| | B B King Blues CD - Import B B King Discography of CDs
Recorded in 1960, THE BLUES was one of the last albums B.B. King cut for the Crown label before moving to ABC-Paramount. The record has a loose, roadhouse vibe and features King backed by a full band, including horns, piano, harmonica, and a thumping rhythm section. At the heart of the set are, of course, King's stinging, soulful leads and his passionate vocals, serving up instant classics like "Why Does Everything Happen to Me" and "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer." The album is distinguished by a raw, ragged feel, which proves refreshing in light of the artist's subsequent slicker recordings.
Originally released in 1958 by the budget-priced Crown label, The Blues collected a dozen sides B.B. King cut for RPM and Kent between 1951 and 1958. (RPM and Kent were owned by the Bahari Brothers who also ran Crown, which explains how one of the true prestige artists of the blues ended up on such a notoriously cheap-o label.) As was often the case with Crown's product, The Blues used a single hit tune (in this case "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer," a Top Ten R&B chart entry in 1954) to help sell a package of lesser-known material, but thankfully the label also picked some great tunes that hardly sound like filler, even if they didn't make the charts. The material on The Blues is dominated by muscular, horn-driven performances with King's interjections of single-note riffs and powerful string bends punctuating the arrangements, and King's songwriting was already stellar, with "I Want to Get Married," "Don't You Want a Man Like Me," and "Ruby Lee" demonstrating his way with a melody and a lyrical conceit. While King's recordings gained a greater depth and emotional force as he moved into the '60s, his RPM takes were the work of a man who already had an enviable command of his instrument and a real gift as a vocalist and songwriter, and though he would get better with time, The Blues demonstrates he was already near the top of his class. [Ace's 2005 CD reissue of The Blues adds an additional six rare and unheard takes to the package.] ~ Mark Deming
The Blues was B.B. King's second Crown LP drawn from his RPM singles recorded between 1951-1958, this album traces his early development into a world class artist. Includes 6 bonus tracks from the vaults of the same time period. Included are 3 cuts from a withdrawn session for Chess Records in 1958, and 2 RPM singles that have never been reissued. Notes and compilation are courtesy of The Vintage Years B.B. King box set producer, John Broven. 18 total tracks. Ace. 2005.
Recording information: 1951-1958.
Personnel: Jim Messina, Tommy Tedesco .
Liner Note Authors: John Broven; Jon Broven.
Blues Review
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Purchase Blues CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | B B King Singin' The Blues CD (2005) (Import) United Kingdom
Blues
 $12.45 
The eighth volume in the Ace Records highly successful mid-price series based on B.B. King's original Crown LPs with bonus tracks. 'Singin' The Blues' was the very first Crown LP in 1957, and some say the very best (with a cover to match). It is truly a collection of his greatest early hits. The eight bonus tracks (including four previously unissued) are of the same high quality, and feature impeccable vocal and guitar work from B.B., with accompaniment by the Maxwell Davis Orchestra. 2005.
Liner Note Author: Cy Schneider.
Recording information: 1953-1955.
Personnel: B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Floyd Turnham (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Jewell L. Grant (alto saxophone); Bumps Myers, Maurice Simon, Jack McVea, Lorenzo Holden, Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis , Charles Waller (tenor saxophone); Jake "Vernon" Porter (trumpet); Willard McDaniel (piano); Jesse Price, Jesse Sailes (drums).
Audio Mixer: Duncan Cowell.
