Tracy Nelson

Tracy Nelson - In The Here And Now - 1993 - Rounder

Tracy Nelson has always brought a wealth of blues feeling to her work, but being bluesy doesn't necessarily mean that one is actually singing the blues -- one can certainly bring the feeling of the blues to rock, R&B, reggae, country, bluegrass, zydeco, or jazz (all of which have been affected by the blues). In fact, Nelson has often showed listeners just how blues-minded rock, soul, or country can be. In the Here and Now, however, isn't just bluesy -- it is blues-oriented, and this time, there are plenty of tracks that actually have 12 bars. Nelson, who was 45 when this album came out in 1993, really soars on passionate performances of "Motherless Child Blues" and "Go Down Sunshine" as well as Chicago blues gems like Elmore James' "It Hurts Me Too" and Willie Dixon's "Whatever I Am, You Made Me." And Nelson never sounded more confident than she does on "Please Send Me Someone to Love," which finds her performing a duet with veteran New Orleans soul great Irma Thomas. This Percy Mayfield classic, which was first recorded in 1950, is one of those standards that has been beaten to death over the years -- as great as the song is, there is such a thing as overkill. But Nelson and Thomas manage to make the tune sound fresh and vital, which is impressive because their 1993 version was recorded 43 years after the original version. Nelson, in fact, was only two years old when Mayfield first recorded "Please Send Me Someone to Love." In the Here and Now is hardly the only Nelson CD that is worth owning, but it is safe to say that it is among the strongest albums that she provided in the '90s. © Alex Henderson © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-here-and-now-r184747/review

"In The Here And Now" is a powerful reminder that there are artists out there who are as equally talented as the great Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and many more without receiving the due credit. Since the mid-60s, Tracy has sung her unique blues as a solo artist, with the great Mother Earth, and with many top blues artist in the country. With her voice of devastating power and deep emotion, she burns with a blue flame. New songs like "Living the Blues" blend in beautifully with great standards like Elmore James' "lt Hurts Me Too" and Percy Mayfield's wonderful "Please Send Me Someone to Love", sung as a duet with the great New Orleans soul singer Irma Thomas. A briliant album and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Tracy's "You'll Never Be a Stranger at My Door" album, and for music in the same vein listen to Irma Thomas' classic "True Believer" album. Support great Blues/R&B music. Check this blog for other Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth/Irma Thomas releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 101 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Every Night of the Week - Ted Jarrett 3:32
2 Living the Blues - Tracy Nelson, Gary Nicholson 4:09
3 In the Here and Now - Lucy Keeble, Andy McMahon, Jack Pearson 3:47
4 Walk Away - Oliver Sain 4:55
5 Go Down, Sunshine - Public Domain , Hociel Thomas 4:13
6 Motherless Child Blues - Public Domain , Elvie Thomas 4:26
7 When It All Comes Down - Will Jennings, Joe Sample 3:14
8 It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James 3:15
9 Whatever I Am, You Made Me - Willie Dixon 4:05
10 Miss You Like the Devil - Jas Moore 3:59
11 Please Send Me Someone to Love - Percy Mayfield 4:56

MUSICIANS

Tracy Nelson - Vocals, Background Vocals
Gary Nicholson - Guitar
Mike Henderson - Guitar, Harp
Toni Sehulster, Ron Eoff, Mike Doster - Bass
Reese Wynans - Organ, Piano
Greg Wetzel - Piano
John Gardner - Drums
Crispin Cioe - Alto & Baritone Sax
Arno Hecht - Tenor Sax
Laurence Etkin - Trumpet
Bob Funk - Trombone
Uptown Horns Group - Horns
Charlie Musselwhite - Harp
Irma Thomas - Duet Vocals with Tracy on "Please Send Me Someone to Love"
Jonell Mosser, Pebble Daniel, Nanette Britt - Background Vocals
Bill Allen - Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part

BIO

A very versatile and talented vocalist, Tracy Nelson is better known for her role as lead singer of Mother Earth. The Nashville sextet had three albums in a country-rock vein make the charts in the late '60s and early '70s. But Nelson is just as capable in soul, R&B, and blues, though she hasn't released many records in that style. Her albums for Flying Fish were more indicative of her eclecticism, but her R&B and blues roots are really evident on her 1993 release In the Here and Now and 1995's I Feel So Good -- both on Rounder Records. Born in California but raised in Madison, WI, Nelson began playing music when she was a student at the University of Wisconsin. Nelson began singing folk and blues at coffeehouses and R&B and rock & roll at parties with a covers band called the Fabulous Imitators. In 1964, she recorded an album for Prestige, Deep Are the Roots, which was produced by Sam Charters. Two years after recording Deep Are the Roots, Nelson headed out to the West Coast, spending some time in Los Angeles before settling in San Francisco. After arriving in San Francisco, she formed Mother Earth in 1968, moving the group to Nashville the following year. The band stayed together for five years, recording several albums for Mercury Records, among a handful of other labels. Nelson left the band in the mid-'70s, embarking on a solo career that saw her release albums for a variety of labels, including Columbia, Atlantic, and Flying Fish. Nelson continued to record and perform into the '90s. In 1993, she released In the Here and Now, her first album for Rounder Records and, not coincidentally, her first straight blues record since she began recording in the '60s. Nelson followed In the Here and Now with several acclaimed records of gritty blues-rock for Rounder, switching to Memphis International for the release of You'll Never Be a Stranger at My Door in 2007. © Ron Wynn © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tracy-nelson-p11284/biography

Keb' Mo'

Keb' Mo' - Keb' Mo' - 1994 - Okeh

Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.65) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's.": Rolling Stone (12/15/94, p.98) - 3.5 Stars - Good - "...it all sounds seamless...": Q (2/96, p.65) - Included in Q's 50 Best Albums of 1995.: Q (6/95, p.126) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Like Mississippi John Hurt or Taj Mahal, Moore is rooted in songs rather than licks, although his guitar/banjo technique is sharp, hard and irresistibly sparkly....it's precisely because Moore pushes so hard that he's so compelling.": Living Blues (9-10/94, p.66) - "...a fresh take on some of the oldest blues styles...": NME (Magazine) (7/15/95, p.49) - 6 (out of 10) - "...fine versions of two [Robert] Johnson songs plus some experiments with ragtime and pop music, circa 1920. But he's got a modern nous..., some funk plus a husky, keening voice that will endear him to the Jools Holland set..."

Keb' Mo's self-titled debut is an edgy, ambitious collection of gritty country blues. Keb' Mo' pushes into new directions, trying to incorporate some of the sensibilites of the slacker revolution without losing touch of the tradition that makes the blues the breathing, vital art form it is. His attempts aren't always successful, but his gutsy guitar playing and impassioned vocals, as well as his surprisingly accomplished songwriting, make Keb' Mo' a debut to cherish. © Thom Owens © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/keb-mo-r216090

The first solo release by contemporary blues-based artist Keb Mo' mixes a reverence for traditional country blues with more streamlined elements of commercial pop. Despite a convincing "down-home" approach of gravel-textured vocals and superior slide work and finger-picking skills, Keb Mo' avoids the pose of a hard line revivalist. Instead, he chooses to employ his fluency in the Delta tradition as a palette on which to blend a connoisseur's sampling of various musical genres. Country, funk, swing, and late 20th-Century folk balladry (Traci Chapman, James Taylor and Bob Dylan) all manage to make their way into the mix for a seamless blend of roots and radio friendliness. Keyboards, bass and drums (in addition to Keb Mo's contributions on guitar, harmonica and banjo) flesh out breezy soul-inflected pop such as "She Just Wants To Dance" and the island flavored "Tell Everybody I Know." Though gears continue to shift, from organ-drenched gospel to hillbilly lite, Keb Mo' brings things back to the source with inventive homages to the blues altar, such as in his re-casting of two Robert Johnson songs. Though blues purists may find Mo's genre blending somewhat disconcerting, others will find much to appreciate in this accessible, enjoyable, finely honed music. © 1996 - 2011 CD Universe http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1241204/a/Keb'+Mo'.htm

Keb' Mo' takes rock, jazz, funk, pop, and soul and creates a hybrid style of music all his own. Similar to the great Robert Cray, his music has constantly been criticized by blues "purists" for "deviating from the Blues mean". As stated before on this blog, adhering to this "purist" attitude in music, whether it be jazz, rock, blues, or classical would stifle creativity in an artist, and would be a giant musical step backwards. Music is constantly evolving. So it is, was, and always will be. However, the general blues audience appreciates Keb's music. Between 1997 and 2002 he He earned six W.C. Handy Awards as "Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year", so he must be doing something right. If you like artists like Robert Cray and Eric Bibb, you may enjoy this album. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 97.8 Mb]. Listen to Keb's "Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Keb' Mo'" album which has a stronger blues flavour.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Every Morning - K. Moore 3:00
2 Tell Everybody I Know - K. Moore 3:10
3 Love Blues 3:02 - Moore & Powell
4 Victims of Comfort - Kimber & Moore 3:21
5 Angelina - Graper & Moore 3:47
6 Anybody Seen My Girl? - K. Moore 2:56
7 She Just Wants to Dance - K. Moore 3:29
8 Am I Wrong? - K. Moore 2:19
9 Come on in My Kitchen - Robert Johnson 4:09
10 Dirty, Low Down and Bad - K. Moore 3:08
11 Don't Try to Explain - K. Moore 3:58
12 Kindhearted Woman Blues - Robert Johnson 3:29
13 City Boy - K. Moore 4:05

MUSICIANS

Keb' Mo'- Guitar, Harmonica, Banjo, Vocals
James "Hutch" Hutchinson - Bass
Tommy Eyre - Keyboards
Laval Belle - Drums
Quentin Dennard - Drums on "Angelina"
Tony Draunagel - Percussion on "Come on in My Kitchen"

BIO (WIKI)

