Robert Jr. Lockwood & Johnny Shines - Hangin' On

Another vinyl rip in flac (sorry, but I haven't had time to do an mp3 copy yet) that I recently did for Unkie Cliff - there are several more on tap.

"Two of the principal keepers of the Robert Johnson flame joined forces for a Rounder LP that's stunning in its non-conformity to what purists might like to hear from the two veterans. Jazz and swing influences invest much of the LP, the pair sharing vocal and guitar duties." AMG

I guess that is why it only got 3 stars...I'd give it at least 4; very enjoyable stuff, even some wonderfully funky moments! Oddly enough, it received a 1980 Handy award in the traditional blues category even though it has little that could be called that. I'm also somewhat baffled that Rounder has never re-released it. This is a not the rip that circulated a few years back - I think mine is cleaner.

Roy Brown - Good Rocking Tonight [vinyl/flac rip]

I just did a rip of this for Clifford and thought y'all might like to hear it.

" Covering Brown's most fertile period of 1947-1954, Good Rocking Tonight is the second of three Route 66 volumes covering rare sides by the jump blues star. Same as the first collection, Laughing But Crying, this disc nicely fills in gaps left by high-profile titles from Rhino and King. The focus is on a mix of rough-and-ready R&B and after-hours blues, with alternate takes of hits like "Good Rocking Tonight" and "Mighty, Mighty Man" giving collectors something to relish. Most impressive, though, are breakneck-tempo cuts like "Whose Hat Is That" and the infamous "Butcher Pete, Pt. 2" (the blues lyrical taste for sexual double entendre reaching over-the-top levels on the latter). Besides matching the speed of bebop, the frantic energy of these and many other sides Brown cut during the late '40s and early '50s shores up the singer's place as a rock & roll pioneer. On the other hand, Brown also influenced the gospel-based world of soul with pathos-ridden and urbane blues like "Brown Angel." And putting further pay to the singer's impressive flexibility -- not to mention his admitted admiration for crooner Bing Crosby -- he delivers a velvety cool vocal performance on "Teenage Jamboree." In light of all the musical wealth herein, then, it's definitely a shame this and the other Brown titles on Route 66 are only to be found in the used bins..." AMG

Dee Clark - Dee Clark + How About That

Dee Clark was one of the best R&B singers of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and enjoyed a spate of chart hits, but is seldom mentioned today. This edition includes Clark’s two first albums (both released in 1959) in their entirety, ‘Dee Clark’ and ‘How About That’. These LPs offer a solid introduction into this man's special brand of soul – his charm, passionate delivery, musical feeling, sentimental mood renderings and RandB innovation.
In addition, there are 4 bonus tracks, consisting of hard to find sides from the same period. This whole CD is a treasure trove of excellent RandB recordings that should have made Dee Clark an international star.
Clark's singing talents can also be recognized in his treatment of some ballads and jazz-flavoured tunes. He had a full, resonant voice and truly enjoyed singing. His abilities went far beyond the moderate pop success he enjoyed in the early rock and roll years.
“One of the most adaptable RandB vocalists of the '50s and early '60s....He could do it all, whatever was expected of a top RandB singer circa 1960, and on this album he pretty much did it and a little more, too” - (All Music Guide)

Year:
Recorded between 1956 and 1959 at Universal Recording studio, Chicago, IL.
Label:
HooDoo Records
Quality: Bitrate:
my wife's cd > flac
Scans - Artwork:
16-page booklet, rare photos, vintage visual memorabilia and detailed liner notes.
Total Time:
74:10
Total Size:
406mb

Album Info & Personnel:

DEE CLARK, vocals, plus:

Tracks 1 – 25: Rhythm section probably was
Lefty Bates (guitar), Quim B. Wilson (bass), Horace Palm (piano),
Paul Gusman and Al Duncan (drums). Horns and backing vocals are unknown.

Track 26: John McCall (tenor vocals), Doug Brown (second tenor vocals),
Teddy Long (baritone vocals), John Carter (bass vocals).

