Otis Rush - Right Place, Wrong Time 1976

I really love this guy, and this album in particular. It was a mystery to me that it was ignored first time out. Let's try it again...

"This recording session was not released until five years after it was done. One can imagine the tapes practically smoldering in their cases, the music is so hot. Sorry, there is nothing "wrong" about this blues album at all. Otis Rush was a great blues expander, a man whose guitar playing was in every molecule pure blues. On his solos on this album he strips the idea of the blues down to very simple gestures (i.e., a bent string, but bent in such a subtle way that the seasoned blues listener will be surprised). As a performer he opens up the blues form with his chord progressions and use of horn sections, the latter instrumentation again added in a wonderfully spare manner, bringing to mind a master painter working certain parts of a canvas in order to bring in more light. Blues fans who get tired of the same old song structures, riff, and rhythms should be delighted with most of Rush's output, and this one is among his best. Sometimes all he does to make a song sound unlike any blues one has ever heard is just a small thing -- a chord moving up when one expects it go down, for example. The production is particularly skilled, and the fact that Capitol Records turned this session down after originally producing it can only be reasonably accepted when combined with other decisions this label has made, such as turning down the Doors because singer Jim Morrison had "no charisma." This record doesn't mess around at all. The first track takes off like the man they fire out of a cannon at the end of a circus, a perceived climax swaggeringly representing just the beginning, after all. Some of the finest tracks are the ones that go longer than five minutes, allowing the players room to stretch. And that means more of Rush's great guitar playing, of course. For the final track he leaves the blues behind completely for a moving cover version of "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Tony Joe White." AMG

Hard To Handle - Black America Sings Otis Redding

 Now THIS is a pretty fine compilation!

"Otis Redding was simply one of the finest and most powerful soul singers of all time, and his death in 1967 at the age of 27 not only silenced a gifted artist, it halted a career that seemed poised to break through to major mainstream success after Redding had dominated the R&B charts for several years. However, Redding's considerable gifts as a vocalist and live performer have tended to overshadow his legacy as a songwriter -- he wrote nearly all his best-known tunes, and the earthy but heartfelt emotional immediacy of his songs made them powerful material in his hands, as well as those of other artists. Ace Records have made a compelling case for Otis Redding the songwriter on the compilation Hard to Handle: Black America Sings Otis Redding, which features 24 covers of Redding's compositions from 23 artists (Redding's protégé Arthur Conley gets two numbers), as well as a rare performance by Redding himself. While Aretha Franklin's recording of "Respect" is here (one of the few examples of a singer beating Otis on one of his own tunes), most of the other selections are relatively obscure, but there's plenty of top-shelf talent on deck, including Irma Thomas ("Security"), Percy Sledge ("I've Got Dreams to Remember"), Lou Rawls ("Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa [Sad Song]"), Etta James ("I Got the Will"), and the Staple Singers ("Sitting On the Dock of the Bay"). What's surprising with many of these recordings is how strongly Redding's original performances defined the songs, and how the vocalists and arrangers tend to defer to the originals, even in the case of artists who had strong styles of their own; while most of these singers find something of their own in Redding's songs, his melodic style was so distinct it's hard for anyone to sing something like "These Arms of Mine" or "Hard to Handle" without a bit of Redding showing through (though Judy Clay's transformation of "Mister Pitiful" into "Sister Pitiful" shows admirable spirit). Hard to Handle is a fine testament to the lasting importance of Otis Redding as an artist and a composer, as well as a top-notch collection of deep soul from the '60s into the '80s, indicating how powerful his legacy has been." AMG

Willie Clayton - Let's Get Together

As long as he's been recording (from 1969 through the 2000s), one might think that Willie Clayton is an old geezer. No way -- he was just past the age of 40 when he hit his commercial stride with a couple of blues-soul albums for Ace that sold well to the Southern market (where the two interrelated idioms have never been deemed mutually exclusive).

After his debut single for Duplex, "That's the Way Daddy Did," went nowhere, Clayton left Mississippi for Chicago in 1971. Like his older Windy City compatriots Otis Clay and Syl Johnson, the young singer ended up contracted to Hi Records in Memphis, where he worked with producer Willie Mitchell and the vaunted Hi rhythm section. Hi issued a series of fine Clayton efforts on its Pawn subsidiary, including "I Must Be Losin' You," "It's Time You Made Up Your Mind," and "Baby You're Ready," but none of them hit.

Finally, in 1984, Clayton enjoyed a taste of soul success when his "Tell Me" (produced by General Crook) and "What a Way to Put It" for Compleat Records nudged on to the R&B charts.

Let's Get Together, Clayton's 1993 album for Johnny Vincent's Ace logo, was a smooth soul-blues hybrid dominated by originals but titled after Al Green's immortal hit. Simply Beautiful, his Ace follow-up, found Clayton mixing dusties by Rev. Al, Aretha Franklin, and Arthur Crudup with his own stuff. It's About Love followed in 1999.

Memphis Marvels, part B

Good morning! Part 2 from this marvelous set. Mostly jubilee and quartet here; the only instrumentation I've heard is the single guitars or the occasional piano. So far I've been particularly impressed by the Prisonaires and just blown away by the Dixie Nightingales! Hmmm...the Spirit of St. James are killer too, this service is gaining steam! Enjoy your morning and God Bless our boys The Saints, next year we beat those guys from the Northwest in the ugly uniforms!

