Junior WATSON - Long Overdue 1994

Junior WATSON - Long Overdue 1994
Recorded at Sunburst Studios, Culver City, CA
October 1987, March and October 1992

Blues

With nearly thirty years of experience, Junior Watson has reached cult status. Junior has done what all great artists have done: melting diverse styles to create a style all his own. With influences as diverse as Tiny Grimes, Oscar Moore, Bill Jennings, Rene Hall, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Guitar Slim, Earl Hooker and others he has truly created one of the most unique and original guitar voices to come along in years. Besides his mastery of blues and swing he often adds his own cartoon-like twist to everything he plays. You'll never know what he will do and when asked he doesn't know himself. His energy and playing gives you a feeling of reckless abandonment. As he was once quoted "like a train off the tracks".

His artist resume is as large as it is impressive. A founding member of The Mighty Flyers he stayed with the band for ten years. He then left to join Canned Heat for ten years. He then toured for a while with LA-based harmonica player/vocalist Lynwood Slim. All along the way he has backed up and recorded with the who's-who of the blues. His list of musical endeavors include backing up and recording with Big Mama Thorton, George Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, William Clark and there's more. Suffice to say the list is very extensive.

In the past Junior has always been the sideman or featured artist. For the first time in his career he has a band that is taking the back seat and having Junior do all the driving. For the first time you can hear this amazing, original artist wail all night long. This fact alone is exciting and when unleashed, Junior will prove to the rest of the blues community what his cult status is all about.
**
Despite playing the role of perrenial sideman, often in fine bands that left much to be desired in the visibility department, Mike "Junior" Watson was, and is, one of the most influential blues guitarists of his generation. In fact, following Robben Ford's defection into fusion, Watson was rivaled only by Hollywood Fats as king of the hill in California and only by Jimmie Vaughan anywhere else. While he and Vaughan have radically different approaches, Watson's arch-top-cheapo-through-reverb-tank sound has much in common with Hollywood Fats', as does his ability to nail seemingly every traditional electric blues style. But whereas Fats was a master of mimckry, Watson has a spontaneous, original bent laced with his oddball sense of humor. After starting out with harpist Gary Smith in northern California in the early '70s, he teamed with Rod Piazza's Mighty Flyers (née Flying Sauce Band) for 11 years, where he was instrumental in injecting the Chicago-styled blues band (and countless others in its wake) with ample doses of swing, culling licks from guitarists Bill Jennings, Tiny Grimes, and Billy Butler. Along the way he gigged with Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker and others, eventually joining the '80s edition of Canned Heat, with whom he continued to tour until the late '90s.

Giving jump blues and early R&B a kick in its baggy pants, Watson's aptly-titled solo debut revealed what only guitarists (the more conscientious of them) had known for more than a decade: Here is a 6-stringer of rare talent, with the unique ability to play authentically and spontaneously -- all-too-often contradictory paths in the late '70s blues revival. The best and most fitting compliment one could give a Watson solo is that it makes you laugh; this is blues of the rent party variety and Watson never lapses into the maudlin. Along with singers Brenda Burns and Lynwood Slim (on harp as well), Watson favors us with half a dozen surprisingly confident vocals. In fact, the only criticism is that his voice is sometimes too low in the mix.
By Dan Forte, All Music Guide.
**
Bill Stuve Bass
Jeff Big Dad Turmes- Sax (Baritone)
Junior Watson- Guitar, Vocals
John "Juke" Logan- Organ (Hammond)
Brenda Burns- Vocals
Tom MahonPiano
Lynwood Slim- Harmonica, Vocals
Richard Duran- Vocals (Background)
Mindy GilesMarketing
Victor Gutierez- Vocals (Background)
Rich Holmstom- Vocals (Background)
Larry Taylor- Bass
Jimi Bott- Drums
Tom Fabre- Saxophone
Rick Holmstrom- Vocals (Background), Guitar
Richard Innes- Drums
Fred Kaplan Piano, Organ (Hammond)
**
01. Certainly All 2:40
02. Lonesome Train 4:32
03. Biscuits 4:17
04. Frankie and Johnny 5:05
05. Mojo Boogie 5:15
06. That's What You Are To Me 2:38
07. The Woodpecker 3:28
08. Want Me Some Love 4:40
09. Big Boy 3:55
10. Long Time Baby 2:20
11. Special Lesson #1 3:06
12. The Long Letters 4:12
13. Cool Evening 2:26
14. I Gotta Go (Back Home) 2:08
15. Lump In My Throat 5:20
16. The Train 2:54
17. Don't Leave Me Baby (The Easy Livin' Plan) 3:45
**

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Eric STECKEL Band - Live at Havana 2006

Eric STECKEL Band - Live at Havana 2006

Blues

Eric Steckel (born 1990) is an American blues guitarist and singer. His first album A Few Degrees Warmer was recorded live in 2002. He was just 11 years old and became the youngest in a series of precocious blues performers which began in the 1990s with the names of Jonny Lang, Shannon Curfman, and slightly later, Derek Trucks. As a child prodigy he has been invited to play on stage with such artists as John Mayall, Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, James Armstrong, Tommy Castro, Solomon Burke, Hubert Sumlin, Craig Thatcher, Danny Bryant. In recent years he has been working with his own band and released three albums, including "Live at Havana 2006".
He has also played the Springing the Blues festival in Jacksonville Beach, Florida the last 4 years.
**
Bouncing between original and cover songs, Steckel unplugs Fender attitudes and straddles a course into Freddie King territory, crossing over into Otis Rush turf and sneaking off into Allman Brothers psychedelia.
Whatever influences there were in the beginning, Eric is shedding them like snakeskin to nurture a sound of his own. Eric slow burns with "Radio Blues", immortalizes Santana with the Latino "Espirita" and turns "Little Wing" into an almost ten minute guitar pyrotechnical display that is spell-binding. His own "Philips Highway" sees the band aggregate riding the rock pony into the hills of blues.
The blueprints of Steckel's music come out of guitar player vaults that were reserved for cranking up blues rock to stadium levels. While many kids his age are listening to rap and hip-hop, Eric looks the other way, cranks up his guitar and pummels out licks that never lose their appeal for us older people who wish they made that giant step when they had the chance."
By Gary Weeks.
**
What a surprise,looking for some records in my habitual Barcelona's records store (Disco 100, what a good professionals they are) I found this Eric Steckel's record 'Live at Havana' when exactly the day before I had read in Amazon its 'mbernocchi''s review. Although Steckel's youth (sixteen years) made me hesitate, I heeded `mbernocchi''s description and I bought it right away and went home to listen to it.

