Editorial Review

As the voice behind such frothy oldies as "Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," and "Ruby Baby," Dion doesn't spring to mind when one thinks of great blues interpreters. But this stripped-down session--the singer accompanies himself on acoustic guitar with just a hint of percussion--shows the former teen idol to be a convincing and affecting folk-bluesman. While nobody will confuse Read more

Reviews (8)

The King of the New York Streets sing the Blues
This recording shows what a man with a voice and a guitar and years of attitude can do with a collection of honest to God blues songs. I've been listening to Dion since I was 10 years old and Dion was a teenager in love. Living in UK I lost sight of him for a long time, but the Yo Frankie album brought him back to my attention. Since then I've bought everything he has issued and a fair bit of back catalogue. Bronx in Blue is an arresting project. Simple arrangements, guitar stings so sharp you could cut yourself just listening and the voice of a master craftsman at work. Big city blues.

Great Album
This is Dion like never before.A great set of evocative blues songs and gifted guitar playing.Every tune a winner.All classics.Even my husband loves it.

Blues Sapphire
Dion's "Bronx in Blue" is like a blues sapphire, a strong acoustic blues CD.He does a good job in mixing up the toe tappers from the slide guitar weepers.Rory Block & Eric Clapton have both recorded "Terraplane Blues"; and Dion's version stands shoulder high with those great versions.Dion's guitar on this famous Robert Johnson song coaxes the emotions out of the melody like an oil pump in the Texas panhandle.Dion sasses his way through Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues."Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was a classic that spun on my turntable regularly.The "You got me running, you got me hiding, you got me run hide hide run," line has been sung by Dion & the Belmonts, Everly Brothers, the Astronauts, Fontella Bass, Doyle Bramhall's tasty version, Albert Collins, Etta James, Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers & John Mayall.On Dion's "Bronx in Blue," it rolls delightfully.My favorite cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" is still by Chris Smither, but Dion gets a nice groove on with it.My 3 favorites on this VERY strong set include the opener "Walkin' Blues" that liner notes credit to Son House, "Been mistreated, don't mind dyin'."Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" is set on fire by Dion's wild rhythm guitar.Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" has a burning tension that Cream tapped and Dion also nails here."Bronx in Blue" is a delightful acoustic blues set.Dion's in as good a voice as he was on his classic recordings.The liner notes are like a blues history lesson.Bravo! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Modern Acoustic Blues    2. Oldies    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll    6. United States of America   

Editorial Review

A slew of albums by young white men out of their minds in love with music made by older black men came from both sides of the Atlantic during the mid-1960s, but two records really laid the groundwork for the decade's blues revival--the self-titled releases by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers out of London and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band out of Chicago. Both bands were led by harmonica-blowing vocalists; both featured ascending guitar gods--Eric Clapton with Mayall and Mike Bloomfield with Butterfield. Butterfield's ensemble, however, came of age closer to the roots of the music. The rhythm section heard on the group's 1965 debut was hired away from Howlin' Wolf, and Butterfield, while still in his early 20s when the album shipped, was already a familiar face on the Windy City's club circuit. "Born in Chicago" opens the album on a gritty note that never flags through this 11-track landmark. The slashing duo guitars of Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop and Butterfield's flash harp helped make Muddy Waters fathomable for a new audience and, decades later, it's still easy to understand how. Read more

Reviews (28)

