Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - Goin' Home

Size: 120,7 MB
Time: 51:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. Hunkie Tunkie Blues (3:30)
02. You've Got It Made (4:03)
03. I Had A Good Mother And Father (3:50)
04. I'm Goin' Home (3:11)
05. It Ain't Right (4:37)
06. Candy (2:46)
07. Memphis Town (3:10)
08. Black Horse Blues (3:22)
09. Black Eye Blues (3:58)
10. Ragtime Millionaire (3:28)
11. Custrad Pie (2:53)
12. Some Of These Days (4:59)
13. Lookin' Good (7:33)

Paul Rishell and Annie Raines seems to have a bad case of the blues on Goin' Home, which is good news for the listener. While the album kicks off with two originals, most of the material is drawn from classic blues players like Charley Patton, Ma Rainey, and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Rishell handles most of the vocals and guitar work, and the arrangements vary from stripped-down acoustic to full-band electric. Raines, on the other hand, specializes in the blues harp and helps out -- from time to time -- on background vocals. As a team, Rishell and Raines are what one might expect if Roy Book Binder and Rory Block teamed up. The most exciting work on Goin' Home is acoustic. There are fine versions of Jefferson's "Black Horse Blues" and Rainey's "Black Eye Blues." The latter song is the rare piece sung by Raines, and it's shameful she's not given more leads on the album. There's also a fun version of the randy Fulton Allen song, "Custard Pie," though the performance here reveals the album's Achilles' heel. Rishell's a good singer, but his vocals lack the raw authenticity of a singer like Sonny Terry. While Goin' Home may be too eclectic for its own good, it's likely that many blues fans will find Rishell and Raines' varied approach refreshing. ~Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Goin' Home

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Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - Moving To The Country

Size: 87,1 MB
Time: 38:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. Moving To The Country (4:15)
02. My Washerwoman's Gone (2:59)
03. I Get The Blues (3:00)
04. Keep Your Hands Off Her (3:33)
05. Sweet Tooth (3:09)
06. Good Women Have Bad Days (2:47)
07. Twist It Babe (2:39)
08. Vanessa (2:09)
09. Turning Corner (3:35)
10. Sweet Jivin' Mama (2:54)
11. Tears (3:07)
12. Fare Thee Well (3:48)

This second treasure trove of country blues is a wonderful mixture of older, some known but mostly forgotten, gems that had been gathering dust, and five songs written by these two artists that fit right in with the earlier diamonds, making the whole disc a wonderful way to kick back and enjoy no matter where you are. This album owes a big part of its appeal to the stunning finger picked lines that Rishell seems to lay down so effortless as to appear common place, blended with the supportive and sensitive harp work of Raines. These two are not only sharing the rich traditions of these country blues, but they are ever widening the audience with their precision playing and empathetic treatment of the music. They bring this style of music to the forefront and make it a living and vital organism. The two have a wonderful chemistry that stems from the genuine love of this music, and the joy they so obviously share with each others playing. It is serious and yet at the same time joyous. It is the quiet joy of a couple that have been together so long, and shared so much, that they can just in a look communicate the whole world to their partner. On six of the cuts they have some other musicians playing with them, and rather than lose some of their intimacy due to the intrusion of others into the mix, they seem to gain. The other musicians have no trouble letting them go and do what they do, and they stay in the background and in a most supportive way fill out the sound, allowing Rishell and Raines to use their support to reach for a fuller sound. The joy and love of their music is the very solid foundation to this disc, and the stunning musical mastery of their instruments is the result of long hours of playing. Listen to Rishell's delivery of the vocal on "My Washerwoman's Gone." He has the intonation that is needed for this bawdy song, then pause long enough to listen to what he is playing on his guitar and how effortless it sounds. That is a sound they achieve by the consequence of both love and dedication to their craft. This is a gem on many levels. ~Bob Gottlieb

Moving To The Country

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Paul Rischell & Annie Raines - In Concert

Size: 172,6 MB
Time: 75:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. Michigan Water (5:00)
02. Shake 'Em On Down (3:48)
03. Step It Up & Go (2:59)
04. It'll Be Me (5:23)
05. Got To Fly (5:10)
06. I Get The Blues (4:26)
07. Black Eye Blues (7:03)
08. Dallas (4:30)
09. Fare Thee Well (4:12)
10. Keep It To Yourself (5:41)
11. Ol' Heartbreak (4:36)
12. Good Women Have Bad Days (6:45)
13. Rambling On My Mind (5:48)
14. Sweet Tooth (3:55)
15. Fever (5:59)

