VA - Mighty Instrumentals R&B Style 1959-1960-1961

Size: 243,1 MB
Time: 103:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Front

01 Carter Bros. - Pacoima Stomp (2:14)
02 Gus Jenkins - Cutting Out (2:46)
03 The Swinging Earls - Yum Yum (2:43)
04 The Bim Bam Boos - Can't Sit Down (2:35)
05 Doc Starkes & His Nite Riders - Talk To Me Baby (2:18)
06 Carter Bros. - Voodoo Cha Cha (1:49)
07 Gus Jenkins - Spanky (2:39)
08 Harmonica George - Sputnik Music (2:13)
09 Walter J. Westbrook & His Phantom 5 - Midnight Jump (2:27)
10 The Poor Royales - Wash Board (2:28)
11 The Red Tops - Caravan (2:55)
12 Bill Elliot Combo - Slow Freight, Pt. 1 (2:07)
13 Bill Elliot Combo - Slow Freight, Pt. 2 (2:23)
14 Gus Jenkins - Off The Road (2:12)
15 Albert & Charles - Weird (2:35)
16 Big Bo Thomas & His Arrows - Big Bo's Twist (2:38)
17 Haze Hart - Red River Shuffle (2:07)
18 Sonny Thompson - Hangout, Pt. 1 (2:56)
19 Sonny Thompson - Hangout, Pt. 2 (1:51)
20 Big Walter And The Thunderbirds - Watusi Freeze, Pt. 1 (2:49)
21 Ace Holder & His Blues Rockers - Lonesome Harmonica (2:16)
22 Big Jay Mcneely, Leon Haywood - The Squat (2:21)
23 Jimmy Forrest, Chick Foster - Night Walk (2:27)
24 Daddy Goodloe - Jamil, Pt. 1 (2:23)
25 Daddy Goodloe - Jamil, Pt. 2 (2:27)
26 Elliott Shavers & His Blazers - Way Down Home Blues (2:57)
27 The Jim Conley Combo - Nite-Lite Slop (2:44)
28 Jimmy Oliver - Slim Jim Pt. 1 (2:37)
29 Willie Wright & His Sparklers - Bloodhound Pt. 1 (2:30)
30 Kid King's Combo - Shaggy Dog (2:26)
31 Curley Hamner & Cooper Bros - Piano Tuner (3:41)
32 Jimmy Liggins - Last Round (2:12)
33 Googie Rene - The Slide Pt. 2 (2:17)
34 Young Guitar Red - Red Hot Red (1:42)
35 James Booker - Cool Turkey (2:17)
36 James Rivers - The Blue Eagle Pt. 1 (2:50)
37 James Rivers - The Blue Eagle Pt. 2 (2:44)
38 Shakey Jake Harris - Jake's Cha Cha (2:06)
39 Little Vincent - Honk Honk Honk Pt. 1 (2:17)
40 Little Vincent - Honk Honk Honk Pt. 2 (2:15)
41 Clifford King - Chicken Shack Boogie (2:33)
42 Henry Clement - Trojan's Walla (2:31)

Mighty Instrumentals R&B Style 1959-1960-1961

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VA - Rhapsody In Bronze (Cousin Joe, James Booker, Snooks Eaglin)

Size: 144,7 MB
Time: 61:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

01. Cousin Joe & The Edward Frank Band - Country Boy (3:03)
02. Cousin Joe & The Edward Frank Band - Phoney Woman (3:12)
03. Cousin Joe & The Edward Frank Band - Chicken A La King (3:09)
04. Cousin Joe & The Edward Frank Band - Beggin' Woman (2:36)
05. James Booker - Booker's Boogie (1:51)
06. James Booker - Beethoven's Fur Elise (4:37)
07. James Booker - A Better World To Live In (2:56)
08. James Booker - Junco Partner (3:49)
09. James Booker - Chopin's Minute Waltz (1:45)
10. James Booker - Blues Minuet - Rhapsody In Bronze (3:02)
11. James Booker - Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (4:10)
12. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Groove Me (4:24)
13. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Malaguena, Pt. 1 (2:34)
14. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Malaguena, Pt. 2 (2:23)
15. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Yesterday (4:05)
16. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Oh! Baby (3:05)
17. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Oh! Baby, Pt. 2 (2:37)
18. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - Stardust (3:50)
19. Snooks Eaglin & The Robert French Trio - High Street Sneakers (4:10)