All Killer, no filler!
This is the one album, (I got it in the 60's), that you never skip a track. Every song is great. Turn it as loud as you can handle it and really listen to the beat. There's nothing like it! Bloomfield is the best at making the guitar resonate and bite. Every note is purposeful and exactly played. The album is the template for all other blues since then. I'm always listening for the next Butterfield band. Haven't found it yet, still looking!!
One of My Favorite Albums
This music lives on.It is as impressive today as it was in 1965.This is a must-have album for any blues fan, along with the even more astonishing and undeniably seminal blues-rock-jazz fusion album, East-West.
CLASSIC MIKE BLOOMFIELD! GREAT OLD CHICAGO BLUES!
This is the first album from the classic chicago blues band "The Paul Butterfield Blues Band". The group was an all star line up of blues musicians which featured Paul Butterfield on harmonica and vocals. The spectacular Mike Bloomfield on lead guitar, Elvin Bishop on rhythm guitar, Sam Lay (drummer for howlin' wolf and various other blues bands) on drums, organ/pianist Mark Naftalin and bass player Jerome Arnold. This is early Bloomfield, his licks are searing and his guitar stings throughout the album. Butterfield's classic harp wails and cries ferociously. The album opens up with the gritty "Born In Chicago". They then do a cover of "Shake Your Money Maker." The third track and one of the best, "Blues With a Feeling", has Bloomfield biting and chomping through the song. "Thank You Mr. Poobah" is a great instrumental with a bit of a jazz swing. They cover Muddy Waters "I Got My Mojo Working" solidly adding new energy into the song. "Mellow Down Easy" is a little weak but still good. They come back with the instrumental "Screamin'" which cranks. Bloomfield's licks and solos spew out of his guitar like magma. "Our Love is Drifting" is another K.O. slower blues number with more fierce guitarmanship. "Mystery Train" and "Last Night" are a little weaker but they make up for it with a cover of "Look Over Yonders Wall".
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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues-Rock    3. Chicago Blues    4. Electric Chicago Blues    5. Electric Harmonica Blues    6. Harmonica Blues    7. Modern Electric Chicago Blues    8. Pop    9. Popular Music    10. Rock   

Features

• Import

Reviews (1)

Homecoming
Australian, Jeff Lang was a fellow traveller of Chris Whitley and the inspiration derived from Whitley dates back to when he first toured Australia in the early 1990s. The chilling, sinuous reworking of,'Stagger Lee' leaves a pall over this wonderful epitaph to Whitley's art. With Lang on lapsteel and Whitley as witness to a bloody crime barley capable of redescription, we're immediately entranced by the pitiless menace of Lee's dark deed. Mostly Lang defers to Whitley's sonorous authority but shows on,'12,000 miles' how well he's assumed the Whitley sound. Dylan's,'Masterpiece' is more statley, even statuesque, given the casual rendition by its author and the carnivalesque treatment by The Band. The prescience of,'Rocket House' is perfectly complemented by Lang's,'Road Leads Down'. Then comes the title track with its quest for a homecoming denied the heretic. Even the vapour of sweet and sour nectar or vaccination ultimately fail the narrator. Lang and Whitley trade vocals on the other Dylan number,'Changing of the Guard' in a countrified reading. At his prime sensual centre, Whitley proceeds with,'Motion Bride', a succinct mantra, breathlessly announcing the recognition of perpetual spirit. It's a sequel or salve, if you like to the dislocated heretic of the title track. The two unlisted songs round out the disc. A live recitation from Sydney of Johnson's,'Hellhound' is a brilliant finale from a superb Bluesman. Congratulations to Jeff Lang for seeing this production to fruition. Again, their call and response rendition hones the song with a keening grace. It's followed by,'Kick The Stones' which, one could presume, one or both men might have considered Whitley's own legacy to the Delta sound. It's free of the anguishing self-doubt, even the brash anger, of its initial recorded appearance on,'Living With The Law', the guitar wheeling in ascending gyres above the foresaken roadhouse. Touching too that Lang left in Whitley's mutual admiration as the CD terminates. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Pop    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The cover of this holiday classic pictures Ray Charles with a sleigh-full of gifts. That's an appropriate image, since he's so generous with the soulful sounds contained inside. Ray's gravelly growl may turn sweet on such merry romps as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," but he doesn't fully hit his groove until he delves into the set's more grown-up material. He gives "Winter Wonderland" a soul transfusion the likes of which you won't see on many televised Christmas specials, and really lights a fire under "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Now that's the spirit! Read more

Reviews (14)

mediocre
blah stuff

Great all year long.
I have had this CD for about 15 years and it never gets old and it never will! This is how Christmas music should be played.

