Reviews (2)

Lovely songs; Sleeper Film.
This is very nice compilation of thoughtful ballads, some of lesser known singers and writers.Travolta can carry a tune (it would appear).His singing meshes well with his character in this charming movie.All things considered, this is a rathr good, enjoyable film.I especially like the numerous literary references.I am commenting on both the soundtrack and film, as both are worry of listening and viewing.

Grayson Capps
This is an incredible soundtrack not to mention a great little independent film. Don't listen to the critics on this one because the majority of them are flat out wrong. There should be more movies like this with compelling stories, strong acting and sweet music. Much better than the blockbuster trash that's so prevalant today. Anyhow, check out the soundtrack if only for the great New Orleans singer/songwriter Grayson Capps -- who's a little known gem from that historic music town. The rest of the soundtrack is worthy too...with tracks by Thalia Zedek, Trespassers William (another little known band that is pretty incredible), Los Lobos, Nada Surf, lots of rare blues and two sweet little songs by John Travolta. I couldn't have made a better mix of music myself! ... Read more

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The producers of The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans claim it to be the first box set to cover the full range of music from the Crescent City--from R&B to jazz, from zydeco to funk. Indeed, this handsome four-disc collection ranges through the decades and the neighborhoods of America's first city of music, which has both pluses and minuses. Yes, it's a joy to bask in the diversity of the New Orleans sound. From Louis Armstrong to the Meters, Little Richard to Pete Fountain, Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens scrambles to include a little something from a whole lot of native sons and daughters among its 85 selections. Problems, however, do arise. At times the sequencing can be jarring, as when Troy Andrews's raucous take on "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" gives way to the modern blues-rock ofSonny Landreth's "South of I-10." The obscurities here are great fun, but, given the city's rich history, they skew too heavily toward more recent releases. Still, there's much to be enjoyed here, from the photo-packed 82-page booklet to the mix of classics and hidden treasures that populate the discs. Not definitive, perhaps, but definitely delightful. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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New Orleans' Henry Roeland Byrd wasn't the most polished of all the great R&B pianists of the '40s and '50s, but even Ray Charles and Otis Spann rarely matched his speed. This superb two-disc set repeats the Professor's signature style--a stomping left-hand bass and a right hand that flies all over the place--on classics such as "Tipitina," "Junco Partner," and "Ball the Wall." It begins in the early '50s, when 'Fess called his band Roy Byrd & His Blues Jumpers, and ends with an incredible, stretched-out live version of "Big Chief" (with Dr. John) and "Boogie Woogie" (with fellow New Orleans pianists Allen Toussaint and Tuts Washington).--Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Many nights at Tip's
No air-conditioning then, and after awhile you didn't even care anymore. With the Professor banging out the musical equal of both sugar and whiskey, life at that moment was pretty damn good there at Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas Street.

Yeah, yeah, you had to be there, but since you probably weren't, here's something for you so you can see what all the fuss is about. A little lagniappe for you at the end, too, with the Professor kickin' it way big with some friends.

Meet you tomorrow at the Camelia for breakfast, cher. . .

Rockin' Oldies for the Hardcore Fess' Fan
If you're lookin for a good mix of old school Jazz/Blues tunes, you've come to the right place. Fess' has a good list of classics ranging from hard-hitting Jazz to the soft Blues when you're in the mood. If you've ever wanted Fess' hits on one CD, here you are. Tipitina, Big Chief, Stag-O-Lee, it's all here.

A Legend
I have listened to this CD dozens of times in the last few months. Its joyous and uplifting yet still reflects some of the pain in the Professor's life. The little book with pictures and a mini biography that are included are worth the price of the 2 CD set. After listening once, you'll want to head to the Big Easy, stop at Tipitina's, and rub Fess' head for good luck. Those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about. The man is a true legend.

hey now baby
I'd never heard note one of Fess' music when I bought this set. My gut said it would be good, and my gut turned out to be Nostradamus. The fact that this guy ever had trouble making ends meet is a testament to how upside down the music industry can be. I try to be sparing with the stars, and there is no doubt that this set deserves all five. This is pure good time music. The man was a party on the piano. I carried the CD with me everywhere I went for the first week I owned it. In my car, in my room, in other people's cars (I insisted, no one complained), in other people's rooms. Jerry Lee Lewis is nothing but watered down 'Fess. Take yours straight.

