Lazy Lester - Rides Again

Album: Rides Again
Size: 86,1 MB
Time: 37:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1987
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: LP front & back

1. I Hear You Knockin' (2:21)
2. Irene (2:41)
3. St. Louis Blues (4:03)
4. Blowin' A Rhumba (2:39)
5. Nothin' But The Devil (3:38)
6. Hey Mattie (3:05)
7. Sugar Coated Love (3:15)
8. Travelling Days (3:33)
9. The Same Thing Could Happen To You (2:30)
10. Can't Stand To See You Go (2:50)
11. Out On The Road (3:25)
12. Lester's Shuffle (2:57)

The prime of Lazy Lester's recording career was his stint for Excello Records in the 1950s and '60s, and he hadn't recorded in the studio for quite some time when the Rides Again album was cut in England over the course of four days in late May 1987. You wouldn't say this is a peak of his work by any means, but if you accept that he couldn't be reasonably expected to replicate the magic of his vintage swamp blues with producer J.D. Miller, it's fairly decent. Lester himself is in good voice and blows the harmonica well on a set mixing remakes of Miller-era material with newer songs.

While the backup band (including members of the Junkyard Angels and Blues 'N' Trouble) were journeymen without high name recognition, they play in a suitably loose and energetic style. Esteemed British producer Mike Vernon's liner notes for the expanded edition has the curious effect of lowering your hopes for the session in its studied detailing of various imperfections, but it's not an effort to be ashamed of. /Richie Unterberger, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Lazy Lester Feat. Benoit Blue Boy & Geraint Watkins - Yes Indeed!

Album: Yes Indeed!
Size: 123,4 MB
Time: 53:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. I Made Up My Mind (4:23)
2. A String To Your Heart (4:35)
3. Ya Ya (4:06)
4. What You Want Me To Do (4:48)
5. Tell Me (2:59)
6. Your Cheatin' Heart (4:38)
7. You Don't Have To Go (2:56)
8. Irene (3:56)
9. Back A La Maison (6:15)
10. Patrol Wagon Blues (7:56)
11. I'm A Man (6:49)

Lazy Lester (June 20, 1933 - August 22, 2018) was born Leslie Carswell Johnson Lester Johnson. At the time of recording his first album "True Blues" (1967), producer JD Miller thought that a different name would be more appropriate, because “Lazy Lester had more of a ring to it than Lester Johnson”. Miller thought the name Lazy Lester suited Lester's slow, lazy way of talking. Lester himself commented "I was never in a hurry to do nothing". During the first part of his musical career he accompanied musicians such as Lightnin' Slim, Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo.

On his own albums it appears that Lester has mastered the blues idiom like no other. He is not a world singer, but a perfect bluesman, with vocals that drag just as much as the rest of the music does. His tone is not always flawless, but never false. He often sings around it or tends to talk. Lester has been called one of the founders of the swamp blues, a mix of blues, swamp and country, mixed with influences from pop, rock n roll, and R&B and Jimmy Reed's influence always resonates loudly in his music.

In 1975 he quit as a musician and had all kinds of jobs for years. In 1987 he returned to work as a musician and made a number of albums, including "Harp & Soul" (1988) on Alligator Records. In 2001 "Blues Stop Knockin" was released, with Jimmie Vaughan and Sue Foley on guitar. Vaughan's guitar playing turned out to be a perfect match for Lester's emphatic, casual way of singing. At the end of his career, Lazy Lester played at Le Festival Musique de la Nouvelle in Perigueux, France in 2003.

Organizer/musician Benoit Blue Boy thought it would be a good idea to let his band Les Tortilleurs play with Lazy Lester at the local Parc Gamenson. For the occasion, Welsh keyboardist Geraint Watkins was added to the band. The recordings of the very successful performance have now been released under the name "Yes Indeed!", and Les Tortilleurs are doing great as a backing band, especially when you know that Lazy Lester left the harmonica partly to Benoit Blue Boy. (Translated from Dutch)

Personnel: Lazy Lester (vocals, guitar); Benoit Blue Boy (harmonica); Stan Noubard Pacha (guitar); Thibaut Chopin (bass); Fabrice Millerioux (drums); Geraint Watkins (Hammond B3 organ).

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Lazy Lester - Harp & Soul

Album: Harp & Soul
Size: 82,6 MB
Time: 35:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1988
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. I Done Got Over It (2:27)
2. Take Me In Your Arms (3:32)
3. I'm A Man (4:00)
4. Patrol Wagon Blues (4:46)
5. Dark End Of The Street (2:56)
6. Raining In My Heart (4:08)
7. Bye Bye Baby (2:43)
8. Bloodstains On The Wall (4:23)
9. Alligator Shuffle (2:45)
10. Five Long Years (3:53)

Contrary to his colorful sobriquet (supplied by prolific South Louisiana producer J.D. Miller), harpist Lazy Lester swore he never was all that lethargic. But he seldom was in much of a hurry either, although the relentless pace of his Excello Records swamp blues classics "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "I Hear You Knockin'" might contradict that statement, too.

While growing up outside of Baton Rouge, Leslie Johnson was influenced by Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. But his entry into playing professionally arrived quite by accident: while riding on a bus sometime in the mid-'50s, he met guitarist Lightnin' Slim, who was searching fruitlessly for an AWOL harpist. The two's styles meshed seamlessly, and Lester became Slim's harpist of choice.

In 1956, Lester stepped out front at Miller's Crowley, Louisiana studios for the first time. During an extended stint at Excello that stretched into 1965, he waxed such gems as "Sugar Coated Love," "If You Think I've Lost You," and "The Same Thing Could Happen to You." Lester proved invaluable as an imaginative sideman for Miller, utilizing everything from cardboard boxes and claves to whacking on newspapers in order to locate the correct percussive sound for the producer's output.

Lester gave up playing for almost two decades (and didn't particularly miss it, either), settling in Pontiac, Michigan in 1975. But Fred Reif (Lester's manager, booking agent, and rub board player) convinced the harpist that a return to action was in order, inaugurating a comeback that included a nice 1988 album for Alligator, Harp & Soul. His swamp blues sound remained as atmospheric (and, dare one say, energetic) as ever on subsequent releases including 1998's All Over You and 2001's Blues Stop Knockin', featuring Jimmie Vaughan.

