What Are You Listening To?

[latorius]

I won't waste time quibbling about where SRV was or his place at age 36--I'll take strong issue about where he might have progressed. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are 2 strong benchmarks but SRV would be right there with them circa 2014. And where would Duane Allman stand in this Pantheon? I'm not busting, just looking for a little more understanding...and a minute of grief for our loss. "...in the second 11..." is way tough. Passion fuels us, doesn't it? Occasionally to excess...

Just to clarify, my personal top 10 would be as follows:

Michael Bloomfield - Able to let you feel his soul via his LP, very short career, but the highs he hit have only been glimpsed at since, also God himself (Bob Dylan) said he was the best he's ever heard, seen or played with.
Ry Cooder - If its strung, he can make it sing, personally I prefer him as a Band member, but that is just me.
Robbie Robertson - A guitarist who has 'thrown away more fills' embellishing tunes, than some guitarists have in a career, also God cites him as the 'only mathematically perfect guitarist'
Albert King - My personal favourite King
James Burton - I know he is labelled a a 'Country Picker' but listen to him on Hoyt Axton's version of 'That's alright mama', a truly dirty and almost pornographic solo
Jeff Beck - The only British guitarist I would stand in line to see
Duane Allman - Only have his brief recording history, but he is certainly up there, never saw him live, a big regret
Jimi Hendrix - Saw him in the UK on 'packaged tours' and only once at the Marquee, obviously very unhappy to be sharing the bill with Lulu and others, but 'when he wanted' he could take you inside his soul
Nils Lofgren - The most underrated player here, his early career has some real gems that are worth looking out, I caught him in Edinburgh in 2001, with a really tight band, the whole place was singing 'I came to dance' to bring him out for an encore just magical. Springsteen knew what he was doing when he hired Nils, he was hiring the best available player
Elliott Randall - Steely Dan, he made the first album
Jerry Garcia - Didnt really show you his soul, but could generate a hell of a good time

Mentions For:
Rory Gallagher, who I sometimes saw every other day for a while in the late sixties,
Lonnie Mack a truly great player and innovator who is still going strong,
Dave Alvin who I have just discovered, check out his version of 'Highway 61 revisited'
Alvin Lee a stylish and melodic player, who has played almost every style
Pete Townsend can play with such a passion, one of two reasons I really wanted to play in the Who
Stephen Stills a listen to his work with Judy Collins on 'the first boy I loved' will convince that the CSNY circus probably robbed us of a lot
Howard Slackman he was Nina Simone's guitarist for years, check out 'just say I love him' (not the live in Paris version) serenity and pain

Thats it, I appreciate people are not going to agree on this it is very personal, I've missed people out that have been a big influence, but these are the ones I go back to listening again and again

[Mrrusty1]

In a silent way anb bitches brew are good electric miles albums from early 70s also from much later TUTU is a good album 1986.. I saw him perform this live in 1986 at Wembley conference centre London .not long after that he died

Lately I've been getting into some of the live electric Miles stuff. Its not quite like the Blue Note staples that have been occupying this thread over the past couple posts (), but I'm loving it.

[video=youtube;zX1rx1F0Cu4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1rx1F0Cu4[/video]

[jazzboCR]

On the laptop.

As recommended by Mr Soul.

1995 recording.

Stylistically very eclectic, but I'd characterise it as Folkish Blues.

This is an excellent album. Again, laptop listening often doesn't do music adequate justice, but this one leaps out, and I'm looking forward to getting a copy and listening "properly".

I second Soulman's recommendation.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

Jackie leven, R.I.P. He died not long after this entry, making top-notch music to the end. Here's a bio: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jackie-le.../biography Here's his Website with mighty interesting stuff for the delver: http://www.jackieleven.co.uk/ Some tines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUlWGBIUCTU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CB-IGoxl8A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4gowq-88SU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV3fMfrLqTM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4sa5vGPcY
Fascinating ideas, fully realized. Quite the wordsmith/tunesmith.

[jazzboCR]

Athens Traffic Live by Eric Burdon and the Animals

[ATTACH=CONFIG]833[/ATTACH]

Athens Traffic Live
Eric Burdon and the Animals
Blues
2011
1. Intro
2. Boom Boom
3. When I Was Young
4. Factory Girl
5. Once Upon A Time
6. Devils Slide
7. Heaven
8. The Night
9. In My Secret Life
10. Over The Border
11. Little Queenie
12. Tobacco Road
13. Mercys Hand (Bonus)

I like it....

Me too. Big shout-out to bjgeiger for bringing it to us. Some tunes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBRXwD169jg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl2nsq_wcEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-I0SUfvN8 << there's a throw-back vibe to this that really appeals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnGU15iPrQI << Added instrument and voice make this song....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioBHG2KkbnY << a Leonard Cohen song

BONUS: That added instrument and voice? Here's more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKaPezqktA0

[jazzboCR]

XPLODING PLASTIX - Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents

I came across this at a yard sale last weekend (one dollar Canadian ...we call them loonies in Canada ????).
I love this CD ! Combination of acid jazz, electrofunk and beat music. Very good production.