Tracks 27 – 28: Joe Hughes, Milton Hopkins (guitar),
Grady Gaines, Richard Roy, Clifford Burks (sax),
Olsie Robinson (bass), Charles Connor (drums).

Tracklist:

Dee Clark + How About That
01 Just Keep It Up 2:13
02 Blues Get Off My Shoulder 2:59
03 Hey Little Girl 2:19
04 Whispering Grass 2:59
05 Seven Nights 2:19
06 I Can’t Dream 2:04
07 Nobody But You 2:26
08 If It Wasn’t For Love 2:37
09 Lucky Me 2:07
10 When I Call On You 2:48
11 Nature Boy 2:22
12 Count On Me 2:3

how About That
13 How About That 2:42
14 Cling A Ling 2:48
15 They’re Talkin’ 2:27
16 At My Front Door 2:41
17 The Convention 3:09
18 I Love You Darling 2:35
19 Senior Blues 2:58
20 A Foggy Day 2:39
21 You There 3:52
22 Silently Lovin’ You 2:52
23 Moonlight In Vermont 3:14
24 The Times Has Come 2:3

bonus Tracks
25 Twenty-four Boy Friends 2:04
26 I Just Can’t Help Myself 2:28
27 Wondering 2:39
28 Oh Little Girl 2:39

Links in Comments:

James Brown - 5 Classic Albums [flac]

 A little (okay BIG) surprise from Unky Cliff!

I think this is fairly self explanatory, eh? 

Gonna be pretty busy for a while...Jazz Fest is here!

L.C. Robinson - House Cleanin' Blues (vinyl flac rip)

b. Louis Charles Robinson, 15 May 1915, Brenham, Texas, USA, d. 26 September 1976. "Good Rockin'" Robinson began playing guitar at the age of nine, and was reputedly taught to play bottleneck style by Blind Willie Johnson. Western swing musician Leon McAuliffe introduced him to the steel guitar; Robinson was also a blues fiddler of note and gave Sugarcane Harris some lessons on the instrument. He moved to the San Francisco area around 1939, where he often played together with his brother A.C. Robinson. They recorded for the Black And White label in 1945 as the Robinson Brothers. L.C. recorded for Rhythm Records in the early 50s, for World Pacific in the 60s, and for Arhoolie and Bluesway in the 70s, and also accompanied Mercy Dee Walton and John Lee Hooker on records. He died of a heart attack in September 1976. AMG

"...... The city of Oakland, California is not the most likely place one would go to find a legend in urban blues, but such is the case of L.C. Robinson. He makes the bay city home and has been a resident for some time. The Texas born Louis Charles Robinson (1915) is one of the last down home blues artists to be found living in the area. L.C. Robinson's career began in rural Texas where he was taught the steel guitar, the favorite of the country musicians of that area. Through the years he has added the regular guitar and a flair for playing the violin to his vast rep. It is hard to believe that before the release of this album he was recorded on his own only once.
...... In June of this year (1973), the producer of this album, took L.C. across the bay to San Francisco and put together a group of the top musicians in the area ... Robert Hooker on piano, Lex Silva on bass, the powerful Luther Tucker on guitar and L.C. plays Hawaiian guitar, violin and regular guitar along with his vocals. Critics will be hard put for words to describe the many bags of L.C., and those who were not fortunate enough to catch him in one of the spots around the bay will waste no time crying for more of the talent of this man who has been denied the exposure deserved by an artist of his stature. Find a quiet place, put this album on, and travel through time with L.C. from yesterday to now on the highway of urban blues." ~ Al Smith

Al Smith died at the beginning of 1974, L.C. Good Rockin' Robinson two years later.

Mavis Staples- You Are Not Alone

My local buddy pmac contributed this one.

