Reviews (4)

You can't go wrong with L.C. and the Nightcats
To the reviewer who knocked this release for only having two worthwhile tracks: SHUT UP! You don't have a clue, pal! This is an excellent CD. All of Little Charlie's releases are great, and this is no exception. My personal favorite on "Captured Live" is "Smart Like Einstein". For me, there are a couple of tunes that aren't all that great, but overall it is just fine. Don't pay any attention to the editorial review, that guy is a bonehead!

For a Blues Fan,2 Fanastic Tracks, rest not exactly my style
Little Charlie Baty is an absolutely fabulous guitar player. 'Ten Years Ago' would have be to one of the best guitar pieces I have heard. 'Rain' also shows his talent. Unfortunately, the rest is a totally different style, being bouncy, humorous but much less intense, and only bordering on blues as I like it. However, the above two tracks still make it a worthwhile purchase.

"editorial opinion"
Give it a listen. They are HOT! The bass sound is one of thebest, and may be the best I've ever heard.

These Cats are HOT!
This is a high quality live album with great sound and energy. It doesn't matter what track you listen to, the group displays a high threshold of talent. No matter what you call their music, or how you label them specifically, the fact is, these guys are cookin! They have a big bass sound here (not taking anything away from anyone else in the group) for whatever reason (mix, indivdual talent, etc.) complimenting the music without getting lost in the background as the bass in most music. Instead of the bass being "featured", from time to time, it's there on every track. You can't help but move, or boogie listening to this album and the only way to describe them here is that they are HOT! ... Read more

Album Description

Captured back in 1988 within the intimate setting of London's legendary West End jazz haunt, Ronnie Scott's in Soho, TAJ MAHAL delivers his unique fusion of blues, soul, and world music - topped by some stunning guitar work. The album includes reworkings of classics from his past like 'Mail Box Blues' and 'Statesboro Blues' alongside his inimitable interpretations of blues standards like 'Come On In My Kitchen'.

A DualDisc is a two-sided disc made up of a CD on one side and a DVD on the other, DualDisc’s breakthrough technology allows one disc to have it all. A full album on the CD side. All sorts of special material on the DVD side, including the full album in a 5.1 Surround Sound, exclusive video content and lyrics. DualDisc work wherever you play CD’s and DVD’s, including car stereos, PC’s DVD Players, game consoles and CD players. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cheaply packaged live Muddy....but it's still really good
This latter-day live recording, released in 199 by Prestige jazz and in 2000 by Prestige Elite, has also been issued by Hallmark (under the title "Live").
There are absolutely no liner notes, but judging from the repertoire it is probably about 1980. The sound is good, in spite of a little distortion from time to time; Muddy Waters is in fine shape, and the band is top-notch, featuring a superb Pinetop Perkins rolling the ivories.
(And now you're thinking "how does he know? He just said there were no liner notes!" Well, fortunately Muddy is kind enough to call Joe Perkins by name.)

The highlights are many...a great, swinging "Corrine, Corrina" with a wonderful solo by Pinetop Perkins, fine renditions of "Caldonia", "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Blow Wind Blow", and some excellent lesser known songs, including the jazzy instrumental "Floyd's Guitar Blues", the slow, anguished "Screamin' And Cryin'" with howling slide guitar by Waters, a groooooovy "Soon Forgotten", and a delightful little 70s gem, the funky "Garbage Man".
Liner notes or no liner notes, a generally hot performance by Muddy and a superb one by his band makes this one is a keeper.

Live and Unknown
It's definitely Muddy, but from when and where is anyone's guess. 11 cuts ranging from "Corrina, Corrina" to "Mojo", this is a pretty well recorded set, but without credits, it's hard to tell from what period of Waters' career this is taken from- I would guess the '70's, but who knows. Still, ain't nothing wrong with live Muddy Waters, no matter how you find it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

sounds really cool
Yes! This is a forgotten gem. Very nice stuff indeed. Whoever wrote TB-sheets (Van Morrison I still believe), this is a crying time song, thrilling. Also the duet with Van The Man Morrison is breathtakin'. And what about Charlie Musselwhite, just great. It's an old record, and you can tell, but it sounds like a real classic and as fresh as ever. Get it!

Absolutely one of the best examples of good heavy blues
This is a very powerful type of blues, with heavy bass lines and of course, John Lee's throaty voice. Very laid back, not so much down in the dumps, but kind of grinning to yourself about your own situation... what I like to call "ballsy blues." Van Morrison and Elvin Bishop both appear on this one- and Mr. Van makes a great duet voice with Mr. Hooker... definitely my personal favorite blues album... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Real, classic Chicago blues anno 1999
69 years old at the time this recording was made, George "Mojo" Buford still sings and plays with power and conviction.
He served as Muddy Waters' harmonica player on four different occations, and was Muddy's harpist of choice when he (Waters) passed away in the spring of 1983, and here he is, playing with another former Muddy Waters sideman, lead guitarist Bob Margolin, and a hand-picked combo which includes a second guitar, bass, and drummer Chico Chism.

