Larry Taylor & The Taylor Family With The Soul Blues Healers - Generations Of Blues: West Side Legacy

Size: 134.7 MB
Time: 57:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Styles: Blues Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. She Treats Me Just The Same (Feat. Larry Taylor) (3:53)
02. Take Your Hand Down (Feat. Larry Taylor) (4:16)
03. Bad Girl (Feat. Demetria Taylor) (4:36)
04. I Feel So Bad (Feat. Larry Taylor) (4:25)
05. I Found Out (Feat. Brenda Taylor) (4:32)
06. Talk To Your Son (Feat. Brenda Taylor) (3:55)
07. You Belong To Me (Feat. Demetria Taylor) (3:51)
08. Big Town Playboy (Feat. Eddie Taylor Jr.) (3:58)
09. Penitentiary Blues (Feat. Larry Taylor) (5:06)
10. I Paid My Dues (Feat. Larry Taylor) (5:06)
11. No Shine (Feat. Liljet2X) (4:01)
12. Jump Down American Queen (Feat. Larry Taylor) (5:12)
13. Larry & Eddie Jr. Groove (Blues In The Rain Feat. Eddie Taylor Jr. & Larry Taylor) (4:27)

The Taylor family stands treetop tall as a fully-fledged and remarkably enduring Chicago Blues dynasty. That’s never been more apparent than with the release of Larry Taylor and the Taylor Family: Generations of Blues on Nola Blue Records.

In 2015, vocalist/drummer Larry Taylor assembled his brothers and sisters at Chicago’s Joyride Studios to pay loving tribute to their late father, Eddie Taylor, Sr., and the West Side blues tradition that so deeply influenced all of them. Its set list combines fresh and invigorating versions of their dad’s classic blues compositions and newly created themes illustrating the Taylor family’s unshakable dedication to the idiom. In addition, the collection now pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of their father’s birth in 1923.

The story begins with legendary Benoit, Mississippi-born guitarist Eddie Sr., who arrived in Chicago in 1949 and quickly carved out a sterling reputation as one of the city’s top bluesmen. He made seminal mid-‘50s sides as a leader for Vee-Jay Records (“Bad Boy,” “Ride ‘Em On Down,” “Big Town Playboy”) and served as blues immortal Jimmy Reed’s impeccable accompanist, his dazzling guitar technique influencing countless younger bluesmen including Freddie King. Eddie Sr. and his wife, singer Vera Taylor, were prime inspirations to their offspring as they grew up, instilling a tradition that they proudly carry on to this day.

The eldest brother, Larry Taylor, the instigator of this project, boasts his own impressive blues legacy with the acclaimed 2004 recording, They Were in This House, on AV Records (later reissued on the Wolf label). His eldest sister, singer Brenda Taylor, issued her own 2021 Wolf album, Buggy Ride, while her younger sibling Demetria Taylor has toured the globe repeatedly, her powerful vocals showcased on two Delmark discs, 2011’s Bad Girl and last year’s Doin’ What I’m Supposed To Do.

Prior to his tragic passing in 2019, vocalist/guitarist Eddie Taylor, Jr. had taken his place as a leading Chicago blues traditionalist, releasing a half-dozen Wolf albums as a leader beginning with 1998’s Lookin’ for Trouble. Taught the rudiments of his instrument by Larry, drummer Tim Taylor has kept rock-steady time on over forty blues discs as well as touring with the bands of Maurice John Vaughn and the late saxophone great Eddie Shaw.

That’s a whole lot of Chicago blues talent in one family, and it’s all on glorious display throughout Generations of Blues. Larry does the vocal honors on six tracks, including his own “She Treats Me Just The Same” and “Penitentiary Blues” as well as “Feel So Bad,” the title track of his father’s “Big Town Playboy.”

1972 album for Advent. Brenda roars “I Found Out” and “Talk To Your Son,” the latter adapted from a J.B. Lenoir classic; Demetria offers sizzling reprises of “Bad Girl” (a gender-switched treatment of her dad’s “Bad Boy”) and Magic Sam’s “You Belong To Me.” Eddie Jr.’s powerful pipes sparkle on a reprise of his father’s “Big Town Playboy.”