"Mavis Staples has a mighty voice. Even into her 70s, she still has dynamic range that goes from a full-throated shout to an intimate whisper without losing her easy authority over a song. Over the decades, many musicians and producers have tried to wrangle that voice onto record, with varying degrees of success. With her father, Pops Staples, she recorded a string of songs that combined gospel and folk music, many of which-- "Respect Yourself" and the sublime "(If You're Ready) Come Go with Me"-- became hits that soundtracked the tumultuous civil rights movement. In the 1970s and 80s, she worked with Curtis Mayfield, Steve Cropper, and Prince, even signing to his Purpleness' Paisley Park label for a brief period.

In the 2000s, Staples has entered an unlikely third stage in her career, with a string of inspired albums that exhibit new range. We'll Never Turn Back, recorded with producer Ry Cooder, revived civil rights anthems for the dying days of the Bush era, and they still sound prescient and powerful. Following the fierce Live: Hope at the Hideout in 2008, her latest album, You Are Not Alone, was recorded with Wilco frontman and fellow Chicago resident Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy clearly has a deep knowledge of and appreciation for Staples' career, and he gives her a warmly textured backdrop that's both familiar and inventive, with nods to past glories. He cherrypicks a number of her old hits to revive and chooses some new covers for her to sing, with a keen understanding of her strengths and weaknesses. In turn, Staples gives him intuitive and moving performances on each song, whether she's celebrating her own salvation or bemoaning a lost love.
On "Downward Road", a Pops favorite that the Staples Singers recorded decades ago, she's casually scolding as she relates the story of a woman who revels in sin and pays a hefty price. A fat bass thwacks along, creating a strange gospel plod that makes Staples sound like she's marching against the downward tide. By contrast, "In Christ There Is No East or West" is so delicate that it threatens to blow away with the breeze. It's a risky tack, as Staples could very easily have bulldozed such light accompaniment, but she adjusts her delivery to convey her awe in God's unfathomable omnipresence. This, she seems to say, is something to celebrate, and "I Belong to the Band - Hallelujah" and "Creep Along Moses" sound like party gospel-- jubilant cries heavenward.
As covers go, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Wrote a Song for Everyone" is an obvious choice considering the public quality of Staples' music, and she sings it with such humility that it's surprising she's never recorded it before. On the other hand, Randy Newman's "Losing You" is much more private, and Staples communicates stoic, dignified heartbreak with every syllable. It's a remarkable performance, matched only by the reassuring title track, which Tweedy wrote especially for her. "You Are Not Alone", as its title suggests, intends to be a salve in hard times, and Staples rallies her most sympathetic delivery, as if comforting her listeners individually.
Rather than protest the state of the world, Staples is toasting human endurance-- hers as well as ours. After decades in the music industry, she still sounds invigorated and ecstatic, unburdened by cynicism or disappointment. With Tweedy, she has created a record that is mindful of her own past, yet these songs sound fresh, original, and often inspiring."

Sister Wynona Carr - Dragnet For Jesus

It is Easter Sunday and once again the organ swells in the background signifyin' another Gospel Sunday here on the Chitlin Circuit.

"Wynona Carr (August 23, 1924 – May 12, 1976) was an African-American gospel, R&B and rock and roll singer-songwriter, who recorded as Sister Wynona Carr when performing gospel material.

Wynona Merceris Carr was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she started out as a gospel singer, forming her own five-piece group The Carr Singers around 1945 and touring the Cleveland/Detroit area. Being tipped by The Pilgrim Travelers, who shared a bill with Carr in the late 1940s, Art Rupe signed her to his Specialty label, giving Carr her new stage name "Sister" Wynona Carr (modelled after pioneering gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe) and cutting some twenty sides with her from 1949 to 1954, including a couple of duets with Specialty's biggest gospel star at the time, Brother Joe May."

As complete a bio-page as you could want can be found HERE.

