Tom Principato Band

Tom Principato Band - I Know What You're Thinkin' - 1988 - Powerhouse Records

This is the sophomore release for the Tom Principato Band after the leader Tom Principato launched his solo career. Continuing in the grand tradition of their first CD "Smokin'" which I highly recommend seeking out, the guitarist/vocalist again partners with Steve Wolf on bass and Clark Matthews on drums. This trio, assisted here and there by organ fills and horn arrangements, is a real threat, and they dish out some fine rock-n-roll that is infused with some jazz and some blues/soul. Tom Principato contributes 2 originals, the jumping "Try to Reach You" and the searing instrumental "Blue Lights", which he thinks is one of the best songs he ever wrote. While I think that "Blue Lights" certainly finds a rival in the title track of Tom's "In The Clouds" CD, it is definitely a composition that should have been considered for a Grammy. Steve Wolf, who is a remarkable bass player in his own right, contributes 3 originals that bring a greater strength and diversity to the album. With Steve Wolf paired up with Clark Matthews on drums, the rhythm section in this power trio is rock solid and tighter than a bull's butt. The choice of covers on this album is quite fun: "Congo Square" by Sonny Landreth, "Never Make a Move Too Soon" which has been a staple in BB King's repertoire, and "Honeydripper" by Art Neville. The band does an excellent job with the covers, really making them their own and delivering a really fun rendition of "Never Make a Move Too Soon" -- Tom also nails the vocals down to a tee on this great tune. That being said, Tom does a super job with the vocals throughout. As an added bonus, the sound quality is remarkable throughout this album. The sample MP3s don't really do this album much justice -- you have to hear it in its entirety to judge. The CD version for some reason isn't available on Amazon but is available directly on Tom's website for those who like the hard piece of plastic :-)- By & © Denis (NJ, USA) “***** Infectious American rock-n-roll, right up with the best of 'em, August 23, 2010” © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B000QZYK3C/ref=acr_dpdigitalmusic_text/175-5373449-9600335?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

The great and underrated guitarist Tom Principato has a rich blues background, and a genuine love of the blues. He is long known to guitar aficionados for his beautiful fluid playing technique. The legendary Pat Metheny once said of Tom, “He has an enormous talent at telling stories in his solos; he doesn't play 'standard' licks". Tom's albums cover everything from blues, jazz, country and high-energy rock to Latin and Eastern influenced neo-classical music”.“ I Know What You're Thinkin'” covers blues, soul, funk and rock played with genuine passion. This album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out Tom’s “Blues Over The Years” album on this blog, and try and listen to Tom’s great “Tip of the Iceberg” album. Buy his terrific instrumental "Not One Word" album and support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 92.3 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Won't Recover - Steve Wolf 3:56
2 Never Make Your Move Too Soon - Stix Hooper / Will Jennings / Nesmond Hooper Jr. 5:16
3 Rose Marie - Steve Wolf 3:50
4 Blue Lights - Tom Principato 6:13
5 Congo Square - Sonny Landreth 5:50
6 Try To Reach You - Tom Principato 3:00
7 I Know What You're Thinkin' - Steve Wolf 3:50
8 Honeydripper - Art Neville 5:29

MUSICIANS

Tom Principato - Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, 6 String Bass Guitar, Bass, Electric Bass, Vocals
Steve Wolf - Bass, Vocal Harmony
Tom Lepson - Hammond Organ, Vocals, Vocal Harmony
Clark Matthews - Drums, Vocals, Harmony Vocals
David Palmer - Drums, Percussion
Pete Barrenbregge - Tenor Sax
Scott Young - Tenor Sax, Horn
Dave Brink - Baritone Sax
Bruce Gates, Vaughn Nark - Trumpet
Rick Lillard - Trombone
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Margot Kunkel, Cindy Wallman - Backing Vocals

BIO

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Tom Principato has long been a regional star in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. He has toured nationally around the U.S., Canada, and Europe, but often the venues are clubs. His particular blend of blues-rock is highly specific; jazz guitar master Pat Metheny said of Principato, "he has an enormous talent at telling stories in his solos; he doesn't play 'standard' licks." Raised in suburban Washington, D.C. his early guitar playing heroes included Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton. He listened to his parents' recordings by the likes of Chet Atkins and the Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian, and like a lot of kids, discovered the power of Chicago blues in his high school years. Earlier in his professional career, Principato divided his time between two still-great cities for blues, Washington, D.C. and Boston. Principato was the leader of a band, Powerhouse, whose only album but lively shows made them a major club attraction in the late '70s. In 1980, Principato also joined guitarist Geoff Muldaur on the road and recorded an album with him as a member of his band. Back home in D.C. in 1981, he sought out and hooked up with a number of musicians, including Big Mama Thornton, Billy Price, and Sunnyland Slim and the Assassins, a band that included Nighthawks guitarist Jimmy Thackery.Principato recorded two albums with the Assassins, No Previous Record(1986) and Partners in Crime (1987). By 1987, Principato had launched his own solo career, playing at various nightclubs in and around D.C. and northern Virginia with varying trios. He made a live recording with his early mentor, Danny Gatton, Blazing Telecasters, which was later released in 1990. Since 1984, Principato has recorded many solo albums featuring his own varying groups. They include Smokin! (1986) I Know What You're Thinkin(1988) Blazing Telecasters with Danny Gatton, In Orbit (1990) Tip of the Iceberg (1992), In the Clouds (1995), and Really Blue (1998). He releasedBlues Over the Years in 1999, Not One Word in 2000, Live in Europe in 2001, Fingers on Fire with Pete Kennedy (now of the folk-rock duo the Kennedys) in 2002, House on Fire in 2003, Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters in 2005, and Guitar Gumbo, released that same year. His most recent recording, Raising the Roof, was released in 2008. Through the years, Principato has released records on his own Powerhouse Records label, as well as with the now-defunct, Atlanta-based Ichiban label. His live shows, often accompanied by just a bassist and drummer, are exciting, with lots of guitar pyrotechnics and great playing from the other members of his ensemble. Since the 1990s, Principato has enjoyed ongoing endorsement deals with Fender guitars, DR String Co., Seymour Duncan pickups, and Roger Mayer effects pedals. (The London-based Mayer made a variety of effects pedals and electronic gadgets for Jimi Hendrix.) Based in Falls Church, VA., when he's not out delivering his powerful live shows to crowds in clubs and theaters, Principatois like lot of unheralded blues and roots rock performers; he spends a lot of time in Europe, where the crowds in general seem to be much more appreciative of indigenous American styles. Other than a brief flirtation with Island Records, he has never been signed to a major label. © Richard Skelly
© 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-principato-mn0000514024/biography

Mary Coughlan

Mary Coughlan - Tired and Emotional - 1985 - East West Records

The great Irish jazz blues singer, Mary Coughlan demands virtuoso, spare support that lets her work her phrases until they ring with character. She is one of the world's greatest blues jazz vocalists of modern times, but is still very much underrated. Her voice has a unique jazz and blues-inflected timbre with a gorgeous Irish lilt to it. Her phrasing is immaculate, and her voice has real soul and a passion and sincerity that is a joy to hear. Mojo magazine said "she has a voice to kill for." This lady knows through personal experience exactly what she is singing and talking about. “Tired and Emotional” is a great debut album. It’s not as bluesy as jazzy as some of her later albums but is brimming with real class and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy her “Live At The Basement” album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 64.2 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Double Cross - F.Coughlan
2 The Beach - E.Visser & A.Hensey
3 Meet Me Where They Play the Blues - Allen & Gallop
4 Delaney's Gone Back on the Wine - J.Mulhern
5 Sense of Silence (S.O.S.) - E.Visser & A.Hensey
6 Nobody's Business / The Tango - P.Grainger, E.Robbins, E.Visser
7 Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long - B.Cockburn
8 Country Fair Dance (The Cowboy Song) - C.O'Beirne
9 Lady in Green - E.Visser & A.Hensey
10 Seduced - G.Tigerman

MUSICIANS

Guitars: Erik Visser, Gerrard Coffey, Declan Gibbons
Double Bass: Curly Kerenan
Accordions: Pat MacNamara, Tony Maher
Piano: Carl Hession
Synthesizers: Tony Maher, Carl Hession
Drums: Mickey Belton
Morse: John Dring
Percussion: Erik Vasser, Gerald O' Donoghue
Bones: Johnny (Ringo) McDonough
Saxophones: Keith Donald, Tony Chambers
Trumpet: Jimmy Higgins

BIO (WIKI)