I am almost in full agreement with the whole of mbernocchi's point of view; very good guitar playing, even if somehow fuzzy in some passages of the disk; three great themes; a very good cover Freddie King's "San-Ho-Zay", the super slow Blues "Radio Blues" probably the best song of the record and very good Jimi Hendrix's cover "Little Wing". The other themes are on a good level although I would have liked to hear more piano and less organ and the version of Otis Rush's 'All your love' could have been somewhat better. Steckel is evidently influenced by one of the kings, the great Freddie King, and his voice, even if very correct, is what you would expect of someone so young. All in all it is a good disk for any Blues fan, and I am already playing it in the Blues program of Tiana's local radio station (this is a little town near Barcelona), for my listeners' delight.
Congratulations to this intrepid young Eric Steckel called to be in the higher spheres of modern Blues.
By  Jose Maria Domenech Fedi.
**
If a teenager can produce heavy rocking guitar blues of this quality, there is no need to worry. This is blues guitar at it's best. If this came from a seasoned player with a long trackrecord, you'd hail it as one of his best. This player is barely into his teens and created this amazing blues cd. The playing is off the charts and his version of LITTLE WINGS is the best I've ever heard. I'm sure ERIC will figure heavily in the future of electric guitar. He already has an amazing phrase book and infuses everything he plays with his own imprint.
If you have any kind of interest in the electric guitar, you have to hear this !!!!!
By Hans D HARMS.
**
Eric STECKEL - Guitars, vocals
Craig THATCHER - Guitars, vocals
Wayde LEONARD - Bass, vocals
Don PLOWMAN - Drums
**
01. San-Ho Zay 5:04
02. Radio Blues 11:00
03. Espirita  4:57
04. Me & My Guitar 4:54
05. Philips Highway 5:35
06. Deep Fried 4:33
07. Jaywalkin' 4:33
08. Hey Sister 4:51
09. Little Wing 9:52
10. All Your Love 5:43
**

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Lester DAVENPORT - When The Blues Hit You 1991

Lester DAVENPORT - When The Blues Hit You 1991

Blues

Just by remarking the extraordinary band that backs the harmonica ace LESTER DAVENPORT in this 5 stars 'When the Blues hit you', an All Star Chicago Blues Band, you can say that the record has to be very good. And it really is very very good, as good as you can expect. I don't want to point out any of the themes because all of them are at the same high level.
An authentic delight listening to the master SUNNYLAND SLIM's piano, the outstanding JOHN PRIMER's guitar (PRIMER was a player in The Teardrops, Magic Slim's band); also on the rhythmic section ROBERT STROGER on bass,ROBERT COVINGTON on drums and the silent WILLIE DAVIS playing the rhythm guitar. Great stuff, this is the real deal,
I recommend it.
By Jose Maria Domenech Fedi.
**
Until 1992, Lester Davenport's chief claims to blues fame were the 1955 Bo Diddley Chess session he played harp on (it produced "Pretty Thing" and "Bring It to Jerome") and a lengthy, much more recent stint holding down the harmonica slot with the multi-generational Gary, IN, band, the Kinsey Report. That instantly changed with the issue of Davenport's own album for Earwig, When the Blues Hit You; now this Chicago blues veteran had something on the shelves to call his very own.

Davenport hit Chicago in 1945 at age 14. He quickly soaked up the sights and sounds so prevalent on the local blues scene, checking out Arthur "Big Boy" Spires, Snooky Pryor, and Homesick James, who invited the youngster to jam sessions and tutored him on the intricacies of the idiom. Gigs with Spires and James preceded his brief hookup with Bo Diddley (which included a booking behind Diddley at New York's famous Apollo Theater). Davenport led his own band while holding down a day job as a paint sprayer during the 1960s, remaining active on the West side prior to joining forces with the Kinseys during the 1980s.
Now, about that "Mad Dog" handle: it seems that Davenport liked to prowl the stage while playing a few notes on every instrument on the bandstand during his younger days. The shtick earned him the name; his tenacious playing did the rest.
By Bill Dahl, All Music Guide.
**
John Primer- (Guitar), (Choir, Chorus),
Lester Davenport- (Harmonica), (Vocals),
Robert Covington- (Drums), (Choir, Chorus),
Sunnyland Slim- (Piano),
Bob Stroger- (Bass),
Will Davis- (Rhythm Guitar), (Choir, Chorus)
**
01. King Of The Jungle 4:29
02. I Believe My Baby Got A Mojo 6:51
03. I'm Gonna Move 3:50
04. Slow Down Baby 5:58
05. It Won't Work Like That 4:33
06. All My Life 5:53
07. Mad Dog On The Loose 4:10
08. Walkin' The Streets At Midnight 5:37
09. Just For Spite 4:17
10. My Baby's Gone 5:38
11. I'm Gonna Give It Up 4:26
12. When The Blues Hit You 4:24
**

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Johnny WINTER - Electric Blues Man 1997

Johnny WINTER - Electric Blues Man 1997
Thunderbolt CDTB 509

Blues

The Texas guitar tradition runs deep. A gutsy school of blues playing, marked by thick tones, aggressive attack and tons of technique, all delivered in a flamboyant, swaggering style that is endemic to the Lone Star State. From T-Bone Walker and Clarence Gatemouth Brown on through Albert Collins and Freddie King, Billy Gibbons and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, the tradition of the Texas guitar slinger has lived on. The one name that ranks at the top of that exclusive list is Johnny Winter, an international ambassador for rocking Texas blues and still going strong!
**
Disc One: Album One  
01. My Baby   1:11
02. Parchman Farm   2:38
03. Night Ride   2:14
04. One Night of Love   2:16
05. Thirty Two Twenty Blues   3:04
06. Reelin' and Rockin'   2:05
07. Tramp   2:58
08. Bad News (1)   1:04
09. Bad News (2)   1:27
10. Bad News (3)   2:50
11. Suicide Won't Satisfy   2:25
12. Ice Cube   2:06
13. Easy Loving Girl   2:45
14. We Go Back Quite a Ways   3:03
15. Hello My Lover   2:17
16. Hook You   3:17
17. You'll Be the Death of Me   2:36

Disc Two: Album Two  
01. Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone   2:17
02. Sloppy Drunk Blues   2:16
03. Goin' Down Slow   5:51
04. Low Down Gal of Mine   3:08
05. Take My Choice   4:05
06. Gangster of Love   2:43
07. Eternally   2:32
08. Blue Suede Shoes   2:06
09. Ballad of Bertha Glutz   2:25
10. Living in the Blues   2:27
11. Raindrops in My Heart   2:24
12. Black Cat Bone   4:59
13. Talk to Your Daughter   4:40
**

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Shoe Suede Blues - Saved By the Blues 2002

