Candi Staton - Life Happens

Lord knows we have all listened to classic soul and said "They don't make records like that anymore." By now most of us also know that these 'rebirth' projects have varying degrees of success, but you need not worry about this one at all == all killer, no filler! YES VIRGINIA They DO still make records like this!!

Candi went back to Rick Hall's Fame studios where she recaptured the lightening in a bottle first minted some 40+ years ago. Sure the years show on her voice, but if anything it makes her even more emotionally powerful. Every song is a jewel, get out your handkerchief because Candi will touch your soul and you WILL shed a tear before the end.

"Candi Staton has always had a knack for finding a place for herself in the music scene. She’s been singing, touring, performing, since her high school days back in the 60’s. She’s sung country, gospel, R&B, disco, and lots of other stuff. But most importantly, she’s one of the defining voices in soul music and has done as much or more than anyone else to sell the world on the magic of soul. Four decades into her career, her voice rings just as true and authentic as it ever has. And she says that every song on Life Happens is a story about her life, with all of its ups and downs, sorrows and joys. It’s all in there and it will make you glad you’ve got soul."

Bill Yates - Blues Like Midnight

"Bill Yates belonged to the final wave of Sun recording artists, the acts that comprised the very last singles released by Sam Phillips' legendary label in the early '60s. Memphis-based Yates was a piano player and a soulful singer, so it's not surprising that his closest antecedent was Charlie Rich, who left Sun not long before Yates signed. None of Yates singles were hits but he did wind up with some of the better singles Sun released during this closing act.

Yates was born on December 21, 1936 in Columbus, Georgia, the son of an evangelist. Bill sang in church as he grew up and, as a teen, he and his brother Vance started to seriously pursue music, planning to earn a living as traveling musicians. They began by touring in Georgia and Alabama and, at some point in 1958, it appears Bill Yates wound up making his recording debut playing piano on the Phantom's rockabilly cult classic "Love Me." Around this time, Bill relocated to Memphis, where he became friends with drummer and bandleader Billy Adams, who became a close associate of Yates' for a number of years. Memphis led him to a loose association with Elvis Presley and he headed out to Hollywood in 1961 as part of the King's entourage, working as a bodyguard. This was irregular work and Yates often came back to Memphis to gig, often working with Adams, usually at the south Memphis club Hernando's Hide-A-Way. This Yates-Adams band also featured a number of players who became fixtures around Memphis, playing regular gigs and sessions for a variety of labels. Soon, Yates and Adams were both cutting sessions at Hi Studios that wound up being released either on the upstart Home of the Blues or its sister imprint 1st Records in 1961. "All I Need Is You"/"Mojo" was Yates first release, which didn't do much, then the label folded so the next Yates singles culled from Home of the Blues sessions -- "Fool Around with Love" and "Blues Like Midnight" -- were licensed to King Records in 1962...see more

Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Bad Boy

Ripped from my CD in FLAC with full scans... enjoy!!!

Magic Slim turned 75 in 2012, but his growling vocals have the fire and brimstone of a Young Lion and his guitar playing is still as razor-sharp as it was when he turned pro in the '50s. Slim doesn't bring many modern touches to his music; he plays in the classic Chicago style that laid the foundation for today's rock and blues and that's just fine. With his backing Teardrops -- Jon McDonald on guitar, Andre Howard on bass, and B.J. Jones on drums -- he continues making first-class albums that sound like they were cut in 1955 and that's a good thing. Denise LaSalle's "Someone Else Is Steppin' In" gets a humorous reading with Howard singing a high lead vocal to complement Slim's growl, which often slips into a Howlin' Wolf-like growl. "Champagne and Reefer," a Muddy Waters tune, is taken at a smoky laid-back pace, as befits the subject matter, with Slim's vocal inflections suggesting Muddy in his prime. "Older Woman," first cut by Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, is taken at a leisurely pace that suggests the slow, smoldering tempo of mature love, although Slim sets off plenty of sizzling sparks with his bristling solos. Slim's originals are just as solid as the covers. "Sunrise Blues" is an old-fashioned slow shuffle with smooth Albert King-meets-Chuck Berry guitar work. "Gambling Blues" and the mostly instrumental "Country Joyride" give Slim a chance to show off his considerable chops, showcasing solos full of thick comped chords, distorted bass runs, and clear chiming lead lines. - J. Poet / AMG

The Soul Children

The Soul Children was an American vocal group who recorded soul music for Stax Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They had three top ten hits on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart – "The Sweeter He Is" (1969), "Hearsay" (1972), and "I'll Be The Other Woman" (1973) – all of which crossed over to the Hot 100.

