Waiting for Columbus (Bonus CD) (Dlx) Review

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Waiting for Columbus (Bonus CD) (Dlx) ReviewThere are only a handful of essential live albums. A few that immediately come to mind are the Who's "Live at Leeds," the Stones' "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" and the Allman Brothers'"At the Fillmore East." Included on that elite list is Little Feat's "Waiting for Columbus."
What you hear on this expanded version of their 1978 release is a band at their peak. Lowell George's incendiary slide guitar playing, Bill Payne's rollicking keyboards, the funk of the Tower of Power horn section and the band's backlog of material make for a stunning live performance. Not only are "Don't Bogart That Joint" and "A Apolitcal Blues" restored to this reissue (deleted from the original vinyl release to accommodate a single CD), but a whopping ten outtakes are included, adding almost a full hour of music!
Of the outtakes on disc-2, tracks 6-10 were mixed for the original album, but not used. Tracks 13-15 first appeared on the odds and ends album "Hoy-Hoy!" According to the liner notes, tracks 11 and 12 apparently were never considered for use on either the original album or "Hoy-Hoy!" All outtakes were taken from the same series of concerts (The Rainbow Theatre in London and Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC) as the songs on the original album.
This is the last Little Feat album which had the full involvement of Lowell George. [George died before the completion of the disappointing follow-up studio album "Down on the Farm."] While a revamped Little Feat has been releasing albums for the past two decades, this is a must-have album from their classic lineup. ESSENTIALWaiting for Columbus (Bonus CD) (Dlx) OverviewLittle Feat's classic 1978 live double album, reissued complete on 2 CDs with 10 bonus tracks, seven unissued (mostly unheard mixes)! That unreleased material joins such classic fare as Oh Atlanta; Dixie Chicken; Willin' , and Tripe Face Boogie one of the better live albums ever waxed.

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Dixie Chicken Review

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Dixie Chicken ReviewIt would be accurate to describe Little Feat in its original configuration as a very good band fronted by a genius, but it doesn't adequately acknowledge just how very, very good the other members of the band were. Lowell George was on a totally different level than the other members, but they weren't dispensable for all that. Although both LITTLE FEAT and SAILIN' SHOES, their first two albums, are exceedingly close to being as fine as the masterful DIXIE CHICKEN, what separates the latter for the previous two is the astonishingly accomplished playing of the other band members. George remains the focal point of the group, writing an exceptional set of songs and providing powerful lead vocals, but far more than the earlier two albums, the rest of the band holds its own. Stylistically, this one shows a deep influence by New Orleans music, and even features an Allen Toussaint tune.
Although they went on to release a couple of more decent albums before their break up in the late 1970s, as well as an exceptional live album WAITING FOR COLUMBUS, this represents Little Feat's supreme studio achievement. Absolutely everything clicks on this album, and the eclectic nature of all the songs seems utterly natural. The band manages throughout the album to sound simultaneously restrained and impassioned. Unlike many bands who work in a variety of styles, they never sound like they are doing a parody of any genre.
Despite the improvements in the band as a whole, this is still Lowell George's outfit. George undoubtedly belongs to a short list of musicians whose premature death (of a heart attack at age 34) deprived us of a significant body of work. I have been amazed at how many of my musically astute friend are not aware of George. I'm uncertain whether I most appreciate Lowell George the songwriter or Lowell George the singer. There is no question he was a master crafter of first rate songs, but he was every bit as good as a singer, with a full, round lower register capable of sliding into a marvelous upper range.
For those new to Little Feat, I strongly recommend four albums to the would-be collector. In addition to this stellar album, one should get both LITTLE FEAT and SAILIN' SHOES, both of them featuring one of the finest songs written in the past 30 years, George's spectacular "Willin'." I never saw Little Feat live, I'm sorry to say, but they had a reputation for being one of the best live bands around, and their WAITING FOR COLUMBUS has to rank as one of the better live albums ever cut. Little Feat broke up in the late seventies and reformed in the late 1980s, but without George they were merely a good band instead of a great one. These four albums will give most fans all the Little Feat that they would ever desire.Dixie Chicken OverviewAfter their brilliant self-titled debut and sophomore release Sailin' Shoes,leader Lowell George grabbed the reins as producer for the next group of sessions, resulting in 1973's Dixie Chicken. Usually considered their pinnaclee studio album, it's the understated elegance that keeps it all together.While maintaining the eccentricities that made Feat...well Feat, a subtle infu- sion of New Orleans r&b/soul undertones, seems the natural fit. The group's songwriting reaches new heights throughout, with a stop-over homage to the N.O. master Allan Toussaint, with a slow groove of his "On Your Way Down".Guests abound: two Bonnies, (Raitt and Bramlett, plus Three Dog Night's Danny Hutton lend supporting vocals. Always reliable Sneaky Pete's pedal steel and The Stones' Mick Taylor lends a few tasty licks, but it's the main-core Feat, now playing their tightest together that makes this definitely one of the greatest!--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Beginnings Review