Ray Charles singing Christmas songs?What's not to like?
This album is beautiful.It's pretty much what you'd expect; classic Christmas songs done in Ray's ever-soulful style.It's a nice change from the typical Christmas albums, and it's one everyone can always seem to agree on (the traditionalists get to hear the songs they like, but the anti-traditionalists get a jazzy twist on them).Wonderful! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas    2. Christmas / Chanukkah    3. Christmas Music    4. Holiday    5. Pop    6. R&B    7. Soul    8. Xmas Vocal   

Reviews (1)

An excellent cd overall
"Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Puff, puff, puff, but if you smoke yourself to death tell St. Peter at the golden gate that you hates to make him wait, but you just gotta have another cigarette."
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Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Americana    3. Appalachian Folk    4. Bluegrass    5. Country    6. Guitar    7. Old-Timey    8. Pop    9. Traditional Country    10. Traditional Folk   

Reviews (11)

Not for everyone, but a great CD just the same
Contrary to popular belief, The Night Tripperhad more good songs than just Right Place, Wrong Time, sadly the only Dr. John tune most can identify. For starters, the stripped-down voodoo music (no better term) I Walk on Gilded Splinters does a better job of sending chills down my spine than anything death-metal has to offer (that crap makes me laugh, but that's off-topic). That tune is easily one of the 100 best songs ever recorded. Incidentally, the chorus of the song is not "Till Alberta" but "Till I burn out". Anyway, I'm also a big fan of Right Place Wrong Time Such a Night, Junko Partner (I especially get a laugh out of that opening line), Wash Mama Wash, Loop Garroo, Iko Iko, Tipitina, Qualified, What Goes Around (Comes Around), Honeydripper and Goin' Back to New Orleans. Each of these tunes can go toe-to-toe with virtually every radio hit by the much more-famous Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. Dr. John's music is very niched, a combination of funk, blues, jazz and voodoo grooves, but it's great stuff just the same and should be heard by all music fans. Granted, it might just be too left-of-the-center for you. Only one key track was left out: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya-ya, which could've easily replaced Mos' Scocious. The Doctor's vocals and piano are strong through the album, and every song is good. Why not?

Les' Scosious
Cut down from Rhino's 2CD anthology Mos' Scosious from the previous year, this 18-track non-chronological collection manages to weave its way through the various styles of Dr John's albums in such a way that they seem to fit together despite their disparate nature, from the mystic voodoo of the Gris Gris album and the New Orleans roots of his piano playing to the lushness of the two tracks from In A Sentimental Mood. Most of the most popular singles are included (missing are Wang Dang Doodle, Let The Good Times Roll, Rite Away, Let's Make A Better World and a few others), as well as some illuminating album tracks made for Atco (to 1974), for Warner (1989-1992), including the Grammy-winning duet with Rickie Lee Jones, Makin' Whoopee; and the Baltimore-based Clean Cuts (a solo piano tour-de-force found on Joe Liggins' Honey Dripper)(1981)

Truly the very best
Trying to pick the best of Dr. John has got to be as hard as trying to classify what type of music he plays. But I have to agree with the decisions on what to put on this disk. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues    3. Funk    4. New Orleans R&B    5. Piano    6. Piano Blues    7. Pop    8. R&B    9. Rock & Roll    10. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The blues master's 80th birthday gift to his fans is his third all-star collaboration. Its dozen tunes are a mix of classics and obscurities from King's past. They include commendable versions of his signature "The Thrill Is Gone," with Eric Clapton trading vocal lines and licks, and Howard Tate's "Ain't Nobody Home," with Daryl Hall answering King's gritty growl. There are obscurities, too, like "Tired of Your Jive," with a jocular Billy Gibbons, and "Hummingbird," transformed into a melodic gem with the assistance of John Mayer.Read more

Reviews (20)

B.B. Doesn't Need Help Like This
B.B King may be one of the best bluesmen alive but a collaboration album like this is not his forte'. This formula was put to much better use some years ago by John Lee Hooker with two very good albums ("The Healer" & "Mr. Lucky")with a MUCH better selection of guests.
The best
Listen to it constantly.Went to his birthday concert.At 80 he is still rockin!

In great voice... and a few songs really hit the spot.
B.B . King can pretty much do whatever he wants at this point; he really has nothing left to prove. The fact that this CD can still reach for some higher level with the obligatory guest star packaging is a feat in itself. While I feel some of the choices here lack inspiration, (Clapton or not, do we need another version of "The Thrill is Gone?")there are a few cuts that stand out and they are worth a listen.
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Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Memphis Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Pop    6. Soul-Blues    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Rounder compiled this superb 50-song set to serve as an introduction to bluegrass in general and to their own catalog in particular. Obvious marketing motives aside, the collection has few weaknesses and offers a broad look at the ever-morphing genre. Perhaps more than any other label, Rounder gave exposure to the renegade progressive and "newgrass" musicians who worshipped the style despite the fact that they weren't from the mountains. Folks like David Grisman, Bill Keith, Tony Trischka, and Bela Fleck push the music in new directions while others such as Del McCoury, Don Stover, James King, Jim & Jesse, and Vern Williams represent more-traditional concerns. Still others--Tony Rice, David Grier, J.D. Crowe, Nashville Bluegrass Band among them--adeptly fuse elements of tradition and innovation. This collection also highlights the important contributions of female artists including Hazel and Alice, Laurie Lewis, Claire Lynch, and Alison Krauss. Read more

Reviews (23)

Better than I had imagined
I was extremely pleased with this CD and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Bluegrass.

