Allman Brothers Band - Hittin' the Note CD

Hittin' the Note songs A surprise best-seller when it was first released, this mostly improvised pairing of singer/keyboardist/producer Al Kooper with two major guitar heroes of the day sounds fascinating all these years later precisely because of the distance of time--nobody makes records like this any more. The material runs the gamut from folk pop (covers of Donovan and Dylan), to blues ("Albert's Shuffle," "You Don't Love Me"), to heady jams ("His Holy Modal Majesty"), to big-band jazz ("Harvey's Tune"). All the tunes make effective templates for the kind off-the-cuff music-making that in less capable hands might have resulted in simple noodling. In fact, although Bloomfield and Stills don't play together on any of the cuts (Bloomfield played on one side of the original LP, Stills on the other), all three principals get off lots of good licks and producer Kooper has some interesting tricks up his sleeve, as in the over-the-top phasing he lavishes on "You Don't Love Me." The only real disappointment here is that Stills, a far better singer than Kooper, never opens his mouth. Those familiar with the Live Adventures album these two recorded at the Fillmore West know how brilliant they could be on stage, and here's another gem, recorded at the Fillmore East this time and featuring 'One Way Out,' 'It's My Own Fault' (with Bloomfield trading licks with Johnny Winter...Johnny was signed to Columbia after this gig!). Newly remastered & now with 4 bonus tracks, 'Albert's Shuffle' (2002 Remix w/o Horns), 'Season of the Witch.' (2002 Remix w/o Horns), 'Blues For Nothing' (Studio Outtake) & 'Fat Grey Cloud' Previously Unreleased Live Track). Features 12-page booklet with unpublished photos from the recording session, new liner notes by Al Kooper & the Rolling Stone Hall Of Fame review by David Fricke. 60 scintillating minutes! 13 tracks. Colunbia/Legacy. 2003. Includes liner notes by Al Kooper, Michael Thomas. Includes liner notes by Michael Thomas. Full performer name: Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Steve Stills. Personnel: Mike Bloomfield (electric guitar); Al Kooper (vocals, 12-string & electric guitars, piano, organ, ondioline); Steve Stills (electric guitar); Barry Goldberg (electric piano); Harvey Brooks (bass); Eddie Hoh (drums). Personnel: Mike Bloomfield (electric guitar); Al Kooper (piano, organ, ondioline, vocals, 12-string & electric guitars); Steve Stills (electric guitar); Barry Goldberg (electric piano); Harvey Brooks (bass); Eddie ...

Hittin' the Note CD music As the electric guitar ace Joe Bonamassa was so strongly inspired by blues and blues-oriented six-stringers (i.e., Clapton, Johnny Winter), many of his fans would politely pester him about doing a disc of blues standards. Originally done as a lark, the results of such a session were deemed by Bonamassa good enough to be released--hence, BLUES DELUXE, on which he covers some lesser-known songs and includes three originals. Of course, his fierce, scorching guitar is center stage. If axe-men such as Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, and Buddy Guy are your cup of tea, this DELUXE item is a necessity. Recorded at Unique Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Harris Cohen. Personnel: Joe Bonamassa (vocals, guitar); Jon Paris (harmonica); Benny harrison (Hammond B-3 organ); Eric Czar (electric bass); Kenny Kramme (drums).

Hittin' the Note album for sale Revelator is the debut studio album from the 11-piece Tedeschi-Trucks Band, who already have a reputation as a wildly exciting live jam group. That said, the record that Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks have recorded proves something beyond their well-founded reputation as a live unit: that they can write, perform, and produce great songs that capture the authentic, emotional fire and original arrangements that so many modern blues and roots recordings lack. The duo forged their two individual solo bands (Trucks remains with the Allman Brothers Band) and added some other players. Oteil and Kofi Burbridge and Mike Mattison, as well as drummers Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson are on board, as well as backing vocalists and a horn section. Produced by Trucks and Jim Scott, these 12 songs seamlessly meld blues, rock, Southern soul, gospel, and funk traditions into a heady, seductive, spine-slipping stew. The record also showcases Tedeschi as one of the finest vocal stylists in roots music, and Trucks, has become the only true heir of Duane Allman's bell-like slide guitar tone, his taste and restraint. More than this, Revelator offers proof that this pair and their bandmates are serious songwriters as well as players--anyone remember the original Little Feat? It's like that, but with a woman up front. While the single, "Midnight in Harlem," highlights the softer,side of the band with Tedeschi's soulful croon and Trucks' swooning slide, it's the harder numbers that fill out the story. The sexy opener "Come See About Me," the bluesy, gospelized "Don't Let Me Slide" (one of two cuts written by Trucks and Tedeschi with Jayhawk Gary Louris), the second-line funk-blues of "Bound for Glory" with its punchy horns; all of these offer evidence of the real depth that this band abundantly possesses. There's the skittering, slow-tempo guitar and B-3 soul-blues of "Simple Things," and the New Orleans-style horns introducing "Until You Remember," which can distract the listener for a moment from experiencing these songs for what they are-- until Tedeschi opens her mouth and lets the lyrics come up from her belly and drip from her lips and Trucks matches her emotion in his solo-- love songs; the likes of which we haven't heard since Delaney & Bonnie. The Eastern modal tinge in Trucks' playing and tablas dustinguishes "These Walls," tempered by the quiet conviction in the grain of Tedeschi's vocal would have made for a better single. The nasty, funky, Hendrixian droning blues of "Learn How to Love" is textured by Kofi's funky clavinet and Wurlitzer. Speaking of funk, Tedeschi takes her own smoking guitar break in "Love Has Something Else to Say," a slamming, break-ridden funk tune that quakes. It combines hard Southern Stax-styled rhythm, soul, blues, and nasty-ass rock. Revelator is a roots record that sets a modern standard even as it draws its inspiration from the past. It's got everything a listener could want: grit, groove, raw, spiritual emotion, and expert-level musical truth. ~ Thom Jurek Recording information: Plyrz Studios; Rong-Tai Studio; Studio P, Sausalito, CA; Swamp Raga Studios, Jacksonville, FL. Photographers: James Minchin; Jessica Shouse. Personnel: J.J. Johnson (drums). Audio Mixer: Jim Scott .