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Beginnings ReviewBeginnings is the first two Allman Brothers Band albums, their self-titled debut and Idlewild South on one disc. This collection is a masterpiece, not aging one moment since its release. Several of the tracks here are still album rock standards. It also shows the band's incredible diversity from the classic blues of their first album to their more acoustic and jazz roots on Idlewild South.
The first half of the disc begins with the jazzy instrumental "Don't Want You No More" featuring an excellent organ solo from Gregg Allman and a very tasty guitar solo from Duane Allman before flowing into the slow blues of "It's Not My Cross To Bear." Gregg's vocals are fantastic, already possessing one of the best blues voices ever, which is amazing considering he was just 21 when they recorded this album. This is clearly one of his best collections of songs as his compositions "Dreams" and "Whipping Post" have become blues classics with the latter taken to new heights on their live album At Fillmore East. The other tracks, "Every Hungry Woman", the percussion heavy "Black Hearted Woman", and their killer version of Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More" are all fantastic. The fact that they still play every one of these songs live attest to the excellent material here.
The second half of the disc is best known as the emergence of guitarist Dickey Betts as a composer. His two contributions are among his best work. "Revival" with its memorable melody and its hippie lyrics has become one of their most popular songs. The jazz instrumental "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" is perhaps the best instrumental track released in modern rock music. This track, written as a tribute to Miles Davis, also lead to Betts contributing several other instrumental tracks in their career such as "Jessica." The most popular track here is Gregg Allman's acoustic "Midnight Rider", which would become his biggest solo hit and has remained as one of their most enduring tracks. "Leave My Blues At Home" and their version of "Hoochie Coochie Man", sung by bassist Berry Oakley, are among their best blues tracks. The lesser known ballad "Please Call Home" and "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" are also excellent tracks. The slide guitar playing of Duane Allman is among the best ever recorded and the aggressive drumming duo of Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson, now known as Jaimoe, only add to the intensity of this stunning collection. Highly recommended to all fans of blues and classic rock.Beginnings OverviewLimited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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An Anthology Review

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An Anthology ReviewThis Anthology is a great collection representing Duane's work & his legacy, especially outside of the ABB. The real keepers on this set are his session work with Muscle Shoals, when he worked with such artists as Aretha, Wilson Pickett, & etc. A fabulous bonus is cuts from his aborted solo album, which are extremely interesting. His work as a sideman is phenomenol, as he adds his own stamp to the cuts while never overwhelming the actual artist being recorded. It is also astounding on how GOOD he got after leaving Muscle Shoals & forming his own band. Within a 2-3 year span, he became one of the biggest talents to emerge in rock, all to end at his premature death.
This isn't a perfect "Anthology" for Duane. To begin with, this album has too many ABB cuts from their first three albums, as well as Layla from his work with the Dominos. Overlapping overkill. Chances are, if one was to pick this album up in the first place, more than likely, they would already own those albums.
A second knock on this set is, it is EXTREMELY dated. The powers to be haven't remastered a single track, & there are supposedly a wealth of unhidden treasures still unreleased commercially that was done by Duane. In the days of vinyl, this Anthology was quite a tribute to his legacy.... but now, they need to update it. Very badly.
In the mean time, this 2 disc set is still worthwhile until Duane finally gets the royal treatment with a box set. A monster talent, the heart & soul of the ABB, slide master, & much more. He pushed players such as Betts & Clapton to dig in a little deeper. A real inspiration.
Remember Duane Allman.An Anthology OverviewNow this is how to present a rounded portrait of Duane Allman: his key solo and Allman Brothers cuts plus his session work as guitarist-for-hire. Layla; Statesboro Blues; Dreams; Little Martha; Goin' Down Slow , and Stand Back join Hey Jude Wilson Pickett; Games People Play King Curtis; Loan Me a Dime Boz Scaggs; The Weight Aretha Franklin; The Road of Love Clarence Carter, and more!

