Showing posts with label Sonny Rhodes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sonny Rhodes. Show all posts

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Sonny Rhodes - Out Of Control

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1996
Styles: Electric blues
Art: Full

1. Pickin' Your Bones (3:20)
2. Dollar Bill Woman (4:16)
3. Another You (4:52)
4. Out Of Control (4:21)
5. Drink Muddy Water (4:14)
6. Lifetime Thing (3:39)
7. Power Of The Boogie (3:20)
8. All I See Is Blue (3:40)
9. Have Love Will Travel (2:54)
10. Don't Have The Blues No More (4:28)
11. She's Excited (3:42)
12. Woman Abuse (3:50)
13. Waggin' My Tail (4:54)

Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sonny Rhodes is such a talented songwriter, so full of musical ideas, that he's destined to inherit the to seats left open by the untimely passing of blues greats like Albert King and Albert Collins. Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, TX, he was the sixth and last child of Le Roy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. Rhodes began playing seriously when he was 12, although he got his first guitar when he was eight as a Christmas present. Rhodes began performing around Smithville and nearby Austin in the late '50s, while still in his teens. Rhodes listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when he was young, and it shows in his playing today. Other guitarists he credits as being influences include Pee Wee Crayton and B.B. King. Rhodes' first band, Clarence Smith & the Daylighters, played the Austin area blues clubs before Rhodes decided to join the Navy after graduating from high school.

In the Navy, he moved west to California, where he worked for a while as a radio man and closed-circuit Navy ship disc jockey, telling off-color jokes in between the country and blues records he would spin for the entertainment of the sailors. Rhodes recorded a single for Domino Records in Austin, "I'll Never Let You Go When Something Is Wrong," in 1958, and also learned to play bass. He played bass behind Freddie King and his friend Albert Collins. After his stint in the Navy, Rhodes returned to California while in his mid-twenties, and lived in Fresno for a few years before hooking up a deal with Galaxy Records in Oakland. In 1966, he recorded a single, "I Don't Love You No More" b/w "All Night Long I Play the Blues." He recorded another single for Galaxy in 1967 and then in 1978, out of total frustration with the San Francisco Bay Area record companies, he recorded "Cigarette Blues" b/w "Bloodstone Beat" on his own label.

Rhodes toured Europe in 1976, and that opened a whole new European market to him, and he was recorded by several European labels, but without much success. His European recordings include I Don't Want My Blues Colored Bright and a live album, In Europe. In desperation again, Rhodes went into the studio again to record an album in 1985, Just Blues, on his own Rhodesway label. Fortunately, things have been on track for Rhodes since the late '80s, when he began recording first for the Ichiban label and later for Kingsnake. His albums for Ichiban include Disciple of the Blues (1991) and Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).

More recently, Rhodes has gotten better distribution of his albums with the Sanford, Florida-based Kingsnake label. Aside from his self-produced 1985 release Just Blues (now available on compact disc through Evidence Music), his best albums include the ones he's recorded for Kingsnake, for these are the records that have gotten Rhodes and his various backup bands out on the road together throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They include The Blues Is My Best Friend, and his 1996 release, Out of Control. On these albums we hear Rhodes, the fully developed songwriter, and not surprisingly, both releases drew high marks from blues critics. /Biography by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Out Of Control mc
Out Of Control zippy

Monday, March 11, 2019

VA - San Francisco Blues Festival: European Sessions

Size: 159,2 MB
Time: 69:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Full

01. Sonny Rhodes - Mean Mistreatin' Mama (4:37)
02. Sonny Rhodes - Paris Blues (5:01)
03. Sonny Rhodes - Up Above My Head (3:45)
04. Luther Tucker - Tuck's Blues (4:08)
05. Luther Tucker - Ska Me Blues (3:14)
06. Luther Tucker - Lonesome Boulevards (5:28)
07. Little Willie Littlefield - Digne (3:24)
08. Little Willie Littlefield - Lonesome And Blue (3:43)
09. Little Willie Littlefield - Outskirts Of Paris Boogie (3:10)
10. Ron Thompson - Love Has Struck Me Down (3:12)
11. Ron Thompson - My Little Woman (3:24)
12. Ron Thompson - Blue Sparks (3:06)
13. J.C. Burris - Blues In France (3:22)
14. J.C. Burris - Airplane Blues (3:21)
15. J.C. Burris - Black President (4:09)
16. Mississippi Johnny Waters - Baby Don't Treat Me This Way (2:12)
17. Mississippi Johnny Waters - Blues Is Somethin' (3:57)
18. Mississippi Johnny Waters - They Call It Boogie (6:08)

