28-04-2020 > BLUES:MiX # 33 blues(y) songs from the BLUES circle 1991-1980

John Campbell

28-04-2020 > BLUES:MiX # 33 blues(y) songs from the BLUES circle 1991-1980 # John Campbell, Etta James, Jack Bruce, Lazy Lester, Little Milton, Lonnie Mack, Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland, Marcia Ball, Albert King, James "Son" Thomas, Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, Chicago's Young Blues Generation, Margie Evans, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Muddy Waters

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1991-1980

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter John Campbell had the potential of turning a whole new generation of people onto the blues in the 1990s, much the same way Stevie Ray Vaughan did in the '80s. His vocals were so powerful and his guitar playing so fiery, you couldn't help but stop what you were doing and pay attention to what you were hearing. But unfortunately, because of frail health and a rough European tour, he suffered a heart attack in his sleep on June 13, 1993, at the age of 41.
John Campbell
Devil in My Closet (John Campbell / Dennis Walker) 6:00
Wild Streak (John Campbell / Elmore James / Marshall Sehorn / Dennis Walker)  4:59
from One Believer 1991
The Elektra debut by the late bluesman John Campbell is a curious affair in more than one respect-despite it's obvious excellence and original voice. The first is that he was signed at all. Clearly in 1990 when Campbell signed his deal, record company executives were still interested inn finding new and original talent and developing them over a period of time. One Believer was outside of virtually every trend on major labels and in pop at the time. Other than Chris Whitley's Living with the Law, it was the only roots record issued on a major label in 1991. The other thing is that One Believer is an oddity even for Campbell. It's a deeply atmospheric record full of subtle shimmering organs and warm guitar textures that accent the dreamy spooky side of the blues more than the crunchy stomp and roll that Campbell was known for in the clubs -- and displayed on his follow-up Howlin' Mercy...  This is a fine, fine debut that remains in print.

Few female R&B stars enjoyed the kind of consistent acclaim Etta James received throughout a career that spanned six decades; the celebrated producer Jerry Wexler once called her "the greatest of all modern blues singers," and she recorded a number of enduring hits...
Etta James
Whatever Gets You Through the Night (Bucky Lindsey / Dan Penn / Carson Whitsett) 3:50
The Blues Don't Care (Etta James / Brian Ray) 3:44
from Stickin' to My Guns 1990
Stickin’ to My Guns is the eighteenth studio album by Etta James, released in 1990.
Etta James is a little further along in her effort to come up with a more contemporary sound. Stickin’ to My Guns pays homage to James’s roots in that the lyrics are highly personal and blues oriented, but the accompaniment is completely contemporary... If you’re looking for the Etta James of the Chess years, you’re bound to be disappointed. But if you check your preconceived notions at the door, you’re gonna have a good time. (by Bob J. Cohen)

Best known as the bassist and vocalist for Cream, but also a remarkable talent who bridged free jazz and hard rock via countless collaborations. Although some may be tempted to call multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Jack Bruce a rock & roll musician, blues and jazz were what this innovative musician really loved. As a result, those two genres were at the base of most of the recorded output from a career that went back to the beginning of London's blues scene in 1962. In that year, he joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated. Throughout the following decades and into the 21st century, Bruce remained a supreme innovator, pushing himself into uncharted waters with his jazz and folk-rock compositions.
Jack Bruce
No Surrender 4:25
Blues You Can't Lose (Willie Dixon) 5:26
from A Question of Time 1989
A Question of Time is an album to appreciate, as Jack Bruce nicely wraps his diverse styles up in rock & roll packaging. Willie Dixon's "Blues You Can't Lose" is extraordinary noise, the late Nicky Hopkins bringing his unmistakable piano to a mix of Albert Collins' leads, Jimmy Ripp's slide and rhythms, Bruce's bass, harmonica, and voice, and the strong drumming of Dougie Bowne. In its slow dirge statement, "Blues You Can't Lose" is as powerful as the blistering Bruce tune that opens the set, "Life on Earth."...  Produced by Joe Blaney and Bruce, the song "A Question of Time" is a bizarre, colorful mix of clashing images and sound, while the album A Question of Time is one of the more complete Bruce recordings for those fans who know him from his pop radio hits. It is one of the most accessible discs by rock's premier bassist for both those in his cult and the casual fan. This project uses his mastery of jazz, pop, acoustic, and blues to give listeners what Jack Bruce does best: rock & roll.

