John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

This review was for a reissue, however this post only contains the original 12 tracks...

Winding through the literally hundreds of titles in John Lee Hooker's catalog is a daunting task for even the most seasoned and learned blues connoisseur. This is especially true when considering Hooker recorded under more than a dozen aliases for as many labels during the late '40s, '50s, and early '60s. I'm John Lee Hooker was first issued in 1959 during his tenure with Vee Jay and is "the Hook" in his element as well as prime. Although many of these titles were initially cut for Los Angeles-based Modern Records in the early '50s, the recordings heard here are said to best reflect Hooker's often-emulated straight-ahead primitive Detroit and Chicago blues styles. The sessions comprising the original 12-track album -- as well as the four bonus tracks on the 1998 Charly CD reissue -- are taken from six sessions spread over the course of four years (1955-1959). Hooker works both solo -- accompanied only by his own percussive guitar and the solid backbeat of his foot rhythmically pulsating against plywood -- as well as in several different small-combo settings. Unlike the diluted, pop-oriented blues that first came to prominence in the wake of the British Invasion of the early to mid-'60s, the music on this album is infinitely more authentic in presentation. As the track list indicates, I'm John Lee Hooker includes many of his best-known and loved works. From right out of the gate comes the guttural ramble-tamble of "Dimples" in its best-known form. Indeed it can be directly traced to -- and is likewise acknowledged by -- notable purveyors of Brit rock such as Eric Burdon -- who incorporated it into the earliest incarnation of the Animals, the Spencer Davis Group, as well as the decidedly more roots-influenced Duane Allman. Another of Hooker's widely covered signature tunes featured on this volume is "Boogie Chillun." This rendering is arguably the most recognizable in the plethora of versions that have seemingly appeared on every Hooker-related compilation available. Additionally, this version was prominently featured in The Blues Brothers movie as well as countless other films and adverts. Likewise, a seminal solo "Crawlin' King Snake" is included here. The tune became not only a staple of Hooker's, it was also prominently included on the Doors' L.A. Woman album and covered by notable bluesmen Albert King, B.B. King, and Big Joe Williams, whose version predates this one by several decades. I'm John Lee Hooker is one of the great blues collections of the post-World War II era. Time has, if anything, only reinforced the significance of the album. It belongs in every blues enthusiast's collection without reservation. - Lindsay Planer / AMG 

Vee-Jay Records 1959, Chicago
VJLP 1007

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar
Eddie Taylor - guitar;  Frankie Bradford / Joe Hunter - piano;  Tom Whitehead - drums

A1 Dimples
A2 Hobo Blues
A3 I'm So Excited
A4 I Love You Honey
A5 Boogie Chillun
A6 Little Wheel
B1 I'm In The Mood
B2 Maudie
B3 Crawlin' King Snake
B4 Every Night
B5 Time Is Marching
B6 Baby Lee

John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

I will tell you simply that this album isn't live, only one track is.  Overall it's a pretty average album and will probably only be of concern to hardcore fans of JLH or the blues in general.  The tracks were compiled from several sessions and the players are basically disputed or unknown.

Vee-Jay Records 1974, Chicago & Longbeach, CA

VJS 7301

John Lee Hooker - vocals, guitar

You're Gonna Need Another Favor

New Sally Mae

Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine

She's Long She's Tall

You're Mellow

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Flowers On The Hour

It Serves Me Right To Suffer

Ain't No Big Thing Baby

You Can Run Baby

A Gospel Blues Morning

A Gospel Blues Morning by Kingcake on Mixcloud

John Lee Hooker ~ Vee-Jay Sides

John Lee Hooker - Burnin'

The blues is such an interesting genre. Traditional, often derived, often brilliant in it’s simplicity, and often credited as being the basis upon which all rock n’ roll has been built. One thing is for certain about the blues – it’s simple. And when something is simple there will always be millions of imitators and very few genuine articles. Well John Lee Hooker is not only one of the few genuinely brilliant bluesmen, he’s arguably the greatest and most influential of the whole lot, and his album ‘Burnin’ stands as testament to this argument.
You open an album with a track like ‘Boom Boom’ and it’s over isn’t it? You’re sold on the quality of the man by the time he crushes you with ‘that’ voice in the first line of the first verse. You’re then trapped under the gravelly vocal and the wonderfully stilted and simple instrumentation for about a minute before John Lee opens up the shuffle pattern with a Ray Charlesesque vocal swoop/call to arms for the band. By the time ‘Boom Boom’ comes to a close you’re left wondering if music gets anymore tasteful than what you’ve just heard, and whether anyone else before him has knocked you flat with their voice like John Lee just has.
It has to be so hard to maintain the standard of a track like ‘Boom Boom’ throughout an entire album. It’s easy to step into the typical label formula of stacking the singles at the top of the order and then dropping everyone slowly and steadily into mediorce moments down a track list. However, this ain’t one of those albums. From the opener onwards John Lee sounds nothing less than inspired and completely involved with what rests at the heart of these tunes, and as such, the listener feels a similar connection to the material from start to finish. It must be said that this not an easily accomplished feat when looking at traditional blues music which is limited in terms of structure and progression, however with ‘Burnin’ John Lee Hooker undoubtedly achieves this level of continuity.
There’s such an amazing atmosphere to tracks like ‘A New Leaf’ and ‘I Got A Letter’ as set up by the simplicity and relaxed feel of the instrumentation and then drilled home by Hooker’s greatest asset – his voice. There’s genuine feeling behind the man’s words in the same way there is with Howlin’ Wolf. In this writer’s opinion that is the one crucial element that sets the truly great bluesmen apart from those who think that in order to help them understand the blues they need to go on down to Clarksdale Mississippi and take a photograph of the exact place that Robert Johnson met with and sold his soul to the devil. There are certain things that most will never understand, and there are certain parts of the ether that most will never be able to tap into. However, John Lee Hooker ain’t most people and that untouchable sound behind his voice on this record helps assure us of this. ~ Roland Ellis / Pig River Records

Vee-Jay Records 1962, Chicago
VJLP 1043

Bass – James Jamerson;  Drums – Benny Benjamin;  Guitar – Larry Veeder
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker;  Piano – Joe Hunter
Saxophone [Baritone] – Andrew "Mike" Terry;  Saxophone [Tenor] – Hank Cosby

A1 Boom Boom
A2 Process
A3 Lost A Good Girl
A4 A New Leaf
A5 Blues Before Sunrise
A6 Let's Make It
B1 I Got A Letter
B2 Thelma
B3 Drug Store Woman
B4 Keep Your Hands To Yourself
B5 What Do You Say

John Lee Hooker - Concert At Newport

Best review I could find was for a reissue which includes this album and bonus tracks called "Live At Newport" on the Vanguard label...