San Francisco Blues Festival

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Sonny Rhodes - The Essential Sonny Rhodes: Songs & Stories

Size: 150,6 MB
Time: 63:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Texas Blues, Delta Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. My Name Is Sonny Rhodes (0:30)
02. I Am Sonny Rhodes (4:12)
03. First Guitar (1:25)
04. Born To Be Blue (3:43)
05. Freddie King & Albert Collins (2:09)
06. Blues Is My Religion (3:14)
07. Transformed (0:32)
08. House Without Love (5:19)
09. 1130 Midway Street (1:06)
10. I'll Never Let You Go (2:15)
11. A Blues Prayer (0:40)
12. Hen Pecked Man (2:55)
13. The Turban (1:39)
14. Cigarette Blues (6:20)
15. That's John Lee Hooker! (1:08)
16. Finding Out For Myself (4:12)
17. She Didn't Love Me (0:51)
18. Half Smart Woman (3:06)
19. I Got Hip To It (0:34)
20. Nothin' On The Radio (1:10)
21. Ain't No Blues In Town (2:58)
22. Tears Of Joy (0:21)
23. Happiness And Cheer (0:56)
24. Texas Christmas (4:43)
25. Johnny Copeland & Albert Collins (1:11)
26. B.B. King Says (1:47)
27. Ballad Of Serenity (3:30)
28. Clarence Smith (1:04)

Tracks #1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19-20, 22-23, 25-26, 28 contain the artist talking about his life and music, sometimes it refers to the proceeding music track.

Bio:
Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sonny Rhodes is such a talented songwriter, so full of musical ideas, that he's destined to inherit the to seats left open by the untimely passing of blues greats like Albert King and Albert Collins.

Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, TX, he was the sixth and last child of Le Roy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. Rhodes began playing seriously when he was 12, although he got his first guitar when he was eight as a Christmas present. Rhodes began performing around Smithville and nearby Austin in the late '50s, while still in his teens. Rhodes listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when he was young, and it shows in his playing today. Other guitarists he credits as being influences include Pee Wee Crayton and B.B. King. Rhodes' first band, Clarence Smith & the Daylighters, played the Austin area blues clubs before Rhodes decided to join the Navy after graduating from high school.

In the Navy, he moved west to California, where he worked for a while as a radio man and closed-circuit Navy ship disc jockey, telling off-color jokes in between the country and blues records he would spin for the entertainment of the sailors.

Rhodes recorded a single for Domino Records in Austin, "I'll Never Let You Go When Something Is Wrong," in 1958, and also learned to play bass. He played bass behind Freddie King and his friend Albert Collins. After his stint in the Navy, Rhodes returned to California while in his mid-twenties, and lived in Fresno for a few years before hooking up a deal with Galaxy Records in Oakland. In 1966, he recorded a single, "I Don't Love You No More" b/w "All Night Long I Play the Blues." He recorded another single for Galaxy in 1967 and then in 1978, out of total frustration with the San Francisco Bay Area record companies, he recorded "Cigarette Blues" b/w "Bloodstone Beat" on his own label. Rhodes toured Europe in 1976, and that opened a whole new European market to him, and he was recorded by several European labels, but without much success. His European recordings include I Don't Want My Blues Colored Bright and a live album, In Europe. In desperation again, Rhodes went into the studio again to record an album in 1985, Just Blues, on his own Rhodesway label.

Fortunately, things have been on track for Rhodes since the late '80s, when he began recording first for the Ichiban label and later for Kingsnake. His albums for Ichiban include Disciple of the Blues (1991) and Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).

