Reviews (3)

USA's Huge Musical Contribution
Every time I hear a really great blues recording, like this one, I realize anew that this is where we achieved our finest moment in making a permanent, unassailable contribution to modern music. If you hear other, more modern, and most especially WHITE singers, doing these numbers, they are NOT the ones that did it first. Black Americans are the absolute center of this music and these women, every single one of them, is the real thing, the first modern musical artists. I really liked the idea too of breaking these albums up into special sectors with this one focusing solely on the authentic blues women. The male artists in this genre are very different from the women so it really makes sense to listen to them separately. Sometimes I feel as if the UKers might be leaving us in the dust musically but not when I listen to this album and the others like it, forming the core of America's musical contribution to the best of what we hear today. I think this would make an especially great gift to a friend in another country who thinks our major contribution was Elvis Presley. In fact, it might even make a great gift for Americans who remain oblivious to this national heritage and contribution!

Great Retrospective
This is a great CD set for the Blues afficionato as well as those just getting their feet wet. The songs cover the spectrum from classic to contemporary, and the recording sounds excellent. The closest thing I have to a complaint about it is that it might have been nice if the songs were organized more chronologically so that the musical and stylistic evolutions were more gradual and kinder to the listening ear. Still, this is by far my favorite collection, and my most listened to blues CD.

Dynamite music, great fun.
This is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable and fun CD sets I've heard in a long time. I am even ordering two more sets for a friend to give as gifts. It would be hard to pick favorites here, but Ruth Brown, Candye Kane, Alberta Hunter and Bessie Smith would be at the top. Anyone who likes vintage and contemporary blues would do well to buy this set. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

I can't get these songs out of my head - they're great!
Etta James has a great style that's all her own. More than that, the songs on this CD really make it one of the most satisfying I've ever heard. I LOVE IT and turn my friends on to it every chance I can.

Life is betta with Etta
This CD is on the top of my all-time favorites list for great music to dance or listen to and, in my opinion, her absolute best to date. Etta James is truly a mistress of the blues.

5 years and it is STILL a favorite....
I purchased this CD 5 years ago, in a tiny shop on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Her music was playing throughout the store---the lyrics are bittersweet,sentimental and mature. ( She has BEEN THERE, and you get the feeling that she knows that you have too---) I had never experienced Etta James music beforehand---and believe me it is an EXPERIENCE! Eventually I left the man, but I took my Etta James CD with me. ( There are many men, but only one EJ.)

Some Country Soul & Blues
This cd is one of Etta's BEST!!!... "Love's been rough on me" showcases Etta's strong voice! I love this one!

There will never ever be a replacement for Etta
I have tried to see this woman for years and always seem to miss the few live concerts she puts on. The next time I'm close, I'll hitchike, beg, borrow and steal just to see the #1 "have-to-see"Queen of the blues. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Just when it seems that the purr has left Etta James's estimable voice, about halfway through this live concert recorded in 2001 at L.A.'s House of Blues she begins her eternally romantic ballad "At Last," and the years tumble away. James's singing becomes flexible as a tenor saxophone, building to a lovely, serpentine diminuendo, which she caps with an arching phrase that dissipates in a misty exhalation of breath. It's such a beautiful, brilliantly executed performance that it's suddenly clear that for most of this show, the 64-year-old diva played dirty on purpose. So her signatures, "Tell Mama" and "I'd Rather Go Blind" (really, just about everything), are raw and earthy, moan-and-groan R&B milked for every smile and tear. Raunchy, too, since James deploys plenty of her bawdy stage patter and picks numbers like the striptease fantasy "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and the even more obvious "I Just Want to Make Love to You." Her impetuous nature leads her into unpredictable improvisations, like the weird bird calls she warbles during the intro to the ghetto-rocker "All the Way Down," with it's wah-wah guitar and "Theme from Shaft" vibe. And her Roots Band are perfect accompanists. James's sons Donto and Sametto are the rhythm section, and the five horns and two guitarists play with the loose precision of the classic Stax or Muscle Shoals studio crews. Since James has made few live albums, she might have included more of her own gems in this set. But James has the command to transform numbers like Kiki Dee's "Sugar on the Floor" into soulful diamonds. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Tasty Set!
Some of the other reviews attack this on the basis that it is not as soulful as the 60's and 70's sets that we all know and love. Sure this is not 1962, but the band is on and it is a powerful well produced saucy set. The fact that she can put it out this strong after all of these years is a testament to her artistry. It is a nice blues rock sound and it never dissapointed anyone that has heard it with me. I understand the argument for purity but in this world everything evolves and this one gets a well deserved spot on my shelf next to the classics.

Average at best
She spends as much time talking the lyrics as she does actually singing on this live CD. If your looking for Etta at her best live then buy her CD "Rocks the House".

Still Etta, But Disappointing
Looking at the play list, I was really anticipating a power perfomance by one of my favorite R&B power vocalists. This, however, was not to be. To me this CD had the feel of someone going through the motions and pandering to an audience who wanted to see a "canned" Etta James performance. Too bad, because she can really be a force of nature when she's at her best. Check out The Essential Etta James' version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On" to see what I mean.

Overall: OK, but disappointing.

Burnin Down the House Smokes!!
I have several Etta James titles and this one definitely kicks some serious .... Etta shows no fear whilst tackling a couple monumental rockers, (e.g. Take Me to the River, and Born to be Wild), and once again demonstrates her remarkable versatility. For the younsters in the crowd who were not around at the time of the Talking Heads release of Burning Down the House, let me assure you it definitley made the scene in a big way. Etta's rendition of Take Me to the River is energetic and inspired. Truthfully speaking, I would have a difficult time choosing between Etta and David Byrne. This CD is recorded live in 5.1 surround (if i recall correctly). The sonics and mixing are quite good and I routinely find my mid-fi 2 channel stereo system cranking out 60-70 watts per channel by the end of this cd. Talk about imaging! Next best thing to being there. Anyhow, I rarely post reviews at Amazon.com, so you won't find my name in a top xxxx list. I do know something about the blues, however, and felt obligated to comment upon this cd, as I was totally blown away to see the negative reviews of this recording. Burnin Down the House is a live set that more than lives up to it's title. Buy it!!