| | Johnny Otis 1945-1947 CD (2002)
Blues
$18.05 
Growing up among Afro-Americans in Berkeley, CA, Greek-American Johnny Otis (born John Veliotes) always identified strongly with people of color. Before he had attained the age of 20 he was gigging with black jazz bands throughout the Southwest, and eventually organized an ensemble deliberately patterned after Count Basie's orchestra. This highly charged album of historical musical artifacts documents the very beginning of Johnny Otis' recording career. With one apparently unobtainable exception, the Classics Blues & Rhythm Series has assembled all of Otis' Excelsior recordings, made in Los Angeles between 1945 and 1947. This provides background and context for his more well-known Savoy material, and indeed for everything this amazing person accomplished during the second half of the 20th century. Otis' first act as a recording bandleader was to borrow Jimmy Rushing from Count Basie! Rushing sounds right at home with this group, which included tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette, pianist Bill Doggett, and bassist Curtis Counce. During "Preston's Love Mansion," as Doggett quotes the famous riff from Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts," the band hollers "Johnny Otis!" instead. And well they might, for during this exciting number and indeed most of the performances throughout this collection, Otis handles his drums with energetic insistence, "dropping bombs" and provocatively stirring the mix. This band was billed at first, in fact, as "Johnny Otis, His Drums & His Orchestra." "Harlem Nocturne" was a success from the get-go, both this Excelsior version and an alternate take that was issued several years later on Savoy. "Love's Nocturne," from December of 1946, sounds like its sequel. According to the discography, alto saxophonist Preston Love only blows his horn on this session, alongside the great Buddy Collette. Big stylistic changes erupted in 1947 as Johnny Otis & His Orchestra suddenly sprouted a twangy electric guitar, played by one Pete Lewis. "Barrelhouse Stomp" is
| | Alexis Korner Kornerstoned: Anthology 1958-1983 CD (2006) (Import) United Kingdom
Blues
$24.79
While MUSICALLY RICH...AND FAMOUS documents the second half of British blues godfather Alexis Korner's career, KORNERSTONED adopts a more comprehensive approach, following the pioneering singer/guitarist from the very beginning of his musical life, all the way through every subsequent phase of his development. So we get not only his mid-1960s work with burgeoning blues-rock giants like Paul Rodgers and Steve Marriott, but also his `50s skiffle recordings (basically the British version of jug-band music) with the Ken Colyer band and his own skiffle group, and even an early acoustic guitar duel with famed fingerpicker Davey Graham on "3/4 A.D." Over the course of its two discs, this collection examines pretty much every aspect of this seminal bandleader's historic career.
Gravel-voiced Alexis Korner is arguably the most important figure in the history of British blues - the inspiration for several generations of star musicians, from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin & beyond. This first-ever full-career retrospective spans everything from mid-50s skiffle to his final blues outings, via groundbreaking 60s R&B & his pop hits with CCs in the 70s. Two CD set. Castle. 2005.
| | B B King More CD (1961)
Blues
$11.19
More was originally released on the budget label Crown with the majority of tracks recorded just before he changed record labels in 1962 from Kent to ABC Paramount. The majority of these tracks were recorded in the early '60s with the exceptions of "Shut Your Mouth" and "Baby, Look at You," which date from the mid-'50s. Stylistically, the compositions embrace mature, string-laden ballads alongside straight R&B shuffles and urban blues. While More may not contain the strongest material in the legendary bluesman's massive discography, he does sound primed for his 1965 breakthrough disc, Live at the Regal. ~ Al Campbell
The seventh volume in Ace's ongoing series based on B.B. King's original Crown LPs with 8 bonus tracks. 2004.
Contains 8 bonus tracks.
Liner Note Author: John Broven.