For 25 years Paul Rishell & Annie Raines have been hailed as one of the world’s best blues duos. They have recorded 6 albums together including the W.C. Handy Award-winning Moving to the Country (2000), and received numerous award nominations from the Blues Foundation. They have performed and recorded with John Sebastian, Susan Tedeschi, Pinetop Perkins and Rory Block. They have opened for Ray Chares, Dr. John, and Little Feat, and performed on international radio and TV shows including Late Night with Conan O’Brien and A Prairie Home Companion. They continue to perform American roots music and their own compositions at festivals, concert halls, and clubs all over the world. As a working team, Paul and Annie have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles on the road in the U.S. and Europe, collaborated on original songs, and released the Blues Foundation Award nominated TALKING GUITAR , I WANT YOU TO KNOW (Tone-Cool/Artemis 1996), MOVING TO THE COUNTRY (2000), the W.C. Handy Award winner for Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, and GOIN’ HOME (2004), which was nominated for two Handy Awards.

In Concert

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John Sebastian & The J-Band - I Want My Roots

Size: 96,4 MB
Time: 40:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. Mobile Line (With Paul Rishell & Annie Raines) (2:29)
02. I Want My Roots (3:47)
03. Goin' To German (With Paul Rishell, Rory Block & Annie Raines) (3:11)
04. Big Road Blues (With Rory Block) (3:01)
05. Just Don't Stop 'till You're All Worn Out (3:21)
06. Ain't Nowhere To Hobo Anymore (2:51)
07. Milk Cow Blues (3:40)
08. Rain, Hey, Rain (3:13)
09. Statesboro Blues (With Rory Block) (3:36)
10. New Jug Band Waltz (1:36)
11. Tappin' That Thing (With Yank Rachell) (2:22)
12. Yank Rachell Boogie (With Yank Rachell) (1:17)
13. Divin' Duck (With Yank Rachell) (2:28)
14. K.C. Moan (3:23)

John Sebastian's early group affiliations in the Even Dozen Jug Band and the Lovin' Spoonful rose out of the casual party jug band music that enjoyed a brief period of popularity during the folk boom, mixing folk elements with the more celebratory elements of country and blues with a touch of zany fun thrown in. Combining with guitarist Jimmy Vivino and drummer James Wormworth, Sebastian brought in original jute player Fritz Richmond from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band to form the J-Band, co-credited on this album, which updates jug music for the '90s. Sebastian opens the proceedings with the old Spoonful song "Mobile Line" for reference, and then things get really crazy. Sebastian and Vivino contribute four originals, but the heart of the album is material by the likes of Sleepy John Estes and Blind Willie McTell, and guest stars Paul Risell, Annie Raines, Rory Block, Yank Rachell, Richard Crooks, and John Simon are just as likely to be playing or singing as the nominal leader or his band, which can mean that Sebastian is frequently a sideman on his own album, especially during a three-song Rachell mini-set near the album's end. No matter. The result is like a particularly enjoyable club date in which friends keep stumbling onstage from the bar to sing a verse or play a lick. In other words, the spirit of jug band music has been brought back to life. ~by William Ruhlmann

I Want My Roots

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Paul Rishell - Swear To Tell The Truth

Size: 121,8 MB
Time: 52:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Acoustic/Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Shake 'Em On Down (3:20)
02. I'm Gonna Jump & Shout (2:49)
03. Depot Blues (3:34)
04. It'll Be Me (3:40)
05. Somebody In My Home (4:33)
06. Every Night About This Time (4:04)
07. Canned Heat Blues (4:10)
08. 32-20 Blues (2:29)
09. Mamie (2:54)
10. Drinkin' Water From A Hollow Log (3:01)
11. Michigan Water (2:39)
12. Some Of These Days (3:41)
13. Lou Ella (3:21)
14. Do You Swear To Tell The Truth (3:30)
15. Devil Got My Woman (4:18)

Feat. Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters and Annie Raines.

