CD Universe in Blues Music

The Heart of a Woman by Etta James (CD -...

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The Complete Chess Masters: 1950-1967 [Box] * by Little Walter (CD - 03/10/2009)

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Definitive Collection [5/23] *

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The Heart of a Woman by Etta James (CD - 06/29/1999)

"The Heart of a Woman" (06/29/1999) Blues James, Etta, Private MusicPersonnel: Etta James (vocals); Josh Sklair (acoustic & electric guitar); Bobby Murray (guitar); Red Holloway, Jimmy Z (tenor saxophone); Lee Thornburg (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone); Tom Poole (trumpet, flugelhorn); Pete Escovedo (horns, congas, percussion); Dave Matthews (acoustic & electric pianos); Mike Finegan (Hammond B-3 organ); Sametto James (bass, drum programming); Donto James (drums, drum programming). Recorded at Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California on March 15-23, 1999. Includes liner notes by Etta James. HEART OF A WOMAN was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. There's no denying that Etta James is a powerhouse, one of the finest blues singers of the 20th century. Perhaps that's what makes her latter-day records so frustrating: The talent is still apparent and abundant, but the albums themselves are unsatisfying. All the ingredients are in the right place, but something went slightly awry during the execution. After all, Heart of a Woman is a great idea for an album. James chose 11 love songs from her favorite female singers -- Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, and Carmen McRae -- augmenting the album with a new version of her signature song, "At Last." She has recorded several of these songs before (including Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," which inexplicably became a standard for both her and McRae), but the difference with Heart of a Woman is the context. Here, they're put in a smooth jazz setting, masterminded by James, who has producer credit. No matter how well she sings the songs here -- and she still possesses an exceptionally strong voice, robust and filled with passion -- the well-scrubbed, glossy surfaces on the record keeps it from being engaging. It's not bad listening, it just never has the emotional impact James intended it to have. At times, it's hard not to wish that she worked with a producer who brought her back to the organic sound of her classic '50s and '60s sessions, but James has been pursuing this smoothed-out style for a decade now. It's clear that this is what she wants to do. She still sounds good, and that means her latter-day albums are listenable -- but they don't resonate like the best of her records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Heart of a Woman is a great idea for an album. Etta James chose 11 love songs from her favorite female singers -- Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, and Carmen McRae -- augmenting the album with a new version of her signature song, "At Last." She has recorded several of these songs before (including Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed," which inexplicably became a standard for both her and McRae), but the difference with Heart of a Woman is the context. Here, they're put in a smooth jazz setting, masterminded by James, who has producer credit. There's no denying that Etta James is a powerhouse, one of the finest blues singers of the 20th century, and she still possesses an exceptionally strong voice, robust and filled with passion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads) b...

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Definitive Collection [5/23] *

"The Definitive Collection [Remaster]" (05/23/2006) Blues Waters, Muddy, Geffen Records (USA)Personnel: Muddy Waters (vocals, guitar); Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy (guitar); James Cotton (harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Willie Dixon (upright bass). Liner Note Author: Mary Katherine Aldin. Outside of Robert Johnson, there are few blues musicians as iconic as Muddy Waters. Chess's superbly selected and compiled DEFINITIVE COLLECTION is as close to a perfect compilation as listeners are likely to find on one disc. Arranged chronologically, the 24 tracks start with 1948's slinky "I Can't Be Satisfied" and end with 1976's "Crosseyed Cat." In between are the immortal Waters classics "Rollin' & Tumblin'," "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man," "I Just Want To Make Love To You," among others that changed the sound of the blues and helped birth a genre called rock & roll.

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Simply the Best by Earl Hooker (CD - 05/...

