Chris Thomas King - Direct-To-Disc Sessions [Vinyl] (APO 032)

Source: Vinyl (clean)
Size: 55.9 MB
Time: 24:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. John Law Burned Down The Liquor Sto' (4:15)
02. Come On In My Kitchen (4:06)
03. Down To The River / Man Of Constant Sorrow (4:09)
04. Soon This Mornin' Blues (3:52)
05. Big Rock Candy Mountain (2:57)
06. Sketches Of Treme (4:46)

All tracks were recorded live, direct-to-disc at Blue Heaven Studios, Salina, Kansas, October 2013.

Chris Thomas King has scaled the musical range in his career. Hailed as "King of 21st Century Blues," the title works. With a Grammy on his shelf, he has been perfecting performing blues since he was a young boy. His dad, the too-little-known Tabby Thomas, played and ran his Blues Box in Baton Rouge, His son soaked it all up and kept mastering new things. Chris' big-screen credits include "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and "Ray"; here you'll find him cradling a big-bodied Gibson acoustic guitar and singing such tunes as "Soon This Mornin' Blues," and "John Law Burned Down The Liquor Sto.'" Plus a nod to "O Brother" with "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "Down To The River To Pray / Man Of Constant Sorrow."

Direct-To-Disc Sessions (APO 032) MP3
Direct-To-Disc Sessions (APO 032) FLAC

---

Chris Thomas King - Why My Guitar Screams & Moans

Size: 112.0 MB
Time: 47:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Blues/Rock
Art: Front

01. Starr (4:07)
02. Action (Interlude) (0:07)
03. Kiss (4:37)
04. Legend (3:56)
05. Song for Mama (4:07)
06. King Snake (3:31)
07. Juke Joint Lover (4:04)
08. Louisiana Party (3:42)
09. Come Home Tonight (4:14)
10. Down (3:36)
11. Wicked (4:08)
12. Scream (3:31)
13. Cracked (3:59)

Chris Thomas King is a multifaceted guy. Aside from being an actor (he played Lowell Fulson in the Ray Charles biopic Ray and also appeared in O Brother, Where Art Thou?), he produced, arranged, engineered, sang all the vocals, played all the instruments (except for the horns), and wrote all but one of the tracks on Why My Guitar Screams & Moans, then released it on his own 21st Century Blues label. The result is an impressive contemporary album that is less blues than blues-informed, and it exhibits a wide range of styles while remaining inclusive and cohesive. Although there are some fairly straight-ahead blues cuts here ("King Snake," "Juke Joint Lover," "Wicked"), King's vision takes the blues as the foundation of contemporary pop music rather than a destination point, which means there is as much R&B, funk, and urban soul in these tracks as there is blues. The opener, "Starr," and the closer, the viciously anticrack song "Cracked," bear some resemblance to the great urban commentaries of Curtis Mayfield, while King dials up the funk for an honorable cover of Prince's "Kiss," then goes neo-soul for "Come Home Tonight." Tying everything together, and making this album feel unified in spite of the different styles, is King's blazing electric guitar, which snakes and cuts through these tracks with a bone-rattling tone. Most contemporary blues players use the blues as a way to connect with the past, while King (much like Otis Taylor) uses the form as a fulcrum to vault into the 21st century, which explains why his guitar lines scream and moan more than they gently weep. ~Review by Steve Leggett

Why My Guitar Screams & Moans MP3
Why My Guitar Screams & Moans FLAC

---

Chris Thomas King - Red Mud Sessions

Size: 110.5 MB
Time: 46:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. Red Mud (4:13)
02. If It Ain't One Thing It's Two (4:02)
03. Soon This Morning Blues (3:52)
04. Come On In My Kitchen (4:25)
05. I'm On Fire (3:32)
06. Sinking Feeling (3:04)
07. Alive (3:44)
08. Dark Cloud (3:19)
09. Rambling On My Mind (3:06)
10. Wanna Die With A Smile On My Face (2:55)
11. Death Letter Blues (5:28)
12. Raining Angels (5:00)

Red Mud Sessions is a tweaked and reordered reissue of 1998's Red Mud, which is out of print in its original form. This version of the record omits two tracks that were a poor fit both musically and conceptually with the rest of the album, covers of songs by Chris Thomas King's father, Tabby Thomas, "Hoodoo Party" and "Bus Station Blues," which featured the elder Thomas on electric lead. Those two songs were entertaining enough, but in the context of Red Mud, they stuck out like a pair of cheeseburgers on a platter of ribs. Red Mud Sessions collects the rest of the album, which is a strictly acoustic solo recording of King and a battery of vintage resonator and metal-top guitars. King makes the connection plain by including solid but unexceptional versions of Son House's "Death Letter Blues" and a pair of Robert Johnson tracks, but even the original material sounds like King is deliberately channeling the early country blues of the '30s. It's unsurprising that not long after this album was recorded, the formerly progressive-oriented King was tapped to play a '30s-vintage bluesman in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? Those who already have the original Red Mud don't need to buy Red Mud Sessions, but it's an enjoyable listen to anyone who liked King's role in that film. ~Stewart Mason

