Take Me To the River By Al Green & Davin Seay
(Harper Entertainment)

 In the introduction of Take Me To The River Al talks about himself as actually being three "Al's". There's the Al Green, the last of the great soul men, the ladies' man, and a great sex symbol. There's the "Reverend Green" the country preacher, the healer of souls and the owner and pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle. Finally he tells us there's the plain old "Al Green", the common man and referee of his two other personalities.

 Al, born Albert Greene, he would latter drop the last "e", was born April 13th 1946 in Jacknash, Arkansas. His early years were tough business as the family struggled to survive the remnants of slavery; they just renamed it sharecropping. Childhood was spent dreaming of the lights of stardom and harmonizing with life. Al heard music in birds chirping, the wind blowing and definitely in church where the entire family participated in the joyous singing.

  One year after a pitiful season of farming brought the Greene family a terribly small pittance the family packed its entire belongings into its car and traveled north to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's here that Al's musical career begins. In early 1968 Al Greene and The Soul Mates hit big with "Back Up Train". By mid February "Back Up Train" is #5 on Billboards R&B chart and #41 on the pop chart. After a short run at being the next big thing the Soul Mates break up and Al Green (he drops the "e" at this point) begins the long road to musical success.

 After a freak encounter with Willie Mitchell in a Texas juke joint, Al hitches a ride back to Memphis with Willie and the band. This trip established a partnership that would propel Al to stardom. Over the next several months Willie, Al and the band, which consisted of Al Jackson Jr. (he of Booker T & the MG's fame) Howard Grimes and Teenie and Howard Hodge, would perfect the feel and groove that would create hit after hit after hit. It started in 1970 with "Can't Get Next To You" and was quickly followed by "Tired of Being Alone", "Lets Stay Together", "Love & Happiness" and "Here I Am". Over a short period of time Al sold over 35 million records.

 During this time Al is constantly touring to support his records sales, he also befriends a fellow soul singer, Laura Lee, whose rude and lowdown songs masked her gospel upbringings. She becomes a frequent companion of Al's on the road. While Laura accompanied Al on another grueling tour an event would occur that would change Al's life forever. One night Al jumps out of bed and begins speaking in tongues, he has a complete religious experience that would move him toward his early gospel beginnings. Finally in the summer of 1976 Willie and Al's business relationship comes to an end. Al begins his gospel career in earnest and completes his newfound religious career by buying the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis.

  Take Me To The River by Al Green and Davin Saey may not be the most in depth researched story of Al Green's rise from sharecroppers son to soul superstar but it the most definitive story we have to date.

(Dave Moskal)

  Pictures Tell The Story is a pictorial display of Ernest's three great loves, photojournalism - specifically the civil rights movement, the Negro Baseball League, and the entertainers and entertainment scene of the moment. Each subject is richly represented with pictures and commentary from not only Mr. Withers but also from F. Jack Hurley, Brooks Johnson and Daniel J. Wolff. Although the printed word add history and description of the circumstances that resulted in the printed image, ultimately though it is the exquisite black and white photographs that tells the story.

 As important as it is to have a keen eye when taking a picture it is equally important to be in the right place at the right time. Memphis in the late 40's through the 60's offered unbelievable opportunities for an ambitious photographer. It was home of the Memphis Red Sox, the only Negro League Baseball team owned by a black owner. Memphis was also the home of Elvis, Stax Records, WDIA radio station, Rufus Thomas, Handy Park on Beale Street, the infamous Lorraine Motel, and countless civil rights marches. Although Pictures Tell The Story contains 138 photographs there are several that capture more than an image they capture an emotion.

 From his collection of Negro League players the one with Ernie Banks, Larry Dolby and Jackie Robinson standing in the dugout stands out. There's also a great print of "King Tut" of the Indianapolis Clowns, also regarded as the Prince of the Negro Baseball Leagues.

 From his entertainment ../../images several would be of interest to the music fan. There's a great shot of a very young B.B. King in shorts playing with the Bill Harvey Band, a casual shot of Elvis and B.B. from 1957, a very young Howlin' Wolf playing his guitar inside a grocery store, and still another shot off Roscoe Gordon with his trademark rooster on his shoulder standing with Sam Phillips. But the most outrageous print is of Howlin' Wolf and his band, which in the early 60's consisted of Chico Chism, James Cotton, Little Walter and Big Bill Hill. They are hunched in a cotton field in Arkansas pretending to be picking cotton, with huge grins and butts hangin' out of their mouths, it's a classic blues picture.

 As a supplier of photographs to many national newspapers, such as the Chicago Defender, the New York Amsterdam News and the Tri-State Defender, Mr. Withers photographs were able to demonstrate the ugliness of racism that existed during that time. There are plenty of prints of Dr. Martin Luther King and other principal leaders of the civil rights march but there are three ../../images that show the depths of righteousness that was being fought for. Two are simple still shots they burn deep into ones sub-conscious. The first is a simple picture of a rear of a car parked on the side of the road with a bumper sticker that reads "Don't Buy Gas Where You Can't Use The Rest Room", the second is of a sign in front of Overton Park Zoo (Memphis's Zoo). The sign states "No White People Allowed in Zoo Today" as African-Americans were allowed to attend the Zoo only one day of the week. The final image is entitled "I Am A Man". It was taken on March 28,1968 as part of the Sanitation Workers Strike. It is a picture of several hundred protestors standing in front of a Temple holding placards with the simple but powerful printed words of "I Am A Man".

 Pictures Tell The Story by Ernest Withers is one of those books that truly needs to be absorbed and savored, an outstanding contribution to our reflection of both good and evil that our history has had to offer.

