Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford - Live (At The Ash Grove 1976)

Album: Live
Size: 100,1 MB
Time: 43:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1977/1993
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. Low Down Dirty Shame (2:06)
2. Goin' Down Slow (6:41)
3. Kansas City (3:16)
4. Past Forty Blues (6:37)
5. Times Are Getting Tough (2:21)
6. Outskirts Of Town (2:32)
7. S-K Blues (3:41)
8. Around The Clock (6:37)
9. Walkin' By Myself (2:55)
10. No Rollin' Blues (6:27)

This live collection of five "Spoon" originals is augmented by five blues standards: "Low Down Dirty Shame (Joe Turner, Pete Johnson); "Kansas City" (Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller); "Outskirts Of Town" (Huddie Ledbetter); Walkin' By Myself (Max Singer, Louise Lewis) and "S-K Blues" (Saunders King). The collaboration of these two great artists, Jimmy Witherspoon and Robben Ford, is enhaced by a skillful rhythm section - Paul Nagle on keyboards, Stan Poplin on bass and drummer Jim Baum.

Beginning with the very first note of the standard "Low Down Dirty Shame", there is no doubt that this is a double feature designed to please the most discriminating aficionado and that it constitutes an artistic continuum of the first order. "Spoon" is in rare form while Robben is on a mission to amaze. /Excerpt from the CD liner notes by Clarence Atkins

Live mc
Live gofile

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Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford - Jump Blues Live 1972

Album: Jump Blues Live 1972
Size: 95,2 MB
Time: 41:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

1. Don't Start Me Talkin' (2:26)
2. Ain't Nobody's Business What I Do (4:05)
3. My Babe (3:38)
4. Spoonful (4:04)
5. Past Forty Blues (4:57)
6. Kansas City (5:00)
7. Nothing's Changed (4:45)
8. Around The Clock (6:06)
9. Goin' Down Slow (6:07)

Legendary Blues Hall of Fame vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon teams up with guitar hero Robben Ford at Hollywood's famed Troubadour in March of 1972. This never-before-released radio broadcast performance features nine tracks, including three Witherspoon originals plus classic songs from Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Lieber and Stoller. This is one of the earliest recordings of Ford's extraordinary career, starting back in 1970 with Charlie Musselwhite and Witherspoon before joining Tom Scott's L.A. Express. He went on to shred with Steely Dan, Kiss, Yellow Jackets, Miles Davis and lead on 25 of his own albums.

Jimmy Witherspoon and Robben Ford are at the peak of their performing career during this 1972 recording, backed by a young but enthusiastic electric band that he had recruited after hearing them open for him in a club the previous year. With a fresh, young band in tow, one that was designed to capitalize upon the electric blues resurgence that had occurred in the those years, Witherspoon delivers a set list that ran the gamut from his early hit single "Ain't Nobody's Business What I Do" to a stampeding cover of the Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller composition "Kansas City". Witherspoon is in a playful mood, frequently speaking to the audience. The set is filled with several other Witherspoon's most popular numbers, including "Past Forty Blues", "My Babe" and "Spoonful".

Personnel: Jimmy Witherspoon (vocals); Robben Ford (guitar); Paul Nagel (piano); Stan Poplin (bass); Jim Baum (drums).

Jump Blues Live 1972 mc
Jump Blues Live 1972 gofile

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Jimmy Witherspoon - The 'Spoon Concerts

Album: The 'Spoon Concerts
Size: 142,3 MB
Time: 61:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1989
Styles: Blues/Jazz
Art: Full

1. Time's Gettin' Tougher Than Tough (3:34)
2. How Long Blues (3:25)
3. Corina, Corina (3:21)
4. C.C. Rider (4:40)
5. Roll 'Em Pete (4:26)
6. Every Day (2:45)
7. Goin' To Kansas City (3:10)
8. Outskirts Of Town (3:46)
9. Trouble In Mind (3:26)
10. St. Louis Blues (3:52)
11. No Rollin' Blues (5:35)
12. Good Rockin' Tonight (2:27)
13. Big Fine Girl (4:54)
14. Ain't Nobody's Business (6:30)
15. When I Been Drinkin' (5:38)

This single CD (which reissues all of the music from an earlier two-LP set) includes the high point of singer Jimmy Witherspoon's career. On October 2, 1959, he appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival and created such a sensation that it caused his career to go through a renaissance. Heard at the peak of his powers, Witherspoon holds his own with a mighty group of veterans (trumpeter Roy Eldridge, both Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins on tenors, clarinetist Woody Herman, pianist Earl Hines, bassist Vernon Alley, and drummer Mel Lewis). Although the five-song set only lasted 25 minutes, Witherspoon's performance was the hit of the festival.

