Carol Fran & Clarence Hollimon - Soul Sensation!

Album: Soul Sensation!
Size: 130,3 MB
Time: 56:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Golden Girl (2:59)
2. Push-Pull (4:00)
3. I'll Make Your Life Sunshine (3:31)
4. Blues For Carol (3:55)
5. Box With The Hole In The Middle (2:33)
6. My Happiness (3:31)
7. I Needs To Be Be'd With (3:00)
8. Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (4:13)
9. Forgive Me, But My Heart Is Broken (3:09)
10. Bring It On Home To Me/Old Folks Jam (4:43)
11. I Had A Talk With My Man (3:57)
12. Gristle (3:28)
13. Mother's Love (3:05)
14. Tin-Tin-De-O (4:44)
15. This Little Light (5:04)

The new sweethearts of the blues' debut for Black Top is an uncommonly varied affair, the pair performing blues, jazz, and every stylistic stripe in between. Hollimon's red-hot licks are seldom short of amazing (his instrumental showcase "Gristle" is a stunner), and Fran's full-throated vocals shine on everything from a Gulf Coast-styled "My Happiness" and a reprise of Mitty Collier's emotionally charged "I Had a Talk with My Man" to the lounge-slanted "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" and the rousing sanctified closer "This Little Light." /Bill Dahl, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Soul Sensation! mc
Soul Sensation! gofile

---

Carol Fran & Clarence Hollimon - It's About Time

Album: It's About Time
Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 47:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000/2017
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Texas Home (4:35)
2. Jumpin' With Gristle (3:34)
3. Come On Little Mama (2:50)
4. Booty Butt (4:02)
5. Put The Blame On Me (4:15)
6. Herky Jerky (3:53)
7. I Can't Go For That (3:38)
8. No One Will Listen (8:39)
9. Rock Bottom (3:51)
10. The Way I Used To Be (3:23)
11. You Got Troubles (4:19)

Musicians to the core, guitarist Clarence Hollimon and singer/pianist Carol Fran cut their teeth as session musicians in the demanding R&B/Blues small label arena. Having first met in New Orleans, they met again in Houston where they married. Here's a unique chance to encounter the virtuosity that comes from years of experience and the uncanny rapport that speaks of a rare togetherness. Clarence Hollimon played sessions for Duke/Peacock during that label's heyday and backed Junior Parker and O.V. Wright.

In the eighties Clarence's tactful stylings became passé and he moved to Houston where he came across Carol Fran whom he'd met in 1957 in New Orleans. Soon they wed. Fran had also worked for a legendary label - Excello. She'd take the twenty-five mile bus ride into Lafayette, to play piano for the label, sing demos and cut her own sides. She cut Emitt Lee, a regional hit, and played New Orleans' famous Dewdrop Inn. "I was a fixture there," says Fran. Then to New York for a stint with Roulette. "I did some wonderful pop for Roulette, with full orchestras," Fran says. Tired of New York, Fran moved to Houston, where she wed Clarence. By the '80s they were back. Hollimon started getting session calls again, and cut two CDs with Fran. Hollimon said of working with Jimmy Morello. "I just love Jimmy to death".

Of all the couple's CDs, this is their best showcase. Hollimon's jazzy backing chords are heard to great effect on the vocal cuts. And check the guitar feast on Booty Butt and Herky Jerky, the latter spiced with a hint of reverb and echo - and the resonant vocals of Ms Fran, whose rich tones and phrasing make a lyric come alive. She's heard on Put The Blame On Me, done in a New Orleans cadence, and the welcoming shuffle Texas Home. Clarence himself takes his first-ever turn at the mike on the wry and lively I Can't Go For That. Morello's production is unhurried, with minimal overdubs. There's spontaneity, passion, virtuosity and spirited singing here.

