Telarc Blues Artists - In The Pocket - A Taste Of Blues Harmonica


01	Mighty Fine Boogie	Ronnie Earl	Taken from ""Ronnie Earl And Friends"" Ronnie Earl's first album after suffering from a bout with manic depression that sidelined him from live work for a few years, is a surprisingly modest, unassuming affair. The titular friends include Fabulous Thunderbirds founder/harpist/vocalist Kim Wilson who splits the album's vocal duties with Luther ""Guitar Junior"" Johnson. James Cotton, Band drummer Levon Helm, keyboardist David Maxwell, and New Orleans legend Irma Thomas (who contributes her distinctive vocals to only two stunning tunes) round out the ad hoc band. Recorded live in Woodstock, NY's Bearsville studio over three days in autumn 2000 and released almost a year later, the session is a loose affair intended to emulate the old Delmark label style of rounding up blues friends, putting them together in a room and rolling tape. Of course, with musicians of this caliber, you're unlikely to go wrong, and the resulting album is a relaxed, unpretentious chronicle of these artist's interaction on blues classics and a few similarly themed originals. Most of the songs were completed in one take (you often hear the verbal cues deciding who takes a solo), and the album doesn't feature any one particular player, preferring to share the spotlight among all the ""friends."" Unfortunately those who come to hear Earl, one of the more tasty, understated blues guitarists, might leave disappointed since there is precious little soloing from the ex-Roomful of Blues man here. While that makes for a democratic gathering, it's also a little frustrating if you're an Earl fan. That said, there are many fine performances here. Kim Wilson is at the top of his game, shining on Little Walter's ""Blue and Lonesome"" and ""Last Night,"" two of the six tracks he sings on. The former boasts Earl's longest, most passionate solo on the album along with a harp turn from Wilson that oozes with emotion. The group clicks on all the tracks, but seems to work best on the slow blues of Earl's ""Twenty-Five Days,"" Cotton's ""One More Mile,"" and Thomas' showcase, a languid and heartfelt medley of ""I'll Take Care of You""/""Lonely Avenue,"" one of the disc's undisputed highlights. An album for Sunday mornings as opposed to Saturday nights, Ronnie Earl and Friends is a subtle and intimate blues session, whose headlining star remains only a small, but essential portion of the event.	03:45
02	Knocking On Your Door	John Primer	Taken from ""Knocking On Your Door"" Date of US Release June 8, 1999 John Primer's debut leaves a bit to be desired for fans of down-home blues. Although Primer sings and plays with extreme conviction, the problem is the backing band on this 12-song set. With the McCray brothers on guitar and drums, Matthew Skoller on harmonica, and Ken Saydak on piano, there's simply way too much busy playing for the group to sound like a well-meshed ensemble. Skoller's harp swamps everything in its path, and McCray's drumming is lumbering in spots. With a more sympathetic backing group, Primer has the makings of a great album in him somewhere.	03:56
03	T.D.'s Boogie Woogie	James Cotton	Taken from ""Superharps"" Date of US Release October 26, 1999 Four great blues harmonica players (James Cotton, Billy Branch, Charlie Musselwhite, and Sugar Ray Norcia) are featured in various combinations on this spirited disc, backed by a four-piece rhythm section (with guitarist Kid Bangham and pianist Anthony Geraci). Cotton and Norcia have solo pieces, seven numbers feature two harmonicas, and the lengthy low-down blues ""Harp to Harp"" has all four of the harmonica players taking turns soloing. Much of the material is jazz-oriented, including ""The Hucklebuck,"" ""TD's Boogie Woogie,"" and ""Route 66,"" and the majority of the selections are instrumentals. Each of the harmonica players sounds inspired and the results are consistently exciting and swinging.	04:38