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10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads) by Kenny Wayne Shepherd (CD - 01/23/2007)

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Simply the Best by Earl Hooker (CD - 05/18/1999)

"Simply the Best" (05/18/1999) Blues Hooker, Earl, MCA Records (USA)Personnel includes: Earl Hooker (vocals, guitar); Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Johnny "Big Moose" Walker, Andrew "Voice" Odom, Charles Brown. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Back in the late '50s and early '60s, Chicago blues was at its peak, and for the price of a drink or two one could hear the unbearably exciting guitar work of Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Robert Nighthawk, and Hubert Sumlin blasting out of small clubs along the south and west sides of the city. But if you were to ask any of these fretboard whizes who was the best guitar player in town, they would all direct you to wherever Earl Hooker was playing on that particular night. A cousin of John Lee Hooker and a major disciple of Robert Nighthawk, Hooker was the man to beat, the most technically advanced of all bluesmen. Adept at a multitude of styles ranging from hillbilly to jazz, Hooker worked as a sideman and leader in more configurations than any other modern bluesman, spending much of his time away from Chicago with his band, aptly named the Roadmasters. While his lead guitar work graced the recordings of Muddy Waters ("You Shook Me," the only time Waters gave up his slide guitar chair to anyone), Junior Wells (the original "Messin' With the Kid"), G.L. Crockett (the rockabilly classic "Look out Mabel"), and others, Hooker's solo career was sporadic; a baker's dozen of singles under his own name, along with an unreleased session for Sun, were spread out over a 15-year period before the late-'60s blues album market caught up with him, by which time the tuberculosis that dogged him throughout his life cut his career short. Perhaps the only traditional bluesman to successfully utilize electronic gimmicks like wah-wah pedals and distortion units without sounding ridiculous, Hooker's slide guitar work was the absolute creamiest, once reducing B.B. King to tears backstage as he told Buddy Guy that "no one can play a slide that clean." Unfortunately, Hooker wasn't much of a singer and would record with various vocalists, especially on his later work, thus reducing him to sideman status on his own albums. But with Hooker, you came for the guitar playing, and there's a carload of it on this 19-track collection of his best stuff left behind in the MCA-Universal vaults. Starting out with the calling card of Waters' "You Shook Me," the collection features two of his best Chess sides from the '50s, "Tanya" and "Frog Hop," the latter a showcase for Hooker's improvisational skills. From there, it's fast-forward to the late '60s, when Hooker was cranking out sessions left and right, both under his own name for Blue Thumb (co-produced by Ike Turner, who learned guitar playing from Hooker back in the '50s) and Blues Way, as well as backing sessions for everyone from Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry to Andrew Odom, Big Moose Walker, and his cousin, John Lee Hooker. While many of these albums were uneven affairs, this compilation brings together the shining moments when the inspiration light and the record button were both on at the same time. Whether it was fleet-fingered single-note work or the smoothest of slide playing, nobody played the blues like Earl Hooker, and here's where you go to hear some of the best of it. ~ Cub Koda

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Songlines [2/7] *

Greatest Christmas Hits by Charles Brown...

