1 comments about Blues Is Alright: Live at Kalamazoo.

1. Varese Records presents the blues artists Little Milton, Mighty Sam McClain and Reverend Raven & His Chain-Smoking Altar Boys with a latest release "The Blues Is Alright/Live at the Kalamazoo Blues Fest" ~ first disc features Little Milton with an array of top notch blues cues "I DON'T BELIEVE IN GHOSTS", "JUST ONE MOMENT", "STILL SOME MEAT LEFT ON THIS BONE"and a Slow Blues Medley:"CATCH YOU ON YOUR WAY DOWN", "ANNIE MAE'S CAFE", "LITTLE BLUEBIRD", "I WOULDN'T TAKE NOTHING FOR YOUR LOVE" and "THE BLUES IS ALRIGHT" ~ with an originality and delivery we've come to love.

   The second disc divides the selections in half with Mighty Sam McClain performing his signature classic "NEW MAN IN TOWN", and another tidbit "ALL WE NEED IS LOVE" listen and soak up his talent ~ now with Reverend Raven (and his Chain-Smoking Altar Boys), harmonica (Slim Harpo) with essential cues of "MY BACK SCRATCHER" "BORN IN CHICAGO" and "BIG BEE" makes this package a must have ~ with high voltage drawing power ~ a full-blown event in the genre of BLUES!...gotta love it!

   Total Time: 2-CD-Set ~ Varese Records 66545 ~ (3/09/2004)

1 comments about All Night Long: Live.

1. Lots of folks are called THE MAN in many arenas. In most cases it is laughable at best.
   When it comes to blues Muddy is and always will be THE MAN. There at the roots in the share cropper days of the south (even if more to observe and soak in, than to actually toil in the fields, as has been hinted at). The deliverer of the rural blues to the north, within the industrial revolution driven, northern migration. Muddy led the transition to 'lectrification with those undeniable roots intact.
   This is an excellent collection of Muddy with 3 of his better supporting configurations, in the setting always best suited to the blues, in front of a live crowd.
   
   4 of 5 stars only given because it is not his definitive album. But it can easily stand among his best work.
   
   ADDED BONUS>>>>The sound quality is surprizingly good.

5 comments about Live at the Rynborn.

1. my favorite guitarists are mike bloomfield,roy buchanan,peter green,(just to name a few)and now bobby radcliff fits right into the mix.this guy can play.highly recomended.



2. He not only plays the blues, I bet he lives it every minute of the day. This is manic genius at it's best. No subtlty, just a full out attack on the guitar, that is only tempered on 2 tracks.
   The 2 slower tunes however can bring tears to your eyes as they set new standards for the number and the quality of the notes he plays seemingly without effort. His solos are structured to reach crescendos that leave you truely breathless and almost make you break out into spontanous applause in your living room.
   Think a mix of ALBERT COLLINS / ROY BUCHANAN on speed and acid and you'd be close. Whatever your style of blues, you simply must have this mans musik. No blues collection could be complete without examples of this mans work. He is unique and brings so much passion to the musik.



3. One day I will see Bobby Radcliff live , but until I do , Live At Rynborn will most certainly do. Like it says in the liner notes , this man is INTENSE , he plays the guitar as much as attacks it.
   Improvisation on Honky Tonk is a nice start. You hear this song and you know this guy can play. Nice speed and touch , could be two guitars playing , but no its just Bobby.Please Have Mercy is slash and burn guitar at its finest, Bobby sings with the kind of passion the song title implies.Tramp is a Lowell Fulson song that showcases Bobby's skills.Early In the Morning is a classic ,the understated guitar runs slowly build to a manic pace, WOW its an amazing display.He quickly jumps into his own song The Introject an instrumental with an apt title (look it up ).Been Around the World features more stinging guitar work and fervent vocals. I'm not into Kool and the Gang but Bobby can make a Kool and the Gang medley sound Kool. Ten Years Ago is a monster. Perhaps a tribute to Buddy Guy , all I know is its an amazing rip roaring jam that rates with Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood and Frank Marino Live doing King Bee as the most amazing guitar work I've ever heard. I'm usually too blown away by Ten Years Ago to listen to the closer so I'll make no comment. Live At Rynborn is a must buy for any one who likes the blues played with intensity , skill and passion.You will be blown away, I guarantee it.