Lester continued playing and recording into the 21st century, releasing One More Once on the Spanish Karonte label in 2010. He died of cancer in August 2018 at his home in Paradise, California; Lazy Lester was 85 years old. /Biography by Bill Dahl, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Lazy Lester - Blues Stop Knockin'

Album: Blues Stop Knockin'
Size: 114,5 MB
Time: 49:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. Blues Stop Knockin' (4:28)
2. I Love You Baby (4:08)
3. I'm Your Breadmaker, Baby (4:00)
4. Go Ahead (4:19)
5. Gonna Stick To You Baby (3:12)
6. I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil) (3:50)
7. Ya Ya (3:41)
8. They Call Me Lazy (4:01)
9. Ponderosa Shuffle (3:39)
10. No Special Rider Blues (4:04)
11. I Told My Little Woman (5:18)
12. Sad City Blues (4:50)

Not the most nimble harp player on the blues block, Lazy Lester nonetheless connects when he's backed by a sympathetic band, as he is on this recording, his first in three years. Aided immensely by guitarists Jimmie Vaughen and Derek O'Brien (who also produces) on all but one track, the 70-year-old Lester returns to his swampy Excello label past on this sturdy release. Although it was recorded in Texas, Lester effortlessly evokes his Louisiana roots in a set predominantly consisting of covers that feature his moody harmonica and deep, bluesy sound.

With muscular songs and a band who knows their way around a muddy groove, Lester is in fine, low-key form throughout. Far from energetic, as his moniker implies, he sounds remarkably inspired throughout. When he hits his mark on the slow blues of "Sad City Blues" (featuring guests Sue Foley, Sarah Brown, and Gene Taylor) or connects on the Jimmy Reed-ish "Miss You Like the Devi," his quivering voice and unamplified harp evoke the sound of those great '60s songs he turned into models of the genre. He even resembles Muddy Waters on "Go Ahead," gradually unwinding on a slow shuffle.

Re-recording some of his old favorites, like the self-referential "They Call Me Lazy," is a questionable move for many elder musicians hoping to regain a lost spark, but these versions maintain the slow, laconic, if not quite lazy atmospheric vibe that made his classic stuff so influential. Not a great blues album, but a surprisingly good one and better than most would have expected from one of the blues' fringe figures in his waning years. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Lazy Lester - All Over You

Album: All Over You
Size: 102,1 MB
Time: 44:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. I Need Money (4:03)
2. The Sun Is Shining (5:19)
3. Strange Things Happen (3:34)
4. If You Think I've Lost You (3:45)
5. I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (3:09)
6. Irene (3:44)
7. You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby (3:36)
8. Nothing But The Devil (3:10)
9. I Made Up My Mind (3:56)
10. Hello Mary Lee (3:57)
11. Tell Me Pretty Baby (2:40)
12. My Home Is A Prison (3:01)

The last time Lester released an album was 1988's Harp & Soul on Alligator, an uneven affair. This 1999 effort for Antone's is a vast improvement with producer Derek O'Brien providing linchpin guitar support and fronting a band that includes stellar contributions from Mike Buck on drums and Sarah Brown on bass. Although the intervening years have added a bit of rust to Lester's vocal chops, the added graininess just enhances the performances of old chestnuts like "Strange Things Happening," "If You Think I've Lost You," "Irene," "I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter," "I Need Money," and "The Sun Is Shining."

The classic Excello is called on for most of the album but the big surprise comes with two solo performances by Lester, singing and playing guitar on Lightnin' Slim's "Nothing but the Devil" and Lonesome Sundown's "My Home Is a Prison." His most cohesive album since his first for Excello. /Cub Koda, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Lazy Lester - Lester's Stomp! The Lazy Lester Singles Collection 1965-62

Size: 150,5 MB
Time: 64:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front

1. I'm Gonna Leave You Baby (2:12)
2. Lester's Stomp (1:53)
3. Go Ahead (2:24)
4. They Call Me Lazy (2:55)
5. I Told My Little Woman (2:53)
6. Tell Me Pretty Baby (2:18)
7. I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter (2:42)
8. Sugar Coated Love (2:43)
9. I Hear You Knockin' (2:10)
10. Through The Goodness Of My Heart (2:08)
11. I Love You I Need You (2:20)
12. Late In The Evening (1:59)
13. A Real Combination For Love (2:29)
14. Bye Bye Baby, Gonna Call It Gone (2:19)
15. You Got Me Where You Want Me (3:00)
16. Patrol Blues (2:36)
17. (I'm So Glad) My Baby's Back Home (2:51)
18. Whoa Now (2:46)
19. If You Think I've Lost You (2:16)
20. I'm So Tired (2:25)
21. My Home Is A Prison (2:51)
22. Role On Ole Mule (1:59)
23. Nothing But The Devil (2:57)
24. Gonna Stick To You Baby (2:04)
25. Hoodo Party (2:25)
26. Rooster Blues (2:33)

Contrary to his colorful sobriquet (supplied by prolific South Louisiana producer J.D. Miller), harpist Lazy Lester swore he never was all that lethargic. But he seldom was in much of a hurry either, although the relentless pace of his Excello Records swamp blues classics "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "I Hear You Knockin'" might contradict that statement, too. While growing up outside of Baton Rouge, Leslie Johnson was influenced by Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. But his entry into playing professionally arrived quite by accident: while riding on a bus sometime in the mid-'50s, he met guitarist Lightnin' Slim, who was searching fruitlessly for an AWOL harpist. The two's styles meshed seamlessly, and Lester became Slim's harpist of choice.

In 1956, Lester stepped out front at Miller's Crowley, Louisiana studios for the first time. During an extended stint at Excello that stretched into 1965, he waxed such gems as "Sugar Coated Love," "If You Think I've Lost You," and "The Same Thing Could Happen to You." Lester proved invaluable as an imaginative sideman for Miller, utilizing everything from cardboard boxes and claves to whacking on newspapers in order to locate the correct percussive sound for the producer's output.