Hittin' the Note buy CD music Given his place in the pantheon of American rock music, Gregg Allman's solo career away from the Allman Brothers Band has been generally disappointing. Perhaps that's why it took nearly a decade between his previous album, 1997's Searching for Simplicity (its title alone indicates his frustrations) and 1988's over-produced yet underwhelming Just Before the Bullets Fly. A whopping 14 years later, Allman joins forces with roots producer to the stars T-Bone Burnett, hoping that some of the latter's mojo can rub off on a singer who is one of the great white soul and blues vocalists in rock music. For the most part it does, as the duo choose 11 relatively obscure covers from classic artists such as Bobby "Blue" Bland, Junior Wells, and B.B. King that have clearly influenced Allman's musical approach. The backing is organic but far from stripped-down with horns, multiple guitars, and even background vocalists supporting the singer's patented crusty growl. From the opening raw thump of the ominous Sleepy John Estes' "Floating Bridge" to a peppy yet intense take on Muddy Waters' "I Can't be Satisfied" and a fiery reworking of Magic Sam's "My Love Is Your Love," Allman sounds invested and inspired by this material and his musical surroundings. Veterans such as Dr. John (credited here with his real name, Mac Rebennack), Doyle Bramhall II, and Burnett's often used rhythm section of drummer Jay Bellerose and Dennis Crouch on bass keep a taut yet easygoing lock on the groove. That's particularly evident on the predominantly acoustic version of Skip James' "Devil Got My Woman." The horns that appear on five tunes never overpower the sound yet help propel Allman's soul-searing performance of Bland's "Blind Man." Ditto for Otis Rush's slow blues "Checking on My Baby," which brings the vocalist back to his "Stormy Monday"-styled beginnings. One original co-written with Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes, "Just Another Rider," while not a terrible song, pales in comparison with the rest of the material and could have been saved for the next Brothers album, where it might make a better fit. Allman is credited with B-3 on the majority of the tunes, but his contributions are generally mixed so low as to be nearly inaudible. His organ can be heard on a low-down run-through of Amos Milburn's "Tears, Tears, Tears" that captures a sweet, jazzy noir West Coast blues. It adds up to Allman's best and surely most focused and cohesive solo release, and one where the template can hopefully be repeated in less time than it took this to appear. ~ Hal Horowitz Audio Mixer: Mike Piersante. Recording information: Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA. Editors: Emile Kelman; Jason Wormer. Photographer: Danny Clinch.

