Reviews (1)

dancing on the East Coast
This audio CD is very good for West Coast Swing dancing! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sleeper Alert!
This CD is one of the best kept secrets and...possibly the best blues bargain on the net."Café Blues" is part of a series of Café titles released by Eclipse music for the Melitta Coffee Corporation.The series includes fourteen different releases covering everything from classical to jazz to reggae to mambo to blues."Café Blues" is an all instrumental release featuring ten songs.All of the songs except two were composed and are performed by Alan Darby.If you are wondering how good Darby is, consider this, in addition to having studied music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he has backed up the likes of Robert Palmer, Van Morrison and has just recently completed a tour with Eric Clapton's band as Clapton's number two guitarist.The songs on the disc demonstrate this guitarist's versatility.The disc opens with the Clapton-like slow blues number "Bad Luck Blues" and then slips into an updated version of Robert Johnson's "Come On Into My Kitchen".Darby also plays a little Muddy Water's styled "Voodoo Man" patterned after "Manish Boy" and the ZZ Top flavored "Nighttrain".This is some good stuff, too bad we don't hear more solo work by this fine artist.Just to show my appreciation, I think I will buy some Melitta Coffee and, hey, I don't even like coffee. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Before the blues? If you take Webster's first definition--"Low spirits: melancholy"--well, then we're not talking pre-W.C. Handy. We're going back to Eve and the Apple. But, for Yazoo's three-disc Before the Blues series, it's safe to assume the anthologists worked off of the second definition: "A song of lamentation characterized by 12-bar phrases [and] 3-line stanzas in which the words of the second stanza repeat those of the first, and continual occurrence of blues hones in melody and harmony." That works. The 23-song first set in the series offers up a vastly entertaining assortment of rags, breakdowns, and shuffles. Some names may ring a bell with noncollectors (Henry Thomas, Mississippi John Hurt), and a few tunes have become a part of America's musical landscape (notably the eerie "Pretty Polly"). Most of what's found here, however, is unfamiliar, and fascinating. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THANKS FOR THE REMINDER!!
In their usual meticulous way, the good people at Yazoo have brought to light a (mostly) forgotten collection of old tunes that shine a light on where we've been.

What we get is a generous, thought-provoking mosaic of our musical heritage. As has been stated before, in the early days, there wasn't much discernible difference between how blacks and whites presented their music. This three-volume set of CD's stuffed near to overflowing with carefully restored songs, takes us back to that time and in doing so reminds us that no matter how richly varied the branches may be our roots are the same. Musical variety is truly a spice of life, which can best be appreciated when the universal foundation of our brother- and sisterhood is kept squarely in sight. A very grateful thank you to Yazoo for tending the flame.

A Great Introduction to VERY Old-School Blues
This collection is almost more folk than blues, or perhaps it is a collection of blues songs when the genre was defined differently; in either case, it's something that anyone really interested in the history and progression of blues music should check out. Maybe listen to old-school John Lee Hooker (The Complete 50's Chess Recordings, for example) or a Lead Belly album to get more of an idea what this is like, much more Delta-blues-sounding than Chicago. If for no other reason, pick this up for the great track buy Mississippi John Hurt, one of my personal favorites. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There's no way you can squeeze four decades' worth of music onto two CDs and make it exhaustive; nonetheless, Men Are Like Streetcars provides an overview of an important and vibrant subgenre within the blues: female blues singers. This CD is an excellent sample of some of the blues' greatest divas, from pioneer belters like Billie Holiday and Victoria Spivey; to guitarist Memphis Minnie, who was more than capable of keeping up with the boys; to reigning queens like Koko Taylor and Etta James, who have continued recording and performing well into the '90s. Other highlights include Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," Margie Day's "Take Out Your False Teeth Daddy," and Irma Thomas's "Good to Me." --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A must-have item for any blues lover
While this is certainly not an exhaustive collection of women blues singers, I was impressed by the selection. Given that the time period covers more than forty years (on only 2 discs!), this compilation is much better than expected. The liner notes are fantastic and the art work is great. An essential item to add to your collection. Also, a great gift ... I have bought several copies for friends. ... Read more

