Steve Cropper - Dedicated: A Salute To The 5 Royales

Here's something from the modern realm, a great album of covers from guitar legend Steve Cropper.  This is a nice way to hear the songs of The 5 Royales, but we really need to get something original here at Chitlins.  In any case, this is far from a vanity project (in spite of the photo of him on the cover, and the 5 Royales on the inner fold out) - all of the artists including Cropper work to serve the tunes, and do an incredible job.

Dedicated gives us a great look into why The 5 Royales are legends.  The melodies are gorgeous and soulful.  Each song features a different vocal "guest" who works with Cropper, and the results are quite positive.  The tracks flow really well from tune to tune, as opposed to sounding like a patchwork.

I ripped this from a CD which I bought with no booklet.  However I did rip it in FLAC, and the sound is wonderful.  Enjoy!!

Steve Cropper has said in numerous interviews that his main influence as a guitarist was Lowman Pauling, chief songwriter, arranger, and axeman of North Carolina's 5 Royales, a '50s-era group that wedded doo wop, jump blues, gospel, and jazz in an R&B style that scored them numerous hits throughout the 1950s. The 5 Royales also featured lead vocalist Johnny Tanner (and occasionally younger brother Eugene) supported by backing singers Otto Jeffries, Jimmy Moore, and Obadiah Carter. Cropper was approached by producer Jon Tiven (who he'd previously worked with on the first of his two collaborations with Felix Cavaliere) about collaborating on a tribute album to The 5 Royales, and jumped at the chance. Dedicated: A Salute to the 5 Royales, which represents the latest chapter in a late-career resurgence for Cropper, one of the most influential soul guitarists in history, combines the talents of a red hot studio band -- Cropper, bassist David Hood, keyboardist Spooner Oldham, percussionist Steve Ferrone, drummer Steve Jordan, and Neal Sugarman and Tiven on horns. In addition, Cropper and Tiven enlisted a stellar group of vocalists to perform 5 Royales standards: Lucinda Williams, Sharon Jones, Bettye LaVette, Delbert McClinton, Willie Jones, B.B. King, Shemekia Copeland, Buddy Miller, Dan Penn, Brian May, Steve Winwood, John Popper, and Dylan LeBlanc, fronting a great cast of backing singers. Despite the historic material and arrangements, Dedicated is a decidedly contemporary recording in production, saving it from the dubious fate of numerous other tribute albums that seek to re-create the actual vibe of original recordings. It begins with an excellent rendition of "Thirty Second Lover" featuring Winwood, but, fine as it is, it's a teaser for what's to come. LaVette and Willie Jones tear up "Don't Be Ashamed." On "Dedicated to the One I Love," Williams literally sends shivers up and down the spine as she uses her gauzy, slow, emotive voice to wrench every ounce of emotion from the verses -- with Penn adding another dimension to them on the bridge. Speaking of Penn, an excellent but reluctant lead singer, his reading of "Someone Made You for Me" is one of the most unexpectedly endearing performances on the set. McClinton's "Right Around the Corner" puts these rhythm & blues in the heart of honky tonk country. The back-to-back readings of "Messin' Up" by Jones and "Say It" by LaVette come close to stealing the show -- but Williams still holds on with the title track and her searingly naked "When I Get Like This" as the closer. Cropper also takes a couple of economical but stinging instrumental breaks on "Help Me Somebody" and "Think" that reveal the depth of Pauling's genius as well as his own. Given what a mixed bag tribute albums usually are, Dedicated is not only a surprise for its consistency, but a shining example of what they can -- and should -- be. - Thom Jurek/AMG

The Best Of Earl Bostic

Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terence Holder's 'Twelve Clouds of Joy'. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in October 1939, with a.o. Charlie Christian, Clyde Hart and Big Sid Catlett. Before that he performed with Fate Marable on New Orleans riverboats. Bostic graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans. He worked with territory bands as well as Arnett Cobb, Hot Lips Page, Rex Stewart, Don Byas, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, Edgar Hayes, Cab Calloway, and other jazz luminaries. In 1938, and in 1944, Bostic led the house band at Small's Paradise. While playing at Small's Paradise, he doubled on guitar and trumpet. During the early 1940s, he was a well-respected regular at the famous jam sessions held at Minton's Playhouse. He formed his own band in 1945 and made the first recordings under his own name for the Majestic label. He turned to rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. His biggest hits were "Temptation", "Sleep", "Flamingo", "You Go to My Head" and "Cherokee". At various times his band include Keter Betts, Jaki Byard, Benny Carter, John Coltrane, Teddy Edwards, Benny Golson, Blue Mitchell, Tony Scott, Cliff Smalls, Sir Charles Thompson, Stanley Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine and other musicians who rose to prominence, especially in jazz.