Lester gave up playing for almost two decades (and didn't particularly miss it, either), settling in Pontiac, Michigan in 1975. But Fred Reif (Lester's manager, booking agent, and rub board player) convinced the harpist that a return to action was in order, inaugurating a comeback that included a nice 1988 album for Alligator, Harp & Soul. His swamp blues sound remained as atmospheric (and, dare one say, energetic) as ever on subsequent releases including 1998's All Over You and 2001's Blues Stop Knockin', featuring Jimmie Vaughan. Lester continued playing and recording into the 21st century, releasing One More Once on the Spanish Karonte label in 2010. He died of cancer in August 2018 at his home in Paradise, California; Lazy Lester was 85 years old. /Biography by Bill Dahl, AllMusic

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Lazy Lester - I Hear You Knockin'! The Excello Singles

Year: 1994
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:10
Size: 179,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. I'm Gonna Leave You Baby (2:12)
2. Lester's Stomp (1:53)
3. Go Ahead (2:21)
4. They Call Me Lazy (3:23)
5. I Told My Little Woman (2:52)
6. Tell Me Pretty Baby (2:21)
7. I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:45)
8. Sugar Coated Love (2:46)
9. I Hear You Knockin' (2:13)
10. Through The Goodness Of My Heart (2:12)
11. I Love You, I Need You (2:21)
12. Late, Late In The Evening (2:02)
13. Bye, Bye Baby (2:22)
14. A Real Combination For Love (2:31)
15. Patrol Blues (2:39)
16. You Got Me Where You Want Me (3:03)
17. I'm So Glad (2:51)
18. Whoa Now (2:49)
19. If You Think You've Lost Me (2:16)
20. I'm So Tired (2:28)
21. Lonesome Highway Blues (3:13)
22. I Made Up My Mind (2:19)
23. You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby (2:35)
24. Strange Things Happen (2:47)
25. A Word About Women (2:37)
26. The Same Thing Could Happen To You (2:16)
27. Take Me In Your Arms (3:01)
28. You Better Listen (2:24)
29. Because She's Gone (2:49)
30. Ponderosa Stomp (2:33)

Southern Louisiana swamp blues doesn't get more infectious or atmospheric than in the hands of Lazy Lester, whose late-'50s/early-'60s catalog for Excello Records (produced by the legendary J.D. Miller) is splendidly summarized with the 30 sides here. Lester's insistent harp and laconic vocals shine brightly on the rollicking "I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter," "Sugar Coated Love," "I Hear You Knockin'," and "If You Think I've Lost You," serving to help define the genre's timeless appeal. /Bill Dahl, AllMusic

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VA - Bayou Blues Blasters: Goldband Blues

Size: 161.7 MB
Time: 67:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Louisiana Blues, R&B
Art: Front & Back

01 Ivory Jackson - I'm A Country Boy (2:00)
02 Clarence Garlow - Purty Little Dolly (2:38)
03 Guitar Jr - Goin' Crazy Baby (2:04)
04 Hop Wilson & His Buddies - Broke And Hungry (2:42)
05 Little Bob - Make Up My Mind (2:11)
06 Lazy Lester, Katie Webster & Ashton Savoy - Need Shorter Hours (2:32)
07 Lonesome Sundown & Clarence Garlow - It Ain't Right (2:27)
08 Juke Boy Bonner - Just Got To Take A Ride (2:41)
09 Al Smith - You Wanna Do Me Wrong (2:34)
10 Jimmy Wilson - Tin Pan Alley (3:10)
11 Charles Sheffield - I Got Fever (2:16)
12 Tal Miller - Life's Journey (2:48)
13 Lewft Handed Charlie - Honey Bee (2:39)
14 Clarence Garlow - Sunday Morning (2:43)
15 Jimmy Wilson - Trouble In My Home (2:31)
16 Walter Price - Oh Ramona (2:20)
17 Elton Anderson - Highway Back Home (2:35)
18 Cookie & The Cupcakes - I'm Going (2:34)
19 Carol Fran - Please Stand By Me (3:17)
20 Elton Anderson - Too Tired (2:28)
21 Big Chenier - Let Me Hold Your Hand (2:02)
22 Katie Webster - What In The World Are You Gonna Do (2:58)
23 Rockin' Sidney - Something Working Baby (2:38)
24 Marcel Dugas & Wild Bill's Washboard Band - Pretty Little Red Dress (3:09)
25 Little Latour's Sulphur Playboys - C-Key Blues (2:52)
26 Thaddus Declouet - Catch That Morning Train (2:32)

The Goldband label is most known for the Cajun artists it recorded, such as Iry LeJeune and Cleveland Crochet, but it also put out releases by numerous blues musicians. These included some pretty respected, if secondary, blues notables like Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, Juke Boy Bonner, Hop Wilson, and Katie Webster. They, and several much less familiar names, can be heard on this 26-song compilation of Goldband blues sides, mostly done in the 1950s and 1960s. The blues records done during this era at Jay Miller's studio in Crowley, LA. (by Slim Harpo especially) are justly more famous than the Goldband blues sides as far as Louisiana blues goes. But there was a different sound to the Goldband blues stable, although its studios were located just 50 miles to the west, particularly in the overlap with Texas blues, as Goldband's Lake Charles headquarters were close to the Texas border. There was also some spillover from zydeco and Cajun music, as Clarence Garlow, Thaddus Declouet, and Rockin' Sidney -- all represented on this anthology -- did some R&B and blues sides for Goldband, although they are principally zydeco artists. Cookie & the Cupcakes, who also have a track, are thought of more as a swamp-pop group than as a blues one. Most of this, however, is neither swamp pop nor zydeco-influenced, but fair though not wondrous electric blues/R&B of various shades, not too refined but not always that swampy either. Jimmy Wilson's "Trouble in My Home," for instance, sounds a little like the minor-keyed anguished blues of early Otis Rush, though he lacks Rush's superb guitar and vocal skills. The CD is worth investigating for those who are heavily into Louisiana R&B of the 1950s and 1960s, and on the lookout for some variations from the usual regional stew that aren't so well known. ~Richie Unterberger

Bayou Blues Blasters

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VA - Blues On My Radio

Size: 116,8 MB
Time: 49:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. Lowell Fulson - Worried Life Blues (2:05)
02. Lazy Lester - Made Up My Mind (2:40)
03. Louisiana Red - Goin' Train Blues (3:34)
04. Johnny Dyer - Nine Below Zero (4:15)
05. Charlie Musselwhite - Baby-O (Blues On My Radio) (3:44)
06. Rick Estrin - Sonny Boy Jump (2:59)
07. Harmonica Fats & Bernie Pearl - You Got Your Mouth Stuck Out (3:40)
08. Lazy Lester - Jambalaya (1:56)
09. Lazy Lester - Nothin' But The Devil (2:44)
10. Robert Lockwood Jr. - Dust My Broom - Ramblin' On My Mind (3:06)
11. Lowell Fulson - Big Leg Woman (Boar Hog Grind) (2:22)
12. Lowell Fulson - You Don't Know My Mind (2:33)
13. Lil' Ed - Midnight Burning (3:07)
14. Lazy Lester - Patrol Wagon Blues (3:53)
15. Louisiana Red - Sad Night (5:27)
16. Lowell Fulson - Those Lowdown Blues Theme (0:58)