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Songlines [2/7] *

"Songlines" (02/21/2006) Blues Trucks, Derek, Legacy RecordingsThe Derek Trucks Band: Kofi Burbridge (vocals, flute, keyboards); Todd Smallie (vocals, bass instrument); Yonrico Scott (vocals, drums, percussion); Mike Mattison (vocals); Derek Trucks (guitar, dobro); Jay Joyce (keyboards); Count Mbutu (congas, percussion). This is, perhaps, the one. Derek Trucks has been on an aesthetic quest for something since he began his own recording career in 1997 -- apart from his membership in the Allman Brothers Band. Each record has gone further into establishing Trucks not only as a slide guitar wizard (that happened when he was still in his teens), but also as a serious songwriter, fine arranger, and bandleader. The Derek Trucks Band, as evidenced by the release of 2003's Soul Serenade, is a unit -- a band -- whose core has been together for eight years. They create an atmosphere, a sound, a musical sense of place and community. On Live at the Georgia Theater (available only on the Internet), the DTB performed with new vocalist Mike Mattison, who gave them something they needed: a strong, utilitarian presence that could be as diverse and adventurous as the band was musically. This album's title, Songlines, was inspired by the late author Bruce Chatwin's description of aboriginal creation myths. According to these myths, the world was sung into existence by totemic elder beings who wandered the Australian continent along invisible pathways. These were later known as "songlines" because by singing out the names of everything -- trees, flowers, streams, animals, clouds, earth -- they breathed form, order, and beauty into a world that was being born. The DTB try to express something similar on their first real studio recording with assistance by producer Jay Joyce. This album was not recorded trying to capture a live performance in the confines of a studio. There are no tracks here that give way to loose jamming; these are songs. In fact, it was carefully crafted and executed. But the rawness, the energy, and the unpredictable musicality are everywhere present. They are there in the brief read of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Volunteered Slavery" and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni," both of which are live staples, and the slippery read of Toots Hibbert's "Sailing On" -- but also in the raw, rangy American street blues of "Chevrolet," by Lonnie and Ed Young, and the low-down seductive vintage funky R&B in "All I Do." Kofi Burbridge's Hammond B-3 and keyboard work create a center for Trucks and the formidable rhythm section of drummer Yonrico Scott, percussionist Count Mbutu, and Todd Smallie on in-the-pocket bass. The originals on the set are leaner, meaner, and more down in the groove -- check out the group vocal chants on the refrain of "Revolution," as Trucks slips and slides over them. The skittering funky organ lines and Trucks' twinned slide riff and edgy fills give "All I Do" its slippery backbone-dropping groove. "Majoun" (a Moroccan word for pot) is the kind of drifting, Eastern-tinged jazz that the band is known for playing live. And the fascination with the East doesn't end there. In the soul and gospel-drenched declamatory prayer "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)," there is some fine Dobro work by Trucks and Burbridge's upright piano strides it out, before Trucks brings out the electric again and lets it slowly tear through the verse and chorus accompanied by handclaps. It's deeply moving. The set closes with "This Sky," a gently evolving open modal tune. Trucks' guitar is tuned to whole tones and he explores the mode thoroughly yet softly, mannered until he finds its bottom where bass, drums, the B-3, and percussion slip in to carry the tune. And as Mattison enters with the lyric (some of it by the Sufi poet Hafiz), the listener is already hooked in the image of the story, of suffering lovers who should be dancing in the ecstasy and beauty of the sky where they live. Songlines is the finest moment in the Derek Trucks Band's recording career. It's a fully mature, deeply reckoned studio album that bears repeated listening to reveal all its subtlety and the

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Feelin' Good by Jessie Mae Hemphill (CD ...

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Greatest Christmas Hits by Charles Brown (CD - 10/03/2000)

"Greatest Christmas Hits" (10/03/2000) Blues Brown, Charles Trio, Fuel 2000 RecordsThe late pianist and vocalist Charles Brown lends his signature cool, laid-back jazz style to a variety of Christmas favorites, accompanied here by a slew of jazz and blues greats, including blues guitarist Lowell Fulson and blues singers Jimmy Reed and the legendary Big Joe Williams. Brown was a contemporary of Nat "King" Cole, with many stylistic similarities to his more commercially successful counterpart, as well as a strong influence on the young Ray Charles. His intimate delivery, coupled with the empathic interplay between the musicians in these mainly quartet recordings from throughout his long career, conjures the warmth and conviviality of the season.

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The Natch'l Blues [Remaster] by Taj Maha...

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Feelin' Good by Jessie Mae Hemphill (CD - 07/22/1997)

"Feelin' Good" (07/22/1997) Blues Hemphill, Jessie Mae, HMG (USA)Personnel: Jessie Mae Hemphill (vocals, guitar, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, bells); Dr. David Evans (guitar); R.L. Boyce (drums). Audio Remasterer: Ian Marks. Liner Note Author: Dr. David Evans . Recording information: Ardent Studios, Memphis, TN (01/11/1984-01/10/1988); University of Memphis Recording Studio (01/11/1984-01/10/1988). Feelin' Good was the first album Jessie Mae Hemphill released in the United States and it differs from its predecessor She-Wolf in that it captures her at her rawest. Half of the record features her supported only by a rhythm guitar and drums, while the other half has Hemphill wailing away at her guitar and percussion simultaneously. The result is hypnotic, mesmerizing record that successfully updates Delta blues, making the covers sound as fresh as the originals. ~ Thom Owens

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The Natch'l Blues [Remaster] by Taj Mahal (CD - 09/05/2000)