The Taylor legacy now extends to a third generation as Larry’s teenaged son, rapper Liljet2x, brings his contemporary sensibilities to the equation. There’s just no end to this family’s talent, as Larry Taylor and the Taylor Family: Generations of Blues so powerfully illustrates. ~Bill Dahl

Generations Of Blues: West Side Legacy MP3
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Kim Wilson - Smokin' Joint: Rhythm Room Sessions Vol. 2

Size: 153,9 MB
Time: 65:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Harmonica Blues
Label: Kim Wilson
Art: Front & Back

01. Same Old Blues ( 3:45)
02. Take A Little Walk ( 5:44)
03. Hands Out Of My Pocket ( 3:18)
04. I'm Leavin' You ( 3:29)
05. Learn To Treat Me Right ( 5:26)
06. Blue-Eyed Baby ( 4:51)
07. Date Bait ( 5:43)
08. Please Come Back To Me ( 5:53)
09. Born Blind ( 4:23)
10. I'm Going Home ( 3:52)
11. Please Don't Leave Me ( 4:12)
12. Gumbo Blues ( 4:10)
13. I Hear You Knockin'/Bring It On Home (11:02)

Personnel:
Harmonica, Vocals – Kim Wilson
Bass – Larry Taylor
Drums – Richards Innes
Guitar – Billy Flynn, Rusty Zinn

Harmonica player, songwriter, and singer Kim Wilson is as much a student and historian of classic blues as he is one of the U.S.'s top harmonica players. Simply put, Wilson has taste; when he enters the recording studio, he has a clear vision of what he wants his next record to sound like. Aside from all this, he's also an extremely hard worker and a major road hog, spending upwards of 200 nights a year on the road, playing festivals and clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe with his own Kim Wilson band and leading the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Although he's long been known as the charismatic frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Wilson's solo albums -- which feature bands of his own choosing for different tracks -- is where the genius in his work shows through most clearly. Born January 6, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan, Wilson grew up in California. His parents were singers who would sing popular standards on the radio, and while Wilson took trombone and guitar lessons, he didn't discover blues until he was a senior in high school. Wilson's father later worked for General Motors and raised his family in Goleta, California. Wilson dropped out of college and began playing blues full-time in 1970. He had a rented room and lived the hippie existence, getting his harmonica chops together by playing with traveling blues musicians like Eddie Taylor. Even though Wilson had only switched to harmonica in his senior year in high school, his progress on the instrument was rapid and every bit as all-consuming as his blues record-buying habit. Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Rhodes were among the other Bay Area musicians Wilson befriended and worked with in clubs. But Wilson didn't meet his biggest mentor until after he moved to Austin in the mid-'70s.

"Muddy Waters was my biggest mentor. He really made my reputation for me, and that was a fantastic time of my life, being associated with that man," he recalled of his early days with the Fabulous Thunderbirds in Austin. There, at Antone's blues nightclub, Wilson and his Thunderbirds would back up whoever came into town, and it didn't take long for the band to earn Waters' blessing.

As a songwriter, Wilson takes his cue from the long-forgotten names like Tampa Red, Roosevelt Sykes, and Lonnie Johnson. His 1993 solo album, Tigerman, for the Austin-based Antone's label, features just three of his own tunes. Being the student of the blues that he is, Wilson was understandably hesitant to record too many of his own tunes when he'd already had a vision in his head of how he was going to rework classics like Joe Hill Louis' "Tiger Man," the album's title track. He followed up his debut with the equally brilliant That's Life (1994), also for Antone's, and again this recording contains just three self-penned songs. Wilson's career took a boost in the '90s with a major-label deal with Private Music/BMG for the Fabulous Thunderbirds and frequent concert appearances with Bonnie Raitt. Wilson's solo albums are solid productions, highly recommended for harmonica students and fans of classic Texas blues and rhythm & blues. ~ Richard Skelly

Smokin' Joint: Rhythm Room Sessions Vol. 2

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John Mayall - A Banquet In Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:47
Size: 98.0 MB
Styles: British blues, Harmonica blues
Year: 1976/1993
Art: Front

[ 5:30] 1. Sunshine
[ 3:25] 2. You Can't Put Me Down
[ 4:02] 3. I Got Somebody
[ 2:42] 4. Turn Me Loose
[ 5:17] 5. Seven Days Too Long
[ 3:57] 6. Table Top Girl
[ 3:38] 7. Lady
[14:13] 8. Fantasyland

Bass – Larry Taylor; Drums – Roy McCurdy, Soko Richardson; Guitar – Rick Vito; Percussion – Buck Clarke; Performer – John Mayall; Piano – Jay Spell; Saxophone – Red Holloway; Trombone – Benny Powell; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell; Vocals – Dee McKinnie, Ronnie Barron. Recorded at Total Experience Studios, Los Angeles in May 1976 (except Table Top Girl recorded at Seasaint Studios, New Orleans).