Bob Corritore has worn a lot of hats. First off, he's a world-class blues harmonica player and blues scholar. He runs his own small record label. He books blues musicians for Phoenix, AZ's finest blues club, the Rhythm Room, and for the purposes of this wonderful little CD collection, he also hosts a blues show called Those Lowdown Blues on Sunday nights from Phoenix's KJZZ 91.5 FM, often bringing in the very touring artists he books for the club to play studio sets on his show, which is where these 16 tracks came from. Each one is an informal, intimate gem, and performances here like Louisiana Red's version of "Goin' Train Blues," Lazy Lester's harmonica rendition of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya," and Lowell Fulson's stately take on "Worried Life Blues" all have a casual urgency about them. This is simply a delightful set. ~Review by Steve Leggett

Blues On My Radio

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Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter

Size: 142,9 MB
Time: 59:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1994
Styles: Electric Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:32)
02. Sugar Coated Love (2:44)
03. Lester's Stomp (1:53)
04. I Told My Little Woman (2:51)
05. Tell Me Pretty Baby (2:20)
06. Whoa Now (2:08)
07. I Hear You Knockin' (2:13)
08. Through The Goodness Of My Heart (2:11)
09. I Love You, I Need You (2:22)
10. Late, Late In The Evening (1:58)
11. A Real Combination For Love (2:33)
12. Bloodstains On The Wall (2:24)
13. You Got Me Where You Want Me (3:03)
14. I'm So Tired (2:28)
15. Patrol Blues (2:39)
16. I'm So Glad (2:51)
17. Sad City Blues (2:16)
18. If You Think I've Lost You (2:17)
19. I Made Up My Mind (2:18)
20. Lonesome Highway Blues (3:13)
21. You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby (2:37)
22. The Same Thing Could Happen To You (2:13)
23. Take Me In Your Arms (3:01)
24. You Better Listen To What I Said (2:24)

Lazy Lester is, without doubt, one of the great blues harpists, whose somewhat lethargic style is distinctive and unique. I'm a Lover Not a Fighter acts as something of a tribute to the Louisiana blues scene of the 1960s, and reflects the growing interest in Louisiana blues that Lester's recordings have initiated. Containing such swamp blues classics as "I Hear You Knockin" and the inimitable title track, this release sees Lester in fine form, ably backed by some of the best musicians in Louisiana. Indeed, although showing further signs of the artist's creative renaissance will appeal to devotees, this disc also acts as a perfect introduction to the artist's work, and to both groups, this disc comes highly recommended. ~by Thomas Ward

Thanks to MarcFr.
I'm A Lover Not A Fighter MP3
I'm A Lover Not A Fighter FLAC

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Various - The Excello Story Vols. 1 & 2

Album: The Excello Story Vol. 1 1952-1955
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 121.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Louisiana blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Arthur Gunter - Baby Let's Play House
[1:51] 2. The Boyer Brothers - Step By Step
[3:04] 3. Kid King's Combo - Banana Split
[2:23] 4. Charlie Dowell Orchestra - Wail Daddy
[2:20] 5. Jack Cooley - Dyna-Flow
[2:43] 6. Del Thorne & Her Trio - Down South In Birmingham
[2:52] 7. The Silvertone Singers Of Cincinnati - I Got A Home In That Rock
[2:46] 8. The Leap Frogs - Dirty Britches
[2:58] 9. Little Maxie Bailey - Drive Soldiers Drive
[2:34] 10. Bernie Hardison - Love Me Baby
[2:39] 11. The Blue Flamers - Driving Down The Highway
[2:40] 12. The Dixie Doodlers - Best Of Friends
[2:46] 13. Shy Guy Douglas - I'm Your Country Man
[2:46] 14. Louis Campbell - Gotta Have You Baby
[2:31] 15. Louis Brooks & His Pinetoppers - Bus Station Blues
[2:50] 16. Jack Toombs - You're The Only Good Thing
[2:35] 17. Ray Batts - Stealin' Sugar
[2:50] 18. The Peacheroos - Be Bop Baby
[2:32] 19. Sons Of The South - God Is Alright
[2:34] 20. The Blue Rockers - Calling All Cows

Twenty sides from the earliest years of Excello, the Nashville-based label best known for Southern-style blues and R&B, though it also recorded some country and gospel. All of these styles are present on this compilation, which may make it an uneven listen for those whose interests don't encompass each of the genres. The quality, however, is good, including a number of rarities that don't make it onto many anthologies. Arthur Gunter's original version of "Baby Let's Play House," an R&B hit before it was covered by Elvis Presley the following year, is the most famous cut by far; the only other one to be a big hit was Kid King's Combo's "Banana Split," a New Orleans-styled instrumental that made the R&B Top Ten in 1953. A number of the other blues/R&B crossovers here are delights, including the Charlie Dowell Orchestra's jump blues "Wail Daddy"; Del Thorne's jiving "Down South in Birmingham," which sounds familiar enough to be a hit, although it wasn't; the Blues Rockers' "Calling All Cows," which sounds like a bluesier variation of the famous New Orleans tune "Iko Iko," and the Leap Frogs' "Dirty Britches," with Arthur Gunter on guitar, and which, like Gunter's "Baby Let's Play House," sounds pretty close to rock & roll. Beyond the blues/R&B realm, there's updated jugband-style blues from the Dixie Doodlers, pretty hot honky tonk by Ray Batts on "Stealin' Sugar," and early uptempo doo wop on the Peacheroos' "Be Bop Baby." ~Richie Unterberger

