Amazon.com

Few artists better fit Alligator Records' avowed housepolicy of "HouseRockin' Music" than Koko Taylor. What she lacked in subtlety shemade up inraw authority. This was her Alligator debut after several years onChess, andit established the formula she would use from that point onward.The focus ison mid- and uptempo songs. The band, led in this instance byMighty Joe Young,is tight and rocking, and just one song breaks four minutes. Bluesstandards,such as "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Big Boss Man,"are mixed withself-composed numbers like "Voodoo Woman." The only surprise iscountry starWebb Piece's "Honky-Tonk Song." The formula would eventually wearthin, but itworks splendidly here. --Colin Escott ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fine, gritty Chicago blues
One of Chicago blues queen Koko Taylor's best albums, "I Got What It Takes" is a tasty slice of muscular electric blues.
Koko Taylor is backed by a number of tremendous musicians, Magic Joe Young, Sammy Lawhorn, and saxist Abe Locke among them, and Bruce Iglauer's production is crisp without being slick. Taylor's voice is expressive and powerful, and while a couple of songs are particularly unoriginal, like the recycled Willie Dixon-tune "I Got What It Takes", her renditions of "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean", "Trying To Make A Living", and "Big Boss Man" are among the best, toughest, most genuine Chicago blues you'll ever hear.

I've Got What it Takes
This is quintessential Electrified Chicago Blues at its very best! If you like the Blues Brothers sound, if you like horns-This CD is for you! My blues collection spans the earliest recordings to the most recent, and this CD is on my short list. Truely outstanding! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good early-70s album with a handful of interesting live cuts
This Disques Black and Blue-album is the only one Koko Taylor recorded between leaving Chess and joining Bruce Iglauer's Alligator Records.
It contains a couple of re-recordings of old Chess singles, like "I Got What It Takes", "I'm A Little Mixed Up", and "Twenty-Nine Ways", five live recordings, and a number of songs not previously associated with Koko Taylor. Taylor's own "What Kind Of Man Is This" makes it debut on this album, a grinding mid-tempo blues and one of her best original songs, and she does well by Lillian Offitt's "Wonder Why" and the classic boogie "Big Boss Man", usually associated with Jimmy Reed.

This studio rendition of "Twenty-Nine Ways" doesn't quite match Taylor's Willie Dixon-produced Chess version, mostly because of a more "ordinary" and less charming arrangement, but the live version is very nice, and Taylor also interprets Preston Foster's "Got My Mojo Working" during the live portion of the disc, and performs a six-minute rendition of her R&B hit single "Wang Dang Doodle".
The band is top-notch, featuring Little Walter's 50s backing group The Aces (brothers Louis and Dave Myers on guitar and bass, and drummer extraordinaire Fred Below), in addition to guitarist Jimmy Rogers and pianist Willie Mabon, whose presence is a bonus all the way through.

This is not an absolutely necessary purchase...not as necessary as Taylor's classic Chess sides or the best of her Alligator sides, anyway. But there is a lot of good stuff here nevertheless, and fans will certainly want a listen. Just because some of this material is out there in even better versions doesn't mean that these 1973 recordings aren't head and shoulders above most other female blues singers' best efforts. And besides, this is the only place to get the irresistable "What Kind Of Man Is This?".

A Blues Reviewer
This is a collectors item. This is when Koko wasn't with Chess or alligator records. she recorded this on Black and Blue. She really is a good team withJimmy Rogers Louis Myers Willie Mabon Dave Myers and Fred below.I would say if you want to jump and shout then pop this in your cd player. she isn't playing in this record and even does a live version of Wang Dang Doodle and a few other hits. all of her live music on this album was recorded in amstelveen,netherlands.

i'm a little mixed up...
great time blues, and one f the best voices for it you'll find. hear her growl, and feel your knees give way to the beast of the blues... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Singing begot jazz. Sure, that's a vast oversimplification, but there's probably no better way to say it. The voice as the foundation and essential instrument of jazz's evolution is expansively presented in this five-CD box set compiled by Robert O'Meally, biographer of Billie Holiday. His goal, he writes in an accompanying 100-page booklet, is to show the sweep and the development of jazz singing in all its permutations, including blues, bebop, and scat, from the greatest figures--Bessie Smith, Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Jon Hendricks­-to smaller or newer gems like Mildred Bailey and Cassandra Wilson. O'Meally has also endeavored to represent styles related to or dependent on jazz voicings, so the likes of soulful Marvin Gaye and June Christy are also represented. This set handily orients listeners and entices even more exploration. --Peter Monaghan ... Read more