Mary Coughlan (born 5 May 1956, County Galway, Ireland) is an Irish jazz and folk singer and actress. She has received great acclamation in her native country, for her emotional and heartfelt jazzy musical renditions. Coughlan was born in County Galway, Ireland (her father was a soldier from County Donegal). She was the eldest of five and had endured a very erratic youth. She left convent school and started drinking alcohol and taking drugs at just 15. At this age she spent time in a mental hospital. After time in hospital and a belated graduation, Coughlan decided to leave home. In the mid-1970s, she moved to London, UK, where she married Fintan Coughlan and had three children. However, in 1981, she left her husband and took custody of her children. In 1984, Coughlan moved back to Ireland, to her hometown of Galway. It was on her return to Ireland, when Coughlan started to perform in public, and soon was noticed by Dutch musician and producer Erik Visser. Visser, whose band Flairck were very popular in Europe at the time, helped Coughlan to record her first album, Tired and Emotional. Visser would go on to become her long-term collaborator. The album sold an unexpected 100,000 copies in Ireland, partly due to a memorable appearance on The Late Late Show. Despite her ongoing personal problems, Coughlan continued to reap praise for her recording output on WEA. On Under the Influence (1987) she revived the 1948 Peggy Lee hit “Don’t Smoke in Bed’’and the Billie Holiday ballad “Good Morning Heartache”, as well as Jimmy McCarthy's “Ride On”, which reached number 5 on the Irish pop charts in 1987. 1988 was another successful year for Coughlan, she made her acting debut in Neil Jordan’s High Spirits, and released her third studio album Ancient Rain. Despite her success, Coughlan lost her record contract with Warner Music Group. However, in 1990, she signed up with East West Records and released her fourth album Uncertain Pleasures , recorded in the UK and produced by Peter Glenister, former musical director for Terence Trent D'Arby. It included new compositions by Mark Nevin (Fairground Attraction) and Bob Geldof as well as covers of the Rolling Stones’ "Mother’s Little Helper" and Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel". After receiving treatment for her personal problems, it seemed as though Coughlan had landed on her two feet once again. Sentimental Killer (1992) and Love for Sale (1993) were received well. In 1994, Coughlan lent her vocals to the hugely popular A Woman's Heart Vol.2 album, along with the likes of Mary Black and Dolores Keane. Coughlan released her first live album, Live in Galway, and released another studio album in 1997, After the Fall, which became her American debut. In June 2000, Coughlan took another turn in her career when she presented a series of elaborate multimedia shows in Dublin and in London celebrating Billie Holiday, a singer whose life story had parallels to Coughlan's own. The best of these shows was collected on the Mary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday album. A new studio album was released the following April 2001, entitled Long Honeymoon, and another in 2002, Red Blues. The 2000s saw the release of numerous Coughlan compilation albums and her appearance on the RTÉ reality charity show, Celebrity Farm. The release of her most recent offering in 2008, The House of Ill Repute, sparked reviews that suggested it was her best yet. She has also taken part in the Sanctuary album with Moya Brennan. After her success in the mid-1980s with Tired and Emotional, Coughlan was dealing with serious mis-management in relation to her career. It was so bad that she ended up losing her car, her house and her recording contract with WEA. As a result, she started to drink very regularly and was hospitalised over 30 times. Despite minor success with her acting and her music during this period, the public was more interested in her personal turmoil. Due to treatment she received, she recovered in 1994 and found a new partner, Frank Bonadio, with whom she had two more children, bringing her total to five. A public spat with singer Sinéad O'Connor ensued over Bonadio's affections. Coughlan’s public stance concerning the topics of abortion, and the role of women in Irish society in general, are marked by brutal honesty and frank criticism.

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For Mary there will always be two falls. The first happened in Mesopotamia about 5000 years ago, we are told. The second happened in a sea-front house in Bray, near Dublin, around 1994. In the first, Eve was expelled from Eden for her sins and women have borne the brunt of it ever since. In the second, a heavily pregnant and very drunk Mary Coughlan fell onto her kitchen floor in a stupor, a piece of bread and butter plastered to her unconscious face. That was how her husband and three children found her when they returned from shopping. The next night Mary was taken to hospital where she miscarried. And she has borne the brunt of it ever since. But this is not why Mary Coughlan is the greatest female vocalist these islands have ever produced. It’s not even why she stands alongside, or even between, the bruised, battered but unbeaten giants of jazz chanson on both sides of the Atlantic, Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf. Mary Coughlan is the only singer these shores have produced to rival the greatest of European cabaret and American jazz club blues because of one thing: her voice. She is unique in blending the whisky-blurred, smoke-seared, husky notes and laconic wit of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee and the line of deep, down and dirty blues singers back to Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith with the sardonic, bitter-sweet defiance and despair of the Piaf chanteuse, born out of war, in the shadow of Brecht, at war with the world, men and finally herself. And Mary Coughlan enfolds it all in a delicious and unapologetic Irish drawl, sceptical, rueful, mournful and melting, ardent for love, all in one voice which wraps itself around Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, Elvis Presley and Joy Division, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and sails down that long river of blues that links the Mississippi to the Liffey in her magnificent Irish brogue. And the most remarkable thing of all is her quarrel with Ireland. She evidently detests the stage Irishry which persists to this day in Riverdance, U2 and The Corrs. But in her curt consonants, luxuriant plosives and Dub dipthongs she is nakedly Irish, Galway born, the daughter of a Donegal soldier and a Connemara woman. Yeats wrote, “Out of our quarrel with others, we make rhetoric. Out of our quarrel with ourselves, we make poetry.” Out of her quarrels Mary Coughlan has made some of the best music in these islands for twenty-five years. And it’s time she was applauded for that. In 1994 she went into rehab in Dublin and with her family’s support defeated her alcoholism and hasn’t taken a drink since. It’s understandable why Mary should feel so powerful an identification with Holiday. But that’s not what makes her the giant she is, someone who fills the sky alongside Holiday, Piaf, Lee, Fitzgerald, London, Vaughan, Washington. Music history is littered with performers and artists dead or defeated by drink or drugs. That is not what makes a singer great. Nor even the conquering of addiction, though that’s no mean feat, God knows. In 2001 Mary consciously identified herself with her musical inspiration in her liner notes to ‘Mary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday’, a live recording of her homage show to Holiday staged in Dublin and London, ‘Lady Sings the Blues’. The resemblance was more than musical. Holiday was dead at 44, the age Mary did the show. Mary had been sober for more than six years after a murderous decade of drinking in her 30s, consuming bottles of vodka or tequila a day, which dragged her in and out of hospital more than 30 times, led to the death of her unborn child and almost killed her one night in intensive care where she needed tubes through her neck artery to feed her heart the drugs needed to get her through the night. A doctor was by her side throughout. Mary is our greatest female singer because over twenty-five years and ten albums she’s made the most grown-up, uncompromising, wholly personal and utterly universal music on either side of the Atlantic about what goes on between men and women. She has taken the classic standards of jazz balladry and the recent gems of rock and Irish song-writing, shaken them and offered them up anew, like jewels dripping from the deep, strewn on black velvet. She sings in the voice of the wrong and wronged woman and she makes us think what it is men make of women and what women have to do to make do. She has just one other forebear in the pretty pallid parade of British female pop artists, just one other woman whose bruised, haunted voice could find and enjoy the inconsolable longing and loss in a three minute pop song: Dusty Springfield. Or Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien, to give her her real name. Born to an Irish Catholic family. Small world. © David Kelly © http://www.marycoughlanmusic.com/home.php#mary

The Robert Cray Band

The Robert Cray Band - Bad Influence - 1983 - Hightone

One of Robert Cray's best albums ever, and the one that etched him into the consciousness of blues aficionados prior to his mainstream explosion. Produced beautifully by Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker, the set sports some gorgeous originals ("Phone Booth," "Bad Influence," "So Many Women, So Little Time") and two well-chosen covers, Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Don't Touch Me" and Eddie Floyd's Stax-era "Got to Make a Comeback." Few albums portend greatness the way this one did. © Bill Dahl © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/bad-influence-mw0000189638

Robert Cray's music has been described as as "neoclassic-R&B". Not a bad definition of his music, as many music "critics" have maintained that Robert Cray's music is "safe", "predictable", and some have made the comment that he is not a "genuine" bluesman because of his musical excursions into Gospel, R&B, and Southern Soul. Other "experts" have said that his albums have a "sameness" about them. He has been described as "a yuppie blues wannabe". Well, Robert Cray's music has always had a "soul backbone", and there's nothing wrong with that, and his music has always had a strong blues foundation. The guy is a brilliant blues guitarist, and has made many great albums. Robert has never stuck to the orthodox blues' styles. His innovative guitar playing has brought new life to the blues, and many of his songs are the real blues deal. Robert has stamped modern blues with his own unique style. Robert, himself, has said that "Blues is one of the foundations of our music, but it’s not all that we play." He also said "When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison – that is, until I heard Jimi Hendrix. After that, I wanted to be Albert Collins and Buddy Guy and B.B. King. And then there are singers like O.V. Wright and Bobby Blue Bland. It’s all mixed up in there." "Every time somebody asks me about where my music comes from, I give them five or six different directions – a little rock, soul, jazz, blues, a little gospel feel. Then there are some other things that maybe fall in there every once in a while, like a little Caribbean flavor or something. You just never know. I always attribute it to the music we grew up listening to, and the radio back in the ‘60s. It’s pretty wide open. It’s hard to put a tag on it." On "Bad Influence", Robert Cray shows that he is more than capable of playing great music, using his many formidable influences. Probably the most well-known and memorable song on the album is the funky minor-key blues song, "Phone Booth," later covered by Robert's idol Albert King. He is admired by real music lovers as a stylish musician. He has a winning musical formula, and as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!Sure, Robert takes regular excursions outside the blues realm, but he still plays great music. Somebody said that "if the Everly Brothers could sing the same way for 30 years, why can't Robert Cray do the same?" Bruce Bromberg and David Walker produced the original album for the Californian Hightone label. The album has now sold over a million units. The original album had 10 tracks. The release here includes two bonus tracks. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Robert's superb "Strong Persuader" or "Shoulda Been Home" album, and search this blog for more releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Phone Booth - Richard Cousins / Robert Cray / Dennis Walker 3:26
2 Bad Influence - Robert Cray / Mike Vannice 2:53
3 The Grinder - D. Amy / Robert Cray 4:05
4 Got to Make a Comeback - Eddie Floyd 2:50
5 So Many Women, So Little Time - Oscar Washington 3:50
6 Where Do I Go from Here - Robert Cray / Mike Vannice / Dennis Walker 4:00
7 Waiting for the Tide to Turn - Robert Cray / Mike Vannice / Dennis Walker 3:30
8 March On - Robert Cray 2:25
9 Don't Touch Me - Shawn Dewey / Johnny "Guitar" Watson 3:20
10 No Big Deal - D. Amy / Robert Cray 4:11
11 Share What You Got, Keep What You Need [Bonus] - W.Bell / Steve Cropper / David Porter 3:50
12 I Got Loaded [Bonus] - Bob Camile 3:34

MUSICIANS

Robert Cray - Guitar, Vocals
Richard Cousins - Bass
Mike Vannice - Keyboards, Tenor Saxophone
Dave Olson - Drums
David Li - Percussion on "No Big Deal"
Warren Rand - Alto Saxophone
Albert Clemens - Vocals
Phillip Walker, Tony Mathews, Night Train Clemons - Background Vocals on "So Many Women, So Little Time"