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Album: The Excello Story Vol. 2 1955-1957
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 121.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Louisiana blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. The Marigolds - Rollin' Stone
[2:36] 2. Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers - It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)
[2:34] 3. Good Rockin' Sam - Now Listen Baby
[2:49] 4. The Solotones - Pork And Beans
[2:55] 5. Lightnin' Slim - Lightnin's Blues
[2:10] 6. Jerry McCain And His Upstarts - Courtin' In A Cadillac
[2:20] 7. Rudy Green - My Mumblin' Baby
[2:31] 8. Larry Birdsong - Pleadin' For Love
[2:23] 9. Guitar Gable - Congo Mombo
[2:58] 10. Guitar Gable - Irene
[2:18] 11. Jack Toombs - Kiss-A Me Quick
[1:55] 12. Johnny Jano - Havin' A Whole Lot Of Fun
[2:26] 13. Al Ferrier - Hey Baby
[3:13] 14. Little Al - No Jive
[2:01] 15. Little Al - Little Lean Woman
[2:37] 16. Clarence Samuels - Chicken Hearted Woman
[3:08] 17. Lonesome Sundown - My Home Is A Prison
[3:14] 18. Lightnin' Slim - Mean Ol' Lonesome Train
[2:57] 19. Lazy Lester - They Call Me Lazy
[3:03] 20. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee

The end of the period covered on the second installment of this Excello retrospective saw the label start to record the Louisiana swamp blues artists for whom it is most famed: Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lightnin' Slim, Lonesome Sundown. While each of those artists is represented here by a cut or two (including Harpo's classic "I'm a King Bee"), much of it's devoted to more urban, mid-'50s blues/R&B crossover, most of it recorded in Nashville. A couple of these were big hits: the Marigolds' "Rollin' Stone" made the R&B Top Ten in 1955 (and was covered for a pop hit by the Fontane Sisters), while Louis Brooks made number two R&B that same year with "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)" (covered with success by Ruth Brown). Jerry McCain does raw, early electric blues with "Courtin' in a Cadillac; " Guitar Gable does blues with a Mardi Gras rhythm on "Congo Mambo"; a young Johnny Copeland plays "chicken licking" guitar on Clarence Samuels' "Chicken Hearted Woman," and there are a couple of lowdown blues by Little Al (Arthur Gunter's brother). There's also some rockabilly by Johnny Jano, whose "Havin' a Whole Lot of Fun" is attractively over the top, and Al Ferrier, whose "Hey! Baby" is a transparent derivation of "Baby Let's Play House." Like volume one of this fine series, it's a good collection of a variety of sounds on the cusp of becoming rock & roll, though by this point the line was sometimes being crossed into bona fide early rock. ~Richie Unterberger

The Excello Story Vol. 2 1955-1957 mc
The Excello Story Vol. 2 1955-1957 zippy

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Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry

Year: 2017
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:08
Size: 169,7 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Mercy Baby - Pleadin' (2:19)
2. Leroy Washington - I've Been In This Prison (2:29)
3. Lightnin' Slim - Little Girl Blues (2:59)
4. Ramblin' Hi Harris - I Haven't Got A Home (3:02)
5. 'Honey Boy' Allen Pierre - Better Start Doin' It (1:59)
6. Slim Harpo - Cigarettes (2:12)
7. Lightnin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues (2:30)
8. Polka Dot Slim - Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry (3:04)
9. Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:52)
10. Joe Richards - Dreaming, Dreaming (2:26)
11. Al Smith - Still In Love With You (2:40)
12. Cookie & The Cupcakes - In The Evening (2:50)
13. Polka Dot Slim - A Thing You Gotta Face (2:59)
14. Jake Jackson - Life Gets Hard (2:40)
15. Barbara Lynn - Sugar Coated Love (2:46)
16. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Tee Black (2:08)
17. Jimmy Anderson & The Joy Jumpers - Angel Please (2:50)
18. Clarence Garlow - Make Me Cry (2:51)
19. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Hamburgers & Popcorn (1:33)
20. Lightnin' Slim - I Hate To Leave You Baby (2:55)
21. Al Smith - If I Don't See You (2:28)
22. Ramblin' Hi Harris - Baby, Baby, Baby (2:45)
23. Lightnin' Slim - I Don't Know (2:07)
24. Big Walter - If The Blues Was Money (3:18)
25. Jake Jackson - Somebody Tell Me (3:00)
26. Al Smith - I Love Her So (2:09)
27. T.B. Fisher - Don't Change Your Mind (2:05)
28. Unknown Artist - I'm Gonna Find My Baby (3:01)

The “By The Bayou” series leaps to Volume 18 with a return to the blues of South Louisiana, bringing you rare or previously unissued tracks from stars of the genre such as Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester and Slim Harpo, plus a host of little-known or completely unknown performers. We also have two artists who you would never think performed in the downhome style – Barbara Lynn and Cookie (aka Huey Thierry) – but who sound right at home, with an unknown harmonica player setting the tone on Barbara’s track whilst Cupcakes guitarist Marshall Laday supports Cookie with some mean blues pickin’. In fact there are several tracks here that will have air-guitar virtuosos reaching for their imaginary axes.

We reveal in the booklet that the much-reported birthplace of Lightnin’ Slim may be another creation of this enigmatic performer. Sorting out the different takes of his songs has proven complicated because he was inclined to sing subtle changes in the lyrics whilst performing identical guitar work. This time we have had the support of a dedicated fan who prefers to remain anonymous but provided detailed analysis. As for Slim Harpo, ‘Cigarettes’ is one of my favourites amongst his lesser-known titles.

As always there are a handful of mystery singers. Was there really a “Ramblin’ Hi Harris”, for example, or was his name created later by J.D. Miller? Another rarity is an artist whose record doesn’t appear in that veritable tome The Blues Discography 1943-1970. T.B. Fisher may have escaped notice there but he is proof of what a great ear Huey Meaux had for all manner of music. The man had a real knack for spotting talent and bringing out their best on vinyl, and I’ll wager there will be many a blues aficionado hunting for Fisher’s disc once it’s been heard.

Bluesin' By The Bayou: Aint' Broke, Ain't Hungry mc
Bluesin' By The Bayou: Aint' Broke, Ain't Hungry zippy

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Omar Kent Dykes - Big Town Playboy

Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:18
Size: 95,6 MB
Styles: Electric blues, Texas blues
Scans: Full

1. Big Town Playboy (4:12)
2. Upside Your Head (4:16)
3. I Can't Judge Nobody (3:48)
4. Think (3:50)
5. Mary Mary (2:44)
6. No More Doggin' (3:40)
7. Hello Mary Lee (2:28)
8. Close Together (2:43)
9. Dream Girl (4:02)
10. Since I Met You Baby (3:20)
11. Man Down There (2:57)
12. King Bee (3:13)

After years languishing in the blues-rock trenches, Omar Kent Dykes left his Howlers band behind in 2007, hooked up with friend and fellow Austin-ite Jimmie Vaughan, brought in some like-minded guests such as singer Lou Ann Barton, and cruised into one of the most popular blues albums of that year with a tribute to a major influence for both musicians; On the Jimmy Reed Highway. Little has changed on this follow-up from two years later. While only two tunes are penned by Reed, and Vaughan's billing has shrunk to a below the title "featuring" credit, this can't help but be seen as a logical extension of its popular predecessor.