Reviews (4)

4 1/2* A Superb Sampler
This is an excellent collection of jazz singers, ranging chronologically from Bessie Smith and Eva Taylor to Cassandra Wilson and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Stylistically, it presents classic jazz singers like Holiday, Vaughan, and Fitzgerald, Armstrong, and Billy Eckstine to pop/jazz artists like Sinatra (but no Tony Bennett), blues- and gospel-influenced singers (Bessie Smith; Mahalia Jackson) and a variety of singers very loosely associated with jazz: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green!.

Of the latter singers, I suppose the producers can co-opt R&B and soul if they want, but to me it's a stretch. On the other hand, these are some of my favorite singers, so I don't mind the producers blurring jazz boundaries a little too much. Robert G. O'Meally, the extremely knowledgeable author of the superb 127 book that accompanies the five CDs, makes a defense: He states that both Gaye and Franklin made at least one straight jazz record (not sure which those would be), and that these songs are included "to indicate that jazz is a rollicking and rowdy river that flows into and out of other styles." Well, ok, but the potential buyer should review all the singers presented here so that he/she knows the breadth of that river.

Sound quality on the older songs is mostly good, though there is no evidence of remastering (listeners of some of the technologies aimed at "cleaning" the sound of older recordings will attest that remastering can either enhance or obscure a recording's musical value). As stated above, the booklet is tremendous, and really makes this collection a great value. EACH song and singer is fully discussed, often in relation to other songs in the collection. O'Meally writes clearly and with interesting details, he has a great understanding of singing and its relationship to music. For example, on Lorez Alexander's "D. B. Blues," a tribute to Lester Young, O'Meally writes that she evokes his "sinewy, sometimes airy tone, his angular phrasing, his artful uses of silences..."

Lorez Alexandria is a good example of the breadth of singers in this collection. She is not nearly as well known as some of her contemporaries, and this compilation of the under appreciated along with the famous surprises as well as delights.

My main complaint with this compilation is with the "Novelties and Take-offs" section of Disc 5. While it may be, as the true, as O'Meally suggests, that jazz has a tradition based partly on "low comedy, hokum, and fun," these are not essential recordings by any means. Actually, a few of these songs are a little painful to listen to. This collection would have been much better by deleting most of these, and including more numbers by the greats mentioned above.

Overall, however, this is an excellent introduction to the luminaries of jazz singing (as well as the sometimes overlooked). I think it's a good starting point for those exploring the diverse sounds of the idiom, and who want a wide sampling from which to pick their favorites. There's so much music (as well as the superb commentary by O'Meally) that almost everyone will find much to enjoy here. (NOTE: This appears to be same collection as that released by Sony for the Smithsonian Collection in 1998.)

Superb and Masterful Collection of the Jazz Greats
This box set contains every essential hit from every essential jazz artist. Armstrong, Holliday, Fitzgerald, Cole, and a little Simone, they're all here! This has to be the greatest compilation of jazz greats I have seen in my few years of living.

A great lesson for the creation and extension of jazz singin
What a pleasure to listen to this album. Five CD's take some time go through but it is worth every minute. The way this album is assembled is pure genuis by Prof. O'Meally. This album should be enjoyed by young adults as well and up to senior's. If one doesn't enjoy this album, one must be brain dead.

5 x 100 stars
I was almost in tears listening to this box set. It is everything you could possibly hope for in a compilation and so much more- there isn't one track that you don't want to hear again and again. I wish there were a few more like this around ... Read more

Reviews (3)

...they done did somethin real nice here...
the blues is beatiful...

etta and eddie got that smokey, silky, low-lush soul flowin with this...
i've been lissenin to vol. one forever!!! and i could never find this one, but i lucked up into it one day a couple months ago and found it in the basement of some back-alley, burnt-down record shop and ever since then, i keep it with me wherever i go...
this is "instant blues" - jus add bourbon and heartache and you got yourself an event!