Red Mud Sessions MP3
Red Mud Sessions FLAC

---

Chris Thomas King - Angola

Size: 74,0 MB
Time: 31:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Louisiana Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. George Floyd (Say His Name) (1:01)
02. The Flag (2:55)
03. Drenched In Our Blood (6:24)
04. Nine Pound Steel (4:25)
05. Jena Louisiana (3:35)
06. I Shall Be Released (4:10)
07. I Sleep With One Eye Open (2:05)
08. Reckoning (1:11)
09. The Police (1:57)
10. Black Lives Matter Reprise (4:10)

King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. He is the son of blues musician Tabby Thomas. He has won awards including "Album of the Year" for both Grammy Award and Country Music Awards. King has sold more than 10 million records in the United States. He is featured playing the part of Tommy Johnson in the Coen brothers' 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. He is also featured in Down from the Mountain and More Music from Ray soundtracks.

Angola MP3
Angola FLAC

---

Chris Thomas King - Me, My Guitar And The Blues

Size: 99,8 MB
Time: 42:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Electric/Acoustic Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Why Blues (3:23)
02. Like Father, Like Son (4:43)
03. Superstitious Blues (3:56)
04. Cain (3:23)
05. Stay Just As You Are (4:32)
06. Born Under A Bad Sign (3:51)
07. Gambling Woman (2:35)
08. Me, My Guitar And The Blues (3:16)
09. Bourbon Street Blues (3:55)
10. Stones In My Passway (3:46)
11. Your Are My Heaven (4:59)

On Me, My Guitar and the Blues, Chris Thomas King ventures out into eclectic musical territories. King sings and plays all the instruments on his first disc for the Blind Pig label. Recorded in New Orleans, this release retains some of those Crescent City funk influences while "Superstitious Blues," "Gambling Woman," and Robert Johnsons' "Stones in My Passway" are gritty acoustic delta blues. However, the majority of this release finds King reaching for a broader more popular approach that will likely turn off blues purists. "Born Under a Bad Sign" injects hip-hop into this blues classic, "You Are My Heaven" is comparable to the soul sound of Robert Cray, while the synth laden "Stay Just As You Are" would be the obvious pick for crossover radio play specifically going after a more mainstream pop audience. ~by Al Campbell.

Hard To Make A Livin' MP3
Hard To Make A Livin' FLAC

Chris Thomas King - Hotel Voodoo

Size: 98,9 MB
Time: 42:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. American Man (In The Key Of Free) (4:20)
02. Voodoo Child (On Hell's Highway) (4:03)
03. Friday Night Bleu (4:14)
04. Have You Seen My Princess (5:32)
05. Rock and Roll Conjurer (4:35)
06. Les Bleus Was Born In Louisiana (2:59)
07. White Folks Call It Jazz (3:33)
08. Tabby's On The Bayou (3:31)
09. Someone Like You (6:06)
10. Rainbow Lullaby (3:37)

“Hotel Voodoo” is the first new studio album in five years from Grammy winning guitarist, songwriter, and actor, Chris Thomas King. “Hotel Voodoo” is a blues rock guitar tour de force on par with legendary greats Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy. Chris Thomas King, an electric guitar virtuoso, based in New Orleans, is at the peak of his powers on rockers, “Have You Seen My Princess,” “Voodoo Child (On Hell's Highway), and “Rock-and-Roll Conjurer.”

Hotel Voodoo

---

Chris Thomas King - Les Bleus Made In Louisiana EP

Size: 106 MB
Time: 16:58
File: FLAC
Released: 2016
Styles: Louisiana Blues
Art: Front

01. Les Bleus Was Born In Louisiana (3:00)
02. I Can Fly (5:21)
03. Cross Road Blues (2:33)
04. Rolling In The Deep (6:03)

Born in 1962, guitarist Chris Thomas King became the last major folk blues discovery of the 20th Century when he was discovered in Louisiana in 1985 by a folklorist from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D. C. He was introduced to the world the following year by venerable folk label Arhoolie Records as an authentic folk blues successor to Huddie Ledbetter, Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt and Manse Lipscomb.