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Paris, Texas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Review

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Paris, Texas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ReviewOne of the immortal scenes: Harry Dean Stanton in the desert, scrambling out of nowhere, a tortured Everyman in search of solace. And then Ry Cooder`s slide guitar notes, modeled on Blind Willie Johnson`s " Dark was the night" - when have so few notes said so much? The music and the film images fit like hand and glove. I do not know whether "Paris, Texas" is a great movie, but I do know that it, for me and a host of others, is one of the most unforgettable movies ever, with images and feelings that refuse to let go, creeping under the skin and staying there. The music underlines this feeling, with not a surplus note, every little vibrato inuitively perfectly suited to the atmosphere conveyed in the movie - love and loss, union and aloneness, and, above all, compassion . If the music doesn`t reach these feelings, the experience may be that of the 1-star reviewer quoted. But to me, this music is one of the most durable selections I have in my 1000-piece collection, one of the few that always brings rewards and new nuances when listened to.Paris, Texas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack OverviewCD > POPULAR MUSIC > MOVIE SOUNDTRACK

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Ry Cooder Review

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Ry Cooder ReviewWhen I saw Ry Cooder live in the early seventies, he was wearing baggy blue silk pants, pink satin pumps, a bandana, and a Hawaiian shirt. Eclectic garb? You bet. But somehow it all went together, a perfect sartorial analogue to his musical eclectism.
As far as the best debut ever, it's gotta be either this or Little Feet's. Nobody was doing this roots stuff back then, and nobody's ever done it better. The opening bars of "Alimony" are perfect. "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live" and "Available Space" are transcendent. One marvels at the clarity of musical vision from one so young. Everything here's absolutely top drawer: overall concept, arrangements, production values, musicianship. It all continues with Into the Purple Valley (probably Cooder's best) and Boomer's Story, but to my ears he slips up with Boarderline. Wait a minute. As great as Into the Purple Valley is, Paradise and Lunch gets the nod as his best ever, because it's his most eclectic and has soooo many killer tunes on it. Chicken Skin Music is also great (if you can get by the obnoxious cover art, thankfully much smaller in the CD format)--check out especially "Stand by Me." "Mexican Divorce" from Paradise and Lunch is my all-time favorite Cooder cut; it always puts me in mind of my all-time favorite Byrds song, "Tulsa County Blue" (from their somewhat neglected masterpiece, Ballad of Easy Rider).
Of course, Buena Vista Social Club is also essential Cooder, as is Meeting by the River, with Indian maestro Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Talking Timbuktu, with Malian bluesman Ali Farka Toure. Also worth checking out: Fascinoma (with the unlikely but brilliant combination of Jacky Terrasson and John Hassell) and Hollow Bamboo. I'm not wild about all of his film music, but all in all, he's had quite a remarkable career. And I guess that's why Cooder gets the nod over Little Feet for the best ever debut--his subsequent career outshines Little Feet's, although they went on to produce some great stuff. Who knows where they might've gone but for Lowell George's untimely death.Ry Cooder Overview

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Back To The River Review

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Back To The River ReviewThis cd rocks! Just got it in the mail today (way to go amazon) and I'm listening to it for the 3rd time. Susan's at the top of her game on this cd. Husband and guitar god Derek Trucks plays guitar on four tracks and produces one track, and Doyle Bramhall II plays on three. It's interesting to note that these are the two guitar players that toured with Eric Clapton's band in his big tour a couple of years ago.
I've been looking forward to this cd and I wasn't disappointed. Way to go Susan!Back To The River OverviewBack To The River is Susan Tedeschi's 2008 album, her second recording for Verve Forecast. Susan writes, sings and plays on a hard-driving collection of new songs that offer an emotionally honest look at love and life. Produced by George Drakoulias (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Black Crowes, Jayhawks) it also features performances by Derek Trucks (who also produced 1 track), Gary Louris and Doyle Bramhall II. Tedeschi's Verve Forecast debut, Hope and Desire, focused on her amazing vocal talents as an interpreter of other's songs. This time out she turns her pen, guitar and powerful voice to her own work having written or co-written all but one song.

