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Melvin Taylor & The Slack Band
Rendezvous With The Blues
(Evidence 26123)
by Craig Ruskey
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10 tracks, very good. While restraint isn't quite Melvin Taylor's style, his selection of cover material is well-suited to his careening lead guitar and he's grown into a seasoned vocalist. Steering clear of patented shuffles during the cover-laden "Rendezvous With The Blues" doesn't lessen his impact as a fine blues interpreter; his blending of thick chords, searing fills, and tenacious leads show an artist continuing to stretch the boundaries. Lucky Peterson helps out and Mato Nanji from Indigenous falls in on Comin' Home Baby and a John Lee Hooker tribute consisting of Chill Out and The Healer. Prince's Five Women will have purists shuddering in horror, but it's a high point as Melvin takes a pop-flavored flounder and transposes it into a delicious cut. Blue Jean Blues delivers shattering guitar and explosive dynamics.
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Various Artists
Gettin' Funky - The Birth Of New Orleans R&B
(Proper BOX 28)
by Craig Ruskey
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Four CDs, 107 tracks, highly recommended. Disc one is devoted to "Piano Power" containing 28 cuts from Champion Jack Dupree, Professor Longhair, and Archibald while disc two offers 26 cuts from "The Pioneers;" Dave Bartholomew, Paul Gayten, and Smiley Lewis. The third disc collects "The Hitmakers" with 28 sides from Roy Brown, Fats Domino, and Larry Darnell, where the final CD focuses on "Hip Shakin' Mamas, Crooners, and Shouters" with 25 gems from Chubby Newsome, Alma 'The Lollipop Mama' Mondy, 'Blazer Boy' Locks, Erline Harris, Jewel King, and others. From Champion Jack's early down-home style, to the uptown grace of Dave Bartholomew's band, and Professor Longhair's combining of calypso, blues, Latin, and more, the powerful horns, riffing guitars, and battered pianos tell the story of New Orleans. The set comes with a 54-page booklet loaded with solid notes, rare photos, and a full discography. Wonderful.
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Various Artists
The USA Records Blues Story
(Fuel 2000 (2002) 61209)
by Craig Ruskey
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26 tracks, recommended. This is a top-shelf release compiling stellar workouts from a wide and varied cast. Lonnie Brooks delivers his pairing of Figurehead and I'm Not Going Home, Ricky Allen contributes Going Or Coming and I Have Made A Change, and Detroit Junior handles It's Bad To Make A Woman Mad and the standout, Call My Job. Homesick James hands in Crossroads and My Baby's Sweet, Eddy Clearwater cuts through two Chuck Berry tributes with The Duck Walk and Momee, Momee, Fenton Robinson sizzles on a brilliant version of From My Heart and the equally strong Say You're Leavin' and Willie Mabon offers Some Time I Wonder and the favorite, Just Got Some. Koko Taylor has a pair, as does Andrew Brown, and there's more from Junior Wells, Jesse Fortune, Jimmy Burns, A.C. Reed, and others. Session details would have made this even better but notes by Bill Dahl are their usual, well-done spin.
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T-Bone Walker
The Original Source
(Proper BOX 38)
by Craig Ruskey
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Four CDs, 90 tracks, essential! Superb package beginning with Walker's 1929 Columbia session as 'Oak Cliff T-Bone' and ending with Imperial recordings from 1951. This is where it all began for modern electric blues. Credited with developing the fleet, single note style of guitar playing that still rules the music today, T-Bone's impressive cast of sidemen includes Lloyd Glenn, Bumps Myers, Big Jim Wynn, and many others. Culled from Capitol, Rhumboogie, Black & White, Comet, and more labels, "The Original Source" showcases Walker's dazzling blues guitar dictionary from crisp leads to the off-kilter, yet propulsive and rippling rhythms that defy time. With both EMI and Mosaic's sets out-of-print, this generous compilation is a showstopper. Informative liner notes and complete session details fill out the 44-page booklet of this set devoted to a man who has perhaps influenced more guitarists than anyone else in music. Absolutely critical!