4. I have been a fan of Bobbys for a long time and while I've been a fan of his albums, seeing him in a club is where it's at. This album does him justice. "Live at the Rynborn" is by far his best to date and that's saying a boat load! Great stuff all around!



5. I was at The Rynborn when Radcliff recorded this album. It was the best blues show that I have ever been to and the album captures the entire atmosphere of the small town club. The combination of Radcliff's amazing guitar solo's and his top of the line vocals make this album a must for any blues fan. The album truly makes you feel like your Live at The Rynborn.

1 comments about Live & On the Move.

1. This is a typical James Cotton high energy set! This disc highlights what he does best- fast paced and furious blues with plenty of harp solos and guitar solos by one of the masters- Matt "Guitar" Murphy. I own or have listened to just about every James Cotton disc that was recorded live (I am missing Live an Antones), and this is one of my favorites (behind Live at Electric Lady). The highlights of this disc include: a searing "Boogie Thing," "Rocket 88," "One More Mile," "Help Me," "Flip Flop or Fly," and a very interesting version of "Caladonia." He does some slow blues also, but the meat of this disc are the fast paced boogies, with plenty of harp solos and interplay between Cotton and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. This disc is a great example of Cotton's "High Energy Sets" that were common in the 70's. WIth a great band and outstanding song selection, this disc provides a good overview of Cotton for the uninitiated, and is a must for Cotton enthusists. This disc shows that Mr. James Cotton is one hell of a harp player and an awsome entertainer!

No comments about Live at Blue Chicago.

5 comments about Live: Swampland Jam.

1. Let me first say that I do NOT generally like "live" albums. But, this is fantastic. I am a huge Tab Benoit fan and this CD is one of his best. According to Tab, he does not try to blow you away; he creates a "feeling" and lets the music flow from that feeling. Thats exactly what happens here. Tab's brand of blues is peppered with cajun hot sauce without sounding campy or silly. The highs are high and the lows are oh so low. All of his CDs have a "live" feel to them; this one also has an audience. Its just great music .



2. I haven't lived in New Orleans in a while, but I did live there long enough to recognize real Tiptinas style cuts, when I hear them. This guy delivers that sound, in grand style. If you are a fan of N'Awlins style soul/blues, as I am, this CD will give you your fix. Blues fans of Keb Mo will hear some similarities. Tab's guitar playing has that similar "fuzzy" quality to it. But Tab is definitely on a tighter track when he kicks out the Albert Collins riffs on "Too Many Dishes." It's almost as if I were put into a Sherman and Peabody wayback machine to a live Tips/Collins gig, via 1983.

   Fans of Collins, Professor Longhair, Stevie Ray, The Dirty Dozen, and other performers of the era will be happy to see that Todd Benoit and similar groups are maintaining that kind of quality!

   BEK




3. Although a fan of Tab's, this CD leaves me wanting. Don't get me wrong its a good listen a well worth purchasing for fans, but it doesn't grab me the way Nice and Warm and Standing on Banks do. If you are a fan and looking at buying it, you won't be disappointed, but if you're new to Tab you'd do better to get one of other CDs first.



4. This CD is so good you can taste it. If you like the blues and like gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya, you will love this CD. Laissez le bon temps roule!



5. After seeing Tab Benoit in concert twice and reading some of the other reviews here, I was expecting a really hot disc. Boy was I disappointed. The performances are sedate, the crowd seems bored and after a few tracks, so was I. Even "Hot Tamale Baby" seems to have been performed in slo-mo. It just isn't anything like what his shows give you in person. I'm still a huge fan, but I'll be sure to go for a studio release next time. I'd recommend others do the same.