Bostic's King album entitled Jazz As I Feel It featured Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Pass on guitar and Richard "Groove" Holmes on organ. Bostic recorded A New Sound about one month later, again featuring Holmes and Pass. These recordings allowed Bostic to stretch out beyond the three-minute limit imposed by the 45 RPM format. Bostic was pleased with the sessions, which highlight his total mastery of the blues but they also foreshadowed musical advances that were later evident in the work of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy.

He wrote arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Hot Lips Page, Jack Teagarden, Ina Ray Hutton and Alvino Rey.  His songwriting hits include "Let Me Off Uptown", performed by Anita O'Day and Roy Eldridge, and "Brooklyn Boogie", which featured Louis Prima and members of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Bostic's signature hit, "Flamingo" was recorded in 1951 and remains a favorite among followers of Carolina Beach Music in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

During the early 1950s Bostic lived with his wife in Addisleigh Park in St. Albans, Queens, in New York City, where many other jazz stars made their home.  After that he moved to Los Angeles, where he concentrated on writing arrangements after suffering a heart attack. He opened his own R&B club in Los Angeles, known as the Flying Fox.

Bostic died from a heart attack in Rochester, New York, while performing with his band in 1965. He was buried in Los Angeles on November 2, 1965. Honorary pallbearers at the funeral included Slappy White and Louis Prima. Bostic was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993.         

___________________________________________________

I would be willing to bet that there have been over 100 "Best Of Bostic" albums released over the years.  Most of them would contain these songs,  making my post completely unoriginal.  Well... I can start by saying, I felt for a first post on this remarkable artist that a collection was appropriate.  Even though I am quite certain that most of you have these songs in some way, shape or form - I am always banking on that newbie to come along.

That said, the British company Contour did an incredible job remastering these 10 classics.  They are in every regard modern sounding as far as the mastering goes.  I have a few of Bostic's King sides, classics like "For You" and "Alto Magic In HiFi".

The greatest thing about Bostic's style was how easily it towed, and even blurred the line between R&B and jazz.  If you haven't heard him play, or any of these tracks then you are in for one of those rare musical treats.  This was ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC from a minty hunk of wax... enjoy!!!                                                                                                                                 

Lee 'Shot' Williams - Cold Shot

Henry Lee "Shot" Williams (May 21, 1938 – November 25, 2011) was an American blues singer. He got the nickname "Shot" from his mother at a young age, owing to his fondness for wearing suits and dressing up as a "big shot."

Williams grew up in the country near Lexington, Ms close to his cousin and fellow blues man, Little Smokey Smothers. "Shot" moved to Detroit in 1954 and to Chicago in 1958. He joined Smothers there and began singing with Smokey's band in 1960 and a few years later joined Magic Sam's band as a vocalist. In 1962, Williams recorded his first singles for Chicago's Foxy label, "Hello Baby" and "I'm Trying." He recorded a series of singles for other labels, including King/Federal, Palos, Gamma, Shama and Tchula. His 1964 recording "Welcome to the Club" was a hit in Chicago, and was later covered by guitarist/singer Little Milton for Checker Records in 1965. Another regional hit, "I Like Your Style," came out in 1969 and was later covered by Junior Parker. Several more singles followed including the very popular "Drop Your Laundry Baby". His first album under his own name, "Country Disco", was released on the Roots label in 1977. In the 1980s, Williams released a slew of singles on labels like Tchula, 4-Way, True & Dis-Muke. He released an album on cassette with many of these cuts called "I Like Your Style". In 1994 the Japanese label Vivid Sound released an album called "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" containing tracks Williams recorded in Memphis apparently for (but not released by) Quinton Claunch's SoulTrax imprint. The Black Magic label decided to give Lee a "Shot" behind his own band. The result, "Cold Shot" was released in 1995 and was voted the Best Blues Album of 1995 (New Recording - Soul/Blues) by the Living Blues readers' poll.