Live at Newport is an addition to the already huge pile of archival John Lee Hooker releases (one that will surely continue to grow as licenses to Hooker's myriad recordings for different labels exchange hands). What differentiates this release from many of the others is that it focuses on a pair of acoustic performances from the bluesman, a rarity in the Hooker catalog. In the early '60s, at the height of the "folk scare," Hooker stepped in front of crowds -- at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals -- with his acoustic guitar. Live at Newport is split between two performances at the Newport Folk Festival -- a solo shot from 1960 and a set (or set highlights?) with upright bassist Bill Lee from 1963. The former is stunning for its clarity, reveling in a warmth that can only be attained from placing a microphone in the vicinity of a man with an acoustic guitar, turning the levels way up, and absorbing everything: the scratch of the pick on the strings, the echo of the performer's foot as it taps on the platform, the bristle of buttons as they graze the back of the guitar, the intake of breath. The first cuts on the disc are exquisitely rendered, with a great sense of dynamics inherent in Hooker's patented free blues style. The sound quality of the latter tracks leaves much to be desired, with Hooker's guitar often getting lost in the ambience of the room or the muffled thump of Lee's bass. Still, there is some wonderfully intimate playing as Hooker simultaneously leads and plays off of Lee's parts. ~ Jesse Jarnow / AMG

Vee Jay Records 1964,  Newport Festival
VJLP 1078
Guitar, Vocals – John Lee Hooker

A1 I Can't Quit You Now Blues
A2 Stop Baby Don't Hold Me That Way
A3 Tupelo
A4 Bus Station Blues
A5 Freight Train Be My Friend
A6 Boom Boom Boom
B1 Talk That Talk Baby
B2 Sometimes Baby, You Make Me Feel So Bad
B3 You've Got To Walk Yourself
B4 Let's Make It
B5 The Mighty Fire

KC's Jukejoint Jukebox #3

KC's Jukejoint Jukebox #3 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Mike Farris & the Rhythm Revue w/ The McCrary Sisters

Mike Farris and his Rhythm Revue are tight and killin', but the real stars here are the McCrary sisters - these ladies can SANG!!

Thanks to my homeboy PMac for this'un.

Sista Monica Parker - Gimme That Old Time Religion

Time for church!

10 More Lost N.O. Soul Heroes

Whew! Trying to come up with a follow-up to the first run on this theme was more difficult than I had imagined -- I didn't want to reach back to the R&B era nor did I want to tread too far into the Funk era and thus detract from my available choices on future mixes that I have planned. I also wished to stay with the more obscure guys that hadn't received much coverage in this modern age where worldwide interest in our musical history has grown considerably. My first volume had been constructed with no concern for a second volume and so I had skimmed the cream (IMO) and left a tough road for this mix. I wanted to follow the same format too, so there had to be at least 3 useable tunes.

Eventually I came up around 2 short of a "full deck" until a friend pointed out that just because guys like Earl King, Johnny Adams, Lee Dorsey, Eddie Bo and Ernie K-Doe were "mainstream" to us here, that didn't mean that the rest of the world felt that way. Now I feel bad I couldn't fit them all in.

10 More Lost N.O. Soul Heroes by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Eddie & Ernie - Lost Friends

Aficionados of "deep soul" (or, as those of us over 12 call it, "soul") should flock to score these seminal, rare recordings from a criminally neglected pairing. Edgar Campbell and Ernest Johnson met in Phoenix, then throughout the '60s made astonishingly emotive music for several labels, together and solo, their scorched, passionate vocals matched only by their unerring ability to avoid a hit. By 1970, after another bad-luck business balls-up, Eddie died of drink and Ernie sank into depression. The angst can be heard in their art: try "It's A Weak Man That Cries" and "Outcast". Tender, troubled, textbook torch songs.

Soul Jewels 1 & 2

Dealing with The Devil

Syd Nathan's Cincinnati-based King Records began as a country label in 1943, but moved quickly into the burgeoning blues and R&B market as the decade progressed, and by the early '60s, Nathan had issued countless classics in the genre through his King, Federal, and Deluxe imprints, 25 tracks of which are collected (in chronological order of release) on Dealing With the Devil. There are easily a dozen gems here, including Lonnie Johnson's elegant 1948 version of "Tomorrow Night," which opens the disc, and Johnny "Guitar" Watson's 1961 oddity "Cuttin' In" (featuring Watson's signature guitar lines fronting a full violin section), which closes it. In between, listeners are treated to John Lee Hooker's raw "Devil's Jump" (which Hooker recorded under the name Texas Slim in order to sidestep his Modern Records contract), fellow Detroiter Eddie Burns (with help from Washboard Willie) on "Dealing With the Devil," a delightfully swinging "Let the Doorbell Ring" by venerable New Orleans pianist Champion Jack Dupree, and Roy Brown's sighing, melismatic vocal style on "Hard Luck Blues." Another obvious highlight here is the incredible soul vocal (a decade before the term "soul" was widely used) by Little Willie John on 1955's "Need Your Love So Bad." The shifting nature of the music business meant that King Records and its various imprints were all but forgotten by the time of Nathan's death in 1968, and the masters were sold to Starday Records, which sold them to Lin Broadcasting, which passed them on to Tennessee Recording and Broadcasting, which in turn sold them to GML, Inc. GML has maintained a vigorous reissue and licensing campaign of the material in the King backlist since the 1980s. Fans of urban blues and early R&B will find that a blessing, and one hopes that albums like Dealing With the Devil (which is issued here by Varese Sarabande) will continue to be assembled from the vast King, Federal, and Deluxe vaults.

KC's Jukejoint Jukebox #2

Yep -- another 'customer select' set from the jukebox. Some pot-bellied fellah with a really ugly shirt and one of those 'Hand Grenade' drinks from Bourbon Street in each hand wandered in and mistakenly put a $20 in the jukebox -- he got annoyed when I told him that the box don't make no change and he punched up all these songs and walked out! It turned out to be a pretty nice set even tho he din't recognize a thing!