Keb' Mo' (born Kevin Moore, October 3, 1951) is an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. From early on he had an appreciation for the blues and gospel music. By adolescence he was already an accomplished guitarist. Keb' Mo' started his musical career playing the steel drums and upright bass in a calypso band. He moved on to play in a variety of blues and backup bands throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He first started recording in the early 1970s with Jefferson Airplane violinist Papa John Creach through an R&B group. Creach hired him when Moore was just twenty-one years old; Moore appeared on four of Creach's albums: Filthy!, Playing My Fiddle for You, I'm the Fiddle Man and Rock Father. Around that time Moore was also a staff writer for A&M Records, and arranged demos for Almo - Irving music. Keb' Mo's early debut, Rainmaker, was released on Chocolate City Records, a subsidiary of Casablanca Records, in 1980. He was further immersed in the blues with his long stint in the Whodunit Band, headed by Bobby "Blue" Bland producer Monk Higgins. Moore jammed with Albert Collins and Big Joe Turner and emerged as an inheritor of a guarded tradition and as a genuine original. In 1994, Keb' Mo' released his self-titled debut album, Keb' Mo', which featured two Robert Johnson covers, "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Kind Hearted Woman Blues". In the Martin Scorsese miniseries The Blues, Keb' Mo' states that he was greatly influenced by Johnson. In 1996 he released Just Like You, his second album, which featured twelve songs full of Delta rhythms. He won his first Grammy Award for this album, which featured guest appearances from Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. On June 10, 1997, Moore performed on the television program Sessions at West 54th. He joined musicians Laval Belle on drums, Reggie McBride playing bass, and Joellen Friedkin on keyboards to perform fourteen songs, some from each of his albums. Blues pianist Dr. John also made a guest appearance. This session (known as Sessions at West 54th: Recorded Live in New York) was shown on television, but was not released as a DVD until late 2000. Slow Down, his next album, was released in 1998 and featured twelve songs. It earned him a second Grammy Award. The album begins with the song "Muddy Water", a tribute to Muddy Waters. It also features a song entitled "Rainmaker", which had been released previously on his first album, eighteen years prior. The song was rerecorded, though there is little difference to the song itself with no lyrical changes at all. His fourth album, The Door, was released in 2000. The same year, Keb' Mo' released Big Wide Grin, a children's album featuring many songs from Moore's own childhood, along with some newer children's songs and some by Moore himself. In 2003, Martin Scorsese collaborated with many blues musicians including Keb' Mo' to put together a series of films entitled The Blues. Following its release, several albums were released in accordance, some were compilations, some new collaborations, and Keb' Mo' released an album in the series featuring a handful of existing recordings from Keb' Mo' to The Door. On February 10, 2004, he released Keep It Simple which earned him a third Grammy Award, again in the contemporary blues genre. Later that year he released his sixth studio album, Peace... Back by Popular Demand. Moore released Suitcase, on June 13, 2006. His touring band following the release included Reggie McBride on bass, Les Falconer III on drums, Jeff Paris on keyboards, and Clayton Gibb on guitar. On October 20, 2009, Keb' Mo' released the live album, Live & Mo'. In 1998 he portrayed Robert Johnson in a documentary film, Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?. In 1997 Keb' Mo' portrayed the character Isaac, the Angel of Music, in the episode "Inherit the Wind" and again in 1999 in "Then Sings My Soul" of the television series Touched By an Angel. He performed "Hand It Over" from his 1996 release Just Like You in the 1997 episode and again in the 2002 episode "Remembering Me: Part 2". He also appeared as J. D. Winslow in the 2001 episode "Shallow Water" where he performed his song "God Trying to Get Your Attention" from his album, Slow Down. In 2006, he appeared on the final episode, "Tomorrow" of The West Wing to perform "America the Beautiful" at the inauguration of President Matt Santos. In January 2007, he performed at the Sundance Film Festival. He played the role of the mischievous spirit Possum in the 2007 John Sayles movie Honeydripper. In 2004 he participated in the politically-motivated Vote for Change tour alongside Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, with whom he originally recorded the title track from the album Just Like You. Keb' Mo' is part of the No Nukes group which was against the expansion of nuclear power. In 2007 the group recorded a music video of a new version of the Buffalo Springfield song "For What It's Worth". Keb' Mo' uses several types of guitars, including electric guitars, acoustic guitars and resonator guitars. He has a preference for red guitars, as he says on his website : "I have a history with red guitars. My first electric was a red guitar.". He mostly plays on a red custom Fender Stratocaster which has the particularity to feature two single-coil pickups, and one humbucker and was much modified from a regular Stratocaster model. On stage, he prefers a Red Hamer guitar with Gibson P-90 pickups. Two of his electric guitars were lost in the 2010 Nashville flood : an Epiphone Sheraton and a Danelectro Selectomatic. He owns a variety of acoustic and resonator guitars, including a Gibson artist model, a guitar made for him by James Goodall, a National Style N, a National Resorocket, a Gibson ES-335-shaped resonator guitar with a P-90 pickup he bought in a Nashville club and got fixed. In 2002, Moore contributed "Sonnet 35" to the compilation album, When Love Speaks (EMI Classics), which features famous actors and musicians interpreting Shakespearean sonnets and play excerpts. Two years later, he appeared on Amy Grant: Greatest Hits 1986-2004 in a duet entitled "Come Be with Me", which became a modest success on pop radio. In 2005 he appeared on Buddy Guy's version of "Ain't No Sunshine", along with Tracy Chapman. Moore composed one of the theme songs featured on the show, Martha Stewart Living. That same year, he appeared on Eric Clapton's album Back Home. In 2006, he co-wrote the song, "I Hope", with the Dixie Chicks for their album, Taking the Long Way. Moore also provided vocals to Marcus Miller's 2007 album, Free on the track entitled "Milky Way" and again on Miller's 2008 album entitled, Marcus. Moore appeared on the June 7, 2008 broadcast of Garrison Keillor's radio program A Prairie Home Companion. He performed two songs with Bonnie Raitt: "No Getting Over You" and "There Ain't Nothin' in Ramblin'". The show was archived on the A Prairie Home Companion website. Moore covered Lowen & Navarro's "If You Loved Me Like That" on Keep The Light Alive: Celebrating The Music of Lowen & Navarro. The proceeds of the album benefited The Eric Lowen Trust, ALS Association Greater Los Angeles, and Augie's Quest. Moore sings the opening theme ("I See Love", written by Moore and Josh Kelley) to the CBS television show "Mike and Molly".

The Tony O Blues Band

The Tony O Blues Band - Top Of The Blues - 1995 - Deluge Records

Physically born in Queens in 1955, Tony 0 had his spiritual birth at age 15 when he discovered Chicago Blues. Not only did the 15 year old teach himself how to play the blues, but by age 18, he was welcome in the company of Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Victoria Spivey and others. By the early 80's, Tony was touring hard as a guitar player and part-time vocalist with the NYC based blues unit Little Mike and The Tornadoes. This band, which included Brad Vickers and Rob Piazza, as well as Little Mike, not only did constant stints on their own, but also served as back-up band of choice for Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin and also did special tours with Jimmy Rogers, Snooky Pryor and Lester 'Big Daddy' Kinsey. They lived for the music and one could hear the effect this had on their playing - they had become one tight blues band. One could also hear that Tony 0 was emerging as a mature blues player. He was, and remains, more inclined to share the depth of his feelings with you than to overwhelm you with flashy, go-nowhere solos. As the 80's began to fade, the road finally took its toll on the original cast of Little Mike and The Tornadoes, and they went their separate ways. Tony wasn't out looking for work yet when, in 1990, he was invited by Willie Smith to join the Legendary Blues Band, a band with a most impressive lineage, which was still going strong. For two years, Tony toured and recorded as a member of Legendary. Feeling the time was right to jump out on his own, he left the band in 1992 and regrouped with his old pals from The Tornadoes - Brad Vickers and Rob Piazza - and the hot newcomer, Nick Luis. The Tony 0 Blues Band has been performing their vintage, electric blues ever since and playing with Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith and Stan Bronstein every chance they get. Thus, it seems fitting that when Tony decided to cut his first record under his own name, that he would have his closest friends, past and present, with him. There's some serious chemistry on this record and I hope you can hear it. As for Tony 0 and the guys, they'll be out and about, honing their craft. If you ever come across them in some backwater town or big city, make sure you go check 'em out - you won't be disappointed. © Randy Labbe [from album notes]

There is nothing flashy about this album, but it's an abum of great vintage and electric blues from the experienced N.Y guitarist Tony O aka Little Anthony Luisi/Melio, and an experienced band which includes Rob Piazza on drums, and the late Pinetop Perkins on piano. Some of these musicians have been playing authentic blues for many years without receiving much credit. Buy Little Mike and the Tornadoes terrific "Heart Attack" album which features Tony O, and also musicians including Ronnie Earl, Paul Butterfield, and Hubert Sumlin, and keep the blues alive

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Think About You - A.Melio
2 Reconsider Baby - L.Fulson
3 Goin' Home - J.L. Hooker
4 Hard Hard Way - A.Melio, W.Smith
5 Oh Baby - W.Dixon, Rob McNurlin
6 Killing Floor - Chester Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf
7 I Want You to Love Me - W.Dixon, Chris Youlden
8 Top of the Blues - A.Melio
9 Hush Hush - J.Reid
10 Miserable Woman - A.Melio, J.Quinn
11 Keep on Movin'- A.Melio
12 Step on It - A.Melio

MUSICIANS

Tony O - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Nick Luis - Rhythm Guitar (1st Solo on Track 12)
Brad Vickers - Bass
Pinetop Perkins - Piano (Tracks 2,4,5,7,9)
Little Mike - Piano (Track 12)
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Drums, Vocals (Tracks 4-10, and 12)
Rob Piazza - Drums (Tracks 1-3, and 11)
Stan Bronstein - Saxophone

SHORT BIO

Tony O was given his name by the great late Howlin' Wolf and his guitar player Hubert Sumlin back in the late 60's. Wolf was a friend and mentor. Tony O has toured and recorded with Jimmy Rogers, Victoria Spivey, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, Willie "big eye's" Smith, Hubert Sumlin, Bob Stroger, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, The Legendary Blues Band, Little Mike and the Tornado's, Zora Young, Louis Myers, and more. Tony has recorded on over twenty five records and for seven different record labels. His debut record (Top of The Blues) on Deluge Records was released in 1995 with only great revues world wide, it included special guests Pinetop Perkins (piano), Willie "big eye's Smith (drums), Brad Vickers (bass) & Stan Bronstein (Sax). Tony O was nominated for the Grammy Award in 1998 w/Pinetop Perkins (Born in the Delta) on Telarc Int. Records. Tony O has toured thru Japan, USA, Canada, USVI, and British Islands. A New York City Blues Guitar Legend, performing regularly in Manhattan. - [This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.] © 1996-2011, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Tony-O-Blues-Band/e/B000APX2AU