By far the most played CD I own
This music is the richest sounding music the human ear has ever had the pleasure of hearing. From the Hadacol Bounce to Cuttin' out to Tipitina to etc. and beyond, every cut is played with that special Rhumba Boogie shuffle with the Proffessor singing at the top of his lungs. Whooaaahhh Lalalala. A whole lotta uh uh for you. This is the joy music was meant to be. And you too will be a Fess Fan! Just ask Fats Domino and John Bonham. ... Read more

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The Putumayo label is known for its easily recognizable packaging and accessible collections of music from around the world. Here the label takes a broad survey of one of the most storied music towns in the world. Household names like Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong and Dr. John do their version of some Crescent City classics. Local favorites like trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and singer Topsy Chapman offer up traditional flavor as well. Music fans knowledgeable about the local scene will likely be happy about the inclusion of the swingin' December-May collaboration between trumpeters Doc Cheatham (who was 91 when he recorded "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues") and Nicholas Payton (who has 23). Highlighting a vibrant diversity of old and new talent, this album is a musical and cultural tour of a town filled with French Creole culture, a Spanish tinge and some good old American jazz and blues. –-Tad Hendrickson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Captures the essence of the city, past and present!
Wow!What an irresistible collection this is. It celebrates New Orleans' ever-evolving musical world by intermingling the legends (like Louis Armstrong, Topsy Chapman and Doc Cheatham) with current local favorites who are injecting new energy and new ideas (like Kermit Ruffins and Dr. Michael White.)

Unlike most CDs, where I skip around to my favorites, I play this one straight through because there's not a single cut I don't love.But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Dr. Michael White's "Give it Up (Gypsy Second Line)"with its Klezmer influenced clarinet.

Highly recommended to anyone who likes a musical good time! ... Read more

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Labels run the inherent risk of trivializing or marginalizing a region's music when they attempt to create a compilation. And yet Putumayo, which has made a musical-lifestyle name for itself by producing a bundle of these types of collections, does itself mighty proud with Louisiana Gumbo. Drawing from various statewide sources and time periods, Gumbo celebrates rather than appropriates. Merging blues, jazz, Cajun, and Creole influences along with country-inflected rock, R&B, and piano in the styles of boogie-woogie and fast-pumping Ferriday chording, this group of selections is a magnificent representation of some of Louisiana's smartest and tastiest offerings. From zydeco king Clifton Chenier to ivory tickler James Booker and Tipitina regulars the Neville Brothers, Gumbo is served up dirty, dark, and delicious. Husband-wife duo Carol Fran and Clarence Hollimon rear back to holler and hammer through "Door Poppin'," Eddie Bo puts bad-ass funk and swing to "Piano Roll," and Johnny Adams's "It Ain't the Same Thing" is as fine as swamp-rompin' R&B gets. --Paige La Grone ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What a 'sleeper' !
I don't remember buying this CD, but I certainly remember the first time I played it. It is a fantastic collection of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco. Particularly like 'Festis', but really all of it is good.

Terrific
This is a wonderful collection of blues, soul and R&B and zydeco from New Orleans and the bayous of Louisiana. And a great introduction to lesser known artists who really deserve to be heard, like Charles Sheffield. But of course there are also the well known artists, such as the Neville Brothers and Clifton Chenier. This album is guaranteed to get your feet tapping. The 24 page booklet includes an essay about Louisiana and it's music, and a page devoted to each song and it's artist, and photos.

As Good As It Gets....
Hot & Spicy, Tasty & Fulfilling.....just what gumbo is supposed to be! First heard in a little local boutique, I was shakin my shimmie from the first song on and just HAD to buy it! Makes me wish I were strollin down d'bayou or scoffing up some of Tipatina's finest right now. I've bought several copies to give as gifts (some weren't all that excited until they gave it a listen; now those people are turning others onto it). I've given a couple other zy CD's a try but like the man says, "It ain't the same thang".......buy it and enjoy the Big Easy in your own easy chair.

Crazy for Gumbo
I heard this CD in a gift shop in Lewes, DE, and found myself dancing in the aisles. It is as much blues as what you might think of as traditional cajun-style music. It reminded my friend and me of Etta James, but with assorted artists and great blues stylings. I can't wait to have my hands on my own copy! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

First Impressions
Wasnt aware of this CD - saw it on the J.Booker page...havent rated it either as I havent listened to it yet, (it wont even let me pick no stars -doh! amazon) but regarding others comments - from the samples provided (very handy) it sounds like he is playing on an older electric piano, not acoustic, and agree it sounds badly balanced/recorded..I like to hear what he is playing for transcription purposes. Some of the older Booker recordings are bad but the playing is on an acoustic and comes across clear.
And for posterity let them be issued - warts and all.

to conclude - I will get it; Im a fan and I play.