Snooks @ Storyland,

Snooks was a musical force of nature - his wondrous brain contained 1000's of songs that he could play at a moment's notice, each in an entirely unique Snookified version. At some point EVERY night you found yourself mentally saying "this may be the most amazing guitar player I've ever seen". Even though they were very different people, the blinding talent (unintentional joke) was similar to James Booker. 

Snooks Eaglin at Storyville, 1985 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Earl King @ Tipitina's 1991

Another unpublished flashback

Earl King at Tipitina's, 1991 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Earl King was certainly a veteran of the Chitlins Circut. Earl used to travel and perform as Guitar Slim because no-one knew what Slim looked like and Slim wanted to stay home in New Orleans.

This is the best live Earl King show you will ever hear, period. This show was a live WWOZ broadcast from an event called R & B Night at Tipitina's. Earl is with George Porter, Red Morgan and most likely whoever else was in The Running Partners of the time. The opening track is George and The Pahtna's, and then, it's star time ....Earl comes out to sing a thoroughly satisfying program of some of his best known tunes. Earl was a great singer and and a gifted writer with an unusual, lean guitar style. He is one of the very few song writers whom Jimi Hendrix covered (Let the Good Times Roll on Electric Ladyland). Any fan of Earl King or just New Orleans music in general will find this one is a must have.

Earl King - R & B Night at Tipitina's 1991
WWOZ radio broadcast
1 Running Partner
2 Over the Hill
3 Lonely, Lonely Nights
4 Trick Bag
5 Things I Used to Do
6 Always a First Time
7 You and I
8 Time for the Sun to Rise
9 Let the Good Times Roll

What Was The First Rock n Roll Record, part 2

Tracks 26-50 of the list from the book

What Was The First Rock N Roll Record, part 2 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Dalton Reed - Louisiana Soul Man 1991

When Scott Billington of Rounder Records began looking outside of New Orleans for Louisiana talent, one of the real gems he found was this master welder by day who was also a choir director in his church, and a fine blues/soul singer in the Lafayette, Louisiana music clubs scene at night. The story is that Dalton had a couple low budget 45's on a restaurant jukebox and Billington came in to eat and heard them. I think of him as the Johnny Adams of Lafayette. He has the same kind of rich, buttery sound and draws material from similar sources. This was his first ever album and first work with a real production team. I think you will find that he rose to the occaision. If you don't like his opening version of 'Baby Read Me My Rights' then I just don't know what to do with ya!

"  Dalton Reed attempted to keep the sweet sound of deep soul alive in the '90s. The Lafayette, LA, singer comes from a gospel background -- a prerequisite for success in the genre -- and cut his first single for his own little label in 1986.
  When he was child, Reed sang gospel in church and played trumpet in his high-school marching band. Reed fell in love with R&B and soul as a teenager, prompting him to join a few local bands. Soon, he formed his own group, Dalton Reed and the Musical Journey Band. In a short while, the band was playing bars and clubs throughout Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas.
  Reed founded his own record label, Sweet Daddy Records, in 1986, releasing his debut single, "Givin' On in to Love," that same year. Within a few years after the formation of Sweet Daddy, Reed and his brother Johnny formed another independent label, Reed Brothers Records." AMG

Louisiana Soul Man
  In 1990, Bullseye Blues signed Reed and the label released his debut album, Louisiana Soul Man, the following year. Three years later, his second album, Willing & Able, appeared. When he wasn't recording, Reed toured, playing concerts throughout America.  
Addendum While on tour in support of the second Rounder album Dalton was found dead in his hotel room prior to a gig in Minneapolis, he died of heart failure at only 40 years old.

What Was The First Rock n Roll Record, Part 1

What Was The First (Rock n' Roll Tune), part 1 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

"What Was The First Rock 'N' Roll Record by Dawson & Propes (1992) is one of those books which makes you want to hear the music AND generates conversation about the authors' choices. Each of the 50 songs chosen has several pages devoted to the background of the artist and the song. To me the most interesting contribution is the introduction to each entry that includes a list of additional recordings which identify the influences, cover versions and remakes of each piece.

I'm sure each of us has their own opinion and I can hear folks yelling “where is...”. Personally I would have included the Griffin Brothers' Weepin' & Cryin' (1951)." Unkie Cliff

 What would YOU add? If we get enough, I'll make another out of those - Part 2 of the original 50 will be up soon.

Clay Hammond - Streets Will Love You

Clay Hammond ‎– Streets Will Love You
Label: Evejim Records – EJ 1999
1989

A1 Streets Will Love You     3:26    
A2 License To Steal     4:23    
A3 Too Many Irons In The Fire     3:53    
A4 I Know What Love Is     3:55    
B1 They Don't Makeum No More     3:44    
B2 Ask Me For What You Want     3:03    
B3 Part Time Love     4:15    
B4 Monkey     4:20

  "Clayton Hammond Jr born 21 June 1936 in Groesbeck, Texas
Clay Hammond was an original founding member of the Gospel greats "The Mighty Clouds Of Joy" in the late 50s  Clay was the older brother of Walter Hammond, who was a singer with the original Olympics. Initially achieving success as a songwriter, Clay's composition 'Part Time Love' was a number 1 R&B single for ' Little' Johnny Taylor. Hammond later recorded for several labels, including Galaxy and Duo Disc, before settling with Kent in 1967.