Fairly Average!
I have quite a few Albums by Etta James&Have Live Recordings of Her Back in the 60's&70's&this Set doesn't even Come Close to Her Earthy Raw SoulFul Self to Me overall.Her Band Has Moments&Her Voices shines in spots but overall can't really feel the Warmth&Depth in this Set. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This selection is drawn from Billie Holiday's Verve recordings of the mid-1950s. It was a time when her voice was already showing some wear and tear, but the same experiences that tattered the voice brought it an unmatched expressiveness. Her voice possessed a unique presence, a sound that seems lit up by a resilient vitality. Producer Norman Granz set Holiday among the small jazz combos that suited her talents best, groups that included some of the finest soloists of her generation, such as trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and saxophonists Benny Carter and Ben Webster. Granz also supplied ideal rhythm sections, with pianist Jimmy Rowles and guitarists Kenny Burrell and Barney Kessel making appearances here. There's more room to stretch out than was available on the early Columbia and Commodore recordings, and the results are relaxed and profound treatments of some great songs. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

What a Beautiful Voice!
This lady could sing the blues like no one else. What a beautiful voice! And I love her jazz style and the bands on this compilation of great hits of the 50's. The sound quality is excellent on this single remastered CD which "contains selections from the complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945-1959," a box set of 10 CDs. This one is definitely a good buy. Some of my favorite songs on the album are "Comes Love", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "East Of The Sun", and "Speak Low". But this is only a small sample of some of Billie's Best, a box of gems from a treasure trove of talent.

This is really her best! or maybe her second best
This is really the best of the great Verve recordings of the 1950s. I will jump out on a limb and say those Verve recordings were surpassed only by the 1930s Columbia/Brunswick sides produced by John Hammond. They work best because like the Hammond sides, Billie here is produced solely as a JAZZ SINGER TOGETHER WITH JAZZ ARTISTS OF HER CALIBER AND OF HER GENERATION, not as a chanteuse, not as a pop singer, and not as an R & B singer, all detours that people who recorded her before and after these sides put her on.

The problem is that a lot of people tend to see Billie Holiday's artistry as a tragedy in progress rather than the work of a great singer and musician who did have a few off microphone problems. Billie Holiday died six or 7 years after the last one of these sides. The magic of these recordings has to do with good production, and good art coming out of that and not the question of the decomposition of her personal life.

Grantz's predecessors and successor were to attempt to take Billie in a more pop direction which just didn't work. That may have had to do with her "health" problems, but it also probably had to do with the crisis of swing-Jazz at the time. I mean in the mid 1950s you had Duke Ellington playing in third-rate amusement parks until Paul Gonzalves turned everything around at Newport. The Grantz verve sides were Billie's music, all the other stuff, the attempts at being like Dinah Washington, the anticommunist songs, the attempts to take her into jumb blues (Billie always detested being called a blues singer because she was not) and so forth were terrible.

In fact, her last efforts like Lady in Satin, remind one of some of the Louis Armstrong band recordings of the 1930s and early 1940s where the magic is the contrast between the swinging soloist and the utterly stiff band and stiffer arrangements.

Curiously, before and after her Verve years, the live recordings we have from her Carnegie Concert and Jazz at the Philharmonic and her singing on the Sound of Jazz have the same glow of Jazz. They resemble these sides more than the recordings she was making.

Billie's real strength is as a Jazz musician, a contributor to the polyphony of Jazz. These are only part of a whole series of recordings that Verve did in these years. At one time they were all available on LP and Tape. I haven't looked around, but one hopes the whole thing is available.

All of these words about Billie needs to be supplemented by some great playing by Ben Webster, Sweets, and other musicians. Much is said about Billie and Prez's collaboration in the 1930s, but on these recordings Mr. Webster recorded as many sides with Billie and developed another darker synergy between the two of them that needs to be listened to. Don't get me wrong, I am a Lester Young fanatic: his framed picture is on my wall and he is the only musician I have ever bought a tee shirt of, LOL. But, the accompaniment and the solos the musicians take here are worth the price alone!

This is a forgotten gem that deserves to shine.

My rating for this is anyone with ears needs to own it!

One Last Grasp at Greatness
It's hard to choose 16 songs and call it "Billie's Best", but this set gives an idea of Billie Holiday's great artistry during the last years of her life. Billie is heard throughout backed by a jazz combo or trio, with occasional (not often enough) saxophones by the likes of "Sweets" Edison and Benny Carter. Her sidemen are first rate and they provide maybe the last ounce of inspiration Billie needs during this difficult time in her life when she made these recordings. Sadly her voice is not what it once was, but some numbers come off better than others, and Verve chooses mostly those that she is comfortable with, some she made from her early days at Columbia in the 1930s that she remakes again here. On a few numbers here her voice is barely audible beyond a croak, but determination has always been her strength and she still manages to wring out one emotional performance after another. Sound quality is very good.

A Great Twilight Swansong for Ms. Holiday
This disc was recorded towards the end of Billie's career, and her voice isn't as sweet as some of her ealier work, but the musicians on this disc are in top form, and the passion and world-weariness in Billie's voice is stunning.

The songs here include some great standards, like "Come Rain or Come Shine", "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "All the Way", among many others. Billie, as always, makes these songs all her own, and gives them a new life with her vocals and deep emotion.

Billie was a true class act, and this set from her latter years is a good testament to why.

A Truly Great Jazz Album by the Great Lady day!
This CD is truly fantastic!! Lady Day singing in great form! I have listened to this CD over and over and never tire of it. There is no such thing as a bad Billie Holiday album! I Love Billie Holiday! I Love this album!! I Love her music 100%! Chow. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I used to be a sweetie/And I barely stayed alive," Candye Kane announces on the opening title track of The Toughest Girl Alive, and if one knows even a bit of her life history, one can easily believe it. Don't let the tough exterior fool you, though--Kane's got a heart of gold, and it comes through on every one of her songs. Extolling the spiritual value of being true to oneself as much as she embraces the pleasures of the flesh, Kane may seem like an odd role model with such songs as "Let's Commit Adultery" and "(Hey, Mister!) She Was My Baby Last Night," but she cheerfully admits that if there's a price, she'll pay it. After all, "Makes no difference to the Lord above/He loves you no matter who you love."With a siren's voice and an aggressively untrendy swing band behind her that's one of the tightest anywhere, Kane has gained a following that's rapidly approaching the outer limits of cult status; there's even a testimony from Penn Jillette included in the liner notes, for heaven's sake. If Kane comes to your town, you must check her out. Introduce yourself, but beware: as Jillette says, "If you get too close to Candye, you're never going to leave. You'll see." What's more, you won't want to. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (15)

This is Candye at her Best
First off, let's make it clear that Candye Kane is not some novelty act. While some folks like to focus more on her past and on her looks in reviewing her work, this is a serious vocalist with an exceptional backing band. There are few people on the planet who can belt out a song like Candye. Add to that, an allure that is hard to ignore and you have someone who makes great CDs and performs at unforgettable shows.

Of all of her work this CD is by far the best. I don't think there is a weak cut on the entire album and most of these songs will either get your feet moving, put a smile on your face or at least get you to stop and reflect.

