Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Paramount's Piano Man

Will Ezell- Complete Recorded Works (1925-1929)



Album Review:
"With the exception of some sessions accompanying other singers, the complete Will Ezell is on this single CD. A talented blues and boogie-woogie pianist, Ezell led four mostly instrumental solo sessions (resulting in 12 performances). In addition, his dates backing singers Marie Bradley, Ora Brown, Bertha Henderson, and Slim Tarpley are also included on this enjoyable and historic CD. Among the more rewarding selections are "Barrel House Man," "Mixed Up Rag," "Heifer Dust," "Playing the Dozen," and "Pitchin' Boogie.""
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?h6ui8673tjh756o

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Unreleased Johnny Shines!!!

Johnny Shines- Live At Court Coffeehouse- Tacoma, 1970



Album Review:
"Here's a complete 2-set performance by Johnny Shines recorded in Tacoma,
WA at the Court Coffeehouse in 1970. The first set is solo acoustic,
and on the somewhat murky sounding second set he is playing electric
and is accompanied by an unknown washtub bass player!"
-blogs.myspace.com/zakandhisunhappyguitar

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/9706438988e2a864/

Monday, December 5, 2011

Way Out In The Country

Mercy Dee Walton- Troublesome Mind



Album Review:
"Fine 16-song selection from the California-based pianist's 1961 sessions for Chris Strachwitz's Arhoolie logo. A trio of sympathetic cohorts (harpist Sidney Maiden, guitarist K.C. Douglas, and drummer Otis Cherry) give the music a rough-edged barroom feel as Dee pounds out "After the Fight," "Call the Asylum," and a nice remake of his dour "One Room Country Shack.""
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/97008188453b4c35/

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Snooky's Blues

Snooky Pryor- Snooky Pryor



Album Review:
"These tracks from the JOB label, recorded from the early '50s to early '60s, include the classics "Boogie" and "Stockyard Blues" and the raucous, echo-laden stomp of "Boogie Twist." These are Pryor's finest moments on wax."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/962165023d36a4cb/

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Spoon's Sound

Jimmy Witherspoon- Blues Around The Clock


Album Review:
"Veteran singer Jimmy Witherspoon (who bridges the gap between jazz and blues) mostly sticks to the latter on this spirited set. His backup group (organist Paul Griffin, guitarist Lord Westbrook, bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Herbie Lovelle) is fine in support, but the spotlight is almost entirely on Witherspoon throughout these ten concise performances, only one of which exceeds four minutes. Highlights include "No Rollin' Blues," "S.K. Blues" and "Around the Clock." Witherspoon is in fine voice and, even if nothing all that memorable occurs, the music is enjoyable."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/9444968573a8f3b2/

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Play That Old Violin!

Clifford Hayes & The Dixieland Jug Blowers- Clifford Hayes & The Dixieland Jug Blowers



Biography:
"A shadowy figure in jazz and blues history, Clifford Hayes was a violinist, but was more significant as a leader of recording sessions. He recorded with Sara Martin (1924), and often teamed up with banjoist Cal Smith in early jug bands including the Old Southern Jug Band, Clifford's Louisville Jug Band, the well-known Dixieland Jug Blowers (1926-1927), and Hayes' Louisville Stompers (1927-1929). One of the Dixieland Jug Blowers' sessions featured the great clarinetist Johnny Dodds, while pianist Earl Hines was a surprise star with the otherwise primitive Louisville Stompers (a jug-less group with a front line of Hayes' violin and Hense Grundy's trombone). Clifford Hayes' last recordings were in 1931, and all of his sessions (plus those of some other jug bands) are available on four RST CDs."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/94415762238d58cb/

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Mellow Mr. Robinson

Fenton Robinson- Monday Morning Boogie & Blues



Biography:
"His Japanese fans reverently dubbed Fenton Robinson "the mellow blues genius" because of his ultra-smooth vocals and jazz-inflected guitar work. But beneath the obvious subtlety resides a spark of constant regeneration -- Robinson tirelessly strives to invent something fresh and vital whenever he's near a bandstand. The soft-spoken Mississippi native got his career going in Memphis, where he'd moved at age 16. First, Rosco Gordon used him on a 1956 session for Duke that produced "Keep on Doggin'." The next year, Fenton made his own debut as a leader for the Bihari Brothers' Meteor label with his first reading of "Tennessee Woman." His band, the Dukes, included mentor Charles McGowan on guitar. T-Bone Walker and B.B. King were Robinson's idols.

1957 also saw Fenton team up with bassist Larry Davis at the Flamingo Club in Little Rock. Bobby Bland caught the pair there and recommended them to his boss, Duke Records prexy Don Robey. Both men made waxings for Duke in 1958, Robinson playing on Davis' classic "Texas Flood" and making his own statement with "Mississippi Steamboat." Robinson cut the original version of the often-covered Peppermint Harris-penned slow blues "As the Years Go Passing By" for Duke in 1959 with New Orleans prodigy James Booker on piano. The same date also produced a terrific "Tennessee Woman" and a marvelous blues ballad, "You've Got to Pass This Way Again." Fenton moved to Chicago in 1962, playing Southside clubs with Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Otis Rush and laying down the swinging "Say You're Leavin'" for USA in 1966. But it was his stunning slow blues "Somebody (Loan Me a Dime)" cut in 1967 for Palos, that insured his blues immortality. Boz Scaggs liked it so much that he covered it for his 1969 debut LP. Unfortunately, he initially also claimed he wrote the tune; much litigation followed.

John Richbourg's Sound Stage 7/Seventy 7 labels, it's safe to say, didn't really have a clue as to what Fenton Robinson's music was all about. The guitarist's 1970 Nashville waxings for the firm were mostly horrific: he wasn't even invited to play his own guitar on the majority of the horribly unsubtle rock-slanted sides. His musical mindset was growing steadily jazzier by then, not rockier.

Robinson fared a great deal better at his next substantial stop: Chicago's Alligator Records. His 1974 album Somebody Loan Me a Dime remains the absolute benchmark of his career, spotlighting his rich, satisfying vocals and free-spirited, understated guitar work in front of a rock-solid horn-driven band. By comparison, 1977's I Hear Some Blues Downstairs was a trifle disappointing despite its playful title track and a driving T-Bone tribute, "Tell Me What's the Reason." Alligator issued Nightflight, another challenging set, in 1984, then backed off the guitarist. His 1989 disc Special Road, first came out on the Dutch Black Magic logo and was reissued by Evidence Music. Robinson passed away on November 25, 1997 at the age of 62 due to complications from brain cancer."
-Allmusic.com

Download Link: http://www.zshare.net/download/943705290630da9e/