04	Rock Me Baby	Hubert Sumlin/Pinetop Perkins	Taken from ""Legends"" Date of US Release October 27, 1998 A session that Pinetop Perkins co-led with one-time Howlin' Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin, Legends should have been outstanding but is merely average. Singer/pianist Perkins (who was 84 when Legends was recorded in May 1998) and singer/guitarist Hubert Sumlin both had strong Chicago blues credentials going way back, and one greets Legends with very high expectations. But while Legends isn't a bad album, the sparks don't fly the way they should have. Embracing familiar electric blues classics like Willie Dixon's ""I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man,"" Jimmy Reed's ""Shame, Shame, Shame"" and B.B. King's ""Rock Me, Baby,"" Perkins and Sumlin simmer without ever really igniting. And their accompaniment (which includes guitarist Doug Wainoris, harmonica player Annie Raines, bassist Rod Carey and drummer Per Hanson) doesn't go that extra mile either. The CD sinks to its lowest point when Wainoris and Raines sing lead on Clarence ""Gatemouth"" Brown's ""She Walks Right In"" - while Wainoris is a competent singer, Raines has a terrible voice and makes listeners painfully aware of the fact that she should stick to harmonica playing. For the most part, however, Legends isn't disastrous - just mildly disappointing. This is a CD that only completists will want.	03:32
05	Lightning	James Cotton	Taken from ""Fire Down Under The Hill"" Fire Down Under the Hill is the first release for the Telarc label by blues harmonica legend James Cotton. These ten acoustic tracks combine new tunes with the traditional Delta style passed down to Cotton directly from Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. Backed by his regular road band, guitarist Rico McFarland, pianist David Maxwell, and vocalist Darrell Nulisch, Cotton's exquisitely gritty harp playing still sounds great.	03:52
06	I'm A Steady Rollin' Man	Robert Lockwood, Jr.	Taken from ""Hellhound On My Trail: Songs Of Robert Johnson"" Not the first compilation of bluesmen (and one woman) interpreting the limited but radically influential work of Robert Johnson, and almost certainly not the last, this 2001 entry is one of the more substantial efforts in the lineage. Instead of refashioning these classics in unique arrangements, the compilers have stripped the artists and songs down to their unplugged roots. Most perform solo or with another musician. Drums are all but nonexistent, and a sublime organ augments another, but the rest wend their way with the basics of guitar, voice, and harp, as well as a touch of Pinetop Perkins' tinkling piano. What results is an honest, unpretentious, and often thrilling tribute to Johnson by an eclectic array of young and established blues journeymen. As for the old-timers, you don't get any more authentic than Robert Lockwood Jr. and David ""Honeyboy"" Edwards, both of whom actually played with the legendary Johnson, and their presence instills a legitimate authenticity to the project. Edwards sounds weak but inspired on ""Traveling Riverside Blues,"" and Chicago harp master Carey Bell adds sizzle to Lockwood Jr.'s ""Steady Rollin' Man."" Muddy Waters' sidemen Bob Margolin and Pinetop Perkins alternate on vocals for two sparkling tracks, and the always dependable Taj Mahal takes on the daunting ""Crossroads"" with typical aplomb. The album's most radical pairing is guitarist/vocalist Eric Gales, who plays with subtle Hammond B-3 organ accompaniment, offering a changeup from the traditional approach. Susan Tedeschi, the disc's only woman, howls with righteous passion as Derek Trucks turns in a rare unplugged performance on one of two versions of ""Walking Blues."" Only pop-rocker Robert Palmer seems out of place on the roster, but his version of ""Milkcow's Calf Blues"" is remarkably faithful to the original and free of the flashy glitz that mars his own work. He even overdubs himself on low-key tuba, adding a distinctive perspective to the track. Elsewhere Joe Louis Walker, Alvin ""Youngblood"" Hart, and Lucky Peterson represent the youngsters. All acquit themselves with grace and intensity on an album that consistently remains true to the spirit of this most classic of blues music. Few tributes are this honestly constructed and pay respect so gracefully to one of the blues' most beloved and cherished catalogs.	03:19
07	In Your Darkest Hour	Charlie Musselwhite	Taken from ""One Night In America"" Date of US Release February 26, 2002 Charlie Musselwhite continues his prolific four-decade career jumping over to Telarc for his first album of the millennium after spending the '90s recording for Alligator and Virgin. A recap of his formative Memphis roots, Musselwhite receives substantial assistance from guests Robben Ford on guitar (Musselwhite provided Ford with his first gigs when the guitarist was in his late teens), Texas vocalist Kelly Willis, and guitarist/mandolin player Marty Stuart; the last two bring a rootsy, laid back country feel to the album that effectively fuses the swampy C&W, R&B, and blues of