His releases included two superb southern soul ballads, 'You Messed Up My Mind' (1966) and 'I'll Make It Up To You' (1968). Clay's subsequent recordings were more irregular, although a successful Japanese tour did produce an album, These Arms Of Mine. In 1981 he joined the Rivingtons, who were still working the oldies circuit on the strength of their novelty hit 'Papa Oom Mow Mow'. Hammond later sang with one of the many different Drifters groups while continuing to record as a solo artist

.His most well-known efforts from that time are the four singles he did for Kent between 1966-69. These mixed Southern soul, gospel, and blues styles, yet also had a somewhat lighter and poppier production aura than much Southern soul, perhaps because they were recorded in Los Angeles. All eight songs from these 45s, as well as eight others that were recorded but not released in the 1960s, appear on the Ace CD Southern , which also includes ten tracks recorded for Kent around the same time by fellow soul vocalist Z.Z. Hill.

"Clay's bittersweet, almost crying vocals bestow a syllable-bending nonchalance with a lyric, always belying an obvious Sam Cooke influence, though no one has ever mastered this style with quite the flair of Hammond, (Johnny Taylor, Bobby Womack and James Phelps arguably excepted!!)." from Southern Soul Brothers cd notes

Eddie Bo - A Shoot From The Root

I bought this CD with Kingcake in mind. It's a gift on behalf of all of the Chitlins regulars KC.  We love you bruh and cherish all that you do.

This album is just as funky as anything else he did... cop it y'all!!!

Eddie Bo was a fairly major New Orleans R&B figure ("Check Mr. Popeye") in the '60s and Shoot from the Root is his return on a European label after an extended absence from recording. Think that spells comeback by a veteran going through the correct motions for reverential roots rockers? Well, better think twice, because Bo has crafted a really, really vital disc that almost shockingly makes you believe there's still some fresh life in that venerable New Orleans R&B tradition.
The title track boasts a great groove with tuba, King Floyd-style horns, and very sharp, literate Afro-centric lyrics delivered by Bo in great voice. "Groove in My Soul" just pops on all cylinders; Bo has assembled a collection of graybeard contemporaries and the whole band, especially drummer Herman Ernest, is playing hard without getting in each other's way. You can also hear it in the sharp, sophisticated horn charts and funky rhythm to "Old Fashioned Sookie" and, well, maybe the bottom line of Shoot from the Root is that these veterans sound like they're really having big-time fun playing the music. There are fine ballads ("O'Lady," "I Love You in Every Way") and "Kick It on Back" shows Bo's real knack for funny, smart James Brown-style catch phrases with organ and drums shining in the arrangement. "Will I Ever Learn?" is just a quality, punchy, compact R&B tune and Bo doesn't even bother with an intro to "Let's Get It Straight," jumping right into the verse and singing up a storm supported by nice horns and bring-it-on-home drums. Both tracks leave you saying out loud that this is a great record, that there's life in old New Orleans R&B yet; so does "Fingers," a '50s rock & roll/R&B piano instrumental with Bo tickling the ivories while backing singers chant "Go, Mr. Piano Man, go!" when the horns aren't tossing in nice lines. Yeah, there are a few loose ends, but if you care, you got no idea what serious fun is. "Every Dog's Got a Day" is equally seriously funky, with Eddie Bo singing his butt off, Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias hoarse and convincing, and the masterful Johnny Adams coming in clean and serene with a couple of finale soul screams. And Adams is in absolutely devastating form on "Bring It on Home" (an Eddie Bo blues number, not the Sam Cooke hit), with the leader cheering him on. Dollis' hoarse pleading doesn't have a prayer of following Adams' commanding singing, but know what? I can't imagine the idea of giving a good goddamn ever crossed the mind of Bo Dollis or Eddie Bo or anyone else during the session. These veteran musicians grew up playing this music because they loved it and Eddie Bo has crafted a set of challenging songs that's rekindled that spark. Hell, you can say some grooves go on a little too long and that "Dance Dance Dance" is pretty slight, but why quibble? If you like classic New Orleans R&B but figured it had long ago reached a creative dead end, Shoot from the Root is one helluva delightful surprise. - Don Snowden / AMG 4.5 out of 5 Stars!!!!

Memphis Marvels Disc A

 Let's go back to some classic Gospel for this first Sunday of the new year. This box set is so dense I think it is best digested in pieces for the average listener.

"This is a terrific selection of Memphis gospel. It starts in the late twenties with, among others, the recordings of The I.C. Glee Quartet, The Bethel Quartet and AC & Blind Mamie Forehand, through the thirties and forties with The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet and then into the early fifties with The Songbirds Of The South and The Southern Wonders and on to the late fifties soulful sounds of The Dixie Nightingales and OV Wright and The Sunset Travelers. Compiler Opal Louis Nations has dug deep into his collection to chart the development of Memphis gospel with hard-to-find rarities from labels like Perkins, Peacock, Sun, Pepper and Duke and even rarer test pressings made at radio stations.

It's a great anthology - it doesn't matter which track you choose, it's guaranteed to be a belter! For example The Gospel Travelers God's Chariot in which all hell lets loose in the sound effects department and Queen C Anderson's belted-out call-and-response blockbuster I Never Heard Of A City which segues into the handclapping stomper These Are They. Then there's The Spirit Of Memphis Quartet delivering their deep, and I mean deep, harmonies on the old classic Happy In The Service Of The Lord. The Sunset Travelers really take off on their vocals and drums steamer Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down, The Southern Wonders bring a bit of down-home swing to Lord Stand By Me and Cassietta George sings like a woman possessed as she leads The Songbirds Of The South on their tremendous version of Ninety Nine And A Half Won't Do."

A Weekend at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976

There are two rather rare albums made from performances at the 1976 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - I have pulled them apart and recombined them to simulate an utterly EPIC day at Jazz Fest. This one is an aural landscape with short bits of silence to simulate those moments of zen in the porta-potties; it's really meant to be experienced as a whole...an almost 2 hour journey in the Wayback Machine to a time when Jazz Fest was just about the coolest happ'nin on the planet.