BIO

Tin-eared critics have frequently damned him as a yuppie blues wannabe whose slickly soulful offerings bear scant resemblance to the real down-home item. In reality, Robert Cray is one of a precious few young (at this stage, that translates to under 50 years of age) blues artists with the talent and vision to successfully usher the idiom into the 21st century without resorting either to slavish imitation or simply playing rock while passing it off as blues. Just as importantly, his immensely popular records helped immeasurably to jump-start the contemporary blues boom that still holds sway to this day. Blessed with a soulful voice that sometimes recalls '60s-great O.V. Wright and a concise lead guitar approach that never wastes notes, Cray's rise to international fame was indeed a heartwarming one. For a guy whose 1980 debut album for Tomato, Who's Been Talkin', proved an instantaneous cutout, his ascendancy was amazingly swift -- in 1986 his breakthrough Strong Persuader album for Mercury (containing "Smoking Gun") won him a Grammy and shot his asking price for a night's work skyward. Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, GA. An Army brat who grew up all over the country before his folks settled in Tacoma, WA, in 1968, Cray listened intently to soul and rock before becoming immersed in the blues (in particular, the icy Telecaster of Albert Collins, who played at Cray's high school graduation!). Cray formed his first band with longtime bassist Richard Cousins in 1974. They soon hooked up with Collins as his backup unit before breaking out on their own. The cinematic set caught a brief glimpse of Cray (even if they weren't aware of it) when he anonymously played the bassist of the frat party band Otis Day & the Knights in National Lampoon's Animal House. Cray's Tomato set, also featuring the harp of Curtis Salgado, was an excellent beginning, but it was the guitarist's 1983 set for HighTone, Bad Influence, that really showed just how full of talent Cray was. Another HighTone set, False Accusations, preceded the emergence of the Grammy-winning 1985 guitar summit meeting album Showdown! for Alligator, which found the relative newcomer more than holding his own alongside Collins and Texan Johnny Copeland. Strong Persuader made it two Grammys in two years and made Cray a familiar face even on video-driven MTV. Unlike too many of his peers, Cray continued to experiment within his two presiding genres, blues and soul, on sets for Mercury such as Midnight Stroll, 1990, I Was Warned, 1992, and Shame + A Sin in 1993. After switching to Rykodisc in the late 90s Cray released Take Your Shoes Off in 1999, and Shoulda Been Home in 2001, proving that the "bluenatics" (as he amusedly labels his purist detractors) have nothing to fear and plenty to anticipate from this innovative, laudably accessible guitarist. Touring regularly with the likes of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Cray stayed active in the studio, as well, signing with Sanctuary Records and releasing Time Will Tell in 2003, Twenty in 2005, a pair of live albums, Live from Across the Pond in 2006 and Live at the BBC in 2008, and This Time, which was issued by Vanguard Records a year later. Cray released his third live album in four years, Cookin in Mobile, in 2010. The material that comprised the album was taken from a single performance at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama in February of that year. The Kevin Shirley-produced Nothin' But Love, a solid outing featuring narrative songs that circle around the trials and tribulations of love, appeared in 2012. © Bill Dahl © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-cray-mn0000830425

Robert Cray

Robert Cray - The Score: Charly Blues Masterworks, Vol. 16 - 1992 - Charly R&B

Bluesman Robert Cray has occasionally been critized for mixing pop and funk elements in his music but no such criticism can be made about this CD reissue of his recording debut. It seems obvious in hindsight from the music that Cray would become a star for his appealing voice and strong guitar playing manage to both update and reinforce the blues tradition. This superior if brief (under 36-minute) session is recommended to all lovers of the blues. © Scott Yanow © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/too-many-cooks-mw0000268957

Robert Cray's music has been described as as "neoclassic-R&B". Not a bad definition of his music, as many music "critics" have maintained that Robert Cray's music is "safe", "predictable", and some have made the comment that he is not a "genuine" bluesman because of his musical excursions into Gospel, R&B, and Southern Soul. Other "experts" have said that his albums have a "sameness" about them. He has been described as "a yuppie blues wannabe". Well, Robert Cray's music has always had a "soul backbone", and there's nothing wrong with that, and his music has always had a strong blues foundation. The guy is a brilliant blues guitarist, and has made many great albums. Robert has never stuck to the orthodox blues' styles. His innovative guitar playing has brought new life to the blues, and many of his songs are the real blues deal. Robert has stamped modern blues with his own unique style. Robert, himself, has said that "Blues is one of the foundations of our music, but it’s not all that we play." He also said "When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison – that is, until I heard Jimi Hendrix. After that, I wanted to be Albert Collins and Buddy Guy and B.B. King. And then there are singers like O.V. Wright and Bobby Blue Bland. It’s all mixed up in there." "Every time somebody asks me about where my music comes from, I give them five or six different directions – a little rock, soul, jazz, blues, a little gospel feel. Then there are some other things that maybe fall in there every once in a while, like a little Caribbean flavor or something. You just never know. I always attribute it to the music we grew up listening to, and the radio back in the ‘60s. It’s pretty wide open. It’s hard to put a tag on it." On "The Score", Robert Cray shows that he is more than capable of playing great music, using his many formidable influences. He is admired by real music lovers as a stylish musician. He has a winning musical formula, and as the saying goes, - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!. Sure, Robert takes regular excursions outside the blues realm, but he still plays great music. Somebody said that "if the Everly Brothers could sing the same way for 30 years, why can't Robert Cray do the same?" "The Score" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Robert's superb "Strong Persuader" album, and check out The Robert Cray Band's "This Time", and Robert Cray & Albert Collins' "In Concert 1977" albums on this blog. N.B: This album was originally issued in 1980 with the title "Who's Been Talkin'". It was released again in 1989 with the title "Too Many Cooks". "The Score" and the other two aforementioned albums contain the same tracks [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 82.8 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Too Many Cooks - Willie Dixon 2:51
2 The Score - D.Amy 4:15
3 The Welfare (Turns Its Back On You) - L. Weaver, Sonny Thompson 3:28
4 That's What I'll Do - Robert Cray 2:46
5 I'd Rather Be A Wino - Robert Cray, D. Amy 4:58
6 Who's Been Talkin' - Chester Burnett 3:54
7 Sleeping In The Ground - Sam Myers 3:29
8 I'm Gonna Forget About You - O.V. Wright 3:18
9 Nice As A Fool Can Be - Robert Cray 3:24
10 If You're Thinkin' What I'm Thinkin' - Robert Cray 4:33

MUSICIANS

Robert Cray - Guitar, Vocals
Richard Cousins - Bass (Tracks 1,3,6,8)
Dennis Walker - Bass (Tracks 2,4,5,7,9,10)
Nat Dove - Keyboards (Tracks 2,4,5,7,9,10)
Dave Stewart - Piano (Tracks 1,3,6,8)
Tom Murphy - Drums (Tracks 1,3,6,8)
Buster Jones - Drums (Tracks 2,4,5,7,9,10)
David Li - Saxophone
Nolan Smith - Trumpet
Curtis Salgado - Harmonica, Vocals (Track 8)

BIO

Tin-eared critics have frequently damned him as a yuppie blues wannabe whose slickly soulful offerings bear scant resemblance to the real down-home item. In reality, Robert Cray is one of a precious few young (at this stage, that translates to under 50 years of age) blues artists with the talent and vision to successfully usher the idiom into the 21st century without resorting either to slavish imitation or simply playing rock while passing it off as blues. Just as importantly, his immensely popular records helped immeasurably to jump-start the contemporary blues boom that still holds sway to this day. Blessed with a soulful voice that sometimes recalls '60s-great O.V. Wright and a concise lead guitar approach that never wastes notes, Cray's rise to international fame was indeed a heartwarming one. For a guy whose 1980 debut album for Tomato, Who's Been Talkin', proved an instantaneous cutout, his ascendancy was amazingly swift -- in 1986 his breakthrough Strong Persuader album for Mercury (containing "Smoking Gun") won him a Grammy and shot his asking price for a night's work skyward. Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, GA. An Army brat who grew up all over the country before his folks settled in Tacoma, WA, in 1968, Cray listened intently to soul and rock before becoming immersed in the blues (in particular, the icy Telecaster of Albert Collins, who played at Cray's high school graduation!). Cray formed his first band with longtime bassist Richard Cousins in 1974. They soon hooked up with Collins as his backup unit before breaking out on their own. The cinematic set caught a brief glimpse of Cray (even if they weren't aware of it) when he anonymously played the bassist of the frat party band Otis Day & the Knights in National Lampoon's Animal House. Cray's Tomato set, also featuring the harp of Curtis Salgado, was an excellent beginning, but it was the guitarist's 1983 set for HighTone, Bad Influence, that really showed just how full of talent Cray was. Another HighTone set, False Accusations, preceded the emergence of the Grammy-winning 1985 guitar summit meeting album Showdown! for Alligator, which found the relative newcomer more than holding his own alongside Collins and Texan Johnny Copeland. Strong Persuader made it two Grammys in two years and made Cray a familiar face even on video-driven MTV. Unlike too many of his peers, Cray continued to experiment within his two presiding genres, blues and soul, on sets for Mercury such as Midnight Stroll, 1990, I Was Warned, 1992, and Shame + A Sin in 1993. After switching to Rykodisc in the late 90s Cray released Take Your Shoes Off in 1999, and Shoulda Been Home in 2001, proving that the "bluenatics" (as he amusedly labels his purist detractors) have nothing to fear and plenty to anticipate from this innovative, laudably accessible guitarist. Touring regularly with the likes of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Cray stayed active in the studio, as well, signing with Sanctuary Records and releasing Time Will Tell in 2003, Twenty in 2005, a pair of live albums, Live from Across the Pond in 2006 and Live at the BBC in 2008, and This Time, which was issued by Vanguard Records a year later. Cray released his third live album in four years, Cookin in Mobile, in 2010. The material that comprised the album was taken from a single performance at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama in February of that year. © Bill Dahl © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-cray-mn0000830425