Les Bleus Made In Louisiana EP

---

Various - Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: Assorted styles
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[4:21] 1. Paul Reddick - Train Of Love
[3:02] 2. Clarence 'gatemouth' Brown - Get Rhythm
[4:39] 3. Maria Muldaur - Walking The Blues
[2:38] 4. Chris Thomas King - Rock Island Line
[3:07] 5. Garland Jeffreys - I Walk The Line
[4:33] 6. Blackie & The Rodeo Kings - Folsom Prison Blues
[4:39] 7. Harry Manx - Long Black Veil
[4:31] 8. Alvin Youngblood Hart - Sunday Morning Coming Down
[2:24] 9. Sleepy Labeef - Frankie's Man Johnny
[3:51] 10. Corey Harris - Redemption
[4:15] 11. Kevin Breit - Send A Picture Of Mother
[3:20] 12. Colin Linden - Big River
[2:55] 13. Mavis Staples - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Effectively honoring an amazing song from an amazing performer requires that you kick against the grass marking the steps of the master. Cash's country music re-oriented toward its blues element gives kickers a general direction for a collection hitting more shin than soupçon. Paul Reddick's "Train of Love" whirs into life on its master tape capstan and jumps track 13 seconds in a show of off-roading; "I have wondered," he ponders in the liner notes, "how things might have been if Johnny had hired Mississippi Fred McDowell (Luther Perkins is chopped liver?) as the guitar player for the Tennessee Three." Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown joins forces with Benjy Davis to swing out "Get Rhythm," taking turns sounding agreeably road-wearied. Chris Thomas King tunes his 12-string guitar "down to B flat standard, which is the way Leadbelly played it," and recasts "Rock Island Line" as a talking blues, which it almost was anyway, then skates away on the train engineer's cheer at cheating the toll (though no one ever asks whether the burned toll man's waiting for him on the return trip). Faced with doing over a perfect song with a perfect arrangement, Garland Jeffreys brilliantly deduces that a little more makes a lot more, and filigrees "I Walk the Line" in accordion and a more pronounced "boom-chicka-boom." Harry Manx's "Long Black Veil" shimmers under his predictable but effective slide guitar and surprising touches of Indian instrumentation, plus desperate gospel-fueled backing vocals, stripping finality from tone, turning the song over into an unsolved mystery. OK, Alvin Youngblood Hart doesn't sound like he knows what he's doing on "Sunday Morning Coming Down"; he asks "Well, who hasn't been there?" in the notes, and the problem is he sounds like almost everybody else who's been there. But then along comes Sleepy LaBeef, sounding like his voice went down one half-step for each of his 68 years, singing "Frankie's Man Johnny" like no one ever told him it wasn't his. Don't settle for walking if you can swoosh. ~Andrew Hamlin

Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash mc
Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash zippy

---

VA - Tribute To Robert Johnson

Size: 198,3 MB
Time: 83:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Delta Blues
Art: Front

01. All Star Jam - Sweet Home Chicago (10:29)
02. Tab Benoit - Rambling On My Mind ( 5:09)
03. John Hammond - Crossroads Blues ( 3:04)
04. Chris Thomas King - Come On In My Kitchen ( 4:22)
05. Little Charlie & The Nightcats - Steady Rollin' Man ( 3:19)
06. John Hammond - Hellhound Blues ( 3:35)
07. Michael Messer - Robert Johnson's Wake ( 5:29)
08. The Johnny Shines Blues Band - Dynaflow Blues ( 2:40)
09. John Hammond - Walking Blues ( 2:53)
10. Roy Rogers - 32-20 Blues ( 2:44)
11. Cephas & Wiggins - Last Fair Deal Gone Down ( 3:47)
12. John Hammond - Traveling Riverside Blues (Alternate Version) ( 3:23)
13. Homesick James & His Dusters - Dust My Broom ( 3:20)
14. Chris Thomas King - Stones In My Passway ( 3:45)
15. John Hammond - Me And The Devil Blues ( 2:34)
16. Chris Thomas King - If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day ( 3:08)
17. Roy Rogers - Kindhearted Woman ( 4:26)
18. John Hammond - When You Got A Good Friend ( 4:40)
19. Lights Out By Nine - Feels Like Robert Johnson (Live) ( 4:10)
20. Al Hughes - Feel Like Robert Johnson (Part 2) ( 4:05)
21. John Hammond - Milkcow's Calf Blues ( 2:46)

Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937, display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy, poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend, including the Faustian myth that he sold his soul at a crossroads to achieve success. As an itinerant performer who played mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime.

Tribute To Robert Johnson

---

Chris Thomas King - Nawlins Callin' EP

Size: 50,7 MB
Time: 21:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: New Orleans Blues, Fusion
Art: Front

01. Basin Street (3:26)
02. It's You (2:50)
03. You Don't Know Me (4:20)
04. When You're A Clown (3:55)
05. A Song For The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (3:17)
06. N'awlins (3:52)

With Nawlins Callin’, King has created a suite of songs inspired by the rich musical culture of the old French Quarter, conveying aspects of romance, melancholy and wonderment with fresh arrangements and melodies that trumpets a rebirth. King and his musicians have succeeded in conjuring a fresh adult pop album laced with authentic jazz, classical and blues sensibilities. King re-invents some classics like “You Don’t Know Me.” Among the many treasures of Nawlins Callin’ is a funky new rendition of "Basin Street" in which his guitar sores the way Louis Armstrong’s trumpet once did. The multi-talented King plays piano and sings accompanied by a string quartet on the beautifully arranged original composition “When You’re A Clown,” an instant standard which is sure to be covered by other artists for years to come. ~Review by Tammy26

Nawlins Callin'

---