Phillip Walker & Otis Grand

Phillip Walker & Otis Grand - Big Blues From Texas - 1992 - JSP

Nice comeback set after a lengthy absence from the recording scene that was cut in London under the direction of guitarist Otis Grand (who shares axe duties throughout). Why this Louisiana-born guitarist hasn't been recorded more heavily is a mystery; he seldom fails to connect, and this import is no exception to the rule. © Bill Dahl © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/big-blues-from-texas-r129357

An exceptional 1992 classic blues album. The late Phillip Walker was one of the most talented blues guitarists of the postwar years and some say that this album was the finest moment of an illustrious career. The album was recorded with Otis Grand as guitarist, producer and bandleader. The original release deservedly won a Handy Award. The horns by the Oh Gee Horns are rootsy and contemporary and the guitars of Phillip and Otis combine to create an outstanding studio collaboration. Listen to the late Phillip Walker's brilliant "Tough As I Want to Be" album and Otis Grand's "He Knows the Blues" album. Philip Walker's "I Got A Sweet Tooth" album is @ PHILWAL/IGAST & Otis Grand's "Nothing Else Matters" album is @ OTISGND/NEM

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Dressin' Trashy - Phillip Walker, Nat Dave, Nathaniel Dove
2 Young Devil - Phillip Walker
3 She's Gone - Phillip Walker, James Thomas
4 Bluesmobile - Phillip Walker, James "Son" Thomas
5 Beatrice, Beatrice - Phillip Walker, Larry Garner
6 Don't Leave Me Baby - Lou Baxter, T-Bone Walker
7 Play Me Some Blues - Phillip Walker, Jimmy Johnson
8 Insomnia - Phillip Walker, Otis Grand
9 Goodie Train - Cleo Page
10 She Torture Me - Phillip Walker, Otis Grand
11 You're So Fine - Little Walter
12 Big Blues from Texas - Phillip Walker, Otis Grand

MUSICIANS

Phillip Walker RIP (guitar,vocals)
Otis Grand (guitars)
Dan Quinton (Fender bass)
Steve Diamond (piano,Hammond B3)
Alan Premier (drums, percussion)
Oh Gee Horns: Peter Beck (Tenor & Alto Sax), Mike Hobart (Baritone Sax), Noel Harris (Trumpet)
Buzz Brown (harmonica solos) on Tracks 5,11,&12

ABOUT PHILLIP WALKER

Despite recording somewhat sparingly since debuting as a leader in 1959 on Elko Records with the storming rocker "Hello My Darling," Louisiana-born guitarist Phillip Walker enjoys a sterling reputation as a contemporary blues guitarist with a distinctive sound honed along the Gulf Coast during the 1950s. A teenaged Walker picked up his early licks around Port Arthur, TX, from the likes of Gatemouth Brown, Long John Hunter, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Lonnie "Guitar Junior" Brooks. Zydeco king Clifton Chenier hired Walker in 1953 as his guitarist, a post he held for three and a half years. In 1959, Walker moved to Los Angeles, waxing "Hello My Darling" for producer J.R. Fulbright (a song he's revived several times since, most effectively for the short-lived Playboy logo). Scattered 45s emerged during the '60s, but it wasn't until he joined forces with young producer Bruce Bromberg in 1969 that Walker began to get a studio foothold. Their impressive work together resulted in a 1973 album for Playboy (reissued by HighTone in 1989), The Bottom of the Top, that remains Walker's finest to date. Walker cut a fine follow-up set for Bromberg's Joliet label, Someday You'll Have These Blues, that showcased his tough Texas guitar style (it was later reissued by Alligator). Sets for Rounder and HighTone were high points of the 1980s for the guitarist, and 1994's Big Blues from Texas (reissued in 1999) continued his string of worthy material. His 1995 set for Black Top, Working Girl Blues, shows Walker at peak operating power, combining attractively contrasting tracks waxed in New Orleans and Los Angeles. I Got a Sweet Tooth followed in 1998, and displayed no letdown in quality or power. Walker got together with fellow blues legends Lonnie Brooks and Long John Hunter in 1999 to record Lone Star Shootout for Alligator. Walker is featured as lead vocalist on four tracks and backs the others on the rest of the record. In the fall of 2002, a live recording of a spring concert was released on M.C. Records. © Bill Dahl © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/phillip-walker-p135596/biography [N.B: Phillip died on Jul 22, 2010]

ABOUT OTIS GRAND

Otis Grand (born February 14, 1950, Beirut, Lebanon) is an American blues musician, best known for his album, Perfume and Grime (1996). Although born in Beirut, Grand has spent much of his life in the United States. He played with local blues musicians at Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland, California, and made contacts that would later prove useful; such as Joe Louis Walker who produced his debut album, Always Hot (1988). He later cited his early influences as being B.B. King, Otis Rush, Johnny Otis and T-Bone Walker. By the late 1980s, Grand was based in the UK where he and his Dance Kings became a popular nightclub act. He was voted 'Best UK Blues Guitarist' seven years running (1990–1996) by the British Blues Connection magazine. In 1991, Grand co-starred with his backing band and Guitar Shorty, on the My Way or the Highway album. Joe Louis Walker also played on Grand's next album, He Knows the Blues (1992) alongside Calvin Owens, Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, and the singer Jimmy Nelson. The album was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award. Nothing Else Matters (1994) involved Curtis Salgado, Sugar Ray Norcia, and Kim Wilson, whilst Walker and Salgado returned for Perfume and Grime (1996) which also utilised Luther Allison and Darrell Nulisch. In 1997 Grand guested on Joe Louis Walker's album, Great Guitars. In March 2009, Grand appeared on stage at the Arts Centre in Cranleigh, Surrey, England. In addition to living in Lebanon and the United States, Grand has lived in France and currently resides in Croydon, England, Grand remains an incisive guitarist. His latest album, Hipster Blues, was released on May 21, 2007. [from Wikipedia]

Guitar Crusher

Guitar Crusher - Message to Man - 1995 - In-Akustik

Sidney Selby is a true blues man. He also goes by 'Bone Crusher' and 'Guitar Crusher', names he earned throughout his career. Born in rural Hyde County N.C. in 1931 during the height of the Depression, he toiled in the cotton fields during his youth but set aside Sundays for exercising his rich baritone in the choir of Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, continuing a tradition which gave rise to a whole generation of blues singers of his era. He moved to New York in the 50s, found a job and started singing in Church again. However. encouraged by his friends, he soon formed his own band, the Midnight Rockers and began attracting a large following. The year 1960 marked the beginning of a decade of performances with The Drifters, The Isley Brothers, Ben E. King and other major R&B talents which flourished during the 1960's musical renaissance. Selby was signed by Columbia Records and remained under contract until 1970, when the musical tastes in America began to shift away from blues and soul sounds. So, in the early 80s GUITAR CRUSHER headed for Europe and a more hospitals blues climate. Here his performance on major festivals marked the start of his comeback. The now internationally-known singer and writer has since accorded 4 albums singing his own compositions with force and assurance in his gospel-inflected voice. His transfixing vocal power won him a reputation as 'The Big Voice From New York', a headliner on the european blues-circuit. © http://www.guitarcrusher.com/

Sidney Selby aka Guitar Crusher was discovered by Mike Vernon, who in the 60's recorded him for the Blue Horizon label, backed by Ten Years After. "Message to Man" was produced by Calvin Owens, the musical leader of the B.B. King Band. Again, Guitar Crusher is backed on 3 tracks by Alvin Lee. Check out Guitar Crusher's "Googa Mooga" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Heartfixing Man - Ed Davis 4:27
2 Long Green Folding Friend - H.J. Müller, Sidney Selby 4:40
3 Message to Man - G. Leonhard, H.J. Müller, Sidney Selby 7:18
4 Stealing a Little Love - Sidney Selby 6:02
5 Darling I Miss You - Sidney Selby 6:33
6 Day by Day - C. Owens, Sidney Selby 3:42
7 You Know How to Hurt a Man - Sidney Selby 5:46
8 Do It Well - Sidney Selby 4:35
9 Trying to Fool the Whole Town - Sidney Selby, C. Sykes 5:31
10 I Wanna Be with You - H.J. Müller, Sidney Selby 3:50
11 I Can't Stop Loving You - Don Gibson 7:46
12 Time to Throw Down - N. Katzman, Sidney Selby 4:08

MUSICIANS

Sidney "Guitar Crusher" Selby (vocals, harmonica)
H.J. Muller (guitar)
Alvin Lee (guitar) on "Heartfixing Man", "Long Green Folding Friend", and "Message To Man"
Stephan Wagner (bass)
Linus Wahl (keyboards)
Andre Schnisa (Hammond organ)
Christian Bleiming, Christian Rannenberg (piano)
Uli Wagner (drums)
Lenjes Robinson (congas)
Tyree Glenn (saxophone, tenor saxophone)
Arno Haas (alto & tenor saxophones)
Tyree Glenn, Jr. (tenor saxophone)
Elmar Schafer (saxophone)
Calvin Owens, Bernd Hufnagel, Rudiger Ruf, Thomas Nell, Rudiger Baldauf, Thomas Vogel (trumpet)
Siggi Davis (vocals)