T.D. Bell & Erbie Browser - It's About Time

 BELL, TYLER D. [T. D.] (1922–1998). T. D. Bell was born Tyler D. Bell in Lee County, Texas, on December 26, 1922. His grandfather was a musician who started him out on the banjo when he was a child, then he began to play guitar while in the army. After World War II, he tried to imitate his idol, T-Bone Walker, with songs such as "Bobby Socks Baby." This later earned him the nickname of “Little T-Bone.” At the time of his death, Bell was the last of the three great blues musicians who ruled East Austin in the 1950s along with the Grey Ghost (Roosevelt Williams) and Erbie Bowser.

In the 1940s Bell played in the Rockdale/Taylor area with Roosevelt T. Williams. He worked at an aluminum plant in Rockdale in the late 1940s before quitting his job to relocate to Austin and work as a full-time musician by 1950. Club owner Johnny Holmes had urged him to move to Austin to play at the Victory Grill, and Bell became a regular feature there, helping to found and define a developing Austin blues scene. He also toured as far as Arizona and New Mexico with his new group, T. D. Bell and The Cadillacs, which included A. J. Manor, W. C. Clark, Willie Sampson, and George Underwood. They shared the stage with T-Bone Walker, B. B. King, Bobby Bland, Gatemouth Brown, and others.

With the decline of Austin’s East Side entertainment scene in the 1970s, Bell left the music business and developed a successful trucking enterprise. He did not return to the stage until the late 1980s. In 1987 Bell formed the Blues Specialists with Erbie Bowser for a Victory Grill reunion show. A 1992 album with Bowser, It’s About Time, earned a nomination for a W. C. Handy Award, which is a coveted award for blues musicians. In 1994 Bell and Bowser toured their way to Carnegie Hall to play a showcase of Texas music. They also played blues festivals across Texas and were regulars at Austin’s Continental Club.

“His second go-around at music was an honor and a pleasure for him,” daughter Melony Bell said. “He couldn’t have asked for anything better.” T. D. performed his usual Friday happy hour show at the Continental Club right up to his admission into the hospital in December 1998 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He died on January 9, 1999. He was buried at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery in Austin and was survived by his wife Virgie (whom he had married on February 15, 1954), four daughters, and two sons. In 2009 Bell was inducted into the Austin Music Memorial.

Clayton T. Shorkey

The JB's and the JB Horns - A Double Dose of Funk 1972 & 1990 [flac]

 Ahhh, what the hell, let's get FUNKY!

" There are funk bands. And then there are The JB's.

In the early 1970s, James Brown's production stable was quite simply overflowing with soul. Beyond his own genre-bursting music – which brought funk and R&B to new stratospheres with each platter he released – he began to curate his own label, People Records, to explore and expose the lesser-known talent in his own groups and musical universe.

After a mysterious, psychedelic album by a group calling themselves The Grodeck Whipperjenny in 1970, The Godfather Of Soul released a slew of 7-inch singles for the next several years on People. In doing so, he firmly established the label as the world's premier outlet for super-funk, with artists including James Brown himself, Lyn Collins, Hank Ballard and Fred Wesley.

In 1972, the next album on People was an easy choice: The JB's and their ridiculously funky full-length debut, Food For Thought. Made up of JB sidemen including bandleader Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, John "Jabo" Starks, St. Clair Pinckney, Fred Thomas and Bobby Byrd, the group was the definition of a powerhouse. As proof, look no further than the fact that the ten songs on this platter have been sampled by an almost uncountable list of producers over the past 40-plus years, and grooved to by hundreds of thousands. From "Pass The Peas" and "Gimme Some More" to the sonic attack of "The Grunt" [which also contained work from William "Bootsy" Collins and his brother Catfish, who had recently defected to join Parliament-Funkadelic] Food For Thought remains one of the funkiest albums ever made."

 And now for my personal all-time favorite JB Horns disc...I used to have damn near all of the obscure issues of the many different names of this band, but I don't think any of them was better than THIS gem. An absolutely infectious live show with some very enthusiastic Japanese fans!

All songs written or co-written by members of The JB Horns. "Funky Good Time" and "Soul Power" co-written with James Brown. Recorded live at Club Gio on June 11, 1990. 