Jimmy Hall

Jimmy Hall - Touch You - 1980 - Epic

Jimmy Hall (born April 26, 1949 in Birmingham, Alabama) was the lead singer and harmonica player for the successful Southern rock group, Wet Willie which he co-founded 1970. In 1980 he had a solo hit of his with the single "I'm Happy that Love Has Found You" (US No.27). In May 1982, Jimmy peaked at No.77 with the song "Fool For Your Love." In 1985, he sang lead vocals on Jeff Beck's "Flash" album and was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Male Rock Vocalist. After leaving Willie, Jimmy Hall has been best known as a sideman for others (Jeff Beck, Jimmy Buffett, Hank Williams Jr., Gregg Allman) due to his abilities as a harp/sax player and vocalist. Jimmy has one of the most distinctive voices ever heard, and this is a very good album of pop, country, funk, and blue eyed soul. Listen to his "Build Your Own Fire" album and Wet Willie's tremendous "Left Coast Live" album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 74.8 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 634-5789 - E. Floyd, S. Cropper 3:41
A2 Private Number - B. T. Jones, W. Bell 3:18
A3 Midnight To Daylight - J. V. Hall Jr., J. Hall, L. Berwald 5:20
A4 Eazy Street - J. V. Hall Jr. 4:39
A5 Rock & Roll Soldier - E. Setser, T. Seals 4:16

B1 Never Again - J. Monday, M. Tanner, N. Jeffrey 3:21
B2 Bad News - J. D. Loudermilk 3:16
B3 I'm Happy That Love Has Found You - A. Jacobson, E. Chase, W. Haberman 3:57
B4 The Same Old Moon - J. Hall, J. Goin 5:08
B5 Touch You - J. Hall, L. Berwald 3:43

MUSICIANS

Jimmy Hall - Saxophone, Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals
Larry Berwald, Jon Goin - Guitar
"Brother" Jack Hall - Bass, Vocals
Shane Keister, Bobby Ogdin - Keyboards
Mike Duke - Piano on "634-5789"
Mike Eubank - Piano on "Midnight To Daylight"
Gunnar Gelotte - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Farrell Morris - Percussion on "Eazy Street"
George Tidwell - Trumpet on "634-5789"
Greg "Fingers" Taylor - Harmonica on "The Same Old Moon"
Sheldon Kurland - Strings
Norbert Putnam - String Arrangements on "Private Number"
Bonnie Bramlett - Vocals [Duet] on "Private Number"
Dave Loggins, Donna Hall, Anita Hall, Steve Brantley - Vocals

SHORT BIO

Jimmy Hall, former lead vocalist and harmonica player for Wet Willie, has a long and varied background as a performer, working with Capricorn Records from its early days in the 1970s. Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Hall cofounded Wet Willie in 1970; over the next ten years, Hall and the group toured with Aerosmith, the Allman Brothers Band, Grand Funk Railroad and the Grateful Dead. Hall was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocalist for Jeff Beck's 1985 Flash album. After Wet Willie's breakup, Hall moved to Nashville to work on a solo project for Epic Records, and he's been based there ever since, finding a healthy blues scene in a city known for country music. On his 1996 effort Rendezvous With The Blues, Hall is backed by people like Clayton Ivey on piano, former Capricorn session drummer Bill Stewart, and Dr. Dan Matrazzo on Hammond B-3 organ; the record also features Johnny Sandlin, the same producer who sat behind the console on Wet Willie's 1973 live album Drippin' Wet. In recent years, Hall joined Hank Williams Jr's touring band playing sax and harmonica. © Richard Skelly, All Music Guide

Little Milton

Little Milton - Annie Mae's Cafe - 1986 - Malaco

Annie Mae's Cafe is one of the strongest albums Little Milton recorded for Malaco. Milton's solos are crisp and stinging throughout the album and his vocals are impassioned. Because he's in top form, he can save the lesser material and that's what makes the album so consistent. © Thom Owens © allmusic.com

A good mixture of well sung blues and soul songs, with tasteful playing from all the musicians. The strings and vocal choruses on some songs are done really well, as are the horn and string arrangements This album has been criticized in some quarters for Little Miltons "uninspired" performance. Other critics have hailed "Annie Mae's Cafe" as one of LM's better albums. It may not be in the same league as his "We're Gonna Make It", "If Walls Could Talk", and "I'm a Gambler" albums, but the late Little Milton is a soul and blues legend, and his vocals on this album are great. This is not a guitar dominated album, but Little Milton and his backing musicians play with real soul. This album is HR by A.O.O.F.C [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 83.6 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I'm at the End of My Rainbow - Johnson, Mosley 5:11
2 A Real Good Woman - Bailey, Jackson 5:06
3 Breakaway Clean - Edwards, Jackson, Parnell 3:58
4 Copyright on Your Love - Moore, Randle, Settle 3:37
5 Cheatin' Is a Risky Business - Addison 5:18
6 Annie Mae's Cafe - Addison, Jackson 5:07
7 This Must Be the Blues - Johnson, Mosley 5:04
8 Too Hurt to Cry - Campbell 4:23
9 You're My Strongest Weakness - Jackson 4:58
10 Why Can't We Be Together - Campbell, Jackson 3:25

MUSICIANS

Little Milton - Guitar, Vocals
Dino Zimmerman, Milton Campbell - Guitar
Ray Griffin - Bass, Bass (Electric)
Larry Addison, Carson Whitsett - Keyboards
James Robertson - Drums
Harrison Calloway - Horn, Horn & String Arrangements
Byron Gregory - Horn & String Arrangements
Harvey Thompson, Charles Rose, Ronnie Eades, Ben Cauley - Horn
Greg "Fingers" Taylor - Harmonica
John Frantz, Steve Dressler, Janet Dressler, Mickey Davis, Peggy Plucker, Bob McNally, Claudette Hampton, Brian Gum - Strings
Catherine Henderson, Jewel Bass, Thomisene Anderson - Vocals (Background)

BIO

He may not be a household name, but die-hard blues fans know Little Milton as a superb all-around electric bluesman -- a soulful singer, an evocative guitarist, an accomplished songwriter, and a skillful bandleader. He's often compared to the legendary B.B. King -- as well as Bobby "Blue" Bland -- for the way his signature style combines soul, blues, and R&B, a mixture that helped make him one of the biggest-selling bluesmen of the '60s (even if he's not as well-remembered as King). As time progressed, his music grew more and more orchestrated, with strings and horns galore. He maintained a steadily active recording career all the way from his 1953 debut on Sam Phillips' legendary Sun label, with his stunning longevity including notable stints at Chess (where he found his greatest commercial success), Stax, and Malaco. James Milton Campbell was born September 7, 1934, in the small Delta town of Inverness, MS, and grew up in Greenville. (He would later legally drop the "James" after learning of a half-brother with the same name.) His father Big Milton, a farmer, was a local blues musician, and Milton also grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio program. At age 12, he began playing the guitar and saved up money from odd jobs to buy his own instrument from a mail-order catalog. By 15, he was performing for pay in local clubs and bars, influenced chiefly by T-Bone Walker but also by proto-rock & roll jump blues shouters. He made a substantial impression on other area musicians, even getting a chance to back Sonny Boy Williamson II, and caught the attention of R&B great Ike Turner, who was doubling as a talent scout for Sam Phillips at Sun. Turner introduced the still-teenaged Little Milton to Phillips, who signed him to a contract in 1953. With Turner's band backing him, Milton's Sun sides tried a little bit of everything -- he hadn't developed a signature style as of yet, but he did have a boundless youthful energy that made these early recordings some of his most exciting and rewarding. Unfortunately, none of them were hits, and Milton's association with Sun was over by the end of 1954. He set about forming his own band, which waxed one single for the small Meteor label in 1957, before picking up and moving to St. Louis in 1958. In St. Louis, Milton befriended DJ Bob Lyons, who helped him record a demo in a bid to land a deal on Mercury. The label passed, and the two set up their own label, christened Bobbin. Little Milton's Bobbin singles finally started to attract some more widespread attention, particularly "I'm a Lonely Man," which sold 60,000 copies despite being the very first release on a small label. As head of A&R, Milton brought artists like Albert King and Fontella Bass into the Bobbin fold, and with such a high roster caliber, the label soon struck a distribution arrangement with the legendary Chess Records. Milton himself switched over to the Chess subsidiary Checker in 1961, and it was there that he would settle on his trademark soul-inflected, B.B. King-influenced style. Initially a moderate success, Milton had his big breakthrough with 1965's "We're Gonna Make It," which hit number one on the R&B charts thanks to its resonance with the civil rights movement. "We're Gonna Make It" kicked off a successful string of R&B chart singles that occasionally reached the Top Ten, highlighted by "Who's Cheating Who?," "Grits Ain't Groceries," "If Walls Could Talk," "Baby I Love You," and "Feel So Bad," among others. The death of Leonard Chess in 1969 threw his label into disarray, and Little Milton eventually left Checker in 1971 and signed with the Memphis-based soul label Stax (also the home of his former protégé Albert King). At Stax, Milton began expanding his studio sound, adding bigger horn and string sections and spotlighting his soulful vocals more than traditional blues. Further hits followed in songs like "Annie Mae's Cafe," "Little Bluebird," "That's What Love Will Make You Do," and "Walkin' the Back Streets and Cryin'," but generally not with the same magnitude of old. Stax went bankrupt in 1975, upon which point Little Milton moved to the TK/Glades label, which was better known for its funk and disco acts. His recordings there were full-blown crossover affairs, which made "Friend of Mine" a minor success, but that label soon went out of business as well. Milton spent some time in limbo; he recorded one album for MCA in 1983 called Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number, and the following year found a home with Malaco, which sustained the careers of quite a few old-school Southern soul and blues artists. During his tenure at Malaco, Milton debuted the song that would become his latter-day anthem, the bar band staple "The Blues Is Alright," which was also widely popular with European blues fans. Milton recorded frequently and steadily for Malaco, issuing 13 albums under their aegis by the end of the millennium. In 1988, he won the W.C. Handy Award for Blues Entertainer of the Year, and was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
© Steve Huey © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/little-milton-p62063/biography

John Primer & The Teardrops

John Primer & The Teardrops - Easy Baby Zoo Bar Collection, Vol. 6 - 1999 - Wolf Records