While I would recommend anything she has ever recorded, this along with Diva La Grande are the perfect place to start in terms of appreciating her talent.

tougher than music snobs!
she's big, bawdy, and beautiful, and she's a helluva singer. though she has an unorthodox blues approach, she's a singer in the tradition of ruth brown, or all those speakeasy chanteuses who liberally laced their music with double entendres or outrageous brassiness. the sheer verve and joy in her voice puts a smile on your face, and ants in your pants; you just ache to get up and dance. though there are some out there who sniff at her credentials (and anyone's who was born after big mama thornton) , candye's filling a void in the blues scene, and filling it very nicely. my only criticism of this cd is that it's like one action packed roller coaster ride, leaving you breathless from start to finish. i'd like to hear more bluesy ballads about heartache, like "it should be raining" on her "diva la grande" cd. all in all, candye gives you alot of bang for your buck, and brings a little happiness into this blue old world.

99% red hot rockabilly singing!
Most of Candye Kane's cd's have a varierty of blues, jump blues, swing, jazz, and rockabilly. Her voice is similar to Janis Martin or Ruth Brown of teh 50's. She really has a retro sound, very authebtic, in particular this cd "Toughest Gal Alive" has a lot of rockabilly style vocals. At times she sort of squeels in a high pitched voice at the end of a phrase teh way Wanda Jackson did in her classic rockabilyl 50's sides. Candye does a few jump blues, but this is teh cd for a rockabilyl fan to get, of all of Candye's cd's. the toughesy Girl Alive is particular is a rockabilly new classic track. This cd si very appealing and sounds as if it were recorded in teh 1954-56 period of swingin rockin' blues. great music, and I'm 23 years old, and I love it ,and so do all my other pompadour wearing Elvis look alike rockabilly greaser friends, we all love Candye.

Exellent cd!
I enjoy swing dancing to this one. I was a DJ in Southern California for rockabilly dances, and I played the title track a lot, the wole cd swing, jumps, and rocks. Her vocie is clear soulful and magnificent! a must buy

She Might Well Be
Candye is the star. She sings on all the tunes, demonstrating a voice with power and a nice range of intensity. The voice is more insistent when singing about impending sex, sweeter and less intense when singing out of love. She has a range of exuberance as well. Her voice does not have tremendous pitch range but it's a solid, professional voice.

The songs are a few covers, some familiar, but most are familiar chord changes with new lyrics written by herself, sometimes with others. I find the lyrics interesting, creative and funny, albeit more than a bit raunchy. But, hey, she is performing in a blues-y genre. Some of the best lyrics are about:

Survival (Toughest Girl Alive song)
Love (Didn't We)
Sex(Let's Commit Adultery and most of the others)

On balance, this is a good album, worth buying. Ms. Kane has a professional voice. The horn arrangements add to the swing tunes. Some swing that's around today take arrangements from 40 years ago, perform them in a boring manner and then act like it's something new. I'd much rather listen to new lyrics and arrangements. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A great voice might be defined by its range or pitch, but for a great torch singer like Dinah Washington, it's an astonishing sense of presence, the ability to convey complex emotional states with a startling intimacy. The songs on this 1961 release focus on love, and they're distinguished by Washington's ability to mingle loss and resignation with the promise of the future and a steely determination to make it happen. Ultimately Washington's art is the romance of experience itself, its enduring truths and possibilities etched in her unforgettable voice. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

DINAH WASHINGTON IS THE GREATEST
The album UNFORGETTABLE is really a TEN STAR album. She is the GREATEST and can bring tears to your eyes and soul and tugs at the heart of the most hardened music listener.

Mellow, Sad Dinah
This is a must have for those whose pain is still fresh in their minds (and hearts) from a recent break-up or to spend a rainy day in front of the fireplace. If you liked the "What A Difference A Day Makes" CD, this one is for you. I find the songs and Dinah on this CD to be melancholic, mellow and sad. We all know Dinah from her blues material, but here she is understated and mellow. Yet she still infuses each song with heartbreak and ache that rattles your soul. Standouts include the lesser known songs "Alone" and "This Love of Mine". Listen to this CD with a box of Kleenex.

A MUST HAVE COLLECTION from DINAH WASHINGTON
This gem of an album finds Dinah in familar company with arranger/conductor Belford Hendricks, making spectacular music. Be it the bluesy swinging of "SURPRISE PARTY" (one of 6 bonus tracks) or the world weary wisdom of the opening verse of the classic "WHEN I FALL IN LOVE", its a mixed bag of standards, ("OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY", the aforementioned "WHEN I FALL IN LOVE" and "EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY" in addition to the title track) to titles co-penned by Dinah herself, ("LINGERING", "DO YOU WANT IT THAT WAY", and the searing "SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE") that find Dinah in excellent voice. Another long time Dinah collaborator, the talented Clyde Otis produced the sessions, and brought a few songs of his own to boot. Of the four, perhaps the most popular is the almost autobiographical reading of "THIS BITTER EARTH". Upon first hearing of this song, I rushed out and bought this disc. (That is, of course, after I regained my composure.) The story told in this lovely song must be heard by anyone who appreciates a great song. Truly a masterpiece, as is the entire set. In my opinion, this disc and Dinah's "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes" set (recently remastered and re-issued) are locked in a dead-heat as must have Dinah Washington albums. But I had no problem buying both, and you shouldn't either; after all, you can never have too much of a good thing! And anything Dinah Washington ever recorded definitely falls in that "good thing" category...UNFORGETTAB-ly...

An 'unforgettable' pop/jazz classic.
Though interest in Dinah Washington has increased over the past years (thanks in no small part to Clint Eastwood's inclusion of several Dinah classics in "The Bridges of Madison County"), she continues to be in the shadow of, I feel, the lesser talents of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. This disc is one of her finest, with standouts "This Bitter Earth" and "Somewhere Along the Line" prime examples of her exquisite phrasing and soulful commitment to each song. It is also a great intro to Miss Washington for the new listener. I've bought this recording in every format the industry has evolved, from vinyl to compact disc, and it just keeps getting better every time. Most highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A budget-priced box set, Broke, Black & Blue delivers multiple surprises within its 100 songs of prewar blues. Arranged chronologically by Joop Visser, the set admirably covers the first 22 years of recorded blues, 1924 to 1946, from vaudeville and Delta to boogie-woogie and jump blues. It's a swell gift for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of blues. But old-timers will be pleased, too, as special attention has been paid to culling rare and idiosyncratic tracks by the well-known and the obscure. The first three discs present single tracks by artists as diverse as the Memphis Jug Band, De Ford Bailey, Tommy Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Peetie Wheatstraw, Lonnie Johnson, and Bukka White, alongside unknowns such as Isaiah "The Mississippi Moaner" Nelson, Barbecue Bob and Laughing Charley, Ed Andrews, Chicken Wilson, and Bumble Bee Slim. On the fourth disc, this convention is jettisoned to luxuriate in a series of very rare sides of lovely, oddly subdued boogie-woogie and jump blues by Jimmie Gordon, Johnny Temple, and Lee Brown. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What A Treasure
This Box set is a treasure.Great collection of early recorded blues.Fantastic! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Irma teams with Dan Penn for a great CD.
Irma Thomas and Dan Penn is a marriage made in heaven. This is Irma's best CD to date. Penn's songs show off her voice and his production is very simple but so good. On past CD's I've always felt that Irma needed stronger material and Penn can still write great R&B songs. He just needed the right singer. Most songs are new but Irma gives her interpretation to some of Dan's classics. Not since Aretha has Dan Penn's songs sounded this good. Not since "Wish Someone Would Care" has Irma had such great material. This is an absolute treat, not to be missed.