Memphis into a cohesive statement. Musselwhite blows unamplified harp on every track, but it's his weathered, understated vocals that infuse these songs with down-home charm. Covers from Jimmy Reed, Los Lobos (the album takes its title from their ""One Time One Night""), Ivory Joe Hunter, and Kieran Kane flow beautifully into each other as the artist masterfully blurs the lines between genres. He tears into Johnny Cash's ""Big River"" like it was a Chicago blues classic and retells his own childhood in the affecting original ""Blues Overtook Me."" He and producer Randy Labbe generate a Creedence-styled swamp vibe on the opening ""Trail of Tears,"" with both Willis and Christine Ohlman chiming in on gripping backing vocals that set the atmosphere. But the album resonates most effectively on the sparsest tracks. ""Ain't It Time"" exudes a resigned, almost gospel feel in its achingly slow groove, and ""In Your Darkest Hour,"" another Musselwhite original, shimmers with just harp and T-Bone Wolk's spooky walking bass creating a foggy mood that envelopes the listener. Not just a fresh start at a new label, this album is a sentimental and sincere recap of Musselwhite's influences and a stirring listen throughout.	04:31
08	Bring It On Home	Various Artists	Taken from ""The Songs Of Willie Dixon"" Date of US Release August 24, 1999 The Songs of Willie Dixon finds a number of mostly contemporary blues practitioners paying tribute to the legendary composer/bassist. Of course, it isn't difficult to pick quality material out of Dixon's catalog, so the collection will sink or swim with the performances. And, for the most part, they're pretty good, with some interesting, modern recastings of the original arrangements. Although there are some misfires, it isn't for lack of commitment, falling more into the valiant-attempt category; plus, the vast majority of the songs are successful. Some of the highlights are provided by Clarence ""Gatemouth"" Brown, Tab Benoit, Kenny Neal, Eddie Shaw, and Deborah Coleman.	03:09
09	Muddy's Shuffle	The Muddy Waters Tribute Band	Taken from ""You Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Dead & Gone)"" Date of US Release January 21, 1997 This tribute album breaks no new ground but does a superb job of re-creating the Chicago ensemble sound, as well as the songs, of the latter-day Muddy Waters Band. That comes as no surprise, since the core group here literally was Muddy Waters' backup unit from 1974 to 1980: Bob Margolin and Luther ""Guitar Jr"" Johnson on guitars, Pinetop Perkins on piano, Jerry Portnoy on harp, Calvin Jones on bass, and Willie Smith on drums. Each of these Muddy alumni takes a vocal turn (Margolin takes two). While none of them matches the majesty of Muddy's voice, they certainly have the spirit of the thing down pat. A welcome note of variety is provided by the guest vocalists from the blues and rock world, who also stay very close to the Muddy Waters originals they cover: Greg Allman on ""Trouble No More,"" Buddy Guy on ""Clouds in My Heart,"" Levon Helm on ""Going to Main Street,"" James Cotton (another ex-Muddy bandmate) on ""Blow Wind Blow,"" Koko Taylor on ""Mean Mistreater,"" and Peter Wolf on ""Walking Through the Park"".	02:20
10	The Goat	Junior Wells	Taken from ""Come On In This House"" Date of US Release February 1997 Junior Wells' penchant for clowning around sometimes conflicts with his craftsmanship, but he's all business on Come on in This House, his most unadulterated blues record since his highly acclaimed Hoodoo Man Blues of more than 30 years vintage. This is what has come to be known as an ""unplugged"" session - that is, predominately, although not exclusively, acoustic instrumentation. Producer John Snyder's concept was threefold: (1) to team Wells with some of the era's top younger traditional blues guitarists - Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Sonny Landreth, Bob Margolin, and John Mooney, (2) to have those musicians, in various combinations, accompany Wells on a variety of slide guitars, and (3) to concentrate on vintage Chicago and Delta blues from the repertoires of Rice Miller, Little Walter, Tampa Red, Arthur Crudup, and Wells himself. The result is a virtual slide-guitar mini-fest and a demonstration of the timeless appeal of classic blues done well. Wells' vocals are deep and manly; his harp playing is high-pitched, like a child's pleading. A surprising highlight is the only contemporary tune on the disc, Tracy Chapman's ""Give Me One Reason."" New Orleans drummer Herman Ernest III, who appears on 11 of the 14 cuts, does a masterful job laying down understated rhythmic grooves.	03:48