Dykes digs into the lazy, Texas Reed shuffle from the opening title track (written by Reed's longtime guitarist Eddie Taylor), through the closing buzz of Slim Harpo's salacious "King Bee," 40 minutes later. But this is no case of sloppy seconds. Rather Dykes and Vaughan seem energized by the acclaim of their previous collaboration and loosen up with some returning friends (Barton, guitarist Derek O'Brien, and drummer Wes Starr, the latter who deserves more credit than he gets for capturing the loose yet crisp shuffle associated with Reed's approach) on a similarly styled session that is every bit the equal of the last.

Highlights include a tough, sassy duet with Barton on Jimmy McCracklin's "Think," and a swampy cover of John Lee Hooker's "No More Doggin'." Ronnie James' upright bass also adds a rootsy element captured by Vaughan's predominantly low-key solos. James Cotton swings by on harp for five selections including a peppy take on Lightnin' Slim's "Hello Mary Lee." The set sounds perhaps deceptively spontaneous as the players congeal around their mutual love for this laconic yet invigorating Texas blues. There is no sense trying to update this traditional sound, yet Dykes and co. succeed in blowing new life into it, and kudos if they can boost their careers in the process. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

Big Town Playboy mc
Big Town Playboy gofile

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Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter: The Complete Excello Records Singles (1956-1962)

Size: 152,7 MB
Time: 64:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

01. I'm Gonna Leave You Baby (2:12)
02. Lester's Stomp (1:53)
03. Go Ahead (2:24)
04. They Call Me Lazy (2:55)
05. I Told My Little Woman (2:53)
06. Tell Me Pretty Baby (2:18)
07. I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter (2:42)
08. Sugar Coated Love (2:43)
09. I Hear You Knockin' (2:10)
10. Through The Goodness Of My Heart (2:08)
11. I Love You, I Need You (2:20)
12. Late In The Evening (1:59)
13. A Real Combination For Love (2:29)
14. Bye Bye Baby, Gonna Call It Gone (2:19)
15. You Got Me Where You Want Me (3:00)
16. Patrol Blues (2:36)
17. (I'm So Glad) My Baby's Back Home (2:51)
18. Whoa Now (2:46)
19. If You Think I've Lost You (2:16)
20. I'm So Tired (2:25)
21. My Home Is A Prison (Slim Harpo) (2:51)
22. Role On Ole Mule (Tabby Thomas) (1:59)
23. Nothing But The Devil (Lightnin' Slim) (2:57)
24. Gonna Stick To You Baby (Lonesome Sundown) (2:04)
25. Hoodo Party (Tabby Thomas) (2:25)
26. Rooster Blues (Lightnin' Slim) (2:33)

Lazy Lester (real name Leslie Johnson), along with Lightnin' Slim, Slim Harpo, Silas Hogan, Lonesome Sundown, and a few others, is a prime example of what's generally called "swamp-blues". Produced by Jay Miller for the Excello label, Lester's music is a cross of blues, country, early r'n'r, with a smidgen of the Louisiana area style all mixed together. These tracks float somewhere between 3 and 4 "stars". The sound is surprisingly good. The booklet is informative as far as it goes. All in all--a good presentation of Lester's music.

This good collection spans the years 1958-1964--the prime era for Lester's music. His vocals and harp (with his occasional guitar playing) made his music fairly unique. His bands were almost always rudimentary--just basic guitar/bass/drums (or cardboard box), with Lester's lazy vocals and sinewy harp out front. Once in a while he added a piano, an organ, or maybe a tenor sax into the mix--to good effect. Most of his bandmates were unknown except in their area, with the exception of Katie Webster (piano/organ), Guitar Gable (guitar), Warren Storm (drums), and possibly Carol Fran (piano), all who later would become relatively known to blues fans.

Lester's harp style lent itself to both up tempo and slower tunes--both his own singles/albums, and on songs recorded by Lightnin' Slim (most notably) and other area artists. Lester went on to record albums under his own name--notably for the Alligator label. His vocals could be described as workmanlike/laid-back, but along with his harp playing everything seemed to fit together into a unique, visceral, sloppy sound found only in that area and era. Listen to his early 50's tracks like "Sugar Coated Love", "Lester's Stomp", "Tell Me Pretty Baby", and "Whoa Now" (with Sammy Drake playing a cardboard box)--all great examples of Lester's style. And his 60's recordings were just as great and worthwhile hearing--"If You Think I've Lost You", "Lonesome Highway Blues", or "You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby" all are Lester at his best. But also check out the tune "Bloodstains On The Wall" from 1960. Besides the atmospheric overdubbed harp, listen to the lyrics.

For whatever reason, Lester and (with the exception of Slim Harpo) the above mentioned artists never garnered much attention or fame from blues fans. If you're reading this you're probably familiar with Lester and the other Excello artists. But if his name (and the others) is new to you, you should do yourself a favor and give these musicians a listen. Both individually and taken together, they're an important piece (like Clifton Chenier's Zydeco Band) of the blues genre. The laid back, almost sloppy approach is in contrast (for example) to the harder sounding Texas/Chicago big city blues, with it's declamatory vocals and incendiary guitar work from the same period. The music is at times raw, plain, and seemingly thrown together yet straightforward--with the barest of instrumentation adding greatly to the sound. Don't let those attributes (yes, attributes) throw you off hearing some fine late 50's/early 60's "swamp-blues" from Jay Miller/Excello Records. ~Stuart Jefferson

I forgot to include cover in RAR file. Please, click on album picture and save to your album folder.

I'm A Lover Not A Fighter

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Various Artists - Antone's 20th Anniversary (2 CD)

Antone's 20th Anniversary is a double-disc set that celebrates the legendary Texas club and its rich musical legacy. Over the course of the set, some of the biggest and best names of not only Texas blues, but American blues contribute positively ripping live tracks - it's always a joy to hear the likes of Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Kim Wilson, and Doug Sahm, and each of these artists, among many others, turn in first-rate contributions on this set.