More recently, Rhodes has gotten better distribution of his albums with the Sanford, Florida-based Kingsnake label. Aside from his self-produced 1985 release Just Blues (now available on compact disc through Evidence Music), his best albums include the ones he's recorded for Kingsnake, for these are the records that have gotten Rhodes and his various backup bands out on the road together throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They include The Blues Is My Best Friend, and his 1995 release, Out of Control. On these albums we hear Rhodes, the fully developed songwriter, and not surprisingly, both releases drew high marks from blues critics. ~Richard Skelly

The Essential Sonny Rhodes

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Sonny Rhodes - I'm Back Again

Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:29
Size: 119,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Can't Get Enough (3:19)
2. Travelling Bluesman (3:34)
3. Anne Mae Café (6:25)
4. Can't Dance Boogie (3:52)
5. Tell Me The Truth (6:32)
6. Smithville Texas (6:12)
7. I'm Back Again (4:53)
8. Shake Your Hips (5:43)
9. I Was Kidding (3:50)
10. The Truth Hurts (4:30)
11. Texas Stomp (2:34)

Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sonny Rhodes is such a talented songwriter, so full of musical ideas, that he's destined to inherit the to seats left open by the untimely passing of blues greats like Albert King and Albert Collins. Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, TX, he was the sixth and last child of Le Roy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. Rhodes began playing seriously when he was 12, although he got his first guitar when he was eight as a Christmas present. Rhodes began performing around Smithville and nearby Austin in the late '50s, while still in his teens. Rhodes listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when he was young, and it shows in his playing today. Other guitarists he credits as being influences include Pee Wee Crayton and B.B. King.

Rhodes' first band, Clarence Smith & the Daylighters, played the Austin area blues clubs before Rhodes decided to join the Navy after graduating from high school. In the Navy, he moved west to California, where he worked for a while as a radio man and closed-circuit Navy ship disc jockey, telling off-color jokes in between the country and blues records he would spin for the entertainment of the sailors.

Rhodes recorded a single for Domino Records in Austin, "I'll Never Let You Go When Something Is Wrong," in 1958, and also learned to play bass. He played bass behind Freddie King and his friend Albert Collins. After his stint in the Navy, Rhodes returned to California while in his mid-twenties, and lived in Fresno for a few years before hooking up a deal with Galaxy Records in Oakland. In 1966, he recorded a single, "I Don't Love You No More" b/w "All Night Long I Play the Blues." He recorded another single for Galaxy in 1967 and then in 1978, out of total frustration with the San Francisco Bay Area record companies, he recorded "Cigarette Blues" b/w "Bloodstone Beat" on his own label.

Rhodes toured Europe in 1976, and that opened a whole new European market to him, and he was recorded by several European labels, but without much success. His European recordings include I Don't Want My Blues Colored Bright and a live album, In Europe. In desperation again, Rhodes went into the studio again to record an album in 1985, Just Blues, on his own Rhodesway label.

Fortunately, things have been on track for Rhodes since the late '80s, when he began recording first for the Ichiban label and later for Kingsnake. His albums for Ichiban include Disciple of the Blues (1991) and Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).

More recently, Rhodes has gotten better distribution of his albums with the Sanford, Florida-based Kingsnake label. Aside from his self-produced 1985 release Just Blues (now available on compact disc through Evidence Music), his best albums include the ones he's recorded for Kingsnake, for these are the records that have gotten Rhodes and his various backup bands out on the road together throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They include The Blues Is My Best Friend, and his 1995 release, Out of Control. On these albums we hear Rhodes, the fully developed songwriter, and not surprisingly, both releases drew high marks from blues critics. /Biography by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

I'm Back Again mc
I'm Back Again zippy

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Sonny Rhodes - In Europe

Year: 1982/1996
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:49
Size: 107,8 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Mean Mistreatin Mama (7:22)
2. I'm So Lonely (10:28)
3. Every Day I Have The Blues (6:44)
4. Merry Christmas Baby (11:36)
5. East Oakland California (5:07)
6. Baby Why You Treat Me So Cold (5:30)

Rhodes continues to be a road warrior, delighting and amazing audiences with his virtuosity mostly displayed on lap steel guitar these days notwithstanding the fact that he is a masterful electric guitarist. Sonny Rhodes is an American blues singer and lap steel guitar player. He has recorded over two hundred songs. "I'm what you call a self-proclaimed Disciple of the Blues!" said Rhodes about his years playing and singing for fans of blues around the world. He has been nominated fifteen times for the Blues Music Awards, and won the Instrumentalist-Other category in 2011.

