|
Listen to the Music
You need real audio
to listen to these clips. Download it free by clicking on the icon.
|
|
Gatemouth
Moore: Cryin' And Singin' The Blues
(Savoy)
Gatemouth
Moore is often called a blues shouter and
while he could fill a room with his his huge
voice, his silky pipes and smooth delivery
mark him more accurately as a blues crooner.
Moore (still with us at 90) has had a remarkable
musical career but his reputation rests on
on a relatively small batch of sides he cut
in the mid to late 40's. "Cryin' And
Singing' The Blues" is a marvelous compilation
that collects all his early sides in one place
for the very first time.
Born
Arnold Dwight Moore in Topeka, Kansas in 1909
his musical journey is an amazing one by any
stretch of the imagination. After running
away from home he he spent time in the troupes
of Ma Rainey, Ida Cox and the famous F.S.
Wolcott's Rabbit Foot Minstrels and while
in Kansas City played in Benny Moten's band
with a young Count Basie on piano. He came
to Beale Street in the 30's playing in the
clubs and becoming a fixture on the famous
street. He made his first recordings in 1941
for the tiny Chez Paree imprint and these
songs eventually came to the attention of
National Records A&R man Herb Abramson.
The 20 tracks here all stem from his brief
stint at National (1945-1946). He moved on
in 1947 to cut a batch of sides for King before
having a religious conversion on stage in
1949. He became a man of God and went on to
become an ordained Reverend, gospel disc jockey
and currently Pastor of the Lintonia A.M.E.
Church in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
With no shortage of ego, Gatemouth summed
his style up this way: "I am one of the
ultra-men blues singers. I am not accustomed
and don't know nothing about that gut-belly
stuff in the joints...I put on tuxedos, dressed
up, sang intelligent...Without a doubt, and
I'm not being facetious, I'm the best blues
singer in the business with that singing voice.
Now I can't wiggle and I can't dance, but
telling a story, I don't think them other
boys are in my class." An indeed with
his perfect diction, way with a lyric and
a huge mellow voice that reaches out an caresses
the listener, Moore can flat out sing the
blues. Moore delivers his blues ballads and
uptempo romps backed by stellar jazz players
such as Budd Johnson, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry
Carney, Tiny Grimes, and John Hardee. Moore's
all time classic "Did You Ever Love a
Woman" is the most well know number with
those immortal blues lines: "Did you
ever love a woman/And love her with all your
might/When all the time you knew she wasn't
treating you right." There's plenty of
should-have-been classics like the swinging
"I Ain't Mad at You Pretty Baby"
which features a lead horn riff drawn from
Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside",
the sultry "It Ain't None Of Me",
"Walking My Blues Away", the rocking
" Bum Dee Dah Ra Dee", the humorous
Louis Jordan styled "They Can't Do This
to You", the elegant "Christmas
Blues" and the salacious "Love Doctor
Blues" ("My office hours baby/Are
from sundown to the break of day").
"Cryin'
And Singing' The Blues" is a wonderful
document of a larger than life personality
and terrific blues singer captured in his
prime. As usual with Savoy sound quality is
excellent and collectors will be thrilled
with two previously unissued songs. If you're
looking for more check out Moore's equally
fine King sides all collected on Westside's
sterling "Hey Mr. Gatemouth."
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Bukka White:
Big Daddy (Biograph)
Reverend Gary Davis:
From Blues To Gospel (Biograph)
The
Biograph label was launched back in 1967 and has
built up a fine catalog of blues and jazz recordings.
Thankfully Shout! Factory has seen fit to revive
the label kicking of with seminal 40's and 50's
recordings by Blind Willie McTell and Son House,
60's recordings by Skip James and most recently
reissues of the very last recordings by blues giants
Bukka White and Reverend Gary Davis. While one is
always wary of an artists' last recordings both
of these albums are remarkably good.