Now with link.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Joe Tex - Skinny Legs and All

It just wouldn't be fair to leave Joe hangin' and not show you the great leap forward after the material in the previous compilation of his earliest sides. From a Musicology standpoint I think that all of that stuff is essential despite the obvious fact that much of it is entirely derivative. The truth is that if I were charged with deciding what was needed for an essential collection, I suspect I would have fewer than 10 from those sides.

On the other hand I would be tortured in choosing to eliminate even 5 songs from this 24 track compilation. This is Joe's "sweet spot" material and it is impressive in EVERY way. The songs are light years better, the arrangement even tighter with great production and JT's voice is at it's big emotional delivery peak.

As you listen to these sides imagine yourself, bone-tired from a hard-ass day at work, you're in some steamy Circuit bar/restaurant gettin' your 'Groove' on with your hard earned pay, got some fine woman in your sights.... Got it? (if you ain't never been poor then most likely not, but just try to imagine it for me) The last one was for the J.T. Freaks; this one here is for Everybody! Slide this into your rotation next to Sam Cooke and tell me it doesn't work for you. (Assuming, of course that Sam is on your Essential Playlist).

Joe Tex - Get WAY Back

The great Joe Tex spent a lot of time on the Circuit, always on the verge of breaking through and even seeing Billboard 100 occasionally. The great New Orleans pianist/organist James Booker spent 1956 to 1958 in Joe's band.

Wikpedia - Born in Baytown, Texas, Tex was subsequently raised in the Central Texas town of Rogers. His professional career as a singer began onstage at the Apollo. He won first place in a 1954 talent contest and duly secured a record deal.

His early releases on King Records, Ace and Anna Records were considered by some to be derivative and were generally disappointing in terms of sales. Tex released thirty singles in the first ten years of his recording career, never once hitting the Hot 100. However, after James Brown's cover version of Tex's "Baby You're Right" became a US number 2 hit in 1962, Tex was signed to Dial Records by Nashville, Tennessee-based record producer Buddy Killen, and his career turned around.

Tex prospered under Killen's guidance. Tex's first hit recording was 1965's "Hold What You've Got", recorded at the FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and distributed by Atlantic on Killen's Dial record label. "Hold What You've Got" spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #5, and sold a million copies by 1966.[1]

Other singles followed, namely "A Woman Can Change a Man", and "The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)" which were both ballads. But a change in tempo also brought hits such as "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)" (1966), and "Show Me" (1967). Tex's recording career was distinguished by his extensive single releases. For example, in 1965 alone, Tex released seven singles, followed by six in 1966 and five in 1967. He had released over thirty singles prior to the release of his first album, in 1965.

Meanwhile the singles "Skinny Legs and All" (US #10) and "Men Are Getting Scarce" also became major hits for Tex. "Skinny Legs And All" was Tex's second million seller spending 15 weeks in the charts. The single was released in late 1967,[2] and is the same version that appeared on his later pseudo-live album "Live And Lively". He was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in January 1968.[3] His last major hit of that time was "I Gotcha". "I Gotcha" also penned by Tex and released in January 1972, went to #2 for two weeks, and stayed for 20 weeks in the listings. The RIAA gold disc award was made on March 22, 1972. It went on to sell over two million copies by August that year.[4] Following its release, Tex decided to retire.

He returned to music in 1975, and two years later enjoyed a comeback hit with "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)", which reached U.S. #12. By the 1980s he had withdrawn again from full-time performing. He devoted himself to Islam, his Texas ranch and the Houston Oilers American Football team.

A feud between Tex and fellow labelmate James Brown began after Brown, who Tex felt copied his stage moves, began dating Tex's wife, Bea Ford. In response, Tex wrote a song called "You Keep Her." They played a few more shows together until Tex mocked James Brown's act of throwing a cape over his shoulder and screamed "please - get me out of this cape". Brown later fired a gun at Tex in a nightclub. (respective talent left out of the argument, the fact is that Brown had not only eclipsed Tex early and always, he took his woman on top of it and didn't even keep her, chances are Tex provoked JB into the incident as he was the one with the axe to grind. kc)

A convert to the Muslim faith since 1966, he changed his name to Yusuf Hazziez, and toured as a spiritual lecturer. He has one daughter, Eartha Doucet, and four sons, Joseph Arrington III, Ramadan Hazziez, Jwaade Hazziez and Joseph Hazziez.

On August 13, 1982, Joe Tex died at his home in Navasota, Texas, following a heart attack, five days after his 49th birthday.

Wynonie Harris - Good Rockin Tonight and All She Wants To Do Is Rock 1947 to 1950

 Here is a job left undone from a while back - these two albums represent Harris' output at the height of his popularity in the late forties.
"Good Rockin' Tonight", the song he wouldn't take when Roy Brown offered it to him, is still a bigger hit for Harris than it was for Brown.

The scans from the Proper set won't tell you who is playing with him here so let me give you some of the notables: The first four tracks have Joe Turner guesting with Wynonie and his All Star band that includes folks like Joe Newman, Allen Eager, Bill Doggett, Mary Osborne, and Al McKibbon. On tracks 9 thru 17 the band features Hot Lips Page and Hal Singer, on the last three Cat Anderson replaces Page and Connie Kay is on drums.