It has been a long road for this bluesman born as Clarence Edward Smith in Smithfield, who started out as a teenager playing guitar alongside some of the Texas giants and stints playing bass behind Freddie King and Albert Collins. He moved to California in the late 50’s where he was befriended by the legendary L.C. "Good Rockin'" Robinson who influenced his decision to take up the lap steel guitar. Rhodes toured Europe for the first time in 1976 where he is considered a blues legend. He now splits his time mostly between California and Canada.

The Smithsonian Institute honored Rhodes for his cultural contribution to the arts in 1976. He gained some media attention for his recording of the theme song, "The Ballad of Serenity," for the “Firefly” TV series which aired in 2002 on the Fox Network—although the series was short-lived, his performance has a cult following on the internet. His many recordings have met much the same fate — great reviews but suffered from low distribution and yet are treasured by a small group of blues zealots.

(Recorded live in Milano, Italy, May 29-30, 1980. For personnel details, see artwork included.)

In Europe mc
In Europe zippy

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Various Artists - Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues

As Charlie Musselwhite succinctly put it, 'blues is blues.' It can be the sweet ballad kind, or hard driving Chicago style, or even the low down country type. Whatever the kind, it's contained within this album - the feeling and depth of the blues being played today in the San Francisco Bay Area. For guitarist Hi Tide Harris, these sides are his very first solo efforts. As a member of the John Mayall Band, Harris recorded and toured Europe and Australia in 1974. Tide's guitar playing and singing rank him as one of the finest blues musicians to surface in recent years.

Gary Smith's career began with guitarist Robben Ford in 1970. The following year he formed his first band with bassist Steve Gomes whose solid backing has been a key to the band's success; they have been playing Bay Area clubs ever since. 'Solid Sender' is an instrumental in the vein of Little Walter. It's a showcase stopper that every harp player carries in his bag. Guitarist Ron Thompson was born in Oakland where the records of Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters first provided him with a basic blues background. 'Blue Chariot,' a Delta influenced acoustic slide piece, is a classic that clearly exemplifies this young guitarist's abilities.

Robert Lowery was born in Shula, Arkansas, near the Louisiana border. His earliest influences were local bluesmen, however, he eventually fell under the influence of Sam Hopkins and Son Jackson. He moved to Oakland in 1956 and is known for his rather uncanny ability to duplicate the sound of Robert Johnson. 'Crossroad Blues' is performed in typical Johnson style, the slide work impeccable, the duplication incredible. Sonny Rhodes has been playing the blues in California since the early 1960s when he moved to Fresno from Smithville, Texas. In Texas, he heard a lot of blues, especially T-Bone Walker who remains Rhodes' deepest influence as a guitarist. 'Keep Holding On' is a Jr. Parker tune that Rhodes first heard in Texas, lending a unique interpretation, and featuring a biting West Coast-style guitar.

Luther Tucker is a veteran of numerous Chicago groups including the bands of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, and James Cotton before finally settling in San Francisco. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1936, Luther Tucker is one of the great lead guitarists in the blues today! 'Mean Old World' goes back to when Tucker worked with the Otis Rush band in Chicago. It has been the wish of these musicians to present this album as a joint effort, a cooperative recording in which the final product is an expression of all involved to be shared by all, and one which transcends commercial consideration and allows each performer his interpretation of the blues. /Excerpt from the liner notes by Tom Mazzolini