Never Better than LIve
It's never better than live and this 1986 recording and its companion finds blues legends Etta James and Eddy "Cleanhead" Vinson at the top of their game at an L.A. blues club. Etta sounds great but don't loose sight of the band, Shugie Otis and Red Holloway, et al. create a groove and Vinson's alto brings it all home. A performance for all time. Not to be missed. Sound quality is excellent.

Late Show/ Volume 2 (Etta James and Eddie "Cleanhead"Vinson)
This is the best album Etta James has ever recorded. I should know....I own all of hers.....and Cleanhead is at his best. I'd Rather Be A Blind Girl is so raw and uncut and so Etta. I never get tired of listening to this entire CD. I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Few singers in jazz history have had the ability that Billie Holiday possessed to inspire the musicians she worked with, meeting the best instrumentalists on terms of musical equality and creating a spirit of camaraderie. The joy is palpable in these recordings from January to October 1936, with the 20-year-old Holiday blithely attacking great songs and period ephemera, with wonderful settings crafted by pianist Teddy Wilson and superb solo contributions by altoist Johnny Hodges and trumpeter Bunny Berigan. While the later recordings of Holiday brim with the depth of her experience, what one hears on these early sessions is something different and perhaps even more poignant, a new talent that seems to convey a unique capacity for life, an openness to all it might offer. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Beginnings of a Legacy
Hard to believe Billie was only 21 when she recorded these sides, some of them becoming definitive versions of American standards. This set was the beginning of Billie Holiday's legacy--her greatness at capturing a song's spirit. Her mastery of time and swing is so confident that it's hard to believe she was that young. To those accustomed to hearing Billie's '50s Verve output of slow, melancholic recordings, this volume comes as a surprise and relief. A fresh, vibrant Holiday performs with all the spirit and energy of a 21-year old. She swings either gently or pulsatingly on most of the 16 tracks. Definiitve swinging versions pop up here like "I Cried For You" "Fine Romance" "Way You Look Tonight" and "These Foolish Things". Billie takes even dreck such as "One Two Button Your Shoe" and "Guess Who" and makes them not only listenable but downright enjoyable. Sound is pretty decent considering this was 1936. CD has good bass sound.

Always On top Of The Game
Billie Holiday is One OF the Few Artists Ever in The History of Music who Just Got Better with Time.You Feel The Emotion&Heart.this Set Captures A Younger Holiday Sounding Wonderful.How Many Of TODAY'S Younger Vocalists can You say that About?Very Essential Collection.A Great Innovator.

On her way to legend!
I think that its just amazing that this woman has achieved such a masterpieces at the time when she was 21 years old!To collect all of 9 volumes of this great, incredible "Columbia" colections would take some time but I am sure I would listen and love all of them.Even on the previous volume 1 I noticed that being young and black, Billie didnt always have great songs and sometimes at the beggining of her career she had to take whatever was offered to her, even some silly songs of the day.Some readers didnt like my opinion, but that is the fact - even here on volume 2, there are 8 brilliant and great songs mixed together with 8 forgettable songs that no one remebers anymore.As this was beggining of her career, it would take some time before she would finally achieve status of big star so her repertoar would be different.Personaly, I LOVE "Billie's blues" and I think she was simply great singing that sort of songs (maybe much better than love songs of the time) that folowed way of her idols Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith.Listening to them, Billie somehow managed to built her own style which was combination of Louis and Bessie but from inside, not vocally.I love writtings of William Brooks on these volumes, but I dont share his opinion always - he said that her version of "Summertime" is best ever and her "The way you look tonight" its dissapointment.Well, for me this 1936. "Summertime" is not excatly what Gershwins had in mind as a gently lullaby but I really like her playful "The way you look tonight" which swing gently.It's OK, it just showes that we love different things, why not?I love Billie dearly and I am planning to collect all of "Columbia's "9 volumes eventually.