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Definitive Collection Review

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Definitive Collection ReviewEver notice that you're seeing more and more of these "best of" collectons out there now? Now there is UMVD's "The Definitive Collection" of numerous artists from that same unforgettable era featuring 20 or more top tunes of the featured artist crammed onto one disc. Sometimes these single-disc collections fail to make the grade because of so much essential material that ends up being left off for reasons of space alone and the rest of it is the same predictable fare. An exception in this case would be this: Muddy Waters' Definitive Collection. This collection runs through Muddy's premiere years featuring his swampy, slide guitar sound and musical style then continues through the '50s and early '60s when he began to make his significant impact on blues music and eventually would be regarded as one of the most highly respected names in blues music. So many of his best tunes like "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I'm Ready", "Forty Days and Forty Nights" and "Got My Mojo Working" were covered by so many bands so many times that these tunes are really timeless and have becomes standards in blues. You really do get and stay interested for the entire length of the album. It is a little slow to start, but it picks up quickly and the bulk of the action happens with tracks 8-18. "Crosseyed Cat", recorded in 1976, is something you really got to hear. It is swampy, raw and tough. A 6 minute jam session, basically. This "Definitive Collection' lives up to its name overall, and is absolutely essential for the blues fan if the 2-disc anthology is a bit much.Definitive Collection Overview

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King of Delta Blues Singers Review

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King of Delta Blues Singers ReviewThis is some of the best delta blues ever recorded, but enough has been written about that. The reason to get this compilation and its companion "King of the Delta Blues Singers Vol. 2" is for the wonderful remastering. The sound on these two issues is far better than the 1990 "Complete" box set (and better even than the remastered 1997 version of that set). Both volumes of "King of the Delta Blues" employ minimal noise reduction. While this leaves some high end hiss and low end rumble, it makes the recordings clearer, more full bodied and natural sounding than any versions of Johnson's recordings that I have ever heard. His voice and guitar do not sound as thin as they do on previous issues. I also prefer the sequencing on this CD over the "Complete" set, which has back to back alternate takes. The only thing you miss out on with "King of the Delta Blues" volumes 1 and 2 are a handful of alternate takes which appear only on the "Complete" box set. It should be noted, however, that this CD contains a version of "Traveling Riverside Blues" that does NOT appear on the "Complete" box set. Highly recommended!King of Delta Blues Singers OverviewBlues lovers everywhere knew the legend of Robert Johnson, but only one complete Robert Johnson song was commercially available until this 1961 album came out. The most anticipated blues album of all time also became the most influential as future rock stars devoured it. Along with Crossroads Blues; Rambling on My Mind , and all the other classics, this reissue contains a newly discovered, previously unissued alternate version of Traveling Riverside Blues ! 17 tracks.

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Blues Masters: The Very Best of Review

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Blues Masters: The Very Best of ReviewIt's encouraging to hear contemporary artists like Keb Mo', Robert Cray, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd carry on the blues tradition into the new millennium. However, I'm always drawn back to the originals like Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf and of course Lightnin' Hopkins.
This newly packaged collection of songs from Rhino is an excellent companion to Rhino's 1993 anthology Mojo Hand. The Very Best of duplicates seven tracks from that release and focuses on Hopkins' work from 1947 to 1961, but offers enough new material to make this a worthwhile purchase. And with Hopkins' lack of loyalty to any one record label, no fewer than seven different labels are represented on this 16-track collection.
On many of these songs Hopkins performs solo accompanying himself on guitar (and adding piano on "Mighty Crazy"). On a handful of tracks he is backed by a bass player and on "Shotgun Blues," a second guitarist. Only on "Conversation Blues" and "Last Night Blues" is there a full band of bass, drums and harmonica (provided by Sonny Terry) backing Hopkins.
This is an excellent introduction (or addition) for fans of acoustic Texas folk/blues performed by one of the genre's greatest practioners. HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDBlues Masters: The Very Best of OverviewA killer compilation of early (1947-1961) essentials by this Texas blues titan, drawn from 10 labels and featuring solo and band recordings. His Top 10 R&B hits Shotgun Blues; Coffee Blues , and Give Me Central 209 join Katie Mae; Baby Please Don't Go; I'm Beggin' You; Contrary Mary; Mojo Hand , and more.

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Art of Bottleneck Slide Guitar Review

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Art of Bottleneck Slide Guitar ReviewSam Mitchell's playing is a throw back to the simpler musical life we enjoyed in the late sixties. His clean performance of the great slide tunes of the 20th Century make this CD a classic. If you play slide guitar at all, this is a must have for your collection. Stephan Grossman, the guitar educator, has devoted almost half his Slide Guitar book directly from the tunes on this CD (tab and notation both). A new Sam Mitchell album has justed been released (Oct'00) so keep you eye out for that one also.Art of Bottleneck Slide Guitar Overview

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Have Blues Will Travel Review