For a strong encapsulation of the American blues/blues-rock scene of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, Antone's 20th Anniversary delivers the goods. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

Album: Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 1
Year: 1996
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:56
Size: 126,7 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Jimmy Rogers - Got My Mojo Working (5:20)
2. Buddy Guy - The Things I Used To Do (5:53)
3. Doyle Bramhall - Wee, Wee, Baby (6:22)
4. Pinetop Perkins - Big Fat Mama (5:15)
5. Angela Strehli Band - Big Town Playboy (6:15)
6. Doug Sahm - Crazy, Crazy Baby (2:04)
7. Snooky Pryor - Nine Below Zero (6:48)
8. Lavelle White - Go To The Mirror (6:45)
9. Sue Foley - Truckin' Little Woman (3:52)
10. Teddy Morgan - Jungle Swing (6:19)

Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 1 mc
Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 1 zippy

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Album: Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 2
Year: 1996
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:56
Size: 115,4 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Pinetop Perkins - Intro/Chicken Shack (1:32)
2. Pinetop Perkins - Little Girl, Little Girl (7:00)
3. Jimmy Rogers - Chicago Bound (3:19)
4. Angela Strehli - What It Takes (3:56)
5. James Cotton - How Long Can A Bell Ring (5:28)
6. Lazy Lester - A Woman (5:31)
7. Pete Mayes - I'm Ready (4:07)
8. Teddy Morgan - Going Back Home (4:23)
9. Luther Tucker - Sweet Home Chicago (4:34)
10. Guy Forsyth - You're Still Here (4:43)
11. Kim Wilson - I'm Leaving You (5:17)

Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 2 mc
Antone's 20th Anniversary - CD 2 zippy

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VA - Walkin' Blues: 15 Years From Mountain Top Productions

Size: 158,3+183,0 MB
Time: 68:11+78:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: West Coast Blues
Art: Front

CD 1:
01 Cary Bell - Low Down Dirty Shame (5:18)
02 Gary Smith - Scared Of That Child (3:36)
03 Mark Hummel - Seven Nights To Rock (3:32)
04 Johnny Dyer - Forty Days And Forty Nights (4:16)
05 Fillmore Slim - Minding My Own Business (2:22)
06 R.J. Mischo & Steve Freund - West Winds Are Blowing (3:34)
07 Fillmore Slim & Frank Stickums - Hey Little Brother (4:24)
08 Big Walter Shufflesworth - Nailed To The Bone (5:25)
09 Paris Slim & Johnny Ace - Solid Sender (4:09)
10 Mark Hummel - City Livin' (5:32)
11 Fillmore Slim - Nosey Woman (7:41)
12 Johnny Dyer - Trouble No More (2:44)
13 R.J. Mischo - Money Back Guarantee (3:10)
14 Paris Slim - Let's Talk About Love (3:00)
15 Dona McGee - Upside Your Head (2:55)
16 Lazy Lester - Bloodstains On The Wall (4:01)
17 R.J. Mischo & W. Shufflesworth - Rj, Get Up! Milk That Cow (2:23)

CD 2:
01. Gary Primitch - Ain't She Trouble (5:14)
02. Cephas & Wiggins - Broke And Hungry (3:25)
03. Johnny Dyer - Country Boy (3:57)
04. Fillmore Slim - The Legend Of Fillmore Slim (5:15)
05. Gary Smith - About To Lose Your Clown (5:18)
06. Paris Slim - No Escapin' From The Blues (6:45)
07. Fillmore Slim - My Friend Blue (4:05)
08. Johnny Dyer - Got To Find My Baby (2:41)
09. Paris Slim - Feel Like Shouting (2:36)
10. R.J. Mischo - It's My Life, Baby (5:04)
11. Fillmore Slim - Faster Than Time (3:59)
12. Gary Smith - Blues For Mr. B (3:14)
13. Mark Hummel - Can't Judge Nobody (6:46)
14. Eddie Taylor - Red Light (5:00)
15. M. Hummel - Blue And Lonesome (6:30)
16. Rick Estrin - You're Gonna Need My Help (7:55)
17. Johnny Dyer - Evans Shuffle (1:05)

Over the past fifteen years, Mountain Top Productions has delivered more than a dozen magnificent West Coast Blues CD masterpieces to the world's blues audience. They've also become classy connoiseurs of blues harmonica releases, purveying state-of-the-art recordings that drip with true blues soul. Their Blues Harmonica Videos/DVD's are regarded as the best-in-the-business and blues lovers should shake their hand(s) for giving us a steady stream of Oakland/L.A. Blues legends like Johnny Dyer, Fillmore Slim, Gary Smith, Mark Hummel, Franck Goldwasser, R.J. Mischo, and many others. ~Andy Grigg

Walkin' Blues CD 1
Walkin' Blues CD 2

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VA - Notodden - Mississippi

Size: 135,9 MB
Time: 57:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Lazy Lester - Bloodstains On The Wall (3:57)
02. David 'Honeyboy' Edwards - Catfish Blues (3:33)
03. Pinetop Perkins - Down In Mississippi (2:59)
04. Amund Maarud - Let's Get High (2:58)
05. Rita Engedalen - Turtle Blues (4:35)
06. Lazy Lester - I'm So Tired (3:33)
07. Snooky Pryor - How'd You Learn To Shake It Like That (4:54)
08. Pinetop Perkins - How Long (4:20)
09. Pinetop Perkins & Spoonful of Blues - Three Fork Store (6:53)
10. Lazy Lester - Kokomo Blues (4:24)
11. David 'Honeyboy' Edwards - I'm The Man And I Always Wear The Pants (3:42)
12. Snooky Pryor - Juke Joint Shuffle (1:57)
13. Jostein Forsberg - A Woman (4:16)
14. Rita Engedalen & Mel Brown - Worries & Trouble (2:20)
15. David 'Honeyboy' Edwards - Blues And Trouble (3:16)

The Notodden Blues Festival, founded in 1988, has hosted dozens of artists from Mississippi, including B. B. King, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Bobby Rush, Charlie Musselwhite, and Super Chikan.