The group was formed in 1968 by Isaac Hayes and David Porter of Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, after one of the label's top acts, Sam & Dave, left Stax to join the Atlantic label. As leading songwriters and producers for the label, Hayes and Porter put together a vocal group with two male and two female singers, all of whom sang lead on some of the group's recordings. The original members were Norman West, John Colbert (aka J. Blackfoot), Anita Louis, and Shelbra Bennett. Colbert – who had been known from childhood as Blackfoot for his habit of walking barefoot on the tarred sidewalks of Memphis during the hot summers – had recorded solo singles before joining The Bar-Kays as lead singer, after four original band members were killed with Otis Redding in a plane crash. Anita Louis was a backing singer on some of the records produced by Hayes and Porter. Shelbra Bennett had recently joined the label as a singer. Norman West, Jr., the last to join the group, grew up in Louisiana, and sang in church with his brothers Joe, James, and Robert. He replaced William Bell as a member of The Del-Rios in 1962, later recorded several unsuccessful solo singles in Memphis, and sang with a rock band, Colors Incorporated, which had been formed by members of Jerry Lee Lewis' band.

The group's first record, "Give 'Em Love", produced by Hayes and Porter and released in late 1968, was a Bilboard R&B chart hit, as were two follow-ups. Their fourth single, "The Sweeter He Is", became one of their biggest hits, reaching no. 7 on the R&B chart in late 1969 and no. 52 on the Hot 100. The group also released their first album, Soul Children, in 1969. Musicians used on the recordings included Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr., of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, as well as Hayes. However, after the group had a minor hit with a slowed-down version of "Hold On, I'm Coming" in early 1970, Hayes left the project to develop his solo career. The group recorded a second album, Best of Two Worlds, at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, but their next few singles failed to make the charts. In 1972, they recorded another album, Genesis, arranged by Dale Warren and produced by Jim Stewart and Al Jackson, which produced another hit single, "Hearsay". Written by West and Colbert, it reached no. 5 on the R&B chart and no. 44 on the US pop chart. They appeared at the Wattstax concert in August 1972, and followed up with several smaller hit singles. In 1973, they recorded the ballad "I'll Be the Other Woman", written and produced by Homer Banks and Carl Hampton, and with lead vocals by Shelbra Bennett, which became their biggest hit, reaching no. 3 on the R&B chart and no. 36 on the pop chart. They also recorded a final album for Stax with Banks and Hampton, Friction.

The Soul Children left Stax in 1975, and Bennett left for a solo career. The trio of West, Colbert and Louis signed to Epic Records in 1976, releasing an album, Finders Keepers and several moderately successful singles. Their second album for Epic, Where Is Your Woman Tonight (1977), reunited the group with producer David Porter. Porter then signed the group to a reactivated Stax label established by Fantasy Records, and co-produced another album for the group, Open Door Policy (1978). However, it was less successful than their earlier recordings, and the group decided to split up in 1979.

What WE Call Southern Soul, parts 1 & 2

The terms Southern Soul and Northern Soul can be quite confusing, in large part because the two terms seem to mean very different things here in the U.S. than they do in the U.K.

To me Northern Soul is the slick, urban, pop crossover soul from Mowtown, Philly and New York. Southern Soul is the grittier Gospel/Blues tinged stuff out of Stax, Fame/Muscle Shoals, Hi, Malaco and the like. When I decided to make a mix of what we in the South call Southern Soul, I quickly had 44 songs totaling well over 2 hours. For listening sake I've split it into 2 parts of 22 that clock in at just a bit over an hour each.