1 comments about Live.

1. This 1983 live set showcases B.B. King in Cannes, France, backed by a tight, powerful band led by trumpeter Calvin Jones. Fitting their set into a jazz festival program that included Pat Metheny and Dave Brubeck, King's orchestra, with a full horn section and a diesel-powered rhythm section (uncredited in the liner notes), took the opportunity to stretch their arrangements. The eleven minute opener, "B.B.'s Theme," is a testament to the band's muscular precision, and it's only a warm-up for the introduction of the star himself. King's guitar is an ample match for the band's horn-lined kick, starting with the instrumental "Why I Sing the Blues" on which King trades solos with a funked-up bass before jokily segueing into a blue funk riff borrowed from "Dueling Banjos." Even when taken down-tempo for "Darling You Know I Love You," the band's horns provide plenty of punch and Jones' trumpet serves as a soulful foil to King's guitar. The set features several King favorites, including "Sweet Little Angel" and the 1970 crossover hit "The Thrill is Gone," played and sung with plenty of verve. Additional highlights include a moody and pained take of King's original "All Over Again" and an instrumental arrangement of Jesse Belvin's "Guess Who?" that includes Stax-like horn accompaniment and a searing muted trumpet solo. The disc closes with a brash take on Louis Jordan's "Caldonia" and the original "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss." Acrobat's release, with a new cover photo and liner notes, plus an "O-card" surrounding a standard jewel box, is a straight-up reissue of Fabulous' like-titled (and now out-of-print) 2003 import. Between song banter is omitted by fading tracks just before or after the audience applause begins, but any sense of stitching is completely overpowered by the set's energy. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

No comments about Hit the High Hard One.

No comments about Live.

2 comments about Center Stage.

1. Back in the early 1970s, three brothers fresh out of high school formed the Charles Ford Blues Band in San Francisco and jump-started careers that have never slowed down. The band was named after their father. As their careers blossomed, Robben, Patrick and Mark Ford found that it wasn't so easy to get together. Over the years, their separate schedules have kept each one busy, but they do find time to get together occasionally to play. With guitarist Volker Strifler and guest guitarist Chris Cain, the three brothers get together on this album in an up-tempo celebration of their heritage. Patrick plays drums, Robben plays guitar, and Mark wails on harmonica.
   
   Robben sings his original, "Nothing to Nobody," a drifting blues ballad about families and how much we mean to each other. As he stretches out with an extended guitar solo, you can appreciate the contributions that he's given to the blues over the years. He offers as much expression through his guitar as he does when interpreting these poignant lyrics. Each track was recorded before a live audience for broadcast on the PBS television series Sierra Center Stage. Without a doubt, the Ford Brothers have the blues in their blood and celebrate their heritage in style.



2. This is another excellent outing by the Fords and their family blues band. I really enjoyed Patrick's last CD (minus Robben and Mark but Volker Strifler on guitar and Andy Just on harp are great) called "Another Fine Day".
   
   This live adventure combines them all and provides a number of upbeat, lively blues tunes. Particular standous are "Lovin' Cup", "Feelin' Disconnected" and "Mellow Down Easy". The others are very good as well.
   
   However, my primary beef is how the tunes are presented. The very first song is Mellow Down Easy and it is obvious from Mark Ford's comments that they are well into their second set. Also, at the end of this first song, you hear him saying that they have to go. I don't wish to say that the recording has to follow the concert set exactly but geesh...at least try to help me feel like I am at a live gig. The rest of the presentation seems disjointed as well. On my copy, "Lovin' Cup" is labeled as #8 but on the CD it just continues right into this song after #7 "Up From the Streets" is completed.
   
   However, despite these problems, this CD has some very good blues music that is played with energy and the tunes are well performed. I highly recommend the music.