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Have Blues Will Travel ReviewSmokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King really hit home with this brand new album, and they manage to do it in the manner that stands apart from their previous efforts. Blood Brothers, their preceding album, was excellent in its own right, but it stuck close to their honed formula of Texas bar blues. On this CD, they took it up a notch. Or two.
Joe and Bnois came up with some nice new grooves, which are catchy and fun, and all the songs feature extremely solid rhythm section that lets the guys break loose and do their thing. Compositionally, there is definitely less chord recycling than I've heard on their other albums, and while few do it better than Smokin' Joe, it's still good for them to chart a new path, get some new flavor flowing - and they do it here.
Joe himself told me that they way it worked was they sat down in his living room with Bnois and just kept working on these together until they liked what they got, and it took them about a year to put the album together. Listening to this CD, it definitely shows that they took their time to get things right, not cut any corners. You have to pay close attention to the lyrics because they did an outstanding job, and every song tells its own story in a unique and clever way. Song themes are thoroughly modern, from love over cyberspace to love affairs gone one-sided to unanswered love to blowing your payday money on yourself to domestic vendetta to fake women.
This time around, Joe and Bnois also focused more on emotionally charged songs, and they deliver them in a way that will tug on your heartstrings and make you feel the hair on your head stand up. Remarkably, those same songs are also VERY catchy, and hopefully will make it to the radio!
I also feel that Joe and Bnois are sort of going back to their roots with this CD, as their playing feels refreshed and more inspired. "R U 4 Real?" is a slow blues scorcher, where Bnois sings funny lyrics and Joe cooks up scorching solos. I was lucky to see them play this song live... After the intro, Joe shouted "play it loud!", and they smoked it, brought the house down, had everybody screaming "play the blues!!!"
Smokin' Joe is one of the few remarkable rock/blues guitarists in the world, and it is sure to satisfy the craving for electric guitar solos in spades. And of course all this wouldn't be what it is without Bnois King, who brings his silky yet rich singing voice that can both make you laugh and make you feel the pain. He is an excellent guitarist himself, who is COMPLETELY different from Joe in sound, style, and chords. Their chemistry is only getting better and better, it seems!
If you like blues-rock or rock, you owe it to yourself to buy this CD. This is not blues for purists, but people who are into modern blues and Texas bar blues I think will love it.Have Blues Will Travel Overview2010 release from the hard-hitting Texas Blues band who have been recording and touring the U.S. and the world since the early '90s. Smokin' Joe is a guitar hero in the tradition of Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bnois is a deeply soulful vocalist and terrific guitarist in his own right. Add a combustible rhythm section and you get 11 critically acclaimed albums and almost 130,000 total career scans.

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Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock Review

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Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock ReviewI spent the better part of four hours last weekend racing on an X-Box with a friend. The finest part was turning down the video soundtrack and substituting George Thorogood's 30 Years of Rock collection! Talk about adrenaline pumping tunes!! The collection and body of work offered by this man has stood the test of time over these years, and is summarized beautifully in this anthology. The only disappointment was "Ride On Josephine" is conspicuously absent from the CD. Oh well...can't have everthing. I'll just have to buy another thoroughly good Thorogood CD to get that track! Ride on, George...ride on!Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock Overview

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Complete Recordings Review

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Complete Recordings ReviewThe irony of Robert Johnson's superstar status is hard to miss. He was almost completely ignored by the music-buying public of his day, even in the market his records were aimed at. Yet in the present day, he's practically the only country blues artist most people know about. On one level, this is because of relentless championing by other blues artists, not least Eric Clapton. On another level, Johnson's fame rests on the fact that he was able to write, or more properly pull together from his various mentors and influences, his songs and make them complete unto themselves. His songs have made an impact, and have been covered time and again by countless artists. That counts for something.
Part of who Robert Johnson was as a singer and songwriter is obscured by his legend, which has been retold so often it borders on cliche. But even after the hype has been dismissed, this box set shows Johnson as a powerful, innovative, soulful blues man, a great performer and a great songwriter (in the context of blues songwriting) with his own unique sound.
Johnson was not without his influences, and if he had lived he would have told you that himself. However, the interesting thing was that he managed to transform his influences and personalize them into his own vision of the blues, a blues that was one of the first steps away from country blues toward city blues - a vision that would eventually become Chicago blues.
It has been fashionable in blues circles to put Robert Johnson down recently, and to gripe about how Johnson's influences should be as well known as he is. This is a valid point. However, Johnson became an influence himself, and as such, he still deserves a good deal of respect. This box set, which contains every recording he is known for, is a just tribute to a brilliant singer, songwriter and performer.
The remastering is surprisingly good, considering the sources. Johnson's voice and guitar playing come through vividly and illustrate his wealth of talent. The only possible drawback to this box set, for the casual listener, is the number of alternate takes included. They show that Johnson was an adept performer, because a lot of the alternates are similar to the "released" versions. This showed that he was no closet bluesman or flash-in-the-pan, but was adept at entertaining an audience. And to this day his guitar playing is astonishingly fluid and innovative. However, the repetitiveness of the alternate takes can become trying to people who are not students of the blues, and for the casual listener a single-disc set would probably be sufficient.
This box set, is, and remains, a worthy overview of a talent that received its due far too late. I would advise the listener not to be put off by people who would place Johnson's influences over him, but to listen to Johnson on his own merits. My guess is that he'll win you over, as he has generations of listeners.Complete Recordings OverviewUK pressing of this two CD collection from the Blues legend.This collection lives up to its title, containing every known recording by Johnson, including alternate takes. Though the 41 tracks in this double disc set were recorded in a span of only eight months (November 1936-June 1937), Johnson left behind a musical legacy that continues to influence and inspire. Features tracks like 'Sweet Home Chicago', 'Love In Vain' and 'Hellhound On My Trail', which are now considered Blues standards. Camden.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Early Southern Guitar Sounds Review