Dr. John Stands alone, all by hisself and Shines doing it!
Dr. John's solo album at the Lonestar is an example of a piano player standing out there alone on his talent. In this age of studio electronic enhancements this is very refreshing! This is a great way to hear his abilities as a performer. He makes the most of an otherwise terrible piano. After a few minutes the piano quality (or lack of) won't bother you because the level of his abilites shines through anyway. The song selection is OUTSTANDING!!! The performance is more "spirited" than his studio album "Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack".

Mac Goes It Alone
The great Mac Rebennack, aka, Dr. John goes it alone, all by hisself on this one, and the results are pure as the sweet smell of New Orleans' magnolias. If you're a Dr. John fan, this is an absolute must have. All his hits are here, as well as a host of Big Easy standards. But not only that, there's an excellent bonus DVD on which the good Doctor recounts New Orleans music history.

Go with the re-issue of 'Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack'
It pains me to write this because I love this guy, but if you own 'Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack' I believe you're going to ask yourself why would anyone believe I would want to listen to this master play solo blues piano on anything other the best acoustic piano they could find for him at the time.

Compared to the other CD mentioned, this one makes one think of DJ putting on a concert in the KMart keyboard section. Thank god the DVD includes DJ on an true acoustic.

Highly recommended, excellent set of Dr John live
This is a marvelous live recording of Dr. John from the legendary Lone Star from 1986 to kick off series of live performance discs from him. This is just Dr. John and his piano, singing and playing a number songs associated with him and/or New Orleans. Performances including vocals are wonderful and some of the material is not standrad stuff. Included is a bonus DVD with him answering questions and demonstrating aspects of the New Orleans tradition. Only reason not giving this a fifth star is that perhjaps that should be reserved not simply for superb recordings, but ones that stand out as definitive for an idiom or a performer. I am not sure whether this is such a disc. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Girls Call Him Little Old Lovin' Man
This is the album that got Profesor Longhair back into the spotlight of the New Orleans musical scene. He'd been a popular bandleader years before, but had landed on hard times. The producers of this collection heard he was still around and found him working for minimum wage sweeping floors. They swept him away, helped him put together a band and this classic album resulted.

Fess pulled together elements of blues, jazz, boogie, rhumba and calypso and melted into his own Creole stew. This collection includes many tunes that never sounded better than when played by Fess. His take on "Rockin' Pneumonia" will get your toes a tappin' in no time. "Hey Now Baby" shows off his unique blues approach, as does "Mean Ol' World". Excellent interpretations of "Jambalaya" and "Stag-O-Lee" and some originals (Tipitina and Dr. Professor Longhair) mix well with the rest to yield a can't miss New Orleans classic. The boys may have called him Dr. Professor Longhair, but the little girls must have known him better.

One of the most underlistened albums of all time
Professor Longhair was and still is an inspiration to myriad New Orleans piano players. Without a doubt, this is his best recording. More than any other of his albums the complete essence of Fess's talents stand out on RNR Gumbo. Here is where you know where Dr. John, MArcia Ball, Art Neville, and many others got their inspiration. On track after track Fess's distictive talents shine. From the position of a non-piano player like myself, part of the magic in this album is trying to figure out how in the world his left and right hands act so independently and so in synch. Credit must also be given to Clarence Gatemouth Brown and the rest of the band for supporting Fess on this masterpiece. This album is what I imagine seeing Fess live must have sounded like. Its alive, inspiring, and should be required listening for all aspiring pianists. My s\choice for best tracks: Rum and Coke and Tipitina.

Enjoy

Excellent Quality
Very impressed with the sound quality and performance. If this album does not make you smile and rock, you must be in a coma.

Yup, The Absolute Best
This is a truly remarkable collection of music, with taut, blistering versions of many of Professor Longhair's best-known songs. Excellent guitar work by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown adds some extra spice to the mix and the Professor is cranked -- extraordinarily energetic performances, but always with that syncopated swing -- never just fast and frenetic.

I don't even think I could pick a favorite song on this one... the version of "Stagolee" is a real standout. No matter how many half-hearted renditions you've heard by other artists, you can feel the lowlife menace of the lyrics. But then there's "How Long Has This Train Been Gone." And the cleverly re-worked "Rum & Coke." And a great "Junco Partner." And so on.

It's amazing to contemplate that this stuff was recorded when the Professor was relatively old and not all that healthy -- and according to the liner notes, only a few days after his uninsured house burned down. He sounds absolutely on top of the world and at the top of his form.

The Masterful Fess
Fess has been gone now for exactly twenty years. We'll not see the likes of this titan again.

Try to get a handle on this man's greatness. More than any other musician, he defines a whole genre of music. Dr. John, Earl King, everyone of any consequence on the New Orleans musical scene, the whole lot of them owe him everything.