Personnel: Allan Jaffe (electric guitar); Maceo Parker (alto saxophone, background vocals); Pee Wee Ellis (tenor saxophone, background vocals); Fred Wesley (trombone, background vocals); Mark Helias (electric bass); Jimmy Payne (drums). Audio Remasterer: Yuka Koizumi.

Artie 'Blues Boy' White - Dark End Of The Street (1991)

It has been nearly a year now since Artie White passed away - here is one of his fine Ichiban records - anybody got any of the others?

"Whether it's blues, soul, or something midway between the two, White does a fine job throughout this disc. Travis Haddix, once White's Ichiban labelmate, contributes three nice tunes, Bob Jones a couple more, and White dips into past triumphs by B.B. King, Ike Turner, James Carr, and Little Milton for the rest."

Sandra Crouch and Friends - With All My Heart

My Brothers and Sisters I hope that your best church shoes have those leather soles good for dancing and that you have remembered a white handkerchief in your breast pocket or purse --- you will be needing both,
THE LORD HAS HIS HAND OUT AND HE IS ASKING YOU TO DANCE!
TODAY'S SERVICE DOES NOT 'PLAY'!!

Make yourself some room for ecstatic dancing, and you will absolutely NEED that handkerchief, I promise! Now get everyone else in the house into the room, and for Heaven's sake my children TURN IT UP!!

If you are not moved, I am deeply concerned for you - religious affiliation is unimportant here - you are being washed in waves of pure LOVE - relax and let go, you will be stunned at the restorative and healing properties of this music.

I'm going to ask you all for a small prayer for our dear beloved Feilimed, known to his loved ones as Phillip, we ask for some relief to the trials of health that keep him from the joys of this life. We love you my brother and I know that 'the fellahs' share in my prayer for you.
AMEN

By the Bayou

“Rhythm’n’Bluesin’ By The Bayou”, the latest in our “By The Bayou” series, features 28 rompin’, stompin’ tracks from the blues men and women of South Louisiana. The tracks have been pulled from the vaults of leading record men J.D. Miller, Eddie Shuler and Floyd Soileau plus Rockin’ Sidney’s first disc – cut by Jake Graffagnino for his Carl label..."

"Hardly have we savoured the full taste of “Rhythm ’n’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou” than here comes another bucketful of steaming South Louisiana gumbo and this time it’s “Bluesin’ By The Bayou” – a spicy mix of guitars, harmonicas, and even the occasional accordion, accompanying those tales of despair or machismo that are the recipe for the blues.

All the tracks stem from the studios of J.D. Miller in Crowley and Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles. These two men were wonders at spotting talent and getting the best out of the performers, as illustrated on the 28 tracks on this CD."

- See more at: http://acerecords.co.uk/bluesin-by-the-bayou#sthash.IBJJMobF.dpuf

Albert Collins - Ice Pickin'

Albert Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993) was an American electric guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. Collins was noted for his powerful playing and his use of altered tunings and capo. His long association with the Fender Telecaster led to the title "The Master of the Telecaster". (Wiki)

Albert Collins was a wonderful funky guitarist and  vocalist in the Texas tradition of  tough, notable Blues players - He has an immediately recognizable and unique musical personality  and I consider him one of the Greats ! Easily proved by a first listen ...

Here is one of his most popular albums, from 1978 (his first and best from Alligator Records), which showcases his individuality, catching his guitar and voice perfectly and his talented band...His hard attack and snappy guitar style was a big influence on Robert Cray...More info in the scan notes.


Personnel : Albert Collins - Guitar & Vocals, Larry Burton - Guitar, Alan Batts - Keyboards, Aron Burton - Bass, Casey Jones - Drums, A C Reed - Tenor Sax, Chuck Smith - Baritone Sax.