(Dave Moskal)

Junior Wells: Calling All Blues (Fuel 2000)

 The Fuel 200 label continues their ambitious reissue program with Calling All Blues a collection of seminal Junior Wells sides harking back to the dawn of Junior's career. Calling All Blues is an immaculately put together collection of 24 sides Wells cut between 1957-1963 for the Chief, Profile and USA labels.

 Junior Wells remained a popular blues institution up until his death in 1998 but his later career never seemed to ignite the raw excitement of his early recordings. Along with his debut recordings (reissued on CD in 1998 as Blues Hit Big Town by Delmark) these early recordings find Wells exuding a confidence and cockiness well beyond his years that make these recordings sound lively and downright dangerous. The recordings on Calling All Blues make for some absolutely essential Chicago blues studded with more than a few acknowledged classics and some first rate less known material.

  The earliest recordings find Wells backed by the Aces with Syl Johnson on guitar, David Meyers on bass and drummer Eugene Lounge. Well's harp is heard to good effect on the catchy instrumental "Cha-Cha-Cha In Blue" while "Two Headed Woman", "I Could Cry" and the rocking "Lovey Dovey Lovey One" feature Junior's confident singing and stinging guitar by Syl Johnson. In 1960 Wells cut a pair of all time classics with "Little By Little" which reached 23 on the R&B charts and the immortal "Messin' With The Kid." Other highlights find Wells with Earl Hooker's band blowing some evocative harmonica on the low down "Calling All Blues" while "Galloping Horses And A Lazy Mule" and "Universal Rock" feature some blistering guitar pyrotechnics by Mr. Hooker. Other material finds Wells in a more R&B/Pop mode with the infectious "I Need Me A Car" from 1961 and "One Day (Every Goodbye Ain't Gone)" from 1963 which Wells makes work on sheer charisma alone. Sound quality and notes are excellent although complete session details should have been included.

  Calling All Blues is an indispensable set of Chicago blues that belongs in everyone's collection. File under essential.

(Jeff Harris)

Captain Luke & Cool John: Outsider Lounge Music
(Music Maker)

 You have to hand it to the folks at Music Maker who have an uncanny knack for discovering wonderful down-home blues talent, usually right in their own back yard. Captain Luke has been performing in the North Carolina community for years and his unique take on the black music tradition is showcased wonderfully on Outsider Lounge Music, his full length debut.

 Luke was born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1926 and early on began singing the songs he heard on the radio. His deep baritone was a natural and he began singing gospel in King's Gospel Quintet. In addition Luke began to play informally all over North Carolina while continuing to hold down real jobs and taking care of a family. Luke has appeared on a couple of Music Maker various artists collections, most recently on the marvelous Expressin' The Blues which came out earlier this year. Outsider Lounge Music finds Luke's rumbling baritone backed by guitar wizard John Ferguson on a wide ranging set of R&B and blues.

 Luke's instrument is his voice and his deep, stately baritone is a thing of true beauty. Outsider Lounge Music may be the perfect title for this music that while rooted solidly in black music has a laid back hip style that in it's own unique way has close affinities to lounge music. Backed by the inventive acoustic guitar of John Ferguson, Luke displays a wide range of influences from soul singer Joe Simon's "Chokin' Kind", to familiar R&B nuggets like "Poke Salad Annie" and a wonderfully atmospheric version of "Rainy Night In Georgia." Luke also tackles more traditional material like the folksy "Old Black Buck" and a beautiful cover of the classic "Careless Love." There's a laid-back, lyrical quality to this music that's hard to describe but if you let it it'll suck you right in.

 In addition to the music this is an enhanced CD playable on your PC which contains a wonderful video of the duo performing a very personal season's greeting. The package is rounded out with informative liner notes and great photos of Luke's other talent which is making totally unique art out of ashtrays and beer cans. Truly a man of many talents!

 For music fans with an eclectic bent this makes for a great Christmas gift. In addition a percentage of the proceeds goes to the Music Maker Foundation which helps support forgotten blues artists with living necessities and musical assistance.

(Find out more about the Music Maker Foundation and purchase CD's at their website)

(Jeff Harris)

 By the time Buddy Guy landed at Vanguard he had already had a successful stint at Chess form 1960-66 cutting all time classics like "Ten Years Ago," "My Time After Awhile" and "Stone Crazy." The Complete Vanguard Recordings finds Buddy starting to reach a larger audience and he was truly becoming a guitar legend. The Vanguard recordings, while not quite up to the same standards as those on Chess, are still very good and well worth hearing.

 The Complete Vanguard Recordings contains all three records Buddy cut for the label between 1968-72: A Man And The Blues, the live This Is Buddy Guy and Hold That Plane!. A Man And The Blues stands as a stone killer, as good as anything he did for Chess. Buddy is in scintillating form backed by a band that included Otis Spann on piano, Wayne Bennett on rhythm guitar, Fred Below on drums and Bobby Fields on sax. Buddy is a master of the slow blues and really cooks on gems like the title track, "Worry, Worry" and a stunning cover of "One Room Country Shack." This Is Buddy Guy was cut live at the New Orleans House in California and is a solid high energy performance. Again highlights go to a pair of slow blues including a wonderful version of "The Things I Used To Do" and the harrowing "I Had A Dream Last Night" which judging from the crown reaction was a bonafide roof raiser. Least successful is Hold That Plane! which still has it's fine moments including the title track and the impassioned "Hello San Francisco." The band on this one is top notch with A.C. Reed on tenor, Phil Guy on rhythm guitar and Junior Mance on piano.

 Vanguard Records has done a first class job with all their reissues including excellent liner notes, great sound and above all exceptional music. Do yourself a favor and pick up these two fine sets- you won't be disappointed.

(Jeff Harris)