| | B B King Mr. Blues/Confessin' The Blues CD (2005) (Import) Remastered; United Kingdom
Blues
$18.79 
This CD contains B.B. King's first ABC-Paramount studio efforts -- Mr. Blues (1962) and Confessin' the Blues (1965), respectively. While there are inevitable similarities between the projects, offering them back-to-back allows listeners an acute sense of King's rapid maturation and development during what was by all accounts the nexus of the guitarist/vocalist's career. The dozen-song Mr. Blues was a haphazard start for King with the contents taken from three different recording sessions in a 13-month period (March 1, 1962 through April 11, 1963). Based on the results, the artist was being presented as a blues shouter, supported by an antiquated big band and/or orchestra. Arguably the best of the lot comes from the Maxwell Davis led ensemble on the first of several Big Joe Turner tunes, the Ahmet Ertegun penned "Chains of Love." The upgrade of Ivory Joe Hunter's "Blues at Midnight" is closer to the spirit of modern era King as he aptly demonstrates his singular testifyin' style. The fun and frolic of both "I'm Gonna Sit in 'Til You Give In" and "My Baby's Comin' Home" are the least dated of the bunch, indicating the direction that King would ultimately take. The landmark Live at the Regal (1964) is a critical link to the albums featured on Mr. Blues/Confessin' the Blues (2005). It essentially redefined B.B. King's presence in the (then) modern blues revival. He retained his expressive combo from Live at the Regal with Duke Jethro (piano), Leo Lauchie (bass), and Sonny Freeman (drums) who have collectively become increasingly adept at providing King room for his solos. Plus, they generally support -- rather than detract from -- his skills as a vocalist. Still, on the whole, Confessin' the Blues comes off as forced at times -- as if there were a mandate for King to become a mix between Ray Charles and Joe Turner. The tracks "See See Rider," "In the Dark," and Jay "Hootie" McShann's "Confessin' the Blues" are bound to their solid arrangements. That leaves very little s
| | B B King Great B.B. King CD (2005) (Import) Bonus Tracks; United Kingdom
Blues
$12.59
Released in early 1960, the LP The Great B.B. King was actually a budget-priced compilation of songs he'd recorded for the Modern label over the past five or so years. This CD reissue nearly doubles the length of the original album with eight mostly previously unreleased bonus cuts, as well as adding historical liner notes. Of the ten songs found on the original The Great B.B. King, four ("Sweet Sixteen," "Ten Long Years," "Sneakin' Around," and "Whole Lotta' Love") had been big R&B hits, with "Sweet Sixteen" getting all the way up to number two; a fifth track, "Be Careful with a Fool," had made the bottom of the pop listings without showing up on the R&B charts at all. The emotional ballad "Sweet Sixteen" (actually a cover of a Big Joe Turner song) is presented here in all its six-minute, two-part glory. While the most of the rest of the LP doesn't scale the same heights, it's a respectable mix of brassy shuffles and slow tunes with more than a tinge of doo wop, King's guitar work on "Whole Lotta' Love" ranking among his most stinging. Of the eight bonus tracks, only "Bim Bam" (an anomalous 1956 rock & roll novelty single) and the Lightnin' Hopkins number "Shotgun Blues" (which showed up on a 1969 compilation LP) were previously released. The other six tracks are also not always typical of King's most celebrated style, including as they do the violin-drenched "Young Dreamers" and the much-covered ballad "Trouble in Mind," though the rest are in his more standard electric blues approach. ~ Richie Unterberger
Part of Ace's on-going series of mid-price releases based on B.B. King's original Crown LPs. The Great B.B. King LP was released in 1960 to coincide with his big R&B hit 'Sweet Sixteen', and was comprised of a potpourri of his recordings from 1952-1960. As on other reissues, Ace has added eight bonus tracks from the vaults, six of which have never been reissued in any format. The song 'Bim Bam' also makes its debut - this is the controversial recording which B.
| | Otis Rush Right Place, Wrong Time CD (1976)
Blues
$11.39
Recorded in San Francisco for Capitol Records in 1971 but not released until 1976 on Bullfrog.
This recording session was not released until five years after it was done. One can imagine the tapes practically smoldering in their cases, the music is so hot. Sorry, there is nothing "wrong" about this blues album at all. Otis Rush was a great blues expander, a man whose guitar playing was in every molecule pure blues. On his solos on this album he strips the idea of the blues down to very simple gestures (i.e., a bent string, but bent in such a subtle way that the seasoned blues listener will be surprised). As a performer he opens up the blues form with his chord progressions and use of horn sections, the latter instrumentation again added in a wonderfully spare manner, bringing to mind a master painter working certain parts of a canvas in order to bring in more light. Blues fans who get tired of the same old song structures, riff, and rhythms should be delighted with most of Rush's output, and this one is among his best. Sometimes all he does to make a song sound unlike any blues one has ever heard is just a small thing -- a chord moving up when one expects it go down, for example. The production is particularly skilled, and the fact that Capitol Records turned this session down after originally producing it can only be reasonably accepted when combined with other decisions this label has made, such as turning down the Doors because singer Jim Morrison had "no charisma." This record doesn't mess around at all. The first track takes off like the man they fire out of a cannon at the end of a circus, a perceived climax swaggeringly representing just the beginning, after all. Some of the finest tracks are the ones that go longer than five minutes, allowing the players room to stretch. And that means more of Rush's great guitar playing, of course. For the final track he leaves the blues behind completely for a moving cover version of "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Tony Joe White. ~ Eugene Chadbourne
Personnel: Otis Rush (vocals, guitar); Fred Burton (guitar); Hart McNee (alto saxophone); Rev. Ron Stallings (tenor saxophone); John Wilmeth (trumpet); Mark Naftalin (piano); Ira Kamin (organ); Bob Jones (drums).