A Great Soul Album by Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas, the great singer from New Orleans has a fabulous new Rounder cd in the stores on August 8, My Heart in Memphis: The Songs of Dan Penn. Thomas has been such a terrific singer since she recorded such R&B classics as Ruler of My Heart, I Done Got Over It and the original Time Is On My Side. In the seventies she did some sessions in Muscle Shoals, and included a couple songs by Dan Penn, and Penn contributed three songs to Irma's 1997 album, The Story of My Life. Penn is among the great songwriters, having had a part in such classic songs as Aretha's Do Right Woman, the Box Tops Cry Like a Baby and James Carr's great deep soul classic, Dark End of the Street. With collaborators including Spooner Oldham, Carson Whitsett, Marvell Thomas and Irma herself, Penn has provided wonderful new tunes, and with co-producer Scott Billington, has brought together a sterling studio band including Michael Toles on guitar, the keyboards of Oldham, Whitsett, and Thomas, along with saxophonist Jim Spake. Anyone who loves the classic Memphis Sound will groove to the playing here and when Irma sings about traveling all over the world, but her heart being in Memphis on the title track one almost believes she lived in Memphis all her life. There's a wonderful reworking of the James and Bobby Purify hit, I'm Your Puppet, along with Zero Willpower, which Irma recorded in Muscle Shoals in the late sixties. There are blue laments of love gone wrong and mistreating men, Blue in the Heart and Woman left Lonely, as well as songs with a more assertive tone, If You Want It, Come and Get It. Songs as these good display's Irma's greatest strength as a singer, which is her sincerity and believability. My Heart's In Memphis is possibly the best classic soul album since the late Johnny Adams' last album, Man of My Word, another Scott Billington production.

Another winner from Irma
I've been a fan for several years now and own all her Rounder CD's as well as some of the older stuff. This CD's great, but a little different from her others. As the title implies, it was recorded in Memphis & features the songs of Dan Penn, who Irma's covered before. If you're looking for the New Orleans, second-line rhythms of her previous efforts, you might be disappointed. As for southern soul/R&B, Memphis style, you'll be very pleasantly surprised. She's in as great a voice as ever, and most of the songs are really strong. Musicians and production are great too.

Soulful & Joyous
I first heard of Irma Thomas on a local public radio station. She instantly touched my soul. Irma has a wonderful provacative voice, which is matched by few. This is a CD not to be missed.

Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas is definitely as good as she has ever been. Comebined with the legendary songwriting skill of Dan Penn as well as the considerable talent of some of Memphis's best musicians backing her, Ms. Thomas once again uses her smooth, powerful, voice to convey the very essence of soulful music. This CD is a must for any fan with a serious understanding and appreciation of Rhythm and Blues music. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A SIX star cd, all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know what's wrong with all these ametuel reviewers, who rave about her and only give her four stars(as if they feel they are being professional by never giving 5 star reviews). This cd is worthy of SIX stars. Especially the reviewer that says she is the Queen and this cd is perfect, the why did he only leave 4 stars(STUPID, really stupid). This is without a doubt Koko Taylor's finest session, and it deserves more respect the some bozo casually leaving 4 star(actaully 3 bozos).

The music si sinsprining and full of energy. in fact the middle aged Koko on this cd, sounds more like an energetic 20 something girl.!!! Wild fun, hollerin' blues. This cd captures what the publics perception of the blues is, fun, wild, and exciting and full of creativity and loads of ENERGY, just listen to the BEER BOTTLE BOOGIE, which sounds likes something that would have been recorded at Sun Records in the 1950's. This 1975 record, might be koko's finest set.

If you are looking for more of an overview of her music you could try Deluxe Edition, but why not just start here with this exellent release, it is the perfect introduction to Koko Taylor.

Bottom line: Exellent rockin' blues by a TRUE QUEEN

She is the Queen
I thoroughly enjoyed this CD. I love the power in this woman's voice.
Right from the start with "EVIL," the CD establishes itself as "No Nonsense." I wanted to hold her when she sang "I Cried Like A Baby." I wanted to get out of her way with "I Can Love You Like A Woman (Or I Can Fight You Like A Man)." "Queen Bee" is a trip. Pure Koko. Closing with "Come To Mama" just doesn't get any better.
Now this is what I would call "A Great Lady Sings The Blues."

Earthshakingly Good!
Ms. Taylor rivals Howlin' Wolf in the terrify-ingness of her voice. So it's fitting she starts with the Wolf classic "Evil" here, and when she sings "Grab the first thing smokin'" my whole body tenses up. Yup, she's visceral. Unfortunately her backing band is up to the challenge, although guest star James Cotton redeems it somewhat (especially on "Queen Bee.") Oh well. Some say her voice is an acquired taste, but I don't understand why. If the gravelly goodeness that pounds "Flamin Mamie" into the wall doesn't speak to you ... you're probably dead!