What WE Call Southern Soul, part 1 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

What WE Call Southern Soul, part 2 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Charles Wilson - If Heartaches Were Nickles

If the blues are to remain a vital presence on the world stage and continue to develop as an art form in this new century, it will not be because of the legions of generic guitar slingers who endlessly repeat the great riffs of the original masters and imitate one another endlessly in order to display the most clichéd stage show. Indeed it will because there are singers like native Chicagoan cum Mississippi Delta bluesman Charles Wilson. He has long been a fixture on the chitlin circuit and is familiar to African-American audiences across the States. Indeed, this is his 11th release on his fourth label. As good as some of those recordings were, none of them holds a candle to If Heartaches Were Nickels. Indeed it is on this side where new directions for the blues can be found; the interesting thing is that those new vistas are found in its most classic and earthy approaches. Wilson's album is a step away from the slickness of modern production and sterile overwrought performances trying to substitute acumen for soul. The 15 cuts here drip with soul. Wilson's delivery is straight from the belly and sees the heavens. If one can hear the traces of singers like Bobby "Blue" Bland, Z.Z. Hill, and Sam Cooke in his voice, one can also hear Sam Moore and Wilson Pickett. Wilson understands that soul music and the blues are two sides of the same coin, and his band, led by the great guitarist Carl Weathersby on guitar, knows that arrangement and passion, not spit and polish, are what set a record apart. The sheer immediacy of this band, with its raw, gritty, souled-out blues backing a singer whose naturally effortless croon and growl evokes joy, sorrow, and assent in listeners is a combination that translates as well in a studio as it does on a stage. Check "Cut You a-Loose," Magic Sam's "You Belong to Me," "Losin' Boy," and the sheer deep blue-black title cut for reference. Add a horn section in the right places ("Doctor Doctor," "I Talk to Myself," and "Losin' Boy") and the presence of Wilson's uncle, blues legend Little Milton, on a pair of cuts ("Hattie Mae's" and "Lonely Man"), and you have a modern-day blues record that sounds like a classic blues album and just might be regarded that way some day. Wilson is at the top of his game here on Delmark, a label that was made for records like this. He is a singular talent that holds the key to the future evolution of the soul-blues in the grain of his voice. Thom Jurek

Albert Collins - Iceman (1991)

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 ...

This was the first album Albert made for Pointblank Records (part of Virgin Records) in 1991 after leaving Alligator Records. No real changes of style etc but a good production and some new songs make this well worth having. If you're an Iceman fan, like me, you'll be a pig in shit...! Enjoy   

Post-war Downhome Blues 1 & 2

This is parts 1 & 2 of a series composed from the playlist in Jeff Todd Titon's book Downhome Blues Lyrics. Unfortunately when the use laws changed here in the U.S., I was forced to delete 3 of the 4 volumes due to Jeff's use of too many songs from certain artists. I've finally gotten around to making some adjustments to satisfy the restrictions so that I could restore these pieces to the playlists. The songs are grouped to demonstrate certain recurring themes.

Post-war Downhome Blues, #1 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Post-war Downhome Blues, #2 by Kingcake on Mixcloud

New Orleans & Da Fonk

So where is Funk born? Is it James Brown and his band? George Clinton and Parliament/Funkedelic? Sly Stone and Larry Graham with The Family Stone? Maybe even Booker T and the MG's? Or is it New Orleans? If we use a timeline I think you can make a case for all of these at the same time but you will notice that the first 4 choices are just bands while the last is a whole city. I submit that nowhere else does Funk become the dominant music form so early in the game, as it did here in The Crescent City. I'd say that it is at least in part because we already had the roots of Funk here in our music and the transition was an easy and natural one for us. Even back into the 50's you can point to some Brass Band music and Professor Longhair as proto-Funk and certainly by 1960 some of Lee Dorsey's stuff is pretty damn funky. Like Jazz, R&B, and Rock n' Roll before it, I think the case is strong that Da Fonk starts here.

These songs are recorded between 1965 and 1975.

New Orleans & Da Fonk by Kingcake on Mixcloud

Buddy And Ella Johnson 1953 - 1964

Buddy Johnson (January 10, 1915 – February 9, 1977) was an American jazz and New York blues pianist and bandleader, active from the 1930s through the 1960s. His songs were often performed by his sister Ella Johnson, most notably "Since I Fell for You" which later became a jazz standard.

Born Woodrow Wilson Johnson in Darlington, South Carolina, Johnson took piano lessons as a child, and classical music remained one of his passions. In 1938 he moved to New York, and the following year toured Europe with the Cotton Club Revue, being expelled from Nazi Germany. Later in 1939 he first recorded for Decca Records with his band, soon afterwards being joined by his sister Ella as vocalist.