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Man Oh Man! Great Listening! Chicago Blues Unplugged!
This is an unusual CD. Chicago Blues, in common parlance, is electric music, played in smoky nightclubs. This CD visits individual legendary Chicago Blues artists and records them at home, in the living room or kitchen, solo. There are some beautiful performances here. The relaxed setting does several of these artists great justice. They can stretch out and play what they feel. As you listen, you feel like you are right there with the artists making the music.

Great listening, highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

****1/2
While more horn-driven and less raw and guitar reliant than other forms of blues, the urban style nonetheless provides its own spectacular highlights, some of the best of which are right here:
Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used To Do" is a must-have for any uptown blues compilation, and T-Bone Walker's "T-Bone Blues", Big Joe Turner's "Chains Of Love", "Laudromat Blues" by Albert King, and Bobby Bland's "Farther up the Road" are prime examples as well. Otis Rush's classic "I Can't Quit You Baby" is more Chicago blues than urban blues, actually, but it is a welcome addition nonetheless.

They could have done better by "Every Day I Have The Blues", which should have been included in Memphis Slim's stately original rendition, and why isn't B.B. King represented?
But those are minor complaints, really. This is a fine place to go for a sampler (you should get "Blues Masters volume 2" as well for a taste of the rough, tough Chicago blues), and even though it's far from being definitive, it will provide the newcomer with an excellent introduction. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Academically interesting
This CD is an interesting collection of field recordings done by Alan Lomax in Britain and Ireland. The singers are for the most part just regular, older people singing at their homes or pubs. If you are interested in traditional ballads, this is a great CD to check out. It has many singers, singing traditional ballads in traditional styles, without instrumentation.

In that sense, I enjoyed the recordings, because I have read many of the ballads on paper, but did not know how they were sung. But it's not something I'd put on for dinner music. The recording quality is patchy (these are, after all, field recordings), and some of the ballads are spliced together from several singers' renditions-- which is interesting for the subtle variations revealed in style and content from one singer to the next, but I really would have liked to hear just one person sing it all the way through.

The liner notes are actually more like a small book, loaded with historical detail and information about the various singers. There are a couple of annoying transcription errors in the song texts (the sound of a cuckoo clock in the background is written in as part of the lyrics, a chorus is marked incorrectly), but the rest more than makes up for them. It's a fascinating collection, but only if you are interested in folk ballads. ... Read more

Amazon.com

These three CDs document some of the greatest moments ofculture shock in American music. Most of the bluesmen who first came toNewport had never played before audiences so attentive, large, orwhite. And those listening had never experienced anything like Skip James'sblood-chilling whine, Reverend GaryDavis's furious testifying, or Mississippi John Hurt's twirling melodies. Most of the audience, in fact, assumedthe bluesmen were dead. As a cinematic sweep of just what made those countercultural gatherings so exciting and diverse, this set is anunqualified success (though the rather arbitrary and ahistoricalsequencing by blues subgenre is as puzzling as the omission of specificperformance dates). While many tracks have long been available on othercompilations, the unreleased cuts, 11 in all, are revelations,especially Muddy Waters andOtis Spannstrutting through "Flood" and John Lee Hookersinking into the scary groove of "Let's Make It." --Roy Kasten ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A treasure trove
It's almost hard to believe that this CD exists. So many excellent performances by legendary bluesmen like Son House, John Lee Hooker, Skip James, Muddy Waters and a whole host of others, all recorded live at the legendary Newport Folk Festival. And the sound is amazing, crisp and clear.

Disc one opens with a six-song set by "Mississippi" John Hurt which includes "Candy Man" and "Stagolee", and also includes two spooky songs by an ailing but still-powerful Nehemiah "Skip" James, four songs by Son House, and songs by Bukka White and Fred McDowell, as well as two excellent acoustic solo performances by Muddy Waters. House's "Death Letter Blues" and "Empire State Express", Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied", and Skip James' "Devil Got My Woman" are among the highlights, but there aren't really any "lowlights".

