Steve Freund - Lonesome Flight

Size: 133.8 MB
Time: 57:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Hey Big Bill (3:50)
02. Lonesome Flight (4:51)
03. Boogie In The Rain (4:05)
04. Lamoor Is Blue (4:05)
05. Wind Is In My Face (5:09)
06. Guitar Doctor (3:26)
07. Still Pickin' (3:49)
08. Tough Times (4:07)
09. 100 Tompkins Ave. (3:34)
10. On Highway 101 (4:10)
11. Let Me Down Easy (7:03)
12. Keep On Drinking (5:40)
13. Jesse James (3:25)

Personnel:
Steve Freund: guitar, vocals
Robi Bean: drums
Burton Winn: bass
Scot Brenton: harmonica, guitar
June Core: drums (on 6,7,8,11,12)
Randy Bermudes: bass (on 6,7,8,11,12)

Steve Freund is one of the very best traditional style electric blues guitar players. Almost no other knows how to play that old style. Steve won't change the blues. Usually he plays in a trio format. Here his producer is playing some fine harmonica. Cool old-fashioned urban blues from the bay area.

Lonesome Flight MP3
Lonesome Flight FLAC

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Michael Coleman & The Delmark All-Stars - Blues Brunch At The Mart

Year: 2006
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:16
Size: 160,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Little Arthur Duncan - Knockin' On Your Door (4:34)
2. Michael Coleman - The Sky Is Crying (6:48)
3. Lurrie Bell - I Need You So Bad (4:20)
4. Lurrie Bell - Reconsider Baby (6:51)
5. Willie Kent - Something New (4:35)
6. Bonnie Lee - Sad & Evil Woman (6:06)
7. Steve Freund - My Little Playhouse (4:31)
8. Zora Young - Toxic (6:50)
9. Steve Behr - Memories Of Albert Ammons (4:53)
10. Shirley Johnson - As The Years Go Passing By (6:23)
11. Tail Dragger - Be Careful (5:22)
12. Aaron Moore - Wading In Deep Water (3:34)
13. Michael Coleman - You're Going To Miss Me (4:22)

More than 50-years-old and still going strong, Delmark records is Chicago's oldest jazz and blues label and arguably the most important one still operating. They've released stone-cold classics in both genres over the years and currently maintain one of the best rosters of Chicago talent in the field. You can thank Bob Koester for that; a nominee for "Patron Saint of Chicago Jazz and Blues" if ever there was one. He also heads up the world's largest blues and jazz retail store: Chicago's Jazz Record Mart. Every year during the Chicago Blues Festival, Jazz Record Mart hosts the blues brunch, where members of the Delmark blues family put on a free show (and brunch!) inside the store.

In 2005, Michael Coleman & the Backbreakers acted as house band, backing a variety of other Delmark artists in a great informal setting, and Blues Brunch at the Mart was recorded for posterity. Aside from the two solo piano numbers (Steve Behr and Aaron Moore), the Backbreakers back all performers giving the album a unified sound, even as the lead performers come and go. But don't think this all sounds the same.

You go from an updated version of "The Sky Is Crying" by Michael Coleman to the gritty blues of Lurrie Bell to the gospel-informed sounds of Shirley Johnson to the growling, extroverted Tail Dragger. The late, great Willie Kent takes a final bow as well. From the between-song patter, one gets the sense that this isn't just a group of musicians united by their label; this is the Delmark blues family, and the patriarch is Bob Koester (who turns in a couple of priceless introductions). Part label roster sampler and part historical souvenir, Blues Brunch at the Mart is a fine snapshot of Delmark blues circa 2005. /Sean Westergaard, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Rockwell Avenue Blues Band - Back To Chicago

Size: 161,7 MB
Time: 69:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Front

01. Blues For Hard Times (4:34)
02. Boogie In The Rain (5:07)
03. That Face (4:09)
04. Free To Love Again (4:02)
05. Lonesome Flight (6:22)
06. Chariot Gate (3:03)
07. We Believe (4:54)
08. Stranger Blues (4:42)
09. For A Reason (4:53)
10. Rich Man (3:56)
11. Hey Big Bill (3:38)
12. Love Police (6:04)
13. Back To Chicago (4:22)
14. Have You Ever Told Yourself A Lie (5:36)
15. Dream (4:07)

Featuring Steve Freund, Tad Robinson, Ken Saydak, Harlan Terson, Marty Binder.