MORE ABOUT SIDNEY "GUITAR CRUSHER" SELBY

Hans McMiniman told me the old bluesman got his nickname one night at a club in New York City. “Someone got nasty with a lady, and Sidney crushed a guitar over his head.” Hardly sounded like the warm and friendly fellow I met at the Funky Blues Shack. But then again, nobody in the well-behaved crowd of blues fans gave Sidney “Guitar Crusher” Selby a reason to live up to his handle. Joined by McMiniman on guitar and Joe “Fingers” Fuller on keyboards, Crusher treated the diverse audience to classics and a handful of memorable original songs. Crusher’s 72-year-old voice is ragged but right; when he warbled Jimmy Reed’s Bright Lights, Big City, I figured he must have done the song thousands of times before, yet McMiniman’s dynamic guitar playing and Fuller’s nifty keyboard work seemed to inspire him. “We met in 1993 when I worked with Katie Webster, the great boogie blues singer and piano player,” McMiniman said. “She had a stroke one night when we were playing in Crusher’s hometown (Freiburg, Germany), and he got up there and saved the gig.” The two have remained good friends for over a decade. Crusher performed most of the time he was in town, and received a warm reception everywhere he appeared—the Funky Blues Shack, Destin Commons, Baytowne Wharf, and WaterColor at Seagrove Beach, where McMiniman has a steady solo gig every Friday afternoon. This marked singer/guitarist/harmonica player Crusher’s second trip to the area this year. In February, he and wife Mara visited the McMinimans, and it rained the whole time. “I was born in North Carolina in 1931,” Crusher said. “I grew up in the church.” In 1947, young Selby left for New York to stay with his mother, full of musical experiences and ambition. Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Louis Jordan were early influences, but Crusher also had the good fortune to witness the birth of bebop—Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach. His aunt was in charge of a club on a military base where Count Basie and Duke Ellington regularly performed at dances. McMiniman describes his friend’s style as “somewhere in between Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles, and B.B. King. He covers a lot of good soul tunes, down home blues, and big city tunes. It’s just fun playing with him. An old gentleman of the blues—there’s not too many of them around from that generation.” “Goddamn rheumatism, I can’t really use my right hand,” Crusher said during a break at the Funky Blues Shack. He pulled up his shirt and showed me the scar from the heart operation he underwent in 1998. “My heart took a lickin’ but kept on tickin’!” he laughed. Crusher still managed to strum a few chords while McMiniman played lead guitar, and his breathless harmonica playing suggested years of smoke- and drug-free living. The blues man’s only vice seems to be the occasional glass of red wine. His appearance at the small venue climaxed with a high-spirited rendition of The Blues Is Alright. Crusher sauntered into the audience and encouraged a mighty call and response. At one in the morning, as the crowd was thinning out, Fuller returned to the piano and Crusher sang a heartfelt Stand by Me, the Ben E. King favorite. “He’s the most soulful and easiest guy I’ve ever worked with,” Fuller said. “I can mess up, and he’ll say, ‘That’s all right, man.’ I think it’s kind of sad that he had to go to Berlin to make a name for himself. But if anyone can get Calvin Owens to do all the horn charts for his album, he’s got to be well thought of there.” Owens is renowned for his work with B.B. King—he arranged the 1995 Sidney “Guitar Crusher” CD Message to Man, which also featured three songs by McMiniman and lead guitar by Ten Years After’s Alvin Lee. The next evening, McMiniman accompanied Crusher in the fountain area behind Acme Oyster House at Baytowne Wharf. The more relaxed setting didn’t stop the duo from giving intense readings of Hound Dog and Hoochie Coochie Man. Crusher’s inventive phrasing on Georgia on My Mind made for a nice Ray Charles tribute. McMiniman got off some nice bass note runs (Willie Nelson style), and Crusher’s harmonica bursts were well timed. Fuller dropped by during one of his breaks—he was performing with a band at nearby Hammerheads—and clearly enjoyed Crusher’s world-class wailing on Stormy Monday and A Change Is Gonna Come. The latter, popularized by Sam Cooke during the height of the civil rights struggle, brought up some memories of Crusher’s previous trips to the south. “During the 1960s, I played with Ben E. King, the Drifters, the Isley Brothers,” Crusher recalled. “I had two or three thousand dollars in my pocket, and I couldn’t go no damn where to get nothing to eat. I had to get a damn can of pork and beans.” Crusher continues to tour all over Europe—he’s especially well liked in Italy and Spain. McMiniman estimated the seasoned performer still does about 70 gigs a year. Crusher hopes to return to Destin early next year to perform and possibly record with McMiniman. “Play ‘til you drop. This is something you don’t want to retire from,” McMiniman said. He hopes he’s still keeping on at Crusher’s age. “He’s a good role model for people over 70. He still has lots of ideas and things he wants to do. As long as you’re doing something, you never really get old.” [from the article "No Longer Crushing Guitars, Still Devastating Audiences" by & © Chris Manson August 12, 2004 Issue © The Beachcomber, Inc. 2003 - 2010. All rights reserved http://www.thebeachcomber.org/guitarcrusher.htm]

Rory Block

Rory Block - Mama's Blues - 1991 - Rounder

Rory Block is quite impressive. Ignoring the fact that she is a white woman singing older-style blues in the 1990s, Block compares favorably to many of the top country-blues artists of the 1930s. Highlights of her very enjoyable set include Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues," a pair of Tommy Johnson classics and two songs recorded by Bessie Smith ("Do Your Duty" and "Weepin' Willow Blues"). Block's own originals (which have intelligent lyrics) sound more contemporary (with the influences of R&B, pop and gospel being felt), which alters the general mood of the release a bit. However, even with its brief playing time (38 minutes), her CD is highly recommended as a fine example of the work of this talented blues performer. © Scott Yanow © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/mamas-blues-r88167

"I love it! I love it! She's very simply the best we have" - Taj Mahal

Rory Block has been deservedly proclaimed as one of the greatest acoustic country blues artists of our time, and a legendary blueswoman. She's highly revered throughout the music industry for her absolute dedication in keeping the delta blues tradition alive for future generations. She is loved and admired globally by real blues lovers for her sensitivity in singing the blues and for her ability to touch the human soul with her beloved music. On "Mama's Blues" she continues with her tradition of singing some of the great blues and gospel songs of yesteryear. Six of the eleven tracks are covers of songs by Paul Carter, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Wesley Wilson, Tommy Johnson, and Robert Johnson. Rory sings with her usual heartfelt sincerity, and deep love of this kind of music. Her guitar work is superb as always. Some of the artists playing on this album include guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, pianist Warren Bernhardt, and drummer Jerry Marotta. "Mama's Blues" is a short album but HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Rory's great "From the Dust" album and search this blog for more releases. Rory's "The Lady and Mr. Johnson," on which she pays tribute to the great blues legend, Robert Johnson is a marvellous album. Rest assured the Blues are safe with Rory Block

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Terraplane Blues - Robert Johnson 3:23
2 Bye Bye Blues - Tommy Johnson 2:35
3 Big Road Blues - Tommy Johnson 3:06
4 Do Your Duty - Wesley Wilson 2:58
5 The Spirit Returns - Rory Block 3:18
6 Got to Shine - Rory Block 4:35
7 Mama's Blues - Rory Block 4:27
8 Ain't No Shame - Rory Block 4:29
9 Hawkins Blues - Buddy Boy Hawkins 2:55
10 Weepin' Willow Blues - Paul Carter 2:24
11 Sing Good News - Rory Block 4:12

MUSICIANS

Rory Block - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic),Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Jorma Kaukonen - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Paul Gabriel - Slide Guitar
Michael Mugrage - Guitar (Rhythm)
Scott Petito, Rob Leon - Bass
Richard Bell - Piano, Piano (Electric), Synthesizer
Vinnie Martucci - Piano (Electric)
Warren Bernhardt - Piano
Jerry Marotta - Drums
Peter "Madcat" Ruth - Harmonica
Sarah Brooks - Vocal Harmony
William VanNess, Selma VanNess, Linda VanAlstyne, Reverend Lee A. Thomas, Jr., Corinne Summers, Rohan Remike, Jeanette Johnson - Choir, Chorus, Vocals
Jordan Block Valdina, Ann Pedan - Choir, Chorus

BIO

Aurora "Rory" Block has staked her claim to be one of America's top acoustic blues women, an interpreter of the great Delta blues singers, a slide guitarist par excellence, and also a talented songwriter on her own account. Born and raised in Manhattan by a family that had bohemian leanings, she spent her formative years hanging out with musicians like Peter Rowan, John Sebastian, and Geoff Muldaur, who hung out in her father's sandal shop, before picking up the guitar at the age of ten. Her record debut came two years later, backing her father on The Elektra String Band Project, a concept album. She met guitarist Stefan Grossman, who, like her, was in love with the blues. The pair would often travel to the Bronx to visit Reverend Gary Davis, one of the greatest living bluesmen. At the tender age of 15 Block left home, hitting the road in true '60s fashion and traveling through the South, where she learned her blues trade at the feet of Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, her greatest influence, before ending up in Berkeley. It was there that she developed her slide technique (she uses a socket wrench as her slide), but she didn't record until 1975, when she released I'm in Love (a compilation of earlier material, The Early Tapes 1975-1976, appeared later). After two records for Chrysalis, she recorded the instructional How to Play Blues Guitar for Grossman's Kicking Mule label, and later moved to then-fledgling Rounder, with whom she enjoyed an ongoing relationship. She toured constantly, often playing as many as 250 dates in a year, which kept her away from her family -- she'd married and begun having children in the early '70s -- but developed her reputation as a strong, vibrant live performer, and one of the best players of old country blues in America. In 1987 the best of Block's Rounder cuts were compiled on Best Blues & Originals, which, as it said, featured her interpretations of blues classics and some of her own material. Two of the tracks, released as singles in Belgium and Holland, became gold record hits. In addition to her regular albums, Block made a series of instructional records and videos, as well as a children's record, Color Me Wild. Although she had been performing for a long time, the plaudits didn't really begin until 1992, when she won a NAIRD Award for Ain't I a Woman, a feat repeated in 1994 and 1997. In 1996 she began winning W.C. Handy Awards, first for Best Traditional Album (When a Woman Gets the Blues), and in 1997 and 1998 for Best Traditional Blues Female Artist. In 1997 she was elected to the CAMA Hall of Fame, and in 1999 she received yet another Handy Award, for Best Acoustic Blues Album (Confessions of a Blues Singer). Block continued to tour, although not as heavily as in earlier times, and she's often accompanied by her grown son Jordan Block, who also plays on her albums. She remained busy in the early part of the 2000s, releasing six albums, including a live recording. 2005's From the Dust drew raving critical reviews, as did 2006's The Lady and Mr. Johnson, an album that sees Block taking on select songs of her musical hero, idol, and biggest influence, Robert Johnson. A digital video disc, The Guitar Artistry of Rory Block, was issued in 2008. © Chris Nickson © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rory-block-p276/biography

BIO (WIKI)

Rory Block (born Aurora Block, November 6, 1949, Princeton, New Jersey) is an American female blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan Block, ran a sandal shop in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, and the constant presence of members of the Greenwich Village folk music scene, such as Peter Rowan, Geoff Muldaur and John Sebastian, made an impression on the young girl, who studied classical guitar. Around age 14, she began to be fascinated by old Mississippi Delta blues, listening to old albums, transcribing them, and learning to play the songs. At age 15, she left home to seek out the remaining blues giants, such as Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis and Son House, and hone her craft in the traditional manner of blues musicians; then she traveled to Berkeley,California where she played in clubs and coffeehouses. After retiring temporarily to raise a family, Block returned to the music industry in the 1970s with middling success until signing with Rounder Records in 1981, who encouraged her to return to her love for the classical blues form. Since then she has carved out her own niche, releasing numerous critically acclaimed albums of original and traditional songs, including many Robert Johnson covers, including "Terraplane Blues" and "Come on in My Kitchen". Block has won five W. C. Handy Awards, two for "Traditional Blues Female Artist" (1997, 1998), three for "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year" (1996, 1999, 2007). Her many albums, such as Turning Point, Angel of Mercy and Tornado have featured her own songs, while Mama's Blues, Ain't I A Woman and When A Women Gets The Blues spend more time amongst her blues models like Tommy and Robert Johnson, and the blueswomen Lottie Beaman and Mattie Delaney. Block continued to tour, although not as heavily as in earlier times, and she's often accompanied by her grown son Jordan Block, who also plays on her albums. She remained busy in the early part of the 2000s, releasing six albums, including a live recording. 2005's From the Dust drew raving critical reviews, as did 2006's The Lady and Mr. Johnson.