Shoe Suede Blues - Saved By the Blues 2002

Blues

This is the sophomore release for Shoe Suede Blues, whose members include one-time Monkee Peter Tork. It is nice to report that this album is a huge improvement from their live debut (Shoe Suede Blues Live in L.A....).Here, the songs are much shorter, tighter, and more creatively arranged, even if some of the arrangements just don't work (such is the case with their version of "Hound Dog"). Gone are the long solos/jams that clouded their first album. Instead, you have the sounds of very hard-working musicians. While this may not be the best blues album ever made, and it is not as pure as the classics, this album is still a lot of fun with some great songs. The opening (and title) track, "Saved by the Blues," is outstanding, with Tork providing some heartfelt vocals backed by a hot, tight band. The album consists mainly of covers of classic blues songs, which tends to make the band sound like a bar band. This comparison is amplified with the lo-fi sound of the disc. It is the originals that make the album worth getting. Tadg Galleran co-writes several songs here, the best being "Dress Sexy for Me" (co-written with Tork) which features some very witty lines and creative playing. As with their first effort, Tork takes a backseat here and is not the star of the band. He does not sing lead on every track, and he seems content to be the guitarist of this band. Overall, a fun, average blues-rock album with a few sparkling moments. By Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide.
**
Here's Peter Tork again, instead of tossing off another duet album with James Lee Stanley, here he's got a 4-piece combo playing straightahead blues music. This CD, "Saved By The Blues", was released in 2003--it's partly live performance & partly recorded in the studio, and more than partly, it's an embarassment. I don't deny Tork's genuine love of the blues, but he sounds seriously out of his element on here. Sonically, the CD sounds nice, & drummer John Palmer & bass guitarist Michael Sunday both do a fine job. However, Tork has never exactly been a great singer in the first place, & vocally, he frequently falls flat on his face here, & the one track that he has a writing credit on, "Dress Sexy For Me", is utterly cringe-worthy. Seemingly somewhat aware of his limitations, Tork has guitarist Richard Michaels handle a bunch of the lead vocals, but it doesn't help much. "Kiss and Tell" runs on exhaustingly as if their main goal was to make the song last more than 5 minutes, & it features a guitar solo, presumably by Tork, that is one of the most laughably clumsy and aimless I've ever heard on an official album by a veteran artist, although it does provide the disc with camp value. The album closer "Come On In My Kitchen" is so sluggish, it's eye-roll inducing. Tork largely sounds like he was sleepwalking through his performances on this CD as if it was past his bedtime. They do pull off a nicely-swinging version of "Route 66", but overall, this CD fails to either be gritty & emotional, or to be just plain mindless fun. In other words, it's a major drag.
**
Jeri Lynne- Organ, Vocals
James Lee Stanley- Vocals
Michael Sunday- Bass
Peter Tork- Guitar, Vocals
John Palmer- Drums, Percussion
Tadg Galleran- Harmonica, Vocals, Keyboards
**
01. Saved By the Blues 2:40
02. Cab Driver 2:56
03. Help Me 4:16
04. Hound Dog 3:10
05. Route 66 4:00
06. Kiss and Tell 5:24
07. Dress Sexy for Me 3:21
08. Treat Her Right 2:39
09. Big Boss Man 4:16
10. Slender Tender and Tall 2:30
11. Wine- Texas Bbq 3:07
12. Come On in My Kitchen 4:24
**

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Shakey JAKE - Mouth Harp Blues 1960

Shakey JAKE - Mouth Harp Blues 1960
Recorded in New York, November 19, 1960
BVLP 1027
Reissues 1988. Ace LP CH 236 

Blues

Jake Harris knew how to shake a pair of dice in order to roll a lucrative winner. He also realized early on that his nephew, guitarist Magic Sam, was a winner as a bluesman. Harris may have not been a technical wizard on his chosen instrument, but his vocals and harp style were proficient enough to result in a reasonably successful career (both with Sam and without).
**
Shakey Jake- Vocal, Harmonica
Robert Banks- Piano
Jimmy Lee Robinson-  Guitar
Leonard Gaskin- Bass
Junior Blackmon- Drums
**
A1. Mouth Harp Blues   
A2. Love Me Baby   
A3. Jake's Cha Cha   
A4. Gimme a Smile   
A5. My Broken Heart   
B1. Angry Lover   
B2. Things Is Alright   
B3. Easy Baby   
B4. Things Are Different Baby   
B5. It Won't Happen Again
**

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The Duke ROBILLARD Band - Duke's Blues 1996

The Duke ROBILLARD Band - Duke's Blues 1996

Blues

he last cut, hats off to Albert Collins' "Dyin' Flu," will make you fall down and beg for mercy. This is what happens when a virtuoso blues guitarist doesn't have a thing to prove and slips into the groove. Playing that is listening, ear cocked like a hound dog's in the wind, Robillard hearing whatever it was Collins must have heard when the inspiration for this one came to him. (Definitely not the same thing as imitating licks or covering a tune.) Also a plus is that Duke doesn't burden you with overload in the vocals department but when he does open his mouth, it's so right it hurts. In general Duke sings a lil too much for my taste--he should let the guitar talk for him more of the time. The other great cut on this album is "Never Let You Go" where again Duke stays mainly in instrumental mode. This man is a treasure when he really opens up on the guitar--worth waiting for!
**
In 1990, Robillard joined the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Even though he had become a member of the Austin group, the guitarist continued to record and tour as a solo artist, signing with the major label Point Blank/Virgin in 1994 for Temptation. **Duke's Blues** followed two years later, and after one more album for Virgin, 1997's Dangerous Place, Robillard signed to Shanachie for 1999's New Blues for Modern Man. Conversations in Swing Guitar followed later that year, and the prolific guitarist returned in mid-2000 with Explorer.
**
Gordon Beadle- Baritone, Tenor Sax
Duke Robillard- Guitar,Vocals
Greg Mazel- Baritone, Tenor Sax,Vibraphone
Paul Murphy- Guitar
Marty Ballou- Bass
Matt McCabe- Piano
Al Basile- Cornet
Jeff McAllister- Drums
**
01. Midnight Cannon Ball (3:03)
02. Glamour Girl (4:49)
03. I Still Love You Baby (2:58)
04. Texas Hop (2:42)
05. Don't Leave Me Baby (3:26)
06. Tell Me Why (2:48)
07. Something to Remember You By (5:52)
08. Love Slipped In (3:48)
09. Information Blues (5:06)
10. Don't Treat Me Like That (3:22)
11. Never Let You Go (5:23)
12. Gee I Wish (3:18)
13. My Heart Is Cryin' (4:27)
14. Red's Riff (6:49)
15. Dyin' Flu (11:17)
**

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Zuzu BOLLIN - Texas Bluesman 1989