His debut for the Memphis-based Ecko Records, "Hot Shot", brought Williams home to the "Southern Soul Blues" world with the hit "I'll Take The Risk". In 2000 Williams scored another hit with "She Made A Freak Out Of Me", followed by "Somebody's After My Freak". Williams left the label again and recorded one disc for Charles Wilson's label called "Let The Good Times Roll" before returning to Ecko for four more successful albums, establishing him as one of the icons of the genre.

In 2008 Williams signed with CDS Records. His first CD for the label was released in 2008 and produced the hits "It's Friday (Time To Get Paid)" and "Wrong Bed". Two more albums were released by CDS Records, "I'm The Man For The Job" & "The First Rule Of Cheating" in 2010. Williams died on November 25, 2011, aged 73, from undisclosed causes.

Jay Owens - The Blues Soul Of Jay Owens

"A top-notch sideman and songwriter, Jay Owens also enjoyed acclaim as a solo artist. Born Isaac Jerome Owens in Lake City, Florida on September 6, 1947, he learned to sing in the church where his mother presided as minister; at the age of 11, he received his first guitar, and began performing professionally while in high school. With his friend Johnny Kay, Owens went on to lead many of the most notable Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg-area backing bands of the 1970s and 1980s, among them the Barons, the Funk Bunch and the Dynamites; artists he supported included Stevie Wonder, Al Green, O.V. Wright and Donny Hathaway. With more than 100 songs to his credit as well, Owens formed his own band during the late 1980s; he made his solo debut in 1993 with The Blues Soul of Jay Owens, followed in 1995 by Movin' On." AMG 

Owens passed away in 2005 with only those two albums to his credit.

Mosley & Johnson - Juke Joint

How about something a bit more modern today?

"Although the African American community of New Albany, Mississippi has been small in number, it has produced many citizens of distinction. In the fields of blues, rhythm & blues, and gospel music, the names of Sam Mosley, Bob Johnson, Billy Ball, the Rev. Leon Pinson, and Elder Roma Wilson are known around the world. Mosley and Johnson, who launched a prolific creative partnership in 1967, performed together for 31 years and wrote songs for many of the top artists in blues.

Sam Mosley & Bob Johnson drafted their own hometown success story by utilizing their skills as performers, producers, and songwriters throughout their long tenure together in New Albany. As Mosley & Johnson, the team recorded several albums of blues and southern soul in the 1980s and '90s for the Muscle Shoals Sound and Malaco labels, but found a more lucrative niche as songwriters for Malaco artists Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Little Milton, and others. They recorded their first album, Mississippi Mud, on their own Sabo label in 1971, as Sam and Bob & the Soulmen. They also recorded in the 1970s for Polydor under the name Mojoba.

Sam Mosley was born in the Beaver Dam community on March 30, 1946, while Robert A. “Bob” Johnson was born in New Albany on March 4, 1946. Mosley's father, sharecropper Joe Mosley, played mandolin in a string band with Sam's uncles, Bud and Theodore (“Shoat”). In 1959 Joe's sons, Jamie, Sam, and Ralph, began performing as Jamie & the Dynamics. Sam left Mississippi for several years and served in Vietnam, but when he returned home in 1967 he hooked up with Johnson, an old schoolmate who was leading a band called Bobby Johnson & the Messengers. Although neither had formal musical training, they later learned the ins and outs of music arranging and producing when they worked with the vaunted Muscle Shoals studio band in Alabama. After Johnson died of a heart attack onstage at a Verona, Mississippi, performance on August 22, 1998, Mosley and Bob's brothers Willie and Miles continued to perform as the Mosley Johnson Band." Ms Blues Trail

The Sound Stage Seven Story

Not all compilations are created equal. I've experienced compilations that seemed quite exciting on the face turn out to be a yawner, but here is the opposite, a compilation full of obscure names that is a fabulous listening experience. Even those of you who are skeptical about compilations need to give this one a spin. You won't be sorry!

 " Sound Stage 7 was an American, Nashville, Tennessee based record label of the 1960s and 1970s, noted mainly for its soul music releases. The label's biggest star was Joe Simon, who placed numerous singles on the U.S. R&B and pop charts during his 1965-1970 tenure. The label was founded in 1963 by Fred Foster, who had already achieved a measure of success as the founder of Monument Records. Monument was known primarily as a country and pop label. Sound Stage 7 was founded specifically to house artists who were more oriented towards R&B, although in its very early years the label was also home to several pop acts."

You may remember Monument from the Tony Joe White post. The early material which is controlled by Foster has yet to be reissued so I am skipping forward to the chapter covered by the material on THIS disc.