Don't buy this if you are dead set on not liking bluegrass
This is the BEST Bluegrass compilation ever... and you can't beat the price. The only problem is that you might play it too much... until you cant get the songs out of your head... but it will take a LONG time for this to happen even if you play them back to back because both Cds are so long (and there are two of them!) and ALL the songs are good! (except a couple, and that's probably personal preference)
Pick This One Up
One great album.Some great old songs, and some great new songs. 49 great songs in all.Acts range from some old Hazel & Alice to newer ones like J.D. Crowe and Alison Kraus.If a CD could wear out, I'd have to replace this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 70's    2. 80's    3. 90's    4. Bluegrass    5. Contemporary Bluegrass    6. Country    7. Folk Collections    8. Neo-Traditional Folk    9. Old-Timey    10. Pop    11. Progressive Bluegrass    12. Traditional Bluegrass    13. Traditional Folk   

Editorial Review

Ben Harper sounds good on paper. He's a 24-year-old Californian devoted to vintage acoustic guitars, original political songs and the unusual blend of calypso and Mississippi Delta blues--an inspired blend of David Lindley, Tracy Chapman, and Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, Harper's execution of this original conception on his debut album, "Welcome to the Cruel World," is distinctly underwhelming.Read more

Reviews (63)

Great songs!
Harper offers a great interpretation of Maya Angelou's I'll Rise poem.Also, you'll find "Waiting On An Angel" on the album.The song, if you don't know, was featured in the Lines in the Sand episode of the television show House, m.d.

Another Ben Harper...
Couple of great tracks a couple hokey tracks.Great lyrics and nice melodic rhythms.Overall a good album to own.

Ben Harper rocks!!
Ben Harper combines a wide variety of music styles in order to produce his various albums. Each of his albums combine aspects ofjazz, rock, and folk. Harper's 1994 album, "Welcome to the Cruel World", was a major success. This album covers introduces listeners to Harper's aucoustic, Instrument, lite rock, and more heavy rock styles.
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Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Jam Bands    3. Pop    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

In a brief interview that precedes this CD's four bonus tracks--all unreleased gems from the original 1984 sessions--Stevie Ray Vaughan makes the point that "music used to be more based on common everyday occurrences like a train's sound going down the track ... a horse walking." Then he comes on with a version of Freddie King's "Hideaway" that chugs like a locomotive. There's also a heretofore unheard slide-guitar-powered "Give Me Back My Wig" and a blueprint of what became Read more

Features

• Extra tracks
• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (34)

Unoriginal, but enjoyable
Whether you know it or not, you've heard an LP like this before. But the difference between Couldn't Stand the Weather and other similar LP's; you'd be hard-pressed to find a better guitarist than Stevie. That being said, don't expect to shelve your Allman Brothers Band so you can devote your life to the music of SRV. However, you should expect to enjoy this every time you hear it.
Hendrixian Genius
For a person who has so many opposite characteristics to Hendrix - white, right handed, slightly overweight Texan - he sure shows alot of similarities to the legendary guitarist; proof that looks, race and location have no effect on good music.His playing style consists of the same adventurous stage ploys- playing behind the back, through the legs, and everywhere else- while also containing the ability to go from hard hitting romps to soulful ballads and still be the master of the instrument.Hendix covers by SRV always stand up well to the original and stand as a tribute to the first master."Voodoo Child" holds it's ground extremely well, but no one can do the opening wahwah riffs as well as Hendrix.After a only decent opening, the song opens up as a masterpeice that hits harder than the original.
****1/2. Even better with bonus tracks
While not quite matching the greatness of Stevie Ray Vaughan's debut album, "Couldn't Stand The Weather" is a terrific album in its own right.
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Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues-Rock    3. Electric Texas Blues    4. Modern Electric Blues    5. Modern Electric Texas Blues    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. Texas Blues    10. United States of America   

Reviews (4)

MUST SEE MUST HEAR
I HAVE ALL OF ALBERT'S CD'S I HAVE SEEN HIM LIVE 3 TIMES. HE PLAYES A FENDER STRAT THRU A VIBRO KING AMP.HE CREATES A TONE UNLIKE ANY OTHER. YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES AND PICTURE STEVIE RAY ON STAGE. A VERY TASTEY TREAT FOR ANY LISTENER.

