3 comments about Live at Orchestra Hall, Detroit.

1. You now how some people describe ageing jazz giants gently and politely?
   Talking how their range has diminished, their voice/sound has changed, but they added a new depth and edge... Ella and Dizzy are among the sad examples.
   
   Well, the elaborate variation of the same talk can be found on the liner notes of this beautiful album, but this time this is no hype (and the liner notes' author Will Friedwald is quite right to compare Joe's ability to merge the blues and popular song with Lady Day's)...
   
   Indeed, Joe sounds different than in the earlier days; he is not such an impresive shouter as he used to be, but boy can he still swing!
   And his voice does sound deeper (and at times even richer) than in the golden age of Basie/Williams collaoration (more than 30 years before this recording, with Joe and Frank probably being the only musicians from this band who worked with Basie in that period).
   
   I'm not saying all the tracks are equally succesfull, but I'm saying that , for instance, "Jimmy's Blues", "The Comeback" and "My Baby Upsets Me", are equal or almost equal to everything I've heard Joe Williams sing with or without Basie (and he has had some mean sessions with Clark Terry, Adderley brothers, Hawk and others)...
   
   To speak Fosterly (Frankly), I wasn't quite sold on the album untill the fourth track came along - the magnificent Jimmy Jones arranged "Summertime" that sounds fresh as if written yesterday, and Joe is singing that lullaby at his subtlest,
   with the band that follows the Basie model with great success...
   
   And yes, there are some hot solos by Foster and other band members, but this is a Joe Williams-Count Basie (ghost) orchestra collaboration;
   Joe stars with the full orchestra, gloriously recorded and swinging as if it was 1959 instead of 1992 /the album was released by Telarc the following year/. Foster deserves the credit for keeping the intensity of swing.
   In conclusion, I'd just like to add that I'd rather drink muddy water than let you think this album is a waste of time.
   
   p.s.
   although the arrangement of the jubilant "Honeysuckle Rose" is attributed to Thad Jones (who lead the Basie's orchestra after the leader's death and before Frank Foster), I have to say that this arrangement owes quite a lot to another Jones; Quincey Jones who arranged it for the Basie's album with Ella...



2. This is a wonderful recording. Sound quality and performances are superb. The mix of maturity and agility of Joe's singing are astonishing and the Count Basie orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster is in fine form. A very satisfying experience. One could only wish that the many older recordings of these collaborators sounded this good. Maybe with digital enhancement, older recordings, like Basie Swings Williams Sings and The Greatest!!, could get more depth and clarity.



3. If you like jazz and blues vocals, this CD is a must. I got hooked on Joe Williams at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1963, when the 10,000 or so fans could not get enough of him. The seductive singing of Joe is evident in "Hurry On Down" and "Roll'em Pete gets your blood boiling. "Georgia Rose" is my favorite, a sad ballad that builds up to a great finish.

1 comments about Alone: The First Concert.

1. Anyone who has been lucky enough to see the Boogie Man in one of his increasingly scant recent performances has seen him surrounded, and arguably nearly smothered by, a large, powerful band. Basking in the rays of a voice that has mellowed like cognac over the years, they might wonder what John Lee sounded like as a stripped-down, one-man show: just him, his guitar, and his abstrusely-timed left foot.

   This is it.

   Hooker first cultivated his solo electric style in Detroit, but this album comes over 30 years later as a nascent superstar Hooker, wary from the creative limitations of playing with the group Canned Heat, is ready to lay down a live, back-to-basics masterpiece with alacrity. Playing in front of a cozy New York crowd after taking a little nip with a backstage friend, Hooker fully reveals his genius and renders a seminal, smoldering 40-minute relic.

   Hooker develops his own genteel rapport with the crowd, not unlike that of B.B. King on Live at the Regal, commenting between songs, taking requests, and thanking them for their cheers and applause, for "the sounds of their hands." Before "I'm Bad Like Jesse James," he implores the audience to "dig the lyrics on this and just dig what I'm gonna do to this cat. 'Cause I'm gonna ruin him this mornin'." This loosens up his crowd and creates a relaxed atmosphere, an atmosphere Hooker feeds off of and then soars into with full stride on the third number, "Dark Room."

   Asked about is guitar style, Hooker once said he prefers mean, mean licks to fancy playing. There is a banquet of those licks here, beginning with the ear-splitting tension-breaker after the second verse of "I Miss You So." Hooker continues on with a playful version of "I'm Bad Like Jesse James," diverting quite a bit from the lurid version on Live at the Cafe Au-Go Go album seven years earlier. "Dark Room" showcases John Lee's mastery of blending soulful singing with stinging licks... there is a sublime improvisational moment where he abruptly halts a guitar lick and impetuously beckons his guitar, "Hush."