Zuzu BOLLIN - Texas Bluesman 1989

Blues

In the early Fifties, Zuzu Bollin, a journeyman jump-blues singer-guitarist from Dallas, cut four superb sides for the tiny Torch label before fading away. Despite a deep, charcoal voice and a guitar style that, at times, echoed the poetic precision of T-Bone Walker, Bollin was somehow forgotten by all but the most avid blues collectors. That changed, however, in 1987 when it was discovered that Bollin was still living in the Big D and anxious to return to the blues after a thirty-five-year hiatus.
The propitious find led to a recording session and the local, vinyl-only release of Bollin's first-ever album, Texas Bluesman, in 1989. But Bollin's comeback was short-lived; he died in 1990 before he had the chance to resuscitate both his career and a big-band blues sound that had disappeared in the Sixties. Fortunately, Clifford Antone, owner of the Austin blues club and the record label that bear his name, thought so much of Texas Bluesman that he decided to re-release the album on CD and make it available to blues fans beyond the Lone Star State. Whether or not Bollin's reputation will grow larger is uncertain. But one thing is sure: Bollin should have been recording all the years he wasn't.
The proof is found in renditions of tunes like "Big Legs," "Hey Little Girl" and the Jimmy Rushing-Count Basie beauty "Blues in the Dark," all of which artfully depict how blues, rhythm & blues and Texas swing can mesh and, in the process, create big-band grooves that beckon feet to the dance floor. With Bollin at the mike and the smooth Juke Jumpers, complemented by old friends like saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and guitarist Wayne Bennett, shoring up a swinging background, Texas Bluesman blows through contemporary music like a blast of fresh air. Bollin wasn't afraid to share the spotlight, either – just check out Bennett's eye-opening guitar work on "Cold, Cold Feeling."
On Texas Bluesman we get a taste of the state's blues legacy, but we're left with the sad wish that Bollin were around to enjoy the fun.
**
Zuzu Bollin (September 5, 1922 – October 2, 1990) was an American blues guitarist from Frisco, Texas. Originally born 'A.D. Bollin', the name 'Zuzu' is believed to refer to a brand of ginger-snap cookies popular at the time . Zuzu was thought to be dead until he was rediscovered in 1988 living in Dallas Texas by Dallas Blues Society Records founder Chuck Nevitt. Nevitt gathered together a top notch band and produced Bollin's first full length LP "Texas Bluesman" in 1989 as the debut release on Dallas Blues Society Records. This record was sold to Antones Records a couple of years later, and Antones released it on CD. This recording augmented Zuzu's only 4 sides (two 78rpm records) recorded in the early 50s on the Dallas based Torch label. Before his death in 1990 Zuzu made festival dates both in the states and abroad.
**
CD includes two previously unreleased tracks.Personnel: Zuzu Bollin (vocals, guitar); Duke Robillard, Wayne Bennett (guitar); Mike Strickland (saxophone, baritone saxophone); David "Fathead" Newman , Rocky Morales, Robert Harwell, Marchel Ivery (tenor saxophone); John Mills (baritone saxophone); Charles McBurney, Keith Winking (trumpet); Jon Blondell (trombone); Craig Simechek, Doug Sahm (piano); Doyle Bramhall, George Rains (drums).Audio Mixers: Derek O'Brien; Duke Robillard; George Rains; Stuart Sullivan; Bob Sullivan.Liner Note Authors: Derek O'Brien; Tony Burke.Recording information: Fire Station Studio, San Marcos, TX; Sumet-Bernet Studios, Dallas, TX.Photographer: Kent Barker.Unknown Contributor Role: Derek O'Brien.Zuzu's principal contribution to Texas blues history is an immaculately realized collection that includes remakes of both sides of his debut 78 (the original version of "Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night" is available on Vol. 3 of Rhino's Blues Masters series, "Texas Blues") and a uniformly tasty lineup of jump blues goodies. The sterling band includes guitarist Duke Robillard (who co-produced), drummer George Rains, and saxists David Newman and Kaz Kazanoff.
By Bill Dahl. AMG.
**
Duke Robillard- (Guitar),
Doug Sahm- (Piano),
Jack Barber- (Bass),
Wayne Bennett- (Guitar),
Jon Blondell- (Bass),
Jon Blondell- (Trombone),
Zuzu Bollin- (Guitar),(Vocals),
Doyle Bramhall- (Drums),
Sumter Bruton- (Rhythm Guitar),
Robert Harwell- (Tenor Sax),
Marchel Ivery- (Tenor Sax),
Charles McBurney- (Trumpet),
Rocky Morales- (Tenor Sax),
David "Fathead" Newman- (Tenor Sax),
George Rains- (Drums),
Craig Simechek- (Piano),
Keith Winking- (Trumpet),
Mike Strickland- (Baritone Sax),
Hash Brown- (Rhythm Guitar),
John Mills- (Baritone Sax),
Jim Milam (Clevenger Bass).
**
01.  Big Legs  02:38
02.  Hey Little Girl  03:38
03.  Blues in the Dark  04:40
04.  Kidney Stew  02:57
05.  Cold Cold Feeling  05:25
06.  What Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night  02:54
07.  Headlight Blues  02:56
08.  How Do You Want Your Rollin' Done  02:58
09.  Leary Blues  03:37
10.  Rebecca  03:26
11.  Zu's Blues  05:22
**

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Seasick STEVE and The Level Devils - Cheap 2004

Seasick STEVE and The Level Devils - Cheap 2004

Blues

*Cheap* is the debut album from Seasick Steve. It consists of songs by him and his Swedish band The Level Devils, and also two stories from his life as a hobo.
The Level Devils consisted at this time of Kai Christoffersen playing the drums and Jo Husmo bass. Dan Magnusson subsequently took over drumming duties.
**
Resoundingly lo-fi and raw, this album from Seasick Steve and the Level Devils
thunders out of the speakers just like the late R L Burnside used to do. Ragged
and loud, it makes most other modern music sound distinctly artificial.
Interspersed with stories of his life as a hobo, he lays down a fearsome groove.
"Sorry Mr Jesus" and "8 Ball" hit you hard with their sheer intensity. "Xmas
Prison Blues" comes straight from the heart and "Rooster Blues" ends the album
with a slice of pure Chicago style blues. Not so much produced as persuaded on
to tape, this music sounds like it should be on an old 78 rather than the
pristine digital clarity of our modern age.
Raw and at the same time unassuming, Seasick Steve is about as far from the
commercial forefront as you can get these days. Maybe that explains his appeal.
Out of time but not out of place, who said a white man cannot feel the blues?
The truth is on show here and to (over) use a phrase the Bluesbunny is fond of,
Seasick Steve is the real deal.
**
Seasick Steve- Guitars and Foot Percussion
Jo Husmo- Bass
Kai Christoffersen- Drums
**
01. Cheap 4:05
02. Rockin' Chair 3:36
03. Hobo Blues 3:01
04. Story #1 5:45
05. Sorry My Jesus 4:17
06. Love Thang 3:44
07. Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde 5:14
08. Story #2 7:07
09. 8 Ball 3:41
10. Xmas Prison Blues 4:16
11. Levi Song 4:20
12. Rooster Blues 10:47
**

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Dizzy GILLESPIE and His Oechestra - Gillespiana 1960