Disc two features a great little set by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, a wonderful rendition of Sleepy John Estes' "Clean Up At Home", three excellent songs by the underrated Robert Pete Williams, and several other fine performances, including Mance Lipscomb's version of Blind Willie Johnson's "God Moves On The Water", and Jesse Fuller's "San Francisco Bay Blues" (which you may have heard Eric Clapton cover on his "Unplugged" album).

On disc three, Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins plays an electric guitar (gasp!) on a great, swaggering "Baby Please Don't Go", and is backed by drummer Sam Lay on "Shake That Thing". John Lee Hooker lays down haunting versions of "Tupelo" and "The Great Fire Of Natchez", as well as a gritty "Boom Boom". Muddy Waters is accompanied by pianist Otis Spann on a great, swinging "Blow Wind Blow". And the 6'6" John L. "Memphis Slim" Chatman plays a version of "How Long" to rival that of Leroy Carr himself.

Almost all of these performances are acoustic, and there is a lot of wonderful acoustic slide guitar here...Muddy Waters, Son House, Fred McDowell, Mance Lipscomb, and Bukka White all play ringing bottleneck phrases. Sonny Terry blows his customary harmonica, and Memphis Slim and Otis Spann both contribute some excellent piano playing. And while many of these songs have been available on various LP and CD releases before, "Best Of The Blues 1959-1968" includes almost a dozen previously unreleased recordings, of which Sonny Terry's & Brownie McGhee's "Drink Muddy Water", "How Long" by Memphis Slim, and John Lee Hooker's "Let's Make It", are among the greatest.

This collection is a must-have for anyone with an interest in the 60s blues revival, or just acoustic blues music in general, and you won't believe the fidelity. A wonderful two hours and fifty-three minutes of music.

A Stunning Collection Of Live Performances
If there is a better collection of live blues than this Newport 3 CD set, I haven't heard it. This stunning CD covers 10 years Newport performances during the height of the folk blues revival in the early 60's. Many of the artists were rediscovered by blues enthusiasts like John Fahey, Al "Blind Owl" Wilson and Sam Charters by canvassing remote areas of the south and locating the M.I.A.s of the 1920-30s "race" records. Some of these performers were presumed to be dead, and Newport was their first time in front of an audience in decades. There is not a single throw-away among 16 performers and the 51 (count 'em!)cuts here.

Vangaurd Records is to be commended for making the right artistic choices in thier production of this CD. Many of these performances had been floating around for years on other Newport collections. Producer Tom Vicker devoted an entire disc to each of these three categories: delta blues, country blues and urban blues. There is a sense of continuity on each disc without any jarring segues. Engineer Jeff Zaraya captures the warm analogic glory of the orginal performances and wisely chooses not to edit out foot stomping, hand clapping and crowd noises. Zaraya's mastering work captures the passion of the living blues and he avoids the mistake of reducing the performances to sterile museum piece curiosities.

The scope of performers is staggering. Son House, self proclaimed mentor of Robert Johnson, whose piercing slap-time steel guitar was the alter-ego to his gritty emotional baritone. Skip James, ghost of the delta, sings in his haunting falsetto with his mastery of complex right hand poly-rhythymic bassline fingerpicking. Jesse Fuller, San Francisco's one man band, plays his ramshackle ragtime blues. Mississppi John Hurt demonstrates his wry humor and his delicate five finger picking of his brillant orginal music. Polished performers like Muddy Waters and Brownie McGee know how to pace a show and work the crowd. Harlem's Rev. Gary Davis' does "old time religion" gospel shouting and precision ragtime picking. The suprise is an obscure ex-con, Robert Pete Williams with his eerie "stream of consciousness" lyrics and elliptical song structures. Robert Pete Williams, more than any of the performers, is connected to the roots of West African folk music. By my own count, John Lee Hooker was the last performer on these recordings to die(June 21, 2001). These astounding Newport performances are, at once, a historical document, a tribute to the diverse artistry of American blues, and some of the most passionate and riveting music I've ever heard. An essential for anyone collecting blues or roots music.