KC's Jukejoint Jukebox #2 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

He Got Out His Big Ten Inch

How about some dirty stuff?

Chick Willis - From The Heart And Soul

Cousin to the late blues ballad singer Chuck Willis, Robert "Chick" Willis is primarily beloved for his ribald, dozens-based rocker "Stoop Down Baby." The guitarist cut his original version in 1972 for tiny La Val Records of Kalamazoo, MI, selling a ton of 45s for the jukebox market only (the tune's lyrics were way too raunchy for airplay).

Willis left the military in 1954, hiring on as valet and chauffeur to cousin Chuck, then riding high with his many R&B hits for OKeh Records. At that point, Chick's primary role on the show was as a singer (he made his own vinyl debut in 1956 with a single, "You're Mine," for Lee Rupe's Ebb Records after winning a talent contest at Atlanta's Magnolia Ballroom), but he picked up the guitar while on the road with his cousin (Chick cites Guitar Slim as his main man in that department).

When Chuck died of stomach problems in 1958, Willis soldiered on, pausing in Chicago to work as a sideman with slide guitar great Elmore James. A few obscure 45s ("Twistin' in the Hospital Ward," cut for Alto in 1962, sounds promising) preceded the advent of "Stoop Down Baby," which Willis has freshened up for countless sequels ever since (he developed the song by teasing passersby with his ribald rhymes while working in a carnival variety show).

Risqué material remained a staple of Willis's output in recent years. He released a steady stream of albums on Ichiban Records in the 1980s and 1990s, and continued to record into the 2000s.

He died on December 7, 2013, aged 79.

Clarence Reid - Dancin' With Nobody But You Babe 1969

Before there was Blowfly, there was Clarence Reid, a fine Southern Soul singer a little too late for his time. This is his first album.

"Singer/songwriter/producer Clarence Reid, like David Bowie and P-Funk's George Clinton, had multiple musical personalities. One was of an earnest Southern soul singer, born February 14, 1945, in Cochran, GA, and recorded for TK Records president Henry Stone's Alston imprint. His Billboard-charting singles were "Nobody but You Babe" (number seven R&B summer 1969, on the Atlantic LP), "Good Old Days" (early 1972), and "Funky Party" (summer 1974). He co-wrote hits for Betty Wright ("Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do"), the million-selling "Clean Up Woman," "Baby Sitter," and "Let Me Be Your Lovemaker." For Gwen McCrae, Reid co-wrote and co-produced "Rockin' Chair," which reached the pop Top Ten in 1975,

In his other persona, he performed X-rated material under the pseudonym Blowfly. Reid also helped Richard Finch get a job with TK Records and introduced Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey to junkanoo, the festive party music that would be the core sound of Casey and Finch's '70s supergroup KC and the Sunshine Band. Clarence Reid-related releases are When a Man Cries: The Deep Soul of Scepter/Wand, in addition to many Blowfly releases."

Serve Somebody - A Personal Look At Smelly Bob

Oneof those things that started with one idea and morphed to something else whilst retaining most of the original concept - I am pleased with it - what do y'all Think? (there won't be any links until folks begin to push Play and then comment.

Serve Somebody - A Personal Look at Smelly Bob by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Henry Butler - Orleans Inspiration

Hello.  My name is poppachubby.  You may remember me from such blogs as The Crypt and The Cult.  I also brought you classic like those found at Chitlins.

Found this CD a while back at a local thrift for a couple bucks... score!!!  Just a really feel good album y'know?  Ripped it with EAC for 16/44.1 FLAC files.  All scans are hi-res and included.  Enjoy!!!

Henry Butler, who had recorded a pair of post-bop sets for MCA/Impulse, switches to New Orleans R&B on this spirited program, cut live at Tipitina's in New Orleans. Assisted by guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist Chris Severin, drummer Herman Jackson, and the synthesizer of Michael Goods, Butler puts on a fine show. He plays and sings (in a gospel-ish baritone voice) a variety of originals, plus Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere," "Goin' Down Slow," and Professor Longhair's "Tipitina's" and "Mardi Gras in New Orleans." - Scott Yanow / AMG

Earl Hooker - Two Bugs & A Roach [1968], Sweet Black Angel (1970)

"Jimi Hendrix called Earl Hooker "the master of the wah-wah pedal." Buddy Guy slept with one of Hooker's slides beneath his pillow hoping to tap some of the elder bluesman's power. And B. B. King has said repeatedly that, for his money, Hooker was the best guitar player he ever met."

" If there was a more immaculate slide guitarist residing in Chicago during the 1950s and '60s than Earl Hooker, his name has yet to surface. Boasting a fretboard touch so smooth and clean that every note rang as clear and precise as a bell..."

The Harmonizing Four 1950-1955

A second service this morning --

The Harmonizing Four was an American black gospel quartet organized in 1927 and reaching peak popularity during the decades immediately following World War II.

Sources disagree as to the original membership when the group was established in 1927 to sing for school functions at Richmond, Virginia's Dunbar Elementary School. Some sources include Thomas "Goat" Johnson and Levi Hansly as founding members, with others indicating they joined the group in the early 1930s after the departure of original first tenor Joe Curby and original bass Willie Peyton; likewise, eventual leader Joseph "Gospel Joe" Williams is identified as a founding member in some sources, and others claiming he joined as much as six years later. In 1937 the group added Lonnie Smith, who later became father to keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith.

The group recorded for Decca Records in 1943 and toured in the postwar years, performing at such high-profile events as the 1944 National Baptist Convention, to an audience of 40,000; the funeral ceremony for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945; and the wedding ceremony of gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Russell Morrison, an event recorded for a live album to which the group contributed four songs. During this period the group recorded for different labels, including Chicago company Religious Recording, Coleman, and MGM. As of the early 1950s, they signed with Philadelphia's Gotham Records, where they recorded some 40 songs before moving on in 1957 to Chicago's Vee-Jay Records, where they experienced their greatest popularity. Smith retired in 1962, and following a period in the late 1960s of recording for various labels in various membership configurations, the group was essentially semi-retired for the ensuing decades.