The tendency to be snide and cynical whenever encountering contemporary versions of vintage country blues is great, mainly because there is no way anyone singing Skip James or Son House tunes in the 1990s could possibly best the originals. Paul Rishell's versions of their songs are neither faceless covers nor spectacular reworkings; they are merely Rishell's earnest attempt to communicate the music he loves. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't, but it is never pretentious or solemn. The better tracks are the jumping version of Earl Hooker's "Do You Swear To Tell The Truth," with guitar by Ronnie Earl, and Rishell's own "I'm Gonna Jump and Shout." This is not Hall of Fame stuff, but it also should not be curtly dismissed or unfairly ridiculed. ~Ron Wynn

Swear To Tell The Truth

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Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - I Want You to Know

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 1996
Styles: Blues
Time: 51:15
Size: 118,2 MB
Art: Full

(2:20) 1. Step It Up & Go
(2:36) 2. I Want You to Know
(3:19) 3. Got to Fly
(2:47) 4. Yo Yo Blues
(5:56) 5. Nothin' But the Devil
(3:20) 6. Ol' Heartbreak
(2:58) 7. Blues for Tampa Red
(3:56) 8. I Shall Not Be Moved
(2:49) 9. Funny Feeling Blues
(2:42) 10. Mama Talk to Your Daughter
(3:08) 11. Little Dog
(3:55) 12. Must Have Been the Devil
(3:51) 13. Time Is Like a Woman
(2:03) 14. Low Down Rounder
(2:43) 15. Key to the Highway
(2:45) 16. John Henry

The team of guitarist Paul Rishell and Annie Raines on harmonica (both sing) is so appealing that their acoustic duets make the occasional guests (and electrification of the music) seem unnecessary although Ronnie Earl gets in a few good guitar solos. Five originals by the Rishell/Raines team fit right in with songs by the likes of Blind Boy Fuller, Bo Carter, Babecue Bob, J.B. Lenoir, Otis Spann, Peg Leg Howell and Big Bill Broonzy. A touching version of "I Shall Not Be Moved" is the set's highpoint but all of the 16 selections (which range from country blues and early folk music to later electric blues) are well worth hearing. Highly recommended roots music. -- Allmusic.

I Want You to Know

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The Mystix - Rhythm & Roots

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:28
Size: 172.8 MB
Styles: Roots, Electric blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Long John
[7:01] 2. You're The Best Lover That I Ever Had
[6:07] 3. To Ramona
[0:15] 4. Intro 1
[4:23] 5. Midnight In Mississippi
[4:28] 6. Blue Morning
[4:14] 7. A Lifetime Worth Of Blues
[2:16] 8. Intro 2
[5:05] 9. Jelly Roll
[4:16] 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[0:16] 11. Intro 3
[3:49] 12. Hard Times
[0:36] 13. Intro 4
[4:32] 14. Boppin' The Blues
[6:03] 15. Goodbye Baby, Baby Goodbye
[8:35] 16. Whiskey And Wimmen
[0:21] 17. Encore
[4:43] 18. Hi-Line
[4:46] 19. Cry, Cry, Cry

Jo Lily - Guitar/Lead Vocals; Bobby Keyes - Guitar; Matt Leavenworth - Fiddle; Jesse Williams - Bass/Vocals; Marty Richards - Drums; Annie Raines - Harp/Vocals.

Called "A Roots Supergroup" by The Boston Phoenix, THE MYSTIX continue to headline major venues throughout New England, performing their unique interpretations of the music of rural America, as well as inspired original material. Their five critically acclaimed CDs have enjoyed substantial airplay across the country and around the world, consistently appearing on major Americana/Roots charts in the US, UK and Europe. Noted for their impeccable musicianship as well as their soulful, spirited and lighthearted performances, THE MYSTIX's legendary, veteran lineup never fails to deliver a thrilling show.

The band is excited to offer these high-quality, live recordings captured from recent dates over the past two years. Known for their live performances, Rhythm and Roots delivers the excitement of The Mystix soulful, spirited and lighthearted performances.