Great Set & Package
This is a nice cd set done by the folks at Vanguard records. They collected many of the cuts that have been previously released into one collection, with some tasty unreleased tracks.

Regarding the artists & their material.. well, you really can't go wrong with sets by Mississippi John Hurt, Muddy, Son House, John Lee Hooker, & etc. The artists on disc 1 alone is a "who is who" of the early blues that were only heard on scratchy vinyl before these organized festivals existed. Some might've considered them past their so called "prime", but their performances don't reflect upon it, as they take the listener & the white crowd on a trip down the Delta. Some of the performances on this package are unbelievable.

Might be me, but John Lee Hooker's set REALLY stands out. He sounds DANGEROUS, & his unreleased tracks alone make this package a well worth buy.

An interesting note, that in this mostly acoustic set is the inclusion of two Butterfield Blues band cuts. Having these cuts on different sources, it was great to hear them sonically remastered in all its glory.

Recommended, but more importantly, this is essential listening.

Blues in the Open Air
The Newport Folk Festival in the 1960's regularly featured blues artists; from Son House to the Butterfield Blues Band, acoustic to electric: Mike Bloomfield was on hand with Butterfield in '65 and wound up backing Bob Dylan in his now-near-mythic "coming out" as a rocker. This new anthology of Newport blues supercedes and expands upon the "Blues With a Feeling" set, leaning heavily on the acoustic, but including some essential electric performances. The rawness and authenticity of these artists will excite anyone with ears for this kind of music. Essential for blues fans, and a real bargain as a three-CD set. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A hidden treasure!
Never heard of Lee Atwater?No matter.More important is the all-star cast on this wonderful album. Isaac Hayes, B.B. King, Carla Thomas, Sam Moore, Billy Prestonm , The Memphis Horns, Chuck Jackson, Arlette Nightingale--a fabulous collection of great R&B roots musicians.The effort was put together by Lee Atwater, a political activist with a history as a musician.He was a competent guitarist and singer, but the album was put together as a charity event with a simply fabulous cast.

The song selections and arrangements are excellent.Anyone who enjoyed the old Stax records sound, or just enjoyed the music of The Blues Brothers, is virtually guaranteed to love this album.The fact that it's so cheap is just a bonus!Buy it while you still can!

Super Hot Blues- 91' Grammy Award Winner-Great BBQ
Awesome blues mix.Atwater is onfire on this CD which was a 1991 GrammyAward winner.These tunes can be heard at Atwaters BBQ chain after thename sake- Red Hot & Blue.The name was from the 50's radio programhosted by Dewy Phillips in Memphis.This CD is fantastic and features thelate Lee Atwater along with such Blues greats as BB King, Isaic Hayes, andAreatha Franklin ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Stevie would be pleased to hear this
Great guitar work all around, no slackers here. However the Frank Marino & Mahogony Rush cut by itself is worth the price of the CD

Best non-Stevie playing SRV tracks
All the guys playing on this SRV tribute do a good job. Their playing is technically good and highlight the SRV legacy. However, if you are looking for the best, go back to the SRV originals. The playing is mostly true to the SRV sound but somehow lacks the excitement that SRV generated. Almost worth having, but a best of SRV is a better buy, or generate your own with MP3.

THE BEST SRV TRIBUTE
Forget about that supposed all-star tribute crap put on by Jimmy Lee. This is simply the best and most pure example of the blues. Stevie himself would be proud of the work these fine lesser known guitarists have done. Pat Travers does a great job of starting the CD out with a searing rendition of Cold Shot. It only gets better from there. Buy this today....you won;t be disappointed. ... Read more