No comments about Live at the Venue.

No comments about Hootie!.

4 comments about Cheap Thrills: Live, Vol. 1.

1. This disc is one of the most stellar live compilation blues CD's released in a LONG LONG time. Everything about it says that Bott painstakingly labored over every aspect of this package -- especially the interesting stories that personalize each song, all the players, and the venues where many of the songs were recorded. If you are a fan of the blues, you'll be blown away by these tracks! Though the tracks are in fact from several different analog sources (mainly cassette tapes) kudos to Bott on having the courage to put out such diverse recordings. They show a true understanding of what 'the blues' is all about -- how live and improvised performances are integral to its tradition and history. If you are a real blues fan, then there is no way on earth this CD will let you down! That being said, fans of seriously good music played by exceptional musicians will also enjoy this CD.
   
   If you like what has become the norm -- watered-down "slick" recordings with no soul, feeling or improvisation -- then don't buy this CD! But, if you want to step out of the box , take a journey side-stepping back in time to places where music was live and being created on the spot, then give this CD a listen. It promises to bring you into the very rooms where these performances went down. You'll feel as if you were there sipping a beer, downing a shot and cheering on the band with your friends by your side!



2. Throughout all his years of gigs drumming with Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers and most recently the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimi Bott, like so many other musicians, has a vast collection of his bootleg live performances. For this CD, Jimi has gone into his private collection for some of his finest vintage recordings. There are seven special moments with Mighty Flyers from 1987 to 1992 to accurately capture all the raw energy of that nightly West coast blues explosion. On the first song, he's nailing a sharp, double shuffle behind Rod's chromatic work on "The Eliminator." This is a brilliant reminder of how Rod starts off every show with high flyin', over the top energy. Bott's next song, "That's What You Do to Me," is a rare Mighty Flyer treat from 1987 with Junior Watson on guitar. This song comes from one of Bott's first gigs with the Flyers, a Battle of the Harmonicas in San Francisco. The crowd noise picked up by the tiny recorded adds to the authenticity.
   No Flyer show was complete without Bott and Honey doin' a brilliant drum piano surge. Here, Jimi shares two of those moments. Instead of pressing songs we all know, Bott asked Honey for something unique and she responded with "The Bumble Boogie/The Nutcracker" medley. It's pure classical meets boogie woogie with an Alex Schultz guitar bridge holdin' it together. Bott and Honey recreate the big bands of the 1930's on Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing." And Alex Schultz's "Jam Up" is a favorite to be played over and over because it perfectly captures the spontaneity of the Mighty Flyers. the final Flyers' song ends the CD with the Piazza's deepest blues, "Ah'w Baby" from 1990. The two Fabulous Thunderbird tunes with Kim Wilson show off Bott's drums on the world-wide stage. He include his own song "Cheap Thrills" from 1996 with Kid Ramos, and another, "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled, and Crazy," from 2002 with Ramos and new T-Bird guitarist Kirk Fletcher. Bott's very personal liner notes offer intimate looks into the music and people that have shaped him. Remember that these songs were recorded live, so while there is no studio perfection, there is that live passion and energy we fans go out night after night to be part of. Can't wait for Vol. 2.



3. Every one that has listened to it has ended up buying it, this is a whammin- jammim collection.



4. While I don't like to trash another musician's work, I must say in all honesty that this CD is neither worth the $16 or the two to three week wait. In hindsight, I wished I had heeded the warnings of "raw analog recordings" and "never before released tracks," Generally, those are code words for noisy, inconsistent and otherwise poor sound quality not otherwise suitable for release. In some instances, the quality of this CD is lower than some bootlegs. This CD fits the rule that if the songs are good enough to be released they would have been, long ago. The crowd's chatter and idle conversation during the performance are very audible and distracting. Moreover, the sound quality varies from track to track due in part to the fact that the CD picks up songs recorded at different times and in different places. Jim Bott, apparently needing a buck, lists his telephone number on the back as 1-800-BUY-MY-CD. I gave him $16. Don't make the same mistake.

No comments about Toronto '73.

2 comments about Live the Life.

1. There is a lot of good stuff here, but the live portion of "Live The Life" in particular is plagued by some very mediocre fidelity.
   It's not unbearable, not at all, but it does detract from the music, and there are a handful of pretty forgettable numbers here as well.
   