"Big
Daddy" was cut in July, 1973 and as producer
Steve LaVere wrote in the original LP notes "...under
optimum conditions: Booker was fresh and alert,
stone cold sober, well-rehearsed, playing a superb
1930's steel-bodied National Triolian, and performing
everything just right - with the exception of "Black
Crepe Blues", all are first takes." Indeed
Bukka had lost little in the interfering years.
While nothing can quite match his his epic 1937
and 1940 recordings which rank among the most intense
Delta blues of the era. Those songs included immortal
songs like the harrowing real life prison tales
of "Parchman Farm Blues" and "When
Can I Change My Clothes," classics like "Fixin'
to Die Blues", "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues"
and breakneck dance numbers like "Bukka's Jitterbug
Swing" and the hit "Shake 'Em on Down."
His rediscovery in 1963 sparked one of the most
successful comebacks of any pre-war artist and for
a decade or so he toured the US and Europe and made
some truly great recordings. "Big Daddy"
showcases all the elements that made Bukka so extraordinary:
his propulsive, rhythmically complex guitar work
barrels along like a freight train and his rough,
gravelly vocals rings loud and clear. The 13 tracks
are uniformly excellent particularly the dance oriented
"1936 Trigger Toe" a close kin to his
classic "Bukka's Jitterbug Swing", remakes
of his seminal "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues"
a celebration of his hometown, "Sic Em Dogs
on Me" originally cut for Alan Lomax when Bukka
was serving time in the notorious Parchman Farm,
the beautiful slide work on "Jelly Roll Workin
Man" and the fine "Hobo Blues" a
song not on the original LP. A classic.
"From
Blues To Gospel" was cut in 1971 when Davis
was 76 and provides a fine coda to a remarkably
long, productive and influential career. Davis first
recorded in 1935 but by the time he was in his 20's
(he was born in 1896) he was one of the most renowned
practitioners of the East Coast school of ragtime
guitar and a major influence on East Coast blues
legend Blind Boy Fuller. His earliest recordings
were a mix of gospel and blues, setting a pattern
for the rest of his life, becaming an ordained minister
in 1937. Davis moved to New York in the early '40s
and began preaching and playing on street corners
in Harlem. By the mid-'50s he began recording again
in earnest. Like Bukka, Davis was "rediscovered"
by the folk revival movement, becoming one of the
most popular players on the revival scene, playing
before large and enthusiastic audiences and mentoring
a generation of young guitar players. "From
Blues to Gospel" finds Davis with his skills
barely diminished as he displays his still nimble,
fast paced and clean fingerpicking on 12-string
guitar and sings in his raspy, powerful voice. The
13 cuts are all good with standouts going to "Talk
on the Corner", the instrumental take on "Crow
Jane", seminal pieces like "Cocaine Blues"
and "Samson and Delilah", the moving "I
Heard the Angels Singing", "Lord, I Wish
I Could See" and the prophetic closer "I'll
Do My Last Singin'." A moving and heartfelt
capstone to an amazing career.
Both
"Big Daddy" and "From Blues To Gospel"
come highly recommended and show that both these
incredible musicians were still in peak form right
to the very end. Both artists have lengthy discographies,
particularly Davis, and no blues collection would
be complete without at least some of their wonderful
music.
-Check
out these related links:
Biograph
Website
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Eddie Hinton:
Playin' Around -
The Songwriting Sessions [Vol. 2] (Zane)
There's
been, and still are, a number of fine "blue
eyed" soul singers but none can hold
a candle to he late great Eddie Hinton. Hinton
died in 1995 but his genius continues to surprise
us with the a steady stream of excellent unreleased
recordings that have come out in the past
few years. "Playin' Around" is the
third posthumous release of Hinton material
and another wonderful addition to his slim
discography.