Mary Lane

Mary Lane - Appointment with the Blues - 1997 - Noir Records

Backed by Chicago veterans guitarist Johnny B. Moore and pianist Detroit Junior, Mary's style harken back to the glory days when the blues was heard in local South and Westside taverns such as Theresa's, the Queen Bee Lounge and the (original) Checkerboard. This is the only record that she has made. This is an honest downhome set of the real shit. © George Hansen http://www.delmark.com/rhythm.localbls.htm

To really sing the blues, you need to live them. Just ask Mary Lane. The veteran Chicago vocalist has endured her share of tough times. And that hard-fought experience gives her a gritty believability that's rare on the contemporary blues circuit, which is too often seduced by style rather than substance. "I've been a black woman scuffling out here for a long time," says Lane. "Life has been hard. It ain't been easy." Even with a fine new album, "Appointment With the Blues," on the fledgling Noir label, the West Sider sometimes ponders giving it all up to devote her talents to the church. But Lane hasn't chucked the blues yet. She celebrates her 62nd birthday Saturday by headlining a show at the Zodiac Lounge, 1744 N. Central Ave. It's amazing that "Appointment With the Blues" is Lane's debut album. The singer recorded a single back in 1963 for the obscure Friendly Five label (both sides are redone on her new CD), but recording opportunities generally proved elusive. Moreover, the new disc is filled with attractive originals (another rarity these days, especially among local blueswomen). Lane looks deep within herself for songwriting inspiration. "It's all about things that are happening in your life," she says. "Things that happened to you, and things that you do and things that you don't do. You think about all those things most of the time -- especially if you're a country girl." The Arkansas-born Lane began singing blues barely into her teens. Soon she was working with slide guitar master Robert Nighthawk. "I was about 16 or 17 when I did a few shows with him in a place called Marvell, Ark.," she says. "It was fun to me. It was beautiful. I was just out there being wild!" Lane came north in 1957, settling in north suburban Waukegan. There she met guitarist Morris Pejoe, who had recorded for Chess and Vee-Jay. She moved to Chicago in 1961, playing the West Side, and she and Pejoe had three daughters (including singer Lynne Lane, who shares Saturday's bill at the Zodiac). Their relationship ended, but Lane stuck with her music even when the going got rough. She was a regular attraction at Theresa's Lounge during the early 1980s and briefly fronted Mississippi Heat earlier this year (Lane's reluctance to fly scuttled the partnership). Despite being disappointed that her CD hasn't turned more heads, Lane remains dedicated to the blues -- at least for now. "I just want something good to come along," she says. - By & © Bill Dahl. November 21, 1997 Special to the Tribune © ChicagoTribune.com http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-11-21/entertainment/9711210399_1_robert-nighthawk-blues-circuit-chicago-blues-festival

"Appointment with the Blues" is the real deal. Old fashioned Chicago style blues sung with real feeling and played by a great experienced band of dedicated blues musicians

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Love Me Baby - Mary Lane
2 Leave Me Alone - Mary Lane
3 I Always Want You Near - Mary Lane
4 Strong Love - Mary Lane, Jeffery Labon
5 You Don't Want My Loving No More - Mary Lane
6 My Friends Always Ask Me - Mary Lane
7 Baby - Mary Lane
8 Hurt My Feelings - Morris Pejoe
9 Make Love To Me One More Time - Denise LaSalle
10 Ride In Your Automobile - Mary Lane
11 Candy Yams (Country Girl Returns) - Al Smith
12 Three Six Nine Blues - George Hopley

MUSICIANS

Mary Lane - Vocals
Johnny B. Moore, Robert Mell - Guitars
Jeffery Labon - Bass, Background Vocal on Track 10
Detroit Junior - Piano
Erskine Johnson - Organ
Cleo "Bald Head Pete" Williams - Drums
Michael Jackson - Saxophone
Annette Allen and Annette Love - Background Vocals on Track 9
Lynne Lane - Background Vocal on Track 10

BIO

Fussin' and cussin', Mary Lane has sung (and lived) the blues on the gritty West Side of Chicago for the past 35 years. Today's Chicago blues is too often formulaic entertainment tailored for conventioneers, often performed by converted lounge singers or refugees from jazz or musical theater. Mary, by contrast, has a long and unique history in the music--she's a woman who's spent a lifetime in the blues. Mentored by Robert Nighthawk and Howlin' Wolf, Mary witnessed the birth of the post-war blues style while still a teenager in the cotton country of eastern Arkansas. She moved north to the Chicago area during the late 1950's, in time to witness the flowering of West Side blues and to perform with greats such as Elmore James, Magic Sam and Otis Rush. During the '60's she performed and recorded with her husband, singer guitarist, Morris Pejoe. In the years since, she's sung at countless West and South Side clubs, igniting the call and response between entertainer and audience that usually turns her show into communal truth-telling sessions about the foibles of men and women and life. Mary Lane's sweet, soulful delivery and dead-on phrasing may be new to the current wider blues audience, but she's well-known among her fellow musicians, and even top names like Bobby Rush and Tyrone Davis respect her singing talent. This is Mary's long overdue debut CD and it's almost wholly comprised of her original songs, sung in her own way. Mary's story begins in Clarendon, Arkansas, where she was born in 1935 to a non-musical family that included four brothers and five sisters. She remembers singing and dancing for change on street corners as a child, chaperoned by a guitarist called Al Montgomery. "Tey used to have me on the corner singin'. They throwin' quarters and dollars and stuff in the bucket, I was still singin'." "The first one I sang with in a club was Robert---Robert Nighthawk. That was in a place called Marvell, Arkansas. He lived in Helena and we lived in Marvell, see, on his way to the club, he always would come by and scoop me up and go on up to the little club." "I used to play with Joe Hill Louis. He had the guitar in his hand, he played the drums with his feet, and he had the harmonica around his mouth. Joe Hill Louis, the Be-Bop Boy. He used to be on the radio with Sonny Boy Williamson & The King Biscuit Boys. They used to come on every day at 12:00, a big broadcast from Helena, Arkansas." After moving to Brinkley, Arkansas, Mary often sat in at a club called the White Swan, owned by her uncle. "He always would have me get up there singing with the band." She met Howlin' Wolf in Brinkley. "He (Wolf) used to play at the club, my uncle's club, the White Swan nightclub. He played there every weekend; that's where I met him at." Wolf's band then included Jr. Parker, James Cotton and Oliver Sain. "They used to have a bet on me and James Cotton, that I could beat James Cotton singing (the then new hit song) "Dust My Broom" and they would all have a big laugh off it." She remembers that club fondly. "All the big stars played there" she recalls. "That was the biggest club there was, the White Swan. Right by the railroad tracks, where I met Bobby Blue Bland. They all used to gamble in the back. All the big stars-Junior Parker, Bobby Bland. I was young, about 16." Pregnant with her first daughter, Mary moved north in 1957, stopping in Chicago briefly before settling about 40 miles north in the industrial city of Waukegan. There she met bandleader Morris Pejoe, who had by then recorded for Chess/Checker and Vee-Jay. She related, "I met Morris when I was living in Waukegan. They used to come down there and play at a club called Shug's, right on Sheridan Road. I went down there one night and started singing with them." Mary moved to Chicago around 1961, staying together with Morris through the 1960's. The union produced three daughters, including Lynne Lane, now a promising singer herself. "When we were together I just worked with Morris' band--Henry Gray, and Shorty, and all of 'em. Willie Young used to blow horn with him. He always liked horns. He had to have that brass sound." The Pejoe big band still worked often in Waukegan, as well as West Side clubs such as Silvio's and the Squeeze Club. "We all used to be…"I'm trying to think of this club that was on 16th Street--the Squeeze Club--that's where I met Freddy King and George Crockett." Another 60's hot-spot was Bobo's Lounge on Congress, where "Aron Burton, Willie Kent, all of them used to be over there to the club." "I used to play cards with Elmore James. Me and Elmore James and Cassell (Burrows), Wolf's drummer. We all used to live in this hotel over here on Washington--Cassell and Morris." Mary knew Magic Sam before he went into the service, and sang with him afterwards: "Magic Sam was my friend…he was a cool person." Mary's first recording dated back to this period. A session for Cadillac Baby ca. 1960 went unissued, but a 1963 date for cab driver Fred Young (accompanied by Pejoe on guitar and Louis Lankchan on bass) resulted in a 45 on Young's Friendly Five Label. Both sides-You Don't Want My Loving No More and I Always Want You Near--are redone on this CD. Pejoe's own career was in decline by this time. He cut 45's for ever-smaller independent labels, while band members Henry Gray, Cassell Burrows, Andrew McMahon and Willie Young all drifted away to join Howlin' Wolf's band. Increasing domestic violence ended the marriage by the early 1970's. After the breakup with Pejoe, Mary put together banks for her own shows, but most often she performed in clubs as a guest vocalist with the bands of others, such as Little Johnny Christian and guitarist Hip Linkchain. She began the 1970's with a long stint at the Avenue Lounge, where Lonnie Brooks led the house band. "Lillian Offitt, she used to be over there to a club on Madison at California called the Avenue Lounge. That's where I met Denise LaSalle. We all was workin' over there--me and Denise LaSalle, Abb Locke, Lonnie Brooks, Barkin' Bill. I worked the bar and sung over there. I was there for about two years and a half." Later in the decade Mary worked the door at Pepper's Lounge, then located on Cottage Grove and waitresses at Eddie Shaw's 1815 club. She began the '80's at Theresa's Loung, where Junior Wells, John Primer and Sammy Lawhorn led the legendary house band. "I would work down there in the hole at Theresa's; I worked down there about three years. I was working down there six nights a week. I liked that place, and they liked me." Later she often performed at Brady's, also on the South Side. "I worked out there with Johnny Christian, Roy Hytower and Vance Kelly." Mostly, though, "I always be over here on the West Side." She prefers the rawer West Side blues sound. "On the West Side, to me, it look like it's more of really what's happening, it has more feelings to it, you know. It's all scattered on the South Side. Here they just play the blues. The blues with a feelin'. That's why I always been on the West Side." This record is squarely within that West Side tradition and is rooted in a place where blues is still alive and meaningful. Pianist Detroit Junior used to play with the Howlin' Wolf, of course; while guitarist Johnny B. Moore is a worthy heir to Magic Sam. Second guitarist Robert Mell is himself a second generation West Side bluesman and the great-nephew of Mary's old mentor, Robert Nighthawk. After a lifetime in the music- as a singer, wife, lover, and mother-Mary Lane keeps on meeting her Appointment With The Blues. [ from "I always did like to sing the blues" @ http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/lidden/259/blues.htm ]

