Charles Brown had one of the greatest second acts in popular music when he re-emerged on the scene in the 90's playing and singing as good or better than he did in his 40's heyday. The much loved bluesman won a legion of new fans during this period before leaving us in 1999. I count myself as one of those fans and was lucky enough to witness Brown's magic on three different occasions in three different cities. Those who put together "A Life In The Blues" were obviously fans too as this CD/DVD set is a lovingly compiled epitaph to a one of a kind bluesman.

 Despite the vintage photo of a suave Brown on the cover the music on this set stems from his later period, a marvelous 1990 concert at New York's Lone Star Roadhouse. Disc one is an audio CD while disc two is a DVD of the filmed concert plus a bunch of goodies. The DVD extras include a photo slide show, a pair of Brown interviews, a comprehensive discography (savable as a PDF to your PC) and perhaps most remarkably two short films from 1945 when Brown was a member of Johnny Moore's Three Blazers which have remained unseen for over 50 years. The set is rounded out with a wonderful thick booklet that traces Brown's life in the blues.

 The music, of course, is what matters and it's simply outstanding. Brown is in peak form, his comeback in full swing, his piano playing spare and elegant and that voice smooth and thick like molasses. If you find yourself in a mellow mood after hours in a smoky nightclub Brown offers up the perfect soundtrack. Backed by his impeccable working band including the incomparable Danny Caron on guitar, Brown delivers his trademark after hours sound, a bluesier version of the Nat King Cole trio if you will. The 46 minutes are sheer magic as Brown eloquently rolls through classics like the immortal "Drifting Blues", "Black Night", "Merry Christmas Baby" and turns up the tempo on the bouncy "Seven Long Days" wrapping up with the furious "Joyce's Boogie."

 Despite a lengthy recording career there's very little live Charles Brown material available and even less video footage which makes this incredible set absolutely essential. Rounder should be commended for this beautiful set which is every bit as classy and elegant as the man himself.

(Jeff Harris)

 Singer E.C. Scott mines classic R&B and soul with a contemporary edge, a formula that have made her first three records so satisfying. "The Other Side of Me" seamlessly mixes soul and blues as Scott's powerful vocals put across a strong set of mostly original material.

 Scott started singing in nightclubs when when just a teenager putting her career on hold after her marriage. She soon got back into it forming a band called Smoke and establishing a name for herself on the San Francisco club scene. After a self released single in 1991 she signed on to the Blind Pig label cutting three well received records. On "The Other Side of Me" Scott steps out on her own Black Bud label with another typically classy and soulful affair.

 Scott has a strong expressive voice with a touch of gospel feel that is perfectly suited to her brand of vintage sounding R&B and soul. Scott is surrounded by a fine cast of musicians including some fine background vocalists and a top notch horn section. Also on board is the legendary Little Milton who duets and delivers some stellar guitar work on two numbers. It's a good pairing as Scott's brand of R&B has closes affinities to the type of soul-blues Milton has perfected. The utterly infectious "Just One of Those Days" is propelled by some muscular horns and sounds like it could have come off one of Milton's Malaco releases while the slinky "If I can Borrow Some of Your Love" is a playful duet benefiting from some fine organ playing. Scott has a knack for writing some exceptionally catchy tunes (she wrote/co-wrote twelve of the thirteen cuts) including "The Other Side of Me" featuring some hot sax, the gritty, throbbing blues of "Doin' My Own Thing" and the sassy "He Ate The Apple." The sultry soul ballad "When Love Comes To An End" closes things out as Scott works it up into a powerful gospel soaked scorcher. There's also a fine bonus track not listed on the record.

 E.C. Scott delivers another vintage set of soul and blues on this impeccably produced set. This is the real deal R&B mixing the old school with the new and not a drum machine to be found.

-Check out these related links:
E.C. Scott Website

(Jeff Harris)

 Harmonica master Wallace Coleman was a late bloomer who didn't start playing in public until his 50's. Better late than never as Coleman has been issuing some first class traditional blues records on own Pinto Blue label since 2000, and "The Bad Weather Blues" may be his best yet.

 Coleman caught the blues bug as a kid in Tennessee where he heard the blues of Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Little Walter on Nashville's 50,000-watt WLAC hosted by legendary late night DJ John R. He moved to Cleveland in 1956 where worked at a bakery full time but still found time to hone his harp skills. He eventually started playing out at the funky Cascade Lounge with local legend Guitar Slim who held court there for as long as anybody could remember. One day Robert Jr. Lockwood, who lived in the area, came down and was so impressed he hired him for his band, a position that he would hold for ten years. Coleman struck out on his own in the late 90's and began cutting a series of well received records. "The Bad Weather Blues", his third on his own label, is yet another impressive outing.

 Coleman plays traditional blues rooted in the classic Chicago sound with an ensemble approach that brings to mind the great Muddy Waters units. If your looking for aggressive guitar driven blues look elsewhere but if you like deep, gritty traditional blues than Wallace Coleman is your man. Above all Coleman is a hell of a harmonica player with a big tone firmly in the Little Walter/Walter Horton school and this album is filled with inventive harp work from a guy who sounds like he never runs out of ideas. Coleman is a fine vocalist with an understated, gruff style and an engaging way of putting across a song. Coleman is backed by his tight working band plus Chicago stalwarts Billy Flynn who plays guitar, 12 string and slide and bass man Bob Stroger. Coleman's approach is perfectly summed up in the easygoing shuffle of "Old Fashioned Guy" when he sings "I sing these old fashioned blues/Oooh lord until the day I die." He stays true to the cause on vintage Chicago blues like the shuffling "Pretty All Over" as Coleman summons up some remarkable Sonny Boy inspired licks, tackles an acoustic version of Lockwood's classic "Mean Red Spider" and blows up a storm on the original "Cloudy" and a romping version of "Going Down Slow." There's a pair of entertaining novelty numbers including "Bad Weather Blues" and particularly the witty "High Tech Blues" set to a Hootchie Cootchie riff as he laments that he hasn't had any good loving since his baby went online. Coleman branches out to more eclectic material on some other numbers but sounds more comfortable on the straight up traditional blues where he excels.

 "I like my blues with feeling/The way it used to be/When old John R. played them way down in Nashville, Tennessee" Coleman sings on "Old Fashioned Guy" and that's exactly what you get on this deeply rooted set of vintage blues.

-Check out these related links:
Wallace Coleman Website
Blues From The Cascade Lounge

(Jeff Harris)