Hinton
was a rare talent; a great singer, songwriter
and guitarist who left us far too young when
he passed at 51. After working with Southern
bands like The Spooks and The Five Minutes,
he played lead guitar for the Muscle Shoals
Rhythm Section from 1967 to 1971. He played
on numerous hits by Wilson Pickett, Aretha
Franklin, Joe Tex, Solomon Burke and many,
many more. He wrote or co-wrote songs that
have been recorded by Bobby Womack, Aretha
Franklin, Dusty Springfield,
Percy Sledge and many more. Hinton cut four
well respected records under his own name
including his stellar 1978 debut "Very
Extremely Dangerous" and 1993's "Very
Blue Highway." Hinton never achieved
commercial success but it's a testament to
his talent that his posthumous
recordings are every bit as good as his studio
ones. Just listen to "Playin'
Around" and I think you'll agree.
"Playin'
Around" collects 20 previously unreleased
tracks that span Hinton's entire career from
early 1964/65 to 1991. Jerry Wexler of Atlantic
Records fame was one of Hinton's admirers
and summed him up this way: "He remains
unique, a white boy who truly sang and played
in the spirit of the great black soul artists
he venerated. With Eddie it wasn't imitation;
it was totally created, with a fire and fury
that was as real as Otis Redding's and Wilson
Pickett's." Hinton had one of those voices
that reaches right into your heart with it's
gritty, aching vulnerability and utter soulfulness.
As on Zane's "Dear Y'all" release
there's some wonderful demos from his session
days circa 1967 including the lovely ballad
"Big City Woman", the deep soul
of "Down In Texas" recorded most
notably by Oscar Toney Jr. and "Satisfaction
Guaranteed" that opens with a little
spoken love advice that's
obviously inspired
by Joe Tex who Hinton greatly admired. Other
gems include a funky, loose workout on the
Chuck Berry nugget "Too Much Monkey Business",
the swampy blues of "Something Heavy"
and the tortured soul workout on 1977's "Love
Attack" a demo form his classic "Very
Extremely Dangerous" album.
As a bonus we get two fiery live tracks from
the 1991 Porretta International Soul Festival
including a rousing "Mr. Pitiful"
a tribute to Otis Redding, his most obvious
inspiration.
It's
ironic that Hinton's posthumous output almost
equals the number of records that were released
during his lifetime. While commercial success
may have eluded him these unpolished, rough
hewn recordings display a burning talent.
We owe Zane Records a big thanks for making
these wonderful recordings available and let's
hope there's more to come.
-Check
out these related reviews:
Eddie
Hinton: Dear Y'all
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Various Artists:
Windy City Blues (Stax)
"Windy
City Blues" is an odd, patched together collection
of tracks mostly drawn from the vaults of the
Prestige label and it's Bluesville subsidiary.
There are very good recordings here of celebrated
windy city bluesman like Otis Spann, Willie Dixon,
Billy Boy Arnold, Sunnyland Slim and Homesick
James plus Albert King who is by no means a Chicago
blues artist. Outside of some alternate takes
the bulk of these recordings are available on
Prestige albums that are readily available on
CD. The reason for this collection seems to be
the four previously unsissued King tunes and may
be reason enough to pick this one up,
The
four Albert King tracks stem from a 1970 demo
session teaming up King with Willie Dixon with
the idea to entice the Stax label
to issue a full length album. Stax didn't go for
it which is surprising given the high quality
of these tracks. The songs were cut at Chess studios
in Chicago featuring a heavyweight cast of Matt
Murphy and Mighty Joe Young on guitars, Phil Upchurch
on bass, Lafayette Leake on piano and Morris Jennings
on drums. This is prime Albert King as he rips
into the meaty "The Lovin'est Woman in Town"
which starts off at a simmer before boiling over
with some searing guitar work, the romping "Need
More Mamma" plus solid work outs on "Love
Me to Death" and "Put It All in There."