"The Natch'l Blues [Remaster]" (09/05/2000) Blues Mahal, Taj, Legacy RecordingsPersonnel includes: Taj Mahal (vocals, National steel guitar, harmonica); Jesse Ed Davis (guitar, piano); Al Kooper (piano); Gary Gilmore (bass); Chuck Blackwell, Earl Palmer (drums). Producer: David Rubinson. Reissue producer: Bob Irwin. Recorded in May & October 1968. Originally released on Columbia (9698). Includes liner notes by Stanley Crouch. Digitally remastered by Vic Anesini (Sony Music, New York, New York). Personnel: Taj Mahal (vocals, guitar, steel guitar, banjo, harp, harmonica); Jesse Ed Davis (guitar, piano); Al Kooper (piano, keyboards); Earl Palmer , Chuck Blackwell (drums). Liner Note Author: Stanley Crouch. Recording information: 05/1968-10/1968. Arranger: Taj Mahal. Although Taj Mahal's second album was recorded and released within months of his self-titled debut, THE NATCH'L BLUES moves away from that album's largely acoustic Delta blues leanings into a more electric and rock-influenced sound. "Move away from" hardly means "forsake," however. Among the songs beefed up by organist Al Kooper and drummer Earl Palmer is the traditional folk standard "The Cuckoo," which takes to rock-influenced instrumentation much better than one might think. Similarly, a moving rendition of William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water" reaffirms the Stax/Volt pop song's blues roots. The best songs on THE NATCH'L BLUES, however, are the Taj Mahal originals that sound like old country blues standards, like the fearsome full-band rocker "She Caught the Katy" and the powerful solo opener "Good Morning Miss Brown." This CD reissue adds three bonus tracks, highlighted by an earlier, faster take on "The Cuckoo," and the stomping Chicago-style instrumental "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine."

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The Definitive Collection by Howlin' Wol...

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Co...

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The Definitive Collection by Howlin' Wolf (CD - 04/17/2007)

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20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Roy Buchanan by Roy Buchanan (CD - 03/

"20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Roy Buchanan" (03/26/2002) Blues Buchanan, Roy, Polydor (USA)Personnel includes: Roy Buchanan (vocals, guitar); Billy Price, Billy Sheffield (vocals); Neil Larson (arranger, keyboards); Teddy Irwin (guitar); Malcolm Lukens, Dick Heintz (keyboards); John Harrison (bass, background vocals); Kenny Tibbetts, Pete Van Allen, Don Payne (bass); Ned davis, Jerry Mercer, Robbie Magruder, Bill Stewart, Byrd Foster (drums). Producers: Peter Kieve Siegel, Jay Reich Jr., Ed Freeman. Compilation producer: Bill Levenson. Principally recorded at The Record Plant, New York, New York; The Record Plant, Sausalito, California; Amazing Grace Club, Evanston, Illinois between July 1972 and March 1975. Includes liner notes by Dave Thompson. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Universal's "20th Century Masters The Millenium Collection" series. Personnel: Roy Buchanan (vocals, guitar); Billy Price Keystone Rhythm Band (vocals, background vocals); Bill Sheffield (vocals); Dick Heintze, Malcolm Lukens, Neil Larsen (keyboards); Ned Davis, Bill Stewart , Byrd Foster, Robbie Magruder (drums); John Harrison (background vocals). Recording information: Amazing Grace Club, Evanston, IL (07/1972-03/1975); Record Plant, NY (07/1972-03/1975); Record Plant, Sausalito, CA (07/1972-03/1975). Photographer: David Gahr. Arrangers: Neil Larsen; Roy Buchanan. Roy Buchanan's five albums for Polydor, released between 1972 and 1975 and excerpted on this midline-priced best-of, were a worthy compromise between artistic expression and commercial considerations. In the late '60s and early '70s, record companies and music journalists beat the bushes looking for guitar heroes on the scale of Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix and came up with at least a couple, Johnny Winter in Texas and Buchanan in Washington, D.C. Polydor no doubt signed Buchanan hoping it had a Clapton/Hendrix-size star, but he lacked the temperament for the big time and merely fulfilled his contract, though he was then scooped up by Atlantic for another try. The tracks here, a good if brief summary of the Polydor years, illustrate both his strengths and weaknesses. The major, perhaps sole strength is the guitar work, which is utterly distinctive within a blues context and at times overwhelming. Buchanan can wring tremendously emotional runs from his axe and then, as in the version of "Hey Joe" here, let forth a sonic assault that rivals any Hendrix ever managed. To listen to this album is to hear a great blues guitarist inventing his art before you. On the tracks from the early albums (the compilation is sequenced chronologically), producer Peter Kieve Siegel was mostly content with that, but on the later albums, more of an attempt was made to turn Buchanan into a singer (his voice was limited and hesitant), or to add other elements, including horn sections and backup singers, to expand the music's appeal beyond blues aficionados. The results are less interesting, but that's what you expect at a major label. So, while not actually the best of Roy Buchanan, this compilation encapsulates his tenure at Polydor and provides a taste for the neophyte of what he sounded like. ~ William Ruhlmann

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Best of B.B. King: 20th Century Masters/...