The guy spent much of his life struggling to make ends meet, employed as a janitor. Listen to the rolling opening bars of "Tipitina's" on this disc and wonder how this could possibly be.

Everyone says that Crawfish Fiesta is his best album. I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any better than this. "Doin It," "Big Chief", "Junco Partner," "Mess Around," they're all here.

You really, really need to listen to this disc if you have any interest at all in New Orleans music and where it comes from. ... Read more

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No independent label has surveyed a wider, deeper expanse of the American musical grain than Rounder Records has done since 1971. In celebrating the label's 30th anniversary, this budget-priced anthology presents 68 gems from the archives without duplicating a single artist. Rather than a linear progression through time or genre, the four-disc set hopscotches all over the musical map, from the blues of Mississippi Fred McDowell to the bluegrass of Alison Krauss, from the Texas country of Jimmie Dale Gilmore to the Celtic fiddle of Natalie MacMaster. Some of the juxtapositions are a little jarring: the Mardi Gras chants of Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias give way to the Hawaiian guitars of the Tau Moe Family, while the soulful groove of Walter "Wolfman" Washington leads into the Klezmer Conservatory Band. But listeners whose tastes are as eclectic as Rounder's will find the set a treasure trove of discovery. --Don McLeese ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Well Done Compilation - with a Caveat
This is a typically well organized Rounder compilation, with some impressive artists included. However, it should be noted that these are interpretations of older "roots" tunes done by Rounder label artists, rather than the originals. As such, Scott Billington, who wrote the liner notes, does himself (and us) a bit of a disservice by referring dismissively to the original versions of these tunes as a "scratchy collection of old recordings". Were it not for that very "scratchy collection", this four-disc set would not be here for us to enjoy.

Introduction to American Music
Rounder Records has always done an incredible job of putting together compilations and making the music sound alive. This collection celebrates 30 years of Rounder, and is a great overview of the label, as well as a taster for anyone looking to check out some truly alternative music. The mixture is very eclectic; much like American culture, blending and weaving through musical styles. The set features Blues, Folk, Cajun, Bluegrass, Celtic and much more.

A highly recommended listening experience.

A Roots Music State of the Union.
Think of this as an update on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. Showing up on the heels of the wide success of the "O Brother..." soundtrack and just before the PBS American Roots Music series, this is a worthy collection of samples of the work of contemporary artists working in the earthy music forms from whence it all sprang. From acapella gospel to zydeco with old-time, bluegrass, blues, New Orleans brass and Hawaiian tunes sandwiched in between. What can you say? It's Rounder, for Pete's sake! ... Read more

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In the corner of the world known as New Orleans, Roy Byrd--Professor Longhair--looms larger than any other musical figure with the possible exception of Louis Armstrong. This album, recorded in 1979 and released the following year just after his death, marks his final recordings, and it includes a robust horn section, tight rhythm section, and Dr. John strumming guitar alongside his idol. The pianist bounces buoyantly through old favorites while adding some new songs into the mix. Fess's infectious vocals, jaunty ivory-tickling, and funky groove provide the ultimate soundtrack to the Crescent City and show exactly why the city has the reputation that it does. Take two mudbugs and call me in the morning. Better make that the afternoon. Late afternoon. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The very definition of blues piano!

This is Professor Longhair's best album and unfortunately it was his last. Professor Longhair is the very essence of New Orleans blues. He was Dr. John's mentor, who also was Professor Longhair's studio guitarist, before he dedicated himself to the piano and had a career of his own.

Crawfish Fiesta is my favorite blues album. It is full of energy and is just full of life and fun. Buy this album and take a virtual trip to New Orleans.

The Professor's dream ...
I first heard Longhair on the record "New Orleans Piano". It's a remarkable record. For the most part the tunes are brutally simple, the left hand outlining a major chord, and the right hand playing simple repetitive licks. But one tune jumps right off the grooves, "Tipitina", the left hand plays a rhumba like bass figure unlike any you've heard, the right hand alternates between tinkling and hard hammering, and the Professor more or less yodels a long series of nonsense syllables interrupted by one intelligible phrase, "little momma want's a dollar". Everything about this tune is unique, it was a local hit for Longhair in the early 50's.

When I moved to N.O. in the 70's I attended my first Longhair event in a run-down church. Playing with Fess was a ragtag group that did include, however, the legendary Snooks Eaglin on guitar. The audience was in bleacher type seats in front of a small stage. At one point someone in the audience shouted out "Tipitina!", and the Professor launched into the tune. This time the lyrics were intelligible, about a certain Loberta that liked to indulge, with the exception of the line corresponding to "little momma wants a dollar" which was rendered "oolla molla wolla dolla" !