Many of these songs are old Muddy Waters standarts, but while everything here is electric, more than half the songs are played with no rhythm section, just Buford and Bob Margolin, which makes for an interesting "earthy" sound on numbers like "Blow Wind Blow" and "Nine Below Zero", and leaves plenty of room for George "Mojo" Buford's muscular, meaty harp playing to shine.
The many highlights include "Rollin' And Tumblin'", a swinging "Don't Go No Further", a tough, band-backed "You're Gonna Drive Me Away", and the aforementioned "Blow Wind Blow", and these gritty performances are a welcome reminder that there are still people out there who play real music on real instruments.

Mojo Is The Man!
If you don't know Mojo Buford, you are in for a real treat.Mojo, of course, was one of the standout harp players for Muddy Water's and, on this set, he is joined by fellow Waters band member, Bob Margolin on guitar as well as Phoenix-based musicians, Chico Chism on drums, Paul Thomas on bass and Johnny Rapp on rhythm guitar.

As is all too often the case with blues musicians, their music is better known overseas than in the States.Hopefully, this CD will change that.As you can imagine, with Margolin on guitar, the set list takes a page out of Muddy's play book and, while there is really nothing new here, Mojo's performance on harp and his Jimmy Roger's like vocals are outstanding.If you like what you hear on this disc, work backwards from here.The quality on all of this musicians work is always first rate.

Mojo Is The Man!
If you don't know Mojo Buford, you are in for a real treat.Mojo, of course, was one of the standout harp players for Muddy Water's and, on this set, he is joined by fellow Waters band member, Bob Margolin on guitar as well as Phoenix-based musicians, Chico Chism on drums, Paul Thomas on bass and Johnny Rapp on rhythm guitar.

As is all too often the case with blues musicians, their music is better known overseas than in the States.Hopefully, this CD will change that.As you can imagine, with Margolin on guitar, the set list takes a page out of Muddy's play book and, while there is really nothing new here, Mojo's performance on harp and his Jimmy Roger's like vocals are outstanding.If you like what you hear on this disc, work backwards from here.The quality on all of this musicians work is always first rate.

blues harp so good, it'll make your ears melt
Muddy Waters called Mojo his favorite harp player, and from this CD you'll get a clear understanding as to why. The ensemble work is delightful. Mojo has a knack for knowing when to grab the microphone and when to let theband groove.

Featuring Dave "Cool Breeze" Brown (guitar) andBill Black (bass) on several tracks, or Dan Schwalbe (guitar) and CurtisBlake (2nd harp) on others, this CD is a Chicago blues tour de force. Itsounds like you've got front row seats at one of those Halstad Streetwatering holes, it's after-hours, the front door is locked, and you've gotthe whole place to yourself. I swear, it's just like being there, exceptwithout all the smoke and background noise.

You will congratulateyourself on your good taste once you get hold of this disc.

Paducah Fats ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gritty!
Two years after the death of slide guitarist Hound Dog Taylor, his old backing band the Houserockers, with the addition of bassist Mark Harris and piano player Mike Allen, recorded this raw live set with another Elmore James-disciple, the great J.B. Hutto.

Cut in Beverly, Massachussetts in the summer of 1977, "J.B. Hutto And The Houserockers Live" is not excactly a polished performance, but it certainly has lots of grit and lots of feeling.

Opening with a rocking instrumental built around Elmore James' legendary "Dust My Broom"-riff, this album features a rare lead vocal from Brewer Phillips on "You Don't Have To Go", and rocking live versions of J.B. Hutto's own "Hip Shakin'" and "Too Much Alcohol", as well as raw and steamy takes on Rufus Thomas' classic "Walking The Dog", Tampa Red's "Don't You Lie To Me", Big Maceo Merriweather's "Worried Life Blues", and an idiosyncratic but powerful rendition of Howlin' Wolf's best song, the thundering steam engine "Killing Floor".