This is some party...
Check out the guest list for her majesty's blues royal party:James Cotton,Son Seals,Albert Collins,should I go on?However the magic comes from a different direction,from the queen herself,making this an instant classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ethel Waters is arguably the first woman jazz singer, with a gift for musical phrasing that immediately distinguished her from both the classic blues singers and the prevailing standards for popular singers. This CD surveys her recordings from 1925 to 1939, placing emphasis on jazz elements. Throughout, she's accompanied by an extraordinary collection of jazz musicians, and rare are the popular vocal records of the period where singers and jazz bands coexist so comfortably. Cornetist Joe Smith and clarinetist Don Redman are present on 1925's "Sweet Georgia Brown," and several musicians who appear as young sidemen on recordings from 1929 to '31--such as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman--would become the leaders of celebrated swing bands a few years later. There's a superb rendition of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" with Duke Ellington's great 1932 band, but Waters is just as dynamic on "Stormy Weather" and "Heat Wave." Waters possessed an exceptional talent for delivering lyrics, giving almost speechlike dimension to songs like "True Blue Lou" and tremendous drama to the mournful "Trav'lin' All Alone." The CD is a good introduction to a fascinating singer and an interesting chapter in the evolution of popular music. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A nice introduction to the work of the legendary Miss Waters
Ethel Waters was the first true jazz singer, and arguably the most influential vocalist in the history of popular American music. Her only real rival for this latter title is Louis Armstrong, and it can be argued that while Armstrong was the greater musician, Waters melding of black and white singing styles was actually the more influential contribution to American jazz and popular singing. The advent of CD's has brought a very welcome re-release of some hitherto very hard to find Waters material. There are now several compilation CD's of Waters classic jazz/blues/popular music cuts available. Of these, "Am I Blue?" may be the best single compilation of the Waters oeuvre. The only real rival is the "Ethel Waters: 1925-1940" disc, and this disc presents a greater or at least more representative variety than that disc, though both are worth owning. The sides on this disc were recorded between 1925 and 1939. I am not sure how they were chosen, but they represent a nice cross-section of Waters up-tempo numbers and ballads, her hits and more obscure songs and her work with a number of different bands, including those of the Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, as well as a couple of choice cuts with her long-time pianist Pearl Wright. The sound quality is good, and the hits are certainly present in abundance. Those unfamiliar with Waters' singing career may be surprised to learn that she introduced (and recorded what are still the finest versions of) "Dinah", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Am I Blue?", "Stormy Weather", "Miss Otis Regrets", "Moonglow", "Don't Blame Me", "A Hundred Years From Today" and "Heatwave". Although all of these are marvelous, the incredible sophistication of "Miss Otis Regrets" (Waters must be the only singer who can capture the Cole Porter wit of this song and still make it sound affecting), the incredible emotion (compressed and never overstated) in "Stormy Weather" and the inventive little touches she adds to "swing" "Heatwave" are the highlights of these classics. There are also the delightful surprises - Waters' inimitable characterization of men talking about "True Blue Lou", her playful "You Can't Stop Me From Loving You", the moving "Trav'lin All Alone", the take command, bawdy "Long, Lean, Lanky Mama", the comedy of "Birmingham Bertha", and the touching confidence of "At the End of the Road". In all of the songs on this CD, it pays to listen carefully and hear how Waters plays with both the melody and rhythm of the song to sing a song "her way". When she started doing this in 1917, and on her first recordings in 1921, she was the only singer doing so, and in doing so, she changed the course of popular music in America. There are shortcomings to any single disc, of course. Among the many standards Waters introduced that are not included on this CD: "St. Louis Blues", "Taking A Chance On Love", "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe", "Cabin in the Sky", "There'll Be Some Changes Made", "Memories of You", "Sugar", "Hottentot Potentate", "Harlem on My Mind", and "Supper Time". Also missing are certain classic renditions of songs she didn't introduce, in particular her killer version of "I Got Rhythm" from 1934, a virtuoso example of early jazz singing, and some of her great blues sides, like "West End Blues". And like most compilation discs, this disc ignores all of her recordings done after 1940. There are still no CD's of her classic live performances in the 1950's (captured on the Monmouth-Evergreen album, "Miss Ethel Waters"), of her 40's, 50's and 60's recordings for small labels, of her television performances from the 50's, or of her three recordings of spirituals and hymns for Word records in the 50's, 60's and 70's. By the 50's, age had taken a great toll on her voice, but she nonetheless managed to find the heart of any song she sang and still make it very much hers. What is needed more than anything is a comprehensive box set (at least 4 CD's) that spans her entire glorious career. Until we get such a set, there are at least single disc compilations such as this one to serve as an introduction and the Classics series, which covers all her sides from 1921-1940, for which to be grateful.

She was a WOW!!!
Everyone should experience the voice and style that belonged to Ethel Waters. Most people remember her in movies but not everyone realizes she was a successful songstress before that. To hear her sing Dinah or Sweet Georgia Brown will send shivers of pleasure through your body. Her sense of timing and her style of blues were unique. Listen and enjoy to one of the great treasures that was Ethel Waters.

Hip-swingin', light-flashin', get-down-to kind of song!
This song has a great beat you just want to dance to. I would love to sing with this song if I could just figure out what she was singing. So instead, I just get down and party hardy! I strongly suggest playing this song at a dance or group party at high volume and a strobe light or other party style fixtures. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Be warned
I hate it when you buy a CD for a particular song, then you discover they used a NON-vocal version of a song known for its lyrics. "Happy Days are Here Again" is instrumental only on this CD.I also bought a "Songs of the Civil War" CD recently that DIDN'T have a vocal version of Dixie, only instrumental.Gyp. The song listings don't warn you of an instrumental-only track, and you can't click for a 30-second preview of "Happy Days". So look out.All in all, the CD isn't bad though.Some good stuff on it.

30's recordings
You get 21 recordings from the 30's, so it's a bargain.This selection, the soundtrack of a PBS documentary, is weighted a bit heavily with gloomy blues/folk songs that leave the impression that popular music back then was all leftist social protest songs.One rather doubts that "NRA Blues" would be a hit in any decade, much less the decade of "Gay Divorcee," "42nd Street," Gershwin and dance bands.But Louis Armstong's "All of Me" alone makes up for all the other woe is me songs on the album.Listen to this collection, then turn on your FM radio and weep at the fall of popular music.

a nostalgic trip to a bleak era
I can't believe no one has reviewed this yet - this is one of the best (if not the best) compilations of music from this era.The booklet is filled with photographs and information on this pivotal point in American history - socially, economically, psycholigically, and musically.Many famous artists are contained here, but in earlier stages of their careers than we have become culturally familiar with (Ellington, Armstrong).The effort to cheer up a 'depressed' nation rings through here, with a mirth and joy that we have certainly lost in these less-than-disastrous times.While a couple tracks serve better as period pieces than entertainment (Henry Ford's Orchestra?!?), this excellent collection entertains today as well as when these hot jazz and early blues songs were flowing from radios that are now antiques.

Hot tip - this may go out of print, as have many other collections from Columbia Legacy.Get it before it becomes a legacy itself! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Billie was a real musician.
Laura Nyro wrote a wonderful song called LouiseÕs Church, about underappreciated women artists, in which she proclaims, "Billie was a real musician." I love both Laura Nyro and Billie Holiday, but that always seemed to me a really odd line. Of course Holiday was one of the greatest singers who ever lived, if not THE greatest, but a musician?