Some of Billie's Best
Although this isn't my favorite of Billie's recordings, it is an excellent compilation of her songs and stylistic devices. Also listen to the double cd set "Billie Holiday, Best of the Verve Years" ... Read more

Reviews (3)

On the Edge
If you like Etta James, you should love Koko Taylor. Taylor's fierce growl and profound feel for the blues make even Etta look timid. This is a fabulous record, and one that consistently provides the "Fire" that track 10 promises. As with the blues in general, these songs are about love and loss--people who done other people wrong. But between Koko Taylor's not-so-subtly threatening delivery and the dramatic lyrics to many of the songs, the album gives a coherent impression of a woman on the edge. When Koko points out that she's "A Little Mixed Up," when she tells a lover that "Whatever I Am, You Made Me," and when she warns him not to "Mess With the Messer," we believe her. She sounds serious. At the same time, the songs have plenty of humor, mixed with a good dose of the blues' frank sexuality, in songs like "[I Got] All You Need" and "Twenty Nine Ways [To My Baby's Door]" That last song always makes me laugh--the number's so much more precise than Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover," and as Koko points out, even though, "I got twenty nine ways to get to my baby's door . . . if he needs me bad I can find 'bout two or three more."

As if this weren't good enough, I should add that the music is the kind that makes you want to get up and move. While it probably does great music like this a disservice to advertise it as a fitness product, the truth is I used to listen to this album on long walks and it really got me going. I gave it to my mother one Christmas and with it in her CD player (and with the help of a rowing machine) she transformed her physique from that of a 50-year-old to that of a 15-year-old. Terrific stuff.

What it takes
Koko Taylor and Muddy Waters sing on a live cut of I Got what it takes....Big Walter is on harp in other cut's.....A Copy of this and some Etta James and your goood to go

Excellent compilation!
This is an excellent compilation of Koko Taylor's early recordings, including several tracks from her self-titled debut. Her voice is in full force here. Willie Dixon, who often served as both songwriter and duet partner, is well represented. The two are especially effective on "Wang Dang Doodle." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A welcome reissue of a career boosting classic.
For her fifth album for Creed Taylor's CTI label the label boss gave production duties to Joe Beck. The result was to be like nothing else that she had recorded before, both in the scope of the material and in the luminary band and orchestra that was assembled for the sessions.The album was the result of three sessions stretched over late April/Early May 1971, and the quality of the cuts and the choice of material has stood up well in the intervening years. The hit, "What a difference a day makes" appears in two forms and two tempos, the released track clocks in at 4.30 and the bonus cut at 3.10. My favourite tracks are the great version of Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff's "One night affair" (she had lived that one!), an excellent reading of "I can stand a little rain" and a belting version of Lu Emerson's "Hurtin' House". Less successful, and slightly dated is the reading of "Oh Papa". Special mention for Michael Brecker on Tenor sax, and the four piece trumpet section, as well as Joe Beck's guitar. It's still a fine, varied album that produced the hit, and put her career back on track. A great shame that neither of the follow up albums consolidated the situation, but this is a great reminder of what she could do.It's also a great counterpoint to the Rhino compilation "The best of Esther Phillips" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sultry
While this session was recorded well past her prime, it is non-the-less decent stuff. Very sultry, sexy, and a great vibe all rolled into one. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Every jazz guitarist NEEDS this, & that's the Gospel truth!!
If you are a jazz guitar player you NEED to hear this cd, and that is the GOSPEL TRUTH!!!Sister Rosetta Tharpe sings in a mannered preachy style, with a sophistocated blues feeling, yet she plays electric guitar in a similar fashion as Charlie Christian.This cd finds the singer playing solo guitar and singing Gospel standards live.ESSENTIAL jazz guitar album. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What a Great Pair!
Billie Holiday is timless American art; and Lester Young was one of the most brilliant, exspessive musicians of his or anyone elses' time. Together, they made beautiful music; a kind of audible love-making that fortunately was captured on record and continues to enchant all who have working ears.

Two Great Jazz Artists at Their Best
I can't say enough about this collection. I've waited a long time for the perfect compilation of Lester Young/Billie Holiday tracks from their prime (the Sony CD, "A Musical Romance," doesn't come close), and I won't beat around the bush: this is it.

Disconforme has put together the ideal Prez/Lady Day CD set by the simple expedient of putting all (or nearly all -- they don't have any alternate takes) of their great recordings from the mid-30s on two CDs. So you not only hear the tracks that everyone puts on their collections, but the ones they ignore.