This can make an electronica fan from somebody who runs screaming when the subject is brought up. Could be "binned" any number of ways--I say "Perdition on that--just groove with it"--it will, it is to be hoped, find it's audience. Some tunes but not all off that album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M47Bsg6Bt3M << surface sounds like others but dig deeper...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoOHrkfVkVQp << A Norwegian duo with a lot of skilled help
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt7GTi5ky3A << love the name of this tune...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0cKFVqZGA << ...this one not so much
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tevbrL2gksQ << BTW, this is their debut album

[jazzboCR]

Suspended Night by Tomasz Stanko - genius from Poland

[ATTACH=CONFIG]836[/ATTACH]

Sometimes you just don't want really challenging stuff--you want excellent musicianship, good songs and engaging stuff. Been around since the '70's and, yes, some is a bit challenging. His bio: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tomasz-st.../biography Been mostly with ECM Records for 20 years, thus always tasteful--his more experimental recordings are elsewhere. Some tunes:
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkh3O54ZB7k"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkh3O54ZB7k
[/URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mg6N4cWNco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JT312EFv-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thRvlH8olJA << so nice....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=590RUDaCgJY

[jazzboCR]

ANDREW HILL - POINT OF DEPARTURE..... a must listen for Jazz fans young and old...one of the best !

Got that right and here 'tis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0VW1eNR2DU&list=PLFE078EFBD2E3A092 << AMGs take: http://www.allmusic.com/album/point-of-d...0000243448 sometimes you can plan the ass off a session and sometimes the magic just happens.

[jazzboCR]

On the laptop.

Jazz Pianist/Vocalist/Humourist Fats Waller was mentioned on here a few weeks ago, and it felt appropriate to see what I've been missing.

This is basically a good single-disc career retrospective released in 2000, which features most aspects of his multi-faceted talent. Sublime keyboard skills (he features on both piano & organ), a voice not unlike Louis Armstrong, and some brilliant tunes make for a great disc.

Definite Buy Lister, but I have my eye on a 2-disc set which I couldn't listen to on We7.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

A marvelous complement to this is Jimmy Smith Plays Fats Waller, a '62 outing. Here's some:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ss8DkWVzsE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD5n8wyTRyw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz7jOCX2chw

[jazzboCR]

On the laptop.

His eleventh album, released in 2010.

Picked up on this from a magazine review. It's an album of decent Blues music, but didn't strike me as strong enough to warrant a Buy List place.

Not a bad album, but there's so much quality vintage Blues out there that I don't feel it's good enough to deserve a purchase.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

I think Tiggi's opinion is unjustly dismissive. Mr. Taylor may look to the past in style and themes but he's up-to-the-minute in expressing all that. Let the readers/listeners decide. Here's the AMG bio: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/otis-tayl.../biography and a description of his only poorly-rated album: http://www.allmusic.com/album/truth-is-n...0000036038 << like he says, Mr. Taylor has the ability to make at least this White man mighty uncomfortable...exactly what he sets out to do...sometimes. Other times, he's a working Bluesman, set to rock you. He is huge in Europe and not just principally with America-bashers either. He speaks to them...and he speaks to me. Some tunes, staying away from the disturbing stuff--it's there but I have no wish to bludgeon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRzq7UoPA9E << "bin" this to suit yourself ...but to me, this is the Blues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZHpbMnExSk << takes big stones to cover this...he's got'm Some kinda guitarist he's got playing with him--who you can attract to play with you is a big mark of respect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25LO0IbaKWw << not sayin' trance blues is to everybody's taste, but it does open up a world of possibilities inside it, hence entrancing 10-minute songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhiO8rT_LnA << yes, this one, is political...but used in a movie soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJol_zL3scs << be nice if they'd actually used a Cadillac instead of a Pontiac ( that car-name is the butt of a racist slur--PM for details.)
BONUS: A full set at a Folk & Folk-Blues Festival (I've been--it's a grand day): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXUY_gaotXE << How about a big hand for Anne Harris on violin and with animated spirits? Oh yes!
Here's the thing: even if Mr. Taylor stands rough and small compared to the Originators, you can hire him to come to your town. How's that for an advantage? I got enough respect Tiggi, to beg you give a re-consideration to this artist and his music. Fair enough? BTW, he spent 20 years out of music, being a very successful antiques dealer. More than 1 dimension to this guy, that's for sure.

[jazzboCR]

Couldn't seem to add comments/links to # 548 (it's about JJ Cale). So here's where I jump in with 1+ hours of Mr. Cale in studio with Leon Russell. From '79, they are both in their prime.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaHxPi9dM7o << some entertaining chit-chat