The other half of this CD features Witherspoon romping through ten mostly traditional blues songs two months later with Webster, baritonist Gerry Mulligan, pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Mel Lewis; the performance is equally exciting. Highly recommended, this CD is the one truly essential Jimmy Witherspoon release. /Scott Yanow, AllMusic

The 'Spoon Concerts mc
The 'Spoon Concerts zippy

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Move Me Baby! Greatest Hits And More (1947-1955)

Size: 178,9 MB
Time: 76:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues/R&B
Art: Front

1. Money's Getting Cheaper (2:48)
2. Ain't Nobody's Business (Pt. 1) (2:56)
3. Ain't Nobody's Business (Pt. 2) (3:02)
4. In The Evening (3:11)
5. No Rollin' Blues (3:27)
6. Big Fine Girl (2:29)
7. New Orleans Woman (2:29)
8. Once There Lived A Fool (2:42)
9. Real Ugly Woman (2:49)
10. The Wind Is Blowin' (2:52)
11. Daddy Pinocchio (2:47)
12. Foolish Prayer (2:01)
13. Two Little Girls (2:36)
14. Corn Whiskey (2:15)
15. One Fine Gal (2:25)
16. Back Home (3:25)
17. Back Door Blues (3:13)
18. Fast Women And Sloe Gin (2:34)
19. Miss, Miss Mistreater (2:20)
20. Sad Life (2:54)
21. Move Me Baby (2:34)
22. 24 Sad Hours (2:41)
23. Just For You (2:26)
24. It (2:27)
25. Highway To Happiness (2:35)
26. When The Lights Go Out (2:53)
27. It Ain't No Secret (What My Baby Can Do) (3:00)
28. Why Do I Love You Like I Do (2:43)

Jimmy Witherspoon was one of the most popular and influential blues artists of the 20th century. Unlike many of his contemporaries he was simply a vocalist, playing no instruments. His powerful voice scored him major success on Billboard's R&B chart. This 28 track collection covers the years from 1947 to 1955 and features his chart hits and popular jukebox releases.

Move Me Baby! Greatest Hits And More (1947-1955) mc
Move Me Baby! Greatest Hits And More (1947-1955) zippy

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Sings The Blues Sessions

Size: 185,5 MB
Time: 79:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Art: Full

1. Stormy Monday Blues (3:44)
2. I'll Never Be Free (3:24)
3. She Moves Me (3:26)
4. Card Playing Blues (3:53)
5. Boogie Woogie Woman (2:26)
6. Please Hurry Home (1:59)
7. Don't Have To Cry (3:25)
8. Jelly Jelly Blues (2:43)
9. Riding Blues (2:47)
10. Blues Came Falling Down (3:18)
11. Sad Life Blues (3:38)
12. Cain River Blues (2:35)
13. Playful Baby (3:01)
14. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer (Bonus) (3:45)
15. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (Bonus) (2:55)
16. Story From My Heart & Soul (Bonus) (2:30)
17. You Gotta Crawl Before You Walk (Bonus) (2:30)
18. I Need Somebody (Bonus) (3:25)
19. Telephone Blues (Bonus) (3:48)
20. Your Cheating Heart (Bonus) (2:59)
21. Ain't Nobody's Business (Part 1) (Bonus) (2:59)
22. Ain't Nobody's Business (Part 2) (Bonus) (2:58)
23. Endless Sleep (Bonus) (2:18)
24. How Long, How Long Blues (Bonus) (2:59)
25. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer (Bonus) (3:11)
26. The Wind Is Blowin' (Bonus) (3:09)

The original Sings the Blues LP, recorded by Witherspoon for Crown in 1960, ended up being one of those discographers' nightmares. Two different versions of the LP, Crown CST 215 and Crown 215 X, were released, each of them with songs not on the other, and its year of release has been listed incorrectly by major record guides. Sings the Blues Sessions is something of an expanded CD version of the album(s), on which Ace has taken the opportunity to clear up this unpleasantness by putting all 13 songs that appeared on the two versions of the LP together. Not only that, they've effectively doubled the length of the whole shebang by adding 13 bonus titles that were recorded for Modern around the same time, half a dozen of them previously unissued.