Mr. Cummings' best effort (so far!)
Within all the blues-rock guitarists out there, I believe that Mr. Cummings deserves to be considered as one of the best and his second album published by Blind Pig Records surely proves it. After three CDs in which the accent was stronger on the rock side of his music, this time the balance has moved towards the blues and the final result is excellent. Not a bad song to be found in here, they are all good and you will not be tempted to press the skip bottom of your CD player at any time. Up-tempo, classic Texas blues, shuffles but also slow numbers in the menu. And it is especially in the slow ones that Mr. Cummings gives his best as in "Let Me Be" and "Rumors" that for me are the two best songs of the album. I would say that Working Man is his best effort so far, so if you are already his fan you shouldn't miss a second and buy it, if you are new to Albert's music this is the best point to start from. Without any doubts a full 5 stars CD!

Another excellent blues cd from one of the new stars
ALBERT CUMMINGS seemed to capture the feel of SRV very well on his previous CD and it was excellent ( even if a bit derivative ). This one is a lot less SRV and a lot more CUMMINGS. Not one dud track and a consistenly high standard throughout. Definetly one of the best of the current crop of white electric blues man. If you like the guitar and the blues, this is a must have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bass    2. Blues    3. Contemporary Blues    4. Drums    5. Guitar (Electric)    6. Modern Electric Blues    7. Pop    8. Vocals   

Editorial Review

This Columbia Legacy reissue of the 1965 release is one of the few recordings available of one of the blues' founding fathers. It contains some of his best songs, which have unsurprisingly become classics of the Delta blues genre: "Death Letter," "Preachin' Blues," "Levee Camp Moan," "Pony Blues," and "Downhearted Blues" are all here. Though not as comprehensive as Read more

Reviews (14)

Mississipi blues by the master
When the Mississippi blues giant, Eddie 'Son' House was rediscovered in 1964 he was 62 years old and had given up music some 16 years previously. Practice soon restored much of his original mastery and he was signed up the following year by John Hammond for a Columbia Records session. The LP that emerged comprised the first nine of these tracks, and represented a powerful come-back, with stand-out numbers 'Death Letter', 'Empire State Express', and 'Levee Camp Moan', as well as the unaccompanied 'John The Revelator'.
Review of this CD by a non-Blues-fan.
I say I'm not a Blues fan because I'm not. I don't consider myself a fan of any particular style or genre of music because the overwhelming majority of artists representing the different genres are, in my opinion, totally dispensable and not at all interesting or compelling. I pick and choose like a connissuer among all of the artists the music world has and has had to offer.
This Is The BLUES!!!
When you listen to this you feel like you have been transported to the Mississippi Delta.So many great songs and Death Letter gets it started perfectly.Everytime I hear Louise Mcgee I can almost picture Son riding in a box car down a lonely railroad track in the dead of night with his guitar pining for Louise.That may sound corny but that just gives you an idea of how powerful these songs are.John the Revelator, Levee Camp Moan, Sundown, Pony Blues are also great.Hell, there all great.If you are just getting into the blues, specifically the delta blues you have to have this.This and Robert Johnsons King of the Delta Blues Singers vol.1 & 2(I say these volumes because I think the sound quality is superior on these two as compared to the set)is mandatory. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Blues    3. Blues Music    4. Blues Revival    5. Blues Traditional    6. Delta Blues    7. Pop    8. Prewar Blues    9. Slide Guitar Blues    10. Work Songs   

Editorial Review

If there's a certain instant familiarity to this collaborative celebration between U.S. guitar icon/musicologist Ry Cooder and Cuban fret legend Manuel Galbán, it's only testimony to how deeply the island nation's rich musical heritage permeated American pop music in the '50s, '60s, and beyond. Cooder and Galbán (a key compatriot in the American guitarist's Read more

