Ronnie Earl/Pinetop Perkins/Calvin "Fuzz" Jones/Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Ronnie Earl/Pinetop Perkins/Calvin "Fuzz" Jones/Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Eye to Eye - 1996 - Audioquest Records

This CD is a fine showcase for guitarist Ronnie Earl, who is teamed with three members of the Legendary Blues Band (pianist Pinetop Perkins, bassist Calvin Jones and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith), plus organist Bruce Katz. Although pianist Perkins takes vocals on most of the songs and bassist Jones sings on two of the numbers, nearly each selection has plenty of solo space for Earl and Perkins. Sticking exclusively to the blues at a variety of tempos, the fine program (which has superior instrumental playing that overshadows the personable vocals) should be of strong interest to both blues and jazz collectors. © Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

TRACKS & COMPOSERS

1. How Long - Memphis Slim
2. Country Girl - Little Willie John
3. 'Tops Boogie Woogie - Pinetop Perkins
4. Eye To Eye - Willie Smith
5. 'Yonders Wall - Elmore James
6. Ronnie's Blues - Pinetop Perkins
7. Shake For Me - Willie Dixon
8. Miss Ida B. - Roosevelt Sykes
9. Kidney Stew - Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Leona Blackman
10. I Woke Up This Morning - Willie Smith
11. Take It Easy Baby - Sonny Boy Williamson [I]
12. Anna Lee - Robert McCullum
13. Forty Four Blues - Roosevelt Sykes

CREDITS

Ronnie Earl (Guitar), Ronnie Earl (Producer), Ronnie Earl (Main Performer), Ronnie Earl (Assistant Producer), John Sebastian (Harmonica), Bruce Katz (Organ (Hammond)), Tony Lewis (Guitar), Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (Bass), Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (Vocals), Calvin "Fuzz" Jones (Performer), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Joe Harley (Producer), Pinetop Perkins (Piano), Pinetop Perkins (Vocals), Pinetop Perkins (Performer), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (Drums), Frank John Hadley (Liner Notes), Willie Smith (Performer), Catherine Sebastian (Liner Notes), Catherine Sebastian (Photography), Paul Marconi (Assistant Engineer), Michael C. Ross (Engineer), Hillary Weiss (Art Direction), Hillary Weiss (Design), John Chiarolanzo (Assistant Engineer), Tony Levis (Guitar), Jose Alvarez (Guitar)

REVIEW

A true craftsman at work exudes an unhurried ease, understated confidence, and a relaxed---yet totally focused---air. With no need for braggadocio or flourishes, the master craftsman simply gets down to business. Getting down to the business of the blues is exactly what guitarist Ronnie Earl's Eye to Eye is all about. Although billed as a Ronnie Earl release, Eye to Eye belongs as much to blues legends Pinetop Perkins, Calvin Jones, and Willie Smith, who comprised Muddy Waters' rhythm section from 1974 to 1980 (and played individually with Waters on and off since the '50s).
Listening to Eye to Eye is like watching master craftsmen at work. The music has a relaxed, almost loping ease that makes it seem to hang behind the beat. The players have a total mastery of their art, both individually in solos and the way they lock together rhythmically. Earl's spare and expressive style fits the mood perfectly. Although getting on in years (Pinetop is 84), these musicians are as sharp as tacks. Listen, for example, to Smith's crisp fills on the driving Willie Dixon tune "Shake for Me." Eye to Eye's sound quality is an audiophile's dream---clean, dynamic, and free from glare. Ronnie Earl's fabulous guitar sound is particularly well-served, with a sense of ambient air around his amplifier. Best of all, the sound gets out of the music's way, leaving you to revel in this modern blues gem. Copyright © Primedia Magazines, Inc. All rights reserved.