I heard Longhair on many subsequent occasions. Every time was a party. And, every time, the accompanying band was less than stellar. Didn't make any difference, Longhair was never less than great.

Likewise, most of Longhair's recordings are made with less than stellar backing musicians ("R&R Gumbo does feature some superfine playing by Gatemouth Brown.) However, the band on "Crawfish Fiesta" consists of some of the best musicians in N.O. This band rocks! Longhair is in top form. The CD leads of with "Big Chief", which is an anthem in N.O., and the tunes are great start to finish. It's as if the Professor dreamed the perfect CD, and, then, it came to pass.

His third best album--thus completely essential!
I think that "New Orleans Piano" and "Houseparty New Orleans Style" are better Longhair albums, but this one is also a great album. There are many lively cuts on which the horns and guitar mix together with Longhair's playing and singing to create a very appealing and exciting sound. This is an essential album, and a whole lot of fun.

A masterpiece!
Doesn't get much better than this. Fess' is the king of Nawlins'

Makes you want to dance
If "Crawfish Fiesta" doesn't make you want to tap your foot, sing along, or just get up and groove, if it doesn't give you the same kind of feeling of well-being as a Hurricane punch during Mardi Gras, then contact your local coroner, because you just might be dead. ... Read more

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Bonnie Raitt fans have long been familiar with Jon Cleary's funky keyboard work and have often been privileged to see the man open her shows with his band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen--one of the greasiest aggregations on the planet. Cleary's previous outing attempted to capture this live magic in the studio, but managed to merely hint at it. For this recording the British ex-pat wisely adds a little modern studio gloss to tunes like "Agent 00 Funk" and "Oh No No No." This way, instead of inevitably paling beside the group's intense live shows, Pin Your Spin offers something new: an equally down and dirty recorded experience that borrows from today's hip-hop studio techniques without sacrificing any of the group interaction that makes this band so special. Having lived in New Orleans for two decades, Cleary is steeped in that city's second-line tradition, but he is equally influenced by the moody groves of '70s Miami soul. "Caught Red Handed" brings these roots to the fore. Elsewhere Cleary demonstrates the well-rounded musical chops, soulful singing, and terrific songwriting that caused Raitt to deem him "The Ninth Wonder of the World." --Michael Ross ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Eclectic New Orleans Funk
What fun! I saw the Absolute Monster Gentlemen at the Santa Cruz Blues Festival and bought this CD on the spot. It captures what I heard and liked in the live performance perfectly, and adds a little more. New Orleans Funk is a good description, but I love how the latin piano sneaks in from time to time. "Agent OO Funk" is a rollicking funk number. Enjoy!

Simply the best
There isn't a finer live act around than Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and, on Pin Your Skin, the full magic has been caught on record. I can't imagine that 2004 will provide a funkier, deeper, and more utterly satisfying album. ... Read more

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Roy "Professor Longhair" Byrd was a largely forgotten New Orleans bluesman when this album of his '40s and '50s Atlantic sides appeared in 1972. By decade's end, he was justly celebrated as a thoroughly one-of-a-kind father of rock & roll. These tunes, many initially issued as singles, showcase Longhair's droll vocals and unmatched sense of syncopation. "In the Night," "Tipitina," and "She Walks Right In" are among the hippest things you'll ever hear--no matter what kind of music you like. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Sound Quality
I have a copy of this CD from BMG and the sound quality is awful. Not sure if this version is re-mastered but I would not take the chance. I recommend Crawfish Feista and Rock and Roll Gumbo as far better examples of Fess's work.

One of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th Century
This is one of the handful of albums from the 20th century in any or all genres of music which deserves the description "masterpiece". It is simply fantastic, and hugely influential on much music which followed. Many cuts on this album hit like a thunderbolt. Longhair was an original and a genius, and this is his best stuff. I cannot say enough enthusiastic things about this album--words fail me. Plus, it's a whole lot of fun! If this music doesn't make you tap your feet, check your pulse.