Reviews (56)

Unbearably Cool Guitar
I first heard "Drume Negrita" on my local NPR station (Oregon Public Broadcasting has a great night time lineup) about a year ago and nearly lost it when I heard all that fabulous twang, reverb and slow tremolo, played with such taste and restraint that I knew it must be a master at work. I was not surprised to find out that Ry Cooder was involved, but the CD is even more rewarding than I expected for there are two great masters at play here.
my favorite Ry Cooder
while i have difficulty getting into some Ry Cooder albums, this one is starkly different.I consider this album to have some of the most important guitar works that i own, the compositions and his guitar tones are immaculate.This album and of course the Bueno Vista Social Club are the ones that do it for me.

Can I Please Give This 6 Stars?
This was, in my world, the album of the year, and something I listen to a million times more often than the Buena Vista stuff, (which I like). I've turned many, many people on to this recording. The melodies are timeless, yet exotic, the rhythms quietly syncopated and complex, Ry's background/ambient guitar flourishes are exercises in restraint while accentuating the hazy atmosphere of the sessions ... and when he adds some slide, it gets downright spacy. And it turned me on to the unique quality of musico cubano, and elicited some pangs of regret that we've been blockaded, politically, from the wonderful aspects of this culture. Definitely Ry's greatest achievement - the Cuban project in general, this recording in particular. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Latin Jazz    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. World Music   

Editorial Review

Curiously, yet not surprisingly given the enormity of his sway, Billie Holiday's greatest vocal influence was "Pops"--Louis Armstrong, whose trumpet was his first signature (though he's often credited with being the first great jazz singer as well). One hears Armstrong in Holiday's sense of phrasing, timing, and the warmth she invests in a lyric. This package, containing such touchstone Holiday renderings as "I Cried for You," "Body and Soul," and "When a Woman Loves a Man" (poetic, given the fact that Billie was notoriously unlucky at love), also boasts her signature song, "God Bless the Child." Her accompanists are a hall-of-fame lot, including trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Buck Clayton; saxmen Lester Young (with whom she had a close relationship), Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, and Harry Carney; drummers Cozy Cole and Jo Jones; bassists John Kirby and Walter Page; and her frequent pianist, Teddy Wilson. Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (13)

Fave Jazz Album!
Every tune is fab! Thankfully, the remastering has not diminished the old scratchy sound typically found in recordings from this era.
Early greats from Lady Day
I heard this CD while I was walking around Borders and just had to have it.These are early recordings - the music is fresh and joyous - the vocals are superb.I especially love the recordings of "Miss Brown To You," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" (a treat), "Some Other Spring" and my very favorite, "I Can't Get Started."I have other Holiday recordings.However, this is the one I play again and again.I only wish that it had "Good Morning Heartache" on it.Oh, well.

A great place to start, an album with a special treat!
Almost everything Billie Holiday recorded, and maybe everything Billie recorded before 1941, like these sides, was great. Certainly, this collection doesn't have any of the very important work Billie Did during WWII for Commodore, nor does it have some of th exciting Jazzy recordings Billie did for Verve in the late 1940s and 1950s.Nor are any of the outstanding live performances by Billie for Jazz at the Philharmonic or in her Carneige Hall concerts on this CD.
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Subjects:  1. Ballads    2. Classic Female Blues    3. Jazz    4. Jazz Music    5. Jazz Vocals    6. Pop    7. Swing    8. Traditional Pop    9. Vocal Jazz   

Editorial Review

Whether she sings string-laden pop ballads, lively soul, or gritty electric blues, James's high-powered, enormously expressive voice displays a knack for passionate blues inflections. Emotionally charged ballads including "At Last" and "All I Could Do is Cry" find James blasting through the orchestra with unearthly wails and moans. "If I Can't Have You," a duet with Harvey Fuqua, drops the orchestra in favor of horn-driven R&B and "Something's Got a Hold On Me" is a gospel-flavored romp reminiscent of Ray Charles. A live version of Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" shows her raunchiest Chicago-blues style, and "In the Basement," with Sugar Pie DeSanto, is a funky workout. Also here are three classics from her soul-drenched 1967 Muscle Shoals sessions.Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (43)

the real queen of the blues
probably the best album from Etta.She is a legend

Great Tunes
Etta is in a class of her own and she tells a story with her music
Etta James-50th Anniversary Colcection
I preferred her earlier works and CD's.While she will always be great, the quality just isn't the same.Louise London, UK ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Music    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Soul-Blues    6. United States of America   