The Best Of The Fairfield Four

The Fairfield Four is an American gospel group that has existed for over 90 years. They started as a trio in Nashville, Tennessee's Fairfield Baptist Church in 1921. They were designated as National Heritage Fellows in 1989 by the National Endowment for the Arts. The group won the 1998 Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. As a quintet, they featured briefly in the motion picture O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

The group gained more popular recognition after appearing on John Fogerty's 1997 album Blue Moon Swamp, singing on the track "A Hundred and Ten in the Shade". They also undertook live appearances with Fogerty.

During the 1940s, the Fairfield Four were among the top-ranked gospel quartets, along with the Dixie Hummingbirds, Five Blind Boys, and Soul Stirrers. Originally a gospel duet created in the early '20s by the pastor of Fairfield Baptist Church in Nashville to occupy his sons, Harry and Rufus Carrethers, they became a gospel trio with the addition of John Battle. The group was transformed into a jubilee quartet by the '30s and began the first of numerous personnel changes. They recorded for RCA Victor and Columbia during the decade and were known for their reinterpretations of standard hymns, featuring bright, close baritone and tenor harmonies. When the Fairfield Four sang, they utilized the full extent of their voices, moving easily from deep, rolling basslines to the staccato upper peaks of the tenor range, all executed with precise, intricate harmonies and ever-shifting leads.

the Fairfield Four reached their broadest audience when the Sunway Vitamin Company sponsored a nationally broadcast radio show for them daily at 6:45 a.m. on WLAC, Nashville. At the same time, they also continued touring; it was a grueling schedule, especially with the drive to Nashville, and often the group would be missing a member or two on the show. In 1942, the quartet recorded for the Library of Congress, but by 1950, it all became too much. Coupled with some financial trouble and a dwindling radio audience, the Fairfield Four broke up, though one member, Reverend Sam McCrary, used the group name to perform with other quartets. In 1980, the Fairfield Four from the '40s was reunited for a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, by Black gospel specialist Doug Seroff. In 1989, they were designated as National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts. They continue to perform, though the original members are either deceased or retired.

KC's Juke Joint Jukebox #1

Hey there folks; welcome to KC's Juke Joint, home of KC's Jukebox. My Jukebox currently holds 190 45 rips (I.E. 380 selections), but you never know when it will expand. Not every 45 is perfect, you will note a fair number of clicks and pops; I only cleaned up the worst offenders because I like that it sounds like a real jukebox.

Today's selection is a 'patron played' set - 30 tracks selected using a random process (sorta like a tourist pumping the box) -- occasionally I'll do a bartenders choice where I actually choose the tracks with a theme in mind, but I must say that this one is so successful that I ain't motivated to choose 'em myself any time soon; I did the first edit, after all, and I trust the selection pool.

Most of these artists are pretty obscure and the rips are either from my own collection or from the amazing Fritz over at 'Don't Ask Me, I Don't Know'. I've been combing thru his tapes ever since he began posting them - a lot of work but WELL worth it. Thank you Brother Fritz!

KC's Jukejoint Jukebox #1 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Soulful Gospel

 Some very serious singing going on here so put on those nice slippery leather sole shoes this morning and do a little dancing with the Lord. Just the right blend of musical instrumentation here, none of the over production type stuff that came soon after. The singing is always front and center. 

Are you one who skips the Gospel? Check out track 9 - 'Jordan River' by The Sensational Jubilettes on disc 1 and come back and tell me how you hated it. I dare you! The Chambers Brothers tracks and the Wilson Picket tracks are quite good, but they don't really qualify as highlites, the other stuff is too good!

There is a volume 3 & 4 out there, but I don't have them, anyone got them by chance?

Vol.1Soulful Gospel Vocal Groups Vol.1
01.The Harps Of The Coast - Where The Soul Of A Man Never Dies
02.The Harps Of The Coast - Up A Little Higher
03.The Chambers Brothers - I Trust In God
04.The Chambers Brothers - Just A Little More Faith
05.The Morning Echoes - Jesus Showed Us The Way
06.The Morning Echoes - I'm Singing, Lord
07.The Sensational Saints Of Ohio - Come On
08.The Sensational Saints Of Ohio - Ain't That A Shame
09.The Sensational Jubilettes - Jordan River
10.The Sensational Jubilettes - Judgement Day
11.The Gospel Five - He Woke Me Up This Morning
12. The Gospel Five - Race, Creed And Color
13.The Original Soul Revivers - Lord, I've Done You Wrong
14.The Original Soul Revivers - Lord, Don't Turn Me Away
15.The Bonner Bros. Spiritual Quartette - You Ought To Pray Sometime
16.The Bonner Bros. Spiritual Quartette - Walking Thru The Streets
17.The Clefs Of Calvary - Save Me
18.The Clefs Of Calvary - God's Love
19.The Prodigal Sons - It's A Blessing
20.The Prodigal Sons - I Found The Lord
21.The Divine Travelers - Rock Of Ages, Pt. 1
22.The Divine Travelers - Rock Of Ages, Pt. 2
23.The Jollyaires - You Need The Lord
24.The Jollyaires - The Lord's Been Good To Me
25.The Zion Travellers - Milky White Way
26.The Zion Travelers - Eternity

Vol.2-Soulful Gospel Vocal Groups Vol.2
01. Hightower Brothers - Good Time In Heaven.
02. Hightower Brothers - Nobody's Fault But Mine
03. The World Wonders - Don't Give Up
04. The World Wonders - Two Wings
05. The Spiritual Five (Featuring Wilson Pickett) - Call Him Up
06. The Spiritual Five (Featuring Wilson Pickett) - Christ Blood
07. Hightower Brothers - Come By Here
08. The Bullock Brothers - Telephone To Glory
09. The Bullock Brothers - Let Jesus Lead You
10. The Brooklyn Skywaves - Oh Lord
11. The Swindell Brothers - There's Nothing Between
12. The Swindell Brothers - I Started In Heaven
13. The Royal Travelers - Jesus Called My Name
14. The Royal Travelers - Standing In The Need Of Prayer
15. The Royal Silvertones - Build Me A Cabin
16. The Royal Silvertones - Savior Don't Pass Me By
17. The Pearly Gates - Blessed
18. The Pearly Gates - Gods Love
19. The Oakland Silvertones - Blessed Quietness
20. The Goldentones - Won't It Be Wonderful
21. The Sensational Skylarks Of Detriot - A Sinner's Prayer
22. The Sensational Skylarks Of Detriot - A Little More Grace
23. Mighty Wings Of Zion - You Don't Know How The Lord Has Blessed Me
24. Mighty Wings Of Zion - Please Sir Jesus