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

It's About Time mc
It's About Time gofile

---

Carol Fran & Clarence Hollimon - Women In (E)Motion

Year: 1994
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:17
Size: 155,1 MB
Styles: Blues, piano blues
Scans: Full

1. Lonesome Road (2:53)
2. Stormy Monday (5:56)
3. Daddy Daddy (2:34)
4. Peeping And Hiding (5:43)
5. Sunny (6:02)
6. Ain't Nobody's Business (5:57)
7. You Don't Know Me (5:01)
8. Darktown Strutters Ball (3:39)
9. Every Day Is Not The Same (3:28)
10. Cry Me A River (7:32)
11. All Of Me (4:31)
12. Fine Brown Frame (2:52)
13. Ain't Misbehavin' (4:41)
14. Amazing Grace (6:20)

Just call Carol Fran and her husband Clarence Hollimon the new sweethearts of the blues. Not only are they a coosome twosome off-stage, the pair share uncommon empathy on-stage as well. The couple first met in 1957 in New Orleans. Fran was a winsome Louisiana chanteuse with a Gulf Coast hit on Excello, "Emmitt Lee," to her credit; Hollimon was a fiery young guitar slinger who had backed Big Mama Thornton on the road before playing sizzling solos on many of Bobby "Blue" Bland's classic waxings for Duke. But love wasn't in the cards just then. In 1983, fate brought the pair back together at a Houston nightclub, and they've been a romantic item ever since.

Two albums on Black Top, Soul Sensation in 1992 and See There! two years later, have cemented their musical bonds. Fran toured with bandleader Joe Lutcher when she was a mere 15 years old in 1949. Famed producer J.D. Miller was behind the board when Carol Fran cut "Emmitt Lee" in Crowley, LA, in 1957. Her later waxings for Port and other diskeries tended toward the R&B side of the stylistic tracks. Fran's soulful 1965 reading of "Crying in the Chapel" was crushed by Elvis Presley's competing version. Meanwhile, Hollimon became a studio stalwart, playing on sides by Bland, Junior Parker, Joe Hinton, and a host of others.

Nothing substantial had been heard from Fran or Hollimon prior to their hooking up with Black Top only a few years ago. Lucky in music and in love, they are a versatile duo. She sings jazzy ballads as convincingly as swinging R&B, and Hollimon's fleet fingers are conversant with virtually any chord progression known to man. /Biography by Bill Dahl, AllMusic

Women In (E)Motion mc
Women In (E)Motion zippy

---

Carol Fran & Clarence Hollimon - It's About Time (2017 Remastered)

Size: 109,2 MB
Time: 46:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000/2017
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Texas Home (2017 Remastered) (4:30)
02. Jumpin' With Gristle (2017 Remastered) (3:30)
03. Come On Little Mama (2017 Remastered) (2:49)
04. Booty Butt (2017 Remastered) (3:58)
05. Put The Blame On Me (2017 Remastered) (4:15)
06. Herky Jerky (2017 Remastered) (3:49)
07. I Can't Go For That (2017 Remastered) (3:38)
08. No One Will Listen (2017 Remastered) (8:35)
09. Rock Bottom (2017 Remastered) (3:50)
10. The Way I Used To Be (2017 Remastered) (3:22)
11. You Got Troubles (2017 Remastered) (4:18)

Personnel: Clarence Hollimon (lead guitar, Vocal on 7), Carol Fran (vocals on 1,5,8,10), John Marx (rhythm guitar, Vocal on 3,9,11), Rick Reed (acoustic bass), Tom Mahon (piano), Paul Fasulo (drums), Jonny Viau (tenor sax), Troy Jennings (baritone sax).

Musicians to the core, guitarist Clarence Hollimon and singer/pianist Carol Fran cut their teeth as session musicians in the demanding R&B/Blues small label arena.
Having first met in New Orleans, they met again in Houston where they married.
Here’s a unique chance to encounter the virtuosity that comes from years of experience and the uncanny rapport that speaks of a rare togetherness.