Tracks : 01 Honey Hush ! 02 When The Welfare Turns Its Back On You 03 Ice Pick 04 Cold Cold Feeling 05 Too Tired 06 Master Charge 07 Conversation With Collins 08 Avalanche

Motel Lovers 3 - The Hole In The Wall

Yeah, Yeah...I made a volume three too! The original, released compilation (ya gotta go buy that) had a variety of themes represented but the two main streams seemed to be sex and the club. I'm pretty sure we MORE than covered the nasty stuff in my volume 2 (see Motel Lovers 2) so this one is more about the night life. Still a whole bunch of sex mind you...but get ready to drink and smoke and talk loud ....do a little dancin', flirting and acting a fool....you know, HAVE SOME FUN.

Motel Lovers 3, The Hole In The Wall by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back

A third Sunday offering? Well, in truth, this is not entirely Gospel but it is inspiring music for a Sunday afternoon with the divine Ms Mavis -- there is a whole lot of singing going on here and it ain't just Mavis! Ry Cooder is producer/collaborator here and he does a fabulous job. In perusing the reviews of this monster it seems that the biggest complaint is that it is TOO good to be true.....yeah...I'll take that thank you!

The world needs more music like this - after nearly 60 years in the struggle Mavis sees how much is still undone, and makes it clear. Turn it up! Sing out loud! Keep on walking, keep on talking, let them know we ain't dead.

First Revolution Singers Of New Orleans La.

"The strength of th First Revolution Singers is in their empathy; their special ability to breath as one."

Acapella Jubilee style gospel from modern New Orleans. In the 80's and 90's these gentlemen were regulars on WWOZ Sunday morning gospel, and often opened the many local festivals as well being much in demand at neighborhood churches. I scored a mint lp the other day and ripped it for this mornings second service.

Alec Seward - Late One Saturday Evening

"Late One Saturday Evening" is the title cut of an Alec Seward album recorded at a house party in New York City in the Fall of 1966.  The album has gone in and out of periods of availability over the years, and has recently been licensed and released on CD by Fat Possum, so it is available again, for the time being, at least.

Though little known, singer/guitarist Alec Seward was a close friend of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and a master of acoustic country blues. Sadly, little documentation of his work exists, and Late One Saturday Evening offers a rare chance to take a close look at the Virginia bluesman. This stereo recording, made at a house party in 1966, was never intended for commercial release. It's simply an informal jam session with Seward up front and Terry (harmonica, vocals), McGhee (acoustic guitar, vocals) and washboard player Washboard Doc offering their support. No marketing considerations, no slick producer -- just some very talented friends getting together and having some spontaneous fun. The sound quality is surprisingly good, and Seward's inspired, uninhibited performances prove that he was someone who didn't deserve to be so obscure.

Release Date May 21, 1996

Duration 42:39

label: Possum Records

my cd > flac

full scans

tracks:

1  What Has Annie Got ? 3:05

2  Risin' Sun Shine On 2:57

3  Her Ways Are So Sweet 5:03

4  C.C. Rider 2:30

5  C.C. Rider # 2 2:30

6  Goin' Down Slow 3:04

7  Rock Me Darlin' 2:55

8  Late One Saturday Evening 3:29

9  Blues All Around My Head 2:38

10  Feel So Good 1:30

11  Blues All Around My Head # 2 3:08

12  Trouble In Mind 2:20

13  Creepin' Blues 2:39

14  Cousin John 1:54

15  I Wish I'd Listened 2:50

personnel:

Guitar, Vocals – Alec Seward, Brownie McGhee

Harmonica, Vocals – Sonny Terry

Producer – Heiner Stadler, Kent Cooper

Vocals – Julia Carr

Washboard – Washboard Doc

links in comments

The Piano Blues - Paramount Vols. 1 & 2

Not the LP's posted elsewhere. These are from Cliff's cd's with scans and everything!