The sound is not magnificent, but it is surprisingly good considering that these performances were recorded on a cassette deck with two microphones, and the sheet metal scream of Hutto's and Brewer Phillips' Telecasters cuts through the murkiest of mixes! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The big night of the blues, the annual W.C. Handy Awards ceremony, doesn't get a television audience like the Grammys but the fans in attendance for the Memphis festivities get as much high-quality live blues as they can handle. A long overdue compilation of the onstage excitement covers the 1996-2001 timeframe with a second volume due next year. The collection uses big names, such as Bonnie Raitt (whose "Three Time Loser" closes the album), Taj Mahal (who saunters through "Senor Blues" backed by his funky Phantom Blues band), and Susan Tedeschi (who delivers a smoldering, six minute-plus rendition of "Just Won't Burn", the song that ignited her career) to grab your attention, but the best blues comes from lesser-known Handy honorees. Joe Louis Walker, armed only with his acoustic guitar and prodigious talent, kicks off things with a sizzling testimonial to the music via "Bluesifying" before the late Luther Allison rips through an electrifying "Cherry Red Wine" with the Memphis Horns helping out. His son, Bernard Allison, teams up with Deborah Coleman for his "Bad Love" to put a dynastic spin on things. The always energetic Bobby Rush serves as the official soul representative with a down and dirty "Hoochie Man," while California's Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, a three-time Band of the Year winner, roll through "Low Down Dog" in fine fashion. And speaking of blues hounds, Rufus Thomas reprises his classic "Walking the Dog" with the horns riffing mightily and Raitt contributing some slide guitar licks in a performance that perfectly captures the party atmosphere of the awards show. --Michael Point ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Halfway Decent Collection
Presumably, this should feature the best living and active blues musicians, and there are indeed some big names on here. Things get off to a strong one-two punch with Joe Louis Walker doing a solo number called "Bluesifying," in which he pays tribute to all that has gone before him, and then Luther Allison testifies with "Cherry Red Wine." Piazza's "Low Down Dog" is fun, but then comes the law of diminished returns. Rufus Thomas, accompanied by Raitt, was probably a lot of fun to see doing "Walking the Dog," but if you want to get excited by this song, get the original record. Then Deborah Coleman and Bernard Allison team up for a grossly undercooked guitar workout, followed by a rote acoustic blues from Paul Rishell and Annie Raines. The mystery of Susan Tedeschi's career continues as she sings "Just Won't Burn" devoid of any real nuance or connection to the emotions of the song; she does have a pretty voice, but does nothing with it. Taj Mahal brings things back up a bit with a neat version of Horace Silver's jazz tune, "Senor Blues," thus pulling us away from the 12-bar clichés of the preceding three songs. Then there's Bobby Rush. Now, I'm no fan of this guy, but I have to give him props for knowing how to stretch a little song about being jealous of his woman wearing a tight dress for other guys to see into an 8 minute tour de force of egocentric performance. Really, the groove is impeccable, and when he starts saying his name over and over again, you'd swear he's on the verge of orgasm. Bonnie Raitt ends the album on a solid professional note, with a version ofDon Covay's "Three Time Loser" that sits as a neat counter-punch to Tedeschi's earlier soulless delivery. So, do we have an essential portrait of where the blues are today? Heck no, but with two great cuts, and three more good ones, it's at least a decent listen. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sweet Giant of the Blues!
Last Call is the most unique and moving piece of Blues History that this blues fan has ever heard. I saw guitarist & producer Peter Malick accept The WC Handy Award for this disc (Historic Album of the Year, 2001)in Memphis last May. If you love DEEP BLUES, don't go no further...'cause this is the real deal.

If you're one of the few who have not been moved by this recording... listen again!

A good live show in parts
Otis sounds great as does his wife and Peter Malick. The problem that I had with the performance is that Luther Johnson's guitar is way out of tune for the whole set. I have stop listening after a while. It would have been a great recording otherwise. Just my 2 cents.

No Blues collection should be without this gem
"Last Call" transports its listeners to a moment of blues history that should not be missed. The time is April 1970. The place is the Boston Tea Party where blues pianist Otis Spann plays one of his last concerts before his untimely death 3 weeks later. He is joined by his wife Lucille who performs most of the vocals since Spann is too ill to sing himself. His piano playing transcends his imminent death. Other talented musicians include guitarist, Luther Johnson, and Peter Malick. Malick produced these tapes as a tribute to his friend and mentor Otis Spann. Kudos to Malick and Mr. Cat Music. The late, great Otis Spann must be listening and watching with pride.

No blues collection should be with out this gem
"Last Call" transports its listeners to a moment of blues history that should not be missed. The time is April 1970. The place is the Boston Tea Party where blues pianist Otis Spann plays one of his last concerts before his untimely death 3 weeks later. He is joined by his wife Lucille who performs most of the vocals since Spann is too ill to sing himself. His piano playing transcends his imminent death. Other talented musicians include guitarist, Luther Johnson, and Peter Malick. Malick produced these tapes as a tribute to his friend and mentor Otis Spann. Kudos to Malick and Mr. Cat Music. The late, great Otis Spann must be listening and watching with pride.

Only for Otis Spann devotees
This CD is special because it Otis's last public performance. The music is fine, and Peter Malick has done a fine job in recovering the 25 year old tapes. My problem with the CD is Lucille's singing. She clearly *can* sing, and is a natural blues singer, but why did she have to shout and scream? The distortion produced by Lucille's outbursts is compounded by (apparently), poor quality microphones. I'm sorry, but I'm a little old fashioned. I can't accept that *anyone* needs to shout in order to show that they are a strong singer.