Album: Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues
Year: 1976/1992
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 152,8 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Hi Tide Harris - Messaround (2:34)
2. Gary Smith Blues Band - Blues For Mr. P. (3:19)
3. Ron Thompson - Is That Any Way To Treat Your Man (2:53)
4. Robert Lowery - Crossroads Blues (2:56)
5. Sonny Rhodes - The Highway Is Like A Woman (4:53)
6. Gary Smith Blues Band - Solid Sender (4:13)
7. Luther Tucker & The Gary Smith Band - Tuckerology (2:43)
8. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Canadian Sunset (2:07)
9. Hi Tide Harris - Charlie Stone (3:27)
10. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Mean Old World (8:38)
11. Hi Tide Harris - Tipitina (2:17)
12. Sonny Rhodes - Keep Holding On (2:15)
13. Hi Tide Harris - Never Will Forget Your Love (2:13)
14. Robert Lowery - Gambling Man Blues (2:12)
15. Ron Thompson - Blue Chariot (2:32)
16. Ron Thompson - Paycheck Blues (4:30)
17. Robert Lowery - Step It Up And Go (1:54)
18. Robert Lowery - Tennessee Blues (3:21)
19. Robert Lowery - If I Die (2:13)
20. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Sweet Home Chicago (4:34)

Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues mc
Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues zippy

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Various - Bad, Bad Whiskey

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:32
Size: 161.5 MB
Styles: R&B/Soul/Blues
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Rodger Collins - She's Looking Good
[2:25] 2. The Merced Blue Notes - Rufus Jr
[2:18] 3. Betty Everett - I Got To Tell Somebody
[2:32] 4. Bobby Rush - Chicken Heads
[2:34] 5. Bill Coday - Get Your Lie Straight
[2:23] 6. The Right Kind - (Tell Me) Why Do You Have To Lie
[2:38] 7. Sonny Rhodes - You Better Stop
[2:12] 8. Little Johnny Taylor - Nightingale Melody
[2:46] 9. Merl Saunders - I Pity The Fool
[3:29] 10. J.J. Malone - It's A Shame
[3:36] 11. Loleatta Holloway - Rainbow 71
[2:46] 12. Rodger Collins - Foxy Girls In Oakland
[2:25] 13. Bill Coday - When You Find A Fool Bump His Head
[1:54] 14. The Merced Blue Notes - Mama Rufus
[3:12] 15. Little Johnny Taylor - For Your Precious Love
[3:31] 16. Charles Brown - Abraham, Martin And John
[2:17] 17. The Merced Blue Notes - Bad, Bad Whiskey
[2:31] 18. Lenny Williams - How Can I Forget You
[2:39] 19. Betty Everett - Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me
[2:45] 20. Bill Coday - A Woman Rules The World
[2:33] 21. Claude Huey - Why Did Our Love Go
[2:53] 22. Bill Coday - Let Me Be Your Handy Man
[2:54] 23. Bobby Eaton - Fever, Fever, Fever
[2:56] 24. Lenny Williams - Lisa's Gone
[3:28] 25. Johnny Guitar Watson - I Don't Want To Be A Lone Ranger
[2:20] 26. Rodger Collins - Get Away From Me

Galaxy Records Singles 1962-1972 digitally remastered. A subsidiary of Fantasy, the Galaxy label recorded a diverse assortment of soul and R&B in the 1960s and early '70s. This is a 26-track compilation of highlights from the company's output, covering 1962 to 1972. Landing the occasional minor R&B chart hit, Galaxy couldn't be said to have an especially distinctive label sound, though their efforts were on the whole bluesier than much soul of the era. But this is still a decent grab bag of odds and ends from soul's vintage period, with obscure sides by well-known performers like Betty Everett, Little Johnny Taylor, Lenny Williams, Charles Brown, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Merl Saunders, and a host of unknowns. Especially good are the three sides by Rodger Collins, whose 1966 single "She's Looking Good" (which leads off the CD) was one of the better regional soul hits of the '60s, and was covered by Wilson Pickett for a Top 20 smash a couple of years later. ~Richie Unterberger

Bad, Bad Whiskey mc
Bad, Bad Whiskey zippy

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

VA - Merry Christmas (King Snake Records)