The second volume opens with a track from the Cat Anderson session but the next three tracks are a new band featuring Joe Morris, Johnny Griffin, Elmo Hope and Gene Ramey. Joe Wilder takes over trumpet duties for most of the rest of these tracks. Later sessions have names like Red Prysock, Sir Charles Thompson, George Duvivier, and Kenny Burrell popping up on them.

Freddie King - Is A Blues Master & My Feeling For The Blues

Here is a continuation of my chronological Freddie King posts - 'Freddy' has now become 'Freddie' and he is with a more contemporary and hipper crowd than with his previous musical partners at King/Federal...for which his real fame is mostly based  - Signed to the Atlantic/Cotillion label, his 2 albums for this revered company contain some of the greats of the day .
..

On 'Freddie King Is A Blues Master' (1969) we have :
Billy Butler-gtr, Joe Newman, Melvin Lastie & Martin Banks-tpt, KIng Curtis, David Newman & Willie Bridges-sax, James Booker & Gary Illingworth-keys, Jerry Jemmott-bs, Norman Pride-drms.

On 'My Feeling For The Blues' (1970) we have :
George Coleman, Frank Wess, KIng Curtis, Trevor Lawrence & Willie Bridges-sax, Ernie Royal & Martin Banks-tpt, George Stubbs-pno, Cornell Dupree-gtr, Jerry Jemmott-bs, Kenneth Rice-drms, Hugh McCracken-hmca.

2 great electric blues albums where Freddie includes some fine covers, some updated classics and some new compositions.
I have played these  albums many, many times and still love everything about them ...It's your lucky day ...here are both recordings with full scans ...Enjoy

And...Happy new year to y'all ! ...Cheers

Overdose Of The Holy Ghost

“Gospel music has often followed the prominent trends in secular music, probably in the hope of widening its audience by giving the subject matter a sprinkling of cool. In the 60s it happened with R&B and then funk-flavoured gospel, the 70s brought sweet-soul crossovers, and by 1975 the sounds of early disco had started to permeate the genre. This compilation brings together overlooked gospel gems that have their production rooted in disco and boogie, the sound of the early 80s that followed in disco’s wake. It’s only recently that this music has begun to be appreciated by fans outside of its original target market, and I’m glad to help it finally reach a wider audience.” David Hill

The Relatives - The Electric Word (2013)

As this posts I am actually on my way to the airport and yet here is your second to last Gospel morning for 2013. Enjoy your holidays dear brothers and sisters.

" Are you ready for the resurrection? In the 1970s the West brothers of Dallas formed the Relatives, a Staple Singers-style gospel-funk group who enjoyed modest success before their 1980 dissolution. The few singles they cut became cult items and led to their reformation and this surprising album. Produced by Spoon's Jim Eno, its 37 minutes crackle with conviction, mixing gospel vocals with tough funk rhythms and psych-rock guitar. Bad Trip and Let Your Light Shine recall Ball of Confusion-era Temptations, while the slow Speak to Me (What's Wrong With America?) still resonates after 40 years' hibernation. A welcome time warp."

Parliment Funkadelic meets The Soul Stirrers! 

Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters - Cry Baby

It seemed like there was some interest in my bringing this early post back to the front.

"Mimms grew up in Philadelphia, where he sang in gospel music groups such as the Evening Stars, the Harmonizing Four, and the group with which he would record his first record in 1953, the Norfolk Four. He returned to Philadelphia after serving in the military and formed doo-wop group, the Gainors in 1958.

In 1961, Mimms and Sam Bell from the Gainors left to form a new group, Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters, with Zola Pearnell and Charles Boyer. The group moved to New York and began to work with the songwriter and record producer, Bert Berns. Berns signed them to the United Artists label and wrote the hit, "Cry Baby" for them with songwriting partner, Jerry Ragovoy. The song topped the R&B chart and went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1963. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Mimms and the group had a follow-up double sided hit, "For Your Precious Love" and "Baby Don't You Weep", both tracks entering the Billboard Top 30, before he went solo in 1964. In 1966, Berns and Ragavoy produced another big hit for Mimms, "I'll Take Good Care Of You", which climbed to #15 in the R&B chart and #30 in the Hot 100. He worked with Jimi Hendrix in the UK the following year. He did some recording on the MGM and Verve labels. In 1969, Led Zeppelin performed an extended version of Mimms' "As Long As I have You" at various stops on their U.S tour.

In the 1970s, he released a few funk songs as Garnet Mimms and the Truckin' Co. He had his only hit in the United Kingdom at this time, when "What It Is" reached number 44 for one week on the UK Singles Chart in June 1977.

Mimms was given a Pioneer Award in 1999 by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

In the 1980s, Garnet found his calling ministering to lost souls in prison, but in 2007, returned to recording and a year later, released a new gospel album Is Anybody Out There? on the Evidence label, produced and (primarily) written by Jon Tiven."