Though Mayall's 70's material majorly suffers next to his 60's output, "A banquet in blues" is one of his better 70's outings and probably the best from Mayall's Rick Vito days. The brisk opening shouter "Sunshine" features a bright and tasty Blue Mitchell trumpet solo and also has John McVie on bass, effective in the up stairs tumbler sound. Rick here is on vocals (presumably in with the shouting verse sections) and on rhythm guitar (which you can hear thinly in the background of the grumble). In fact, Rick is on every track on the album in one way or another except one, which is the horn & piano led bland mid temp track "Lady" so it's probably just as well he's not on that one. "You can't put me down" is a fast shuffle with a slight disco feel, Rick plays lead guitar and also does (background?) vocals on this one. Rick also lends vocals to the album's best track, the closing "Fantasyland", at 14 minutes, the beginning and end are flute led with more chanting verses (so I'd imagine he's singing in those parts) and then the middle section is suspenseful swirling, fiddle scratching and guitar strumming meanderings which also includes a quiet but effective bass solo by one time Peter Green sidekick Alex Dimochowski. Rick plays rhythm guitar on the dragging skipper "I got somebody" (which mainly features a bass/drums chug) and funk laden track "Turn me loose" (which also has disco possibilities but that side is not as evident on the cupped horn sections which are nicely placed on this one) and Vito also is listed as guitar for the dated sounding but nonetheless enjoyable "Seven days too long" (which is almost pop/rock as the blues hides behind that shield here) and the hard to take serious "Table top girl" (a somewhat pulsing track). It's doubtful anyone would ever recommend you get any 70's Mayall releases before anything else he's done but when the time comes when you do wish to listen to some, this would probably be your best bet from the pack. ~John Fitzgerald

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Rocky Zharp & RZB - Songs For You And A Song For Me (With Junior Watson, Larry Taylor & Honey Piazza)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:35
Size: 108.9 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues
Year: 1990/2004
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Song For Me
[4:04] 2. Nothens' Getten Said
[4:30] 3. Ms. Suzy
[3:17] 4. Mfhj
[3:33] 5. All Ready Over You
[3:39] 6. He's A Hunter
[3:50] 7. Yes It's True
[4:22] 8. Cornfield Boogie
[3:03] 9. Granny's Boogie
[2:12] 10. Everyday Of My Life
[4:34] 11. Raccoon Bluz
[3:53] 12. I'm Dead
[2:19] 13. Little Girl Lost

Rocky Zharp born in Indiana, was given his first musical instrument, a harmonica, by his great grandmother when he was a toddler. By age 15, Rocky was working as a bass player in a three-piece rock band. Rocky won a local talent contest, before joining the army, playing guitar, harmonica and singing original songs. After moving to California, Rocky began playing harmonica with Bodie Mountain Express, a blue grass/country band, which had recorded on RCA Records and worked with Col. Tom Parker (Elvis’ manager). They performed at county fairs and festivals throughout southern California.

Rocky has played harmonica with such jazz/blues greats as Eric Burdon, The Mighty Flyers, The Toller Brothers, Jerry Van Blair, Bill Shields, and Big “J” McNelly. Rocky has played with other well-known artist such as: Don Ho, Freddy Fender, Rosie & the Originals, Randy Fuller, and Buddy Merrill and recorded with Junior Watson, Larry Taylor, Honey Piazza, Jody Reynolds, and Johnny Neal.

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The Hollywood Blue Flames - Deep In America (2 CD)

A tasteful and elegantly modern blues band with jazzy overtones, the Hollywood Flames came together in 1975 on the West Coast as the Hollywood Fats Band, led by guitar phenom Michael “Hollywood Fats” Mann and featuring Larry Taylor on bass, Richard Innes on drums, Fred Kaplan on piano and Hammond B-3, and harmonica whiz and vocalist Al Blake. The group specialized in a kind of informed update of the classic electric blues bands of the 1950s, but were also capable of eerily accurate acoustic versions of old country blues standards from the 1920s or shifting into New Orleans piano romps, keeping traditions alive while giving them a sonic push forward at the same time. Mann’s death in 1986 brought the band to a close until 2005 when the original members reunited as the Hollywood Blue Flames, this time with guitarist Kirk Fletcher aboard, and continued making vital blues music in the same vein as the original group.