Clarence Hollimon played sessions for Duke/Peacock during that label’s heyday and backed Junior Parker and O. V. Wright. But before that. “… in high school I played in my brother’s band … after that I worked with Gatemouth Brown and Willie Mae Thornton … I worked for Don Robey till about 1962 … then I went to New York to work for Sceptre/Wand. I was house guitarist there and did sessions with Chuck Jackson, Maxine Brown, the Shirelles and Dionne Warwick….” said Hollimon, talking to Tim Schuller.
In the eighties Clarence’s tactful stylings became passé and he moved to Houston where he came across Carol Fran whom he’d met in 1957 in New Orleans. Soon they wed.
Fran had also worked for a legendary label - Excello. She’d take the twenty-five mile bus ride into Lafayette, to play piano for the label, sing demos and cut her own sides. She cut Emitt Lee, a regional hit, and played New Orleans’ famous Dewdrop Inn. “I was a fixture there,” says Fran.
Then to New York for a stint with Roulette. “I did some wonderful pop for Roulette, with full orchestras,” Fran says.
Tired of New York, Fran moved to Houston, where she wed Clarence. By the ‘80s they were back. Hollimon started getting session calls again, and cut two CDs with Fran.
Hollimon said of working with Jimmy Morello. “I just love Jimmy to death”.
Of all the couple’s CDs, this is their best showcase. Hollimon’s jazzy backing chords are heard to great effect on the vocal cuts. And check the guitar feast on Booty Butt and Herky Jerky, the latter spiced with a hint of reverb and echo – and the resonant vocals of Ms Fran, whose rich tones and phrasing make a lyric come alive. She’s heard on Put The Blame On Me, done in a New Orleans cadence, and the welcoming shuffle Texas Home. Clarence himself takes his first-ever turn at the mike on the wry and lively I Can’t Go For That.
Morello’s production is unhurried, with minimal overdubs. There’s spontaneity, passion, virtuosity and spirited singing here.

It's About Time

---

Kim WILSON - That's Life / Tigerman

Harmonica player, songwriter, and singer Kim Wilson is as much a student and historian of classic blues as he is one of the U.S.'s top harmonica players. Simply put, Wilson has taste; when he enters the recording studio, he has a clear vision of what he wants his next record to sound like. Aside from all this, he's also an extremely hard worker and a major road hog, spending upwards of 200 nights a year on the road, playing festivals and clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe with his own Kim Wilson band and leading the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Although he's long been known as the charismatic frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Wilson's solo albums - which feature bands of his own choosing for different tracks - is where the genius in his work shows through most clearly.Wilson's solo albums are solid productions, highly recommended for harmonica students and fans of classic Texas blues and rhythm & blues.

____________________________________________________________________________

Album: THAT'S LIFE
Styles: Modern Electric Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Recorded: 1994
Released: 1994
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size: 96.77 MB
Time: 39:41
Art: Full

1. Baby Please Don't Lie To Me (3:02)
2. Time Is On My Side (3:11)
3. Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds You (4:16)
4. She's My Baby (2:16)
5. Ooh Baby (When You Squeeze Ma) (4:17)
6. Humpin' To Please (4:04)
7. I've Been Searchin' (3:57)
8. Pretty Baby (3:35)
9. Teach Me ( How To Love You) (2:24)
10. Blues Leave Me Alone (3:59)
11. Lowdown (4:40)

Personnel: Kim WILSON - Harmonica, Vocals
Duke Robillard, Derek O'Brien, Rusty Zinn, Junior Watson, Clarence Hollimon - Guitars
Gene Taylor - Piano
Sauce Gonzales - Organ
Calvin Jones, Larry Taylor, Preston Hubbard, Jack Barber - Bass
George Rains, Richard Innes, Fran Christina - Drums

Note: On 'That's Life', Kim Wilson's second solo album, the vocalist/harpist hits on the right formula of Texas roadhouse blues and gritty blues-rock, turning out a uniformly satisfying album. Some of the original songs are a little weak, but the performances are convincing and enjoyable, even if they don't offer a new spin on Texas blues-rock.