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Early Southern Guitar Sounds ReviewAt 75 years old, Mike is still alive and kicking very hard as the most outstanding player, historian, and analyst of Southeastern traditional music Black and white in America. He's unique in that as he likes to say, he was never very good at "book learning" and with the exception of a few out of print music instruction books and his brilliant "Talking Feet" book and film which should be in every home, most of his writing has come in liner notes, or talks at performances or where old time music savants gather. However, he has created a body of work in his 60 years of performances and in the many living traditional singers and musicians he has recorded and promoted, and in the recordings he has done with the New Lost City Ramblers, the Strange Creek Singers, and with other old time musicians like Alice Foster (now Gerard) and Paul Brown.
This album is apparently a successor to his magnificent Southern Banjo record that catalog traditional Black and white Southern banjo playing magnificently coming like this set does with an instructional DVD.
Even more than on the Banjo Sounds set, Mike covers a broad selection of different old time guitar sounds, both African American and European American and much mixed. Old time guitar comes from many places. Some of it comes from the polite usually sentimental parlor guitar styles that were a big part of 19th Century genteel life and the chief center of guitar playing until the early 20th Century when inexpensive factory made guitars with steel strings first became available by mail order throughout the rural South.
The emergence of the steel guitars came at a time that a revolution in music was going on, Ragtime and the Blues and the beginnings of Jazz were stirring. The old fiddle repertoire was being changed by the addition of banjos to what had often been solo fiddles. People were trying to make music that combined the old traditions with the new sounds and people moving to the guitar were using techniques that they had used on the banjo as well as making new music no banjo had ever played.
Spanish Fandango on this CD was one of the signature pieces of the standard parlor and performance guitar styles of the 19th and early 20th Century. If you bought a book on how to play guitar in 1890, it might have had the Spanish Fandango as the last piece showign you really could play. It was so popular with Southern white and Black guitarists, that the open G tuning which it is done in is still known by many as the "Spanish Tuning."
On the other hand, the John Henry on this album is exactly the kind of slide D Sebastopol Tuning (named for the "Seige of Sebastopol" written by the same author as the Spanish Fandango and also a parlor guitar specialty) that Black guitarists especially in Virginia and North Carolina aspired to play when the guitar and the blues swept in in the 1910s and 1920s.
One of my favorites here is the reproduction of Frank Hutcheson's magnificent "Worried Blues," a slide guitar. There is much else here.
Now, I first met Mike at the Banjo collectors gathering where he would frequently bring a rare old banjo played by an historic banjoist like Dock Boggs or Josh Thomas. On this CD he delves into his own collection and those of friends and collaborators to present an array of historic guitars whose description in the well written notes open the door to the history of guitars in the US.
This recording belongs in every homeEarly Southern Guitar Sounds Overview

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Blues Masters 15 Review

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Blues Masters 15 ReviewThis is another fine entry in Rhino's lengthy Blues Masters series. It isn't the definitive word on slide guitar blues, of course, or on any of the artists represented, but as a sampler it works very well, featuring a lesser-known (but very good) rendition of "Dust My Broom" by Elmore James, and well-chosen cuts by Muddy Waters, J.B. Hutto (the tough boogie "Too Much Alcohol"), and Robert Nighthawk (a superb medley of two of his best songs, "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel").