Liner Note Author: Dick Shurman.
Recording information: Wally Heider Studio, San Francisco, CA (02/1971).
Photographer: Amy O'Neal.
| | Peter Murphy Deep CD (1990)
Blues
$10.15 
Peter Murphy's 1989 solo album gained him an even wider audience. Aided by the boom in alternative radio outlets, Murphy reached a demographic too young to remember his old band, Bauhaus. Luckily, this exposure was not wasted, as DEEP delivers the goods.
Continuing in Murphy's usual dramatic and melodic style, "Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem" provides DEEP with a new romantic flair. Surprisingly radio-friendly, "Cuts You Up" and "A Strange Kind of Love" rival the pop genius of "Indigo Eyes." There are some harder tracks here, too--"The Line Between the Devil's Teeth" howls and screeches in Bauhaus style, while "Roll Call" and its "Reprise" show Murphy experimenting with tribal house beats and gothic/eastern samples. Peter Murphy's strongest solo effort to date, DEEP delivers a fix for fans of both old and new style Peter Murphy.
Personnel: Peter Murphy (vocals); Paul Statham (guitar, keyboards); Jim Williams , Peter Bonas (guitar); Simon Rogers (acoustic guitar); Gill Tingay (harp); Terl Bryant (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Nick Rogers ; Peter Murphy; Peter Walsh ; Simon Rogers.
Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Master Rock Studios; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales; Wool Hall Studios.
Photographer: Paul Cox.
Arranger: Peter Murphy.
Personnel includes: Peter Murphy (vocals).
The Hundred Men: Paul Statham (guitar, keyboards); Perer Bonas (guitar); Eddie Branch (bass); Teri Bryant (drums).
| | Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration CDs (1993)
Blues
$15.99
Neil Young's performance of "All Along The Watchtower" was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as "Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo."
Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton and George Harrison's performance of "My Back Pages" was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal."
A video version of THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION, which contains a few extra tracks, is available on LaserDisc and VHS on Sony Music Videos (49165).
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION documents a special concert given in honor of Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary in the music business. This video includes rehearsal, backstage and interview footage.
THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION is available on CD and cassette on Columbia (53230).
To commemorate 30 years since the release of Dylan's first Columbia album, a marathon tribute concert was held at New York's Madison Square Garden, with a galaxy of stars and voices from the past taking part. The cumulative effect of this tribute was staggering, revealing just how much truly great Dylan material there is to choose from all of his periods. A firm nucleus of the three surviving members of Booker T. & the MG's, plus G.E. Smith on guitar and Jim Keltner and Anton Fig on drums, anchors the bands, and most of the stars offer fresh slants on songs familiar and obscure. Among the more memorable interpretations are Richie Havens' moving "Just Like a Woman," completely within his style; the Clancy Brothers' fervent conversion of "When the Ship Comes In" to an Irish folk idiom; the swinging, countrified "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and Rosanne Cash; and a sullen "Masters of War" by Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready on acoustic guitars. Lou Reed went through the bootlegs to come up with the pounding "Foot of Pride," which is perfectly suited to Reed's declamatory style. Eric Clapton shrugs off his diffident manner to deliver one of the most electrifying performances of his life in "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" -- each guitar lick and vocal cuts angrily to the bone -- and George Harrison makes his first U.S. concert appearance in 18 years with "Absolutely Sweet Marie." Dylan himself appears at the end, wildly improvisational and harshly authentic in voice on "It's Alright, Ma" and "Girl of the North Country." By no means does this box contain the enti
Recorded at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by David Wild.