SHORT BIO

A longtime staple of Chicago's West Side blues circuit, singer Mary Lane was born November 23, 1935 in Clarendon, Arkansas. After honing her skills in local juke joints in the company of Howlin' Wolf, Robert Nighthawk, Little Junior Parker and James Cotton, Lane relocated to Chicago in 1957; backed by Morris Pejoe, she soon cut her debut single "You Don't Want My Lovin' No More" for the Friendly Five label. A favorite among peers for her dulcet tones, she nevertheless did not record again for several decades, remaining virtually unknown outside of the Chicago blues faithful; finally, in the early 1990s, Lane recorded a handful of tracks for the Wolf label, leading to 1997's full-length Appointment with the Blues. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/lane-crater

Gary B.B. Coleman

Gary B.B. Coleman - Romance Without Finance Is A Nuisance - 1991 - Ichiban

It was no coincidence that Gary Coleman had "BB" in his name. One of Coleman's main influences was B.B. King, and he was happy to acknowledge King's inspiration (although he's also learned a thing or two from Bobby "Blue" Bland, Jimmy Reed and the late Albert Collins). Romance Without Finance underscores the fact that while Coleman may not be the most original artist in the world, his Ichiban output has been consistent and enjoyable. The singer/electric guitarist's sense of humor serves him quite well on such amusing cuts as "Food Stamp Annie," "If You See My One-Eyed Woman" and "She Ain't Ugly (She Just Don't Look Like Nobody Else)." But he's equally appealing when embracing a somber minor-key groove a la Bland, and "Dealing From the Bottom of the Deck" is a fine example of Coleman's brooding side. Whether Coleman is being remorseful or humorous, this CD was a welcome addition to his catalogue. © Alex Henderson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved
http://www.allmusic.com/album/romance-without-finance-is-a-nuisance-r88311/review

The late Gary B.B. Coleman is probably better known as a blues promoter and record producer. However, he released quite a few albums himself, and was arguably an underrated songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboard player. "Romance Without Finance Is A Nuisance" is not a groundbreaking record, but Gary was never regarded as a blues innovator. He was, however a very talented soulful electric bluesman who played his music with passion and sincerity. A lot of his music was on the humorous side, but he could also play the blues in a sombre fashion with real feeling. The album here is one of his less serious albums with a pleasant, understated and relaxed guitar style, and smooth vocals. Definitely an artist who deserves to be heard by a bigger audience. Listen to his "If You Can Beat Me Rockin'..." album

TRACKS

1. She Ain't Ugly (She Just Don't Look Like Nobody Else)
2. Don't Give Away That Recipe
3. If You See My One-Eyed Woman
4. Dealin' from the Bottom of the Deck
5. Romance Without Finance (Is a Nuisance)
6. Food Stamp Annie
7. Mr. Chicken Stew
8. Mr. B's Frosting [Instrumental]

All songs composed by Gary B.B. Coleman

BAND

Gary B.B. Coleman - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
John Cole - Bass
Johnny Strong - Drums

BIO

After a career as a local bluesman and blues promoter in Texas and Oklahoma, Gary Coleman found his niche when he signed over his first album, a self-produced outing originally issued on his own label, to the fledgling Ichiban company out of Atlanta in 1986. Since that time, both Coleman and Ichiban made their marks in the blues field -- not only did Coleman release half a dozen of his own albums, he also oversaw production of the bulk of Ichiban's hefty blues catalog, bringing to the studio a number of artists he'd booked or toured with in his previous career (Chick Willis, Buster Benton, and Blues Boy Willie, among others). A singer/guitarist onstage, Coleman often took on a multi-instrumentalist's role in the studio. His music remained true to the blues and to the King legacy saluted in his "B.B." moniker and in his acknowledged debt to fellow-Texan Freddie King. Coleman began listening to the blues as a child and by the time he was 15, he was working with Freddie King. Following his association with King, Coleman supported Lightnin' Hopkins and formed his own band, which played around Texas. Gary also began booking blues musicians into clubs in Texas, Oklahoma, and Coloradio. He continued to play gigs and book concerts for nearly two decades. In 1985, he formed Mr. B's Records, his own independent label. Coleman released his debut album, Nothin' But the Blues, the following year. The album was popular and gained the attention of Ichiban Records, who signed Coleman and re-released Nothin' But the Blues in 1987. If You Can Beat Me Rockin', Coleman's second album, was released in 1988. That same year, he began producing albums for a number of other artists, as well as writing songs for other musicians and acting as an A&R scout for Ichiban. Between 1988 and 1992, he released six records and produced another 30, including albums for Little Johnny Taylor and Buster Benton. Coleman continued to be active until his untimely death in the mid-'90s, both as a performing and recording artist, as well as a producer. © Jim O'Neal © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-bb-coleman-p313/biography

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Gary B.B. Coleman (January 1, 1947 – February 14, 1994) was an American soul blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. Originally a blues promoter and local musician, Coleman recorded his debut album in 1986, which was re-released on Ichiban Records. Coleman issued several other albums, and produced most of Ichiban's blues catalog up to his death in 1994. On many occasions, Coleman undertook multi-instrumentalist duties in the recording studio. Coleman acknowledged both B.B. King in his "B.B." moniker; and his fellow-Texan, Freddie King. Born in Paris, Texas, Coleman was working alongside Freddie King by the age of 15. Coleman later supported Lightnin' Hopkins in concert, and went on to form his own group. At this time he started simultaneously booking acts into nightclubs across three states; Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. This dual lifestyle in the South West continued for nearly twenty years. In 1985, he created his own independent record label, called Mr. B's Records, and issued both a single, "One Eyed Woman", and his debut album, Nothin' But the Blues, the following year. The album proved to be popular. Ichiban Records signed Coleman to a recording contract, and duly re-released Nothin' But the Blues on their label in 1987. If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (1988) followed, and in the same year Coleman's duties expanded with Ichiban to include record production for other acts, songwriting, and becoming an A&R scout. He released a further six albums up to 1992, as well as production duties on albums from Blues Boy Willie, Chick Willis, Little Johnny Taylor, and Buster Benton (Money's The Name of The Game, 1989). He continued to write material for others and sometimes played guitar and keyboards on their records. His own albums featured self-penned material, such as "I Fell in Love on a One Night Stand" and "If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair)". Coleman successfully continued to combine various roles until his early death in 1994

Wilson Diesel

Wilson Diesel - Short Cool Ones - 1996 - Aurora Records/Mushroom

"Short Cool Ones" contains sixteen roots tracks from the great American born guitarist and vocalist (Mark Lizotte) Johnny Diesel and the brilliant Australian vocalist and harmonicist Chris Wilson. Many blues styles from everywhere between delta to the dust bowl and beyond, are covered here. Fifteen 0f the sixteen tracks are covers of blues standards by artists including Elmore James, Fenton Robinson, and Willie Dixon. The first track is a great soulful cover of Ann Peebles' classic "I Can't Stand The Rain". The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Chris Wilson's "Live At The Continental" album, and Johnny Diesel & the Injector's great "Soul Revival" album. N.B: "Short Cool Ones" was also available as an "interview" disc with no music. It has nothing to do with the album here

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

I Can't Stand The Rain - Bryant/Peebles/Miller
Other Man - Diesel
Spoonful - Willie Dixon
Strange Love - Moore/West
Evil - Willie Dixon
Tee Ni Nee Ni Nu - Moore/West
Little Red Rooster - Willie Dixon
Running Shoes - Bonner
Too Wet To Plough - Johnny Shines
My Babe - Willie Dixon
Somebody Loan Me A Dime - Fenton Robinson
Sun Is Shining - Elmore James
Sugar Babe - Fenton Robinson
Cherokee Dance - Landers
Don't Start Me Talkin' - Williamson
Who Will Your Next Fool Be - Charlie Rich

BAND

(Johnny) Diesel aka Mark Lizotte - Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, Guitar
Dean Addison - Bass
Wayne Duncan - Bass on Track 13
Rob Woolf - Keyboards, Vocals
Angus Diggs - Drums
Gary Young - Drums on Track 13
Chris Wilson - Lead Vocals on Tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, Harmonica
BIO (JOHNNY DIESEL/MARK LIZOTTE)

Under the name Diesel, American born guitarist/singer Mark Lizotte became one of the biggest selling and most awarded Australian recording artists of the late '80s/early '90s. He arrived in Perth as a child when the travels of his itinerant, saxophone-playing father exhausted America and the family settled in Western Australia. Lizotte always contended that he grew up with musical instruments in his play box. No instrument intimidated him, but it was the electric guitar which excited him. While his siblings gravitated toward music as teachers, Lizotte started playing in bands, making the long trek from Perth to Sydney in 1986 to record with Innocent Bystanders. He left to form his own group, Johnny Diesel & the Injectors in June 1986, adopting the Johnny Diesel persona for the first time (a stint of pumping petrol had earned him his Diesel nickname). The group's blend of Southern rock, soul, and R&B, plus Diesel's adept guitar playing and pop star looks quickly earned the band a strong reputation on-stage, and in September 1987 they relocated to Sydney. Almost immediately, Diesel was offered a place in Jimmy Barnes' band, playing the opening slot on the Freight Train Heart tour with the Injectors as support act, and then joining the headlining Barnes band on guitar. His group was signed to a worldwide recording contract by Chrysalis and recorded a self-titled debut album in Memphis with Terry Manning (Joe Cocker, Fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Top). After four years and a mini-album recorded live in London the Injectors broke up, and Johnny Diesel became Diesel , solo artist. His March 1992 Hepfidelity album shifted the musical ground to rock-funk and soul, reached number one in Australia and earned him awards for Best Album and Best Male Artist at the annual ARIA awards. From there, a restlessness seemed to overcome Diesel, as if he felt everything should be possible but a certain "something" was expected of him. He released an album of new songs and reworkings of songs from the previous album with The Lobbyist, and finally got down to business on 1994's sophisticated Solid State Rhyme. But his heart seemed much more in the raw blues album Short Cool Ones he made with Melbourne bluesman and harmonica player Chris Wilson. Diesel ended up packing up his career and young family and relocated to America. Nothing was heard from him until October 1997 when he reappeared with Lost Soul Companion, released under his own name of Mark Lizotte. Every live encounter confirms a musician and songwriter of immense natural talent. The perfectionism that seems to take over in the studio and results in long, drawn-out sessions and constant rethinks robs his latter records of the spirit and life so evident on-stage. © Ed Nimmervoll © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/diesel-rock-band

