Roundup Of Notable New Reissues

 The last few years have seen a deluge of Charlie Patton reissues from budget priced box sets on Catfish and JSP to Revenant's massive "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton" a lavish 7-CD set that included everything but the kitchen sink and went on to win three Grammies. All this seems surreal but it's a testimony to the power of Patton's artistry, one that still spellbinds listeners 70 years after his death. Yazoo's 23 song The Best of Charlie Patton is the perfect starting point for those not ready to go the box set route. Despite the hiss and poor fidelity of these old records Patton's presence is overpowering as he stomps, hollers, percussively bangs his guitar and plays remarkably complex and subtle guitar work that virtually leaps out of the grooves. Patton's most memorable songs are included such as "Down The Dirt Road Blues", "High Water Everywhere" his imaginative take on the great 1927 flood, his signature song "Pony Blues" and the stunning bottleneck of "Spoonful." Patton is joined by fiddler Henry Sims on a few tracks creating and almost string band feel and a trio of his moving religious pieces are also included. Anybody reissuing Patton's music faces a formidable task remastering these recordings and Yazoo has done a fine job retaining the power of Patton's performances, even correcting the speed on two recordings the first time. Steve Calt and Don Kent deliver a fine set of notes and the cover photo is the full body shot of Patton with guitar that was recently discovered by collector John Tefteller.

 Like Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson has been the subject of countless reissues most notably a recent 5-CD set of his complete recordings on the JSP label. Also like Patton, Jefferson's recordings suffer from very poor fidelity which until recently has been impervious to restoration. The chief selling point behind Blind Lemon Jefferson: Long Lonesome Blues is that it contains a transcription of each song made possible by a new sound restoration technology. Whether this is enough reason to pick this collection is up is debatable but Jefferson's huge voice and stunning guitar runs have a clarity rarely heard in other reissues although there seems to be more hiss than there should be. Regardless, Jefferson's artistry is undeniable and these songs spanning from 1926-29 show why his influence was so massive. The first thing that grabs a listener is that huge lonesome voice that cuts right through the surface noise and there's his remarkably active guitar work as he runs off unpredictable voicings and boogie runs, often buried in prior reissues. As the transcriptions reveal Jefferson was a memorable song writer and many blues standards and common lyrics can be traced directly to him. This collection gathers some of Jefferson's greatest songs including "Shuckin' Sugar", "Dry Southern Blues" with lyrics that would turn up in one of Robert Johnson's songs, blues standards like "Corrina Blues" and "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", the vivid imagery of "Electric Chair Blues" and the enduring "Bad Luck Blues" covered by fellow Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins and B.B. King. A fine collection and one that's recommended if you're new to Jefferson.

 Lightnin' Hopkins dusty, lonesome Texas blues sound was a continuation of Jefferson's legacy, one that served Hopkins well in an amazingly long and prolific career. Hopkins met Jefferson in the 20's, served as his guide and even got a chance to play with him. Lightnin' Hopkins: Freeform Patterns was cut in 1968, late in his career, for the International Artists label. Also on that label's roster was the psychedelic group 13th Floor Elevators and for this session, producer Lelan Rogers (Kenny's brother) teamed Hopkins up with drummer Danny Thomas and bassist Duke Davis of the Elevators. If you're reminded of such psychedelic disasters as Muddy's "Electric Mud" don't worry as Hopkins wasn't changing for anyone. This is solid latter day Hopkins particularly the fine "Mr. Ditta's Grocery Store" and the mournful "Rain Falling" with this reissue adding two previously unreleased tracks from the original session: "Conversations With Mr. Hopkins" and "Black Ghost." Not the first place to start with Hopkins but a good one for more dedicated fans.

 Otis Clay made his reputation cutting some scorching soul platters in the 70's for Willie Mitchell's Hi Records label but in the mid-60's he cut some gritty soul for the small but influential One-derful! outfit. All those sanctified soul records have now been collected on Otis Clay: Testify! which assembles all of the One-derful! sides Clay cut between 1965-68 plus nine unissued sides that have only been released on a Japanese album. Clay had been singing gospel all his life prior to these sides and it shows on the raw, sweaty intensity captured here. Nothing slick here as Clay shouts out these numbers with unbridled passion on deep soul burners like "A Flame In Your Heart", "Don't Pass Me By", "I'm Satisfied" and torrid workouts like "Testify", "It's Easier Said Than Done" and "Got To Find A Way." A great collection and the perfect companion to any of Clay's Hi Records material.

 Well known are Little Richards seminal 50's rock and roll records like "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally," "Slippin' and "Slidin'," "Jenny, Jenny," "Good Golly, Miss Molly," and "The Girl Can't Help It. Less well known are the wonderful sides recorded a decade down the road for Okeh. The 1966 and 1967 recordings that comprise Little Richard: Get Down With It- The Okeh Sessions show Richard dipping deeply into a southern soul sound with a dose of R&B and rock and roll thrown in for good measure. This is essentially an expanded version of the album in "The Explosive Little Richard" released in 1967 rounded out with a bunch of bonus cuts. Backed by a crack studio band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Larry Williams among others, Richard rips through fine versions of "Function at the Junction," a bluesy "Don't Deceive Me", "I Don't Want to Discuss It," Berry Gordy's "M-O-N-E-Y," "Poor Dog," "Hurry Sundown," and Sam Cooke's "Well All Right" to mention a few. Bonus tracks include a sizzling version of Fats Domino's "Rocking Chair" and "Hound Dog."Official Richard biographer Charles White provides excellent notes. For those who have the early sides this smoking collection should be your next purchase.

  Both Little Richard and Otis Clay drew their inspiration from gospel music and one of the greatest of all gospel singers has been spotlighted on a fine 2-CD retrospective in The Essential Mahalia Jackson. Mahalia Jackson is often cited as the greatest gospel singer ever to live, achieving major crossover success with her recordings for Apollo in the 40's and then for Columbia starting in the 50's. 30 years after her death her amazing voice cuts right through you with it's immediacy and utter conviction. This two-disc set collects tracks from Jackson's long stay at Columbia Records plus a few tracks from Apollo Records. This is a well compiled collection of studio tracks and stunning live performances. Several of the live cuts stem from her historic appearance at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival including "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and a rousing "When the Saints Go Marching." Among the numerous highlights are the rollicking stop-time of "Let The Church Roll On", the soaring "In The Upper Room", the heartfelt "It Didn't Cost Very Much", the rocking "Great Gettin' Up Morning" and the moving "I'm Going to Live the Life I Sing About in My Song." A perfect introduction into the artistry of this heartfelt gospel icon.