The members of the Rockwell Avenue Blues Band have each achieved successes achieved over long parallel careers, but there was some unfinished business to attend to. Longtime bonds, which sometimes elude conscious recognition, drew them to Delmark's Riverside Studio on Chicago's North Rockwell Avenue in October of 2017. It was a joyous musical and artistic reunion. They had all recorded for Delmark over the past decades. Now it was time to join together again, as equals who had shared a lifestyle and craft, each in his own way, each with his own voice. So they took a week away from their routines to share a brief moment, frozen in time on Back To Chicago.

Back To Chicago

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Steve Freund - "C" For Chicago

Year: 1999
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:35
Size: 139,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Full

1. Please Love Me (4:03)
2. 'C' For Chicago (4:09)
3. I Love Money (4:10)
4. Wild Woman (3:25)
5. Jumping At Shadows (3:56)
6. Working Man (4:15)
7. Forbidden Stuff (3:36)
8. Pallet On The Floor (4:43)
9. Highway Woman (4:21)
10. 38th Street Blues (4:06)
11. Everytime I Get To Drinking (7:13)
12. Mr. Jackson's Boogie (3:29)
13. Folks Like You (3:51)
14. Cool Dream (5:10)

Although Brooklyn-born guitarist Steve Freund currently resides in sunny California, he declares his unabashed love of the Windy City on his solo debut, “C” for Chicago. A longtime sideman to pianist Sunnyland Slim as well as such blues luminaries as Big Walter Horton, Koko Taylor and James Cotton, Freund grinds out Chicago flavored, juke joint originals and well chosen covers with the help of special guests Kim Wilson on harmonica, David Maxwell on piano and Boz Scaggs on guitar.

He hits the mark most convincingly on B.B. King’s “Please Love Me,” Albert King’s “Wild Woman” and infectious South Side shuffles like his “Highway Woman” and “I Love Money.” Another treat is a horn-driven rendition of the Stax/Voltish Michael Bloomfield/Nick Gravenites tune, “Working Man.” A welcome homecoming. /Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes

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Steve Freund - I'll Be Your Mule

Year: 2001
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:05
Size: 150,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Full

1. I'll Be Your Mule (4:27)
2. Fine Lookin' Woman (3:45)
3. Hung Down Head (3:51)
4. Fittin' To Go (6:09)
5. You Were A Good Old Ride (5:58)
6. Big Blue Mama (4:42)
7. A Dollar A Mile (4:28)
8. My Life Is Changing (6:57)
9. When I Was Young (4:27)
10. Something To Remember You By (6:21)
11. Ramblin' Bill (4:14)
12. Bill Reed's Blues (5:26)
13. Rambler's Blues (4:14)

It is quite appropriate that one of Steve Freund's albums is titled "C" for Chicago. Although the singer/guitarist is a native New Yorker and presently lives in San Francisco, Chicago blues is his specialty. Freund used to live in the Windy City, where he was employed by heavyweights like Sunnyland Slim and Koko Taylor - and it was where he recorded I'll Be Your Mule in 2000.

This CD was produced by guitarist Dave Specter, a bluesman with strong jazz leanings. Specter (who also produced "C" for Chicago) definitely knows his jazz; he could spend hours telling you about the contributions of Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. And because some (though certainly not all) parts of I'll Be Your Mule are jazz-influenced, Specter was the perfect producer for this CD.

Freund is especially jazz-minded on B.B. King's "Fine Lookin' Woman," Big Bill Broonzy's "Ramblin' Bill," and the instrumental "Bill Reed's Blues." And yet, he isn't a Jimmy Witherspoon type of artist, or a disciple of Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Freund is an electric Chicago-style bluesman whose roots are Chess Records, James Cotton, Buddy Guy, etc. But that doesn't mean that Freund (who wrote or co-wrote seven of the CD's 13 tracks) can't have some non-Chicago influences.