As for the material that appeared on the original Sings the Blues LPs, it's a pretty standard easygoing, pleasant Witherspoon small-combo blues session with a tinge of jazz. The program's devoted to covers of tunes by B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Billy Wright, Billy Eckstine, Joe Turner, Leroy Carr, and others; Witherspoon's own "Cain River Blues" is the only original. The bonus tracks are mostly in the same mood, but are dotted with some less standard items, particularly a two-part version of "Ain't Nobody's Business" with strings, an almost rock & roll cover of Jody Reynolds' late-'50s death-rock hit "Endless Sleep," and a cover of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart." /Richie Unterberger, AllMusic

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Sings The Blues Sessions zippy

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Blowin' In From Kansas City

Size: 126,8 MB
Time: 54:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Blues, jump blues
Art: Full

1. Love My Baby (2:42)
2. There Ain't Nothing Better (With His Gal Friday) (2:57)
3. Love And Friendship (3:09)
4. T.B. Blues (2:57)
5. Goin' Around In Circles (Alt. Take) (3:14)
6. Geneva Blues aka Evil Woman (Alt. Take) (2:26)
7. I'm Just A Country Boy (3:02)
8. Good Jumpin' aka Jump Children (Alt. Take) (2:46)
9. Slow Your Speed (Bonus) (3:00)
10. Blowing The Blues (2:26)
11. It's Raining Outside (3:13)
12. I'm Just A Lady's Man (2:26)
13. I'm Just Wandering Part 1 (2:37)
14. I'm Just Wandering Part 2 (2:27)
15. Who's Been Jivin' You (Alt. Take) (2:39)
16. Sweet Lovin' Baby (2:33)
17. Thelma Lee Blues (2:41)
18. The Dr Knows His Business aka Doctor Blues (Alt. Take) (Bonus) (2:11)
19. Rain Rain Rain (Alt. Take) (Bonus) (2:45)
20. Baby, Baby (Bonus) (2:15)

These 20 tunes pair the great Mr. Witherspoon with the finest jazz, jump, and blues talents around. Jay McShann, Maxwell Davis, Tiny Webb, and Chuck Norris are only a few of the first-rate sessionmen and arrangers who grace the tracks of this essential CD. A special mention must be made of tenor sax legend Ben Webster, whose solo on "I'm Going Around in Circles" is simply magnificent. This is quintessential Kansas City blues. Of all the shouters, Witherspoon is perhaps the greatest singer. /Larry Hoffman, AllMusic

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Blues & Rhythm Series 5165: The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1950-1951

Size: 305 MB
Time: 69:51
File: FLAC
Released: 2005
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Full

01. Drinkin' Beer (Have A Ball) (2:13)
02. Better Love Next Time (Part 1) (2:14)
03. Better Love Next Time (Part 2) (2:29)
04. Don't Ever Move A Woman Into Your House (2:53)
05. Hard Workin' Blues (3:10)
06. Failing By Degrees (3:13)
07. New Orleans Woman (2:29)
08. I'm Goin' Around In Circles (3:08)
09. Just A Country Boy (3:04)
10. There Ain't Nothin' Better (2:58)
11. Love And Friendship (3:10)
12. Once There Lived A Fool (2:42)
13. I'm Just Wonderin' (Part 1) (2:35)
14. I'm Just Wonderin' (Part 2) (2:28)
15. I'm Just A Ladies Man (2:27)
16. You Can't Kiss A Dream Goodnight (2:24)
17. Practice What You Preach (2:48)
18. Blowing The Blues (2:27)
19. It's Raining Outside (3:14)
20. I Gotta Gal Lives Up On The Hill (2:19)
21. Ain't Nobody's Business (3:56)
22. Real Ugly Woman (2:49)
23. Give My Heart Another Break (3:03)
24. Would My Baby Make A Change (2:36)
25. The Wind Is Blowin' (2:51)

One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon was also versatile enough to fit comfortably into the jazz world. Witherspoon was born on August 8, 1920, in Gurdon, AR. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and made his debut recordings with Jay McShann for Philo and Mercury in 1945 and 1946. His own first recordings, using McShann's band, resulted in a number one R&B hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2" on Supreme Records. Live performances of "No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fine Girl" provided 'Spoon with two more hits in 1950.

The mid-'50s were a lean time, with his style of shouting blues temporarily out of fashion; singles were tried for Federal, Chess, Atco, Vee Jay, and others, with little success. Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz) from 1959 lifted him back into the limelight. Partnerships with Ben Webster or Groove Holmes were recorded, and he toured Europe in 1961 with Buck Clayton, performing overseas many more times in the decades to follow; some memorable music resulted, but Witherspoon's best 1960s album is Evening Blues (Prestige), which features T-Bone Walker on guitar and Clifford Scott on saxophone. As the '70s began, Witherspoon decided to take a short break from live performances, settled in Los Angeles, took a job as a disc jockey, and continued making records. In 1971 Witherspoon teamed up with former Animals vocalist Eric Burdon for the album Guilty. Unfortunately it sold poorly. By 1973 his short retirement from live performances was over. Witherspoon was ready to get back on the road and assembled an amazing band featuring a young Robben Ford on lead guitar. Those live shows had received positive reviews, rejuvenating Witherspoon's move toward a definite rock/soul sound. He traveled to London in 1974 to record Love Is a Five Letter Word with British blues producer Mike Vernon. Vernon had produced critically acclaimed British blues albums by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and Ten Years After. By the early '80s, Witherspoon was diagnosed with throat cancer. Although he remained active and was a popular concert attraction, the effect of the disease on his vocals was obvious. Witherspoon passed away on September 18, 1997, at the age of 77. ~Bob Porter