His Complete Atlantic Sessions!
This disc, originally released in the early 1970s, has been remastered and expanded to include the good professor's entire early 1950s recorded output for Atlantic.It's great! Includes the classic tracks "Tipitina", "Ball The Wall", "Mardi Gras In New Orleans", "She Walks Right In" and many others. If you love the New Orleans piano sound, it doesn't get much better than this! A wonderful album by the Mardi Gras king of "N'Orleans" that deserves a place in your CD collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a must have for blues lovers!!
this is the only cd of blues songs you need to buy. if you've never listened to the blues before and you are interested than this is a must!!! and if your a buddy guy fan, he captures "red house" even better than jimi hendrix did!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Big Fun
The CD is 10 tracks culled from various Rounder Records artists CDs. I bought this to make my $25 minimum shipping but didn't expect much from a cheapie. When I put on the first track, I hooted out loud at how delightful the opening riffs were. The rest of the tracks were just as good. Consider getting this along with Gallerie "Portrait of Boogie Woogie Piano" for a complete and very fun collection of the form for just over the minimum shipping.

excellent modern boogie woogie selection
If you're looking for a more recent selection of boogie woogie selections, this is your disc. All the tracks are upbeat and jumping. It just makes you want to get up and move. ... Read more

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Guitar Slim is the kind of bluesman who makes one realize just how tame most performers are today. Just one listen to his searing, distorted guitar and boastful vocals on "Guitar Slim" will raise your expectations of other artists. Truth told, Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones was one of the greats of 1950s blues, a supreme showman who influenced Earl King, Albert King, and many others to follow in his wake. This collection contains Slim's finest work for the Specialty label and was put together with loving care by compiler Billy Vera. Slim's immortal "The Things That I Used to Do" is here along with impassioned and unforgettable cuts like "Sufferin' Mind" and "Reap What You Sow." Hidden treasures are plentiful with excellent alternate takes, sound checks of Slim calling the shots in the studio, and the classic New Orleans sound of saxophonists Joseph Henry Tillman and Gus Fontenette. --Ken Hohman ... Read more

Reviews (9)

No one with ears can do without this CD! Needs 100 stars!!!!
This is simply one of the best albums ever put together. The only thing bad about it is that Slim died young and there isn't more music he made. By the way, in his supporting band is an up and coming piano player from Florida and the West Coast named Ray Charles. You may have heard of him!

Eddie Guitar Slim Jones was the Master of the Stratacaster one of the most important electric blues stylists ever. Of course, like all great bluesmen, he is first last and always a great great singer. This is good, not history, but just plain excellent, better than good! If this album was cut last night by a white boy from Iowa, it would still be one of the great blues collections, and one of the most fun cds of any type in my library.

There are very few people even the blues who put themselves and their personality into their music the way Slim does. And when I say personality, I mean total personality. A researcher for a tape put out in New Orleans with his music in the 1970s interviewed a man who he assumed was Guitar Slim's tailor back in the 1950s. He asked the man if he had any stories of things Slim had done in New Orleans. The man started telling about the outfits Slim would wear that would stop traffic on Canal St. in downtown New Orleans. He kept going on with stories of cool and wild stuff he had seen Slim do. Then, the researcher asked the man about tailoring clothes. The man told him he wasn't a tailor for Slim or anyone else, but a truck driver. The tailor was his cousin who had passed away. Slim was such a character that any every day truck driver had an hour of stories about him 25 years after he had passed away.

The guitar playing is excellent, bridging the gap between jump blues and electric blues that was only emerging when these tracks were cut. Everything, even slow blues swings and rocks. Beside the hard core you aint my woman blues like the masterpiece "The Things We Used to Do," there is plenty of fun here, like "My name is Guitar Slim." I too love "The sTory of my life." What a story it must have been; someone needs to write a book or a movie about Slim.

This is a CD that I find hard to play because once I put it on the machine all I want to do is repeat, repeat, repeat. I am now worried because I have a lot of other things to do when I get home after writing this, and all I may do is play this CD.

No one with ears can go without his records.

Essential....git it!!!
even if this cd only included "the thing things I used to do" it would be worth the price alone for that one song. Fortunately for us, it includes many, many more New Orleans treasures. An indispensable listen for any guitarist or fan that plays/listens to the blues. Dig; Letter to my Girlfriend, Done Got Over, Certainly All and the many more examples of Slim's genius.....Slim was B-A-D!!

"Story of My Life" - yes, yes, yes
There are a lot of great cuts on this CD but when I want to GET DOWN, I put on "Story of My Life." This song is blues at its most OVER-THE-TOP, from the Slim's impassioned voice twisting around the opening line to his totally raw guitar solo that sounds like one long moan. THIS IS THE BLUES!! Guitar Slim: you were one of a kind. R.I.P.

This is Blue
Via Frank Zappa, I was turned onto Guitar Slim. That's the long and the short of it, and within moments, you can see how Slim influenced Zappa's scratchy, angry guitar sound.

It's all here, some of the purest, meanest, dirtiest blues ever recorded, I'm sure. "You Gonna Miss Me", "Bad Luck Blues", "Reap What You Sow", and especially "Story of My Life" hold up to anything you want to compare them to.