I do recommend this album, but only if you know Otis Spann. If you are looking for blues piano albums, and you are new to Otis Spann, then I strongly suggest that you look at "Otis Spann Is The Blues" and "The Blues Is Where It's At". Very fine albums. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

One of BB's weakest sets
It's not BB;s fault, his singing and playing are faultless on the cd. It seems the jailbirds weren't too receptive to the blues legend and that the material(not all of it) and backup band sound dated. Afful songs like Into The Night, are terribly dated soundubng today. BB however sounds great on Sweet Little Angel, Sweet sixteen, and a few others. all bb performances have value, but try others before this, if this cd were a pizza it would be a regular pepperoni pizza from a chain pizza restaurant. ok

Pure Blues Fun
Is there any doubt B.B. King has the sweetest sounding vibrato in blues history? "Live at San Quentin" is a tribute to B.B.'s greatness as a guitar hero and to his ability to entertain. If you can keep an unruly batch of inmates entertained, you must be doing something right. From "Let the Good Times Roll" to "Rock Me Baby," B.B. King shows here that he can make the blues fun- fast or slow.

Live fun without the video!
Now I must tell you that I am a B.B. King fan and rarely miss a concert. Any time I want to attend one of his concerts when he is not in town, I slide in this CD. Fun, great music, positive beat-you'd never know that it was recorded in a jail unless the periodic references to the warden. I love this CD because it has his great tunes, audience involvement and shows his caring side. I'd give 83 stars but it only goes to 5-oh well. ... Read more

Album Description

Two live albums, 'You're Gonna Miss Me' & 'Blues Is My Business', by this great blues guitarist together on one CD for the first time. 'Blues' was first issued in 1992; 'Miss Me' in 1993. Also contains the original cover art of both. A combined total of 20 tracks. 1999 release. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For completists only
The second of these two stars is for this disc's historical value: live cuts from very late in his career; the ambience of hearing an old, probably drunk Lightnin' sweating it out with a mediocre rhythm section I'm sure he'd never met before; the (often rambling) give and take with the audience. Still, the music itself is not even remotely close to being top-grade or even average Lightnin' Hopkins. He's cruising on reputation and has nothing left to prove. Sound is mediocre at best. He plays OK, but there's little commitment, life or originality. Too many of the songs are instrumentals and the others seem unfinished. Buy ONLY if you want every Lightnin' Hopkins CD or if you wonder what he was like live at the end of his career. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

They're all here
The reviewer who said that SRV was not on this set obviously did not read the liner notes, which indicate that SRV played on the Lonnie Mack tracks from the Strikes Like Lightening sessions. The other artists the reviewer stated that were not there ARE, but are not the featured artist on the tracks.

I bought this set, and the 25th, when they came out and was really wowed by what I heard. Houndog Taylor is my favorite, followed closely by Koko Taylor and Albert "Master of the Telecaster" Collins. There is some really fine musicianship, great feel, and real respect for the blues displayed on this set.
Higly recommended.

Some good old blues
Amazon keeps inter-mixing the reviews for the 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection' album and the similarly named 'Alligator Records 20th Anniversary tour' album. So I will include a review of both here to set the record straight.

The 'Collection' album is by far superior to the 'tour' album. The collection has many artists on show and offers a bit of everything. The best tracks are AC Reed's 'These blues are killing me' with SRV brilliant on guitar, Little Charlie and the Nightcats with 'Rain', Roy Buchanan's classic 'Drowning on dry land', Koko Taylor with 'That's why i'm crying', Katie Webster with 'Pussycat Moan', Son Seal with 'Going back home' and Hound Dog Taylor and the classic 'Give me back my wig'. The album is uneven as you would expect for a label show case but well worth it as a introduction to a variety of blues styles and artists.

The 1993 20th aniversary tour album has only Li' Ed, (the late) Kattie Wester, Elvin Bishop, Lonnie Brooks and Koko Taylor. The album does typify Alligator records music that by my definition is mostly reasonable blues without being great. This live album has plenty of energy and is listenable, but fails to scale the heights I expect of the blues.

I discovered most of my favorite blues artists from this CD
Alligator records has some serious talent on it's label. Many of them are big names that you will recognize if you have been into blues for very long. I have tried samplers from other blues record labels and have been very disappointed with the mediocre talent on their label. Usually there are only one or two people -out of fourteen or fifteen - that stand out on other blues samplers. You will recognize that the vast majority of artists on Alligator Records are true talents - even if you don't like their style. This album is definitely worth the investment.

good,better,best
Alligator has compiled a very good collection of its artists on this CD. It has Iceman , SRV , KOKo , Son Seals, Johnny Winter and many other of the best of the blues. If you buy it, find some storage for the rest of your collection, because you won't remember who they are. ... Read more