The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1950-1951

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Blues & Rhythm Series 5080: The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1948-1949

Size: 299 MB
Time: 67:16
File: FLAC
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Full

01. Funny Style Baby (2:24)
02. Cold Blooded Boogie (2:43)
03. Lush Head Woman (2:36)
04. Long About Dawn (2:48)
05. Miss Clawdy B (2:28)
06. Thelma Lee Blues (2:40)
07. Pinocchio Blues (2:40)
08. Cake Jump (2:44)
09. Your Red Wagon (2:43)
10. Sweet Lovin' Baby (2:31)
11. Geneva Blues (2:24)
12. Feelin' So Sad (2:38)
13. Same Old Blues (2:39)
14. I Love You Just The Same (2:46)
15. Connie Lee (2:50)
16. T.B. Blues (2:55)
17. Big Fine Girl (2:39)
18. Jump Children (Good Jumpin') (2:47)
19. Take Me Back Baby (2:41)
20. Who's Been Jivin' You (2:37)
21. Rain, Rain, Rain (2:45)
22. When I Had My Money (2:58)
23. Doctor Blues (2:11)
24. Big Fine Girl (2:29)
25. No Rollin' Blues (3:26)

Jimmy Witherspoon was either a blues singer who worked from a jazz perspective, or a jazz singer with blues tendencies, or most accurately, a blues singer who applied jazz rhythms to a gospel delivery, which makes him, in some ways, a less propulsive version of Ray Charles. This disc of his earliest recordings, most of them released on Modern Records, shows Witherspoon predominantly as a shouter, and he sounds like a man used to years of fronting a small jazz orchestra. In time his microphone technique would improve, and he learned how to let subtle nuances into his singing, working both ends of the hard/soft dynamic into his phrasing. But these tracks find him belting things out, and while that's effective, it also gets a little samey after a few songs, so it's songs like "Rain, Rain, Rain," which feature a more measured vocal style, that really stand out here. Working mostly with pianist Gene Gilbeaux and his bop-influenced small orchestras, these tracks have a transitional feel, but it wouldn't take Witherspoon long to figure out what to do. His wonderful "Ain't Nobody's Business," a runaway number one R&B hit in 1949, was just around the corner. ~Steve Leggett

The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1948-1949

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Blues & Rhythm Series 5051: The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1947-48

Size: 169 MB
Time: 65:14
File: FLAC
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues, R&B, Jazz
Art: Full

01. Wandering Gal Blues (2:52)
02. Hey Mr Landlord (Landlord Shuffle) (2:46)
03. Cain River Blues (2:48)
04. How I Hate To See Xmas Come Around (Christmas Blues) (3:01)
05. Third Floor Blues (2:57)
06. Money's Geting Cheaper (Times Getting Tougher) (2:57)
07. Skidrow Blues (2:50)
08. How Long (3:07)
09. Ain't Nobody's Business Pt 1 (2:57)
10. Ain't Nobody's Business Pt 2 (3:09)
11. Back Water Blues (3:10)
12. Frogimore Blues (2:50)
13. In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down (3:01)
14. Wee Baby Blues (Early Morning Blues) (3:06)
15. Six-Foot-Two Blues (2:41)
16. How You Gonna Act (2:48)
17. Money Eyes Woman (2:38)
18. Spoon Calls Hootie (2:45)
19. Destruction Blues (2:36)
20. Call My Baby (2:24)
21. The New Look (2:28)
22. Big Heart (2:42)
23. Drunk, Broke And Hungry (2:31)

As an artist who incorporated jazz phrasing into a blues repertoire, Jimmy Witherspoon is an often-underrated titan of post-war music. His formidable back catalog has been neglected for many years, but this release attempts to repair much of the damage. Containing all the cuts from Witherspoon's first golden era, 1947-1948 is revelatory. Singing in front of Jay McShann's orchestra, Witherspoon is assured and already a hugely distinctive vocalist. Witherspoon's own compositions, especially "Spoon Calls Hootie" and the magnificent "Destruction Blues," are given their definitive readings, and this Classics disc presents them in wonderful fidelity and with excellent, informed liner notes. ~Thomas Ward

The Chronological Jimmy Witherspoon 1947-48

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Rockin' L.A.