   Still, serious Otis Spann-worshippers (and/or Muddy Waters-fans) will certainly want this disc in their collection. The seven live recordings which feature Otis Spann as part of the Muddy Waters Blues Band are the most interesting...Spann duets with Muddy on a six-minute "I Wanna Go Home", and sings two more numbers, including a soulful "Tin Pan Alley". And Muddy Waters himself performs the only live rendition of "I Live The Life I Love" that I'm aware of, as well as a great "Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had".
   Two good solo performances are next, and the final two songs find Spann backing Johnny Young on the acoustic "Mean Old Train" and harpist Slim Willis on a swaggering "My Baby Left Me".
   
   Otis Spann's finest musical legacy remains his work with the Muddy Waters Band, and the LPs "Otis Spann Is The Blues", "Walking The Blues", and "The Blues Never Die", and there is certainly better live Muddy Waters available as well. But serious fans will want this one as well.



2. This is actually a live recording, which makes it rare and unique. The sound quality is a little sketchy at the start of the CD, but something happens around the 3rd or 4th song and it seems fine from there. You have to keep in mind that this was recorded in the 60's. There is a killer version of Tin Pan Alley and Five Long Years on this CD that I think make it worth the purchase. But be aware that Muddy Waters and his band take over the 2nd half of the CD and then Otis ends up in the position of backup piano player. If you want Otis at his best, I would recommend Walkin' The Blues (the sound quality is excellent and has a few piano solo numbers), Bottom Of The Blues, and Best Of Vangaurd Years.

No comments about Bread & Roses.

1 comments about R.L. Boyce Othar Turner Fife and Drum Spam.

1. And quite frankly, makes one of the best rock'n roll records of the late 90's! This album, while only half an hour long is one of the rawest records ever made. 20M frontman Judah Bauer's singing is uneven and, at times a bit off-key, but there is absolutely nothing that would sound better in its place. This is Judah's first effort out of his day job as Jon Spencer's personal Steve Cropper in the JSBX. This album shows that there is true hope for real rock music out there and 20M's two subsequent releases ('I'm A Lucky Guy' and last year's 'Keep It Coming') show Judah progressing even further beyond my expectations. This record, in all its ragged and odd brilliance, is perfect!!!!!!!

5 comments about Live & Direct.

1. If you like Taj Mahal, you probably don't need much convincing to buy his live reggae album. That being said, the steel drum work on this album sounds a bit like that you'd hear on the deck of a Carnival cruise ship and the "Do You Think I'm Sexy?" tease on track three will make anyone under the age of 35 blush in shame (say it ain't so, Taj!). Frankly some of the cuts are downright silly (#7 and the aforementioned #3, especially).
   Cavilling aside, tracks two and five are stellar cuts. #2 is an instrumental which exhales restrained funky breaths -- as hard as you'd be able to shake it while surfeited on beer-and-spliff under a 100-degree tropical sun. #5 is thicker, starting as a lullaby and dropping into a slow, earthy groove. The backup singers do their best work here, as well.



2. I love Taj Mahal. He is a brilliant artist and a charismatic performer. HOWEVER, I can't stand this album. Steel drums are nice and all, but for an entire album, it was a bit much for me. If you LOVE steel drums, then buy this.



3. This album by Taj is simple great, timeless, full of lovely and relaxed music. You will get a really nice feeling by listening to that outstanding stuff. I would say a benchmark. Buy it, you will never sell it!



4. Live albums can be a risky venture; the recording can be poor, the pressing can be cheap, the concert may be bad. None of these are a concern with this album, it is superior on all counts and reggae flows out of Taj Mahal as easily as the blues do.



5. Taj Mahal with a steel drum band. What else could anyone want on a warm summer night? I picked up this album while in college (early 80's). Loved it then, and I highly recommend the CD. The soundtracks Reggae No. 1 and Suva Serenade are added to the CD (they were not on the original album), which is a nice touch when one must buy a CD when he/she already has the album. It is one of the more distinct of Taj's outputs; I know I have no other Taj music quite like it. Little Brown Dog is one of my all time favorites. Take a Giant Step, while on several other Taj albums performed in a variety of ways, is truly unique and superb here. It has such a different feel than the other versions. Highly recommended.

No comments about Such a Night! Live in London.

No comments about In the House: Live at Lucerne, Vol. 5.