Engineers include: Phil Gitomer, Peter Hefter, Sean McClintock.
Personnel: Bob Dylan (vocals, guitar); Rick Danko (vocals, guitar, electric bass); Chrissie Hynde, Eric Clapton, Jim Weider, Johnny Winter, Kris Kristofferson, Liam Clancy, Lou Reed, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Neil Young, Richie Havens, Robbie O'Connell, Roger McGuinn, Ron Wood, Rosanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, Tom Petty, Tracy Chapman, Willie Nelson, George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Tommy Makem (vocals, banjo); Levon Helm (vocals, mandolin); Stevie Wonder (vocals, harmonica, piano); Paddy Clancy (vocals, harmonica); Randy Ciarlante (vocals, drums); Bobby Clancy (vocals, percussion); Walter Williams , Eddie LeVert, Eddie Vedder, Sam Strain, John Mellencamp, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash (vocals); G.E. Smith (guitar, mandolin); David Grissom, Mike Campbell , Mike McCready, Mike Wanchic, Reggie Young , Steve Cropper, Kerry Marx (guitar); Lisa Germano (violin); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); John Cascella (accordion, keyboards); Garth Hudson, Richard Bell (accordion); Ron Fair (piano); Booker T. Jones III, Al Kooper, Benmont Tench (organ); Anton Fig (drums, percussion); Jim Keltner, Kenny Aronoff (drums); Pat Peterson (percussion, background vocals); Christine Ohlman, Curtis King, Dennis Collins, Darryl Keith John, Brenda King, Sue Medley, Sheryl Crow (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: David Thoener.
Liner Note Author: David Wild.
Recording information: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (10/16/1992).
| | Black Keys The Big Come Up CD (2002)
Blues
$12.35 
On paper, two Ohio white guys forming a drum-and-guitar blues duo seemed like the last thing the world needed in 2002. Fortunately, the guys revisiting the tried and true were guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney a.k.a. the Black Keys. With the former's blown-cone distortion and slinky riffs, and the latter's positively Bonham-esque way of inhabiting each change with a loose power, they smacked judgment out of one's brain before anyone could call it cliche. Taking cues from Fat Possum-centric blues legends like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside (both covered here on the first two tracks) and garage fetishists like Billy Childish and Jack White alike, the Akron duo arrived with swagger on these 13 tracks. Tackling covers traditional (like Sleepy John Estes's "Leavin' Trunk") and non (the Beatles's "She Said, She Said") and their own workouts (the aptly titled "Heavy Soul"), THE BIG COME UP wins on the strength of Auerbach's ravagedly expressive vocals--which match the egdes in his guitar tone crag for crag.
Recorded Synth Etiquette Analog Sound, Akron, Ohio between January and February 2002.
Debut;Trio From Akron
Personnel: Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar); Patrick Carney (drums).
Recording information: Synth Etiquette Analog Sound, Akron, OH (01/2002-02/2002).
Photographer: Michael Carney.
The Black Keys: Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar); Gabe Fulvimar (Moog synthesizer, keyboards); Patrick Carney (drums).