By 1941 he had assembled a nine-piece orchestra, and soon began a series of R&B and pop chart hits. These included "Let's Beat Out Some Love" (#2 R&B, 1943, with Johnson on vocals), "Baby Don't You Cry" (#3 R&B, 1943, with Warren Evans on vocals), his biggest hit "When My Man Comes Home" (#1 R&B, No. 18 pop, 1944, with Ella Johnson on vocals), and "They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool" (#5 R&B, 1946, with Arthur Prysock on vocals). Ella Johnson recorded her version of "Since I Fell for You" in 1945, but it did not become a major hit until recorded by Lenny Welch in the early 1960s.

In 1946 Johnson composed a Blues Concerto, which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1948. His orchestra remained a major touring attraction through the late 1940s and early 1950s, and continued to record in the jump blues style with some success on record on the Mercury label like "Hittin' on Me" and "I'm Just Your Fool". His song Bring It Home To Me appears on the 1996 Rocket Sixty-Nine release Jump Shot!.

Johnson died, at the age of 62, from a brain tumor and sickle cell anemia, in 1977 in New York.

Ella Johnson died in New York of Alzheimer's in February, 2004; she was 84 years old.

Mahalia Jackson Sings The Best Loved Hymns Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Well, I found this album in a local thrift last week and decided it was more than coincidence.  That's right folks, this was... DIVINE INTERVENTION!!!  For those of you who frequent this joint, you will recall the series I had began with Miss Jackson.  I have decided to get that movin again so you can expect an offering every Sunday until I am tapped.

I couldn't find a decent review on this album so I will say a few things.  If you were smart enough to DL the Apollo set, then you have whats necessary to understand what happened in Mahalia's career.  These Columbia albums represent the peak of her fame, but in contrast with her early work, not the peak of her best music.

The "smart" minds behind the label wanted to extend her popularity and of course referred to the handbook while doing so.  Most of the Columbia albums have a few strong moments but fail as being an overall exciting listen.  There are a couple exceptions such as the amazing "Worlds Greatest..." and this album which I am sharing today.

I think everybody knows the relationship that Jackson had with the great doctor.  She famously sang at his funeral and during his life, considered each other friends.  So fitting is this tribute which stands as one of her best albums in my opinion.  The music sticks to the nitty gritty and at times gets close to some gutter blues!!!  All that said, I am highly recommending this album to everybody who stops into this blog.

The back cover contains a wonderful Q&A style interview so be sure to check it out.  Ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC.  I have begun using Click Repair which was needed on this one so BIG BIG thanks to KC.  Enjoy!!!!

Columbia ‎– CS 9686
1968

A1 We Shall Overcome
A2 Take My Hand Precious Lord
A3 Just A Closer Walk With Thee
A4 There Is A Balm In Gilead
A5 The Old Rugged Cross
B1 Rock Of Ages
B2 How I Got Over
B3 If I Can Help Somebody
B4 He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
B5 An Evening Prayer

Cosimo Matassa Remembered - A Second Dose

 Apologies up front to Lurker, but you upset my plan and I actually planned to retreive your comment to use your links, but it appears that is a paid feature in Blogger.  If you have the artwork scanned, that would be killer - I was too lazy to do it.

I believe that I had promised 8 discs of Cosimo and here are the second 4.

 

NOLA Soul Hero Cosimo Matassa

 Yesterday afternoon we lost the great Cosimo Matassa, the iconic recording engineer responsible for more great music than seems even possible. This afternoon the skies opened up and cried giant, driving tears, mirroring our pain. I daily shop at the grocery store that bears his name and is nowadays manned by his grandchildren; I once sat between Cosimo and Dave Bartholomew at  the funeral of a mutual friend, the only time that I had the honor of making his acquaintance. One by one we continue to lose those great musical heroes that made New Orleans the center of the Musical Universe. With each passing I feel the loss more acutely; I suppose that this is part of growing old, but I can tell you that it REALLY SUCKS! Goodbye Cos, I'll think of you often when I pass the old J&M on Rampart, Soul City on Gov. Nichols or Jazz City on Camp.

This 4 disc set is just the first of two (I.E. 8 discs!)! These back covers will expand when clicked on.

Thank you Cosimo...

Cosimo Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014)

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