Chris Barber Good Morning Blues: Blues Book Vol. 1 CD - Import

This two-fer of albums from the Chris Barber Band is from 1960 and 1964. The first features vocalist Ottilie Patterson, who joined the outfit in 1955 and was one of the finest blues singers ever to come out of Britain. Influenced by Bessie Smith, she holds her own throughout Barber's Blues Book, from her own "Bad Spell Blues" to Bessie Smith's "Back Water Blues." The trad jazz backing never gets overpowering and offers some wonderful playing -- especially Monty Sunshine's clarinet work on "Four Point Blues." Good Morning Blues is more of a mixed bag, with Barber himself taking on a number of vocal chores (Patterson does appear on five cuts, including a wonderful "Frankie and Johnny"). The addition of electric guitar makes the sound a little more raucous, and the band has toned down the trad side of their jazz -- "Morning Train," for example, is very much an R&B instrumental, as is their take on Lionel Hampton's "Hamp's Blues." While their style might seem dated now, in their time they were a very influential outfit, one of the first to regularly include blues in their live sets as an important element of their sound. And they could swing their blues too -- a listen to the rhythm section on "Finishing Straight" readily confirms that. These records stand not only as some fine music, but also as insight into one segment of the British blues boom -- indeed, one of its launching points -- which has too often been ignored. ~ Chris Nickson

Recording information: 07/1960.

Arrangers: Chris Barber ; Ottilie Patterson.

Personnel: Chris Barber (vocals, trombone); Patrick Halcox (vocals, trumpet, drums); Ottilie Patterson (vocals, piano); John Slaughter (electric guitar); Eddie Smith & the Hornets (banjo); Ian Wheeler (harmonica, clarinet, alto saxophone); Monty Sunshine (clarinet); Ronnie Scott, Ronnie Scott's Quintet (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet); Peter Bardens, Pete Bardens, Norrie Paramor (piano); Dick Heckstall-Smith (double bass); Graham Burbridge (drums).

Liner Note Authors: Chris Barber ; Patrick James; Peter Vacher.

Twofer.