                                                                     That's Life
____________________________________________________________________________

Album: TIGERMAN
Styles: Modern Electric Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Recorded: 1993
Released: 1993
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size: 107.15 MB
Time: 45:43
Art: Full

1. Tiger Man (3:40)
2. Don't Touch Me (4:15)
3. The Hustle Is On (2:51)
4. She Moves Me (3:28)
5. Hush Oh Hush (2:42)
6. If I Should Lose You (3:23)
7. Hunch Rhythm (3:41)
8. When The Lights Go Out (3:12)
9. You Got Me (3:16)
10. Come Back Baby (3:18)
11. Boogie All Night (4:33)
12. Trust My Baby (4:42)
13. Reel Eleven, Take One (2:42)

Personnel: Kim WILSON - Harmonica, Vocals
Junior Watson, Duke Robillard, Derek O'Brien, Rusty Zinn, Clarence Hollimon - Guitar
Gene Taylor - Piano
Preston Hubbard, Jack Barber, Calvin Jones - Bass
George Rains, Fran Christina - Drums
Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff - Tenor Saxophones
and The Antone's Horns

Notes: Tigerman, the first solo effort from the Fabulous Thunderbirds' frontman, Kim Wilson, is an uneven album, hampered by the uncertainness of Wilson and his band. They run through a standard set of blues-rock, plus Texas-and Chicago-style shuffles and boogies, but they never really let loose. Consequently, there are pleasant, enjoyable spots on the album, but never anything truly memorable.

                                                                     Tigerman
____________________________________________________________________________

Various - Blues Guitar Spotlight

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 69:20
Size: 158.7 MB
Styles: Various styles
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Alex Schultz With The Mighty Flyers - Jam Up
[3:21] 2. Snooks Eaglin - Traveling Mood
[3:32] 3. Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets - Ways Of Man
[2:55] 4. Anson Funderburgh And Joe Hughes - I Don't Want Your Money
[3:01] 5. Robert Ward - Forgive Me Darling
[2:35] 6. Hubert Sumlin - Healing Feeling
[7:55] 7. Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - That's When My Soul Comes Down
[3:56] 8. Mike Morgan & The Crawl - You Ain't Like You Used To Be
[4:47] 9. Earl King - Time For The Sun To Rise
[2:15] 10. Bobby Radcliff - The Stinger
[3:05] 11. Mike Morgan & The Crawl - Frankie's Blues
[3:50] 12. Snooks Eaglin - Don't Take It So Hard
[2:21] 13. Alex Schultz & The Mighty Flyers - Nook-N-Kranny
[3:02] 14. Texas Heat - Won't Throw It All Away
[3:53] 15. Clarence Hollimon - Blues For Carol
[5:02] 16. Bobby Radcliff - Hard Road To Travel
[4:33] 17. The James Harman Band - I Declare
[2:40] 18. Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Gonna Wait For My Chance
[3:56] 19. Robert Ward - Dry Spell

Fans of blues guitar playing should be happy with the lineup of artists on this compilation. Among the many contributors are Ronnie Earl, Hubert Sumlin, Earl King, Bobby Radcliff, Robert Ward, Anson Funderburgh, Clarence Hollimon, and Snooks Eaglin. It's a good opportunity to get a taste of where blues guitar playing has been and the direction it's headed toward in the near future. This release includes two previously unissued performances featuring Alex Schultz with Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. Includes previously unreleased tracks. Performers include: Hubert Sumlin, Rod Piazza, Snooks Eaglin, Earl King, Clarence Hollimon, Robert Ward, Anson Funderburgh, Ronnie Earl, Bobby Radcliff, Alex Schultz, Joel Foy, Mike Morgan, Jon Moeller.

Blues Guitar Spotlight

---