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:47
Size: 123.1 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues vocals, Urban blues
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. You Got Me Running
[5:01] 2. Once There Lived A Fool
[5:30] 3. Sweet Lotus Blossom
[4:06] 4. Call It Stormy Monday
[3:15] 5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[5:46] 6. Careless Love/When The Saints Go Mraching In/One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer
[3:41] 7. S.K. Blues
[5:34] 8. I Want A Little Girl
[4:33] 9. Big Boss Man
[4:21] 10. Don't Gotta
[7:14] 11. 'tain't Nobody's Business If I Do/Please Send Me Someone To Love

This CD finds Jimmy Witherspoon at age 65 on one of his last fairly strong records before his voice began to really shrink and fade. Spoon, assisted on this live set by tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Gerald Wiggins, bassist John Clayton, and drummer Paul Humphrey, revives some of his hits, performs a pair of medleys, and emphasizes swinging blues and ballads. Highlights include "Sweet Lotus Blossom" (a standard whose authorship should not have been credited to Witherspoon), "Stormy Monday," and "I Want a Little Girl." Easily recommended to Jimmy Witherspoon fans. ~Scott Yanow

Rockin' L.A. mc
Rockin' L.A. zippy

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Jimmy Witherspoon With Jay McShann And His Band - Goin' To Kansas City Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:47
Size: 102.5 MB
Styles: Urban blues, Jazz-blues vocals
Year: 1957/2007
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Jumpin' The Blues
[2:45] 2. Until The Real Thing Comes Along (The Slave Song)
[3:19] 3. Hootie Blues
[3:14] 4. Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound
[4:13] 5. Confessin' The Blues
[5:28] 6. Piney Brown Blues
[2:36] 7. Froggy Bottom
[3:17] 8. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You
[3:38] 9. Blue Monday Blues
[2:54] 10. Ooo-Wee Then The Lights Go Out
[3:14] 11. Cloudy
[3:32] 12. Ride On
[3:30] 13. Fare Thee, Honey, Fare The Well

"Talk about a forgotten little gem! Jimmy Witherspoon's first full-length album as a leader is a knock-out! Like all great albums, this 1957 date benefits from a confluence of all the right ingredients. The material leans heavily toward immortal Kansas City tunes, made famous by Andy Kirk's Clouds Of Joy with Mary Lou Williams, Joe Turner and Pete Johnson and Jay McShann's band with Walter Brown.

The most inspired notion for this album was reuniting Witherspoon with McShann, who gave him his professional start. Budd Johnson provided swinging, understated arrangements and a first-rate New York group (Emmett Berry, J. C. Higginbotham, Hilton Jefferson, Seldon Powell, Al Sears, Kenny Burrell, Gene Ramey and Mousey Alexander) that achieved the tight, joyous feel of Kansas City swing effortlessly.

Added to the original album are three more tunes from the session that were later issued on a French RCA LP. For 11 of the 13 tunes, we were able to find stereo masters for the first time." ~Mosaic

Goin' To Kansas City Blues mc
Goin' To Kansas City Blues zippy

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Various - Gaz's Rockin' Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:34
Size: 147.8 MB
Styles: R&B/Blues
Year: 1981/2012
Art: Front

[2:20] 1. Etta James - Good Rockin' Daddy
[2:58] 2. Young Jessie & The Cadets - Mary Lou
[3:00] 3. Richard Berry - Oh! Oh! Get Out Of The Car
[2:12] 4. Richard Berry - Yama Yama Pretty Mama
[2:08] 5. Etta James - Tough Lover
[2:29] 6. Long Tall Marvin - Have Mercy Miss Percy
[2:36] 7. Jimmy Witherspoon - Who's Been Jivin' You
[2:27] 8. B.B. King - She's Dynamite
[2:22] 9. Preacher Stevens - Whoopin' And Hollerin'
[2:32] 10. Elmore James - Strange Kinda Feeling
[3:03] 11. Pee Wee Crayton - Texas Hop
[2:47] 12. Little Johnny Jones & The Chicago Hound Dogs - I May Be Wrong (Boogie Woogie)
[2:59] 13. Little Johnny Jones & The Chicago Hound Dogs - Sweet Little Woman
[2:13] 14. Van Robinson - Come On Let's Dance
[2:34] 15. Robbin Ray - Love My Baby
[2:38] 16. Chuck Higgins Orchestra - The Blacksmith Blues
[2:51] 17. Goree Carter - Bad Feeling
[2:54] 18. Wild Bill Moore With Scatman - Rock And Roll
[2:42] 19. Joe Papoose Fritz - Wrong Doing Woman
[3:07] 20. B.B. King - Whole Lotta' Love
[2:55] 21. Freddie Simmons Quintette - Hollywood Bound
[2:54] 22. Joe Turner & Pete Johnson - Don't Talk Me To Death
[2:26] 23. Joe Hill Louis - Nappy Head Woman
[3:14] 24. Jeanne Demetz With Johnny Alston Orchestra - Calypso Daddy

Gaz's Rockin' Blues is London's longest running one-nighter club. It was founded on the 3rd of July 1980 and was held at Gossip's on Dean Street until november 1995 when it moved to its current venue St Moritz in Wardour Street. The club promotes live bands each week.