| | Devil In A Woodpile In Your Lonesome Town CD (2005)
Blues
$12.39
There's a photo inside Devil in a Woodpile's In Your Lonesome Town, taken from the point of view of a light fixture far above. It depicts a makeshift recording studio set up on the tile floor and Oriental rug below. An acoustic bass lies on its side near a big piano; washboards, jugs, and a lone kick drum are spread across the far side of the rug. Microphone cords snake here and there, and the surfaces of two National steel-bodied guitars gleam in the camera's flash. The shot captures the casual hominess of Devil in a Woodpile's music, the music that takes a toothy-grin approach to blues, bluegrass, hot jazz, and hillbilly sounds, throwing them all into a big hat and using the result to buy beers for the room. (That room is usually a rollicking Chicago tavern called the Hideout, where Woodpile has a regular and unamplified Tuesday night gig.) Bandleader Rick "Cookin'" Sherry is his usual self here, his vocals somewhere between hoedown rap and impromptu Saturday night singer. He plays that washboard, jug, and kick drum throughout Lonesome Town, as well as clarinet (to great effect on a sleepy "Louisiana Fairytale") and harmonica. Guitarist Joel Paterson is confident, quick, and nimble -- he handles a sped-up version of Charley Patton's "Shake It and Break It," gives Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" a prickly steel guitar quality that matches wits with the bass and chattering washboard, and sloshes along with Sherry on "When I'm Drinkin'." Sherry's clarinet is alive again on the shuffling hot jazz number "Has My Gal Been By Here?" (which also features some great tuba work), and the original Sherry/Paterson instrumental "Beer Ticket Rag" is as casual, fun, and hothouse evocative as those Hideout sessions can be. (Great splash cymbal accents, too.) Devil in a Woodpile probably aren't roots music puritans. They just mix and match what works for them from the forms they love, let Sherry loose over the top, and bind it all together with energetic playing that's always a real crowd-pleaser. ~ Johnny Loftus
Live Recording
| | Bill Sheffield Journal On A Shelf CD (2006)
Blues
$13.05
Roots Music Report says..."Yea man roots-blues done the right way! Bill Sheffield has just released one of the finest true roots-blues albums of the year! A MUST PLAY FOR RADIO"... "Journal On A Shelf" reached #13 on the Roots-Blues charts and came in 3rd place for the Best Traditional Folk Album category at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards for 2006.Atlanta, Georgia born Bill Sheffield is celebrating the release of his ninth CD titled Journal On A Shelf. Performing for over 32 years, Bill has appeared in concert with legends Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, T-Bone Walker, Big Mama Thornton and many others. He's also recorded and gigged with guitar great, Roy Buchanan.An honest, gutsy singer, and captivating guitarist, Sheffield also penned all but three songs on Journal On A Shelf. "The Ballad Of Brer Rabbit" along with "New Tattoo""Journal On A Shelf" exemplify Sheffield's masterful storytelling and his cover of Tom Waits' "An Invitation To The Blues" is a jewel. Another highlight is "Comes Easy, Goes Easy" with Sean Costello. "the big man from Atlanta, Georgia has a wonderfully expressive voice and superb picking and sliding skills...a must buy for all lovers of acoustic blues and roots music..."Dave Drury, Blues Matters, UK"Passionate, spiritual and rootsy, Sheffield sings like a soulman trapped in a blues man's body" Hal Horwitz, Creative Loafing " Listening to Sheffield is like church for cool people" Lisa Love, Georgia Music MagazineCD Baby writes of Bill's 2004 release "Hearing Things".. "Dancing his way through the blues in various incarnations, Sheffield brings in the ache, the down-home grit and soul of the blues while mixing in contemporary angles as well. Quite the performer - his groove demands a second and third listen".
Bill Sheffield's acoustic folk-blues has an off the cuff manner that imbues the music with a natural quality on Journal on a Shelf. The opener, "Cherry Blossom Time," moves at an easy-rolling pace to the tune of Sheffield's acoustic guitar, while "Black Bottom" is driven forward by Simon Kenevan's fine harp work. Sheffield is joined by bassists Dave Saunders and Roger Gregory, and he handles percussion duties along with Dan Sheffield. A number of guests -- mainly harmonica players -- also make appearances that enrich the arrangements. While the set list is primarily made up of Sheffield originals, he delivers a solid, lengthy version of Tom Waits' "An Invitation to the Blues" and also covers Tom Gray's quiet, folk-based "Shooky Come Home." Both songs add a bit of variety to the program, expanding the blues format. Sheffield does his own bit of genre expanding on "I Don't Hate Nobody," delivering a political sermon that spans party spectrums. There's also the very curious "The Ballad of Brer Rabbit," a much heavier song -- sonically speaking -- than the dozen songs that come before it. The mellow title cut serves as a nicely balanced closer. Taken as a whole, Sheffield's Journal on a Shelf is a lively, enjoyable outing of folk-blues. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
Personnel: Dave Saunders (acoustic bass); Daniel Shefferd, Bill Sheffield (percussion); Beth Casner, Jeff Catton, Lamar Jones (background vocals); Roger Gregory.