Vol.1Soulful Gospel Vocal Groups Vol.1
01.The Harps Of The Coast - Where The Soul Of A Man Never Dies
02.The Harps Of The Coast - Up A Little Higher
03.The Chambers Brothers - I Trust In God
04.The Chambers Brothers - Just A Little More Faith
05.The Morning Echoes - Jesus Showed Us The Way
06.The Morning Echoes - I'm Singing, Lord
07.The Sensational Saints Of Ohio - Come On
08.The Sensational Saints Of Ohio - Ain't That A Shame
09.The Sensational Jubilettes - Jordan River
10.The Sensational Jubilettes - Judgement Day
11.The Gospel Five - He Woke Me Up This Morning
12. The Gospel Five - Race, Creed And Color
13.The Original Soul Revivers - Lord, I've Done You Wrong
14.The Original Soul Revivers - Lord, Don't Turn Me Away
15.The Bonner Bros. Spiritual Quartette - You Ought To Pray Sometime
16.The Bonner Bros. Spiritual Quartette - Walking Thru The Streets
17.The Clefs Of Calvary - Save Me
18.The Clefs Of Calvary - God's Love
19.The Prodigal Sons - It's A Blessing
20.The Prodigal Sons - I Found The Lord
21.The Divine Travelers - Rock Of Ages, Pt. 1
22.The Divine Travelers - Rock Of Ages, Pt. 2
23.The Jollyaires - You Need The Lord
24.The Jollyaires - The Lord's Been Good To Me
25.The Zion Travellers - Milky White Way
26.The Zion Travelers - Eternity - See more at: http://zonadicto.org/musica/12473/soulful-gospel-vocal-groups-vol-1y-2-the-famous-groove-records-black-gospel-1-link.html#sthash.41zQbVkZ.dpuf

Soul Of New Orleans

**Double disc compilation cramming 62 tracks of early soul music and 28-page booklet of liner notes** "New Orleans.... home of jazz, birthplace of the funk and, some would say, of rock'n'roll. No great controversy there, but The Big Easy's role in the history of soul music has been less well documented. Part of the 'History of Soul' series, this compilation of tracks illustrates the depth and breadth of music produced in the city between 1958 and 1962. Music that went way beyond R&B, taking into soul the joyous rhythms of funky second line parade bands, the gospel-based piano triplets of barrelhouse wizards and the tight horn sections of Allen Toussaint and Dave Bartholomew, whose arrangements from would later inform the classic Stax sound. The familiar names are all here: Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Eddie Bo, Bobby Marchan but so are the lesser known but fabulous Ray Washington, Berna Dean, Martha Carter and Chuck Carbo. So prepare to be blown away by some of the most exciting, deep and affecting sounds that ever came from Louisiana and made their way into soul as we know it."

Earl Hooker - Blue Guitar

There is a far more detailed biography at wikipedia for those who are interested.

"If there was a more immaculate slide guitarist residing in Chicago during the 1950s and '60s than Earl Hooker, his name has yet to surface. Boasting a fretboard touch so smooth and clean that every note rang as clear and precise as a bell, Hooker was an endlessly inventive axeman who would likely have been a star had his modest vocal abilities matched his instrumental prowess and had he not been dogged by tuberculosis (it killed him at age 41).

Born in the Mississippi Delta, Hooker arrived in Chicago as a child. There he was influenced by another slide wizard, veteran Robert Nighthawk. But Hooker never remained still for long. He ran away from home at age 13, journeying to Mississippi. After another stint in Chicago, he rambled back to the Delta again, playing with Ike Turner and Sonny Boy Williamson. Hooker made his first recordings in 1952 and 1953 for Rockin', King, and Sun. At the latter, he recorded some terrific sides with pianist Pinetop Perkins (Sam Phillips inexplicably sat on Hooker's blazing rendition of "The Hucklebuck").

Back in Chicago again, Hooker's dazzling dexterity was intermittently showcased on singles for Argo, C.J., and Bea & Baby during the mid- to late '50s before he joined forces with producer Mel London (owner of the Chief and Age logos) in 1959. For the next four years, he recorded both as sideman and leader for the producer, backing Junior Wells, Lillian Offitt, Ricky Allen, and A.C. Reed and cutting his own sizzling instrumentals ("Blue Guitar," "Blues in D-Natural"). He also contributed pungent slide work to Muddy Waters' Chess waxing "You Shook Me." Opportunities to record grew sparse after Age folded; Hooker made some tantalizing sides for Sauk City, WI's Cuca Records from 1964 to 1968 (several featuring steel guitar virtuoso Freddie Roulette).

Hooker's amazing prowess (he even managed to make the dreaded wah-wah pedal a viable blues tool) finally drew increased attention during the late '60s. He cut LPs for Arhoolie, ABC-BluesWay, and Blue Thumb that didn't equal what he'd done at Age, but they did serve to introduce Hooker to an audience outside Chicago and wherever his frequent travels deposited him. But tuberculosis halted his wandering ways permanently in 1970." Bill Dahl, AMG

Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night

Blind Willie Johnson, according to his death certificate, was born in 1897 near Brenham, Texas (before the discovery of his death certificate, Temple, Texas had been suggested as his birthplace). When he was five, he told his father he wanted to be a preacher and then made himself a cigar box guitar. His mother died when he was young and his father remarried soon after her death.

Johnson was not born blind, and, although it is not known how he lost his sight, Angeline Johnson told Samuel Charters that when Willie was seven his father beat his stepmother after catching her going out with another man. According to this account, the stepmother then blinded young Willie by throwing lye in his face.

It is believed that Johnson married at least twice. He was married to Willie B. Harris. Her recollection of their initial meeting was recounted in the liner notes for Yazoo Records's "Praise God I'm Satisfied" album. He was later alleged to have been married to a woman named Angeline. Johnson was also said to be married to a sister of blues artist, L.C. Robinson. No marriage certificates have yet been discovered. As Angeline Johnson often sang and performed with him, the first person to attempt to research his biography, Samuel Charters, made the mistake of assuming it was Angeline who had sung on several of Johnson's records. However, later research showed that it was Willie B. Harris.