   The lyrics on this album are so powerful and flamboyant one can't tell whether they are improvised or have been revised a thousand times over. On "When My First Wife Left Me," he declares, "Ain't but the one thing that worries me so bad, I hope she ain't learned to call no other man Daddy, You know that's what's worrying me." This phrasing, along with the countless other subtleties of his one-of-a-kind style, is a serendipitous bubble-bath for the Hooker fan, as is the entire record itself. It goes without saying Hooker delivered a well-rewarded encore with "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer." This last classic, like some of his more brilliant works, doesn't really start to shine until three full minutes into the song, with him lyrically improvising a hilarious scene at a bar.

   Not surprisingly, this is one of a handful of enduring, select recordings re-issued on the Concord Blues Alliance label, which touts it collection of "classic blues recordings at their most raw, powerful and uncompromising." Effortlessly as it seems, Hooker compromises nothing: this is surely one of his most brooding, visceral, and mature sets ever waxed.

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.

2 comments about Live Bust.

1. First of all, the original band had broken up, and this was the new band with only Colwell, Winfield, and Chuck Purro from the original band still together. So, the band doesn't sound or play exactly like the original. After having said that, it's still an excellent band and they're putting down real, raw blues with what counts most, and that's feeling. This is music by musicians that are singing about things they've acutally lived through and that's better than some polished off million dollar production from a fancy studio.
   
   Colwell is one of the great guitar players from the 60s and is in fine form and his guitar solos show it. Winfield on bass and Purro on drums are two other great musicians from the 60s and the give a solid rhythmic foundation for the band to express itself with real feeling. Their jazz backgrounds give an extra dimension to the music that you wouldn't get with the average blues band. These three are in that small group of real musicians that can actually play great music. They are each great musicians in their own right.
   
   Whereas Charles "Moose" Sorrneto was vocals and keyboards with the original band, "Chicago Bob" is laying down the vocals here and does a great job. Mike Constantino on piano and Les LUmley on Congas also add to some really good blues.
   
   This cd is also rare in the fact that there wasn't much of their music recorded, and it's lucky that it's possible to even hear this little bit.
   
   Tracks 9 and 10 are by the original band, and it's a treat to be able to even listen to them. Finally, Purro does an excellent drum solo on the last track that shows his expertise and skill as a master drummer.
   
   If you like blues and would like to listen to some great musicans on just an average night playing raw blues with a whole lot of raw feeling then this is a good cd to listen to. I recommend it.



2. The editorial review indicates that this CD is of the "same exceptional quality" of the only studio album produced by Colwell-Winfield. This couldn't be further from the truth! In fact, the band had broken up by the time this was recorded. Colwell, Winfield and Purro seemingly threw together pick-up players for this gig. None of the magic of their studio album is present here, with lackluster performances... and the recording quality is less than adequate...especially on the " three bonus tracks".I feel silly that I got taken in on this one, but the description looked great. Talk about cashing in on former glory!!

No comments about Live at the Hot Club.

2 comments about Stretchin' Out.

1. This is the first Duke Robillard CD I've purchased. I bought it after hearing "Dyin Flu" on the radio. A couple of the songs have kind of a big bad bluesy sound to them. Not my favorite. And there must of been a problem recording live because at the end of "Dyin Flu" the Duke's mike drops out for like about a minute. You can hear him in the background (very faintly) but mainly just the instruments. Not good. It's a great song and the dead space at the end of the song kind of ruins it. There's some other good songs on the CD, but "Dyin Flu" is why I bought the CD. I might try to by another CD with the song on it and hopefully the sound engineer will not be sleeping at the switch.



2. This album is proof of what Duke's fans have known for a long time - as good as his recordings are, he's even better in person. The material here is very representative of a live show, recorded in late 1995, on a VERY good night. There's really not much more I can say here: if you like modern blues (T-Bone, Roomful, et al) then this is a keeper. I'd have rated it 4-1/2 stars, but the button doesn't allow that.

No comments about Live At The Renaissance Plus.

2 comments about Blues.

1. This is a GREAT album. One for the collection of every true blues lover. Moses was truly one of the greats. In my oppinion he didn't get his chance to shine for long enough, though. He wasn't discovered until he was in his 70's in the late 1980's. He only recorded this one album, though had songs ready for a second. He was the real thing, lived and loved the blues. His influences include the likes of Jimmy Reed, Big Bill Broonzy, and Brownie McGhee. Rised in Windsor, NC in a house filled with gospel and country music. But he prefered to hang out on the corners outside of bootleg joints and listen to the street musicans playing for nickels and dimes. He kept his guitar with him wherever life took him. You can hear this in ever song. I was lucky enough to meet and know this man for a few years of my life as a young girl. He was a great bluesman, and an even better human being. This album of country blues is one that everyone needs to own.