Ain't Gonna Settle Down; The Pioneering Blues of Mary Stafford & Edith Wilson

"Ain't Gonna Settle Down" features all 14 recordings made by the obscure but remarkable cabaret star Mary Stafford in 1921 and 1926 and 32 selections by Louisville-born Edith Wilson, covering her entire released repertoire from 1921 to 1930. A handsomely illustrated 32-page booklet with notes by blues scholar Steve Tracy accompanies the two CDs. As usual, remastering and design come from Grammy-winning production team of Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessey. These records have never sounded better, and for the first time they are presented with the care they deserve."
(read more)

Get On Board Little Children

Our Sunday Gospel moment - sorry to have missed church last week. KC

1.  Smith Jubilee Singers / Just A Little Talk With Jesus (2:10)
2. Rev. Louis Narcisse / Why Should I Worry (2:48)
3. Lillian Holmes & Madam Wesley Mae Walker / Jesus Said If You Go (2:38)
4. Four Star Quartet / In My Savior's Care (2:44)
5. Prof. James Earle Hines & His Goodwill Singers / Heavenly Highway (2:59)
6. Echoes Of Zion / Those Chiming Bells (2:33)
7. Swanee River Quartet / The Sun Will Never Go Down (2:57)
8. Smith Jubilee Singers , Dig A Little Deeper
9. Echoes Of Zion , I Took My Masters Hand
10. Prof. James Earle Hines & His Goodwill Singers , God Rode In The Windstorm
11. Swanee River Quartet , Take Your Burdens To The Lord
12. The Harmonizers , I John Saw
13. Echoes Of Zion , King Jesus Is Listening
14. Madam Ira Mae Littlejohn , I Wanna See Jesus
15. Prof. James Earle Hines & His Goodwill Singers , Daniel
16. Echoes Of Zion , I'll Rest After Awhile
17. Smith Jubilee Singers , Lord Remember Me
18. Swanee River Quartet , On The Battlefield For The Lord
19. Rev. G. W. Killens , Father, I Stretch My Arms To Thee
20. Rev. C. C. Chapman & The Faith Temple Choir - On My Way (Part 1)
21. Rev. C. C. Chapman & The Faith Temple Choir - On My Way (Part 2)
22. James Earle & His Goodwill Singers , Get On Board Little Children
23. Echoes Of Zion , Climbing Jacob's Ladder
24. Madam Ira Mae Littlejohn , Go Devil Go
25. The Harmonizers , Satisfied
26. Four Star Quartet , Steal Away To Jesus
27. Swanee River Quartet , Brother Noah
28. Echoes Of Zion , A Charge To Keep I Have

Take Me To The River

 This is for those who enjoy compilations - if you've been hanging out here you have the majority of this material already - that said it is REALLY well well selected and makes for a very enjoyable listen.

Clarence Carter - The Fame Singles, Volume 2 1970-73

 Have you ever seen a self professed 'fat old white guy' with a big grey beard look like a 5 year old on Christmas? That was Cliff when Kent finally came up with volume 2 of the Clarence Carter singles. I had listened to tales of Carter's version of Sixty Minute Man more than once in the previous year and it was guaranteed to be on this set (it is). Not every volume 2 is worthy as we all know, but this one stands up to the high standards established by volume 1. "The second volume of Clarence Carter’s Fame singles opens with his biggest worldwide hit. A cover of a Chairman Of The Board album track, ‘Patches’ is a song that could be considered a corny attempt to capture the heartstrings. In fact Clarence initially refused to record it. He regarded a song about rural poverty as a slight upon his people, while producer Rick Hall thought it could apply equally to black and white Americans. Hall won, and the record climbed into the Top 10 of the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

The first part of this compilation sees the search for another hit of similar magnitude lead Clarence further away from his black southern audience. Over the previous four years he had progressed from a promising newcomer with gritty masterpieces such as ‘Tell Daddy’ and ‘Looking For A Fox’ to a million-selling hit-maker with ‘Slip Away’ and ‘Too Weak To Fight’, all cut for Fame and released on Atlantic Records. A string of Top 10 R&B hits made him one ofAtlantic’s most successful soul artists.

After ‘Patches’, his next couple of singles looked to replicate the story-telling framework. ‘It’s All In Your Mind’ and ‘The Court Room’ were nothing short of excellent, but the public didn’t take to them. With Fame’s relationship with Atlantic not as warm as it had been, Clarence’s singles started to under-perform, to the point where his duet with his wife Candi Staton didn’t even chart. His records were subsequently released on Fame via their new deal with United Artists and began to reappear in the higher reaches of the R&B chart.

This CD features the A and B-sides of the 11 singles scheduled for release by Clarence until the end of 1973, including many tracks that have never been reissued on CD before. It is a fantastic selection of classic southern soul, highlighting one of the greatest talents and biggest stars to have recorded for Rick Hall’s venerated Fame label."

By Dean Rudland

Garnet Mimms - Is Anybody Out There?

At 75, Garnet Mimms is singing better than ever. The proof is all over Is Anybody Out There?, produced and arranged by Nashville's Jon Tiven. Tiven wrote or co-wrote 13 of the album's 15 tunes. He recorded the set in his home studio with wife Sally Tiven on bass, pianist Mark Jordan, and a host of drummers, including Chester Thompson. For his part, Tiven played guitar, saxophones, sitar, and harmonica. Jonell Mosser, Wayne Jackson, choirmaster Shake Anderson, Greg Morrow, Billy Block, Patti Russo, Felix Cavaliere, Buddy Miller, Little Milton Campbell, and P.F. Sloan all guest. But the real story is Mimms. The material is all retro soul-gospel and leaves his previous solo gospel outing in the dust. His calling these days is one of a preacher who counsels prisoners, and in the grain of his beautiful voice is the world-weariness of a man who has traveled many of life's roads but whose hope is unvanquished; in fact, it's firmly intact. Tiven is clearly not interested in having Mimms sound like a museum piece. He goes to great lengths to place his voice in songs that are deeply rooted in Southern soul, blues, and gospel. That said, sometimes it feels like his production goes to extremes. While there are no samplers or drum loops, playing near baroque sitar on some of the album's best songs -- like "Let Your Love Rain" -- can initially be a jarring experience, where it feels as if an alien presence has invaded the recording. Thankfully, Mimms' voice brings the listener right back and shows that everything is basically where it should be.