These two artists made some of the best records of the early Swing era. Tracks like "I Must Have This Man," "Foolin' Myself" and "Me, Myself and I" can be listened to over and over again without your getting tired of them. I've been listening to these tracks since the late 70s, and I'm still can't get enough of them.

There are also two "bonus tracks" at the end of each CD that I've never heard before. They're live recordings, and the sound isn't great, but they're a rare glimpse of what these two people sounded like when performing in front of an audience.

I can't recommend this CD set enough. If you're a Lester Young fan, or a fan of early jazz, or you just love great singing, don't hesitate. This one's a keeper. ... Read more

Album Description

In the early 1920s, Ethel Waters was one of the leading classic blues singers, and by the end of the decade she had become virtually the only black female singer to cross over into pop music. One of the most popular entertainers of the 1930s, Waters was one of the first African Americans to be accompanied regularly by white orchestras and to get good roles in motion pictures without having to move to Europe. And, throughout her career, she was entrusted to introduce several major songs that were to become popular standards. This important compilation includes most of the recorded highpoints of this legendary singer, taken from the peak periods of her singing career. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1957, the Newport Jazz Festival presented three of the greatest jazz divas on successive nights, with the tape recorders rolling the whole time. Shortly thereafter came the original LP, Ella Fitzgerald & Billie Holiday at Newport. The constraints of vinyl, and the fact that she had not yet achieved the same stature as Holiday and Fitzgerald, kept Carmen McRae out of the picture. So the six previously unreleased McRae selections--along with three new Fitzgerald tracks--somewhat justify the new packaging of this album. But that reason doesn't really suffice. As William Ruhlman points out in his game but candid liner notes, none of the singers comes off very well here. Fitzgerald sings wonderfully, of course--when didn't she?--but her trio falls in and out of synch. Worse, the stage announcer's audible suggestion that she move closer to the microphone results in overmodulated distortion on four-fifths of the set ("Too Close for Comfort," one of the songs she sings here, is all too appropriate). Holiday, in her later years, sang with a reduced vocal range and waning energy, which she sometimes countered with sly sagacity. Here, two years before her death, she offers, alas, only a pallid version of that. Relatively few in-performance recordings of McRae exist from the 1950s, and this one offers a big, eager-to-please voice and plenty of technical fireworks. But McRae sounds almost frighteningly chipper. When she acknowledges applause with improbably bright "thank you"s, she sounds like Alvin the Chipmunk's older sister. Later "live" sets betray none of this nervousness, and you don't have to listen to too-loud Ella and too-tired Billie to get them. --Neil Tesser ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mixed Bag of Ella, Billie and Carmen
What should have been a great recording of a historical concert given by Ella, Billie and Carmen on successive nights is in reality a mixed bag, mostly due to the uneven performances. Billie's appearance with her 6 songs is the real culprit. When she starts to sing her first of six numbers, she is obviously "not there" in spirit. She sounds tired, slow, and just out of it. Her first two numbers just drag. Strangely and amazingly, by her third number she actually sounds in tune and singing with more energy. "My Man" "Lover Come Back to Me" and "What Moonlight Can Do" sounds almost like the Billie of her golden years---in sync with the beat and band. Unfortunately her "Lady Sings the Blues" can be taken literally, she sounds as though the blues have gotten the best of her. It's sad listening to her here and comparing her to Ella, her colleague and rival, who sounds upbeat, energized and in great voice. This was really during Ella's peak period in performance so it's quite sad seeing the stark constrast between the two. Carmen sounds like a young girl singer, still finding her wings and not yet quite formed in her style. She tackles the songs and audience to the best of her abilities. Rarely has she come across as being so strident in her interpretive powers. Perhaps this was a big occasion for her; she was still lacking in performing concerts. Get the disc if you're strictly an Ella Fitzgerald fan because Billie's portion will leave you mostly disappointed.

Ella Swings Newport
After languishing in the vaults for a few years, Verve Records finally released a CD version of this album, with the usual bonus tracks (absent from the original album is a set by Carmen McRae). For fans of Ella's live performances, this is a terific album to have. Her rendition of "Body and Soul" is worth the price of the CD alone. Having been recorded in 1957, the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired (which explains my rating of only four out of five stars).