Full Circle by Walter Trout (CD - 06/20/...

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Best of B.B. King: 20th Century Masters/The Christmas Collection by B.B. King (CD - 09/23/2003)

"Best of B.B. King: 20th Century Masters/The Christmas Collection" (09/23/2003) Blues King, B.B., MCA Records (USA)Personnel: Leon Warren (guitar); Melvin Jackson (saxophone); Stanley Abernathy, James Bolden (trumpet); James Sells Tony (keyboards); Calep Emphrey (drums); Tony Coleman (tambourine). Audio Mixers: John Hobrock; John Holbrook; Josiah Gluck. Liner Note Author: B.B. King. Recording information: Dockside Studios, Maurice, LA; Sound on Sound; Unique Studios, NY. Photographer: Kevin Westenberg. Unknown Contributor Role: Nashville String Machine. Arranger: B.B. King. This edition in Universal's discount-priced compilation series 20th Century Masters/The Christmas Collection is actually a re-titled reissue of the 2001 collection A Christmas Celebration of Hope. It took B.B. King a long time to get around to his first Christmas album, which didn't appear until about half a century into his recording career. It's an adequate, good-humored reprisal of various holiday chestnuts, among them some material with blues/R&B origins, like "Merry Christmas Baby." King wrote just one new song for the album, the instrumental "Christmas Love," though he did originally record another of the tracks, "Christmas Celebration," back in 1960. Wisely he plays "Auld Lang Syne" as a funky instrumental instead of vocalizing the singalong lyrics. In addition to periodic bursts of King's trademark guitar, there is plenty of brass and organ in the peppy arrangements. The Nashville String Machine adds its strings to just three tracks, which cuts down on over-produced excess (which is only a problem on "Please Come Home for Christmas"). It's hardly the first King you'll pull off your shelf, and not the first R&B Christmas album you'll turn to, either, but you could do worse in the holiday season. ~ Richie Unterberger

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The Anthology by Alvin Lee (Rock) (CD - ...

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Full Circle by Walter Trout (CD - 06/20/2006)

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Cricklewood Green by Ten Years After (CD...

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The Anthology by Alvin Lee (Rock) (CD - 11/18/2003)

"The Anthology" (11/18/2003) Blues Lee, Alvin (Rock), Rainman, Inc.Personnel includes: Alvin Lee (vocals, guitar, harmonica); George Harrison, Joe Brown, Mick Ralphs (guitar); Clarence Clemons, Mel Collins (tenor saxophone); Zoot Money (piano); Jon Lord (Hammond B-3 organ); Steve Winwood, Steve Grant, Tim Hinkley (keyboards); Steve Gould, Alan Spenner, Boz Burrell (bass); Alan Young, Ian Wallace, John Susswell, Richard Newman, Bryson Graham (drums); David Hubbard (electronic drums). Includes liner notes by Alvin Lee. Because of his spotlight-hogging singer/songwriter/guitarist/frontman status in the popular Ten Years After, Alvin Lee seemed a natural for solo success. But, through a series of well meaning yet increasingly spotty albums released on a variety of labels -- none of which seemed to want to promote him -- Lee's career has been of interest to die-hard British boogie blues lovers only, which makes this 25-year double-disc summary of his dozen or so post-TYA albums so welcome. Typically, when artists choose selections for their own compilations, as is the case here, the tracks aren't those that fans might have picked. But Lee does an admirable job, not only in his mixture of undiscovered treats and some previously unreleased material, but in the non-chronological sequencing that helps this collection flow. Sure, the boogie quotient is evident, but after all, that is what Lee does best. So even when he's simply recycling a Chuck Berry riff on "Play It Like It Used to Be" or his own licks on some live Ten Years After material, he makes the best of a rather weak voice and the limitations that come with the genre. More problematic is the lack of specific track personnel, or even explicitly stating what album every tune is from, in the notes that Lee pens for each song. And why is disc two less than 50 minutes long when there was plenty more material to choose from? In fact, there are curiously no selections from his early effort In Flight, one of Lee's more popular releases. Of particular interest, though, are two tracks where friend and neighbor George Harrison adds his distinctive slide guitar ("Real Life Blues" and "The Bluest Blues"), which are obscure gems well worth rediscovering. Lee experienced a bit of a comeback in 2004 with the release of his In Tennessee project, in which the guitarist played with renewed vigor in the company of some Sun session men. This album closes with a fiery version of his most recognizable song, "I'm Going Home," from that disc. It is an appropriate way to conclude this generally excellent recap of Alvin Lee's inconsistent but surprisingly productive solo career through 2004. ~ Hal Horowitz