After I listened to this CD, NyroÕs assertion suddenly made sense to me. Billie Holiday is well-known for her ability to take a trite song and make it shine by singing contrary to the spirit of the lyrics, or bringing out subtle shades of meaning that even the lyricist was probably unaware of. There are plenty of samples of that talent on this album. She sings the chirpy "Things Are Looking Up" at a dirge-like speed, and with an ache in her voice. And the way she sings "My First Impression of You" Ð a bland little ode to love at first sight Ð you know the first impression turned out to be wrong.

But what impresses me most about this album, more than any other Billie Holiday album I own, is that it shows off her talent as a musician. The musicians who back her up on these tracks are astounding Ð Buck Clayton, Teddy Wilson, and especially Lester Young (the play between HolidayÕs voice and YoungÕs saxophone on "Getting Some Fun Out of Life" is one of the high points in the history of popular music Ð that alone is worth the price of the disk.) Obviously these 18 tracks arenÕt the only ones she ever cut with these musicians. She worked with them on and off throughout her career. But the instrumentalists are featured prominently on most of these songs -- on several tracks, the vocal doesnÕt even come in until the middle of the song Ð and the music is so gorgeous you could subtract BillieÕs voice and it would still be a joy to listen to.

Of course, youÕd never want to take out the vocal from these songs, because theyÕre not only examples of great singing, theyÕre an essential part of the music. ItÕs not just that the band did a great job of supporting Billie Holiday, but also that she does a great job of supporting them. Her tone is gorgeous and her rhythm is both impeccable and unique. Even when thereÕs not much to do in the song, she blends in as one more beautifully toned instrument in a knockout orchestra.

Laura Nyro was right Ð Billie was a real musician, one who could more than hold her own with some of the best musicians who ever lived. If you have any interest at all in Billie Holiday's work, this album is an essential purchase.

Lady Day & the Pres!
This CD, as some of the others have said, showcases a happy, vibrant, swinging Billie Holiday. The interplay between her and the musicians, particularly the legendary saxophonist Lester Young, is nothing short of extraordinary. Not all of the songs are good, though. You've still got some Tin Pan Alley pap, such as "Now They Call It Swing." The majority of the material is excellent, however, with knockout versions of "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Trav'lin' All Alone" (my personal favorite). I'd highly recommend this one. It's a side of Lady Day you don't often get to hear.

Possibly the BEST Quintessential Set
This Quintessential #5 may well be the BEST one compiled during her Vocalion-Brunswick (Columbia) years, and that's saying alot considering all nine Quintessential volumes are considered classics in the jazz canon. What distinguishes this particular set is the well-chosen songs and unforgettable performances by Billie and her elite sidemen. I would be hard pressed to find a more joyful Billie than the one captured here. Maybe it's not a coincidence this set came right in the middle of her recording years at Columbia, for she had found that right balance between swing and poignancy in her performances. The earlier sets tend to swung too much while the later sets border on melancholy. This one has just the right amount of both. Billie sounds she's getting a lift from the group of men backing her on instrumentals and what a group: Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Freddie Green, Teddy Wilson. In fact you can hear the sheer joy and pleasure in Billie's singing. This was probably a very happy time in her life and she shares that with the world. Look for the standout swinger tracks: "Travelin' All Alone" "Back in Your Own Backyard" "Born to Love" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It", but really, all the tracks are classics.

Different Billie: young,vibrant and happy
So many singers claim to be influenced by great Lady Day -there are countless tribute albums on the market,where different people are exploring her repertoire (from Anita O'Day,Carmen Mc Rae,Rosemary Clooney and Chet Baker to more recently Tony Bennett,even last Bryan Ferry album sounds very much like something that Billie would record with a small band in 1930's) and still nothing touches me as the real thing.All 9 volumes of her collected works for "Columbia" are stunningly beautiful,seems to me they are just going better as they progress: this one is surprisingly swinging and uplifting.People who remebers Billie only as a singer of sad,gloomy songs,should check this one:"Trav'lin All Alone","He's Funny That Way","Nice Work If You Can Get It","Can't Help Lovin That Man" - they are all melancholic but still rhythmicaly uptempo,and Teddy Wilson piano is simply breathtaking.On the other hand,in the song "Things Are Looking Up" she sounds like a little girl who is trying not to cry,while her heart is broken.Everybody who thinks that Billie Holiday is only about sadness and pain,should hear this volume 5: its different,young and vibrant woman whan she was in her prime,light years away from sad end and "Lady In Satin".

Classic Billie Holiday!
By far my favorite Billie Holiday cd, and one of my favorite jazz cds of all time. This is Billie at her best. The combination of her beautiful voice and Lester Young's tenor make this album the perfect start for a relaxing Saturday or Sunday morning. No one will ever be able to sing about love to way Billie did! ... Read more

Album Details

Bessie Smith's Big, Beautiful Voice Influenced Generations of Singers and Can Still Be Heard in the Work of Many of Today's Stars. 4cds, Well Over Four Hours of Music, Full Liner Notes and a Discography Add Up to a Truly Deluxe Package. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One word... Perfect!
The first time I listened to this album I wept from the sheer power and beauty of Billie's voice. I've been a fan of Billie since I first heard her, but nothing could prepare me for just how wonderful this album is. There is really only one word to describe this collection of songs, perfect. "Autumn In New York" is but one of the jewels found on this album. "Solitude" might just be the most heart wrenching song ever. Yet, for all that solace it is divinely beautiful in every way. As is this whole album. To me it is like a gift from the heavens. One that should be cherished and listened to over and over again.

Best from the 50's
There is no need for me to write a whole load about how brilliant Billie Holiday is, since if you are thinking of getting this, you will already know.

This album (which was originally called 'Billie Holiday Sings') was recorded in 1952. It is easily, in my opinion, the best album that came from Billie Holiday in the 1950's. She is accompanied by small piano, and tenor-saxophone led groups, including the likes of Oscar Peterson and Charlie Shavers. There are a good selection of songs here, and Billie Holiday sounds great on these recordings, although the same cannot be said, sadly, for most of her later albums from the 1950's. I am glad her voice had not completely gone at the time of these recordings, since these are some of the best.

A very decent Billie Holiday album, that one simply should not go without, for their CD collection. You can never have enough Billie Holiday CD's. Highly recommended.

Classic American Music
The depth and excellence of American music is unparalled in the world, but sometimes I've wondered about the best definition for it. I think my choice would be Billie Holiday in front of a small jazz combo singing American standards of popular music the way only she could. This was 1952 and Billie was starting to wear down, but her voice was still fine if laced with hard experience. Here she just rolls through a wonderful lineup of songs with a gently swinging combo; never too hard or too soft, the absolutely perfect record for sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and just letting your cares melt away.