Women's Railroad Blues - Sorry But I Can't Take You

WOW!!! Just how beautiful IS this woman? Don't know about you guys but she would make me act-a-fool in a heartbeat! Her name was Nina Mae McKinney and she was the star of an all black 1929 musical called "Hallelujah!". Since she was the star I'd guess that it is a safe bet that she could sing as well as being knee-buckling gorgeous! I was disappointed to discover that no song of hers is on the LP but that is my ONLY complaint about this record.

These files are from an LP rip I did a couple days ago, but these covers are lifted from Discogs, thus sparing me the arduous tasks of scanning and stitching. The singers may not all be familiar, but you should recognize ALL the side-men.

Back to McKinney .... she was known as the Black Garbo, but had she come along a decade or two later she would have been the Black Bettie Davis - -- those eyes!!!

Kim Tolliver - The Rojac and Tay-Ster Recordings / Come And Get Me I'm Ready

It is time for this blog to pay tribute to Kim Tolliver, a great singer who was very active in the 60s-80s, but never managed to get the break she deserved that could have made her a household name.  She will nevertheless always be highly appreciated by lovers of classic R&B/Soul music.  Kim Tolliver could move gracefully from a deep sexy purr to an explosive raspy bluesy shout, and all in full service of delivering the emotional message of a song.  In other words, Kim Tolliver was solidly in the grand tradition, and bears comparison to others in the elite pantheon of soul divas.

This post contains two very short but sweet Kim Tolliver collections that were finally released on CD in 2008 and 2011, respectively.  One contains all of the dynamite recordings that Tolliver made for Rojac and Tay-Ster  
during the 1960s and 1980s.  The second collection contains her fine album that was released for Chess in the 1970s: Come and Get Me I'm Ready.

Kim Tolliver was born in Tennessee near Nashville in 1937, but grew up mostly in the Cleveland area, where she made her home.  She cut a few records in Houston for Don Robey at Duke in the mid-1960s before being signed by Rojac records, where she was very skillfully produced by Jack Taylor.   She was unfortunately only able to release a handful singles for Rojac in 1968-1969, which comprise the first precious tracks on the compilation shared here.

Kim Tolliver finally had the chance to release two LPs under her own leadership.  Ironically, the first recorded for Fantasy was not released under her name, but under an assumed name "Kimberley Briggs."   It was a good record, but did not really do Kim Tolliver justice (I can post it later here if there is interest).   The second album for Chess and presented here, "Come and Get Me I'm Ready," was another story: a fine overall document of the art of Kim Tolliver.

In 1980, Kim Tolliver fortunately had one last opportunity to record under the production of Jack Taylor for Tay-Ster records.  The last three tracks of the collection here come from that session, including the very moving "Where Were You?"

Kim Tolliver had the misfortune of being struck down by Azheimer's disease in the 1990s, and died in 2007.   Her legacy lives on.

Marva Wright - Bluesianna Mamma & I Still Haven't Found...

With  these two AIM releases we have covered pretty much all the Marva there is outside of a Christmas album that I've never seen. AIM released this pair of mid 90's sessions in 2001 after their original issues had long since vanished. The consistency is not quite up to the later AIM albums, but there are still plenty of highlights and even the less interesting songs kick the crap out of most singers.

Ten Commandments of Bass

Son Seals - Midnight Son 1976

Wow! Have we really made it this far without a Son Seals post?? I LOVE this guy - live he was a similar experience to Luther Allison, he just wore your ass out! You did not walk away from a Son Seals' show un-satted!