Dizzy GILLESPIE and His Oechestra - Gillespiana 1960
1961 Issue.CLP 1484/CSD1392

Jazz

For the first jazz release on his self-run Aleph label, Schifrin flew to Cologne, Germany to record this solid remake of Gillespiana, his 1960 five-movement concerto for Dizzy Gillespie with which Schifrin had been touring earlier in 1996. Designed to illustrate the sources that inspired Gillespie's music, the work remains one of the chameleonic Schifrin's best in a big-band idiom, particularly the dynamic Afro-Cuban-flavored blues "Toccata" that closes the concerto. The choice of Jon Faddis as Gillespie's stand-in was, of course, a no-brainer, for Faddis is the foremost Gillespie disciple on the scene, and his high-wire performance here captures both the stratospheric Gillespie of his youth and the mellower, slyer, muted Gillespie of later years. Fellow Jazz Meets the Symphony regular Paquito D'Rivera has some hot solo passages on alto; Alex Acuña and Marcio Doctor are given percussion showcases; Schifrin himself remains a persuasive jazz pianist, and Cologne's WDR Big Band almost matches the electricity that Schifrin's American bands generated on tour with this piece.
By Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide.
**
Dizzy Gillespie recorded Gillespiana in November 1960. At that time, Lalo Schifrin, a 28-year-old- Argentinean, was his pianist and musical conductor. Gillespie had first heard him in 1956 - he was struck by Schifrin's writing and asked the young musician to compose something for him. This was the start of Gillespiana, which was described in the original album notes as a "suite form [in a] concerto grosso format".
**
Bass- Art Davis
Bongos- Jack Del Rio
Congas- Candido
Drums- Chuck Lampkin
Horns- Al Richman* , Gunther Schuller , James Buffington* , Julius Watkins , Morris Secon , William Lister
Piano- Lalo Schifrin,Arrange
Saxophone- Leo Wright
Timbales, Timpani- Willie Rodriguez
Trombone- Britt Woodman , Frank Rehak , Paul Faulise , Urbie Green
Trumpet- Clark Terry , Dizzy Gillespie , Ernie Royal , Joe Wilder , John Frosk
Tuba- Don Butterfield
**

A1. Prelude   5:52
A2. Blues   11:16
A3. Panamericana   4:39
B1. Africana   7:31
B2. Toccata   12:01
**
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Shelly MANNE & His Men - Play More Music From Peter Gunn, Son Of Gunn! 1959

Shelly MANNE & His Men - Play More Music From Peter Gunn, Son Of Gunn! 1959
2005 Issue

Jazz

While drummer/bandleader Shelly Manne's initial 1959 outing, dedicated to Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn TV scores, was more than just a novelty, this follow-up disc stretches the concept to the absolute limit. Recorded only five months after the release of Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn, Son of Gunn!! sounds exactly like what it is: jazz musicians taking ostensibly generic background music for a television show and trying to make something more out of it. Apparently, even Mancini was aware of the challenge these musicians were facing, and encouraged them to apply free interpretations on these ten cuts and not to worry about maintaining a "Mancini feeling." Besides the lack of interesting material, Manne was also working with a brand-new front lineup, as trumpeter Conte Candoli and alto saxophonist Herb Geller were replaced by trumpeter Joe Gordon and tenor man Richie Kamuca. In retrospect, this isn't a horrible set, just one that should have focused less on concept and more on vision.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
A crackling set of crime jazz from drummer Shelly Manne -- a follow-up to his first set of work from the Peter Gunn soundtrack, and arguably even better than the first! Manne's working here with a great combo that includes Victor Feldman on vibes, Joe Gordon on trumpet, and Richie Kamuca on tenor  playing with a warmly raspy tone that gives the work a quality that's even more soulful than the Henry Mancini originals that inspired the set, and which is perfectly matched with the trumpet of Joe Gordon. There's a depth here that goes way beyond the simple soundtrack roots of the material and the arrangements on the set are proof that Manne was one of the hippest-thinking jazz cats on the mainstream LA scene of the time. Titles include "Spook", "Joanna", "Walkin Bass", "Blues For Mothers", "Odd Ball", "Blue Steel", and "Goofin At The Coffee House".
From Dusty Groove.
**
More music from Mother's, Peter Gunn's favorite watering hole. Manne's second LP of Mancini's TV show music has weaker material & a different front line (trumpeter Conte Candoli & alto saxophonist Herb Geller replaced by trumpeter Joe Gordon & Richie Kamuca on tenor.). This followup is more bluesy than the first album. Maybe not essential Shelly Manne, but both albums taken together are classic Mancini & "crime jazz."
**
Bass- Monty Budwig
Composed By, Arranged By- Henry Mancini
Drums- Shelly Manne
Piano- Russ Freeman
Tenor Saxophone- Richie Kamuca
Trumpet- Joe Gordon
Vibraphone [Vibraharp], Marimba- Victor Feldman
**
01. Odd Ball (H. Mancini) (3:33)
02. Blue Steel (H. Mancini) (4:52)
03. Spook! (H. Mancini) (5:24)
04. Joanna (H. Mancini) (4.13)
05. Goofin' at the Coffee House (H. Mancini) (3:34)
06. Walkin' Bass (H. Mancini) (4:31)
07. My Manne Shelly (H. Mancini) (3:38)
08. Blues for Mother's (H. Mancini) (4:25)
09. A Quiet Gass (H. Mancini) (4:36)
10. Lightly (H. Mancini) (3:32)
**

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Paul HORN - Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts 1965

Paul HORN - Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts 1965
LSP-3414

Jazz

A piece of music played by jazz specialist Paul Horn with music composed and conducted by Lalo Schifrin, the material present brings both the classical and jazz genres together, blending it further with the magic and mystery of the hymns of the church. The music at times is structured and arranged for the listener to enjoy with ease and relaxation. Though one point of the record is its method of tension and release, present during the far more abstract parts of the record, such as at the very climax of "Credo." The music here is a reflection of the church, using a broader base of textures and colors in jazz. The dynamics are powerful in this performance, and the communication between Horn's quintet, the orchestra led by Lalo Schifrin, and the chorus is undeniably magical. Certainly much of the record can be found leading into the realm of experimental music, and the critical listener should not be so critical, but rather sit, enjoy, and open their mind and listening senses.
By Shawn M. Haney, All Music Guide.
**
One of Paul Horn's groovier albums from the 60s -- and a record that features some nice arrangements by Lalo Schifrin! As the title might make you guess, the album's kind of a "jazz mass", and replicates the Kyrie, Gloria, and Offertory progression of a regular Catholic mass. The whole thing might be pretty snoozy, but it's fortunately saved by some nice playing by Horn, and by groovy elements in Schifrin's arrangements, particularly the percussion playing of Emil Richards and Milt Holland.
From Dusty Groove.
**
Lalo Schifrin- (Conductor),
Paul Horn- (Clarinet),Flute),(Alto Sax),
Conte Candoli- (Trumpet),
Bill Plummer- (Bass),
Lynn Blessing- (Vibraphone),
Al Porcino- (Trumpet),
Larry Bunker- (Drums),
Red Callender- (Tuba),
Milt Holland- (Percussion),
Dorothy Remsen- (Harp),
Emil Richards- (Percussion),
Frank Rosolino- (Trombone),
Ann Mason Stockton- (Harp),
Ken Watson- (Percussion),
Vincent DeRosa- (French Horn),
Frank Emilio Flynn- (Percussion),
Mike Lang- (Piano),
Betty Allen- (Choir, Chorus),
William Cole- (Choir, Chorus),
Marie Vernon- (Choir, Chorus),
Sara Jane Tallman- (Choir, Chorus),
Loulie Jean Norman- (Choir, Chorus),
Evangeline Carmichael- (Choir, Chorus),
Vern Rowe- (Choir, Chorus),
Marilyn Powell- (Choir, Chorus).
**
A1 Kyrie  
A2 Interludium  
A3 Gloria  
A4 Credo  
B1 Sanctus  
B2 Prayer  
B3 Offertory  
B4 Agnus Dei
**