Swamp blues vocalist and harp-man of the 1950s and '60s who earned an impressively long revival beginning in the 1980s.
Lazy Lester
I'm a Man (Bo Diddley) 4:00
Five Long Years (Eddie Boyd) 3:52
from Harp & Soul 1988
After a lengthy hiatus from the music business, Lester was in the midst of his comeback when he waxed this album for Alligator. The overall sound is redolent of those Louisiana swamp blues classics, but with a cannily updated contemporary edge that works well.

Soul/blues singer whose style is characterized by a gritty, impassioned vocal style and precise, textured guitar playing.
Little Milton
You Just Can't Take My Blues (Bob Johnson / Sam Mosley) 4:08
Movin' to the Country (Tommy Tate) 3:47
A Possum in My Tree (Bob Johnson / Sam Mosley) 5:47
from Movin' To The Country 1987
He may not be a household name, but die-hard blues fans know Little Milton as a superb all-around electric bluesman -- a soulful singer, an evocative guitarist, an accomplished songwriter, and a skillful bandleader. He's often compared to the legendary B.B. King -- as well as Bobby "Blue" Bland -- for the way his signature style combines soul, blues, and R&B, a mixture that helped make him one of the biggest-selling bluesmen of the '60s (even if he's not as well-remembered as King). As time progressed, his music grew more and more orchestrated, with strings and horns galore. He maintained a steadily active recording career all the way from his 1953 debut on Sam Phillips' legendary Sun label, with his stunning longevity including notable stints at Chess (where he found his greatest commercial success), Stax, and Malaco. 

The guitarist enjoyed several hits in the '60s and beyond, drawing from rock, gospel, blues, and country. When Lonnie Mack sang the blues, country strains were sure to infiltrate. Conversely, if he dug into a humping rockabilly groove, strong signs of a deep-down blues influence were bound to invade, par for the course for any musician who cited both Bobby Bland and George Jones as pervasive influences.
Lonnie Mack
Me and My Car (Hoy Lindsey / Lonnie Mack) 3:10
Cincinnati Jail (Lonnie Mack) 5:11
Camp Washington Chill (Tim Drummond / Lonnie Mack) 2:24
from Second Sight 1986
Lonnie's second album for Alligator was even better than his first...  this remains one of Mack's finest studio efforts.

Albert Collins is the embodiment of the Texas blues guitar style, with non-standard tuning and slashing blocked chords.

Robert Cray is the guitarist who brought blues back to the charts in the '80s via songs that defined blues themes but added modern and personal twists.

Johnny Copeland is an influential blues guitarist since the 1950s, journeyman hit critical paydirt in the 1980s. Considering the amount of time he spent steadily rolling from gig to gig, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland's rise to prominence in the blues world in the early '90s wasn't all that surprising. 

Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland 

T-Bone Shuffle (T-Bone Walker) 4:58

She's into Something (Carl Wright) 3:51

Blackjack (Ray Charles) 6:34

from Showdown! 1985

Cray found himself in some pretty intimidating company for this Grammy-winning blues guitar summit meeting, but he wasn't deterred, holding his own alongside his idol Albert Collins and Texas great Johnny Copeland. Cray's delivery of Muddy Waters' rhumba-rocking "She's into Something" was one of the set's many highlights.

Louisiana-raised singer and pianist is a staple of the blues and roots rock circuit.Pianist and singer/songwriter Marcia Ball is a living example of how East Texas blues meets Southwest Louisiana swamp rock. 

Marcia Ball 

Soulful Dress (Maurice McAlister ) 3:26

Don't Want No Man 3:08

from Soulful Dress 1984

Marcia Ball got things started in a celebratory fashion on her debut Rounder release, doing the title track in a taunting, challenging manner aided by flashy guitar riffs from Stevie Ray Vaughan. From there, she artfully displayed other sides of her personality, from dismayed to defiant and assured...