"He was born in Osceola, Arkansas where his father, Jim "Son" Seals, owned a small juke joint. He began performing professionally by the age of 13, first as a drummer with Robert Nighthawk, and later as a guitarist. At age 16, he began to play at the T-99, a local upper echelon club, with Walter Jefferson, “Little Walter”, who was his brother in law. At the T-99, he played with many other musicians, such as Albert King, Rufus Thomas, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, and Rosco Gordon. Their varying styles contributed to the development of Seals' own playing techniques. While playing at the T-99, he was also introduced to country-western music by Jimmy Grubbs, who would ask Seals to gig with his group every now and then on both drums and guitar. At 19 years old, he formed his own band to fill in at a local club in Osceola called the Rebel Club. Shortly thereafter, a man from Little Rock, Arkansas came to find “Little Walter” for a gig at his club, but when he turned it down the offer went to Seals. The band members were “Old man Horse” (Johnny Moore) on piano, Alvin Goodberry on either drums, guitar, bass, or piano, “Little Bob” (Robinson) on vocals, and Walter Lee “Skinny Dynamo” Harris on piano. The band’s name was “Son Seals and the Upsetters.”

In 1971, Seals moved to Chicago. His career took off after he was discovered by Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records at the 'Flamingo Club' in Chicago's South Side. His debut album, The Son Seals Blues Band, was released in 1973. The album included "Your Love Is Like a Cancer" and "Hot Sauce". Seals followed up with 1976's Midnight Son and 1978's Live and Burning. He continued releasing albums throughout the next two decades, all but one on Alligator Records. These included Chicago Fire (1980), Bad Axe (1984), Living in the Danger Zone (1991), Nothing But the Truth and Live-Spontaneous Combustion (1996). He received the W.C. Handy Award in 1985, 1987, and 2001.

Author Andrew Vachss was a friend of Seals, and used his influence to promote Seals' music. Vachss gave Seals several cameo appearances in his novels and co-wrote songs with him for his 2000 album, Lettin' Go. Vachss dedicated the novel Mask Market to Seals' memory.

In 2002, Seals was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album, Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, performing the song "My Story" (aka "Story of Bo Diddley").

Seals had a number of problems in his life. He survived all but one of his fourteen siblings, and in 1997 he was shot in the jaw by his wife, sustaining injuries which required reconstructive surgery. Also, in 1999 part of his left leg was amputated, due to complications from diabetes. He lost belongings in a fire that destroyed his home while he was away performing live, and several of his prized guitars were stolen from his home. After his health problems Seals used a number of different accompanying bands, such as James Soleberg's, Jimmy Vivino's, and Big Jim Kohler's, while on the road.

The band Phish performed Seals' song "Funky Bitch", and brought him on stage on multiple occasions.

Seals died in 2004, at the age of 62, from complications of diabetes; he was survived by his sister and fourteen children."

Atlanta Blues 1933

The John Edwards Memorial Foundation released this lp of previously unreleased material from Bubby Moss, Blind Willie McTell, and Curley Weaver in 1979. Most of the recordings have at least two of the three principals on them. In general, the songs and recordings are quite good but I give fair warning that the last 2 tacks of side one have a good amount of distortion in the vocals.

Soul For Sinners

Another Sunday morning special courtesy of Sir Shambling's Deep Soul Heaven, this one compiled by Kevin Kiley who also checks in around here and endorsed a multi-media post of his killer compilation. Here is a link to Kevin's full article and the story of this compilation - now push play and you can multi-task!

http://www.sirshambling.com/articles/...

Soul For Sinners by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Big Joe Williams and the Stars of Mississippi Blues D & E

Disc four concludes with seven tracks from Robert Petway, including his influential version of "Catfish Blues." The final disc opens with six more Petway recordings, followed by a dozen Honeyboy Edwards field recordings made for Alan Lomax in 1942, and then concludes with the eight sides Willie "Poor Boy" Lofton recorded for Decca Records in 1934 and 1935 (including his "Dark Road Blues," a version of Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues"). What holds all of this together? Countless songs that are essentially variations of "Baby Please Don't Go" and "49 Highway Blues," showing the real and pervasive influence of Williams' rough and ragged approach to Mississippi blues.

Big Joe Williams and the Stars of Mississippi Blues, Disc C

Disc three and the start of disc four feature the complete recorded output of Tommy McClennan, a gruff-voiced blues shouter best known for "Cross Cut Saw Blues" and "Whiskey Head Woman" and a penchant for interjections and spoken asides during his recordings.