This CD is John Primer's fourth for Wolf Records and his very first full-length live album. It was recorded in the late 1980s at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska. At the time of the recording, John Primer was already an established musician on the Chicago blues scene. He had finished a long stint with Muddy Waters and was in the middle of a 14 year stay as guitarist for Magic Slim and the Teardrops.The album is a blend of traditional and contemporary Chicago blues and soul. The collection includes covers of songs by Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf), Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Robert Johnson and more. There is one John Primer original on the album. West Side legend, Magic Sam's influence can be heard on songs associated with him, like “Easy Baby”, “That’s All I Need”, and “I Need You So Bad”. John plays some great 50s style lead on “Walkin’ Thru The Park”, with great backing from Magic Slim on guitar, Nick Holt on bass, and drummer Michael Scott (The Teardrops). “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” is a good funky number. John really jams the blues on “Rocking Daddy”, again with terrific backing from The Teardrops. John's own song, “My Baby’s Gone” has an authentic and traditional blues groove, while “I’ve Got A Problem” is genuine Chicago blues. John Primer said “We recorded for one week straight and Wolf chose the songs for the CD. I didn’t plan the songs, I kept it spontaneous and exciting. Magic Slim encouraged me to master my style and do the songs I wanted to do. The crowd at the Zoo Bar is wild and they love the blues with passion. This is the only album so far that I have done live and it is one of my favorites. You can really feel the passion in my heart for what I am singing on this CD and you can tell the crowd feels it too. ” The material on this album never goes "over the top". There are no flashy guitar solos, and John Primer would later improve on his composing skills. A good solid Chicago blues album. Listen to John Primer's brilliant "The Real Deal" album [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 124 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 A String to Your Heart - Jimmy Reed 6:09
2 My Baby's Gone - John Primer 4:12
3 Gambler's Blues - Riley King, Johnny Pate 5:02
4 Walkin' Thru The Park - McKinley Morganfield 4:31
5 I've Got a Problem - Robert Johnson, Sam Ray Mosley 6:31
6 Rocking Daddy - Howlin' Wolf 4:57
7 Little Rain - Ewart Abner, Jimmy Reed 5:08
8 I Need You So Bad - Riley King, Sam Ling 5:07
9 Easy Baby - Willie Dixon 4:27
10 That's What Love Will Make You Do - Milton Campbell 6:59
11 That's All I Need - Magic Sam 5:41
12 Woke up This Morning - Riley King, Jules Taub 4:24
13 Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time - Tommy Tate 6:27

MUSICIANS

John Primer - Guitar, Vocals
Magic Slim - Guitar
Nick Holt - Bass
Michael Scott - Drums

BIO

By any yardstick, Chicago guitarist John Primer has paid his dues. Prior to making The Real Deal for Mike Vernon's Atlantic-distributed Code Blue label, Primer spent 13 years as the ever-reliable rhythm guitarist with Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Before that, he filled the same role behind Chicago immortals Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. All that grounding has paid off handsomely for Primer. His sound is rooted in the classic Windy City blues sound of decades past: rough-edged and uncompromising and satisfying in the extreme. He's one of the last real traditionalists in town. By the time he came to Chicago in 1963, Primer was thoroughly familiar with the lowdown sounds of Waters, Wolf, Jimmy Reed, B.B. and Albert King, and Elmore James. He fronted a West Side outfit for a while called the Maintainers, dishing out a mix of soul and blues before joining the house band at the Southside blues mecca Theresa's Lounge for what ended up being a nine-year run. Elegant guitarist Sammy Lawhorn proved quite influential on Primer's maturing guitar approach during this period. Always on the lookout for aspiring talent, Willie Dixon spirited him away for a 1979 gig in Mexico City. After a year or so as one of Dixon's All-Stars, Primer was recruited to join the last band of Muddy Waters, playing with the Chicago blues king until his 1983 death. Right after that, Primer joined forces with Magic Slim; their styles interlocked so seamlessly that their partnership seemed like an eternal bond. But Primer deserved his own share of the spotlight. In 1993, Michael Frank's Chicago-based Earwig logo issued Primer's debut domestic disc, Stuff You Got to Watch. It was a glorious return to the classic '50s Chicago sound, powered by Primer's uncommonly concise guitar work and gruff, no-nonsense vocals. With the 1995 emergence of The Real Deal -- produced by Vernon and featuring all-star backing by harpist Billy Branch, pianist David Maxwell, and bassist Johnny B. Gayden, Primer's star appeared ready to ascend. He soon transferred back to the Wolf label for sets such as 1997's Cold Blooded Blues Man, 1998's Blues Behind Closed Doors, and 2000's It's a Blues Life. © Bill Dahl © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-primer-p33475/biography

Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds

Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds - Out Of The Blue - 1985 - Polydor

Out of the Blue marked Chris Farlowe's return to American soul music and blues, after a decade-long hiatus caused by a road accident injury and a series of gigs with other players. It was as though he'd picked up right where he'd left off at Immediate Records in 1970, without skipping a beat -- opening with Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious," he sounds so American and so black that listeners could still do double-takes after 20 years in the spotlight for the singer. "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" are among the best cuts, but the whole album is worthwhile and then some. © Bruce Eder © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-blue-r37287

In 1984, Chris Farlowe hadn't recorded an album of new material for over ten years. After a meeting with record producer Mike Vernon (John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac and many more), he recorded this album with a new Thunderbirds line-up. The result is a brilliant soul blues album with great covers of classic soul and blues standards including "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City", "I Ain't Superstitious", "The Thrill Is Gone", and "Standing on Shakey Ground". Artists playing on the album include Albert Lee on guitar, and Dr.Feelgood's "The Big Figure" (John Martin) on drums. VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Chris' great "14 Things to Think About" album, and search this blog for related releases [All tracks @ 160 Kbps: File size = 45.7 Mb]

MUSICIANS

Chris Farlowe - Vocals
Mo Witham - Guitar
Albert Lee - Guitar
Big George Webley - Bass
Tim Hinkley - Keyboards
The Big Figure (John Martin) - Drums
Steve Gregory - Saxophone

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Ain't Superstitious - Dixon
2 Gambler's Blues - King, Taub
3 Them That's Got (I Ain't Got Nothin' Yet) - Charles, Harper
4 Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City - Price, Walsh
5 It's All Wrong - Farlowe, Witham, Gibbons, Dixon, Martin
6 Key to My Kingdom - Davis, Seabaum
7 The Thrill Is Gone - Benson, Pettite
8 Watch Your Step - Parker
9 All the Way Lover - Latimore
10 Standing on Shakey Ground - Bowen, Hazle, Boyd

CHRIS FARLOWE BIO

Chris Farlowe always seemed destined for great things as a singer -- and based on the company he kept on-stage and the people he worked with in the mid-'60s, he did succeed, at least on that level. Born John Henry Deighton in Islington, North London, in 1940, he reached his early teens just as the skiffle boom was breaking in England, and was inspired by Lonnie Donegan to enter music. His first band was his own John Henry Skiffle Group, where he played guitar as well as sang, but he gave up playing to concentrate on his voice, as he made the switch to rock & roll. He eventually took the name Chris Farlowe, the surname appropriated from American jazz guitarist Tal Farlow, and was fronting a group called the Thunderbirds, as Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds. They built their reputation as a live act in England and Germany, and slowly switched from rock & roll to R&B during the early years of the '60s. Their debut single, "Air Travel," released in 1962, failed to chart, but the following year, Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds (whose ranks included future star guitarist Albert Lee) were signed to EMI's Columbia imprint, through which they issued a series of five singles thru 1966, all of which got enthusiastic critical receptions while generating poor sales. In 1966, with his EMI contract up, Farlowe was snatched up by Andrew Oldham, who knew a thing or two about white Britons who could sing R&B, having signed the Rolling Stones three years earlier, and put him under contract to his new Immediate Records label. Immediate's history with unestablished artists is mostly a story of talent cultivated for future success, but with Farlowe it was different -- he actually became a star on the label, through the label. His luck began to change early on, as he saw a Top 40 chart placement with his introduction of the Jagger/Richards song "Think," which the Rolling Stones later released as an album track on Aftermath. That summer, he had the biggest hit of his career with his rendition of the Stones' "Out of Time," in a moody and dramatic version orchestrated by Arthur Greenslade, which reached number one on the British charts. Farlowe had enough credibility as a soul singer by then to be asked to appear on the Ready, Steady, Go broadcast of September 16, 1966, a special program featuring visiting American soul legend Otis Redding -- he'd covered Redding's "Mr. Pitiful" on an Immediate EP, and now Farlowe was on stage with Otis (and Eric Burdon), and got featured in two numbers. That was to be his peak year, however. The subsequent single releases on Immediate, including his version of the Stones' "Ride on Baby," failed to match the success of the first two singles, and he last charted for Immediate with "Handbags and Gladrags," written for him by Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo. The label, always in dire financial straits, tried repackaging his songs several different ways on LP, but after 1967 his recording career was more or less frozen until the label's demise in 1970. After that, Farlowe's story became one of awkward match-ups with certain groups, including the original Colosseum on three albums, and Atomic Rooster (post-Carl Palmer). Following a car accident that left him inactive for two years, he made an attempt at re-forming the Thunderbirds in the mid-'70s, and "Out of Time" kept turning up in various reissues, but he saw little new success. Farlowe was rescued from oblivion by his better-known contemporary (and fellow Immediate Records alumnus) Jimmy Page, appearing on the latter's Outrider album in the '80s, which heralded a BBC appearance that brought him back to center stage in the public consciousness for the first time in two decades. Farlowe followed this up with new albums and touring with various reconstituted '60s and '70s groups, and although he never saw another hit single, his reputation as a live performer was enough to sustain a career -- nor did the release of his Ready, Steady, Go appearance with Otis Redding on videotape and laser disc exactly hurt his reputation; indeed, that was the first time many Americans appreciated just how serious a following he'd had in England. His recent albums, including The Voice, have gotten respectable reviews, and his Immediate Records legacy was finally getting treated properly in the 21st century, as well. Along with Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo and Paul Jones, Farlowe remains one of those voices from 1960s England that -- with good reason -- hasn't faded and simply won't disappear. © Bruce Eder © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/chris-farlowe-p4231

Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer - Live At The Apollo - 2001 - Eagle Rock