Size: 125,0 MB
Time: 53:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1996
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Floyd Miles & Gregg Allman - Spending Christmas With The Blues (4:06)
02. Tony Coleman - Little Drummer Boy (3:08)
03. Floyd Miles & Gregg Allman - Silent Night (5:16)
04. Ace Moreland - Almost Christmas (3:46)
05. Ernie Lancaster - Joy To The World (2:58)
06. Smokehouse - Swampy Christmas (4:08)
07. Noble 'Thin Man' Watts - Winter Wonderland (4:19)
08. Sonny Rhodes - Texas Christmas (4:37)
09. Dr. Hector & The Groove Injectors - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (2:34)
10. Mark Hodgson - We Three Kings (3:08)
11. Tony Coleman - Credit Card Christmas (3:12)
12. Mark Hodgson - Deck The Halls (2:40)
13. Noble 'Thin Man' Watts - Jingle Bells (4:28)
14. Ace Moreland - Bring Christmas Home To Me (4:58)

Merry Christmas

Friday, May 27, 2016

Sonny Rhodes - The Blues Is My Best Friend / Blue Diamond / A Good Day To Play The Blues

Album: The Blues Is My Best Friend
Size: 127,4 MB
Time: 54:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1994
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Texas Blues
Label: Kingsnake
Art: Full

01. Stand By Me (4:02)
02. Thank You, Lord (3:14)
03. The Blues Is My Best Friend (6:22)
04. What I Don't See Can't Hurt Me (3:17)
05. Put The Shoe On The Other Foot (3:54)
06. Right Around The Corner (3:25)
07. Trying To Make A Comeback For Myself (4:34)
08. President Clinton (4:14)
09. I Just Can't Stay (4:32)
10. Crazy Fool Blues (6:07)
11. One More Drink (3:31)
12. Can't Let You Go (3:44)
13. The Letter Song (S-Y-S-L-J-F-M) (3:31)

Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Sonny Rhodes is such a talented songwriter, so full of musical ideas, that he's destined to inherit the to seats left open by the untimely passing of blues greats like Albert King and Albert Collins.

Born November 3, 1940 in Smithville, TX, he was the sixth and last child of Le Roy and Julia Smith, who were sharecroppers. Rhodes began playing seriously when he was 12, although he got his first guitar when he was eight as a Christmas present. Rhodes began performing around Smithville and nearby Austin in the late '50s, while still in his teens. Rhodes listened to a lot of T-Bone Walker when he was young, and it shows in his playing today. Other guitarists he credits as being influences include Pee Wee Crayton and B.B. King. Rhodes' first band, Clarence Smith & the Daylighters, played the Austin area blues clubs before Rhodes decided to join the Navy after graduating from high school.

In the Navy, he moved west to California, where he worked for a while as a radio man and closed-circuit Navy ship disc jockey, telling off-color jokes in between the country and blues records he would spin for the entertainment of the sailors.

Rhodes recorded a single for Domino Records in Austin, "I'll Never Let You Go When Something Is Wrong," in 1958, and also learned to play bass. He played bass behind Freddie King and his friend Albert Collins. After his stint in the Navy, Rhodes returned to California while in his mid-twenties, and lived in Fresno for a few years before hooking up a deal with Galaxy Records in Oakland. In 1966, he recorded a single, "I Don't Love You No More" b/w "All Night Long I Play the Blues." He recorded another single for Galaxy in 1967 and then in 1978, out of total frustration with the San Francisco Bay Area record companies, he recorded "Cigarette Blues" b/w "Bloodstone Beat" on his own label. Rhodes toured Europe in 1976, and that opened a whole new European market to him, and he was recorded by several European labels, but without much success. His European recordings include I Don't Want My Blues Colored Bright and a live album, In Europe. In desperation again, Rhodes went into the studio again to record an album in 1985, Just Blues, on his own Rhodesway label.

Fortunately, things have been on track for Rhodes since the late '80s, when he began recording first for the Ichiban label and later for Kingsnake. His albums for Ichiban include Disciple of the Blues (1991) and Living Too Close to the Edge (1992).

More recently, Rhodes has gotten better distribution of his albums with the Sanford, Florida-based Kingsnake label. Aside from his self-produced 1985 release Just Blues (now available on compact disc through Evidence Music), his best albums include the ones he's recorded for Kingsnake, for these are the records that have gotten Rhodes and his various backup bands out on the road together throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They include The Blues Is My Best Friend, and his 1995 release, Out of Control. On these albums we hear Rhodes, the fully developed songwriter, and not surprisingly, both releases drew high marks from blues critics.