BIO (CHRIS WILSON)

Chris Wilson has been an essential part of blues and rock music in Australia since taking the stage with the Sole Twisters twenty years ago. Stints with Harum Scarum and Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls followed, and the end of the 80s saw Wilson as one of our finest vocalists, harmonica players and songwriters, fronting the superb Crown of Thorns. His instrumental gifts have oft been utilised on recordings by the likes of James Reyne, Hunters and Collectors, Vika and Linda, Renee Geyer, Archie Roach, X, Deb Conway and Ross Hannaford's Dianna KIss. Chris has enjoyed the company of Australia's best musicians on stage and in the studio when realising his own visions in song. Chris has performed in the U.S. at SXSW and two Folk Alliance Conferences. He has won the respect of many overseas artists, among these Joe Henry,Charlie Musselwhite and Tony Joe White. Bob Dylan once made a special trip backstage to shake Chris' hand after a show together in 1992! Chris has appeared at every major Australian festival and his performances, filled as they are with his own brand of sensuality and the dynamic power that leaves his audiences so satisfied, are always a highlight. Chris' stage presence, voice and talent are all as big as the country he lives in. Chris Wilson is a master of his craft. Chris has toured and/or recorded with the following Australian acts of note; Paul Kelly, Mark Seymour, X, Chris Bailey, Crowded House, Vika and LInda Bull, Monique Brumby, Kerri Simpson, The Badloves, Diesel, ...and these artists from the US and UK; Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Charlie Musselwhite, John Hiatt, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Billy Bragg, Bill Kirchen, John Mayall, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Blues Traveller, Buddy Guy. © http://www.chriswilson.com.au/media/biography.htm

Matthew Robinson

Matthew Robinson - Bad Habits - 1998 - Fedora

The relatively unknown Matthew Robinson describes his music as "the result of the natural evolution of gospel, R&B, blues and the Texas sound he grew up around". The guy is a rarity, being an authentic blues singer and musician. Matthew was born on February 27, 1948 in Austin, Texas. Matthew and Donald “Duck” Jennings played in east Austin in the 1950s and 1960s, an era described as “one of the liveliest blues scenes in the Lone Star state.” In ’64 he and schoolmates formed the Mustangs (they had a huge hit – Tender Loving Care), and toured with James Brown, Jimmy Reed, Big Mama Thornton and Johnny Winter. Matthew's been hard at work in Austin's Eastside clubs for many years now, as well as heading to Europe and playing with Blues Boy Hubbard, Willie Foster, and of course his own Texas Blues Band. "Bad Habits" contains some great trumpet solos by Donald 'Duck' Jennings and excellent guitar work from Matthew. Don't expect any searing guitar solos. Matthew carries it off using his own "spare note" technique. A good blues album with plenty of funk and jazz touches. Try and listen to Matthew Robinson & The Texas Blues Band's s/t album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Got To Leave This Woman - G.H. Jackson 4:40
2 Mr. Pawnbroker - R.B. King, J. Taub 3:15
3 You Just Can't Take My Blues - B. Johnson / S. Mosley 5:57
4 Sunday Morning Love - R. Johnson / S. Mosley 4:20
5 Just Your Fool - L. Haywood, M. Tynes 3:50
6 I'm Gonna Stop You From Giving Me The Blues - D. Henry, G. Clement 3:35
7 Sugar Sweet - M. London 3:02
8 Don't Lose Your Cool - A.G. Collins 3:05
9 My Tomorrow - F. Washington 4:17
10 Give Me My Blues - G.L. Collins 3:38
11 West Side Baby - Traditional 4:52
12 Bad Habits - D. H. Brewer 3:52

MUSICIANS

Matthew Robinson - Vocals, Guitar
Eddie James Stout - Bass
Mickey "Tickey" Bennett - Keyboards
William Norman Fagen - Drums
Larry D.C. Williams - Saxophone
Donald "Duck" Jennings -Trumpet

REVIEW

Matthew Robinson, born February 27, 1948 in Austin, Texas. In ’64 he and schoolmates formed the Mustangs (they had a huge hit – Tender Loving Care), which toured with James Brown, Jimmy Reed, Big Mama Thornton and Johnny Winter. Now over thirty years later Robinson gives us Bad Habits. After a couple of listenings, Cornbread says it was worth the wait!
1. Got To Leave This Woman – a solid bass shuffle, organ highlights, sax throughout, and James Brown’esque vocals.

2. Mr. Pawnbroker – vocals are secondary, the guitar playing makes the song.

3. You Just Can’t Take My Blues – man this is a great blues song, plenty of guitar and excellent vocals.

4. Sunday Morning Love – vocals are dominant and have a ton of emotion. It’s a bluesy/jazzy combo with the guitar/vocals and backing saxophone.

5. Just Your Fool – another blues funk song. Blues funk don’t you love it? I do.

6. I’m Gonna Stop You From Giving Me The Blues – good song, I can picture Tony T. doing this song and bringing the crowd to their knees.

7. Sugar Sweet – I liked the guitar solo.

8. Don’t Lose Your Cool – a fast tune with a big band sound, really good guitar instrumental.

9. My Tomorrow – the guitar was blues at its best, the rest of the song was OK.

10. Give Me My Blues – lots of soul, “I can play a blues song all night long, some people seem to dig it y’all.”

11. West Side Baby – I liked the organ playing, getting tired of hearing horn playing though.

12. Bad Habits – a rock solid blues shuffle and rock solid song. I liked this song.

As a side note for you instrument heads (I’m one of the biggest) - the guitar pictured on the album cover sure looks a lot like a B.B. King Gibson Lucille. Bad Habits is a good CD, the vocals and guitar playing was right on, less horn and more piano or harmonica would’a been a good thing. Rating 3.977. Ciao' for now, peace. © Peter 'Cornbread' Cohen, CBP © 2000 -2010 http://www.stlblues.net/pete_matthewrobinson_badhabits.htm

Bobby Parker

Bobby Parker - Bent Out of Shape - 1993 - Black Top Records

The production on Bent Out of Shape may be a little too clean, but that can't distract from the fact that Bobby Parker's belated first album is a storming statement of purpose. His songwriting is sturdy and memorable, his singing impassioned and his guitar simply stings. He could have carried the album with just a little combo, but he's assembled a large, soulful backing band that gives the album soulful finesse. It would have been nice if the production was a little grittier, since Parker's performances are, but there's no denying his playing and songs elevate Bent Out of Shape to the status of one of the best blues records of the early '90s. © Thom Owens © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gvfyxqugldde

Though guitarist Bobby Parker's success is recent, he's been a driving behind-the-scenes force in the blues for a long time. Listening to his Black Top Records debut, 1993's Bent Out of Shape, it's easy to hear why. Parker has the sure skill of the veteran, so that even when his solos are at their most elaborate, he never sounds like he's showing off. He works with bassist Lee Allen Zeno to a degree rarely heard among blues guitarists; listen to how the lines play off of each other on "Bobby-A-Go-Go." In fact, the bass work is strong throughout, coming to the fore on "Break It Up" and the album's scorching closer, "Blues Get Off My Shoulder." Parker's a more than capable vocalist as well, whispering, shouting, and wailing with never a wrong note. Bent Out of Shape has the feel of a best-kept secret. Hopefully, that won't be so for long. © Genevieve Williams © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Bent-Out-Shape-Bobby-Parker/dp/B000006KTO

Louisiana born Bobby Parker has worked and/or toured with artists including Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Laverne Baker, and Clyde McPhatter. He recorded tracks for Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters, just to name two artists. His name may not be familiar to many but his achievements are many. His "Watch Your Step" album influenced many rock artists. The one and only John Lennon was highly influenced by Bobby Parker's music. Some guitarists even used some of Bobby Parker's great guitar riffs. Jimmy Page and Carlos Santana are just two of the great guitarists who adopted some of Bobby Parker's guitar techniques. The great Carlos Santana once said that "He's one of the few remaining guitarists on this planet who can pierce your heart and soothe your soul. He inspired me to play guitar." That's some compliment! In later years Bobby incorporated funk and D.C.'s "go-go groove" into his music, without selling out his great blues playing. "Bent Out of Shape" is a great album from a great guitarist and vocalist. The guy is a blues legend but still his music needs to reach a wider audience. Buy his brilliant "Shine Me Up" album, and promote the blues

TRACKS

1 Fast Train
2 It's Hard But It's Fair
3 Bent Out of Shape
4 So Glad I Found You
5 I Call Her Baby
6 Watch Your Step
7 Break It Up
8 Let That Be the Reason
9 I've Got a Way With Women
10 Bobby-a-Go-Go Parker
11 Blues Get Off My Shoulder

All songs composed by Bobby Parker except "Break It Up" which is © control

MUSICIANS

Bobby Parker - Guitar, Vocals, & Bass on "Bent Out of Shape"
Lee Allen Zeno - Bass
Sammy Berfect - Piano, Organ
Raymond Weber - Drums, Percussion
Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff - Tenor & Baritone Sax.
Willie Singleton - Trumpet
Rick Trolsen - Trombone