One of the most important post-war blues guitarists, renowned for his massive tone and unique way of squeezing bends out of a guitar string.

Albert King 

Born Under a Bad Sign with Stevie Ray Vaughan 3:38

The Sky Is Crying (Elmore James / Clarence Lewis) 4:11

Can't You See What You're Doing to Me 4:17

I'll Play the Blues for You, Pts. 1-2 (Jerry Beach) 7:18

from Stax Profiles Rec. 1968-1983

As part of the Stax Profiles series, blues guitarist Albert King is spotlighted with material recorded in the late '60s and early '70s for the Memphis-based label. Since this midline compilation only contains 11 cuts, it's easy to dwell on what was left off...  Without a doubt, the main jewel of this set is the previously unreleased version of "Born Under a Bad Sign" recorded on December 6, 1983, and featuring King disciple and then up-and-coming guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan. For whatever reason, this version was left off the King/Vaughan collaboration In Session.

James "Son" Thomas - Cairo Blues 4:52

Lurrie Bell, Billy Branch, Chicago's Young Blues Generation - The Train I Ride 7:04

Margie Evans - Mistreated Woman 8:20

from American Folk Blues Festival 1982

The American Folk Blues Festival was a music festival that toured Europe as an annual event for several years beginning in 1962. It introduced audiences in Europe, including the UK, to leading blues performers... most of whom had never previously performed outside the US. The tours attracted substantial media coverage, including TV shows, and contributed to the growth of the audience for blues music in Europe.

Mississippi blueswoman Jesse Mae Hemphill specialized in a folk-derived non-commercial blues indigenous to her region. A Mississippi singer/guitarist, Jessie Mae Hemphill weaves strong Delta traditions into her idiosyncratic style. Hemphill comes from a musical background -- reportedly, her grandfather was recorded in the fields by Alan Lomax in the '40s. Jessie Mae learned how to play guitar as a child by watching her relatives perform. Throughout the '60s and '70s, she sang with various Mississippi bar bands. In the early '80s, she decided to pursue a solo career.

Jessie Mae Hemphill 

She-Wolf (Jessie Mae Hemphill) 4:41

Jump, Baby, Jump (Jessie Mae Hemphill) 3:23

Black Cat Bone (Jessie Mae Hemphill) 4:57

Boogie 'Side the Road (Jessie Mae Hemphill) 3:47

from She-Wolf 1981

This compact disc reissue gathers up all the original tracks from Jessie Mae's 1980 debut album for the French Vogue label along with four remixed bonus tracks, all seeing their first domestic release. Recorded by folklorist Dr. David Evans (who also contributes second guitar on 13 of the 15 tracks here) in various locales around Memphis and Mississippi, the music stays down-home and primal throughout. There's a strong sense of rhythm that permeates this record, whether it comes from the fife and drum-derived percussion work of Calvin Jackson and Joe Hicks or simply Jessie Mae's own foot-operated tambourine driving the beat home... The blues, real and raw.

The giant of postwar blues, who eloquently defined Chicago's swaggering, Delta-rooted sound with his declamatory vocals and piercing slide guitar.

Muddy Waters 

I'm a King Bee (James Moore) 3:51

Mean Old Frisco (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup) 3:45

The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock & Roll (Brownie McGhee / McKinley Morganfield) 3:34

from King Of Electric Blues Rec. 1976-1980 (1997)

... The stuff is finally mastered at the volume it always should have been (this is a potential lease-breaker) and more than justifies the purchase. The music isn't as viscerally exciting as Muddy's work for Chess -- he's slower, starts at a lower energy level, and takes his time building up intensity, but the climaxes are majestic. The playing is also as solid as ever, and Muddy still had a considerable amount to say musically. Blues Sky still has the edge for songs, although the producers here have wisely included Muddy's covers of songs that he liked by John Lee (Sonny Boy) Williamson, Arthur Crudup, and Big Joe Williams, in addition to some of his own tunes.