This gem of an album represents three previously unreleased “short sessions” by a trio of this city’s legendary artists: vocalist Cousin Joe (Pleasant Joseph), pianist/vocalist James Booker and guitarist/vocalist Snooks Eaglin. That statement itself should be enough to excite fans of these great musicians, who were captured at various venues spanning three decades. The sessions are topped off by all-star bands that back Cousin Joe and Eaglin—Booker plays and sings solo.

rhapsody-in-bronzeCousin Joe, who is perhaps the least recognized of the three, offers some of his signature stylin’ and often displays his hilarious sense of humor on four cuts recorded in New Orleans in 1988. Check out the band with pianist Ed Frank, guitarist Justin Adams, bassist Frank Fields, drummer Frank Parker, tenor saxophonists Clarence Ford and Tim Green and alto saxist Andy Ridley. Wow. (More information on this singular artist can be found in his autobiography Cousin Joe: Blues from New Orleans.)

One of the aspects that makes James Booker’s segment, which was recorded in 1976 at a hotel in Amsterdam, special is that it feels and sounds so personal, so intimate. In just seven cuts, he musically tells the listener so much about himself and his virtuosity. He immediately moves from the straight-up “Booker’s Boogie” to Beethoven’s “Für Elise,” which transitions into “One Helluva Nerve,” complete with lyrics that have Beethoven—in Booker’s voice—finding fault with James’ version before offering him some advice. The title cut, “Blues Minuet (Rhapsody in Bronze)” has the free-flowing pianist transitioning genres again. As he does, Booker asks, “Hear New Orleans?” Yes we do.

Snooks Eaglin is up to his usual, wonderful trickery on his first selection, amazingly making his guitar picks sound like single notes on a piano. This session was recorded live in 1967 at Gloria’s Living Room on Spain Street in New Orleans with Bob French at the drums and Frank Fields on bass. Producer Tom Stagg, always a reliable source for solid music and information, writes extensively about the club in his liner notes. Snooks is in excellent voice on “Yesterday,” singing the familiar song with gentle tenderness. “I hope everybody feels like I feel,” he expresses at the tune’s conclusion. That’s followed by laughter from the lucky audience.

19 cuts of pure New Orleans genius—who could ask for anything more? ~Geraldine Wyckoff

Rhapsody In Bronze

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James Booker - Live From Belle Vue

Size: 106,2 MB
Time: 45:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: New Orleans Blues
Art: Front

01. Let The Good Times Roll (1:10)
02. Blues Minuet (7:05)
03. Junko Partner (4:59)
04. Black Night (5:39)
05. Tipitina (3:12)
06. Come Rain Or Shine (3:27)
07. Pixie (3:20)
08. We've Just Begun (3:43)
09. Send Me Some Loving (1:30)
10. Rip It Up/Long Tall Sally (1:17)
11. Let Them Talk (3:18)
12. Every Day I Have The Blues (6:49)

New Orleans may be full of eccentrics but James Booker was one of the more eccentric of them! If Professor Longhair's vocals could seem a little wayward, Booker's are completely off the beaten track, always in tune but only because it followed his piano playing, which pursued a similarly untrammelled path. He had enjoyed a big hit in 1960 with his organ instrumental 'Gonzo' and had gone on to play with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Maria Muldaur and Ringo Starr.

A year or so before this concert, Island had released a mid-price solo piano album in Britain, which had certainly raised his profile - even if it did puzzle many critics with its mix of quasi classical playing (Blues Minuet) and barrelhouse Blues (Junko Partner), with Booker's well-documented heroin addiction adding a very personal touch to the latter. Both these titles are included on this set recorded at the Lake Side Hotel in the much-missed Belle Vue complex in Manchester. There is also the near Jelly Roll Morton-styled 'Pixie', some rock 'n' roll, heavily adapted covers of '50s R&B numbers, such as 'Black Night' and 'Let Them Talk' , and a wonderful 'Tipitana' - and don't forget that back then Professor Longhair was definitely an esoteric taste !

All solo, except for the last two numbers of the album, on which local outfit - now much better known too - The Norman Beaker Band, with Victor Brox on electric piano, help out, though the vocals are rather low in the mix. This tape may have languished for thirty years but it is certainly good to hear it now. With so little of Booker's material readily available, this is essential for Crescent City lovers. ~Norman Darwen

Live From Belle Vue

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