Johnson remained poor until the end of his life, preaching and singing in the streets of several Texas cities including Beaumont. A city directory shows that in 1945, a Rev. W.J. Johnson, undoubtedly Blind Willie, operated the House of Prayer at 1440 Forrest Street, Beaumont, Texas. This is the same address listed on Johnson's death certificate. In 1945, his home burned to the ground. With nowhere else to go, Johnson lived in the burned ruins of his home, sleeping on a wet bed in the August/September Texas heat. He lived like this until he contracted malarial fever and died on September 18, 1945. (The death certificate reports the cause of death as malarial fever, with syphilis and blindness as contributing factors.) In a later interview, his wife, Angeline said she tried to take him to a hospital but they refused to admit him because he was blind, while other sources report that his refusal was due to being black. And although there is some question as to where his exact grave location is, Blanchette Cemetery (which is the cemetery listed on the death certificate but location previously unknown) was officially located by two researchers in 2009. In 2010, those same researchers erected a monument to Johnson in the cemetery, but his exact gravesite remains unknown.

Johnson made 30 commercial recording studio record sides in five separate sessions for Columbia Records from 1927–1930. On some of these recordings Johnson uses a fast rhythmic picking style, while on others he plays slide guitar. According to a reputed one-time acquaintance, Blind Willie McTell (1898–1959), Johnson played with a brass ring, although other sources cite him using a knife. However, in enlargement, the only known photograph of Johnson seems to show that there is an actual bottleneck on the little finger of his left hand. While his other fingers are apparently fretting the strings, his little finger is extended straight—which also suggests there is a slide on it as well.

Solomon Burke - Proud Mary: The Bell Sessions

This one-off record (and it's xtras) comes from the period immediately following Burke's departure from Atlantic after spending most of the 60's carrying the soul side of the label for Wexler until Aretha exploded and made him expendable.

Big Sol signed with independent Bell Records for what turned out to be a very short tenure. Solomon journeyed down to Muscle Shoals to record (and co-produce) for his new label at Fame Studios, where he found the seasoned Southern Soul pros down there to be a refreshing change from the NYC studio pros that Jerry Wexler had always used on his Atlantic sessions. He also found the creative process to be far more organic and stimulating with these guys and it lead to some choices of material that were a bit different from what he had been doing up North.

The album title cut comes from John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater, other tracks come from Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, Penn and Roger Hawkins, Mac Davis, Bob Dylan, Delaney Bramlett, Sam Cooke and a handful from Solly himself. The suits at Bell were less than pleased that they did not get a seamless continuation of what had worked at Atlantic and terminated Burke's contract at around the same time that they released the album (i.e. BEFORE they had any chance to judge public reaction). BIG MISTAKE!! The album went to #15 R&B and #45 pop and suddenly the Bell execs were left scrambling, trying far too late, to re-sign the man in whom they had showed so little faith.

He was already gone to MGM.

Screamin', Baby Please!

I have a serious weakness for those Southern Soul singers with that slightly 'unhinged' quality to their voice and delivery -- this mix features 17 of those guys including Little Willie John, Howard Tate, O.V. Wright, Buddy Ace, Joe Haywood, Garnett Mimms, Roscoe Robinson, J.P. Robinson, Spencer Wiggins, Percy Sledge, Joe Hinton, Sonny Green, and more.

Link added

Screaming, Baby Please! by Kingcake on Mixcloud

The Dixie Nightingales

Before there was Ollie & the Nightingales, there were the Dixie Nightingales.

One of the most successful Southern gospel groups of the late '50s and early '60s, the Dixie Nightingales served as a training ground for future Temptations vocalist David Ruffin (1941-1991). The group, which featured the lead vocals of Ollie Hoskins, was heard every Saturday morning on Memphis radio station WDIA. As they were reaching the peak of their popularity, the Dixie Nightingales experienced a drastic change in 1962. Signing with the Stax label, they shifted their focus to R&B and re-christened themselves Ollie & the Nightingales. They disbanded shortly afterwards. Although he maintained a low profile for more than four decades, Hoskins mounted a serious comeback in the mid-'90s. Signing with Ecko in 1995, he released three impressive singles -- "I'll Drink Your Water, Baby," "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do," and "Make It Sweet" -- before succumbing to a heart attack resulting from complications of pneumonia, in October 1997. The son of a minister, Ruffin had toured with Mahalia Jackson at the age of six. After leaving the Dixie Nightingales, he went on to be a founding member of the Temptations, singing lead on such classics as "My Girl" and "I Wish It Would Rain." He had a Top Ten solo hit with "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" in 1969. He died from a drug overdose in 1991.

Ollie & The Nightingales

Contributed by my local buddy Paul -- this group was originally a Gospel group called The Dixie Nightingales. At one time the group included David Ruffin who would go on to help found the Temptations. I've got some of their Gospel on tap for Sunday.

"This Memphis group included some excellent vocalists, although they didn't enjoy as much success as some other Stax artists. Ollie Nightingale (born Ollie Hoskins), Quincy Clifton Billops, Jr., Nelson Lesure, Bill Davis, and Rochester Neal were the original members. Billops had been in the Mad Lads. Their biggest single was "I Got a Sure Thing" in 1968, which made the R&B Top 20. It was also their lone hit. Nightingale left in 1970 and was replaced by Sir Mack Rice. Neal, Billops, and Davis became the Ovations in 1972."

Blind Willie McTell

 "Blind Willie" McTell was one of the great blues musicians of the 1920s and 1930s. Displaying an extraordinary range on the twelve-string guitar, this Atlanta-based musician recorded more than 120 titles during 14 recording sessions. His voice was soft and expressive, and his musical tastes were influenced by southern blues, ragtime, gospel, hillbilly, and popular music. At a time when most blues musicians were poorly educated and rarely traveled, McTell was an exception. He could read and write music in Braille. He traveled often from Atlanta to New York City, frequently alone. As a person faced with a physical disability and social inequities, he expressed in his music a strong confidence in dealing with the everyday world.