Rhythm & Roots mc
Rhythm & Roots zippy

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VA - Blues Harp Women

Size: 163,2+152,3 MB
Time: 69:46+64:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

CD 1:
01 Paula Rangell - Harmonica Girl (4:25)
02 Roxy Perry - Roadmaster (4:16)
03 Stacy Jones Band - Heavy Water (5:45)
04 Big Mama Thornton - Down Home Shake Down (3:33)
05 Lynnann Hyde - 32-20 Blues (4:44)
06 Trina Hamlin - Down To The Hollow (4:26)
07 Tracy K - Stop! Wait A Minute (3:33)
08 Teresa 'T-Bird' Lynne - One More Lie (5:08)
09 Octavia - Naughty Girl (4:39)
10 Kat Baloun - Why You So Mean To Me (4:50)
11 Beth Kohnen - Ain't Easy (3:19)
12 Jane Gillman - Stuck On You (2:47)
13 Zola Moon - Mechanical Beast (4:06)
14 Mattie Phifer - Please Call Daddy (5:18)
15 Dorothy Jane 'DJ' Gosper - Sadder Than Sad (8:50)

CD 2:
01 Jenny Kerr - Cash Is King (3:35)
02 Cheryl Arena - Blues Got Me (6:24)
03 Annie Raines - Lookin' Good (7:32)
04 Marion Turner - He's Gone (3:17)
05 Terry Leonino - Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (3:59)
06 Dana Dixon - Crazy Maisie (4:28)
07 Beata Kossowska - Everybody's Dancing (3:02)
08 Jilll Fromewick - Take The Lead (3:26)
09 Diana Redlin - Never Leave Me Home (3:07)
10 Christelle Berthon - Summertime (4:25)
11 Judy Rudin - Hit The Road (4:22)
12 Cecilia Loforti - Doctor C (4:01)
13 Maria Coyote - Rikers Island (3:35)
14 Jackie Merritt - Fast Food Mama (2:50)
15 Big Nancy - Bring It On Home (To Me) (3:30)
16 Rhonda Rucker - Rhonda Alla Blue (3:13)

Big Mama Thornton is responsible for this album. I played one of her tracks on my radio show, heard a nice harmonica solo and checked the liner notes to see who it was. It was Big Mama! It was the first time I recall hearing a woman playing blues harp and it set the wheels turning in my head. I started wondering if there were other women who played the harmonica and why they are virtually unknown. I began searching. Eventually I found others, then more. I was inspired to create a website. As I was discussing it with a friend, he mispronounced harmonica as “hermonica”. “That’s it!” I shouted. “That’s the name for the website!”
So hermonicas.com was born and became what Adam Gussow called “the definitive site on women harmonica players.” We discovered and contacted almost 200 players around the world. There was some discussion on putting an album together. As far as we know, it had never been done before. A label-owning friend suggested I try Ruf Records and (bless his heart) Tom Ruf agreed to back the project.
It has taken a few years and numerous obstacles to overcome, (working with 30-plus artists can get very complicated) but finally the album is finished and is about to become a unique part of music history; the very first women’s blues harmonica compilation album ever made!
I hope this album will shed some light on what has been a black hole in the blues universe. It proves that as with other instruments, women are the equal of men on the harmonica. Perhaps this will help them get the attention that has passed them by in the past. I am delighted to have been a part of this project.

Blues Harp Women CD 1
Blues Harp Women CD 2

Thanks to Red Rooster
Covers

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Paul Rishell - Talking Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:18
Size: 90.0 MB
Styles: Acoustic blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Fannin Street (Mr. Tom Hughes' Town)
[3:43] 2. Special Rider Blues
[2:46] 3. M & O Blues
[2:27] 4. Down The Dirt Road Blues
[3:08] 5. Big Road Blues
[3:04] 6. I'm Gonna Jump And Shout
[3:03] 7. Police Dog Blues
[2:55] 8. One Dime Blues
[2:50] 9. Weeping Willow Blues
[2:08] 10. Screamin' And Cryin' Blues
[2:53] 11. Tired Of Being Maltreated
[2:47] 12. Louise
[4:00] 13. Michigan Water Blues

"Talking Guitar delivers exactly what its title and its creator's reputation promise: lucid translations of prewar records and expert insight into what made them so good. After hearing Paul Rishell's blues, you'll have a hard time denying the power of such bare, organic, and emotive sound." ~ Katie Lambert, LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE

"Boston-area blues stalwart Paul Rishell does something fairly miraculous on “Talking Guitar,” his acoustic paean to blues guitar greats from the 1920s and ’30s: Far from churning out a museum piece, he’s produced a record as moody, gritty and vibrant as the genre itself. As much as it feels channeled into the present from 80-plus years ago, it also feels alive and of the now." ~ Peter Chianca, GateHouse News Service

Talking Guitar mc
Talking Guitar zippy

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