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More January Reviews
Johnny Winter
I'm A Bluesman
EMI/Virgin (2004) 90081
13 tracks, 51 minutes. Very good. For those who remember Johnny Winter as a major force in blues and rock music, I'm A Bluesman might be a little tough to swallow. There's little doubt that his guitar playing still burns with the fire of old, but health issues have weakened him over the years, stripping a once hefty and growling voice, leaving a mere whisper in its shadow. Winter still fuses driving blues grooves with pyrotechnic wizardry on the fretboard, as amply displayed on Cheatin' Blues, Lone Wolf, Shakedown, Pack Your Bags, plus the remainder of the set, and the tight band delivers the storming backup necessary for this outing. James Montgomery's harp is particularly solid, featuring on The Monkey Song, Last Night, and more. Winter takes the expected slide road as well, Sweet Little Baby, a rocking amplified workout, and That Wouldn't Satisfy, a Delta visit via his National, proving him to be as potent as ever with a bottleneck. Although it's understandable and commendable that Johnny Winter wants to continue cementing his reputation as one of the elder statesmen today, with his current shortcomings as a vocalist, we're left with a disc that's laced with powerhouse guitar work and a riveting band, but lacking a completeness when viewing the project as a whole. It's certainly hopeful that Winter will return to full power soon, and even if he's not quite up-to-par at present, I'm A Bluesman easily proves he's not ready to hang up his rocking shoes anytime soon.
Johnny Winter
Big Mama Thornton
With The Muddy Waters Blues Band - 1966
Arhoolie (2004) 9043
17 tracks, 64 minutes. Essential. Power and vitality can't often be explained with words, but Big Mama Thornton With The Muddy Waters Blues Blues Band stands as another glowing gem that saw issue in 2004. Recorded in April of 1966, Willie Mae gets crunching support from the guitars of Muddy Waters and Sam Lawhorn, piano from Otis Spann, harmonica courtesy of James Cotton, and a rhythm section of Luther "Snake" Johnson and Francis Clay providing bass and drums. From the booming opener I'm Feeling Alright, it becomes obvious that this is serious business with Thornton at the height of her formidable powers, and the hurricane-force winds blown over the course of the storm from Muddy and his cohorts stands as yet another testament to their incredible abilities. Throughout the set, Lawhorn's guitar slams out shimmering chords and crushing flurries of strangled notes, Cotton's harp work stuns with focus and a masterful awareness of space, Spann's piano drives the points home, and the rhythm section thunders along laying a groove deep enough to bury a bus in. Add Muddy's biting slide guitar to the mix for a few cuts, clanging and crackling with reckless abandon, and Big Mama's tremendous voice rising above the tempest for a tremendous hour-plus of blues (with a healthy dose of Gospel) as good as anyone ever laid down. While the first half of this disc has seen issue previously on Arhoolie, there are seven tracks venturing into light for the first time in nearly forty years; alternate versions of Black Rat, Give Me A Penny, and I'm Feeling Alright, plus Wrapped Tight, Big Mama's Shuffle, Since I Fell For You, and Big Mama's Blues.
Big Mama Thornton
© 2005 by Craig Ruskey
More January Reviews
Johnny Winter
I'm A Bluesman
EMI/Virgin (2004) 90081
13 tracks, 51 minutes. Very good. For those who remember Johnny Winter as a major force in blues and rock music, I'm A Bluesman might be a little tough to swallow. There's little doubt that his guitar playing still burns with the fire of old, but health issues have weakened him over the years, stripping a once hefty and growling voice, leaving a mere whisper in its shadow. Winter still fuses driving blues grooves with pyrotechnic wizardry on the fretboard, as amply displayed on Cheatin' Blues, Lone Wolf, Shakedown, Pack Your Bags, plus the remainder of the set, and the tight band delivers the storming backup necessary for this outing. James Montgomery's harp is particularly solid, featuring on The Monkey Song, Last Night, and more. Winter takes the expected slide road as well, Sweet Little Baby, a rocking amplified workout, and That Wouldn't Satisfy, a Delta visit via his National, proving him to be as potent as ever with a bottleneck. Although it's understandable and commendable that Johnny Winter wants to continue cementing his reputation as one of the elder statesmen today, with his current shortcomings as a vocalist, we're left with a disc that's laced with powerhouse guitar work and a riveting band, but lacking a completeness when viewing the project as a whole. It's certainly hopeful that Winter will return to full power soon, and even if he's not quite up-to-par at present, I'm A Bluesman easily proves he's not ready to hang up his rocking shoes anytime soon.
Johnny Winter
Big Mama Thornton
With The Muddy Waters Blues Band - 1966
Arhoolie (2004) 9043
17 tracks, 64 minutes. Essential. Power and vitality can't often be explained with words, but Big Mama Thornton With The Muddy Waters Blues Blues Band stands as another glowing gem that saw issue in 2004. Recorded in April of 1966, Willie Mae gets crunching support from the guitars of Muddy Waters and Sam Lawhorn, piano from Otis Spann, harmonica courtesy of James Cotton, and a rhythm section of Luther "Snake" Johnson and Francis Clay providing bass and drums. From the booming opener I'm Feeling Alright, it becomes obvious that this is serious business with Thornton at the height of her formidable powers, and the hurricane-force winds blown over the course of the storm from Muddy and his cohorts stands as yet another testament to their incredible abilities. Throughout the set, Lawhorn's guitar slams out shimmering chords and crushing flurries of strangled notes, Cotton's harp work stuns with focus and a masterful awareness of space, Spann's piano drives the points home, and the rhythm section thunders along laying a groove deep enough to bury a bus in. Add Muddy's biting slide guitar to the mix for a few cuts, clanging and crackling with reckless abandon, and Big Mama's tremendous voice rising above the tempest for a tremendous hour-plus of blues (with a healthy dose of Gospel) as good as anyone ever laid down. While the first half of this disc has seen issue previously on Arhoolie, there are seven tracks venturing into light for the first time in nearly forty years; alternate versions of Black Rat, Give Me A Penny, and I'm Feeling Alright, plus Wrapped Tight, Big Mama's Shuffle, Since I Fell For You, and Big Mama's Blues.
Big Mama Thornton
© 2005 by Craig Ruskey