McTell was born in Thomson on May 5, 1898. Few facts are known about his early life. Even his name is uncertain: his family name was either McTear or McTier, and his first name may have been Willie, Samuel, or Eddie. His tombstone reads "Eddie McTier." He was blind either from birth or from early childhood, and he attended schools for the blind in Georgia, New York, and Michigan. While in his early teens, McTell learned to play the guitar from his mother, relatives, and neighbors in Statesboro, where his family had moved. In his teenage years, after his mother's death, he left home and toured in carnivals and medicine shows. In the 1920s and 1930s McTell traveled a circuit between Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, and Macon. This region encompasses two major blues styles: Eastern Seaboard/Piedmont, with lighter, bouncier rhythms and a ragtime influence; and Deep South, with its greater emphasis on intense rhythms and short, repeated music phrases.

McTell also journeyed from Georgia to New York City. Along the way he entertained wherever he could find an audience: passenger train cars, hotel lobbies, college fraternity parties, school assemblies, proms, vaudeville theaters, and churches. As he followed the tobacco market from Georgia into North Carolina, he played for farmers, buyers, and merchants at warehouses, auctions, livery stables, and hotels. By the mid-1920s McTell was already an accomplished musician in Atlanta, playing at house parties and fish fries. He had also traded in the standard six-string acoustic guitar for a twelve-string guitar, which was popular among Atlanta musicians because of the extra volume it provided for playing on city streets. By 1926 record companies had begun to take an interest in recording folk blues artists, mostly men playing solo with guitars—Blind Lemon Jefferson from Texas, Charley Patton and Tommy Johnson from Mississippi, and Peg Leg Howell from Georgia. Beginning with his first recording in 1927 for Victor Records and his 1928 recording session for Columbia, McTell produced such blues classics as "Statesboro Blues" (later made famous by the Allman Brothers Band and Taj Mahal), "Mama 'Tain't Long 'for' Day," and "Georgia Rag." In 1929 he recorded "Broke Down Engine Blues."

Like other musicians at the time, he recorded on different labels under various nicknames to skirt contractual agreements. Thus he was Blind Willie for Vocalion, Georgia Bill for OKeh, Red Hot Willie Glaze for Bluebird, Blind Sammie for Columbia, Barrel House Sammy for Atlantic, and Pig 'n' Whistle Red for Regal Records. The latter name came from a popular drive-in barbecue restaurant in Atlanta where he played for tips.

In 1934 McTell married Ruth Kate Williams, with whom he recorded some duets.
In 1940 folk-song collector John Lomax recorded the versatile musician for the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress. These sessions, which have been issued in full, feature interviews as well as a variety of music.

McTell was the only bluesman to remain active in Atlanta until well after World War II (1941-45). With his longtime associate Curley Weaver, he played for tips on Atlanta's Decatur Street, a popular hangout for local blues musicians. His last recording was made in 1956 for an Atlanta record-store owner and released on the Prestige/Bluesville label. Afterward he played exclusively religious music. From 1957 to his death he was active as a preacher at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Atlanta. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on August 19, 1959, at the Milledgeville State Hospital (later Central State Hospital).

The Pilgrim Travelers - Better Than That

Good Morning, time for Sunday morning service.

"The Pilgrim Travelers were Specialty's most prolific group, recording more than any other ensemble in any style. They were versatile enough to be sensational as an a cappella unit, and almost as magnificent with instrumental accompaniment. The 28 cuts from this most recent anthology shows them adjusting to instrumental support, as lead vocalists Kylo Turner and Keith Barber effectively duel and contrast against organs, keyboards, bass and drums. The collection also contains 13 previously unissued songs, most of them incredible unaccompamied performances. They may not have been Specialty's greatest gospel group, but The Pilgrim Travelers weren't far behind The Soul Stirrers."

Joe Simon - Lookin' Back

Hmmm....did somebody ask about a set of Joe Simon's Sound Stage 7 / Monument tracks? I believe you can also find some links to a couple of the actual albums in the Shares and Requests, but here is a compilation of Simon's work with John Richbourg. (btw Sound Stage 7 was a subsidiary label of Monument.)

It looks like a little bit of Spring material is included in the 1970 material the rest is SS7.

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Born on September 24, 1893, in Coutchman, Texas, singer and guitarist Blind Lemon Jefferson was one of the most influential blues performers of the early 20th century. He is considered one of the founders of Texas blues and a leading figure in country blues. According to allmusic.com, Jefferson was born blind and was one of seven children. His parents were sharecroppers.

In his teens, Jefferson began performing in Dallas. There he met another future blues legend, Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly. The pair worked together for a short time. In the 1920s, Jefferson married Robert Ransom, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Discovered by a talent scout in 1925, Jefferson soon went to Chicago to launch his recording career. He put down more than 90 tracks, mostly for the Paramount label. Jefferson helped popularized blues across the country with such songs as "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean," "Black Snake Moan" and "Matchbox Blues."

In addition to blues, Jefferson also recorded several gospel tunes, such as "I Want to Be Like Jesus in My Heart," under the name Deacon L. J. Bates. He toured extensively as well, playing gigs in his native Texas and other parts of the South.

Jefferson died on December 19, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois. His exact cause of death is unknown. Reports vary from him suffering a heart attack during a snowstorm to being in a car accident. His body was returned to Texas, where he was buried in an unmarked grave in Wortham. It wasn't until 1967 that Jefferson's grave site received a proper memorial.

Although his career was brief, Jefferson has served an important influence on a range of performers, including B. B. King, Lightin' Hopkins and Bob Dylan. His songs have been covered by the likes of the Beatles and Carl Perkins. Jefferson was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1980.

The Road to Robert Johnson: A Rough Guide to Country Blues

My friend Cliff and I share the opinion that perhaps a bit of artificial importance is currently given to Robert Johnson, due to the timing and circumstances of his recordings being re-released. Here is a 32 track odyssey that places him amongst his actual peers and predecessors and perhaps shines a more realistic light on his place in the pantheon. He is, to me, a later synthesis of many players, songs and verses that came before him; his 'signature licks' often a simplification, a codifying of more complicated originals. Some of this may well be attributable to his sudden rise (by all accounts) from a barely able to play youth to a surprisingly polished young man in around 2 years. His true genius may well have been his ability to adapt 'licks' to his own skill set with exceptional timing, and his ability to combine song fragments and floating verses into powerful, coherent stories.