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Blues Deluxe by Joe Bonamassa (CD - 01/2...

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Cricklewood Green by Ten Years After (CD - 04/02/2001)

"Cricklewood Green" (04/02/2001) Blues Ten Years After, EMI-Capitol Special MarketsTen Years After: Alvin Lee (vocals, guitar); Chick Churchill (organ); Leo Lyons (bass); Ric Lee (drums). Recorded at Olympic Studio 1, London, England. All songs written by Alvin Lee. One of the most noted of the progressive blues bands to emerge from the U.K.'s Summer Of Love in 1967, Ten Years After arguably reached its peak with its appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969. First released a year later in 1970, CRICKLEWOOD GREEN contains the band's hit single, "Love Like a Man," as well as some of the bluesy guitar workouts, courtesy of the virtuoso Alvin Lee, that made it famous.

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His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collect...

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Blues Deluxe by Joe Bonamassa (CD - 01/26/2009)

"Blues Deluxe" (01/26/2009) Blues Bonamassa, Joe, J&R AdventuresPersonnel: Joe Bonamassa (vocals, guitar); Jon Paris (harmonica); Benny harrison (Hammond B-3 organ); Eric Czar (electric bass); Kenny Kramme (drums). Recorded at Unique Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Harris Cohen. As the electric guitar ace Joe Bonamassa was so strongly inspired by blues and blues-oriented six-stringers (i.e., Clapton, Johnny Winter), many of his fans would politely pester him about doing a disc of blues standards. Originally done as a lark, the results of such a session were deemed by Bonamassa good enough to be released--hence, BLUES DELUXE, on which he covers some lesser-known songs and includes three originals. Of course, his fierce, scorching guitar is center stage. If axe-men such as Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, and Buddy Guy are your cup of tea, this DELUXE item is a necessity.

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The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan ...

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His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection) by Little Walter (CD - 05/07/2005)

"His Best (Chess 50th Anniversary Collection)" (05/07/2005) Blues Walter, Little, MCA/ChessThis is part of Chess Records' 50 Anniversary series. Personnel: Little Walter (vocals, harmonica); Muddy Waters (guitar, slide guitar); Dave Myers, Fred Robinson , Jimmie Lee Robinson, Jimmy Rogers , Leonard Caston, Louis Myers, Luther Tucker, Robert Lockwood, Jr. (guitar); Otis Spann (piano); Fred Below, Billy Stepney, George Hunter (drums). Liner Note Author: Billy Altman. Recording information: Chicago, IL (05/12/1952-12/??/1960). Photographers: Ray Flerlage; Mary Katherine Aldin. Few would dispute that this collection is the Holy Grail of blues harmonica. Like the other entries in Chess Records' HIS BEST series, the Little Walter compilation is beautifully selected, sequenced, remastered, and packaged. At 20 tracks, HIS BEST gives a satisfying, economical summary of Walter's genius, and defends his title as the king of blues harp men. As a member of Muddy Waters's band, and on his own, Walter was one of the architects of the original Chicago sound. His propulsive chording, high-leaning notes, inventive use of amplification (he used a close-up hand-held microphone and effects like distortion and echo), and endless stream of ideas expanded the possibilities of the harmonica. With the help of such Chicago heavy-hitters as pianist Otis Spann, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Fred Below, Walter's own group displayed ferocious chemistry and instrumental prowess. Naturally, Walter's vocals and exceptional harp are at the fore here. Whether on signature tunes ("Juke"), slow burners ("Mean Old World"), or classic rockers ("Boom, Boom Out Goes the Light"), this is old-school electric blues at its absolute finest. In addition to its status as a textbook for harmonica players, HIS BEST is a ground-floor necessity for any blues library.

