What Are You Listening To?

[Jerome]

Looks very much like they stole the idea from Wish You Were Here! What in God's name does she have on her head? Maybe it's a new kind of compass because she is clearly lost or the chauffeur went to the wrong address.........

[jazzboCR]

Chess Records' 2-disc set paying tribute to one of the giants of the Blues.

Dixon wasn't really a front-man - although there are a handful of his own releases here - but he wrote or co-wrote many of the classics of the Blues, and played double-bass on most of the selections here, until electric bass became pre-eminent.

Featured artists include Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Koko Taylor, Bo Diddley, Lowell Fulson, Otis Rush, Little Walter, & Sonny Boy Williamson II.

Those of you with a taste for late '60s UK Blues will recognise songs popularised by Cream, The Rolling Stones, and in particular Led Zeppelin. In fact, a lot of Zeppelin's first two albums are to be found here.

Great collection of great Blues.


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

Great choice, Tiggi. Mr. Dixon was a complete music man, not least in making sure other artists got the royalties they'd been screwed out of for decades...and went after plagiarists too. Not a man to mess with (Golden Gloves boxing champ). This box is the 1st of the box sets on Blues artists and a grand job it is. After 20+ years as writer/producer/sideman, the times passed him by in the US so he did the logical thing: put together groups to tour Europe to rapturous receptions everywhere. Some tunes (not all from the box):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-POnP8O2R0 << heard this one before, have you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyAY3DQkLj0 <<...And this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpxNJcNRwFA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSc3wM8fakk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga3E-70u4g0 << some sage advice. A back-porch-session piece
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhTdjv0VjTU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhTdjv0VjTU
[/URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvNn8ZHAMb0 << Stevie Wonder had an entirely different song with this title...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alNkcMrDP90
BONUS: A full concert--be amazed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_aXT0WsC1U

[jazzboCR]

SONNY ROLLINS - DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL (LIVE)

A fiery performance by one of the greatest jazz tenor saxophonists of our generation !!!
[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e4/Don't_Stop_the_Carnival_(album).jpg[/IMG]

Doubt this is the session SteveO was referencing but it'll sure do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiYms26Y098

[jazzboCR]

SONNY ROLLINS - TENOR MADNESS (1956)

A seminal jazz record featuring Sonny's brilliant chops and a guest appearance on the title track from John Coltrane !

Once more into the breach...Ho ho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLAQBYEgS58

[jazzboCR]

ESPERANZA SPALDING - JUNJO

A soothing blend of jazz, bossa nova and soul within a trio setting. This lady has a very promising future and only 27!

She has matured so quickly and so gracefully, and extended herself in other ways too. First jazz artist to win a Grammy as Best New Artist. AMG says "...wildly flourishing talent..."--sure got that right. "Esperanza" means "hope"...sure doesn't hurt that (sexist pig that I am) she's a stone fox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aRC3YY3svs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nppb01xhfe0 << This song may be a bit polemical for some...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUcvLtTp9d0 << see how much fun jazz can be in the right hands?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pyz76KlHqk << straps on a classic and does so right by it (her vocal BTW)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgnDE_5Wxiw << a bit earlier--OMG what an All-Star group, none of whom would tolerate the second-rate.

BONUS: hour+ concert on that marvy AVO series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps7VtwXu7aU

[jazzboCR]

You won't see me in this section of the forum often even though I do listen to the blues every now and then but I was watching the movie 'Bird' today. Absolutely amazing. A 'close to the bone' movie if ever there was one.

Actually those who have posted the Blues here are aberrant--this is titled "Jazz/ Big Band..." and other stuff. It's become by extension inclusive of the Blues. I tried to post the movie but it's "R" rated and YouTube puts you through changes to get to it. I agree it was a superior production, well worth anybody's time. Forrest Whitaker as Bird just kills...The meticulous sound-recording won awards. Not least, this film caused a bunch of unreleased CP material to be freed from a bank vault by his common-law widow. Mercy, has it really been 25 years since this came out?

[jazzboCR]

I put on "Om" by John Coltrane last. Let's just say I turned it off 15 minutes in

Let's just say it takes a very particular brain to "get" this--one I don't have either. Here's the AMG review: http://www.allmusic.com/album/om-mw0000198503

[jazzboCR]

i-Pod listening in the garden this PM.

Catching what must be close to the last of the year's warm rays...

Second album of Jazzy Blues from 1966.

Butterfield blows a mean harp (I'm a real Bluesman, me !!), and sings a collection of fine songs that played a part in igniting the '60s Blues revival that dragged white audiences in, which may or not have been a good thing, depending on your standpoint...