Another One of Billie's "Must Own's"
Billie scores another triumph for herself with this essential recording. Made in 1952 when her voice was still in pretty good shape (most of the fans will agree after listening). The song selection was a bold one since half are from her Columbia days in the 1930's. Here is a different Billie because most of the tempos have been slowed down to suit her taste and preference. This was her first release since leaving the Decca label and what a big relief it is to hear her again in a jazz combo setting with some occasional saxophone backing thrown in. Every song is framed around Billie's voice and her wonderful interpretation. While her voice has taken on more rasp, it has also grown fuller and rich with nuance and subtlety, something she did not possess in her "golden era" of the 1930s. All are standards on this 15-song set, including an alternate take of "Autumn in New York". Verve has done a pretty good job remastering, though some hisses are still evident, but it doesn't get in the way of the aural enjoyment of Billie's performance.

Jazz fans will find solace in "Solitude"
Upon signing with Norman Granz for Verve Records in the early fifties, Billie Holiday recorded a set of songs with a small combo, reminiscent of the work she did in the thirties. The significant difference, however, is her voice: the early fifties were Holiday's glorious "in between" period; more mature and textured than her early years but not as ravaged and drug-worn as her later recordings. With the quintessential Holiday nuance, a top-notch set of songs and a stellar backing that includes pianist Oscar Peterson, Holiday offers up one of the strongest and most consistent albums of her distinguished career.

Both "Blue Moon" and "Moonglow" have the easiest of swings, enhanced by masterful vocals and first-rate horn solos, and "I Only Have Eyes for You" is one of her bounciest and strongest uptempo recordings. But for those of you who cherish her bluesier side, never fear: her gift for melancholy can be cherished on the gorgeous, Duke Ellington-penned title track, as well as the wistful classic "These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)."

Throw in a gorgeous remastering and near-perfect mix and you have one of the most impressive albums of an incomparable career. Whether you're a longtime fan eager to hear her in her finest element or a jazz novice curious as to why Billie Holiday is still so revered four deacades after her passing, "Solitude" is a treasure to behold. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bessie Smith wasn't the first of the classic blues singers to record, but once she did, she became the form's dominant force, with a voice that combined clear diction, great power, and a unique capacity to convey complex emotions. Weariness gives way to resilience and sorrow to joyous triumph in Smith's performances, and there's nobility in her delivery of even the sometimes tritely comic lyrics she sang. This is the first of five two-CD sets that gather all her known recordings. The first 38 songs, from February 1923 to April 1924, are here. Smith was a presence when she first arrived in the studio: "Downhearted Blues," her first record and already a hit for its composer, Alberta Hunter, would sell nearly 800,000 copies in its first six months of release. It's a riveting performance, but there's greater substance just a couple of months later in the bending notes of "Oh Daddy Blues." There are many majestic performances here, with Smith usually accompanied by just piano, played by songwriter Clarence Williams, her working accompanist Irving Johns, or Fletcher Henderson. When her accompaniments begin to expand, Don Redman makes an appearance on clarinet, but the great band recordings with Louis Armstrong remain in the future. The liner notes, by Smith's biographer, Chris Albertson, are excellent, filled with illuminating background and details of Smith's career during her first year of fame. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Smooth yet rough, classic blues
Listening to this CD set is like sitting in one of those smoke filled blues bars on in an old, old movie. I first heard Bessie Smith on a small town blues radio program - you know, one of those stations that gave an hour or two to different kinds of music, so the jockeys for the particular genre really know their stuff. Her voice really stood out from all the rest. It is smooth like Ella Fitzgerald but sorrowful and knowing. I am an Ella fan too, but Bessie has more IN her voice. I would love to have heard her sing some gospel because you can hear the pure power in her voice without her every really using it. It is like a deep river running slowly.

The sound quality of the recording is ... well, have you ever listened to vinyl? It is like that, sort of. You can tell it is old. For me, though, that just adds to its charm. The accompanyment(sp?) is piano - no blaring horns or anything like that. This is slow, classic blues.

Not Enough Supurlatives To Describe It
In my opinion Bessie Smith was not only one of the first, but the
best. Bessie Smith blazed the trail which was followed by all of
the great female blues singers.

This complete set illustrates that ALL of her recordings became
part of the foundation upon which the genre was built.

I only have one regret. I bought the set on cassettes before I
had a CD player! A problem that I plan to resolve in the very
near future.

The Mother of All Blues Singing Ladies
Anyone who wants to know how the blues are sung should listen to Bessie Smith. Or anyone who already knows and wants the complete recordings should get out the wallet for this "Volume 1." Bessie's the mother of them all. With a voice like a pipe organ belting out sad songs of betrayal, abuse, violence, and rough love she defined blues singing back in the '20's and '30's Nobody's ever done it better. Engineering substantially reduces the old '78 hiss. These 2 CD's and the well-written informative booklet included are well worth the price. One hopes the succeeding volumes will be as well done. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The mark of great singers is their ability to turn a trifling song into an emotional masterwork. R&B legend Etta James has done it live for nearly 20 years with Kiki Dee's "Sugar on the Floor" and a few others. But what's really sublime is hearing James sink her teeth into numbers that stand up to her own greatest work--"At Last" and the other Chess hits that built her reputation. James ignites such sparks all over this new disc of mostly well-chosen covers, wrapping her deep, supple, and saucy pipes around Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Hawg for You"; replacing Mick Jagger's flippancy with real heart on the Rolling Stones' "Miss You"; putting the gospel fire into Bob Dylan's "You Got to Serve Somebody"; and digging down 'n' dirty intoO.V. Wright's "Don't Let My Baby Ride." The straight-ahead arrangements and undistinguished playing leave James to carry the album herself, but at 62, she's still a fireball and more than up to the task. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The Voice Done Gone
It's time for Etta to hang it up. Period.

This CD is painfully embarassing. The voice done gone.

I had looked forward to hearing the several notable covers, but Etta doesn't appear to have looked forward to singing them. Most are marked by minimal effort. Uncreative, uninvolved, uninspired ... Etta uncharacteristically limps through the tunes, as if someone off-mike was forcing her through them.

I consider this purchase a complete waste of money, and listening to it an equally complete waste of time.

powerful good
Until buying this CD I rated Live in San Francisco as easily her best but this, Praise the Lord!!, is a total mindf*#k. This is righteous powerful stuff: funk in overdrive--turbocharged blues--funkified rock!!