Robert Palmer concluded six months of touring (most of it in North America, with one month in Japan) in 2000 with the December 15 date at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater recorded for this album. Fronting a six-piece band and accompanied by backup singer B.J. Nelson, he performed a set heavy on his hit material from the second half of the 1980s -- starting with the Power Station's "Some Like It Hot" and including his own most popular songs "Addicted to Love," "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On," and "Simply Irresistible." Anyone hoping for earlier tunes had to be satisfied with three items from 1980's Clues, the near-title track "Looking for Clues," "Woke Up Laughing," and the influential "Johnny & Mary," which, Palmer said, "was a big hit for me in Guatemala, believe it or not." Otherwise, the non-single selections mostly came from the million-sellers Riptide (1985) and Heavy Nova (1988), with nothing at all from less-popular later albums Don't Explain (1990), Ridin' High (1992), and Honey (1994). In other words, this was a set that took no risks, and the efficient band played it in an equally risk-free manner. The large fan base Palmer had picked up in the mid-'80s had reason to be satisfied, but anyone who had known the singer during his earlier, more exploratory period, or after he had returned to trying different things in the '90s, would be disappointed. At this point in his career, having left major-label status behind some years back, Palmer seemed to be playing to his commercial strengths on this tour, but, like the music that gave him his biggest hits, the results could be bloodless and mechanical. William Ruhlmann © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-apollo-r627488/review

This concert was recorded in December 1988 during Robert's "Heavy Nova" tour. Many of the tracks on this album are from Robert Palmer's late '80's career. A good deal of the songs are from Robert's 'Heavy Nova' and 'Riptide' albums, but at the time he also played older and newer stuff that many people had never heard. The above review states that "the results could be bloodless and mechanical." This statement gives the impression of a band just "going through the motions" in a lacklustre fashion. The fact is that many of the tracks are played very similar to the album versions, and many people like to hear their favourite artists play like that. The album was mixed so as to keep audience noise levels down. This may add or detract from your overall enjoyment of the album. Some live albums are far too noisy. At least on "Live At The Apollo", Robert Palmer's vocals can be heard clearly, as can his great tight backing band. "Live At The Apollo" is a great dynamic live album from the late great British soul vocalist and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Robert's great "Riptide" album, Vinegar Joe's S/T album, and The Power Station's "The Power Station 33⅓" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Some Like It Hot - Palmer, Taylor, Taylor 5:18
2 Hyperactive - Haynes, Nelson, Nelson, Palmer 3:13
3 Discipline of Love - Batteau, Freeman 3:01
4 Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming - Gruska, Omartian, Sudano 3:32
5 I Didn't Mean to Turn You On - Harris, Lewis 3:34
6 Looking for Clues - Palmer 3:40
7 Change His Ways - Palmer 2:59
8 Pride - Palmer 3:03
9 Woke Up Laughing - Palmer 5:06
10 Johnny & Mary - Palmer 3:15
11 Riptide - Donaldson, Kahn, Khan 2:13
12 Between Us - Palmer 3:21
13 Flesh Wound - Blair, Palmer 2:39
14 More Than Ever - Palmer 3:01
15 Simply Irresistible - Palmer 4:20
16 Casting a Spell - Palmer 3:20
17 Addicted to Love - Bert, Gordon, Moore, Palmer, Ranaldo 6:27

MUSICIANS

Robert Palmer - Vocals
Eddie Martinez, Ric Britton - Guitar
Frank Blair - Bass
David Rosenthal, Alan Mansfield - Keyboards
Donny Wynn - Drums
Brie Howard - Percussion
B.J. Nelson - Vocals

BIO

The career of blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer was a study in style versus substance. While the performer's earliest work won praise for its skillful assimilation of rock, R&B, and reggae sounds, his records typically sold poorly, and he achieved his greatest notoriety as an impeccably dressed lounge lizard. By the mid-'80s, however, Palmer became a star, although his popularity owed less to the strength of his material than to his infamous music videos: taking their cue from the singer's suave presence, Palmer's clips established him as a dapper, suit-and-tie lady's man who performed his songs backed by a band comprised of leggy models, much to the delight of viewers who made him one of MTV's biggest success stories. Born Alan Palmer on January 19, 1949, in Batley, England, he spent much of his childhood living on the island of Malta before permanently returning to Britain at the age of 19 to sing with the Alan Bown Set. A year later he joined Dada, a 12-piece, Stax-influenced soul group which soon changed its name to Vinegar Joe; after three LPs with the band -- a self-titled effort and Rock'n'Roll Gypsies, both issued in 1972, and 1973's Six Star General -- Palmer exited to mount a solo career, and debuted in 1974 with Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, recorded with members of Little Feat and the Meters. With 1975's Pressure Drop, he tackled reggae, a trend furthered following a move to Nassau prior to 1978's Double Fun, which featured Palmer's first hit, "Every Kinda People." With 1979's self-produced Secrets, his music moved into more rock-oriented territory, as typified by the single "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)." Palmer's stylistic experimentation continued with 1980's Clues, a foray into synth-pop aided by Gary Numan and Talking Heads' Chris Frantz which yielded the club hit "Looking for Clues." After 1983's Pride, Palmer teamed with the Duran Duran side project Power Station, scoring hits with the singles "Some Like It Hot" and "Get It On" (a T. Rex cover), which returned the singer to overt rock territory. After exiting the band prior to a planned tour, Palmer recorded the 1985 solo album Riptide, a sleek collection of guitar rock which scored a number one hit with "Addicted to Love," the first in a string of videos which offered him in front of a bevy of beautiful women.The follow-up, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On," continued to play with the sex symbol image and hit number two, as did "Simply Irresistible," the first single from 1988's Heavy Nova. By 1990's Don't Explain, Palmer returned to the eclecticism of his earliest material; without any attendant soft-core videos, sales plummeted, but he stuck to his guns for 1992's Ridin' High, a collection of Tin Pan Alley and cabaret chestnuts. Two years later, Palmer's wide array of worldbeat influences cropped up again on Honey, which also featured guitar work from Extreme axeman Nino Bettencourt. Woke Up Laughing followed in 1998, it was an adventurous, if somewhat odd, collection of non-hit album tracks remixed and in some cases re-recorded.Rhythm & Blues, a slick set of adult contemporary pop, came out in 1999 to lukewarm sales and reviews. After a live album in 2001, Palmer bounced back with the future blues of 2003's Drive. However, Palmer had little time to enjoy it's release. On September 26, 2003 he died suddenly after suffering a heart attack. He was 54.

Doug MacLeod Band

Doug MacLeod Band - Woman in the Street - 1986 - Stomp

A great soul/blues jazz album from the great Doug MacLeod, and his band. "Woman in the Street", reached the #2 position on the Stomp label’s chart of best-sellers shortly before Doug MacLeod Band's first European tour in the summer of 1988. New York born Doug MacLeod is a highly respected musician on the jazz blues circuit. He has received many awards and accolades for his music, and he is one of the great blues traditionalists. There are many blues influences on this album, and the song "Send the Soul on Home" is a tribute to George "Harmonica" Smith, Pee Wee Crayton, Lloyd Glenn, and Big Joe Turner. "Woman in the Street" is not one of Doug's better known albums, and any help with band members, and song composers on this album would be appreciated. The songs are most likely all originals composed by Doug and/or band members. Listen to his great "You Can't Take My Blues" album, and his brilliant "No Road Back Home" album is well worth buying

TRACKS

1. Skin Game 3:55
2. Working Man Blues 4:33
3. The Highway They Called The Blues 4:29
4. I Might Bend (But I Won't Break) 4:05
5. I Think You're Foolin' Me 3:38
6. King Freddie 4:25
7. Still Some Smoke 3:26
8. Splain' It To Me 3:11
9. Send The Soul On Home 6:24
10. Woman In The Street 3:30
11. One Good Woman 3:13
12. Church Street Serenade 7:37

BAND

Doug MacLeod - Guitar, Vocals
Eric Ajaye - Bass
Lee Spath - Drums
Tom Kellock - Keyboards (Thanks Zevoin!, & for cover...A.O.O.F.C)

ABOUT DOUG MACLEOD BAND

"Never play a note you don’t believe." That’s the advice that a one-eyed blues singer named Ernest Banks gave to singer-songwriter-guitarist Doug MacLeod a few decades back. Following that advice, the New York-born, Southern California-based MacLeod has emerged as one of the most highly respected blues artists on the scene today. Unlike most other bands working in the blues/jazz idiom today, the Doug MacLeod Band plays only original material, not reworked versions of blues standards from the past. The high caliber of their compositions is evident on Ain’t the Blues Evil, the first Volt release by the 44-year-old guitarist and his group. MacLeod’s 1984 debut recording on Hightone Records, No Road Back Home, brought him three W.C. Handy nominations, including Best Song of the Year ("Your Bread Ain’t Done," which was also recorded by Albert King on his Grammy-nominated Fantasy album, I’m in a Phone Booth, Baby), Best Album of the Year, and Best New Artist of the Year. Another award nomination for Best Song of the Year, from the prestigious Handy Foundation (the blues world’s equivalent of a Grammy), came MacLeod’s way in 1987, when blues star Albert Collins recorded his now-legendary salute to the working men of the world, "Cash Talkin’ (The Working Man’s Blues)." Today, Doug’s ever-increasing catalog of original material is approaching 200 songs, which continue to be recorded by artists such as King, Collins, and Son Seals. MacLeod’s second album, Woman in the Street, released throughout Europe on Germany’s Stomp Records label (a division of Line Records), soared to the #2 position on the label’s chart of best-sellers shortly before his first European tour in the summer of 1988. The Doug MacLeod Band electrified audiences at the Belgium Rhythm & Blues Festival (considered by many blues aficionados to be the best festival in the world) and were hailed by the critics as show stealers of the weekend event, which also featured the likes of John Lee Hooker, Marcia Ball, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The reactions to the band’s performances in Belgium, Holland, and Germany were ecstatic, resulting in an equally spectacular 1989 tour that included the same territories plus Finland. Last year the band returned to Europe for another triumphant tour, promoting their second Line release, 54th & Vermont. At home, they made an unprecedented sixth consecutive appearance at the renowned Sedona, Arizona Jazz on the Rocks Festival, where year after year the band has walked off as the crowd-pleasers of the highly acclaimed event. (They’ll be returning to the Sedona Festival this September.) Doug MacLeod’s seemingly recent arrival on the blues/jazz front has actually been a long time in coming. For over two decades he has worked in a diverse number of musical arenas. The late Sixties and early Seventies found him playing the East Coast coffeehouse circuit with folk musicians like Emmylou Harris and Juice Newton, while still serving in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from Boston’s Berklee School of Music and spent time in pop music as conductor for songstress Mary MacGregor, and guitarist in the road company of Grease. A move to the West Coast put him back in touch with the music he knew best and loved most-the blues-and he decided to devote all his energies to that field. His reputation as a superb guitar player spread, and he soon found himself performing and recording with blues giants such as Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Folsom, Margie Evans, Big Mama Thornton, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Big Joe Turner. In Los Angeles he met the legendary George "Harmonica" Smith, who became not only one of his best friends, but a major influence on his life and on his music. One of MacLeod’s most memorable songs, "Send the Soul on Home" (from his Woman in the Street album), was written as a tribute to Smith and three other blues heavyweights-Pee Wee Crayton, Lloyd Glenn, and Big Joe Turner. Drummer Lee Spath and bassist Eric Ajaye, much sought after as studio musicians on the West Coast, have been with the band since its inception and help to make the group one of the tightest and most respected in the business. Spath has worked with artists such as Thelma Houston, Jimmy Witherspoon, Pee Wee Crayton, Joe Houston, and George Cables. He is also featured on three tracks of the smash-hit Robert Cray album, Strong Persuader. Ajaye, brother of comedian Franklin Ajaye, is best known for his work with the Pointer Sisters, Taj Mahal, Freddie Hubbard, Della Reese, Nancy Wilson, Jeremy Steig, Chris Thomas, Joe Louis Walker, George Howard, and others. Keyboardist Ed Czach, sporting a Masters in Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, joined the band last October. His musical background is as eclectic as that of the rest of the members, with a resume that includes a stint as music director and conductor for pop star Mitzi Gaynor’s touring company of the Broadway musical Anything Goes, and recording and touring credits with artists such as Ben Vereen, Clark Terry, Chuck Mangione, Melba Moore, Woody Shaw, and Tom T. Hall. Ain’t the Blues Evil, recorded just a month after Czach came on board, is set for release as the group returns from yet another successful European tour. The new album, combined with summer U.S. dates and a major tour of Europe this fall, will help get the word out that the Doug MacLeod Band is one of the most original voices in blues today. 5/91 © 2009 Concord Music Group, Inc. unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved