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

I hear what you're saying--too often extending an audience base means diluting the music but let's don't be all anal-retentive about it (you definitely are not...I'm just saying). The royalty picture had been somewhat straightened out by this time (battles for years more, led by Willie Dixon but at least a start had been made) and a lot of folks commenced here then found the Original Stuff. Blues-rock that peculiar hybrid started about this time but Black folks had already started to turn their backs on what many thought of as "fuddy-duddy" music and this somewhat revitalized a 30-year-old music form that may have lost its way (tired themes, the same old, same old chords, few women in it getting respect, etc). Not starting a sh!t-storm here but from the perspective of the 21st century, overall a good thing. Looking for other points-of-view here in the usual civil MD way. Some tunes? How about the whole thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwMqBvBLJio

[jazzboCR]

First heard of The Butterfield Blues Band (BBB) in Newcastle in October 66, they were a support act, the headliner was Eric Burdon and the Animals. Was a big Animals fan (local boys made good), and was playing in a local blues band (on bass) whilst studying at Uni.
The BBB were very striking for a number of reasons. Firstly when they walked on stage, they did not have "stage gear on", Butterfield was wearing an old brown cordoroy jacket, and Bloomfield had that "iconic" horizontal blue and white T shirt. Bloomfield had his Gibson Les Paul, which looked very battered even then. Bishop had a nice shinny Gibson SG, this was the first time I had seen the "second guitarist with a better guitar than the lead player.

They played a short 20 minute set, all tracks from their first album, opening with "Born in Chicago", followed by "Blues with a feeling", "Shake your moneymaker" and closing with "Got my mojo working".

The thing that hit you was the sound, raw, aggressive and very very tight. Looking back I regard them as the first "Punk" band, but no "Punk" band had the chops that these guys had. If Born in Chicago is not a Punk anthem, then I dont know what is.

I was very impressed and went the following saturday to buy their album. The shop only had East/West so I bought it. I went to the flat I shared with 2 other band members, and we put it on the little record player we had, turned the lights out smoked what weed we had, and were knocked out by what we heard.

The first track "Walking Blues" hit like a freight train, alan our guitarist wanted to hear it again immediately, but was persuaded to let the Album play, "Get out my life woman" was followed by the sublime "I've got a mind to give up living". Alan's comment on hearing the intro was "Christ, who the hell is this guy". Butterfield's vocal, just wrenched the gut, Bloomfield's guitar soaring hitting all the emotional spots. "All these Blues" returned to the driving freight train of "Walking Blues", the harp leading the assault. Then "Work Song", a tune we played, having seen the Animals play it in their early years. The number opens with Butterfield's harp laying out the tune, before Bloomfield comes and pisses guitar all over the track, played with incredible speed and attack, then Butterfield answers with the harp, not going to be overawed by Bloomfield. Then Naflin and Bishop show their chops, before the band trades licks (the first time we had heard that) and wraps it all up in a breathtaking crescendo. Alan was all for playing the whole side again, but we turned it over and heard "Mary Mary" a Monkees number played tightly, straight and with restraint and made their own ending with yet another killer guitar solo. Then "Two trains running", played so tight and crisp, no one other than Booker T and the MG's played as tight and funky as that. "Dont say no to me" with Bishops vocal is not up to the standard of the rest of the Album.

Then East/West starts with Bishops bluesy guitar solo, Butterfield blasts out a harp solo, reaching a crescendo, then off the top of the crescendo, Bloomfield comes in and just soars for the next 8 + minutes, we were left stunned.

This was one of a handful of albums of that era that really defined the direction that music could go in. Butterfield was never better, and even with the estimable Buzzy Fielten was never able to recreate the magic, this really is his career topping moment.

Great remembrance post with pithy comments about the music itself. I agree whole-heartedly with his assessments.

[jazzboCR]

i-Pod listening in the garden this PM.

1961 release, being the fourth from this classic line-up to come from a batch of 1956 sessions.

Miles on trumpet, with Coltrane on Tenor, Red Garland on Piano, Paul Chambers on Bass, and Philly Joe Jones on Drums.

A mixture of Bop, Swing, and late night tracks, impeccably delivered by a band at the top of their game.

Wonderful album (Check out this, Relaxin', Cookin', or Workin' for some first class Jazz).


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

There was a 5th in what I think of as the Apostrophe Series (also Walkin', released in '54, though with a totally different group, qualifies) and would constitute career bests by many lesser artists. Here's AMG: [URL="http://www.allmusic.com/album/steamin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet-mw0000191715"]http://www.allmusic.com/album/steamin-with-the-miles-davis-quintet-mw0000191715
[/URL]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUB1oTNGg7E
I'm being so OTT but here's the others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGNCWj5r5zI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdNF7EJGgt0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vNreXKw2Qw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcIiu1kQMx0