Fitzgerald's performance is strong throughout the recording, and is typical of the excellent work she did in that period. Billie Holiday's set, on the otherhand, is not this singer's best work, but gives the listener a good idea of how she sounded near the end of her career. McCrae also turns in a fine set that is a good document of he rvoice at this relatively early stage of her career.

While this may not be the best of Ella's live performances (Ella in Berlin and Ella in Rome are better), all in all, this is a great CD to have.

It's Real...
I was thrilled when I made this purchase recently, so close to Ella's birthday on April 25th, and the more I listen to it, the more developed becomes my love/hate relationship with this 1957 Newport Jazz Festival recording. Three jazz giants (Sarah Vaughan's performance is not included here, but it has just been re-released as "Linger Awhile: Live at Newport and More," available from amazon.com)perform well-known standards. We begin with Ella Fitzgerald, who comes out with the bouncy and swinging "This Can't Be Love," standard fare at many of her live concerts. The atmosphere on this recording is so real, that the feedback from the microphone on the first number makes you feel as though you are really present. Equally interesting is the patter of Fitzgerald and her musicians between sets. Ella scats to the highest degree on "Air Mail Special," incorporating, as she does so well, the lyrics to many other pop songs: "That's Amore," the theme from Davy Crocket, and even gives a nod to the Boswell Sisters with "The Music Goes Round and Round"--as well as to others. She croons a couple of nice mellow tunes, namely Gershwin's "I've Got a Crush on You." Ella is the best, and you get a real sense of her talents on this recording.

Then comes Billie Holiday, who, after this jazz festival, will be dead in two years' time. The voice is almost gone and so is the spirit. It's only words--words that seem attached to no human being, to no spirit, to no soul--filling the air. The highlight of the Holiday set is her being presented and announced by Johnny Mercer (who also gives a nod, from the bandstand, to Gerry Mulligan). Holiday's "Willow Weep for Me" is adequate, as is her "What a Little Moonlight Can Do." But brace yourself; Holiday's voice is almost heartbreaking--gritty and very real, very seasoned, and that's what some people like about LadyDay--me, not so much.

And finally, there's Carmen McRae who sounds a little harsh, a little brash, but her voice in 1957 sure could release your ear wax. McRae sounds as though she had swallowed the microphone wholesale, and even on the quiet numbers, the ballads, she doesn't know what "a little goes a long way" means. I think she was too busy trying to imitate the Sarah Vaughan of 1957 at this point in her career; McRae mellowed so sweetly as she aged. But here, even on "Midnight Sun" McRae is too loud, but the loudness and jazz cacophony work very well on "Skyliner" and on "Perdido," on which she gets a request to accompany herself on the piano.

Overall, this is a must own for jazz fans, but these recordings do not represent the best work of each of these giant jazz voices.

Good listening!

--dan

Absolutly breathtaking...
Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Carmen McRae live at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival, a jazz lovers dreaam come true... Fitzgerald is in top form costantly improvising, Holiday sounds mature and knowing, McRae sounds energized and even plays some piano. This is wonderful, all three sigers are in trio settings which is nice for a change, since on thier LP's they are usually backed by string sections and orchestras. Now all we really need from Verve are Anita O'Day's classic performances from the Newport Jazz Festival, wouldn't that be nice. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How Strong is a Woman
This is one of the best CD's Etta has recorded.Out Of The Rain is perhaps the best song on here......though it's hard to pick a favorite.She sings this song with such feeling that you know for a fact she's "been there".

Songs makes a statement
I first heard this cd when I was over in the Persian Gulf War and still to this day it's one of the only cd's that I can just let play without skipping any songs.It definitely gave me inspiration and it made me think.It's Etta's best cd and also one of the best I have ever heard and I have heard alot.