Compiled by Gaz Mayall, eldest son of blues legend John Mayall, and owner of the legendary London club Gaz's Rockin' Blues, this CD updates the original LP released in 1981. Gaz's Rockin' Blues celebrates it's 25th anniversary this year. London's hippest club is known worldwide and is especially popular with Japanese visitors. The first 14 tracks replicate the 1981 release, and ten tracks are new to CD. Gaz tells the club's story in his entertaining and lavishly illustrated sleeve notes.

Gaz's Rockin' Blues mc
Gaz's Rockin' Blues zippy

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Robben Ford - Anthology: The Early Years (2-Disc Set)

Robben Ford: Guitar, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals; Jimmy Witherspoon: Vocals; Paul Nagel: Keyboards; Stan Poplin: Bass; Jim Baum: Drums.

Anthology: The Early Years catalogs a pre-Yellowjackets, pre-Miles Davis, teenaged Robben Ford. This is significant because, Ford, at this time (between 1972 and 1976), shows more aptitude for the Blues than players do twice his age. This current compilation is based on four releases Ford made for Avenue Jazz (now codistributed with the Bethlehem archive). Thirteen of the nineteen tracks are recorded live.

All of the music is standard fare, but it is particularly well-performed standard fare. Ford's band here is a crack outfit with perfect time and color. If the blues were a Swiss Watch, Robben Ford would be the watchmaker. But Ford does not restrict himself to the blues alone. He pulls out his childhood talent of the tenor saxophone for some credible, Coltrane-influenced blowing the jazz standards "Eighty-One" and "You Don't Know What Love Is". Ford's composing is sprite and informed, serving as a prelude to his work with The LA Express and Yellowjackets. It is hard to believe that this most youthful Robben Ford is almost 50 years old. He started with a prodigious gift and grew it into the talent expressed on his more recent Tiger Walk and Supernatural. ~Michael Bailey

Album: Anthology: The Early Years (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:07
Size: 160.5 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2011

[12:30] 1. Sweet Sixteen
[ 5:42] 2. You Drive A Hard Bargain
[10:30] 3. Raining In My Heart
[ 8:25] 4. Blue & Lonesome
[ 4:24] 5. Red Rooster
[ 8:07] 6. Eighty One
[ 8:56] 7. Miss Miss
[11:28] 8. Sunrise

Anthology: The Early Years (Disc 1)

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Album: Anthology: The Early Years (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:55
Size: 164.6 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[ 6:30] 1. Oh Gee
[ 8:49] 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
[ 5:26] 3. Everyday I Have The Blue
[10:26] 4. It's My Own Fault
[ 6:31] 5. Ladies' Choice
[ 6:22] 6. Hawk's Theme
[ 3:42] 7. S-K Blues
[ 2:27] 8. Low Ride
[ 7:27] 9. Softly Rolling
[ 8:03] 10. Stella And Frenchie
[ 6:07] 11. Goin' Down Slow

Anthology: The Early Years (Disc 2)

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Singin' The Blues

Year: 1959/2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:42
Size: 168,2 MB
Styles: Jazzy blues
Scans: Full

1. S.K. Blues (2:50)
2. When I've Been Drinkin' (3:38)
3. Then The Lights Go Out (3:00)
4. All That's Good (3:02)
5. Spoon's Blues (2:26)
6. It Ain't What You're Thinkin' (3:26)
7. 'Tain't Nobody's Business (2:25)
8. Wee Baby Blues (3:19)
9. Times Are Changing (3:00)
10. Sweet's Blues (5:19)
11. There's Good Rockin' Tonight (4:14)
12. Midnight Blues (Red Shirt) (5:16)
13. Goin' To Chicago Blues (Bonus) (3:59)
14. In Blues (Bonus) (3:34)
15. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You (Bonus) (2:33)
16. Loser's Blues (Bonus) (2:15)
17. Life's Highway (Bonus) (2:27)
18. Cry The Blues (2:26)
19. Wee Wee Baby (Out Blues) (Bonus) (2:08)
20. Coming Home (Bonus) (3:08)
21. Spoon's Beep Beep Blues (Bonus) (5:12)
22. Elmira (Bonus) (2:52)