John Richbourg

In mid-1965, Foster struck a deal with John Richbourg who became the label's head of A&R. From this point on, Sound Stage 7 was strictly a soul and R&B label, and almost all of the label's output was produced by Richbourg under the aegis of his JR Enterprises company. Also working for JR Enterprises was the songwriter, co-producer and occasional recording artist, Allen Orange, who was Richbourg's right-hand man until the late 1960s.

Joe Simon

Richbourg's biggest commercial success was bringing Joe Simon to the label in 1966. Simon had already scored two hits on Vee-Jay Records in 1964 and 1965, but was left without a recording contract when that label folded. Richbourg produced fifteen singles for Simon on the label between 1966 and 1970. All of them would make the U.S. pop and/or R&B charts. Simon's biggest success on the label was his 1969 hit "The Chokin' Kind", which hit #1 on the R&B charts, and #13 pop, and sold over a million copies.

The only other charting artists on the label between 1965 and 1970 were Ella Washington and Roscoe Shelton, both of whom had one charting R&B single apiece. Washington and Shelton were also the only artists (other than Simon) to release an album on Sound Stage 7 between 1965 and 1970. Although Sound Stage 7 released over a hundred singles during this era, the label only released eight albums, six of which were by Simon.

Other notable artists on the label during this era, who had chart success either before, or after, their stay at Sound Stage 7 included Roscoe Robinson, Arthur Alexander and Ivory Joe Hunter.

Ella Washington

Roscoe Shelton

Richbourg's production deal with Sound Stage 7 ended in 1970, and Simon left the label the same year. Orange, who had contributed to the label as a songwriter and co-producer also left the company in the late 1960s to form his own label, House of Orange Records. Sound Stage 7 was dormant until late 1971, when Richbourg resumed producing material for the label, albeit at a reduced rate. From 1971 through 1976, Sound Stage 7 only issued twenty one singles. Post-1970, Richbourg devoted much of his production activity to artists at his own labels (Seventy Seven and Sound Plus), as well as producing material for Joe Simon at Simon's new label, Spring.

Joining JR Enterprises as Richbourg's right hand man was Jackey Beavers. Beavers performed much the same function as Orange had in the 1960s, being a frequent songwriter and co-producer of Sound Stage 7 recordings, as well an occasional recording artist in his own right.

Geater Davis

Notable artists on the label's roster during the 1970s included Betty Everett and Ann Sexton. However, the label's only charting artist from 1971 to 1976 was Joe Simon, who hit with the single "Misty Blue" in 1972. The previously unreleased track had been recorded several years earlier, while Simon was still under contract to Sound Stage 7.

In 1977, Ann Sexton charted on the R&B chart with "I'm His Wife (You're Just A Friend)". This would be the label's final hit. Sound Stage 7's final release was the Betty Everett single "Prophecy", released in late 1977.

As part of the deal he made with Foster, Richbourg retained the rights to all the recordings he produced for the label. Various compilation albums have been issued over the years of Sound Stage 7 material, almost all of it drawing on the recordings controlled by JR Enterprises. Much of the Foster-controlled material has yet to see reissue."

Bill Doggett - Fingertips

Well, this album will conculde my Doggett contribution.  Here we have yet another Columbia side from the early sixties.  Much like Oops, I have no  clue as to whom the players are on this album.  It's a shame because there's some killer support mostly heard between sax and guitar.

Doggett really takes a varied approach in terms of material for this one.  I would say that overall there's a real sense of funk and groove.  The one thing which really comes to mind while listening to this album, is just how great Doggett is at filtering any song through his style.

The Worm and Monkey are my two favorites - I just love Doggett accompanied with a sax.  I ripped this at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC... enjoy!!

Columbia ‎– CS 8882

1963

1. Fingertips
2. Soul Zone
3. Without Love
4. The Love Of My Man
5. Memphis
6. The Worm
7. One Fine Day
8. Monkey
9. Soul City
10. If You Need Me
11. D'lo
12. Hot Fudge

Nuggets of the Golden Age of Gospel 1945-1958 - Disc D

 The final volume, of Gospel goodies from this set - I am experimenting with a move to mirrorcreator because the services all seem to be pretty fast.

This set continues to be an easily listenable introduction to Golden Age Gospel.

More Dirty Laundry - The Soul of Black Country

Don't know about you but I figure THAT cover deserves an extra large image! It is Mardi Gras my friends and you should not expect much in the way of sober communication from moi until next Wednesday; it's how we roll down heya!