Notodden - Mississippi

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Lazy Lester - You Better Listen

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:52
Size: 98.1 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Rooster Blues
[2:59] 2. You Better Listen
[3:30] 3. Ethel Mae
[3:36] 4. If You Don't Want Me Baby
[3:11] 5. Scratch My Back
[4:03] 6. Courtroom Blues
[3:35] 7. Think It Over
[3:06] 8. O.J. Shuffle
[2:35] 9. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
[3:29] 10. Bright Lights Big City
[2:46] 11. The Same Thing Will Happen To You
[3:56] 12. When My First Wife Left Me
[3:01] 13. Paradise Stomp

Accordion – Runar Boyesen (tracks: 9); Backing Vocals – Trond Ytterbø (tracks: 9); Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Jens Olav Haugen; Guitar – Lazy Lester (tracks: 3, 7, 8, 12, 13), Morten Omlid; Keyboards – Espen Fjelle (tracks: 2, 6, 9, 11, 12); Vocals, Harp – Lazy Lester; Washboard, Spoons – Knut Henning Slettemo (tracks: 9).

Jay Miller was the leading swamp blues producer. From the mid-fifties to the late '60s, his recordings were standing for the inimitable sound of the Excello masters. The Excello sides possessed matchless coolness that could not be reproduced outside of Louisiana. Until now ... Lazy Lester's late work was recorded in Notodden, Norway (Europe's secret blues capitol) with local guys. The band really knows how to play behind Lester, how to keep pace with his way of singing and playing. Furthermore, the recordings are containing this certain Southern flair and smell one would only expect in an old studio in Crowley, Louisiana. And, last not least, Lester is in good shape. A great, great album. Highly recommended to all fans of the real deal, Southern style.

You Better Listen mc
You Better Run zippy

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Various Artists - Antone's: Clifford's Picks

Year: 2000
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:55
Size: 154,8 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Doyle Bramhall - Too Sorry (2:46)
2. Toni Price - Chain Of Love (3:37)
3. Miss Lavelle White - You Gonna Make Me Cry (4:45)
4. Kim Wilson - If I Should Lose You (3:24)
5. Sue Foley - Gone Blind (3:44)
6. Matt Murphy - Way Down South (4:34)
7. ZuZu Bollin - Hey Little Girl (3:37)
8. Lazy Lester - Irene (3:45)
9. James Cotton - Call It Stormy Monday (6:48)
10. Barbara Lynn - I'm A Good Woman (3:17)
11. Doug Sahm - She Put The Hurt On Me (2:45)
12. Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton & Angela Strehli - I Idolize You (3:37)
13. Eddie Taylor - Big Town Playboy (4:18)
14. Memphis Slim - Having Fun (4:22)
15. Pinetop Perkins - Ida B (7:20)
16. Earl King - Things I Used To Do (4:12)

When Clifford Antone talks about the blues, folks listen. And when he speaks, he uses superlatives that he has earned the right to use. For the last quarter-century, the Port Arthur native has struggled to give blues a home and at the end of the century, the club, a record store and recording label bear his name in Austin. Not too shabby for a man who just wanted to give back a little of what he got from the blues.

"One of the things I have been trying to deal with all my life is why we don't honor these great musicians. It's just a real shame. How can anybody see Barbara Lynn and not want to make her one of the biggest stars in America?" Sadly, the ailing reply is that artists like Barbara Lynn, Lazy Lester, and Lavelle White aren't heard enough.

Fortunately, Cliff's Picks will remedy that social ill with 16 of the finest doses of the blues recorded over the last 15 years from performers like Memphis Slim and Eddie Taylor to Sue Foley. "I recorded everyone - Angela, James Cotton, even recorded a Kim Wilson album before 1986", says Clifford Antone. "There is so much history in the Antone's vaults, it's unbelievable." Small wonder then that Clifford Antone's label asked him to choose his favorites. /Excerpt from the liner notes

(Note: There is also another version of this album entitled "Cliff's Picks", also released in 2000, containing 14 tracks plus a bonus track featuring a 15 minutes interview with Clifford Antone.)

Antone's: Clifford's Picks mc
Antone's: Clifford's Picks gofile

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Various - Notodden-Mississippi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:49
Size: 132.4 MB
Styles: Assorted blues styles
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:58] 1. Lazy Lester - Bloodstains On The Wall
[3:33] 2. David Honeyboy Edwards - Catfish Blues
[2:59] 3. Pinetop Perkins - Down In Mississippi
[2:59] 4. Amund Maarud - Let`s Get High
[4:38] 5. Rita Engedalen - Turtle Blues
[3:33] 6. Lazy Lester - I´m So Tired
[4:54] 7. Snooky Pryor - How`d You Learn To Shake It Like That
[4:20] 8. Pinetop Perkins - How Long
[6:53] 9. Pinetop Perkins - Three Fork Store
[4:24] 10. Lazy Lester - Kokomo Blues
[3:42] 11. David Honeyboy Edwards - I´m The Man And I Always Wear The Pants
[1:57] 12. Snooky Pryor - Juke Joint Shuffle
[4:16] 13. Jostein Forsberg - A Woman
[2:20] 14. Rita Engedalen - Worries & Trouble
[3:16] 15. David Honeyboy Edwards - Blues And Trouble

The Notodden Blues Festival, founded in 1988, has hosted dozens of artists from Mississippi, including B. B. King, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Bobby Rush, Charlie Musselwhite, and Super Chikan. In 1996 Notodden and Clarksdale, Mississippi, became sister cities, and cultural exchanges have included performances by Norwegian artists at Clarksdale’s annual Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival.

Norway is both geographically and culturally distant from Mississippi, but as the popular Notodden Blues Festival demonstrates, there seem to be no boundaries for the appreciation of the blues. African American entertainers were performing in Norway by the end of the nineteenth century, and blues was featured on traveling vaudeville shows and musical revues such as “Plantation Days” and “Chocolate Kiddies” that toured Scandinavia in the 1920s. The Mississippi-based Utica Jubilee Singers appeared in Norway in 1930, and in 1937 the swing band of Mississippi native Jimmie Lunceford, which included blues in its repertoire, began its first European tour with two performances in Oslo. The first American solo blues artist to appear in Norway was Josh White, who visited Oslo in 1950, and during the latter 1950s blues vocalists Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing and Big Joe Turner (with pianist Pete Johnson) all appeared on jazz shows.

Notodden-Mississippi mc
Notodden-Mississippi zippy

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