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Barrelhouse Chuck
25 Years of Chicago Blues Piano
(Self-release (2000)
by Craig Ruskey
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17 tracks, excellent. Six tracks overlap from his Salute To Sunnyland Slim CD, but there's plenty more on this offering to enjoy. The cast here includes Johnny B. Moore, Hip Linkchain, Big Smokey Smothers, Carl Weathersby, Pierre Lacocque, and others. Moore's "Mama Told Me" is a potent workout on the 'Poor Boy' theme and the late Linkchain kicked up some dust on "House Cat Blues," as did Smothers on "I'll Be Your King." Fine instrumentals like "Leroy Carr's Hop," Earl Hooker's "Wah-Wah Blues," and a grinding "Walkin' The Ceiling" truss out a solid blues disc. Goering may not be a household name, but Chicago blues piano is in good hands as long he continues the tradition. Order CD from his website: www.barrelhousechuck.com
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Barrelhouse Chuck
A Salute To Sunnyland Slim
(Blue Loon (2002) 035)
by Craig Ruskey
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15 tracks, excellent. If people believe the art of true blues piano is a lost or dying art, they need only to listen to Barrelhouse Chuck Goering. Learning from Little Brother Montgomery, Sunnyland Slim, and other Windy City stalwarts, Chuck has mastered the craft and pays tribute here. This collection of recordings brings together a great cast including S.P. Leary, Billy Flynn, Calvin Jones, Todd Levine, Sam Lay, and others. Great readings of some Chicago gems including Floyd Jones' "Any Old Lonesome Day" and Little Walter's "Shake Dancer," as well as rollicking piano blues and boogie. Pure and unadorned blues, Chicago-style. Web: www.barrelhousechuck.com
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Luther Allison
Pay It Forward
(Ruf Records (2002) RUF 1060)
by Craig Ruskey
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11 tracks, very good. A mix of crunching blues and soul with seven previously unreleased tracks, this should please fans of Luther's hard-hitting and always determined approach. From the intense, slow West Side Chicago workout between Allison and Otis Grand on "Perfume And Grime" to playing with his son, Bernard, on "Idols In Mind," this is a fine offering. A mix of recordings from Europe and the US, the outtakes are incredibly strong and show Luther as an artist of remarkable breadth and passion. The cast includes James Solberg, Joanna Connor, Kenn Lending, and others. Blues is a little less full since Luther's passing but having unissued gems brings him a little closer. Web: www.rufrecords.de
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Rosco Gordon
I'm Gonna Shake It! The Sun Recordings
(Varese (2002) 63852)
by Craig Ruskey
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22 tracks, recommended. Rosco Gordon's Sun recordings remain classic and timeless regardless of how much time passes. Jumping blues, boogie, and ballads are generously sprinkled throughout the set as Gordon's piano fronts small, yet powerful bands with plenty of honking sax and potent band support. From the stomping grooves of "Decorate The Counter" and "Just Love Me Baby" to the hilarious and painfully slow "Weeping Blues" or "Tired Of Living," Rosco was in great form when recording for Sam Phillips. Bill Dahl hands in strong liner notes and offers insight into Rosco's drunken rooster, Butch, but session details are sadly absent. Incredible music. www.varesesarabande.com
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Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac
Jumping At Shadows - The Blues Years
(Sanctuary (2002) 81181)
by Craig Ruskey
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2 CD's, very good. Peter Green's relatively brief period at the helm of what was perhaps Britain's best and most convincing blues outfit ever provided a wealth of passionate guitar, soulful vocals, and stunning material long before the bright lights of California stripped the band of any credibility. It's always a pleasure to listen to recordings this respectful and searing. The studio and 'live' tracks show a great cross-section of where this outfit began and where it was heading just prior to Green's departure and also provides plenty of evidence as to why they were as respected as they were between 1967 and 1970. Superb sound throughout even though there's nothing new. www.castlemusic.com
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Corey Harris
Downhome Sophisticate
(Rounder (2002) 613194)
by Craig Ruskey
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18 tracks, very good. Corey Harris shakes loose after his Vu-Du Menz CD of 2000 with another journey across a wide musical landscape. He's not afraid to mix Delta Blues with Jamaican and current trends making the overall outcome score well. Both the title track and the topical "Santoro" find a smart mix of hip-hop and blues and Fire is an excellent display where he combines soulful vocals with blazing guitar. He completely revamps "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning" and while it might haunt purists, there's no denying his ability to come up with magical excursions that should please a more modern audience. www.rounder.com
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