Having a Chicago blues orientation doesn't mean that he can't be influenced by Texas blues (including Albert Collins) or incorporate jazz elements occasionally. Freund doesn't have a great voice - quite honestly, he's a better guitarist than singer. But he usually gets his points across, and while I'll Be Your Mule isn't a masterpiece, it is a decent and sincere, if derivative, outing. /AllMusic

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Snooky Pryor - Snooky

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:49
Size: 93.5 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1987
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. Broke And Hungry
[3:55] 2. Nine Below Zero
[4:16] 3. Judgment Day
[3:51] 4. Why You Want To Do Me Like That
[3:19] 5. It Hurts Me Too
[2:30] 6. Look What You Do To Me
[3:48] 7. Cheatin' And Lyin'
[3:34] 8. Crazy 'bout My Baby
[2:52] 9. Key To The Highway
[3:44] 10. That's The Way To Do It
[3:35] 11. Money And Women
[2:48] 12. Don't Worry 'bout Me

Bass – Bob Stroger; Drums – Willie Smith; Guitar – Steve Freund; Vocals, Harmonica – Snooky Pryor.

An outstanding comeback effort by Chicago harp pioneer Snooky Pryor, whose timeless sound meshed well with a Windy City trio led by producer/guitarist Steve Freund for this set. Mostly Pryor's own stuff -- "Why You Want to Do Me like That," "That's the Way To Do It," "Cheatin' and Lyin'" -- with his fat-toned harp weathering the decades quite nicely. ~Bill Dahl

Snooky

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Cathy Lemons Blues Band - Dark Road

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:13
Size: 142.4 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Rolling And Tumbling (Feat. Steve Freund)
[3:45] 2. Hard Headed Man (Feat. Rusty Zinn)
[4:01] 3. Dirty Man (Feat. Steve Freund)
[4:37] 4. Let Me Be Good (Feat. Tommy Castro)
[5:22] 5. Worry Worry (Feat. David Maxwell)
[3:04] 6. Sayin' It Plain (Feat. Steve Freund)
[5:51] 7. Good Morning Little Schoolboy (Feat. Steve Freund)
[6:05] 8. Dark Road (Feat. Steve Freund)
[3:23] 9. Lonesome Whistle Blues (Feat. Steve Freund)
[5:54] 10. Takin' A Train (Feat. Tommy Castro)
[3:44] 11. I Need You So Bad (Feat. David Maxwell)
[3:42] 12. Just Got To Know
[4:14] 13. Little By Little (Feat. Rusty Zinn)
[4:07] 14. You Belong To Me

Cathy Lemons is a vocalist, songwriter, song publisher, band leader, and show producer who has been a staple of the blues scene in the Bay Area for 25 years. She is the other half of the electrifying duo known as "The Lucky Losers," a male/ female headed indie blues band. She has been described as “the finest light-skinned female blues vocalist in the U.S.” (Real Blues 2010) with a “velvety and hypnotic voice—resonant of “a female Howlin’ Wolf” (Fulltimeblues 2010). Hailing from Dallas, TX she honed her chops with the likes of Anson Funderburgh and performed with Stevie Ray Vaughan. She has worked with some of the great names in blues including John Lee Hooker (she toured as his send-off singer in 1987), Tommy Castro, Ron Thompson, and many others. Cathy has five albums out to date--the last two with her singing partner and harmonica playing ace, Phil Berkowitz.

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Mark Hummel - Heart Of Chicago

Year: 1997
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:53
Size: 130,0 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. My Kind Of Baby (3:48)
2. Rockin' At The Riverside (4:08)
3. Lost A Good Man (2:58)
4. Rollin' From Side To Side (6:12)
5. Trying To Make A Living (3:38)
6. Love Shock (3:48)
7. I Want Your Love (3:35)
8. Peaches Tree (4:00)
9. Step Back Baby (3:25)
10. But I Forgive You (3:41)
11. Out On A Limb (5:19)
12. Ready For Eddie (4:24)
13. Drinkin' Again (3:32)
14. Living With The Blues (3:17)

Harmonica player, songwriter, and singer Mark Hummel is a practitioner of the West Coast blues style, which typically includes elements of jazz and swing. A seasoned bandleader, Hummel achieved wider recognition through nearly constant touring. Hummel was born in New Haven, Connecticut but raised in Los Angeles, California. He became fascinated with the blues-rock of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Rolling Stones. After seeing songwriter credits on the albums, he began to dig further back into those bands' blues roots. He began playing harmonica in his teens in order to be different from the huge pack of guitar players in his high school.