This doesn't feel like a retro record because Tiven's ideas about how to make soul records have changed substantially since he worked with the late Wilson Pickett. There are times when he feels as if he's channeling T Bone Burnett and Jeff Lynne simultaneously, but there is enough grit in his studio sound to shake any perceived excesses. Mimms responds, and that's all that matters. Listen to his voice on "Sweet Silence," where he hits every note, accentuating the drama in its narrative, and reflects on what is essential in gospel music: the sense of joy and gratitude, of worship that is rooted in the soil and dust but aspires to the glory of heaven. Check the scorching funky blues riffing in the title track and the way Mimms scales the wall of noise to express the tension in the narrative. This is a modern psalm in a time of trouble, and Mimms is the modern day David whose heart is heavy but holding close to the rock of his faith. In "On Top of This Mountain," Mimms gets into a wildly expressive upper register atop a veritable wall of backing voices and reverbed guitars and percussion. It's a hymn but it's also a proclamation of strength, grace, and devotion that knows the very heart of what he's singing about. The funky horns in "Love Is the Reason," which follows it, portrays Mimms effortlessly reaching deep into his belly to let that aforementioned joy become a question, one that only each individual listener can answer. With Is Anybody Out There?, Reverend Mimms, aided by Tiven and his coconspirators, has offered up one of the great surprises of 2008, an album so skillfully wrought and deeply expressive that it cannot help to inspire nearly otherworldly emotions in the listener.
Thom Jurek

VOLUME 2!!! The Sound Of The City: A Musical Narrative

The Sound Of The City - Vol. 2 by Poppachubby on Mixcloud

Art Neville - The Specialty Recordings

As a founding member of the Meters and Neville Brothers, New Orleans vocalist and keyboardist Art Neville helped immeasurably to shape the contemporary New Orleans funk sound. Neville's first band, the Hawketts, tasted local success in 1954 with the carnival perennial "Mardi Gras Mambo" on Chess. He cut some nice solo singles for Specialty during the late '50s, notably "Cha Dooky-Doo," as well as contributing two choruses of storming piano to Jerry Byrne's 1958 classic "Lights Out." "All These Things," a gentle ballad, also did well locally in 1962 on the Instant logo. He assembled the Meters in the mid-'60s and the instrumental quartet proved the Crescent City's answer to the MG's until their 1977 breakup. That's when Art and his siblings formed the Neville Brothers, who went on to reign as the leading musical export from New Orleans.
AMG

Remembering Willie Tee 3 - Anticipation and Brothers for Life

Anticipation (1976) was the album Willie considered his masterwork, the full LP at United Artists that was sure to hit, it didn't. With the Gaturs supplemented by fabulous musicians like David T Walker, Lee Ritenour and Julis Farmer just to name a few, and Skip Drinkwater production, the project was clearly targeted to be mainstream. I think it is a pretty strong album, but it just never caught the public ear.

The second album here is a jazz project with brother Earl Turbinton from 1988. Willie plays some really serious piano on this date. Astral Project's Jim Singleton is on bass. 

"Alto saxophonist Earl Turbinton and keyboardist Willie Tee moved into more adventurous territory than usual on this 1988 date. While each was an experienced blues and R&B stylist, they had also maintained active jazz ties since the '50s, although they'd only shown it in New Orleans clubs. They cut loose often here, notably on the rousing "Neferdoris" and first-rate cover of Thelonious Monk's "Think of One." Turbinton's sassy, fiery alto and Tee's lowdown, wide-ranging, expressive piano solos are the highlight, while bassist James Singleton, drummer David Lee, Jr., and percussionist Curtis Pierre add vital support and color, as does guest pianist Wess Anderson on "Think of One" and "Neferdoris." ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

I guess we will have to assume that Mr. Wynn can't tell the difference between a soprano sax and an alto.

Sticky Heat 1 & 2

Sticky Heat - Lovin' In The Crescent City by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Sticky Heat II - Love's Miseries by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Clarence Carter - The Early Fame Singles 1966-70

Now you may ask yourself 'why is he re-posting this?' - Well for two reasons: A) This one is in FLAC with cover scans (finally got around to it) and B) It is a prelude because my friends Volume 2 has finally been released! Oooo Yeah!

"Born in Montgomery, Alabama on January 14, 1936, Carter attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and Alabama State College in Montgomery, graduating in August 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in music. His professional music career began with friend Calvin Scott, signing to the Fairlane Records label to release "I Wanna Dance But I Don't Know How" the following year. After the 1962 release of "I Don't Know (School Girl)," Carter and Scott left Fairlane Records for Duke Records, renaming themselves the CL Boys for their label debut, Hey. In all, the duo cut four Duke singles, none of them generating more than a shrug at radio.

In 1965, they traveled to Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to record "Step by Step" and its flip side, "Rooster Knees and Rice." Atlantic Records took notice and released "Step by Step" on its Atco Records subsidiary, but it flopped. Carter continued as a solo act, signing to the Fame Records label for 1967's Tell Daddy. Several more solid singles followed, until Carter released "Slip Away," which hit number 6 on the Pop Charts. "Too Weak to Fight" hit number 13. Several more soul singles followed, like "Snatching It Back," "Making Love (At the Dark End of the Street)", "The Feeling Is Right," "Doing Our Thing" and "Patches." "Patches" (first recorded by Chairmen of the Board) was a UK number 2 and a U.S. number 4 in 1970, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1971. This disc sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A. in September 1970, just two months after its release. Following "Slip Away" and "Too Weak to Fight", it was Carter's third million-seller.