The compilers at Rhino have included the Allman Brothers' version of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" rather than the original, "Shake Your Moneymaker" by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Canned Heat's take on "Rollin' And Tumblin'"...I would probably have gone with McTell's own "Mama T'Ain't Long Fo' Day", which is one of the most beautiful acoustic slide guitar blues tunes you'll ever hear, but that's just me.

Robert Johnson is missing, and Son House is, too, but the compilers try to make amends by including some lesser-known tracks which should appeal to the experienced blues fan, like James Williamson's "Homesick's Shuffle", Babe Turner's "I Am The Black Ace", Earl Hooker's "If You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry", the harsh "Treat Me The Way You Do" by Joe Carter, and a rare opportunity to hear Chuck Berry wielding the slide on the odd instrumental "Deep Feeling". And the awesome Blind Willie Johnson is here as well, performing the eerie "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground".

Very good. But its companion volume, Blues Masters Vol. 18, is actually even better.Blues Masters 15 Overview

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Already Free Review

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Already Free ReviewAfter releasing the tour de force album SONGLINES in 2006, I have eagerly awaited the follow up from the very talented Derek Trucks Band. While the newly released ALREADY FREE does not match the majesty of SONGLINES, it's still is a very good album by one of the best working bands out there.
To me, this album represents a tightening of their eclectic approach to music, no doubt trying to consolidate their fame as a great live group. ALREADY FREE focuses on the blues/soul side of the band at the expense jazz/world fusion side. While I miss the expansive jams that have highlighted their previous releases, the focus on songcraft and tight ensemble playing does not diminish the joy factor too much. Derek and the band provide a solid set of tunes in a swamp-funk blues style while expanding their songwriting chops and serving up some choice covers. My favorites include the opening semi-obscure Dylan tune DOWN IN THE FLOOD, BACK WHERE I STARTED which features a great vocal turn by Mrs. Trucks, Susan Tedeshi, GET WHAT YOU DESERVE and the slide guitar showcase I KNOW.Actually, all the songs are pretty good, to my ears, there's no real weak link here. The copy that I received also has 3 bonus tracks including a back porch blues called THE CHICKEN ROBBER SONG and a slow simmering instrumental SWAMP, another highlight. Throughout the album the band provides solid backing and provides good space for Trucks to solo. With all his chops, Trucks does not showboat as a soloist. He articulates his message short and sweet and always perfectly within the context of the song.
I hope that by taking a more conservative direction on this release that the DTB can gain some more well deserved recognition. I also hope that with that recognition that the band does on occasion revisit the wide ranging influences that have made their previous albums such a treat for music lovers. In the meantime, I'm sure I'll be getting plenty of listening pleasure from this one.
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Shake That Thing: Fingerpicking Country Blues Review

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Shake That Thing: Fingerpicking Country Blues ReviewStefan Grossman is one of a handful of contemporary acoustic blues guitarists that I consistently enjoy. He knows this music inside and out, and he does all of the little things right (e.g., getting just the right vibrato, phrasing, or articulation). Unlike all but a few of his peers, he really seems to think about the tone and sound of the guitar.
Grossman certainly makes little effort to dazzle the listener with explosive fingerwork. I can listen to these tracks over and over again, marvelling at how many ways he can change the feel of a song by varying the pulse, or how many sounds he can get out of the bass. Do keep in mind that this is a "How to..." CD. This recording is designed to demonstrate a variety of country blues guitar styles, and all of the tracks are geared to the intermediate fingerstyle player. His other 1990s solo CD's are more technically challenging. The pleasures of this recording are subtle, but if you listen to this type of music a lot (as I have, for more years than I care to count), you will probably appreciate this CD. Right now I'm comparing it to a recent solo acoustic guitar CD by Kenny Sultan, who sounds superficial and cliched in comparison.
Also, Grossman sings on a few tracks. His singing is natural and easy to listen to. He hasn't sung on most of his recordings for the last 20 years or so. He really should sing more often. Hopefully he'll record again soon - this is a 1998 recording.Shake That Thing: Fingerpicking Country Blues Overview