Hummel studied the styles of the Chicago-based players, including James Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter "Shakey" Horton, and Little Walter Jacobs. Hummel moved to Berkeley, California in 1972 and played with local bluesmen there, including Boogie Jake, Cool Papa, Johnny Waters, and Sonny Lane. After graduating high school, he hitchhiked around the country for three years, making stops in New Orleans, Boston, and Chicago to learn from those cities' top players. In 1980, he formed the Blues Survivors, subsequently performed at numerous blues festivals around the U.S., including the Chicago Blues Festival and the San Francisco Blues Festival. /Excerpt from AllMusic biography by Richard Skelly

Personnel: Mark Hummel (vocals, harmonica), Billy Flynn (guitar, slide guitar), Steve Freund (guitar, background vocals), Dave Myers (guitar), Barrelhouse Chuck (piano), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drums), Bob Stroger (bass).

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The Big Four Blues Band - Going To Chicago

Size: 130,7 MB
Time: 56:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1994
Styles: Chicago Blues, Blues Jazz
Art: Full

01. Long Grey Mare (4:11)
02. Today I Started Loving You Again (4:44)
03. Keep Your Hands Off Her (4:58)
04. Tenor Madness (2:34)
05. Highway Woman (7:11)
06. Slipping And Sliding (4:36)
07. Route Sixty Six (4:23)
08. Can't Change My Mind (4:26)
09. I Love Money (4:22)
10. Going To Chicago (4:24)
11. Too Poor To Die (5:19)
12. Working On A Chain Gang (5:05)

Guitarist, producer, and bandleader Steve Freund, praised by Rolling Stone for his "masterful,no-nonsense" guitar work has recently relocated to the West Coast following 18 years as one of Chicago's most respected musicians.

Widely sought after for his knowledge of and fluency in the Blues idioms, Freund has earned a reputation as one of the hottest players on today's blues scene.

He served an unreproducible apprenticeship after leaving N.Y.C. in 1976, learning the role of second guitar behind Hubert Sumlin, Lee Jackson, Homesick James, Louis Meyers, and many others. Steve spent two years with Big Walter Horton and Floyd Jones, learning the deep blues and the idiosyncrasies that are part of the art.

In 1978 he became Sunnyland Slim's main guitarist, playing just about every gig the piano legend did up until the time of his death. Freund became the consummate piano accompanist, working with Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Walker, Henry Gray and others.

From Going To Chicago

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The Lucky Losers - A Winning Hand

Size: 134,6 MB
Time: 57:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues Soul, Modern Electric Blues, Rockin' Blues
Art: Front

01. Change In The Weather (4:19)
02. I Take What I Want (4:20)
03. What Have I Done (Feat. Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz) (3:51)
04. A Winning Hand (Feat. Cathy Lemons, Kid Andersen, Phil Berkowitz & Steve Freund) (6:57)
05. Suicide By Love (4:27)
06. What Was It You Wanted (5:01)
07. What Is Success (4:50)
08. Long Hard Road (4:55)
09. Baby You Got What It Takes (3:19)
10. Cry No More (Feat. Cathy Lemons & Phil Berkowitz) (4:08)
11. Detroit City Man (5:30)
12. Don’t You Lose It (Feat. Cathy Lemons, Kid Andersen & Phil Berkowitz) (5:49)

Male/Female blues and roots duets!. A vocally rich, harp infused, eclectic album with highly personalized covers of rare classics plus originals.

Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz, as the Lucky Losers, take a modern approach to classic blues and R&B songs and combine compelling originals with rarely recorded covers. The outstanding “A Winning Hand,” produced by Kid Andersen, includes guest artists such as Steve Freund, 2015 International Blues Challenge Best Guitarist winner Ben Rice, and Andersen himself. Far from a simple case of two solo acts teaming up for a combined effort, “A Winning Hand” is a 'duets' album in the truest sense, with a give and take that allows each artist to draw out the best in the other. As Cathy pushes toward earthiness and grit, Phil pulls toward sophistication and tradition, creating a mild tension that keeps the listener focused on the ongoing dialogue between the two. The gentle back-and-forth brings the storyline of each song to the forefront.

The album's wide range of influences include Chicago and Texas blues, Stax/Volt-styled soul, blues rock, jazz, and New Orleans funk. Of its twelve tracks, half are originals: three by Cathy, and three by Phil and collaborator Danny Caron. The remaining six are a mix of older blues and roots songs ranging from Allen Toussaint's incisive "What Is Success" to Jimmy Rogers' meat-and-potatoes "What Have I Done" and even a funk-laced jaunt through the late period Dylan masterpiece "What Was It You Wanted."

CATHY LEMONS is a blues-singing legend who has performed regularly in the Bay Area for 25 years. She has been described as “the finest light-skinned female blues vocalist in the U.S.” (Real Blues, 2010) with "a velvety and hypnotic voice resonant of a female Howlin’ Wolf” (Fulltimeblues, 2010). Hailing from Dallas, Cathy honed her chops with Anson Funderburgh, performed with Stevie Ray Vaughan, and has worked with some of the greatest names in blues, including John Lee Hooker, Tommy Castro, and Ron Thompson." " Her 2014 release “Black Crow” on Vizztone was a Downbeat magazine “Winners' Pick.”

PHIL BERKOWITZ is a charismatic San Francisco-based harmonica player and vocalist who has brought his unique, energetic music to audiences for more than 17 years. He has mastered many different types of blues, a fact that's exemplified by his diverse repertoire. Phil’s last two CDs, “Louis’ Blues” and “All Night Party,” were met with critical praise. He has toured, performed, and recorded with a variety of top blues and jazz musicians such as Danny Caron (Charles Brown's musical director), Duke Robillard, Sean Carney, and Billy Branch.

A Winning Hand

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Steve Freund - Come On In This House

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:20
Size: 122.1 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:09] 1. Worried About That Gal
[6:08] 2. Come On In This House
[5:15] 3. Easy Rider
[3:52] 4. Call My Job
[7:05] 5. Turtle Blues
[2:55] 6. Dangerous Man
[5:12] 7. Play It Cool
[4:59] 8. Cleanhead Blues
[3:47] 9. Blues Stay Away From Me
[3:25] 10. Some Other Day, Some Other Time
[5:28] 11. Evil Ways

Another great no-nonsense release from this Bay Area guitarist & singer......Steve Freund has always remained true to the real sound of blues without resorting to the crowd encouraged histronics that litter the genre these days.....Solid covers of JUNIOR WELLS- ROOSEVELT SYKES & FREDDIE KING sit comfortably alongside originals on this excellet release.

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Steve Freund & Gloria Hardiman - Set Me Free

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:25
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1984/2014
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. You Got Me (Where You Want Me)
[3:56] 2. That's All Right
[3:39] 3. Jammin' With Sam
[2:34] 4. The Way You Love Me
[4:32] 5. Let Me Down Easy
[5:03] 6. Dr. Feelgood
[2:49] 7. Well I Done Got Over It
[3:40] 8. New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
[4:31] 9. The Things I Used To Do
[3:27] 10. Kidney Stew Blues
[3:47] 11. Homework
[3:36] 12. Kiddio
[4:35] 13. Shoppin' And Snackin'
[4:19] 14. Swanee River Boogie

An excellent early 80s session from guitarist Steve Freund – recorded on the indie side of the Chicago scene, and a key debut for the vocals of Gloria Hardiman! Gloria's definitely a blues singer, but her phrasing is almost more deep soul at times too – a really rich voice that was finally finding an outlet on the last strong scene in Chicago – but which might have sung for Chess or Brunswick, had she been born a decade or two before! The production is nicely laidback, and Hardiman's special style really helps keep the set away from any cliches – on titles that include "You Got Me", "That's All Right", "The Things I Used To Do", "New Orleans Hop Scop Blues", and "Well I Done Got Over It". CD features four bonus tracks – two unreleased, and two from a rare 45!