How Strong is a Woman,Etta James
This is Etta's best album in my opinion.I have recommended it to several people who also enjoy it.It has some classics like Shakey Ground and some really woman-strong selections.My favorite piece is Damn Your Eyes.Amust-buy for any Etta fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Superb sound quality and sheer entertainment value make this a series by which other musical retrospectives should be measured. Over four discs (available individually as well as in this limited-edition set), the expansive selection of blues-based music from the RCA-Bluebird vaults celebrates artistry that still sounds vital 50 years after it was recorded. Among the highlights are such seminal recordings as "Catfish Blues" by Robert Petway (which Muddy Waters would transform into "Rolling Stone"), "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, "Sweet Little Angel" by Tampa Red (later a signature tune for B.B. King), and "That's All Right" by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (which ignited a rock & roll revolution in Elvis Presley's hands). Every cut seems to have been chosen with care, and some of the more obscure rank with the greatest delights: "Memphis" Minnie McCoy's "Selling My Pork Chops" and Washboard Sam's "Soap and Water Blues." As a blues anthology that surveys the roots of rock & roll, the set omits many of the biggest names (who recorded for other labels) and goes lightly on the 12-bar, guitar-driven style that flourished in Chicago after World War II. Yet the variety and vigor of the offerings should strike a responsive chord with casual fan and blues aficionado alike. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Some People Are Stupid - REALLY STUPID
This review is a direct response to the person who has given it a solitary star. Well I fit into the category of people who "dont know better"

This is the best sounding remastering I have EVER heard. The only things that I can think of that compare are Old Hat CDs (how they got some of the sounds on the Basement CD I dont know), JSPs Carter Family & Jimmmie Rodgers box sets, or many many items that Bear Family have been responsible for. I would like to hear Ace have a go remastering stuff from the dawn of recordings - but mostly their releases pick up (date-wise) just about where this stuff stops.

As for Document - well, I rate them VERY highly and buy their stuff and enjoy it - BUT THEY DONT SOUND BETTER THAN THESE. It just isnt the case.

I was astonished when I first heard the quality of the remastering on this set. Add to that the incredible sound they have got on the Sonny Boy Williamson's and Leadbelly's "Secret Histort" discs. I havent yet heard the Blind Willie McTell one.

How anyone can say that this isnt the way this stuff is supposed to sound is beyond me. And its all been done without taking away ANYTHING from the integrity of the recordings.

Have a listen and make your own mind up.

The bloke who reviewed this and gave it only 1 star should go back to his medium wave radio.

Fine retrospective for the devoted blues fan
"The Secret History Of Rock And Roll" brings together a hundred original blues classics on four discs.
This series is designed to shine a light on the roots of rock & roll music, and the remastering of these many 70-year-old tracks sounds surprisingly good.

Among the instantly recognizable tunes, many of which were covered in one form or another by rock bands of the '60s and '70s are Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go", "Walk Right In" by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Huddie Ledbetter's "The Midniht Special", "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell, "Good Morning School Girl" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Canned Heat Blues" by Tommy Johnson, and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me".

This is not really for the casual blues fan, and it isn't supposed to be listened to in one long sitting...even this fine and influential music is not varied enough for that. But if you are seriously interested in early acoustic blues, and its influence on 50s and 60s rock n' roll, this collection ranks among the best.

Great Music + Bad Transfers = SOUNDS TERRIBLE!!!
I keep hearing how great these sound. No disrespect, but people who say this sounds so great don't know what real 78 transfers are supposed to sound like. And that is exactly who these discs are marketed at, the people who don't know the music all that well and will buy bad transfers. I implore you, save your money and spend it on Document Records discs.
Document's sound quality is a million times better than these transfers! Take my advice, if you want inferior transfers, by all means buy this album. If you want this music to sound the way it is supposed to sound, buy Document and keep real blues music alive!

Excellent Overview of the Blues!
The Secret History of Rock and Roll is 100 pioneering blue classics on four compact discs available either separately or as a set. Disc 1 contains some early roots music and is made up of country jug bands, some gospel, a little bluegrass and some vaudeville. Disc 1 features some rare recordings from Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, the Hall Johnson Choir and Julius Daniels to name but three of the 25 represented here. Disc 2 features the earliest known recordings of the best known blues songs such as Noah Lewis' jug standard "Viola Lee Blues" later performed by the Grateful Dead and Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love" which is familiar to all Led Zeppelin fans. Disc 3 brings into focus some material performed by the first generation of blue's stars including, Sonny Boy Williamson, Yank Rachell, Pinetop Perkins and Roosevelt Sykes. Disc 4 represents the sound of the blues post World War II with more of an electric, uptempo, beat. Overall, the recordings are excellently remastered and the set represents a really good overview of the historical development of the blues. Mainly for those interested in the history of the blues.

