin. One can only wonder if that reunion jam was recorded....I certainly hope so, and I hope Bearsville (or whoever owns the rights to the tapes) will release the reunion set. It's music with great historical as well as artistic value...how about it, Bearsville?