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Dave Specter & Steve Freund - Is What It Is

Size: 156,1 MB
Time: 66:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Full

01. My Little Playhouse (4:08)
02. Is What It Is (5:35)
03. People Get Ready (6:44)
04. Hoverin' Hawk (5:49)
05. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (6:05)
06. Albatross (4:38)
07. Loan A Helping Hand (4:05)
08. Too Hot At Home (6:59)
09. Riverside Ride (6:47)
10. Rollin' Man (5:17)
11. Adrienne (5:41)
12. She Needs Some Loving (4:54)

The long established musical relationship between guitarists Dave Specter and Steve Freund goes back nearly 20 years, when Specter sought out Freund as a guitar teacher. They have shared many stages, but this marks the first occasion that they have recorded together. In the best of the Chicago blues tradition as illustrated by the legendary Delmark label, Is What It Is is a loose, swinging, tough blues date filled with great tunes, inspired playing and loose-groove vibes. While Specter has become well-known for his jazzy blues playing, his former teacher Freund has stayed close to the roots of the Chicago sound. That contrast works beautifully here on both covers and originals. Freund's tunes are some of the bets on the set as evidenced by the opener "My Little Playhouse." One of the reasons for this is his deep, clear soulful singing which adds punch and nuance to the dueling guitars Specter brings classy elegance to the set in his instrumentals, like the title track that carries a deeply Southern-fried funk to the more urban Chicago sound and the shuffling gutbucket stroll of "Riverside Ride," where the two players wind around and through one another exuberantly. Other highlights include a beautiful reading of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," with guitar interplay that is every bit as symbiotic and sensual as the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden." Elsewhere, an instrumental version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" adds colorful textures between the inventive rhythm performance by Freund and Specter's careful yet innovative play on the melody. The stomping slow blues in Freund's "Hovering Hawk" is raw, raucous and tough. Again his voice pushes the guitars into the pocket and keeps them there. The stinging, hip-shaking read of Peter Green's "Rollin' Man," and a graceful "Albatross" are wonderful surprises, as is the gorgeous version of Otis Spann's "She Needs Some Loving," that closes the set and caps a banner date. ~Review by Thom Jurek

Is What It Is

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Al Miller - 2 albums: ...In Between Time / Wild Cards

Album: ...In Between Time
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:03
Size: 165.0 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Rockin' All Day
[5:08] 2. I Need You So Bad
[4:07] 3. My Baby Walked Out
[5:10] 4. Old Friends
[4:57] 5. In Between Time
[3:00] 6. I Got It
[4:19] 7. Dead Presidents
[4:29] 8. A Better Day
[3:32] 9. Tighten Up On It
[6:57] 10. '1839'
[3:36] 11. Billy's Boogie
[2:58] 12. Make It Alright
[4:09] 13. Bachelor Blues
[3:28] 14. If You Don't Want Me
[6:06] 15. Lake Michigan Waters
[3:38] 16. Lawhorn Special
[3:34] 17. Blizzard

Harpist Al Miller’s blues timeline harks back nearly five decades. He’s had a frustrating habit of surfacing just long enough to cut loose with some succulent, stick-to-your-ribs traditional Chicago blues, only to recede into the shadows again for an extended stretch. The next time he pops up on the radar screen, he sounds just as fine as he ever did. This collection dates back to three sessions spread across 1999 and 2000 and was first released independently by Miller, who also served as its producer, but its appeal is timeless.

Miller was a proud member of the early wave of young white Windy City blues musicians. He gigged on the South Side with veteran mandolinist Johnny Young and Chicago Slim in 1964 before falling in with a crew of snarling blues-rockers, the Dirty Wurds who recorded on Chess Records. Emigrating to the Bay Area, he traded licks for a while with guitar wizard Michael Bloomfield around the end of the decade. Real life interrupted Al’s blues ambitions after that; he returned home to start a family and earn a weekly paycheck at a day job. But Miller never hung up his harp or his musical dreams altogether. In 1995, he released his first Delmark CD, Wild Cards (I had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for that one).