| | Three Chord Circus Start! CD (2004)
Blues
$9.35
The best place to begin is at the START!..:BIO:.The Story: Three Chord Circus is a new band fronted by songwriter/guitarist Jim Hewitt. In a former life Jim co-founded the band Last Gentlemen in Champaign, IL with friends Brian Leach (Sugarbuzz, Autoliner, The Great Crusades) and Michael Roux. Last Gentlemen developed a large local following and released a series of highly successful independent albums followed by one not-so successful major label effort (TheWorldBehindYourBack - ZOO/BMG)*.Fast forward to 2002: with a stockpile of songs and a desire to play again Jim begins an on-again/off-again search for local musicians to bring his songs to life. The journey is frustrating and unfruitful until it heads back to the START!... a call to old friends and a former band mate.The Band: While Hewitt handles the guitars, vocals and occasional keyboards former Last Gentlemen band mate and sought after session musician Tommy Garza plays drums. Long time contributor/collaborator Mike Mooney plays bass and provides his technical expertise during the recording process. In breaks from supporting his brother's band (OTEP/Capitol Records) Kevin McGuire covers keyboards and shares backing vocals duties with Londoner John Wedge.The CD: The limited edition START! CD/EP (Revolution-Network) is where it all begins. Recorded in Champaign and Chicago the three song START! CD is the first release by Three Chord Circus and offers a taste of what to expect from their upcoming full length release Internationally Unsigned due later this year.Look for live shows this fall.*Former label mates Tool and Matthew Sweet fared much better.
| | White Demons Say Go CD (2006)
Blues
$12.69
WHITE DEMONS born out of Phoenix, Arizona. Members include Nick K. on guitar & lead vocals, Art Banko on bass & vocals, Tony Krank on guitar & vocals, Vern on drums. In a review of the very first White Demons show in 2004, a music critic, blown away by the explosive energy put out by this maximum rock and roll gang, referred to their sound as "Action Rock". While the article itself was some what unremarkable, the term stuck. It was for a good reason. Action Rock embodied the high-energy sound and style that guitarist/ lead singer Nick K. had been seeking. The power rock riffage of AC/DC filtered through the primal force and acerbic wit of '70's punk like the Dead Boys & Johnny Thunders. One year before kick-starting that first show, all Nick had was a vision, some tunes, and a name; White Demons. It was the nickname of his beloved white Strat, which he had to pawn to secure cash for a rehearsal space. So, he broke out his Telly and wasted no time in recruiting (some would call it stealing), his three favorite players around town. These were close friends who he knew shared his vision of bringing excitement and danger back into rock. There was bass master Art Banko, whose afro alone has more attitude and swagger than some entire bands. There was amp guru, Tony Krank, who has gone on to design the popular Krank line of Amplifiers. Tony brought not only his monster sound to the arsenal, but also some vicious licks. Finally there was Vern. Last names aren't important when you have a skull-crushing backbeat mixed with the sheer lunacy of Keith Moon.White Demons forged a strong identity by touring and playing local shows, winning over the toughest of crowds in an aloof, jaded, and splintered Phoenix rock scene. White Demons shows are events that teeter on the brink of chaos, but are held in command by a combo of raw power and dynamic musicianship. On stage, Nick K. transforms into a rock n' roll preacher, belting out songs that are soul shaking sermons, punctuated by twisted demon howls that sound like Doritos in a blender on frappé. In 2005, the band finally captured this live energy and monster sound in the studio. Lightning in a bottle of Tequila. The result is the band's debut titled "SAY GO". A ten song shot of adrenalin released by Sonic Swirl Records. When music legend and impresario Kim Fowley heard the title track for the first time, he dashed off this quote to the band: "Their masterpiece "Say Go" indicates they can write a savagely stupid epic. If they have an album's worth of material this good, they are destined to be the first bad boy band of the 21st Century to make a difference." For those who have heard "SAY GO" and seen the White Demons live, they already have made a difference. A savagely stupid difference.
| | D.C.2 Spring Celebration Video Game Soundtrack CD (2007) (Import)
$31.55 |
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