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Born Under a Bad Sign [Stax] by Albert K...

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The Sky Is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (CD - 11/05/1991)

"The Sky Is Crying" (11/05/1991) Blues Vaughan, Stevie Ray, Epic (USA)THE SKY IS CRYING is a collection of 10 previously unreleased studio tracks compiled by Stevie Ray's brother Jimmie Vaughan. Personnel: Stevie Ray Vaughan (guitar, vocals); Reese Wynans (keyboards); Tommy Shannon (bass); Chris Layton (drums). Producers: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Richard Mullen, Jim Capfer, Jim Gaines. Recorded at The Power Station, New York, New York in January and February, 1984; The Dallas Sound Lab, Dallas, Texas in March and May, 1985; Kiva Studios, Memphis, Tennessee in February and April, 1989; Sound Castle Studios, Los Angeles, California in April and May, 1989. THE SKY IS CRYING is a collection of 10 previously unreleased studio tracks compiled by Stevie Ray's brother Jimmie Vaughan. Master Sound releases are 24-karat gold CDs remastered from first generation masters. This process utilizes 20-bit technology and Sony's "Super Bit Mapping" system. Personnel: Stevie Ray Vaughan (guitar, vocals); Reese Wynans (keyboards); Tommy Shannon (bass); Chris Layton (drums). Producers: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Richard Mullen, Jim Capfer, Jim Gaines. Reissue producer: Jimmie Vaughn. Recorded at The Power Station, New York, New York from January to February 1984; The Dallas Sound Lab, Dallas, Texas from March to May 1985; Kiva Studios, Memphis, Tennessee from February to April 1989; Sound Castle Studios, Los Angeles, California from April to May 1989. Includes liner notes by Dan Forte. Personnel: Stevie Ray Vaughan (vocals, guitar); Reese Wynans (keyboards); Tommy Shannon (bass guitar); Chris Layton (drums). Audio Mixer: Richard Mullen . Liner Note Author: Dan Forte. Recording information: Ardent Recordings, Memphis, TN (01/1984-05/1989); Dallas Sound Lab, Dallas, TX (01/1984-05/1989); Kiva Recording Studio, Memphis, TN (01/1984-05/1989); Kiva Studios, Memphis TN (01/1984-05/1989); Power Station, New York, NY (01/1984-05/1989); Sound Castle Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA (01/1984-05/1989); Sound Castle Studios, Los Angeles, CA (01/1984-05/1989); The Dallas Sound Lab, Dallas, TX (01/1984-05/1989); The Power Station, NY (01/1984-05/1989). Photographers: William Snyder; Alan Messer; Stephanie Chernikowski. Vaughan's death in August 1990 brought to a tragic end the surging wave of his popularity. The album he had made with his brother Jimmie, FAMILY STYLE, had just been released and this album, prepared by Jimmie from the various album sessions, was not expected to amount to much. In fact, this was at least as good as any of them--and better than LIVE ALIVE. "Little Wing" was perhaps his best adaptation of a Jimi Hendrix song. His take on the Elmore James title song was also a fitting tribute to both the writer and the performer. There are bound to be further compilations and live recordings released, but these studio recordings are testimony to Stevie Ray's devotion to his craft. Vaughan's death in August 1990 brought to a tragic end the surging wave of his popularity. The album he had made with his brother Jimmie, FAMILY STYLE, had just been released and this album, prepared by Jimmie from the various album sessions, was not expected to amount to much. In fact, this was at least as good as any of them--and better than LIVE ALIVE. "Little Wing" was perhaps his best adaptation of a Jimi Hendrix song. His take on the Elmore James title song was also a fitting tribute to both the writer and the performer. There are bound to be further compilations and live recordings released, but these studio recordings are testimony to Stevie Ray's devotion to his craft.

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