2. I was introduced to this album by a great, smart friend back in college when I was busy trying to learn rock chords and phrasings and solo runs. He convinced me to learn Blood Red River. A few hours of learning the song by playing and rewinding the tape and I was hooked. This is one guy and his acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by a harmonica player, singing the traditional 12-bar blues like Big Boss Man and Bright Lights, Big City, and the old folk-blues stories like John Henry. This album taught me these songs, in a similar way, I imagine, that Jimmy Reed albums taught Moses Rascoe. Rascoe delivers them with a nod toward the old masters, but also a comfort developed from, as he puts it, "walking the blues".

   One more great thing about the album: it's recorded live, and you can hear the joy Rascoe has in singing and playing and the fun he has with the live audience.

5 comments about Live at the Fillmore West.

1. This is the 2nd worst sound quality CD I've ever heard with only Roy Buchanan's "Live In Shiba" double CD (not available at Amazon which is a compliment) found to be a more garbled mess of sonic smear than this. I wanted to puncture my eardrums about five minutes into this turd that was recommended by a friend whom immediately became an ex-friend.
   I own three other AC CD's, but this experience has made it so that I will not only never buy any more Albert Collins music but I'll also heretofore eliminate anything recorded at Fillmore West OR released on the Catfish label. I nearly always end a review with a positive word and a suggestion of which of the artists cuts should be found to be enjoyable, but this won't happen here.
   Again, this is the second biggest waste of money in music history! Run away - never buy it and don't even waste your time sampling it - it's THAT BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. This album is a recording of a gig at San Francisco's Fillmore West in 1969, where Collins served as an opening act for the Allman Brothers. Collins runs through a set of familiar early signature tunes like "So tired", "Deep freeze" and "Thaw out", coupled with covers like "Mustang Sally" and "Baby what you want me to do ?". Collins had been taken from Austin, TX to California by Bob Hite of Canned Heat-fame, who had taken an interest in Collins' playing. Collins had been signed by the Imperial-label, and was trying to make his mark on the West Coast, trying to gain wider exposure with his particular brand of Texas-blues. This recording is sadly rather mediocre : some band-members seem to have trouble keeping their respective instruments in tune on some tracks, Collins seems to grow disillusioned with a somewhat unresponsive audience at times, and, most importantly, the recording sounds very amateuristic. Some tracks are marred by off-mike playing, feeble sound-balance and annoying feedback. Collins had established himself as an absolute blues master with a recognizable personal sound long before this recording, but this album is far from an ideal introduction to the great man. Some of his best-loved compositions had not yet been written at this stage, his band is far from cooking and the atmosphere is really below par for a Collins-gig (usually a steaming affair !). If a live recording is what is called for, it would be far better to turn your attention to the live albums he cut in later years for Alligator and Pointblank. Only completists and die-hard fans like myself need to bother with this album, though.



3. this is a real shame to put out a cd of albert collins on the catfish label with very poor quality sound,i brought the cd and returned it due to its poor sound



4. this is a real shame to put out a cd of albert collins on the catfish label with very poor quality sound,i brought the cd and returned it due to its poor sound



5. I just finished listening to The Master of the Telecaster's performance at the Filmore West. I had the impression that this was a recording from the 80's or 90's but was mystified when I saw that it's from a 1969 show. Another thing that caught my attention was that this was not an Alligator Records recording. So having said that I found myself a little disappointed with this CD. Why? For one thing this live recording sounds like it was never re-mastered. The music sounds as if it was recorded on CD from the original tape after being put on a shelf for 31 years. There is a good amount of feedback also in the recording that leaves you flinching. I am an avid fan of the man and had the pleasure of seeing him live in 1989 in San Diego so I feel qualified in making my criticisms heard. I think other recordings of Mr. Collins are better than this. If you're looking to make an addition to your Blues collection you might want to pass on this. In fact I'm looking into returning this CD and getting his other live recording in Japan. I miss you Iceman!

3 comments about Live Wired.

1. I lived in Colorado for about 11 years, from '84 to '95, and I must have seen this band perform 10 times. They were always fabulous. We're talking guitar-based rock and roll with a tasty horn section, impeccable timing and lots of solos. This live album is basically a greatest hits selection, if you happen to be one of their fans. the only reason I didn't give this a "five" is that Randy Barker, a stunning guitarist, had left the band before this album was recorded. Although the guitar players who succeeded him were no slouches, I think Barker was beyond compare. To hear him at his best, buy what I think is the band's finest album, "When You're Cool."



2. Excellent "Road House" album, great cruising music for the road



3. There is not a big market for this kind of music. But this band is steamy, funky, hard driving and sweaty blues/funk/rock. Try the soundclips. Try the cd.Better yet, catch the band live.