Editorial Review

John Lee Hooker used to say "the blues is a feeling," but this collection is proof that it's also a universal language. These 11 songs by musicians from South and North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa are a thoroughly enjoyable summation of the genre's ability to cut through cultural barriers to touch the heart. "Slide Blues" by Argentina's Botafogo could be a Delta relic if not for its Spanish lyrics. And singer Big Mama with harp man Victor Uris beautifully blur the lines between Catalonia and Chicago. The great pianist Otis Spann and the trio of Eric Bibb, Rory Block, and Maria Muldaur provide two straight-up shots of the style. The best tunes are outright cross-cultural collaborations.Read more

Reviews (1)

A must have for blues lovers
If you love the blues, you must add this to your collection. It's fascinating and fun to hear how the blues have spread - and been adapted - around the world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Contemporary Blues    3. Pop    4. Regional Mexican    5. World Fusion    6. Worldbeat   

Editorial Review

Few artists in recent memory have been able to wring more from less than Lucinda Williams. The hauntingly beautiful, wistful, and often breathtaking Read more

Reviews (174)

Absolutely sublime
This is quite possibly Lucinda Williams finest recorded work to date. I have no option but to award five well deserved stars. The songs and production are certainly not as immediately impressive as Car Wheels or World Without Tears. However, what we have is a superbly crafted and subtly understated work that rewards repeated listening through masterful and poetic use of lyrics, heatbreaking vocal expression, and near-perfect arrangements. It is wonderfully successful on all levels. There are no weak tracks, and I invariably listen to all 11 without skipping. The title track is a favourite; one of the sexiest things I've ever heard.

"For Girls Under Heavy Blankets with Heat Rising."
This mournful, erotic album is my favorite of Lucinda Willams work.I'm not usually a fan of female singers who play guitar, but this lady is a real musician, a poet and an emotional magician. She writes her own music and lyrics -plays on her heartstrings, sings from her soul.Her rough but vulnerable, husky, cowgirl voice tells you all you need to know about late nights in bars, too much booze, cigarettes, and a long time looking - and longing - for that one guy.
Angst, Beautiful Angst
Lucinda once again cuts an album that defies categorization - rock, folk, blues? I don't know what to call it, so I'll just stick with ''excellent'' and ''superb''. Essence is 100% pure Lucinda angst. And I love it. It doesn't have the range that Car Wheels does, but than again she spent 6 years on that album. She wrote all the songs on Essence in only 6 weeks. In Lucinda time, that's nothing! So it's no wonder all the songs sound like they're from the same place inside this great song-writer. That same angst-ridden place. Don't get me wrong though, this album is fantastic. And I'm very happy I didn't have to wait 6 years before she put it out :) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acoustic Blues    2. Alternative Country-Rock    3. Alternative Folk    4. Americana    5. Contemporary Folk    6. Folk-Rock    7. Pop    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop    10. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

Stinging urban blues by way of Texas and Memphis distinguish Robert Cray's major-label debut, which followed three strong independent releases. Here he fleshes out his sound with bursts of brassy Southern soul courtesy of the Memphis Horns, but keeps his pungent, steely guitar solos out front in an engaging dialogue with his plaintive vocals. Released in 1986, Read more

Reviews (32)

Robert Cray's Smoking
Robert Cray is last in the line of great bluesman. He took the torch of BB King and Albert Collins and made something special. It is a rocking blend of stax, r&b, and memphis soul. There really is no one to compare it to, today. His singing is outrageously soulful and a throwback to Bobby Bland. His guitar playing is literally unparalleled, even with his relavtively short solos. There isn't much he can't say with one note, and white blues players simply pale in comparison.
fantastic breakthrough album
Very few albums truly merit a "5 star" rating (handed out on amazon.com like they're going out of style nonetheless, but I digress). However, in the genre of modern blues and soul this is certainly one album that deserves all the credit it has received. Every track here is catchy and will get your head bobbing - the melodies and grooves are that good. On top of that you have Cray's fantastic guitar tone and licks, as well as his strong, soulful voice. Not much h