The sound alone grabs you and slams you against your living room feature wall if you play it loud which I believe you must. It's clean and strong and goes right through you. (Even on my little superzeros which aren't supposed to have any bass response - so where did all that incredibly powerful tight bass come from ??) It sounds liver than a "live" album.

Etta puts all of her personality into each song expressing more power and authority than I've ever heard from her. Fantastic!

You gotta respect somebody
For the people who ... their only perception of singers are teenage girls with lollipops hanging out their mouth,overweight and 63-years old Etta James must seems like insult.For us who are real believers in good music,her return to blues (after several surprisingly uninspired albums of jazz covers) is a welcome change and hope that she would follow her intuition next time around.From the first few seconds is audible that her heart is in blues and she is in total control of wide range of emotions on the album,spreading them around like a magiacian.While Aretha half-heartedly grooves with new R&B sound,Etta is doing what she is doing best and makes this old songs sounds like new.How many 63-year old singers can you name,who will turn Rolling Stones disco into slow,sexy blues or squeeze gentle bossa nova "Let's straighten this out" between gospel Dylan and rocking John Fogerty,sing heartbreaking blues "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" or cover of Al Green song AND end it all with a joyful,happy "Hound Dog" in which she is actually barking (you can imagine her in studio!)? Not just because of her famous past,but because her present is so decidedly uncompromising,I love and respect Etta James.(Please stop this "diva" thing - its overused expression,reserved for a every new big-haired top-charter and the word does not describe Etta James who is recording since 1955.)

Etta, it's time to retire
It goes without saying that Etta James was one of the greatest R&B vocal artists.

Sadly for buyers of this CD, the operative word is "was."

Some singers mellow with age and present you with new and delightful variations of their unique gifts -- Ella, Sarah, Aretha, to name a few.

Etta is in the other category -- you could call it the Billie Holiday category.

At 62 years of age, Etta sounds as if she's been chain-smoking Chesterfield plain-ends since the day she cut "Fool that I am." Her range is non-existent, her intonation is poor, her delivery is flaccid, and she sounds -- I'm sorry, but there's no other way to put it -- old and tired.

The band, however, is great -- but their energy only underscores Etta's fatigue.

This album makes me feel the way I do when I see the also once-great Roberto Duran in the ring: depressed.

Blues don't have only one Diva!!!
I disagreed about some reviewers that elected Etta James a Blues Diva.She's a Diva of the blues,but she's not alone!We can't forget KoKo Taylor,Deborah Coleman,Shemekia Copeland,Susan Tedeschi,Bonnie Raitt....the list is greater,so greater... What we can say ,is that Etta James is among the best of them!!! I've enjoyed so much other works,specially "Life,Love & the Blues",but this one is not so far from that!!!The songs are rare moments of romantic covers from that great musicians,such Stones,Elvis,Big Mamma T.,.... No deceptions,what we could expected from this new cd,was so much spices and seasonings...The cover design and all of the production are marvellous!!! ... Read more

Album Details

Remastered Recordings from 1929 - 1937. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fantastic!
I've been visiting this box-set often since picking it up a few months ago. Previous to this, I only had one Memphis Minnie disc, so the vast majority of this box was new to me. Memphis Minnie is truly one of the giants of pre-war blues, yet she seems to be somewhat forgotten. Her name doesn't often seem to roll off the tongues of even many of the people who have gotten beyond just Robert Johnson. Hopefully this low priced yet high quality collection will help fix that situation.

I think I have ten of these great JSP boxes so far, and this is one of the very best.

In the majority of current blues, lyrics are little more than an after thought. Just something to play a supporting role to the trite guitar wankery. The pre-war era was when blues lyrics actually had something to say, and Minnie's lyrics are an excellent window into not only herself, but also into the flipside of life (of that era) and blues... life and blues from the female perspective. Minnie would seem to be as rough and tumble as any of her male counterparts.

Guitaristically, the first major glimpse we get into her playing comes on Mister Tango Blues. Throughout this box it strikes me that Minnie may well have been a more influential guitarist than many of the more famous males of her time. She does things you can still hear people doing today. A compliment to Minnie, but yet another comment on the stale state of most blues today.

One of the things that makes this entire box such a joy is that Minnie's music is comprised of many different styles. Whereas someone like Blind Lemon Jefferson only really did a handful of different things and everything he did fell into those categories, Minnie does everything from low-down blues to more mournful songs illustrating the female perspective, to jaunty, goofily fun tunes, jugband stuff, etc...

If you're only interested in hearing her do When The Levee Breaks, this isn't the set for you, as it's not here. I e-mailed JSP before this box was released and they told me that it would be included on a Kansas Joe box instead. Considering how many Minnie and Joe tracks are on here, I'm not sure why that wasn't included also, but it's a small gripe considering the great price of these JSP boxes and that it it won't bother me to pick up the Joe box for Levee and all the other tracks they did together that were not included here.

This whole box is like a musical treasure chest. Beyond "Thank you Minnie and JSP!!!" I can't think of anything more to say. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best ladies of the 1940's in one package
This double-CD contains 51 songs from the late 1930's to the early 1950's, all beautifully sung by some of the finest ladies of their generation, all mastered to the high quality that is expected of Jasmine. Of course, there are limits to what even Jasmine can do with such old recordings, but anybody who buys such material has to allow for that. As far as I'm concerned, the sound is as good as it could be expected to be.

I'm not sure that it was necessary to include as many as four songs by my favorite lady of the era, Doris Day, but they are good ones. Three of them are famous, while My dreams are getting better all the time - every bit as good as the others - was an American number one hit.

Three of Peggy Lee's big hits of the forties are also included, my favorite among them being Its a good day. Also represented by three songs each are Billie Holiday, Kitty Kallen, Helen Forrest, Anita O'Day and Jo Stafford. Just two songs each for June Christy, Marjorie Hughes, Martha Tilton, Helen Ward, Patti Page, Margaret Whiting, the Andrews sisters and Dinah Shore. Some of the singers represented by just one song are obscure, but it is surprising that Judy Garland, Ivie Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Vera Lynn only get one song each.

My particular favorite tracks here include Loch Lomond (Martha Tilton - a very under-rated singer), A tree in the meadow (my favorite Margaret Whiting song), I had the craziest dream (Helen Forrest) and Powder your face with sunshine (Evelyn Knight - a lady with a bubbly personality who always sang happy songs and deserved more success than she had) - but there are so many great songs here. And, most importantly, there's no rubbish.

A compilation like this will never completely satisfy anybody. For example, some will wonder why Margaret Whiting's signature song, Moonlight in Vermont, was omitted. Nevertheless, this is as good an introduction to the great ladies of the forties as you are likely to find. After hearing this a few times, you may decide to collect their individual compilations. That could be an expensive exercise, but the ladies will be well worth the money