DOUG MACLEOD BIO

Unlike some other bluesmen now leading their own bands, guitarist and singer/songwriter Doug MacLeod spent many years as an apprentice before forming his own group. MacLeod has worked as a sideman for many different artists from the Los Angeles-area blues scene, including Big Joe Turner, Charles Brown, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and George "Harmonica" Smith. MacLeod was born in New York on April 21, 1946, and his parents moved to Raleigh, NC, shortly after his birth. In his teens he moved to St. Louis and began frequenting the blues clubs there, learning from people like Albert King, Little Milton, and Ike & Tina Turner. He took up the bass in his teens and played around St. Louis with local bands before enlisting in the Navy. MacLeod was stationed in Norfolk, VA, and spent his off-duty time playing in blues bars. He eventually settled in Los Angeles, accompanying many other blues performers before forming his own band. His songs have been recorded by Albert King, Albert Collins, and Son Seals. MacLeod's 1984 album, No Road Back Home, was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award in 1984 and has since been reissued on compact disc on the Hightone label. MacLeod has widely available albums on Audioquest -- Come to Find (1994), You Can't Take My Blues (1996), Unmarked Road (1997), and Whose Truth, Whose Lies? (2000). His first Audioquest disc features guest appearances by harmonica players Carey Bell and fiddle player Heather Hardy, while the second has a guest appearance by harp player George "Harmonica" Smith. MacLeod has also recorded for a variety of independent labels, including such albums as Woman in the Street, 54th & Vermont, and Ain't the Blues Evil. MacLeod's A Little Sin was released in 2002, recorded in July of that year with producer/frequent collaborator Joe Harley. © Richard Skelly & Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Christine Lakeland

Christine Lakeland - Fireworks - 1989 - Loft

Christine Lakeland, the wife of JJ Cale, is a guitarist and vocalist with his band. She’s been a vital part JJ Cale's music, and has played on most of his albums. She also played on the great JJ Cale/Clapton “Road to Escondido” album. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find out too much about her music.

According to her website, "Fireworks" was "Co-produced with Dennis Walker (Robert Cray), this entire album was cut and mixed in a matter of days by Bill Dashiell at Leon Haywood’s Sunnyside studio in Los Angeles again during a break from live gigs. Eleven Lakeland originals plus a cover of an at-the-time-unreleased J.J. Cale song. “Dennis hired some musicians, I said hello and we began recording. I did bring in Tim Drummond one afternoon.” James Stewart stands out on keys. Joe Sublett added sax and the truly special Francisco Aguabella, congas".

"Fireworks" is a great album. The lady is an excellent guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, and the album encompasses country, folk, soul, and electric blues. There is not a bad track on the album. Christine has released three other albums, "Turn To Me", "Reckoning", and "Live At Greenwood Ridge"

TRACKS

Details
Borrowed Time
The Kid
Dream or Cry
My Baby Blues
Temptation
Let Me Give It to You [Not on all album versions]
Everything Makes Me Nervous
Tar & Feathers
Mr. Completely [Not on all album versions]
I Think I'm Losing My Mind
Bad Habits
Roll with It [Not on all album versions]
Movin' Blues [Not on all album versions]
Everything Is OK

N.B: According to her website, it is stated tha the album includes "eleven Lakeland originals plus a cover of an at-the-time-unreleased J.J. Cale song". That makes 12 somgs. This seems to be in line with the Amazon version of the album. ""Borrowed Time" was penned by by J.J. Cale. There are 15 tracks on this album. The track "I Gotta Get Used" appears on the LadyFingers Records release, on Amazon. It is not included here. Also, the tracks, "Let Me Give It to You", "Mr. Completely", "Roll with It", and "Movin' Blues" are on the album posted here, but are not on the Amazon album version, on LadyFingers Records. Can anybody pinpoint exactly which of the songs were written by Christine ? It is known that the original US album was released independently, and the European issue was released on Loft Records. Presumably, the Loft release contains the 15 tracks posted here. There is also a Japanese edition of the album, on Village Green Records. Can anybody shed any light on the alternative versions of this album?

MUSICIANS

Christine Lakeland - vocals, guitar
Tim Drummond - bass
Eric C. Ajaye - upright bass
James Stewart - keyboards
Joe Sublett - saxophone
Francisco Aguabella - congas
N.B: Again, this list of players is most likely incomplete. A more comprehensive list would be appreciated

ABOUT CHRISTINE LAKELAND

“Do something creative every day. That’s one motto I live by. Do something for someone else every day. You’re sure to have a good day.” Not a lot of other rules for her. Christine Lakeland plays music, writes songs, sings (she calls it warbling). She also is a gear-head. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from some smart and special folks.” Enough to record and produce song after song, lately in her Cottage By The C Songshack. She has traveled, played and recorded with famous and not-famous alike but this musician just says “I am truly lucky and blessed.” The morning after high school graduation, Christine Lakeland left a midwest childhood and had a job in a bar band in Nashville within the week. Her first ‘big name’ gig: rhythm guitar and harmony vocal backing up Tanya Tucker. She’s worked live and/or in the studio with Tucker, Hoyt Axton, Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, and many more. ”I’m firmly convinced ‘work begets work’, ’cause every gig I was hired for was after being heard on the job.” Christine Lakeland is well known to some as a veteran member of the JJ Cale road band. As the second guitarist/harmony singer she’s played on every one of his albums since the late 70’s, including his 2006 CD collaboration with Eric Clapton, the Grammy-winning “Road to Escondido” which boasted a stellar list of guest musicians; Billy Preston, Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks, John Mayer, Albert Lee, Willie Weeks, Nathan East, Walt Richmond and more. Her own recordings and live gigs show what learning from all the right influences can add to the singer/songwriter bag. Good songs. Good grooves. She has released four cds of her own material and a limited pressing live jam cd. “The ingredients in music that matter most to me are the song, the song and the song. I am such a fan of so many great songwriters of all styles. I am all about writing a song that connects with people and sounding like myself.” “It seems nearly everyone plays guitar. Like so many players I’m somewhere between the worst and the best,” she laughs. It makes me glad to feel I have a kinship with, and belong with, all the guitar lovers and players out there.” Having made it into her fifties, Christine Lakeland sums up the conversation by saying “I hope the second half of this life is as good as the first half has been!” Elevator Pitch: - Hook songs with lots of rhythm and a soft soul. She has been described as “the female Dire Straits with Fleetwood Mac’s/Christine McVie’s pop leanings.” All Materials Copyright 2009 Christine Lakeland Powered by WordPress. Built on the Thematic Theme Framework

PRESS SNIPPETS

“Lakeland engagingly dovetails her blues and country instincts with Memphis soul and Motown songcraft. The less-is-more ethos is evident in her fluid, shimmering guitar lines, which seductively beckon where other players might scream.” - Guitar Player Magazine

“Christine Lakeland is as good as her word. …clever, insightful songs that cut straight to the heart and parts south. Tough to pigeonhole, Lakeland’s songs are textured in blues/country/soul/pop flavorings that touch familiar themes in unfamiliar ways. Delivered in an appealing, unaffected vocal manner, and driven by the snaky rhythm/lead style of her Gibson 347, her tunes stick to the ribs while leaving memorable hooks floating in your head.” - Musician Magazine

“Lakeland announces her resilience and asserts the power of love as a healing force….smoky, come-hither vocals as soulful and expressive as her incisive guitar licks.” - The Detroit News

“…a poised vocalist, throaty, sensual…” - San Francisco Examiner

“Christine Lakeland’s steamy guitar work solidifies electric blues-woman styles. Accessible beauty and grace, lead guitar zap, vocal charm….an original act.” - The Times Journal – Telluride, Colorado

“A singer-songwriter with a deep-down soul sound that is groovy enough to captivate all kinds of listeners…honest mixture of shuffle blues and country…she goes on stirring up crowds wherever she plays.” - The Herald – Seattle, Washington

“A brilliant and versatile songwriter, a polished guitarist…a dynamic and engaging performer. Lakeland radiates onstage…never ceases to impress audiences with fluid and intelligent guitar lines, a solid singing voice and a suitcase full of new, memorable tunes which she writes herself…exudes a freshness and energy that shines on her audience. One of the most popular female performers to visit Portland.” - BluesNotes – Portland, Oregon