Deep in America is the band’s third album released under the Hollywood Blue Flames name, and while it would be wrong to say that Mann isn’t missed, Fletcher plays on these tracks like the only feasible substitute. It works, and it works for the same reason the Hollywood Fats Band worked -passion and intelligence. These guys know the history of the blues but they seem to understand the genre’s emotional center as well, with tracks like the perfectly and wearily poised “Leavin’ California”, and they also don’t forget that people need to step it up and dance - check out the easily rolling piano shuffles “Crescent City Rock” and “Hushpuppy” for proof of that. A second disc is included in this package that features vintage live cuts from the original Hollywood Fats Band - so in a way, Mann is aboard here, too. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

Album: Deep In America - CD 1: Deep In America
Year: 2010
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:36
Size: 118,9 MB
Styles: Blues, West Coast blues
Scans: Full

1. Nit Wit (2:12)
2. Rambler And A Rollin' Stone (6:40)
3. Crescent City Rock (2:24)
4. My National Enquirer Baby (4:32)
5. Music Man (3:13)
6. Leavin' California (3:37)
7. Jalopy To Drive (Aka Sonny Boy's Jump) (3:51)
8. Bad Boy Blues (3:40)
9. I Don't Care (3:23)
10. Rocky Mountain Blues (2:54)
11. Hip-Hoppin' Toad (4:09)
12. Hushpuppy (2:38)
13. Fly Like The Eagle, Cry Like The Dove (4:07)
14. He's A Blues Man (4:10)

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Album: Deep In America - CD 2: Hollywood Fats Band - Larger Than Life Vol. 2
Year: 2010
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:36
Size: 157,7 MB
Styles: Blues, West Coast blues
Scans: Full

1. She's Dynamite (4:55)
2. Blue And Lonesome (3:34)
3. Hide Away (4:18)
4. Kansas City (7:36)
5. Half Steppin' (5:03)
6. Read About My Baby (5:43)
7. Nit Wit (5:44)
8. Blues After Hours (7:42)
9. Jumpin' With Duncan (9:55)
10. Lonesome (2:43)
11. Shake Your Boogie (6:02)
12. Baby, Let's Play House (5:15)

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John Mayall - USA Union

Year: 1970
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:50
Size: 111,9 MB
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Scans: Full

1. Nature's Disappearing (5:59)
2. You Must Be Crazy (3:58)
3. Night Flyer (5:36)
4. Off The Road (2:51)
5. Possessive Emotions (5:23)
6. Where Did My Legs Go (3:48)
7. Took The Car (4:11)
8. Crying (6:30)
9. My Pretty Girl (4:24)
10. Deep Blue Sea (5:06)

John Mayall's Turning Point band - Jon Mark, Johnny Almond, and Steve Thompson - broke up in June 1970 after a European tour. Mayall then assembled his first all-American band and recorded this album in July. It had more drive than the previous outfit, and Mayall turned to environmentalism on the leadoff track, "Nature's Disappearing." But much of his low-volume, reflective approach remained on an album that was still more of a jazz-pop outing than the blues sessions of his early career. USA Union had the highest U.S. chart peak of his career, hitting #22. But in the U.K., where its title confirmed Mayall's U.S. leanings, the album showed a big dropoff from his usual sales. /William Ruhlmann, AllMusic

Personnel:
John Mayall - vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano
Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
Larry Taylor - bass guitar
Don Harris - violin

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The Hollywood Blue Flames - Road To Rio (2 CD Set)

A tasteful and intelligent modern blues band, the Hollywood Blue Flames came together in 1975 on the West Coast as the Hollywood Fats Band, led by guitar phenom Michael "Hollywood Fats" Mann and featuring Larry Taylor on bass, Richard Innes on drums, Fred Kaplan on piano and Hammond B-3, and harmonica whiz Al Blake. The group specialized in a kind of informed update of the classic electric blues bands of the 1950s, keeping the tradition alive while giving it a push forward at the same time. Mann’s death in 1986 brought the band to a close until 2005 when the original members reunited as the Hollywood Blue Flames, this time with guitarist Kirk Fletcher aboard, and continued making vital blues music in the same vein as the original group. A debut album under the Hollywood Blue Flames name, Soul Sanctuary, appeared in 2005 followed by Road to Rio in 2006 and Deep in America in 2010. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