BIO

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Bobby Parker is one of the most exciting performers in modern blues, and it's quite apparent he'll inherit the top blues spots left open by the unfortunate, early passings of people like Albert King, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and others. That's because Parker can do it all: he writes brilliant songs, he sings well, and he backs it all up with powerful, stinging guitar. But things weren't always so good for Parker, and much of his newfound success is the result of years of hard work and struggling around the bars in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Parker has two brilliant albums out on the BlackTop label out of New Orleans (distributed by Rounder), Shine Me Up (1995) and Bent Out of Shape (1993). He was born August 31, 1937 in Lafayette, LA, but raised in southern California after his family moved to Los Angeles when he was six. Going to school in Hollywood, the young Parker was bitten by the scenery, and decided he wanted to be in show business. At the Million Dollar Theatre, he saw big stage shows by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, and Lionel Hampton. Although he had an early interest in jazz, the blues bit him when artists like T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and Pee Wee Crayton came to town. He began playing in the late '50s as a guitarist with Otis Williams & the Charms after winning a talent contest sponsored by West Coast blues and R&B legend Johnny Otis. Later, he backed Bo Diddley, which included an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show before joining the touring big band of Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams. He settled in Washington, D.C. in the '60s, dropping out of Williams' band and making a go of it on his own. He is perhaps best-known for his 1961 song "Watch Your Step," a single for the V-Tone label that became a hit on British and U.S. R&B charts. Parker's song was later covered by several British blues groups, most prominent among them the Spencer Davis Group. And though Parker may not yet be a name as familiar to blues fans as say, Eric Clapton or B.B. King, he's been cited as a major musical influence by Davis, John Mayall, Robin Trower, Clapton, Jimmy Page, drummer Mick Fleetwood, John Lennon, and most importantly, Carlos Santana. Parker's style has been described by his protégé Bobby Radcliff as Guitar Slim meets James Brown, and that's not too far off the mark. In the summer of 1994, Santana was so happy about Parker's comeback on the BlackTop/Rounder label that he took him on the road for some arena shows on the East and West Coasts. "Carlos likes to tell people that he saw me playing in Mexico City when he was a kid, and that inspired him to pick up the guitar," Parker explained in a recent interview. Santana pays homage to Parker on his Havana Moon album, on which he covers "Watch Your Step." Dr. Feelgood also covered the tune in the '70s. For the rest of the '90s, Parker is destined to be one of the major players on the blues circuit, provided his stellar output and rigorous touring schedules continue. Unlike so many other blues musicians, Parker's live shows are almost entirely his own songs. He does very few covers. "Unless the music of the day has some kind of substance to it, the blues always comes back," Parker says, adding, "I think Stevie Ray Vaughan had a lot to do with bringing the blues to White audiences, and Z.Z. Hill helped bring the Black audience back to the blues." © Richard Skelly © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3xfrxq95ldfe~T1

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Bobby Parker (born August 31, 1937, Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American blues-rock guitarist. He is best-known for his 1961 song, "Watch Your Step", a single for the V-Tone Records label that became a hit on the US R&B chart. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker first aspired to a career in entertainment at a young age. By the 1950s, Parker had started working on electric guitar with several blues, R&B, and funk groups of the time, with his first stint being with Otis Williams and the Charms. Over the next few years, he also played lead guitar with Bo Diddley (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show), toured with Paul Williams, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, and the Everly Brothers. In the waning years of the decade, he also toured with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard. His first single was recorded in 1958, while he was working primarily with Williams' band, and was titled "Blues Get Off My Shoulder". During that same year, he also performed frequently at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. By the early 1960s, Parker had settled into living in the Washington, D.C. area and played at blues clubs there after having left Williams' band. He recorded the single "Watch Your Step" in 1961, a regional hit that was later covered by the Spencer Davis Group, Dr. Feelgood and Santana. Due to the success of the song, both in the United States and overseas, he toured the UK in 1968 and recorded his next hit, "It's Hard to be Fair". Jimmy Page became a fan of Parker's after seeing him perform in a Washington D.C. nightclub during a 1972 tour by Led Zeppelin. Page wanted to sign up Parker with Swan Song Records and offered an advance of US$2000 to fund the recording of a demo tape, but Parker never completed the recording, and an opportunity for Parker to be exposed to an international audience was lost. For the next two decades, Parker played almost exclusively in the D.C. area. By the 1990s, Parker started to record again for a broader audience. He recorded his first official album, Bent Out of Shape, for the Black Top Records label in 1993, with a follow-up in 1995, Shine Me Up. In 1993 he also was the headliner for the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. Parker continues to perform as a regular act at Madam's Organ Blues Bar in Washington.

Phillip Walker

Phillip Walker - I Got A Sweet Tooth - 1998 - Blacktop

Phillip Walker takes his brand of Louisiana-via-Texas blues for a thoroughly contemporary ride on this release. With two hand-picked bands recording in New Orleans and Austin, TX, Walker's sensuous and languid vocals, and his economical and taut guitar work both shine through brightly. There's only one original aboard, but Walker's interpretive skills are evident on a wide variety of material by Junior Parker and O.V. Wright. Highlights are bountiful, but his work is especially impressive on the low-down funky title track (shades of Lightnin' Hopkins, for sure) and its atmospheric kindred-spirit track, "Laughin' and Clownin'" (a slow blues that's anything but as jolly as the title implies). Strong, uncluttered production also plays a big role in making this disc such a delight on repeated listenings. © Cub Koda © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kcfixqejld0e

The great Clifton Chenier gave the late Louisiana-born guitarist Phillip Walker his first break when he employed him in 1953. He stayed with Clifton for almost three and a half years. Phillip was not a prolific recording artist, although as a sideman he played with many blues and R&B's greats including Little Richard. His background and sideman experience enabled him to play many styles including Texas blues, straight blues, and sophisticated material from artists like Dennis Walker. In 1988 Phillip produced the "Blues" album, which included the original version of 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark', later made famous by the great Robert Cray. "I Got A Sweet Tooth" was recorded with two hand-picked bands in New Orleans and Austin, Texas. "It's All In Your Mind" is the only original song on the album. The remaining 10 tracks are great interpretations of songs from artists like Junior Parker and O.V. Wright. The title track is a great funky number in the Lightnin' Hopkins style. This album was released during a financial crisis in Black Top records. It's a very underrated album from a very underrated guitarist, and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Phillip's "Working Girl Blues" and his brilliant "Bottom of the Top" albums

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Drag Me Down - Alan Mirikitani/D. Walker
2. My Name Is Misery - Lonia, C./A. Smith
3. Rub Some Good Luck On Me - Jay Gordon/Walker-Shuttle, P.
4. I Got A Sweet Tooth - Jackson, E.
5. On My Way - Phil Ochs/A. Smith
6. How Could I Be Such A Fool? - Burton, L.
7. I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled And Crazy - Darryl Carter/Charles Hodges/Malone
8. Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time - Burton, L.
9. Laughin And Clownin' - Sam Cooke
10. It's All In Your Mind - Phillip Walker
11. Crying For My Baby - Harold Burrage

MUSICIANS

Phillip Walker (guitar,vocals)
Derek O'Brien (guitar)
Lee Allen Zeno, Larry Fulcher (bass)
David Torkanowsky, Riley Osborne, (piano and organ)
Herman V. Ernest III, B.E. "Frosty" Smith, and Johnny Tucker (drums)
The Black Top Horns: Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (Tenor and Baritone saxophone), Ernest Youngblood, Jr. (Tenor saxophone), Gary Slechta (trumpet), Randy Zimmerman (trombone)
Charles Elam, Curtis "Bio" Watson (background vocals)

BIO

Despite recording somewhat sparingly since debuting as a leader in 1959 on Elko Records with the storming rocker "Hello My Darling," Louisiana-born guitarist Phillip Walker enjoys a sterling reputation as a contemporary blues guitarist with a distinctive sound honed along the Gulf Coast during the 1950s. A teenaged Walker picked up his early licks around Port Arthur, TX, from the likes of Gatemouth Brown, Long John Hunter, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Lonnie "Guitar Junior" Brooks. Zydeco king Clifton Chenier hired Walker in 1953 as his guitarist, a post he held for three and a half years. In 1959, Walker moved to Los Angeles, waxing "Hello My Darling" for producer J.R. Fulbright (a song he's revived several times since, most effectively for the short-lived Playboy logo). Scattered 45s emerged during the '60s, but it wasn't until he joined forces with young producer Bruce Bromberg in 1969 that Walker began to get a studio foothold. Their impressive work together resulted in a 1973 album for Playboy (reissued by HighTone in 1989), The Bottom of the Top, that remains Walker's finest to date. Walker cut a fine follow-up set for Bromberg's Joliet label, Someday You'll Have These Blues, that showcased his tough Texas guitar style (it was later reissued by Alligator). Sets for Rounder and HighTone were high points of the 1980s for the guitarist, and 1994's Big Blues from Texas (reissued in 1999) continued his string of worthy material. His 1995 set for Black Top, Working Girl Blues, shows Walker at peak operating power, combining attractively contrasting tracks waxed in New Orleans and Los Angeles. I Got a Sweet Tooth followed in 1998, and displayed no letdown in quality or power. Walker got together with fellow blues legends Lonnie Brooks and Long John Hunter in 1999 to record Lone Star Shootout for Alligator. Walker is featured as lead vocalist on four tracks and backs the others on the rest of the record. In the fall of 2002, a live recording of a spring concert was released on M.C. Records. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kzfoxqrgldae~T1

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Phillip Walker (February 11, 1937 – July 22, 2010, was an American contemporary blues guitarist, most noted for his 1959 hit single, "Hello My Darling", produced by J. R. Fulbright. Although Walker continued playing throughout his life, he recorded more sparsely. Walker grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast, and by his mid-teens was playing guitar in Houston. He worked with Lonesome Sundown (and would do so again in the 1970s) and Lonnie Brooks. In the mid 1950s he had a spell in Clifton Chenier's band. He spent the 1960s in Los Angeles, California leading a band that played a catholic repertoire of the R&B chart music, joined by his singing wife Ina, alias Bea Bopp. Singles furnished his album Bottom of the Top (Playboy, 1973), succeeded by sets for Joliet, Rounder, Hightone, JSP and Black Top. Walker was also known for his variety of styles and the changes he would often make for each album. Not until 1969 did he begin to record more regularly when he joined with producer Bruce Bromberg. Since then, fans had a more steady supply of Walker's music. He appeared on show 237 of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour in 2002 when Live at Biscuits & Blues had just been released. Walker's final studio release is Going Back Home (2007) on Delta Groove Productions. On July 22, 2010, Delta Groove Productions issued an email statement regarding Walker's death: "It is with deepest sorrow that we report on the sudden and unexpected passing of legendary blues guitarist Phillip Walker. He died of apparent heart failure at 4:30 AM, early Thursday morning, July 22, 2010. He was 73 years old." Another article was posted on All About Jazz.