Hittin' the Note album for sale Warren Haynes has been almost ubiquitous since he joined the Allman Brothers Band, and formed Gov't Mule with Allen Woody and Matt Abts. He's played and collaborated with everyone from the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan to Little Milton and Taj Mahal. Fans might be surprised to learn that Southern soul was an early love. But they shouldn't be. Man in Motion is Haynes' first conscious effort and to fully indulge his love for this music, and his first solo record with backing musicians since 1993. Co-produced with Gordie Johnson, Man in Motion boasts a stellar cast: George Porter, Jr. on bass, Ivan Neville on organ, clavinet, and backing vocals, Ian McLagan on Wurlitzer and piano, drummer Raymond Weber, tenor saxophonist Ron Holloway, and backing vocalist Ruthie Foster. Two surprises do occur on the title track that opens this set: how much Haynes has grown as a songwriter and as a singer. (He may argue, but it sounds like he's been influenced by Gregg Allman's phrasing and delivery; here he moves toward the groove in his lyrics, he doesn't try to shout them above it.) The track is tight; rhythmically pulsed lines in the verses give way to fills and swells by the band that resolve in the choruses. They funk it greasy à la the MG's, backed by a horn section (courtesy of the Grooveline Horns). Haynes lets his guitar talk, too, adding an edgy, raw heat in his solo to close it. The blues are evident in everything Haynes plays here, and he plays plenty. On "River's Gonna Rise," a gospel vamp leads into an easy, dark-tinged funkiness. Haynes' singing is as emotive as it is tough; he lets his guitar engage freely with both keyboardists, trading fills. Foster and Neville are excellent backing foils. This is only the beginning of the many delights here. Check the nasty, tightrope-walking Meters-like funk on "Sick of My Shadow"; the blues-drenched strut in "On a Real Lonely Night" (with its killer keyboard interplay); the soaring emotion of Holloway's sax dueling for dominance with Haynes' vocal on "In Your Wildest Dreams" and "A Friend to You"; and Haynes' greasy urgency in the Wilson Pickett-flavored "Take a Bullet." Man in Motion's lone cover, a reading of William Bell's and Booker T. Jones' ballad, "Everyday Will Be a Holiday," showcases Haynes' voice and guitar as the foundations of a deeply emotional palette the band paints upon. Man in Motion is a record that adds a new subtitle to Haynes' musical portrait: that of a soul man. ~ Thom Jurek Recording information: Pedernales Studios, Spicewood, TX; Top Hat Recording, Austin, TX. Photographer: Stewart O'Shields. Personnel: Warren Haynes (vocals, guitar); Ron Holloway (tenor saxophone); Ian McLagan (piano, Wurlitzer organ); Ivan Neville (Clavinet, organ, background vocals); Raymond Weber (drums); Ruthie Foster (background vocals); Grooveline Horns, Fernando Zastillo, Reggie Watkins, Carlos Sosa. Audio Mixers: Gordie Johnson; Warren Haynes.

Hittin' the Note CD music The Tedeschi Trucks Band is an 11-piece ensemble made up of guitarist-vocalist Susan Tedeschi's and guitarist Derek Trucks' individual bands. They made their debut with 2011's Grammy-winning Revelator, a sprawling collection that showcased funky R&B, gospel, blues, and scorching large band rock. Everybody's Talkin', a double disc, is a live offering from that supporting tour. Produced by Trucks, it includes live versions of some album tracks and six beautifully chosen covers; all its tunes are given extended, imaginatively arranged treatments. It's an unusual live record because its balance of sonic precision and stage-born kinetics is perfect -- this band transitions seamlessly between R&B, blues, rock, gospel, and jazz. These performances never succumb to mere jam band clichés. On disc one, "Midnight in Harlem" is introduced by a mini raga played as a slide solo by Trucks. The band enters gradually, and Tedeschi's soulful vocal carries them all the way in. (Tedeschi is revealed, song after song -- far beyond her solo records or even Revelator -- to be among the truly great singers in modern blues and rock; by turns graceful and grainy, her expression reaches the spiritual in execution.) At over 11 minutes, the interplay between guitarists, Mike Mattison's backing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm section are impeccable. Things get rowdier on "Learn How to Love," with nasty guitar work by Tedeschi, and a burning tenor sax solo by Kebbi Williams. The horn section really pops in "Bound for Glory"; the exchange between the Burbridge brothers on bass and keys, with drummers Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, adds a knotty improv bridge where deep funk and blues grind together. The disc closes with an astonishing reading of John Sebastian's "Darlin" Be Home Soon." With horns tastefully accenting and underscoring lead vocals, Trucks' slide solo stays melodically true, yet moves through the band's shimmering groove into the stratosphere (and he does this throughout this album, over and over again, helping to elevate not only the tune, but the sense of groove, space, and texture). Disc two contains only four cuts but they're all gems: Pearl Woods' "That Did It" (a Bobby "Blue" Bland vehicle) is a down and gritty strut, with excellent, in-the-grain guitar work by Tedeschi. Stevie Wonder's "Uptight" is a 15-minute soul rave-up with a beautiful jazz interlude and scat singing from Oteil Burbridge in its middle, followed by a wonderfully imagined slide solo by Trucks. It's followed by the deep, horn-driven, wah-wah funk of "Love Has Something Else to Say" before closing with a stirring read of Sam Cooke's "Wade in the Water." It's a spooky gospel-blues with gorgeous alternate lead vocals by Mark Rivers and Tedeschi. Everybody's Talkin' is what every live album should be: an accurate, exciting reflection of a band at its peak, playing full-throttle and providing plenty of surprises. ~ Thom Jurek Recording information: Farfield Theatre Company At The Klein, Bridgeport, CT (10/25/2011); The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON (10/25/2011); The Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. (10/25/2011); Farfield Theatre Company At The Klein, Bridgeport, CT (10/28/2011); The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON (10/28/2011); The Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. (10/28/2011); Farfield Theatre Company At The Klein, Bridgeport, CT (10/29/2011); The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON (10/29/2011); The Warner Theatre, Washington, D.C. (10/29/2011). Photographer: C. Taylor Crothers. Personnel: Susan Tedeschi (vocals, guitar); Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers (vocals); Derek Trucks (guitar); Kebbi Williams (saxophone); Maurice Brown (trumpet); Kofi Burbridge (keyboards); J.J. Johnson , Tyler Greenwell (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Jim Scott .