If there is a problem with sound quality, I'm not aware of it--but if you can find a more comprehensive anthology complete with alternate takes or even live tracks, it would probably be worth picking up instead of this release.

texace on Guitar Slim/Sufferin' Mind
Born and raised on piney woods and cajun rice in the '50's between Leesville and Ville Platte, Louisiana and this is the worst rendition of the great Guitar Slim that I can imagine. I was there and this is not it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Graitt, Funky, Piano master!
This is a great funky groove start to finish by a guy and his band that is
only getting better. Its great to see him with Bonnie Raitt
on tour and as her keyboard player. He just brings out the best
in so much of Bonnie's newer stuff. He is by far the most funky
keyboard player I've heard in a long, long time. I love this new collection!!
See this guy LIVE whenever you can!

New- New Orleans Funk
I've been listening to New Orleans Funk for 3 decades & traveling to Jazzfest since 1990, and have heard a LOT of N.O. funk. Cleary performs and writes for Bonnie Raitt, and has a wonderful ear for arranging. This CD is very diverse in its musical jendre but still draws you to listen over and over - I've had it in my car's player for weeks at a time. It is the BEST - and just a little askew of what we commonly hear as N.O. Funk. Cleary's a fabulous songwriter and a creative arranger of 'old standards' such as "Just Kissed My Baby." This is definitely one of my top 10 CD's I own.

Funk and Groovin' New Orleans Style
Not the George Clinton and P-funk kind of funk music but in a funky groove all of its own. Cleary (originally a Brit now adopted by New Orleans) gives this album a distinct New Orleanian flavor and passion with a cruising kind a funk---meaning that you can listen to it in your car to jam, at cocktail hour, at a club or even jazzfest. The best part of this CD is that I didn't feel the need to say---he was better live. It's just that good!

TIGHT FUNK
The cuts on this CD are smooth and tight, with heavy bass, great vocals and lyrics, and amazing, SERIOUS grooves. Mr. Cleary and his crew encapsulate the New Orleans vibe with their high energy, excellent musicianship, and soulful expression of funk. I've enjoyed this CD for months, and all the tracks always sound fresh and lifting. An overall high-quality collection, this has become one of my favorites.

Turn It Loose
If you can sit still through this rhythm pounding sound, you are from a planet where there is no music. Take a slice of Neville Brothers, some Tower of Power, throw in a dash of early Little Feat, stir heartily with New Orleans R & B, funkify the whole thing, and, man, you got a get-down sound that'll make you feel better than JB. When I listen, I can't stop grinnin'. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Who'd have thought a Swede raised on an island in the Baltic, not a single drop of African blood in his veins, would emerge as one of the leading exponents of R&B and blues in New Orleans? Unlike many musicians from elsewhere who've staked out turf there, Osborne stays true to his own musical conceits, rather than mimic the storied local tradition. On his sixth and probably best album, he wrestles sincere feeling from every note he sings and every blue note he plays on guitars, no matter if his technical skills aren't commanding. In his favor, too, the program is filled with sturdy, original slow blues and medium-tempo blues-rock songs. The one stinker is the trad-jazz-flavored "Life Is Strange." Guests: Jonny Lang and Keb' Mo'. Secret weapon: Kirk Joseph, playing bass lines on sousaphone. --Frank-John Hadley ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Absolutely contagious album
Saw Anders at JazzFest and picked up the album...now, everyone who has heard it has grabbed a copy. Super album! Fans of all types of music agree that this is a solid and fun cd.

Anders is a genius on this album
Just phenomenal. From the lowest of the lows to the much more numerous highs on this album, Anders communicates exceptionally.
I would recommend to anyone and challenge anyone to listen to this twice and you are hooked!

A survivor celebrates
In recent years Anders Osborne weathered a bad substance abuse problem and split with his longtime lady/collaborator Theresa Anderson. That was the subject of his last CD, Living Room. This one finds him clean and sober (despite the title of the first song), newly married and damned glad to be alive. You can hear in his singing and guitar work that this is not a work of fiction. There are elements of Van Morrison, Lowell George and fellow Louisianan Sonny Landreth, but Osborne has developed his own distinctive style. Don't miss this one.

Hello, Anders
I didn't know a dang thing about Anders Osborne. Had never heard of him until an NPR feature introduced us. Based on that interview, I bought "Ash Wednesday Blues". I like this a lot!