"That sexy sepia-toned cover on More Dirty Laundry is so alluring it just might seduce you into thinking that this second set of soul-country from German label Trikont is filled with classic forgotten sides from the '60s and '70s, an impression certainly bolstered by the list of names on the back cover: Johnny Adams, Joe Tex, Arthur Alexander, Ike & Tina Turner, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Clyde McPhatter, Ruth Brown, Bobby Womack, and James Brown all pop up among the 24 tracks here. There is some prime period soul here, but there are just as many high-gloss tunes from the late '70s and '80s as there are thick grooves from the '60s or smooth sounds from the early '70s. Such a mingling of eras only helps muddle further a compilation that often seems to stray very far from the concept, spending as much time with generic soul as with tunes that blur Southern borders (and apart from Vicki Vann's recent "You Must Think My Heart Has Swinging Doors" and Stoney Edwards' vintage "Honky Tonk Heaven," there is no straight-up country here). As most of this music is pretty good, it's easy to excuse this jumble even when it strays into Sammy Davis, Jr.'s smarmy reading of "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" or, worse, Andre Williams' flat-out hammy rendition of "Pardon Me (I've Got Someone to Kill)," and this does shine a spotlight on many terrific records that usually get overlooked: Clarence "Frogman" Henry's "I Told My Pillow," whose easy roll is unmistakably from the Crescent City, not the Music City; Bobby Womack's version of Jim Ford's "Point of No Return" (miscredited to Jim White in the notes); Joe Tex's slinky spin on "King of the Road"; O.C. Smith's funky "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp"; Margie Joseph turning Dolly Parton's "Touch Your Woman" into feminist soul; a jumping "I'm Movin' On" by Clyde McPhatter; and most especially, Junior Parker's slow, soulful strut on Ernest Tubb's "Walkin' the Floor Over You," which is the most imaginative reinvention here. These are the reasons to pick up this disc...well, that and the cover, of course. "

Wilson Pickett - Funky Midnight Mover: The Atlantic Recordings (1962-1978)

Pres' fantastic Opal Nations Pickett collection spurred a request for new links on my first Wicked Pickett post. Well rather than just restore my post of the Double L album I've decided to shoot the works and give you the whole 6 disc Rhino Handmade box of all the Atlantic material including the Double L material which Jerry Wexler bought when he signed Pickett to Atlantic. It a bit of overkill but I'll let each of you pare it down as you will.

"Wilson Pickett was a force of nature, a one-man hurricane that blew everything out of his path. As he sang in one of his many Top 40 R&B singles, he was A Man and a Half, a title so fitting it served as a summary for Rhino's 1993 double-disc compilation, a collection that stood as the most exhaustive Pickett retrospective until Rhino Handmade unleashed the six-disc box Funky Midnight Mover: The Atlantic Recordings (1962-1978), a monumental testament to the sweatiest, grittiest, soul singer who ever grabbed a microphone. This set may not be billed as the "complete recordings", but it is effectively that, rounding up all the master takes Pickett cut for Atlantic during those 16 years, dipping back for a few sides by his early group the Falcons, skipping his three-year sojourn at RCA from 1972-1975, adding some rarities, but essentially serving up all his prime titles in a handsome, hardcover book."

What has been glossed over by most writers when discussing Pickett is the REAL derivation of the name Wicked Pickett or Evil Pickett. The fact is he earned the name with an extremely volatile temper and a penchant for violence and weapons. His first session at Stax was largely responsible for the split between Stax and Atlantic as Wexler was told in no uncertain terms to never bring that crazy MF into their studio again. There was an incident of Pickett and the Isley brothers getting into a gun battle in the parking lot outside a show. Most people in the industry fully expected him to be the next Little Willie John and to end up in prison for having killed someone. Pickett was a stupendous talent no doubt, a great voice and dynamic stage presence, but apparently his ego and temper made him difficult to be around and a constant disruption on a tour because everyone had to walk on eggshells around him. At one point he erupted on someone who was attempting to compliment him because they included a reference to another singer in the compliment! You won't read too many warm fuzzy memories of Wilson as a young man.

So here is the whole shebang, all the Atlantic material -- I think it could really be distilled to 2, one of the hits and maybe one of the many  covers he did so relentlessly might be interesting. you get to decide.