SO....this project began from an odd-ball add on disc in an unusual 2 disc Blind Lemon Jefferson set that had an entire disc of non-Jefferson material. The alleged lure of the set was the remastering, but the Jefferson material did not sound better to me, so I was left with a nicely done, but oddly tagged 25 track set of Country Blues that was good as far as it went, but incomplete by my reckoning. I've pumped it up to 32 at this point. I've already thought of a few more guys, how about you?

The Road to Robert Johnson: A Rough Guide to Country Blues by Kingcake on Mixcloud

10 Lost New Orleans Soul Heroes

My most recent mixcloud reflects the change in legal use laws here that restricts me to 3 songs per artist in this format - no more artist spotlights, but this is fun too.

10 Lost New Orleans Soul Heroes by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Shotgun & Soul Session

Walker was born Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr. in Blytheville, Arkansas, and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. His saxophone style was the anchor for the band's overall sound. The other original members of the group were drummer Tony Washington, guitarist Willie Woods, and keyboardist Vic Thomas.

His career started when he developed his own band at the age of 14, in the mid-1950s as the "Jumping Jacks." His longtime friend Billy Nicks (drummer) formed his own team, the "Rhythm Rockers." Periodically, Nicks would sit in on Jumping Jack's shows, and Walker would sit in on the Rhythm Rockers shows.

Nicks obtained a permanent gig at a local TV station in South Bend, Indiana, and asked Walker to join him and his keyboard player (Fred Patton) permanently. Shortly after, Nicks asked Willie Woods, a local singer, to perform with the group; shortly after Woods would learn how to play guitar also. When Nicks got drafted into the United States Army, Walker convinced the band to move from South Bend to Battle Creek, Michigan. While performing in Benton Harbor, Walker found a drummer, Tony Washington, to replace Nicks Eventually, Fred Patton (piano player) left the group, and Victor Thomas stepped in. The original name, "The Rhythm Rockers," was changed to "The All Stars". Walker's squealing gutbucket style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly players like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Illinois Jacquet.
  
The group was spotted by Johnny Bristol, and he recommended them to Harvey Fuqua, in 1961, who had his own record labels. Once the group started recording on the Harvey label, their name was changed to Junior Walker & the All Stars. When Fuqua's labels were taken over by Motown's Berry Gordy, Jr. Walker & The All Stars became members of the Motown Records family, recording for Motown's Soul imprint in 1964.

The members of the band changed after the acquisition of the Harvey label. Tony Washington, the drummer, quit the group, and James Graves joined the group in the Motown family. Their first and signature hit was "Shotgun," written and composed by Walker and produced by Berry Gordy, which featured The Funk Brothers' James Jamerson on bass and Benny Benjamin on drums. "Shotgun" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1965, and was followed by many other hits, such as "(I'm A) Road Runner," "Shake and Fingerpop" and covers of the Motown tracks, "Come See About Me" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)". In 1966, Graves left and was replaced by old cohort Billy "Stix" Nicks, and Walker's hits continued apace with tunes such as "I'm a Road Runner" and "Pucker Up Buttercup".

In 1969, the group had another hit enter the top 5, "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" A Motown quality control meeting rejected this song for single release, but radio station DJs made the track popular, resulting in Motown releasing it as a single, whereupon it reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart. From that time on Walker sang more on the records than earlier in their career. He landed several more R&B Top Ten hits over the next few years, with the last coming in 1972. In 1979, Walker went solo, disbanding the All Stars, and was signed to Norman Whitfield's Whitfield Records label, but he was not as successful on his own as he had been with the All Stars in his Motown period.

Walker re-formed the All Stars in the 1980s. Foreigner's 1981 album 4 featured Walker's blistering sax solo on "Urgent". On April 11, 1981, Walker was the musical guest on the season finale of Saturday Night Live. He later recorded his own version of the Foreigner song for the 1983 All Stars's album Blow the House Down. Walker's version was also featured in the 1985 Madonna film Desperately Seeking Susan. In 1983, Walker was re-signed with Motown.

In 1988, Walker played opposite Sam Moore as one-half of the fictional soul duo "The Swanky Modes" in the comedy Tapeheads. Several songs were recorded for the soundtrack, including "Bet Your Bottom Dollar" and "Ordinary Man," produced by ex-Blondie member Nigel Harrison.

Junior Walker died of cancer at the age of 64, in Battle Creek, Michigan, on November 23, 1995. He had been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation that year. Junior Walker is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Battle Creek, Michigan, under a marker inscribed with both his birth name of Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr., and his stage name.

Walker's "Shotgun" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

Holmes Brothers - Jubilation (1992)

Time for some upbeat church music too - this is the album of Gospel that the brothers recorded for Peter Gabriel and Real World Records during their stint with Rounder. You can get up and dance in THIS church! C'mon pmac, you gonna like this one!

"The Holmes Brothers – Wendell Holmes (guitarist/pianist/vocalist/songwriter), Sherman Holmes (bassist/ vocalist/songwriter) and brother-in-spirit Popsy Dixon (drummer/vocalist) – are true treasures of American roots music. For 35 years, The Holmes Brothers’ joyous and moving blend of blues, gospel, soul, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country has been captivating audiences around the world. Their spine-tingling three-part harmony singing, mixing Wendell’s gruff and gravelly vocals with Popsy’s soaring falsetto and Sherman’s rich baritone, brings the spirit of gospel-inflected deep soul music into every song they perform. Equally gripping is the rhythmic foundation laid down by Sherman’s bass playing and Popsy’s drumming, perfectly complementing Wendell’s blues-soaked guitar solos and church-inspired piano playing. The band expertly blends Saturday night’s roadhouse rock and blues with the gospel passion of Sunday morning’s church service. Rolling Stone says The Holmes Brothers play “impressive, fervent country soul.” Entertainment Weekly goes farther, declaring “The Holmes Brothers are juke joint vets with a brazenly borderless view of American music…timeless and rapturous.”

The Pilgrim Travelers - Walking Rhythm

This is the first of two CD collections of prime a cappella close harmony gospel in walking rhythm by The Pilgrim Travelers. Contained are unissued, alternate, and previously issued-on-wax sides from the stunnning lead chops of Kylo Turner and Keith Barber, who fronted L.A.'s Travelers during the 1947-1956 Specialty sojourn. The quintet cut over 100 sides during this time. The selection here is drawn from the 1947 through 1951 time frame. They're taken from original 16-inch metal masters and filtered through a non-noise system to produce fine presence and sound clarity.  Opal Nations