Miller exhibits excellent taste in covers on this album, reaching back for three numbers penned by his old friend Johnny Young as well as obscure gems by Jimmy McCracklin, Eddie Taylor, Percy Mayfield, and Elmore James. Though quite a capable singer, Miller brought in estimable guitarist John Primer to handle the vocal honors on B.B. King’s “I Need You So Bad,” Little Walter’s wry “Dead Presidents” (the only selection sporting a sax section), and Elmore James’ “1839,” adding to the fun and variety. There was room to lay down several rollicking instrumentals showcasing Miller’s mouth organ, Primer and Specter paid tribute to a long-gone (and too often-overlooked) Chicago guitar great on “Lawhorn Special.” Seems like it’s about time that Al Miller takes his spot among Chicago’s blues harp elite. ~Bill Dahl

...In Between Time

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Album: Wild Cards
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 69:16
Size: 158.6 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[3:29] 1. I Don't Play
[3:45] 2. Stuck In Chicago
[6:46] 3. Seventy-Four
[4:06] 4. Long Grey Mare
[5:07] 5. Can't Stay Here No More
[4:27] 6. Special Way
[5:19] 7. Deal The Cards
[4:18] 8. Red Top Boogie
[5:13] 9. Fallin' Rain
[6:10] 10. I Had A Dream
[5:03] 11. Jockey Blues
[5:00] 12. Big 'C' Blues
[6:20] 13. Blues For John Littlejohn
[4:08] 14. Sittin' Here Thinkin'

Al Miller has assembled a full house of Chicago talent for your listening pleasure on his first album. Not only does this stacked deck feature Miller's triple threat talent as harpist, guitarist and vocalist, it boasts the formidable presence of some of the hottest blues artists from the Windy City circuit - Willie Kent, Dave Specter, Tad Robinson and Steve Freund.

Wild Cards

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Louis Myers - Tell My Story Movin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:46
Size: 141.4 MB
Styles: Chicago blues
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[5:53] 1. Wiggle Tail
[6:28] 2. Blue And Lonesome
[4:39] 3. Bottom Of The Harp
[5:49] 4. Whoopin' Cough
[4:42] 5. Sloppy Drunk
[6:07] 6. One More Break
[3:16] 7. Tribute To The Aces
[5:50] 8. Rock Me
[5:26] 9. In The Evening
[4:36] 10. Heart Attack
[4:34] 11. Worried Life Blues
[4:19] 12. Tell My Story Movin'

Since a serious stroke had largely robbed Myers of his revered ability to play guitar, this effort really isn't indicative of his vast talent. But you've got to give him points for courage -- Myers summoned up the strength to play harp and sing on what would be his final release. A nice Chicago combo that included guitarists Steve Freund and John Primer undoubtedly put Myers's mind at ease.

Tell My Story Movin'

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Running With Scissors Band Feat. Terry Hiatt - Best Of The Pioneer Jam Vol. 1

Size: 162,9 MB
Time: 70:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Blues Country, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Prelude (Instrumental) [Feat. Simon Govan Smith] (0:30)
02. Killer Good Times (Feat. Steve Freund & Christofer Lund Andersen) (6:11)
03. My Heart's In Your Hands (Feat. Dolly Rappaport) (6:26)
04. White Collar Blues (Feat. Dolly Rappaport) (4:03)
05. A Little More Of You (Feat. Chris Bigford) (2:53)
06. El Camino (Feat. Chris Bigford) (3:50)
07. Working Man's Blues (Feat. Chris Bigford) (4:15)
08. Can't Let Go (Feat. Amy Lou) (3:40)
09. Shake (Feat. Eli Albert & Cecil Ortiz) (5:09)
10. Driving Wheel (Feat. Steve Freund) (7:38)
11. Love Him Right (Feat. Paula Harris & Steve Freund) (5:40)
12. Tumbleweed (Feat. Bob O' Neill) (5:05)
13. Got To Get Better (Feat. Bob O' Neill) (5:17)
14. Parachute Woman (Feat. Brett Brown) (4:19)
15. Soul Serenade (Feat. Vince Caminiti) (5:08)

Any information about this album will be welcome.

Best Of The Pioneer Jam Vol. 1

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