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Lee MORGAN & Thad JONES - Minor Strain 1960

Lee MORGAN & Thad JONES - Minor Strain 1960
1990 Issue

Jazz

Lee Morgan shares this CD reissue with fellow trumpeter Thad Jones. Morgan's three selections feature a quintet with tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Jimmy Roser and drummer Art Taylor. While that hard bop group democratically performs one original apiece from Morgan, Timmons and Shorter, Thad Jones's date has four of his songs plus a previously unissued alternate take of "Subtle Rebuttal"; best-known is "Tip Toe" which was later recorded by The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Jones's septet is filled with Count Basie sidemen (trombonist Al Grey and tenors Billy Mitchell and Frank Wess) along with a fine rhythm section (pianist Hank Jones, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Osie Johnson) and is more swing-oriented than The Morgan group, but the two sets are equally rewarding.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
Jimmy Rowser- Bass
Frank Wess- Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Osie Johnson- Drums
Richard Davis- Bass
Al Grey- Trombone
Hank Jones- Piano
Thad Jones- Trumpet
Billy Mitchell- Sax (Tenor)
Lee MorganTrumpet
Wayne Shorter- Sax (Tenor)
Art Taylor- Drums
Bobby Timmons- Piano
**
01. Suspended Sentence 5:22
02. Minor Strain 6:23
03. A Bid For Sid 4:28
04. Subtle Rebuttal (alt take) 3:56
05. Subtle Rebuttal 4:02
06. Tip Toe 3:35
07. H and T Blues 9:56
08. Friday The 13th 6:55
**

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Tito PUENTE and Woody HERMAN - Latin Flight 1958

Tito PUENTE and Woody HERMAN - Latin Flight 1958
1993 Issue

Jazz

Woody played clarinet and alto sax and was the leader. His 1958 "Herman's Herd" averaged 16-18 members. These selections were all recorded between Aug. lst and Dec. 26th of that year. I think I owned this on vinyl in '59 under the title "Tito Meets Woody" and I think it was on the Everest label. This CD reissue is a great deal of fun. In addition to Puente's Latin percussion and Herman's horn, Nat Adderly does some trumpeting, Charlie Byrd plays guitar a little, and Bob Brookmeyer can be heard on trombone. The other band members have less public recognition, but hey, nobody plays badly for a Herman band. The "Herd" could easily have been doing these tunes in the early 40's, in the glory days of big bands instead of the waning years. Tito brought the 50's fad of Cuban-style drumming into the mix, and the result is a total victory. You can probably get this at a good price used here in 2003, and if you like swing, jazz, percussion or big groups, this is for you. Not only does it make you feel like dancing, these sounds can lure you into thinking you actually can dance well.
This is 41 minutes of joy.
By  William E. Adams.
**
Tito Puente and Woody Herman teamed in 1958 for a mutually satisfying meeting in the same way that Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Machito found common ground in the late '40s. Puente's Latin rhythms and beats meshed with the swing and bebop of Herman's band on half of the disc's cuts, and the results were hot and delightful. With Puente heading the rhythm section and playing timbales, Robert Rodriguez on bass, and assorted percussion from Gilbert Lopez, Raymond Rodriquez, and Ray Barretto, the band stays locked into the Latin groove while the saxophonists and trumpeters weave in, out, and around the beat. There are also more conventional Herman swing numbers such as "Blue Station" and "Woodchopper's Ball," where the standard Herman stomping sound is in effect.
By Ron Wynn, All Music Guide.
**
Tito Puente- Percussion, Timbales
Woody Herman- Clarinet
Sam Marowitz- Reeds
Pete Mondello- Reeds
Danny Bank- Reeds
Paul Quinichette- Reeds, Tenor Sax
Al Cohn- Reeds, Tenor Sax
Joe Romano- Tenor Sax
Jay Migliori- Tenor Sax
Marty Flax- Tenor Sax
Al Belletto- Baritone Sax
Bobby Clark- Trumpet
Irwin Marky Markowitz- Trumpet
Hal Posey- Trumpet
Steve Lipkins- Trumpet
Danny Stiles- Trumpet
Willie Thomas- Trumpet
Ernie Royal- Trumpet
Nick Travis- Trumpet
Al Forte- Trumpet
Jimmy Guinn- Trombone
Frank Rehak- Trombone
Roger DeLillo- Trombone
Willie Dennis- Trombone
Bill Elton- Trombone
Billy Byers- Trombone
Al Planck- Piano
Major Holley- Bass
Robert Rodriguez- Bass
Ray Barretto- Conga
Gilbert Lopez- Percussion
Ray Rodriguez- Percussion
Jimmy Campbell- Drums
**
01. Latin Flight 2:02
02. New Cha-Cha 3:03
03. Mambo Herd 2:39
04. Tito Meets Woody 2.39
05. Cha-Cha Chick 3:02
06. Blue Gardenia 3:10
07. Prelude a la Cha Cha 4:05
08. It's Coolin' Time 4:19
09. Black Orchid 2:33
10. Original No. 2 3:09
11. Sinbad the Sailor 4:02
12. Mambo Bambo 3:19
13. Fire Island 3:16
**

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Herb ELLIS & Stuff SMITH - Together! 1963

Herb ELLIS & Stuff SMITH - Together! 1963
1995 Issue

Jazz

This Koch CD reissues an interesting and very successful matchup between guitarist Herb Ellis and the great swing violinist Stuff Smith. Pianist Lou Levy and Bob Enevoldsen (doubling on his cool-toned tenor and valve trombone) contribute some solos and drummer Shelly Manne adds fine support. The reissue (which has three alternate takes in addition to the original six-song program) features plenty of cooking and strong interplay between Stuff and Ellis on some blues, the ancient standard How Come You Do Me Like You Do (which has one of the violinist's two personable vocals) and Smith's two originals Hillcrest and Skip It. This is one of Ellis' personal favorite records and one of the best recordings from Stuff Smith's later years.
By Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.
**
A rare treat from the now defunt Koch Jazz . Stuff really benefits from having two other front liners to enhance his customary drive and swing.They all gain from having Manne on board. Stand out track - Get Acquainted Blues. Three bonus takes mean good value. Surpassed only by NOTHING BUT THE BLUES.Recommended
By Brian E. White.
**
Stuff Smith-  Violin, Vocals
Herb Ellis- Guitar
Shelly Manne- Drums
Bob Enevoldsen- Trombone, Tenor Sax
Lou Levy- Piano
**
01. Skip It 8:07
02. Alone Together (take 2) 4:18
03. Blues For Janet 4:16
04. How Come You Do Me Like You Do 3:06
05. Get Acquainted Blues (take 5) 7:33
06. Hillcrest  (take 2)  7:09
07. Get Acquainted Blues 7:33
08. Alone Together (take 1) 7:15
09. Hillcrest (take 5)  6:08
**