This 2-CD set features brand new recordings by the Hollywood Blue Flames featuring 2005-06 Blues Music Award Nominee Kirk "Eli" Fletcher on guitar, a special guest appearance by Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) on harp, plus 3 bonus tracks with West Coast guitarist Junior Watson. The 2nd disc includes never before issued live recordings of the original Hollywood Fats Band from '79-'80 featuring blues legends Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and Roy Brown, plus a rare vocal performance by the one and only Michael "Hollywood Fats" Mann on the song "Nasty Boogie Woogie". /Amazon

Album: Road To Rio - CD 1: Road To Rio
Year: 2006
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 128,1 MB
Styles: Blues, West Coast blues
Scans: Full

1. Road To Rio (3:45)
2. Everybody's Blues (2:44)
3. Coffee Grindin' Man (3:12)
4. Steady Rollin' (4:02)
5. Long Black Cadillac (3:53)
6. Gumbo Grinder (3:04)
7. Gone Away (Feat. Kim Wilson) (2:52)
8. 3rd Degree Burn (4:19)
9. Let's Rock A While (4:37)
10. Dr. Blake's Boogie (2:38)
11. Black Chili Pepper (3:41)
12. Sharpest Man In Town (3:19)
13. Junior's Boogie Rocket (Feat. Junior Watson) (Bonus) (2:24)
14. Let Me Love You (Feat. Junior Watson) (Bonus) (6:16)
15. Honeydripper (Feat. Junior Watson) (Bonus) (3:43)

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Album: Road To Rio - CD 2: Hollywood Fats Band - Larger Than Life
Year: 2006
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:55
Size: 144,2 MB
Styles: Blue, West Coast blues
Scans: Full

1. Fats Fries One (3:56)
2. Nasty Boogie Woogie (5:00)
3. Baby Let's Play House (4:43)
4. Side Tracked (4:06)
5. Kidney Stew (Feat. Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson) (3:59)
6. Cleanhead Blues (Feat. Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson) (5:19)
7. Shake, Rattle 'N Roll (6:45)
8. Rockinitis (3:41)
9. This Little Voice (3:37)
10. Love For Sale (Feat. Roy Brown) (8:15)
11. Boogie Woogie Blues (Feat. Roy Brown) (6:52)
12. Motel Time (5:36)

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Larry Taylor & His Chicago West Side Blues & Soul Band - They Were In This House

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:42
Size: 157.3 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. I'm Gonna Miss You
[4:44] 2. I Dind't Mean To Hurt Your Feelings
[5:08] 3. Knocking At Your Door
[4:40] 4. Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes
[4:03] 5. Killing Floor
[4:50] 6. Blues, Hard Luck & Trouble
[5:14] 7. Signals Of Love
[4:52] 8. Last $2
[3:24] 9. Bad Boy
[4:14] 10. Tell Me Baby-Part 1
[4:11] 11. Jody Got Your Girl And Gone-Part 1
[2:54] 12. My Baby's Gone
[4:23] 13. Green Line Blues
[4:23] 14. Yes I Love You
[3:30] 15. Jody Got Your Girl And Gone-Part 2
[4:39] 16. Tell Me Baby-Part 2

Larry sings the blues of his Chicago forefathers and soul with a West Side edge.

This record presents a set of unusual, yet satisfying traditional and original compositions. Taylor's choices of less well-known numbers, such as Howlin' Wolf's 'I Didn?t Mean to Hurt Your Feelings' and Jimmy Reed's 'Signals of Love,' reminds the listener of how deep the wellspring of blues is. And his take on some are pleasantly surprising: on Elmore James' 'Knocking at Your Door', Larry chooses to downplay the guitar and focus on the vocals, singing it as if it were a Bobby Bland ballad. It’s only fitting that Larry Taylor, who was nurtured by a musical family, in a house visited by the elders of the blues, on a street named for a famous composer, should have a life filled with music and surrounded by creatively gifted friends and family.