The Blues Is My Best Friend

Album: Blue Diamond
Size: 163,6 MB
Time: 70:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Slide Guitar Blues
Art: Full

01. Meet Me At The 10th Street Inn ( 3:19)
02. Shame On You ( 4:36)
03. Blues Is My Religion ( 3:12)
04. Blue Diamond ( 4:27)
05. Back Where You Come From ( 3:56)
06. Rainy Day ( 4:11)
07. What You're Looking For ( 3:54)
08. Beside Myself ( 4:23)
09. Too Much Trouble ( 2:14)
10. Love From A Stone ( 3:27)
11. Blues Walk ( 3:58)
12. Blues Man's Prayer ( 1:55)
13. Life's Rainbow ( 6:15)
14. Interview (Bonus Track After 2 Min.) (20:13)

This very unique lap steel player of the blues stretches out on this Canadian roots label's release. Those who have seen him will never forget his shows, where he goes out of his way to entertain an audience. From his bright red suit to his bejeweled turban, and the legendary smile that is absolutely radiant, to the good humor he displays on stage, add his prowess on his lap steel, and he is every bit the entertainer. This same warm and embracing energy is captured on this disc and given as a bonus to the listener. The lap steel is far more common in country music, but it is an instrument that he has adapted to the blues and he finds it gives him the musical expressions and tones he was looking for. He was born in Texas and the blues that he heard growing up, as played by T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, and Chuck Willis can still be heard in his music. This combined with his strong and imaginative songwriting -- he wrote or co-wrote ten of the songs on this disc -- and his expressive voice make for a very worthy disc, plus as a bonus there is an in-depth interview at the tail end of the disc. Take special note of the expression and intensity displayed in "Blues Walk." This man, born Clarence Edward Smith, has come a far piece of ground from his roots, yet his appreciation and hard work -- he is on the road 250 days a year -- has honed his sound to sheer enjoyment. He is a true diplomat of the blues. ~by Bob Gottlieb

Blue Diamond

Album: A Good Day To Play The Blues
Size: 107,6 MB
Time: 45:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Texas Blues
Art: Full

01. Big Bag O' Blues (2:36)
02. Love And Harmony (3:16)
03. She's Not Happy Unless She's Sad (5:05)
04. Driving Two Ways Down A One-Way Street (3:50)
05. Honey Do Woman (3:27)
06. Ten Pounds Of Love (In A Five-Pound Sack) (4:18)
07. I Bleed Blues (3:13)
08. If The Blues Fits, Wear It (2:59)
09. I Wanna Get Your Boogie (3:12)
10. Win-Win Situation (3:18)
11. Good Man, Good Woman (3:01)
12. Monkey See, Monkey Do (3:27)
13. Good Day To Sing And Play The Blues (Van Fire Blues) (3:49)

Sonny Rhodes is a performer who believes in giving his all with every show, and when you see this turbaned performer in one of his bright suits you won't be disappointed. Although a strong effort, this disc suffers from some inconsistent material for him to let loose and really play the blues. He was born and raised in Texas, and you can hear that in his vibrant playing; however, he lived for years in the Bay Area and thus was exposed to and influenced by a wide variety of influences. His lap steel playing is sharp, gritty, and at times stinging to the bone. His vocals display his strong Texas upbringing; he played behind Albert Collins and Freddie King when he was younger, and these roots are exposed at their most basic in his phrasing. The material here (he wrote or co-wrote eight of the 13 cuts) is not weak -- it is just not as strong and animated throughout as the session during which he recorded Blue Diamond, which was as sharp, cutting, and balanced a performance as watching a fine cutting horse work his magic on the poor hapless cow. The music here is good, but he set a benchmark for himself, and he doesn't quite reach up to it on this one (though for anyone else it would be considered a great effort). This is a showman you truly have to see live to appreciate. The consummate showman can play the blues. ~by Bob Gottlieb