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Lisa EKDAHL - Back To Earth 1998

Lisa EKDAHL - Back To Earth 1998

Jazz

Best known in Scandinavia for her 1994 hit "Vem Vet, " Lisa Ekdahl became one of the top Swedish pop singers of the 1990s but also records and performs straightahead jazz. Ekdahl's pop albums have been in Swedish, while her acoustic jazz albums have favored English-language standards. The thin-voiced singer was born and raised in Stockholm, where in 1990, she started singing jazz with the trio of pianist Peter Nordahl. In 1994, her self-titled debut album came out in Sweden, and it was that year that her single "Vem Vet" (which is Swedish for "Who Knows") made her a superstar in Scandinavia at the age of 23. Ekdahl's subsequent pop albums in Sweden included Med Kroppen Mot Jorden in 1996 and Bortom Det Bla in 1997. The singer's first English-language effort, When Did You Leave Heaven, was also her first jazz album and the first Ekdahl album to come out in the U.S. When Did You Leave Heaven was a big seller in Sweden, but the album (which came out on RCA Victor in the U.S.) received its share of negative reviews from American jazz critics, who felt that Ekdahl's thin, very girlish voice was wrong for standards and straightahead jazz and argued that she should stick to pop. Her next jazz recording, Back to Earth, came out in 1999.
By Alex Henderson, All Music Guide.
*
At first, Lisa Ekdahl's squeaky, girlish voice may seem inappropriate for the pop standards she has chosen to make her trade, but given some time, her voice and laid-back style become endearing. True, she occasionally seems mannered and borrows heavily from her inspirations (most notably Billie Holiday), but she shows signs of developing her own style throughout her second American album, Back to Earth. Like its predecessor, When Did You Leave Heaven, Back to Earth was recorded with the Peter Nordahl Trio and has a charming mellow vibe. Nordahl has an elegant turn of phrase and his rhythm section -- drummer Ronnie Gardiner and bassist Patrik Boman -- has a light touch that keeps the focus on Ekdahl. It is true that her voice may strike some listeners as odd, but it's girlish, not thin, which means she can nail the emotions of the songs. There may be a few missteps here and there, but she delivers ballads ("What Is This Thing Called Love?," "The Laziest Gal in Town," "Now or Never") as well as swing ("Down with Love," "I Get a Kick Out of You"). Yes, the selections are a little predictable and Ekdahl is a bit of an acquired taste, but ultimately, Back to Earth is quite charming.
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.
**
Lisa Ekdahl- (Vocals);
Peter Nordahl- (Piano);
Patrik Boman- (Bass);
Ronnie Gardiner- (Drums).
**
01. Now or Never 3:35
02. Nature Boy 4:48
03. Stranger on Earth 3:41
04. Laziest Gal in Town 6:12
05. It Had to Be You 3:09
06. Down With Love 1:37
07. What Is This Thing Called Love 5:04
08. Tea for Two 5:29
09. The Lonely One 3:20
10. I Get a Kick Out of You 3:20
11. Just for a Thrill 3:25
12. Night and Day 4:32
13. Plaintive Rumba 6:22
**

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Flip PHILLIPS with Scott HAMILTON - A Sound Investment 1987

Flip PHILLIPS with Scott HAMILTON - A Sound Investment 1987

Jazz

By sheer coincidence, this album was recorded a few months before and released just one month after the 1987 stock market crash; hence the upticking curve on the graph depicted on the jacket became a positive antidote of sorts to the financial screwups of the time. But without even seeing the jacket, one is always aware of the good vibes these tenor players generate in these small-combo contemporary swing sessions. Already in his 70s, Flip still plays with mature, husky soul, a slightly wailing upper register, and a feeling for space, while Hamilton's busier, directly booming tone becomes a neutral foil. Of the eight tunes, five of them are by Phillips, and the two rarely miss an opportunity to trade riffs good-naturedly in a friendly JATP manner. Good supporting cast, too, with guitarist Chris Flory making his mark as the ghost of Charlie Christian peers over the music stand.
By Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide.
**
Flip Philips, Scott Hamilton- (Tenor Sax)
Chris Flory- (Guitar)
John Bunch- (Piano)
Phil Flanigan- (Bass)
Chuck Riggs- (Drums)
**
01. A Sound Investment (F. Phillips) (4:48)
02. Comes Love (L. Brown - C. Tobias - S. H. Stept) (6:12)
03. Blues for the Midgets (F. Phillips) (5:30)
04. With Someone New (F. Phillips) (6:36)
05. Maria Elena (L. Barcelata - B. Russell) (6:38)
06. Great Scott (F. Phillips) (3:50)
07. A Smooth One (B. Goodman) (6:37)
08. New Orleans (H. Carmichael) (3:36)
09. The Claw (F. Phillips) (6:00)
**

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Ahmad JAMAL – Standard Eyes 1967

Ahmad JAMAL – Standard Eyes 1967
LPS-786

Jazz

One of Ahmad Jamal's most popular trios, with bassist Israel Crosby and drummer Vernel Fournier, is featured in this Cadet LP anthology of live recordings made between 1958 and 1961 for Argo. Even though the pianist sticks almost exclusively to very familiar standards, his fresh approach to each of them makes his interpretations very distinctive. His spacious, light-hearted and Afro-Cuban-flavored arrangement of "Taboo" (which Art Tatum played as a virtuoso showstopper), the adventurous take of "Billy Boy," and the playfulness of his rapid but brief rendition of "I'll Remember April" are among the standout tracks. While it is preferable to locate each of the original records from which each of these dozen tracks were compiled (since not all of them have been reissued on CD), this LP contains a well-rounded sampling of early Ahmad Jamal for those who neither have the time nor the funds to acquire all of them.
By Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.
**
Ahmad Jamal- (Piano)
Israel Crosby- (Double Bass)
Vernel Fournier- (Drums)
**
A1. Billy Boy   2:55
A2. Sweet and Lovely   3:53
A3. I Didn't Know What Time It Was   3:20
A4. Taboo   3:55
A5. I'll Never Stop Loving You   3:01
A6. I'll Remember April   2:35
B1. So Beats My Heart for You   3:26
B2. For All We Know   2:42
B3. The Breeze and I   2:53
B4. Like Someone in Love   2:46
B5. Angel Eyes   4:12
B6. The Girl Next Door   3:22
**

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Son SEALS Blues Band - Son Seals Blues Band 1973

Son SEALS Blues Band - Son Seals Blues Band 1973
AL 4703

Blues

Originally issued in 1973 on Bruce Iglauer's then-new Alligator label, this is the late, great Frank "Son" Seals' debut album, a supremely rough, tough affair with some stinging lead guitar playing, tougher and less polished than Stevie Ray Vaughan and at least as gritty as Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy.