They Were In This House

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Rod Piazza - Vintage Live: 1975

Size: 96,4 MB
Time: 41:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Oh Baby (4:24)
02. Key To The Highway (3:56)
03. Mellow Down Easy (3:37)
04. Standing Around Crying (4:30)
05. I Had My Fun (3:40)
06. Rocking Daddy (4:50)
07. Mean Old World (3:45)
08. Take A Walk With Me (4:21)
09. My Babe (3:14)
10. Third Degree (4:47)

This medium to lo-fi live club recording (location and exact date unspecified) finds Piazza and a young, enthusiastic band playing it by the record collection as they mine their way through ten Chicago blues classics. With Hollywood Fats on guitar and former Canned Heat bassman Larry Taylor, the licks are suitably retro and blues-approved, as Piazza devotes over half the set to letter-perfect re-creations of Little Walter staples like "My Babe," "Oh Baby," "Key to the Highway," "Mellow Down Easy," "I Had My Fun," and "Mean Old World." Piazza extends the Walter approach to include like-minded versions of Muddy's "Standing Around Crying," "Take a Walk With Me," Eddie Boyd's "Third Degree," and Howlin' Wolf's "Rocking Daddy." What sounds still sounds pretty impressive (if somewhat derivative) some 20 years later must have seemed absolutely revelatory at the time. ~Review by Cub Koda

Thanks to DrPeak.
Vintage Live: 1975

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Kim Wilson - My Blues / My Blues Sessions: Kim's Mix Vol 1

Album: My Blues
Size: 136,0 MB
Time: 57:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Everything I Do Is Wrong (4:17)
02. Trying To Make A Living (3:01)
03. Five Long Years (6:44)
04. Gumbo Blues (3:33)
05. Things Ain't Right (3:53)
06. Tell Me Why (2:08)
07. Break It Up Baby (2:31)
08. Hop, Skip And Jump (2:36)
09. Date Bait (3:44)
10. West Helena Woman (3:59)
11. Too Late Old Man (3:11)
12. Everything's Gonna Be Alright (4:22)
13. Your Funeral And My Trial (4:21)
14. Oh Baby (3:36)
15. My Blues (5:55)

Since the last Fabulous Thunderbirds album didn't feature any of the current band members except founder Kim Wilson, one may fairly ask what the difference is these days between a T-Birds record and a Wilson solo disc. The answer, at least on the basis of this one, seems to be that, while the T-Birds sessions find Wilson coming up with mostly original material in a blues-rock mode, his solo work consists mostly of covers in a straight electric blues mode. Here Wilson evokes such heroes as Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and, especially, Little Walter in three live-to-tape sessions cut in the fall of 1996 with a band led by pianist Fred Kaplan and bassist Larry Taylor. Junior Watson and Rusty Zinn alternate on guitar, while some tracks instead feature a two-man horn section of Scott Steen on trumpet and Tom Fabre on tenor saxophone. They acquit themselves well, though as with all such ventures, the obvious question for the record buyer is, why not listen to the originals instead? ~Review by William Ruhlmann

My Blues

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Album: My Blues Sessions: Kim's Mix Vol 1
Size: 138,2 MB
Time: 58:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Texas Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Full

01. Oh Baby Take 1 (3:37)
02. Oh Baby Alt Take 2 (4:35)
03. Bea's Boogie Take 3 (2:54)
04. Irene Take 5 (3:09)
05. Everything I Do Is Wrong Take 2 (4:27)
06. Tryin To Make A Livin Take 1 (3:10)
07. Tryin To Make A Livin Take 2 (3:01)
08. Mambo Crazy Take 1 (6:03)
09. Hop, Skip, Jump Take 4 (2:36)
10. Blue Eyed Baby Take2 (4:32)
11. Come And Get It Take 1 (4:40)
12. Gumbo Blues Take 2 (3:30)
13. Break It Up Take 5 (2:46)
14. Born Blind Take 2 (2:50)
15. Tell Me Why Take 7 (2:43)
16. Inst Take 3 (3:50)