Jimmy Witherspoon is heard in superior form throughout the two Pacific Jazz sessions included here. With fine backup and short solos from either Harry "Sweets" Edison (in top form) or Gerald Wilson on trumpet, both Teddy Edwards and Jimmy Allen on tenors, Henry McDode or Hampton Hawes on piano, rhythm guitarist Herman Mitchell, bassist Jimmy Hamilton and drummer Jimmy Miller, Spoon digs into such numbers as "When I've Been Drinkin'," "Then the Lights Go Out," "There's Good Rockin' Tonight" and a remake of his big hit "'Tain't Nobody's Business." The closing "Midnight Blues" is an instrumental, giving the band a chance to stretch out a bit. Recommended. Scott Yanow, AllMusic

This release contains the complete original album Singin' The Blues, showcasing Jimmy Witherspoon masterfully accompanied by jazzmen like Harry Edison, Gerald Wilson, Teddy Edwards and Hampton Hawes. Three rare sessions have been added as a bonus. The last one, recorded in 1970, appears here on CD for the first time ever and presents an all-star group also including Harry Edison, as well as Gildo Mahones and Ray Brown. (From the liner notes.)

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Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford - Live At The Notodden Blues Festival

Year: 1992
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:40
Size: 121,6 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Doodlin' (6:22)
2. Going Down Slow (5:14)
3. Some Of My Best Friends (3:18)
4. Outskirts Of Town (4:21)
5. See See Rider (5:25)
6. Pretty Woman (6:06)
7. Ain't Nobody's Business (6:38)
8. Patche Patche (4:56)
9. Wonderful World (3:46)
10. Walkin' By Myself (3:05)
11. Big Legged Woman (3:24)

After some 18 years, in a small town in Norway, Jimmy Witherspoon and Robben Ford were reunited and the magic was just as powerful as ever. "Spoon" was in complete control, guiding the band with one hand while holding the crowd in another.

As for Robben, his performance could be a textbook on how to support a lead vocalist. No one does it better. Those who were lucky enough to be there will never forget the night or the performance. (From the liner notes.)

Personnel: Jimmy Witherspoon (vocals); Robben Ford (guitar); Patrick Ford (drums); Stan Poplin (bass); Espen Fjelle (organ).

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Gone With The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:19
Size: 117.5 MB
Styles: R&B, Urban blues
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Gone With The Blues
[2:52] 2. Ernestine
[3:08] 3. Roll On Katy
[2:35] 4. Voodoo Woman Blues
[2:39] 5. I Want A Little Girl
[2:45] 6. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
[3:07] 7. Confessing The Blues
[3:19] 8. Hard-Working Man's Blues
[3:00] 9. Shipyard Woman Blues
[2:48] 10. Cain River Blues
[2:43] 11. Hey Mr. Landlord
[2:35] 12. All My Geets Are Gone
[2:45] 13. Practice What You Preach
[3:09] 14. Strange Woman Blues
[2:58] 15. Third Floor Blues
[2:23] 16. Geneva Blues
[3:03] 17. Wee Baby Blues
[2:42] 18. Daddy Pinocchio

This CD covers the first years of ’Spoon’s illustrious career and arguably his best work, mainly accompanied by the band of his first boss and friend Jay McShann. Jimmy Witherspoon's big break came when he replaced Walter Brown as singer in the Jay McShann Band - he soon proved he was Brown's equal, and more reliable! Eventually he went solo, scoring his first big hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts 1 & 2)". In later years, Witherspoon became a peerless performer, respected by Blues, Jazz & R & B fans alike.

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon With The Duke Robillard Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130.2 MB
Styles: Urban blues, Jazz-blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[13:59] 1. Glide On
[ 6:29] 2. Going Down Slow
[ 5:54] 3. Big Boss Man
[ 8:11] 4. Ain't Nobody's Business
[ 7:05] 5. I'll Always Be I Love With You
[ 8:22] 6. Stormy Monday Blues
[ 6:50] 7. Times Getting' Tougher Than Tough

The material on this album was recorded in concert shortly before Jimmy Witherspoon's death at age 74, and it appears that this was his last recording. The significance of that fact cuts both ways on this attractive but sometimes frustrating album. On the one hand, fans will welcome it as a last document of Witherspoon's undeniable talent and presence. On the other hand, it's hard to overlook the fact that by this point he was no longer at the peak of his powers. Although he tries gamely to generate the energy of his past work -- and occasionally succeeds, as on the electrifying "I'll Always Be in Love With You" -- for the most part his voice is phlegmy and weak, his intonation approximate at best. Duke Robillard works well with Witherspoon, goosing his band to a level of energy intended to invigorate the aging singer without overpowering him, and delivering sharp and witty solos that keep things lively and interesting. There is also a fine cameo appearance by the British blues singer Long John Baldry, whose presence also seems to give Witherspoon a shot in the arm. Overall, though, this is an album that will appeal primarily to diehard fans of the singer and to Robillard completists. ~Rick Anderson