Howard Tate - Live

Remember Howard Tate? That luminescent Verve album with Jerry Ragovoy was followed by a very good album on Lloyd Price's label and then a reunion with Ragovoy that produced a fine eponymous album in 1972 but the audience for Tate's sound had evaporated and Howard Tate retired from the music industry in the late 1970s. He sold securities in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, and in the 1980s developed a dependence on drugs, ending up living in a homeless shelter. In the mid-1990s, Tate began counseling drug abusers and the mentally ill, and worked as a preacher.

A disc jockey from Camden, New Jersey, Phil Casden, discovered Tate's whereabouts early in 2001, and in spring 2001 Tate played his first date in many years, in New Orleans. He then began working with Ragovoy on an album that was released, as Rediscovered, in 2003. It included covers of songs by Elvis Costello and Prince, as well as a new version of "Get It While You Can."

At the Roskilde Festival in 2004, he sang "Love Will Keep You Warm" with Swan Lee. The song can be found on Swan Lee - The Complete Collection (2007).

In 2006, Shout! Factory released Howard Tate Live, recorded in Denmark in 2004.

Arthur Alexander - Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter

If you recall, our previous Arthur Alexander post ended with him retiring from music in the 70's, disillusioned and broke despite having written multiple songs that others (Dylan, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Joe Tex, Ike & Tina) had hits with. Arthur eventually became a school bus driver in Cleveland, OH and that would likely have been the end of it but in 1990 Alexander was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall Of Fame and subsequently coaxed out of retirement. He made this album in early 1993, he signed a new recording/publishing contract in May of 1993 and his band had begun making live appearances. Arthur even made an appearance on the syndicated radio show "Fresh Air". It appeared he was about to embark on a late life career resurgence but on June 9th of 1993 Alexander had a fatal heart attack.

Sweet Soul Music 1965

 I heard the call that someone was getting impatient for the next installment soooo...quite a dizzying lineup here. The Blues is nearly absent, only a lone Jimmy McCracklin tune and the  blue soul of Southern Soul singers like Joe Tex, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, Little Milton and Lee Dorsey retain any echos. The strong rhythmic instrumental tradition of R&B is carried on by Booker T & The MG's, Jr Walker and The All Stars and the jazz crossover from Ramsey Lewis. Motown and Philly with some help from Chicago are beginning to flex the hit making muscles that will soon have them dominating black radio and pushing southern soul gradually into the background. Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Impressions, The Miracles, The Four Tops...Fontella Bass bursts on the scene burning brightly but is soon to be lost in the giant shadow that Aretha will cast. James Brown has begun his break from everyone with the loud proclamation that Papa Has a Brand New Bag! New Orleans is still heard from in both Lee Dorsey's second run on the charts and the novelty song of the year, which was a Mardi Gras tune by a girl group called the Dixie Cups. (Of course most of America had no idea it was an Mardi Gras Indian chant and took it as a teen age nursery rhyme) Add in the usual sprinkle of good one hit wonders and 1965 is a fine selection.

Nuggets Of The Golden Age Of Gospel 1945-1958 - Disc C

 Part 3 of this glorious set is a completely captivating and enjoyable listen - if you are one of those who has taken a pass on the Gospel posts, this one might be a great place to start -- all great stuff here but I'll point to the Nappy Brown track, and then the portion with Morgan Babb, Bessie Griffin and Archie Brownlee as particular highlights - remember now...Turn It Up!!

Deacon KC

Inez Andrews - Thank You Lord / Toiling

Let's start off our Sunday service with a small addendum to Pres' earlier Inez Andrews post...a pair of gems that show her off in her prime. 'Toiling' is as impassioned a performance as I have ever heard from her. I just picked this up Friday night, an impulse buy that I am well pleased with.

Percy Mayfield - Final Chapters

The period following the RCA recordings in the early 70's saw Percy Mayfield once again slip into obscurity and poverty; there was, however, one final chapter to his career. In the early 80's Bay Area blues musician Marc Naftlin discovered that Percy was living in the East Bay somewhere and was able to provide Percy with a sensitive band and an appreciative audience for live performances around several Marin  County and East Bay clubs. The songs on the live disc are extracted from some of those shows between 1981 and 1983. The exposure also led to this 1982 Timeless studio date with the excellent Phillip Walker Blues Band. Percy sounds old on these recordings and his baritone has slipped to the very bottom of the range, but he also sounds very happy to be performing too. It's nice to know that his final chapter included some long overdue appreciation and love from the Bay Area Blues community, even if the national recognition he so richly deserved never came.