Since the last Fabulous Thunderbirds album didn't feature any of the current band members except founder Kim Wilson, one may fairly ask what the difference is these days between a T-Birds record and a Wilson solo disc. The answer, at least on the basis of this one, seems to be that, while the T-Birds sessions find Wilson coming up with mostly original material in a blues-rock mode, his solo work consists mostly of covers in a straight electric blues mode. Here Wilson evokes such heroes as Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and, especially, Little Walter in three live-to-tape sessions cut in the fall of 1996 with a band led by pianist Fred Kaplan and bassist Larry Taylor. Junior Watson and Rusty Zinn alternate on guitar, while some tracks instead feature a two-man horn section of Scott Steen on trumpet and Tom Fabre on tenor saxophone. They acquit themselves well, though as with all such ventures, the obvious question for the record buyer is, why not listen to the originals instead? ~Review by William Ruhlmann

My Blues Sessions: Kim's Mix Vol 1

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Kim WILSON - That's Life / Tigerman

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

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

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

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

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

                                                                     That's Life
____________________________________________________________________________

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

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

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

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

                                                                     Tigerman
____________________________________________________________________________

Junior Watson - Long Overdue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:58
Size: 144.2 MB
Styles: West Coast blues
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:39] 1. Certainly All
[4:31] 2. Lonesome Train
[4:17] 3. Biscuits
[5:09] 4. Frankie And Johnny
[5:14] 5. Mojo Boogie
[2:37] 6. That's What You Do To Me
[3:27] 7. The Woodpecker
[4:39] 8. Want Me Some Love
[3:55] 9. Big Boy
[2:19] 10. Long Time Baby
[3:10] 11. Special Lesson No. 1
[4:11] 12. Five Long Letters
[2:26] 13. Cool Evening
[2:12] 14. I Gotta Go (Back Home)
[5:24] 15. Lump In My Throat
[2:53] 16. The Train
[3:45] 17. Don't Leave Me Baby (The Easy Livin' Plan)

Giving jump blues and early R&B a kick in its baggy pants, Watson's aptly-titled solo debut revealed what only guitarists (the more conscientious of them) had known for more than a decade: Here is a 6-stringer of rare talent, with the unique ability to play authentically and spontaneously -- all-too-often contradictory paths in the late '70s blues revival. The best and most fitting compliment one could give a Watson solo is that it makes you laugh; this is blues of the rent party variety and Watson never lapses into the maudlin. Along with singers Brenda Burns and Lynwood Slim (on harp as well), Watson favors us with half a dozen surprisingly confident vocals. In fact, the only criticism is that his voice is sometimes too low in the mix. ~ Dan Forte

Personnel includes: Junior Watson (guitar); Larry Taylor, Richard Innes, Fred Kaplan, Bill Stuve.

Long Overdue

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Mark Dufresne - There's A Song In There

Size: 102,6 MB
Time: 44:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Styles: Harmonica Blues, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Seasoned Veteran (2:48)
02. The King, The Man, The One (3:33)
03. Two For The Price Of Ten (4:21)
04. Born To Lose (5:01)
05. Squeaky Clean (3:13)
06. A Song In There (3:12)
07. Call My Name (3:13)
08. Take It All (4:58)
09. The Deal You Get (2:44)
10. Tonight, Twice (5:19)
11. Out The Door (5:55)

All original material featuring one of the West Coasts finest songwriter, vocalists and harmonica players. Mark DuFresne has been endorsed by Hohner Harmonicas and has been Washington Blues Societies Best Male Vocalist, Best Songwriter, and Best Harmonica on many occasions. Backed up by the most in demand West Coast studio musicians.

Thanks to Kempen.
There's A Song In There

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Finis Tasby - Jump Children!

Size: 105,8 MB
Time: 45:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Modern Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Mercy's Blues (I Believe) (3:50)
02. Georgia Slop (3:20)
03. I Just Got To Know (4:35)
04. Jump Children (3:37)
05. Cold, Cold Feeling (4:09)
06. It's Your Fault, Baby (3:31)
07. I Missed You Bad (3:36)
08. Ah'w Baby (3:35)
09. The Jive (2:46)
10. The Sun Is Shining (4:45)
11. Please Accept My Love (4:03)
12. Job For Christmas (3:46)

Rocking, hopping, and socking are three active verbs that paint the picture of Finis Tasby's vocals. They are extraordinary without being explosive. This was Lester Butler's last recording before his untimely death, and showcases his rarely heard pure blues side. Butler demonstrates the genius of playing straight from the gut. Producer Randy Chortkoff made a wise choice in guesting high-profile guitarists Rick Holmstrom, Coco Montoya, and Kid Ramos, who are equally skilled as team players. ~Review by Char Ham

Thanks to Kempen.
Jump Children!

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