The
rest of the recordings are straight up Chicago
blues even if some of the tracks were cut at Prestige's
New Jersey studio. Prestige's
subsidiary label Bluesville cut some great recordings
in the late 50's and 60's although most were in
the acoustic blues vein. The few Chicago blues
sessions the label cut were quite good including
first rate records like Billy Boy Arnold's "Blues
On The South Side" (1963), Sunnyland Slim's
"Slim's Shout" (1960), Homesick James'
"Blues
On The South Side"
and Otis Spann's "The Blues Never Die"
(1964). From those recordings we get fine tracks
from Arnold like "Two Drinks of Wine"
plus a pair of strong instrumentals spotlighting
his excellent harp playing, strong, if rather
sedate, Spann cuts backed by Muddy Waters and
his band on "Dust My Broom" featuring
the vocals of a young James Cotton plus the Spann
staple "Must Have Been The Devil." Among
the best cuts are the three Sunnyland cuts featuring
the tough tenor work of King Curtis as Slim's
vocals and robust piano rattle the walls on his
oft recorded "The Devil Is A Busys Man",
"Every Time I Get to Drinking" and "Tired
of You Clowning." These are from Sunnyland's
first full length album and one of his best in
my opinion. Wrapping things up are three Homesick
cuts, all alternate takes, that display his slashing
Elmore James influenced slide work. The Homesick
record ranks as one of his best efforts and he
hasn't cut much better outside of some strong
early/mid-70's records for the Bluesway and Big
Bear labels.
For
Albert King fans "Windy City Blues"
is worth it just for those four cuts and if you
don't have the rest of the material that's a nice
bonus. The full Prestige albums that the rest
of these sides come from are recommended with
a special nod going to the stellar Sunnyland Slim
and Homesick James records.
-Check
out these recent Albert King reviews:
Blues
From The Road & Live 69'
Talkin'
Blues
(Jeff
Harris)
|
Marion James: Essence
(Soul Food)
There
most be countless blues artists out there who cut a
side or two for some small label back in the 1950's
and 60's and then settled back in to a 9 to 5 life.
Few ever get a second shot but thankfully that's not
the case with extraordinary singer Marion James who's
"Essence" shows her delivering a riveting
mix of blues, soul and jazz.
During
the late 1950's, James scored the top ten hit "That's
My Man" for Nashville's famed Excello label. The
track featured a very young Billy Cox (The Band Of Gypsies)
on bass and legendary Nashville blues guitarist Johnny
Jones. Several years later Billy's Army buddy, guitarist
Jimi Hendrix joined the group and they played the club
circuit throughout the South. Nothing else clicked hit
wise but James continued performing until the mid 1980's.
In the early 90's, James hooked up with a local blues
group called The Hypnotics cutting "Marion James
& the Hypnotics" for the Appaloosa label in
1996. Now James is back and delivers a knockout performance
for a new Nashville label called Soul Food Records.
Marion
James has a hell of a voice, able to growl out tough
gritty blues and soul like Etta James or croon wonderfully
on more jazz oriented material. James is backed by the
cream of Nashville musicians such as legendary jazz
pianist, Beegie Adairlike, keyboardist Reese Wynans
formerly of Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, guitarist Jack
Pearson (The Allman Brothers), bassist Bob Babbitt (Marvin
Gaye, Gladys Knight), and drummer Chucki Burke (Willie
Dixon, Issac Hayes). This is varied and diverse set
as James ably jumps from gritty blues, hard hitting
R&B, soul and jazz with utter confidence. Things
kick of with the ultra funky R&B groove of "Tables",
the seductive and sultry "Give Me Love", the
hard hitting blues shuffle "My Mama", one
of the album's best, and the ominous stop time of "Please
Don't Waste My Time." She's equally fine on jazz
numbers like the loungy "Until The Real Thing Comes
Along" and the soulful, torch ballad "I Want
To Be Loved By Only You." The album closes with
a fascinating interview with James where she does two
gorgeous numbers with just herself on piano.
Hopefully
this stellar recording will get the word out about Miss
James. This fine recording should find it's way on my
year end "best of" list and is well worth
searching out.
-Check
out these related links:
Soul
Food Records Website
(Jeff Harris)
|
|
|
|