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Baby, Baby, Baby

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:36
Size: 81.5 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues, Urban blues
Year: 1963/1990
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Mean Old Frisco
[2:43] 2. Rocks In My Bed
[3:06] 3. Bad Bad Whiskey
[3:02] 4. Baby, Baby, Baby
[2:46] 5. Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On
[2:59] 6. One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer
[2:48] 7. Lonely Boy Blues
[2:52] 8. Blues And Trouble
[2:12] 9. Endless Sleep
[3:44] 10. I'll Go On Living
[2:39] 11. I Can't Hardly See
[3:30] 12. It's A Lonesome Old World

Alto Saxophone – Leo Wright; Bass – George Tucker; Drums – Jimmie Smith, Jimmy Miller; Guitar – Herman Mitchell, Kenny Burrell; Harmonica – Arthur Wright; Piano – Ernie Freeman, Gildo Mahones; Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Allen; Trumpet – Bobby Bryant; Vocals – Jimmy Witherspoon.

Veteran singer Jimmy Witherspoon is in good voice on this CD reissue, performing a dozen two- to four-minute songs that include such blues standards as Duke Ellington's "Rocks in My Bed," "Bad Bad Whiskey," "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" and "It's a Lonesome Old World." He is joined by a quintet featuring altoist Leo Wright and guitarist Kenny Burrell on the first eight numbers and a background septet (with trumpeter Bobby Bryant and Arthur Wright on harmonica) for the remainder of the set. The music is enjoyable if not classic, and should please Witherspoon's many fans. ~Scott Yanow

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Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters - Python: Snakebite III

Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 119,2 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Little Walter - My Babe (2:39)
2. The Big Three Trio - Violent Love (2:20)
3. Eddie Boyd - Third Degree (3:13)
4. Willie Mabon - Seventh Son (2:51)
5. Willie Dixon - Crazy For My Baby (2:49)
6. Willie Dixon - Pain In My Heart (3:17)
7. Muddy Waters - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (2:44)
8. Howlin' Wolf - Evil (2:52)
9. Little Walter - Mellow Down Easy (2:40)
10. Jimmy Witherspoon - When The Lights Go Out (2:49)
11. Muddy Waters - Young Fashioned Ways (2:58)
12. Bo Diddley - Pretty Thing (2:49)
13. Muddy Waters - I'm Ready (3:01)
14. Lowell Fulson - Do Me Right (2:53)
15. Muddy Waters - I Just Want To Make Love To You (2:52)
16. Lowell Fulson - Tollin' Bells (3:04)
17. Willie Dixon - 29 Ways (2:08)
18. Willie Dixon - Walking The Blues (3:01)

The first two volumes of the Snakebite series highlighted the work and contribution that Willie Dixon made in setting up the Cobra label at Jewel Paul after he left Chess Records. As a prequel to this we present a collection of material written by Willie Dixon for himself and other artists such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Witherspoon and Bo Diddley amongst others.

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Jimmy Witherspoon, Richard 'Groove' Holmes, Odetta - As Blue As They Can Be

Year: 1991/2001
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:21
Size: 164,5 MB
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Scans: Full

1. Groove's Groove (4:33)
2. California Blues (3:21)
3. What A Wonderful World (6:42)
4. Misty (4:07)
5. Walking On A Tightrope (4:17)
6. Slow Blues In G (7:34)
7. Song For My Father (7:02)
8. My Friend (8:20)
9. Lonesome Road Blues (7:03)
10. Onsaya Joy (7:25)
11. Danger Zone Is Everywhere (7:50)
12. The Time Has Come (3:02)

This original album, first released in 1991 on Lionel Hampton's Who's Who In Jazz label, proved to be the final recordings of Richard 'Groove' Holmes. One of the greatest Hammond organ players, Holmes is up there with Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Brother Jack McDuff and several other players who define the genre. The blues great Jimmy Witherspoon had recorded on numerous occasions with Holmes, and on this occasion is joined by folk legend Odetta on the track "Lonesome Road Blues". The session features versions of several blues standards composed by Percy Mayfield as well as new versions of Holmes biggest hits "Misty" and "Onsaya Joy". Recorded in New York City, February 28 and March 1, 1991.

Personnel:
Jimmy Witherspoon - vocals
Odetta - vocals (track 9)
Richard "Groove" Holmes - organ
Henry Taylor Jr - guitar
Bross Townsend - piano
Greg Brandy - drums

(Also released in 1995 as 'Richard "Groove" Holmes Feat. Jimmy Witherspoon - Groove's Groove'; re-released in 2005 as 'As Blue As They Want To Be'.)

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