Snake Bite Love
Anders Osborne gives another great CD with Ash Wednesday Blues. His recordings are impressively consistent with variety and quality. "Stoned, Drunk & Naked" starts off as a hot rocker. "Ho-Di-Ko-Di-Ya-La-Ma-La" is a "set my a*s on fire" party time that sounds like updated ragtime. "Every Bit of Love" slows the tempo with a bluesy acoustic arrangement with saxophone and guitar. Keb' Mo' joins in on banjo and background vocals on "Stuck On My Baby." I enjoyed the lyric, "like a diamond in a silver mine." My favorite track is "Snake Bit," an infectious blues where Anders sings, "trouble doesn't always win in the end." Anders shows good variety with the next few songs. We kind of shuffle and skip through "Soul Livin'." "Me & Lola" is a sax ballad. "Kingdom Come" boogies. "Life is Strange" is slow and mournful. Percussion with drum and bass propels "Aim Way High." "Improvise" is uptempo with a great joyful lyric, "got to let the good things ride." The CD closes with two beautiful ballads. The title track sings about those who are "full of themselves, but no heart." "Through & Through" is a pure love song. It ends with two spoken lines: Anders, I believe, sighs, "That was sweet." Keb' Mo' who played guitar laughs, "Now you can get laid." This CD has great spirit, good songwriting, and is a lot of fun. Check it out! ... Read more

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

Amazon.com

Like Jelly Roll Morton and Professor Longhair, James Booker belonged to the great tradition of New Orleans piano "professors," players whose flamboyance extended from the keyboard to every aspect of life. On this 1975 solo recording, Booker's music is a gumbo of everything from barrelhouse blues and R&B to memories of childhood classical training as he ranges through material that had its origins with Chopin, Leadbelly, Earl King, and Tin Pan Alley. It's all stirred together in the high-speed blender of Booker's piano technique, driving, rock-solid left-hand rhythms colliding with the percussive runs that explode from the right. Booker is an effective singer, with a casual musicality and a lived-in voice, but the vocal tracks inevitably feel like piano with vocal accompaniment. --Stuart Broomer ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Only two hands?
I defy anyone to listen to "Pixie" and be convinced only one man is playing. Unless that one man is the legendary James Booker. Not unlike Nina Simone in his way of combining classical elements into jazz and R+B, Booker is as good as it gets for New Orleans-style piano. When he sings "Junco Partner", its with a voice that rings all too true. Great stuff.

If music was booze.
It's like Chopin on the rocks, with a twist of New Orleans

Spiritual Master of Solo Piano Nawleens Stylee
This album, produced by Joe Boyd(Richard Thompson, et.al), is solo piano, well recorded with a mix of instrumental pieces(Pixie, Black Minute Waltz) and piano/vocals like Sunny Side Of The Street, Good Night Irene and Make A Better World. Black Minute Waltz is Booker's take on Chopin's Minute Waltz and will give you a taste of how far afield piano can get and how deeply affecting James Booker's world can get. Start with the best piano playing, add the crazed, yodeling vocals and mix in profound love for humanity (and various drugs) and you end up in the church of Booker, praising the late master to the skies as he laughs and strides on. The only match for this masterpiece is the live album on Rounder(2027) New Orleans Piano Wizard. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Boogie Woogie Showcase
I wanted to get a birthday present for one of my best friends. I sought a fine boogie woogie collection in the pattern of Black and Blue's "Boogie Woogie Masters". Juke Joint Jump does fill that bill. It has cuts by titans of the art: Memphis Slim plays "Panic Street", Art Tatum plays "Tatum Pole Boogie", Champion Jack Dupree plays "Dupree Shake Dance", Pete Johnson plays "Boogie Woogie" and others. Freddie Slack's "Down the Road a Piece" is an infectious tune that lingers. There are 18 cuts in all, none of them bad, and some of them very very good. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Part of the excellent new Crescent City Soul Series
One of the great titles in the new Crescent City Soul Series (see also Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Dave Bartholomew).
Check out these songs & artists:
1. Let The Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee
2. Mardi Gras In New Orleans - Professor Longhair
3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price
4. I Didn't Want To Do It - The Spiders
5. I Hear You Knocking - Smiley Lewis
6. Stack-A-Lee (Part 1) - Archibald
7. New Bon Ton Roulet - Clarence "Bon Ton" Garlow
8. Ya Ya - Lee Dorsey

9. Long Tall Sally - Little Richard
10. I'm Wise - Ruth Durand
11. Let The Four Winds Blow - Roy Brown
12. Feel So Good - Shirley & Lee
13. Trick Bag - Earl King
14. I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) - Barbara George
15. She Put The Hurt On - Prince La La
16. You're The One - The Spiders
17. Real Man - Ernie K-Doe
18. Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville
19. Come On (Parts 1 & 2) - Earl King
20. Chicken Shack Boogie - Amos Milburn ... Read more