Son Seals mines classic Chicago blues grooves on the swinging "Look Now, Baby" and the slow "Cotton Pickin' Blues", and other highlights include the grinding (and thoroughly unsentimental) "Your Love Is Like A Cancer", the fiery "Mother-In-Law Blues", a genuine blues in the vein of Elmore James, and the funky "How Could She Leave Me". But there are really no weak tracks here at all, just forty minutes of slashing guitar playing and raw bluesy goodness played by the stripped-down four-piece band (Seals, bassist John Riley, drummer Charles Caldwell, and organ player Johnny "Big Moose" Walker").

These compositions are less influenced by soul and rock than Seals' albums would be just a few years later, so there are more traditional A-A-B-arrangements here than on his other records, and his lead guitar playing is sharp as shards of broken glass, as gritty as anything you'll ever hear on a 70s blues record. And while "The Son Seals Blues Band" is perhaps not as instantly memorable as the best work of Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf, it is a very enjoyable record even without an obvious replacement for "Hoochie Coochie Man"!
By  Docendo Discimus.
**
The Chicago mainstay's debut album was a rough, gruff, no-nonsense affair typified by the decidedly unsentimental track "Your Love Is like a Cancer." Seals wasn't all that far removed from his southern roots at this point, and his slashing guitar work sports a strikingly raw feel on his originals "Look Now, Baby," "Cotton Picking Blues," and "Hot Sauce" (the latter a blistering instrumental that sounds a bit like the theme from Batman played sideways).
By Bill Dahl. AMG.
**
Son Seals- (Guitar),(Vocals),
Charles Caldwell- (Drums),
John Riley- (Bass),
Johnny Big Moose Walker- (Organ).
**
A1. Mother-in-Law Blues  3:12
A2. Sitting at My Window  4:30
A3. Look Now, Baby  3:24
A4. Your Love Is Like a Cancer  4:30
A5. All Your Love  3:34
B1. Cotton Picking Blues  4:38
B2. Hot Sauce (Inst.)   3:04
B3. How Could She Leave Me  3:39
B4. Going Home Tomorrow  3:37
B5. Now That I'm Down  5:58
**

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Lefty DIZZ, Feat. Big "Moose Walker" - Shake For Me 1979

Lefty DIZZ, Feat. Big "Moose Walker" - Shake For Me 1979
(Blues Refence)
2002 Issue

Blues

In a town like Chicago, where the competition in blues clubs was tough and keen (and still is on a hot night), certain musicians quickly learned that sometimes red-hot playing and singing didn't always get the job done by themselves. You had to entertain, put on a show, because there was always someone looking to take your gig away from you. Only those willing to protect their bandstand — and their livelihood in the long run — by generally peppering their presentation with a small to large dollop of showmanship were smart enough to hang in for the long run, keeping both their hometown audience and their turf intact. Although blues revisionist history always seems to overlook this, the show that T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Buddy Guy and others did in front of a Black audience was wilder and far more audacious than the one a more reserved White audience ever got to see. For wild-ass showmen in blues history, though, one would certainly have to go a far piece to beat Walter Williams, known to blues fans in Chicago and Europe as Lefty Dizz.... A regular fixture of the Chicago scene from the mid-'60s into the early '90s, Lefty was quite a sight back in those days; fronting his band, Shock Treatment, playing and singing with an unbridled enthusiasm while simultaneously putting on a show that would have oldtimers guffawing in appreciation while scaring White patrons out of their wits. As an entertainer, he was simply nothing less than a modern day Guitar Slim informed with the outrage of a Hendrix, pulling out every trick in the book to win over an audience, whether he was protecting his home turf bandstand or stealing the show while sitting in somewhere else. It was nothing for him to play a slow blues, bring the band down, and start walking through the crowd dragging his beat-up Stratocaster behind him like a sack of potatoes, playing it with one hand the entire time. Or take on some young Turk axeman gunning for his scalp (and gig) by kicking off Freddie King's "Hideaway" at an impossibly fast tempo, calling for break after break while infusing all of them with so many eye-popping gags that the young Turk in question was merely reduced to becoming another member of the audience. As a bluesman, he was nothing less than deep and 100% for real. Nobody messed with Lefty Dizz.... Born in Arkansas in 1937, Dizz (the nickname was bestowed on him by Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, appropriating it from drummer Ted Harvey, who used the name when he was "playing jazz in the alley") started playing guitar at age 19 after a four-year hitch in the Air Force. Entirely self-taught, he played a standard right-handed model flipped upside down, without reversing the strings. His sound was raw and distorted and his style owed more to the older bluesmen than to the hipper West Side players like Otis Rush and Buddy Guy working in the B.B. King mode. By the time he came to Chicago, he had honed his craft well enough to become a member of Junior Wells's band in 1964, recording and touring Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia with him until the late '60s. At various times during the '60s and early '70s, he'd also moonlight as a guitarist with Chicago stalwarts J.B. Lenoir and Hound Dog Taylor, while sitting in everywhere and playing with seemingly everyone. While being well known around town as a "head cutter," Lefty Dizz was always welcome on anyone's bandstand. His personality, while seemingly carefree and humorous, masked a deep, highly intelligent individual who had also earned a degree in economics from Southern Illlinois University.... He kept soldiering on in the blues trenches through the '90s when he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. While chemotherapy helped, Lefty went back to work far too soon and far too hard to stay on top of his game for much longer. The unflappable Dizz, who could seemingly make the best out of any given situation without complaint and had friends in the blues community by the truckload, finally passed away on September 7, 1993. And with his passing, the blues lost perhaps its most flamboyant showman.
By Cub Koda, All Music Guide.
**
Odie Payne, Jr.-Drums
Big "Moose" Walker- Piano, Vocals
Lefty Dizz- Guitar, Vocals
Willie James Lyons-Guitar
**
01. R.M. Blues 2:47
02. Blue Shadows (take 2) 3:40
03. Take Out Some Insurance 3:54
04. Cummins Prison Farm 4:37
05. I Found Out 5:21
06. Shake For Me 4:24
07. Funny Acting Woman 4:12
08. The Things I Used To Do 4:34
09. Blue Shadows (take 1) 4:14
10. Moose Boogie 2:46
11. One Eyed Woman 4:06
12. All Right, OK, You Win 3:00
13. Lake Shore Drive Boogie 3:09
**


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