“…voice is perfectly suited for the musical mix of country, pop, blues and rock…her guitar work sparkles…a superior talent.” - Tulsa Oklahoma Tribune

“Christine Lakeland is an enigma. She’s sleek yet demure; soft-spoken yet one tough performer. She’s “folk” like Joan Baez; she’s country ‘n rock blues like Bonnie Raitt; she’s gospel; she’s deep, root blues. She is all and one. She is an original…see her if you can.” - BluesNotes – Sacramento, California

“Superlatives fail trying to describe Lakeland. Excellent songwriter, great guitar player, sweet-throated songbird, beautiful person, scintillating music….you just have to hear it to believe it. She has a finely-honed sense of musicianship that sets her work apart. This artist may be the best of all possible worlds.” - Music This Month – Mendocino County, California

“Christine takes the roots of the ever-changing pop genre into a sweet-driving new dimension. What comes across in the music is a seasoned blues base layered with catchy, pop-rock hooks.” - Santa Fe New Mexican – Santa Fe, New Mexico

“Lakeland has defied conventions by making a strong name for herself in the blues-rock field. She shoots it straight…Memphis country gems…” - Colorado Daily – Boulder, Colorado

“…a performer who knows her roots…a talent waiting to be discovered.” Oakland Tribune – Oakland, California
“A prolific songwriter, smoky songstress, and a nasty guitar player.” - Downtowner – Portland, Oregon

“When Christine Lakeland arrives, the petite woman with the brawny voice, you will find a masterful singer-songwriter of pop blues, a guitar and a lot of good music.” - Sacramento This Week – Sacramento, California

“Listening to Lakeland’s show…she epitomized all that is good in music today. First, her voice…second, her no-show-off approach…third, her guitar playing…fourth, her material…she likes making music and that showed during every minute of her performance.” - Onstage – Denver, Colorado

Johnny Heartsman

Johnny Heartsman - Sacramento - 1987 - CrossCut

"One of the last great West Coast bluesmen... Heartsman's blues was chock full of greasy jazz and sophisticated soul." - Nick Dedina

The blues world is full of shadowy figures, names known only from discographies and from the recollections of better-known artists. Johnny Heartsman was one of those shadowy figures. The veteran Bay Area bluesmen spoke about him with awe. They talked about a man who played on literally hundreds of 45s from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. They talked about a man who was a master of both guitar and keyboards, a fine horn arranger and subtle vocalist. Johnny had played on sessions with Al King, Jimmy Wilson, Johnny Fuller, Tiny Powell and dozens of others. He had toured with Jimmy McCracklin and Joe Simon. But in 1967, after the breakup of his marriage, Johnny left his home base in Oakland and, for all practical purposes, disappeared. Heartsman never stopped playing though, and occasionally appeared at a club or festival, sometimes cutting loose on organ or, however unlikely in the blues world, flute. His voice was at once mellow and rich, and he left an indelible stamp wherever he played. Johnny Heartsman continued to perform in Sacramento, on regular tours of Europe, and at various U.S. blues festivals until his death in December of 1996. © HDtracks 2007 - 2009

A relatively obscure musician, the late Johnny Heartsman was a great vocalist and master multi-instrumentalist. "Sacramento" is a good example of Johnny Heartsman's unique blues, jazz, and soul sound. Had he lived, this guy would have produced some classic recordings. Although "Sacramento" is a good album, his "Made in Germany [live]" is a tremendous display of the guy's talents, and is an album you will never tire of

TRACKS

1 It Takes One to Know One
2 Garbage Can Woman
3 Poor Me
4 Silky Pete
5 Train, Train Blues
6 Sweet Frisco Blues
7 Worried About My Baby
8 Crying Guitar Blues
9 Put the Finger in It
10 It Must Be Love
11 Griff

All tracks composed by Johnny Heartsman, except "Train, Train Blues" by Bob Geddin

MUSICIANS

Johnny Heartsman - Guitar, Fender Bass, Hammond B-3, Vocals
Rex Kline - Drums
Garry Wiggins - Tenor Sax. on Tracks 4, & 9

BIO

Shaven-headed Johnny Heartsman did so many musical things so well that he's impossible to pigeonhole. His low-moaning lead guitar work greatly distinguished a myriad of Bay Area blues recordings during the '50s and '60s, and still played his axe with delicious dexterity and dynamics into the '90s. But Heartsman was just as likely to cut loose on organ or blow a titillating solo on flute (perhaps the unlikeliest blues instrument imaginable). He possessed a mellow, richly burnished voice to boot. Through one of his principal influences, guitarist Lafayette "Thing" Thomas, a teenaged Heartsman hooked up with Bay Area producer Bob Geddins. Heartsman played bass on Jimmy Wilson's 1953 rendition of "Tin Pan Alley," handling guitar or piano at other Geddins-supervised dates. He cut his own two-part instrumental, the "Honky Tonk"-inspired "Johnny's House Party," for Ray Dobard's Music City imprint and watched it become a national R&B hit in 1957. The early '60s brought a lot more session work — Heartsman played on Tiny Powell's "My Time After Awhile" (soon covered by Buddy Guy) and Al King's remake of Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby." By then, Heartsman's imaginative twiddling of the volume knob with his finger to produce an eerie moan had become his guitaristic trademark. Stints in show bands, jazzy cocktail lounge gigs, and a stand as soul singer Joe Simon's trusty organist came prior to the inauguration of Heartsman's edifying back-to-the-blues campaign. In 1991, Dick Shurman produced Heartsman's most satisfying set to date for Alligator, The Touch. He remained a versatile performer until is death in December of 1996. © Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT JOHNNY HEARTSMAN

b. 9 February 1937, San Fernando, California, USA, d. 27 December 1996. Heartsman grew up in Oakland and became renowned as "one of the blues' most accomplished instrumentalists" (Dick Shurman). As a youngster he was inspired to play guitar by the music of T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, and Lafayette Thomas. He quickly developed into a sought-after bandleader and studio musician. He recorded on guitar, bass, organ, and flute (he made his own first recordings in 1957 for the Music City label) and has played with a long list of west coast blues, R&B, and soul artists including Jimmy McCracklin, Joe Simon, Johnny Fuller, Jimmy Wilson, and Tiny Powell. Buddy Guy borrowed much of Heartsman's playing on his version of "My Time After Awhile". In 1976 Heartsman settled in Sacramento. He died following a heart attack in December 1996. © IPC MEDIA 1996-2009, All rights reserved

Mink De Ville

Mink De Ville - Live USA - 1982 - Imtrat (Germany)

Info on this album would be most welcome. It seems to be a concert recorded in the Pavillon, New York, on December 13, 1982. This concert is released on the German Imtrat label, although it is hard to locate in any record catalogues. Variations of this recording with different titles are circulating "unofficially" with different track listings. Sound quality is not bad. A similar CD is advertised on the German Amazon website, but details are minimal. It's a good concert from Willy De Ville and his band. A self-taught guitarist, Willy found his early inspiration in bluesmen like John Hammond Jr., Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker, and these influences pervade this album. It's a great mixture of "Spanish Soul", blues, RB, and Cajun music. Buy his 1987 debut solo album, "Miracle." Willy Deville has never fully received the accolades he deserves for his contribution to music, so check out his albums, and also albums by Mink DeVille. They're all good. There is info on Willy DeVille's "Crow Jane Alley" album @ WDEV/CJA

TRACKS

1 Harlem Nocturne
2 Slow Train
3 Savoir faire
4 Cadillac Walk
5. Love Me Like You Do
6 Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl
7 Love And Emotion
8 She's Tough
9 You Better Move On
10 Teardrps Must Fall
11 Desperate Days
12 Maybe Tomorrow
13 This Must Be The Night
14 Lipstick And Traces
15 Spanish Stroll
16 Bad Boy
17 So Long

MUSICIANS

Willy DeVille – guitar, vocals
Eve Moon - background vocals
Ricky Borgia – guitar
Kenny Margolis – piano, accordion, vibraphone
Louis Cortelezzi – baritone saxophone
Joey Vesta – bass
Thommy Price – drums
The Exhilarations - background vocals, Ray Goodwin, Alan Morgan, Andy Deweese, Joe Mendez, Al "Butch" Floyd

BIO

Although a product of the New York punk scene, at heart Mink DeVille was a soul band with roots in R&B, the blues and even Cajun music. The group was a showcase for frontman Willy DeVille (born William Boray in 1953), a native New Yorker who in 1971 travelled to London to form a band; unable to find compatible musicians, he worked as a solo performer before returning to the U.S. and settling in San Francisco, where he founded the first incarnation of Mink DeVille in 1974 with bassist Ruben Siguenza and drummer Tom "Manfred" Allen. After playing in Bay Area leather bars and lounges under a variety of names including Billy DeSade & the Marquis and the Lazy Eights, the trio read a music magazine feature spotlighting the Ramones; duly inspired, Mink DeVille relocated to New York, where they recruited guitarist Louie X. Erlanger. After debuting with three tracks on the Live at CBGB's compilation, the band entered the studio with legendary producer Jack Nitzsche and surfaced in 1977 with Cabretta, an energetic, soulful outing highlighted by "Spanish Stroll," a Top 20 hit in the U.K. After recording 1978's Return to Magenta, Willy DeVille dismissed his bandmates (save for Erlanger) and moved to Paris to record Le Chat Bleu, a record steeped in traditional French-Cajun romantic ballads — complete with accordion backing — and recorded with session luminaries including bassist Jerry Scheff, saxophonist Teenage Steve Douglas and drummer Ron Tutt. Dismayed with the results, the group's label, Capitol, delayed its American release for over a year, prompting Mink DeVille to jump to Atlantic for 1981's Coup de Grace. By 1983's Where Angels Fear to Tread, Willy DeVille was the sole remaining founding member; after the release of 1985's Sportin' Life, he finally jettisoned the Mink DeVille name to continue working as a solo performer. Among his later recordings, the most successful was 1986's Mark Knopfler-produced Miracle; the single "Storybook Love" was later nominated for an Academy Award after it appeared in the film The Princess Bride. © Jason Ankeny, allmusic.com