A Good Day To Play The Blues

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Various - Play The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 126.5 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Jimmy Dawkins - Lonely Guitar Man
[3:35] 2. Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson - Drivin' Me Crazy
[4:50] 3. Jerry 'Boogie' McCain - Three Wives
[5:39] 4. Noble 'Thin Man' Watts - Keep It
[4:22] 5. Drink Small - Little Red Rooster
[6:21] 6. Theodis Ealey - Looking Up At The Bottom
[9:07] 7. Gary B.B. Coleman - The Sky Is Crying
[2:59] 8. Bob 'Chicago' Nelson - Locksmith
[3:16] 9. Sonny Rhodes - Ain't No Blues In Town
[5:32] 10. Troy Turner - House Without A Home
[4:14] 11. Buster Benton - I Like To Hear My Guitar Sing

Play The Blues mc
Play The Blues zippy

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

VA - House Rockin' And Blues Shoutin'!: Celebrating 15 Years Of The Rhythm Room

Size: 138,0 MB
Time: 58:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Harmonica Blues, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Full

01 The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Goin' Away Baby (5:03)
02 Finis Tasby - Lonesome Bedroom (3:56)
03 Long John Hunter - Long John's Country Blues (3:28)
04 Floyd Dixon - Please Don't Go (2:48)
05 Big Pete Pearson & The Rhythm Room All-Stars - That's All Right (5:04)
06 Kid Ramos - Henry's Houserocker (3:12)
07 The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Rich Woman (3:43)
08 Sonny Rhodes - My Bleeding Heart (4:36)
09 Paul Oscher - That's It (2:20)
10 Chief Schabuttie Gilliame - Monkey Meat (6:25)
11 Robert Lockwood Jr. - C.C. Rider (4:44)
12 The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Horsin' Around (5:09)
13 Louisiana Red - Time Will Tell (4:20)
14 Billy Boy Arnold - Two Drinks Of Wine (3:29)

In certain genres, the live album is a perilous affair, fraught with the danger that the live performance will fail to match the more polished magic of the studio. With certain genres like the blues, however, the immediacy of the live performance is frequently the desired result, even in the studio. House Rockin' and Blues Shoutin' captures the live performances of a handful of bands, singers, and musicians delving deep into electric blues at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. The standards of the genre are on full display in this collection, from soulful singing to electric guitar and harp work to tried and true lyrics about hard-living and no-good women. Featured performers include the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Mannish Boys, Long John Hunter, Floyd Dixon, Big Pete Pearson, Henry Gray, Sonny Rhodes, Paul Oscher, Chief Schabutti Gilliame, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Louisiana Red, and Billy Boy Arnold. While full bands and vocals constitute most of the arrangements, solo performances, including "Long John's Country Blues" by Hunter and "C.C. Rider" by Lockwood, offer welcome variety. There's also the occasional instrumental, including a spry version of "Henry's Houserocker" by Gray. One might wish for the presence of one or two female performers, but with all of the testosterone floating around in these songs, they probably steered clear of the Rhythm Room. For the blues aficionado, House Rockin' and Blues Shoutin' will serve as a powerful dose of the real thing. ~Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

House Rockin' And Blues Shoutin'!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Sonny Rhodes - I Dont Want My Blues Coloured Bright

Size: 123,7 MB
Time: 52:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1976/1994
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Texas Blues
Art: Full

01. One More Drink (2:42)
02. Take The Bitter With The Sweet (4:43)
03. Just Got In (2:40)
04. All Night Long They Play The Blues (4:25)
05. Killing Floor (3:01)
06. I'm So Lonely (6:07)
07. Country Boy (6:03)
08. How Long (2:34)
09. J.J.'s Blues In G (5:02)
10. Stranded (2:39)
11. Sitting And Thinking (6:50)
12. Worried Time, Hard Time (2:11)
13. Next Time You See Me (3:34)

Some of the time he sounds like Junior Parker - there are three Parker numbers here, including a very fine reading of 'Sitting & Thinking' - and some of the time like Muddy Waters, but to say this is not to classify Rhodes as a chameleon. He admires excellent models and some of their style has rubbed off on him without in turn erasing his own, which may be discerned in his intense, absorbed renditions of his own songs like 'Country Boy' and 'All Night long They Play The Blues'. This is deep blues music, tinted with some humour but no hilarity. The listener who agrees with the proposition in the title will like this album very much indeed.

I Dont Want My Blues Coloured Bright