With the advent of disco in the mid 1970s, Carter's career suffered, before he found a new audience with songs such as "Strokin'" and "Dr. C.C." in the 1980s and 1990s, which appealed (and still appeal) to a primarily African-American working-class audience that was also interested in contemporary blues and soul artists such as Denise LaSalle, Bobby Rush, Marvin Sease and Sir Charles Jones. "Strokin'" was given great acclaim when it was used in the Eddie Murphy film The Nutty Professor. Carter's strong soul sound also found an audience within the then-nascent hip-hop community. Most notably, the horn break from Carter's song "Back Door Santa", is sampled in the Run-D.M.C. Christmas song "Christmas in Hollis"

Remembering Willie Tee, Part II - The Gaturs Meet The Wild Magnolias

Bo Dollis

Either the Gaturs started out as The New Orleans Project or they were also known under that name, I've never been sure which. In 1971 the band hooked up with Big Chief Bo Dollis' Wild Magnolias to craft a new music together; a stunning blend of New Orleans funk and Mardi Gras Indian music that had never before been heard (remember that this is 5 years before the Meters/Nevilles team up with the Wild Tchapitoulas). Not only do these albums precede the Tchapitoulas album, they are, IMO, FAR superior. As much as I adore the Meters, this was a deeper, greasier funk groove than even my boys could manage; I think primarily due to the wonderful sax of brother Earl Turbinton, the twin miracles of Snooks Eaglin on guitar and Ervin Charles on bass (a man even George Porter looked up to) and of course the phenomenal vocals of Big Chief Bo Dollis. I swear there were nights when Bo would holler his "Heee Yaaaa!" to begin Hand Wanda and he would peel the last of the paint off the walls of the old Donna's on Rampart street.

It was Jazz Fest's Quint Davis who was at least partly responsible for this marriage and the beginnings of moving the Wild Magnolias from being just another tribe to being a professional music act. For me these two records are in my desert island picks, I just could not imagine being without them. The second album (1974) has my favorite Mardi Gras tune ever to this day, the Willie Tee penned 'New Suit'. The tendency is to focus on the powerhouse vocals and the whole 'different' nature of what is going on here, but you shouldn't lose site of the fact that they are inventing a genre that we take for granted now, 40 years down the road - the truth is even today it has never been done better.

The Gospel Truth - The Gospel Soul And Funk Of Stax Records

A stellar batch of smoldering gospel soul and good word funk – long under-appreciated material released in the early-to-mid 70s on the Truth & Gospel Truth labels, imprints of the mighty Stax Records! The sound is often early 70s Memphis soul & funk to the bone – a few strings bring some soaring moments, but the groove is nice and gritty – with the gospel coming from the heart & soul of the singers. The set features a couple of numbers from The Staple Singers released on Stax proper back in the day, plus lesser known and equally great numbers from Clarence Smith, The Marion Gaines Singers, The Rance Allen Group, The Sons Of Truth, Joshie Jo Armstead, Louise McCord and many more released on Truth & Gospel Truth in the first half of the 70s. Titles include "Son Of The Deacon" by The Sons Of Truth, "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" by Clarence Smith, "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" by Rance Allen Group, "You Can't Stop Me Now" by The Marion Gaines Singers, "it Will Soon Be Over" by The Marion Gaines Singers, "Stumbling Blocks, Steppin' Stones (What Took Me So Long)" by Joshie Jo Armstead, "Brand New Day" and "Name The Missing Word" by The Staple Singers and more.

Diunna Greenleaf - Crazy But Live in Houston

Well, what do you know?   My Nigerian server was showing unusual speed this morning.  So I tried to upload one of the albums to Zippyshare that I have been trying to post recently...finally with success!

Given the level of enthusiasm about Marva Wright here at Chitlins, I had the idea for a series of posts on other powerhouse blues divas who are still with us and active.   I would like to start with Diunna Greenleaf,  an amazingly powerful singer from Houston, Texas.

Diunna Greenleaf is still in her 40s, making her somewhat of a youngster among old school blues/soul singers.  As you will hear, however, Ms. Greenleaf embodies blues/gospel sensibilities that would make you think that she is from an older generation.   She is also a scholar of the blues who is acutely aware of the history of the music.  She even served for a while as the President of the Houston Blues Society.  

I heard Diunna for the first time live a few years ago.  I was blown away and amazed that I could have been unaware of her up until that time.   I bought this self-produced and released CD from her at the concert.  At that time, it was still her only recording.  She has since released two other records.  I would say that none of her recordings yet capture just how good Diunna can be live.  In fact, there are a few posts from her concerts on Youtube that may be the definitive record of her art so far.  But this is nevertheless an excellent recording, and, in my opinion, still far and away her best record.    It is also the most difficult of her records to track down.   So it certainly deserves a post here. 

Diunna has a very good band, Blue Mercy, that features Albert King Award winning guitarist John Richardson.  Richardson fills out this record with a barrage of tasteful licks.   As opposed to Diunna's studio recordings, there are few original compositions on this album.  But there are some complete re-workings of blues/soul classics that are as every bit as refreshing as would be good original songs.  Together with a few blues chestnuts are some songs not commonly covered on the Circuit.  I guarantee you that this is the bluesiest version of Sly Stone's If you Want Me to Stay that you will ever hear. 

All in all, this is quite a satisfying record.   Most importantly, make sure not to miss Diunna when she comes to your town.  Her live shows can be nothing less than transcendent.  This album only hints at what she is capable of.  The best on wax is yet to come.