11	Starlight Diamond	Various Artists	Taken from ""Superharps II"" 1999's Superharps was a great record featuring four top blues harmonica players. Two years later, Superharps II was an attempt to duplicate the success with four other harmonica wizards (in this case Carey Bell, Lazy Lester, Raful Neal, and Snooky Pryor), but the sequel is much more routine. Too much of the material is taken at the same slow-medium tempo, there are far too many vocals, and the soloists rarely stretch out much. There are five individual features, eight songs that have two harmonicas, and a remake of the closing ""Harp to Harp,"" which has all four harmonica players. But lightning failed to strike the second time around; get the original Superharps instead.	07:24
12	Fire Down Under The Hill	James Cotton	Taken from ""Fire Down Under The Hill"" Fire Down Under the Hill is the first release for the Telarc label by blues harmonica legend James Cotton. These ten acoustic tracks combine new tunes with the traditional Delta style passed down to Cotton directly from Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. Backed by his regular road band, guitarist Rico McFarland, pianist David Maxwell, and vocalist Darrell Nulisch, Cotton's exquisitely gritty harp playing still sounds great.	10:36
13	Pony Blues	Various Artists	Taken from ""Down The Dirt Road: The Songs Of Charley Patton"" Date of US Release August 28, 2001 Coordinated by acoustic Delta guitarist Steve James (who also penned the liner notes and appears on two tracks), this is a respectful but refreshingly not-always-reverent tribute to the undisputed king of the Delta blues. Although there are only 12 tracks and some of Patton's defining tunes - like ""Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues"" and ""A Spoonful Blues"" - are MIA, these performances capture the spirit of Patton and show how his legacy extends to contemporary blues musicians. There really isn't a bad or misguided track here (unusual for tribute discs), a situation helped by the quality and pedigree of the musicians involved, who seek to maintain the rawness of Patton's blues. Certainly keeping the predominantly unplugged music stripped to just guitar or harmonica (in the case of Snooky Pryor's amazing ""Pony Blues,"" which finds the classic bluesman sounding as inspired as ever), or both (as Annie Raines and Paul Rishell's take on Patton's spiritual ""I Shall Not Be Moved""), maintains the focus. Delta-based artists such as Corey Harris and Dave Van Ronk turn in fine if unsurprising performances. But the unexpected addition of Brit pub rocker Graham Parker works surprisingly well, as his gritty voice (although not necessarily rudimentary guitar) does justice to ""Poor Me."" Harpist Charlie Musselwhite sticks to guitar for an ominous yet sweet ""Pea Vine Blues,"" but it's Joe Louis Walker's incendiary seven-and-a-half-minute version of ""Sugar Mama"" and the closing medley of ""Down the Dirt Road Blues""/""When Your Way Gets Dark,"" sung with a sexy, knockout approach by the album's only female vocalist, Colleen Sexton, clocking in at nearly ten minutes, that are the album's highlights. They open up these songs, leaving room for improvisation that expands the concepts but stays true to Patton's originals. One of the most successful albums of this type, this is an excellent (and well-recorded) introduction to the music of one of the touchstones of the blues.	04:57
14	Harp To Harp	Charlie Musselwhite	Taken from ""Superharps"" Date of US Release October 26, 1999 Four great blues harmonica players (James Cotton, Billy Branch, Charlie Musselwhite, and Sugar Ray Norcia) are featured in various combinations on this spirited disc, backed by a four-piece rhythm section (with guitarist Kid Bangham and pianist Anthony Geraci). Cotton and Norcia have solo pieces, seven numbers feature two harmonicas, and the lengthy low-down blues ""Harp to Harp"" has all four of the harmonica players taking turns soloing. Much of the material is jazz-oriented, including ""The Hucklebuck,"" ""TD's Boogie Woogie,"" and ""Route 66,"" and the majority of the selections are instrumentals. Each of the harmonica players sounds inspired and the results are consistently exciting and swinging.	11:36

Personal Details
Cost	$15.50
Location	Telarc Collection
Locator
Disc 1	: CD-83556

Details
Catalog	CD-83556
Packaging	Jewel Case
Spars	DDD
Sound	Stereo

User Defined
Classification:	TELARC BLUES