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Temporary Stay Review

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Temporary Stay ReviewI have been following Pat Wictor for several years now. I love his slide guitar work and his arrangements. If you like Bonnie Raitt, you'll like him. He's got that mix of blues and folk, tough yet thoughtful that gets me.
I enjoy all his albums, but this one might be my favorite, though right now I'm listening to his new one (Sunset Waltz) and am hearing some new stuff...Temporary Stay OverviewWith that old guitar, Pat blends a range of rootsy influences to creat a distinctive voice of his own. From Dave Carter and Bruce Cockburn he draws a sense of adventure and and a fondness for symbolic and spiritual imagery. From Kelly Joe Phelps, the unusual lap-style slide guitar, which is featured throughout the CD.Songs like "Still Point," with its weary soldier wandering home along dusty roads, "Walk With the Spirits," a cautionary tale of vengeance, and "Send You Off In Style," a back-porch party for the departed, all resonate with the memories of ru5ral American music. Yet the songs also speak directly to our doubt and ambivalence, and capture some of the mood of our times.Pat's slide guitar versions of Fred Neil's "The Dolphins, Dave Carter's "Gentle Arms of Eden," and The Stanley Brothers' "Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet" are standout tracks on the CD, and show Pat to be an imaginative and skilled interpreter and arranger who can reveal fresh meanings in a good song.

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Songlines Review

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Songlines ReviewDerek Trucks is one of the two or three most distinct and recognizable instrumental voices in popular music today. He's like Carlos Santana, in that he can toss in a 2-note lick and instantly you know its him.
This record is truly a "band" record. That might disappoint some, who were hoping to hear the songs as vehicles for Derek's extended shredding. Instead, the song is king, and Trucks uses his Jedi guitar is the service of the song.
Using Santana as a reference point, that makes this record more like Supernatural than Borboletta. Its easy to listen to, easy for the casual fan to get his or her ear around. "Revolution," for example, is as close to a radio-friendly single as Trucks has ever come. Yet the record is steeped in spirituality, in the healing power of music, and ulitimately the distinctions between the song and the jam seem to melt away into the sea of musical redemption.
The percussive work of Count M'Butu, enmeshed with drummer Yonrico Scott, gives the whole record a unified feel, a sort of World Music, African shimmy that ties together the middle-eastern-flavored numbers (the extended set piece, "Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni"), the straight blues ("Crow Jane"), the R'n'B ("I Wish I Knew"), and the rockers ("Revolution.") The music hops genres, but the essential underpinning-- what the Aborigines thought of as "the labarynth of invisible pathways which meander all over Australia"-- is the deep network of "Songlines" that tie all the music together and lead to the heart. Trucks and company weave a magical web that revels in the interconnectedness of all things by embracing different musical forms and faces, connected at the root by these ancient, mystical songlines.
"Volunteer Slavery" serves as an incantation, a welcome into the record, flipping over into "I'll Find My Way;" here, vocalist Mike Mattison makes his entrance and establishes himself as a player to be reckoned with; Derek lays down his first significant solo about 4 minutes into the record, and its a quick hit-and-run. "Crow Jane," a jaunty 8-bar blues (a la "Key to the Highway"), starts as a bluesy call-and response between Derek's guitar and Mattison's vocals before the band kicks in.
"Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni" is a segueing of two concert staples, 10 minutes of middle eastern vibe where Kofi Burbridge's flute steps to the fore to add color and texture. Derek takes several extended jaunts, and this is probably the piece on the album that most evokes the feel of the band's live performances.
"Chevrolet" is another blues, the rich percolation still present undrneath; "Sailing On" is a sweet melody that will bring a smile to your face; Mattison sings the hell out of it, Derek lays on the fire and ice. "Revolution" wants to be a million-selling duet with Santana; "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy" is a percolating, funk of a shuffle, with bassist Todd Smalle laying down the groove, Derek's dobro slapping out twang over the top.
On "All I Do," the album begins its home stretch. "All I Do" is funked-up blue-eyed soul with a touch of church, and some of Derek's most inventive, jazzy playing on the record. "Mahjoun" is an instrumental track that harkens back to the opener, while charting a course for the two closing numbers, further on up the songline. "I Wish I Knew" is a soulful, joyous rave-up, almost gospel; Derek spatters a rainbow of joy across the sky on the outro.
The entrance of the closing "This Sky" is almost sacred, riding in the pocket where blues, jazz, soul, funk, and gospel flow together to become music of the heart. Derek's sublime play-out at the end puts the record to bed, Burbridge's flute providing a serene cushion, Mattison singing "Fly, fly away" in wistful tones as Derek's guitar does just that, gently ascending to the heavens.
At this point, you might be tempted to hit "play" again.Songlines OverviewSonglines, is the first new recording by The Derek Trucks Band in nearly four years, and the first studio album to feature the full-throated, impassioned vocals of newest DTB member, Mike Mattison. Songlines signals the DTB's arrival at a spiritual plateau after a decade long journey of musical discovery, and cements Trucks' reputation as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. While Songlines embraces the group's big-eared love of rock, jazz, blues, latin and world music, it is unquestionably their most cohesive album to date. Columbia. 2006.

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