Can you believe the music is over 70 years old?!?!
I can't believe the recordings were remastered from over 70 years ago. The sound quality on this 4 disc set is great. There are so many songs on this that I had no idea weren't originals to the stars that made them famous, like "That's All Right" and "My Baby Left Me" (both familiar as Elvis tunes).

Really clever liner notes too; they're written after each track so you can literally follow along as you're listening to learn about the music. Cool gift idea for my Dad who's impossible to shop for! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Her self-titled debut, containing songs recorded from 1965 through 1969, shows Koko Taylor's brash, gut-deep vocal style already well established; it's a voice that's made her the queen of Chicago blues. Produced by Willie Dixon, who (unsurprisingly) wrote several of the songs here (including Taylor's signature hit, "Wang Dang Doodle") and contributes backing vocals and bass work, Koko Taylor is an excellent representation of Taylor's years at the prestigious Chess label. While not as comprehensive as What It Takes: The Chess Years, the album includes much of Taylor's classic work: the aforementioned "Doodle," the extremely sexy "I Love a Lover Like You," the solid-as-a-brick-wall "I'm a Little Mixed Up," and the hilariously funny "Twenty-Nine Ways." Taylor had some great sidemen for these sessions, too: Buddy Guy, Johnny Shines, Walter Horton, and Sunnyland Slim all make appearances. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What we can do?Jus't clap our hands!
Koko Taylor is an amazing blues woman,and was superb on this cd.She have one of the most fantastic nasal tone voice of all of the history of the music! The participation of great Willie Dixon enriched this,with great performances and great lyrics. Highly recomended for those that like good,really good and intense music!

This is an excellent example of the potential of Koko Taylor
When I first heard Koko's amazing ability to sing, I was astonished! Koko has the ability to reach down into the soul of the blues, and give an edge never before seen by a blues performer. She is an inspiration to classical blues, and I think this album, which was recorded in the late 60's gives way to a whole new generation of blues singing. I would highly suggest to the avid blues enthuist to at least listen to a sample of Koko's songs and see for yourself. If the blues are not in your soul, you cannot enjoy some of the best female vocalist blues of this century. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A sampling of the divine Bessie Smith
Though not a "definitive" collection, this is a nice sampling of some of the Bessie Smith recordings. Though it does not contain some of my personal favorites, such as "Gimme A Pigfoot", "Haunted House Blues" and "Frosty Morning Blues", it at least has one of her trademark songs "Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl". If you are looking for something definitive, please try the larger collections spanning her career. This is just basically a sampler, and there are a lot of her better recordings not found on this disc. However, if you are a newbie to Bessie Smith, this is fine as a starter disc, but I recommend something more cumulative over her career. Sound quality on this disc is so-so but I haven't heard actually what her music sounds after full digital remastering, so I'm not sure how good it's gonna get, as these, of course, are older recordings. If you're new to the blues genre, you've found the right woman to start your collection with. Enjoy!

THE REAL DEAL
BESSIE SMITH PUTS SO MUCH HEART&EMOTION into Her Work.Her VOice&Honesty Have Inspired So-Many that it Would take Years to Explain.Her Words&Music are Directly From The Heart&Soul.She is Very Essential to Any Serious Music Collector.

Bessie is the Blues
This the perfect CD for getting acquainted with Bessie Smith. I just happen to come from the same home town as Bessie, so you know that I'm utterly unbiased when I say that she is an extremely important figure in the history of the Blues. If you've never heard her stuff, you've been missing out.

Track listings are as follows:

1. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out 2. Gin House Blues 3. T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do 4. After You're Gone 5. Sweet Mistreater 6. Empty Bed Blues (Parts 1&2) 7. Dyin' By The Hour 8. Homeless Blues 9. You've Been A Good Ole Wagon (But You Done Broke Down) 10. Gulf Coast Blues 11. Aggravatin' Papa (Don't You Try To Two-Time Me) 12. Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan) 13. There'll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight 14. Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine 15. A Good Man Is Hard To Find 16. Lock And Key 17. Looking For My Man Blues 18. Foolish Man Blues 19. Hateful Blues 20. Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl 21. Thinking Blues 22. Send Me To The 'Lectic Chair 23. St. Louis Blues (Featuring Louis Armstrong) ... Read more