Arthur Lee

Jerry Lee Lewis - Country Class (1976) & Country Memories (1977) {BGO Records BGOCD1222 rel 2016}
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© 1976-77, 2016 BGO Records | BGOCD1222
Rock & Roll / Country

Two fine Jerry Lee Lewis albums from 1976 and 1977 The recordings produced the US Country hits ‘Come On In’, ‘Let’s Put It Back Together Again’ and ‘Middle Age Crazy’. Jerry Lee’s longtime relationship with Mercury Records and producer Jerry Kennedy was coming to an end at the time of these recordings, and Lewis was being affected by health problems. However, Kennedy coaxed performances from Lewis, resulting in these very successful albums. Digitally remastered and slipcased, and with extensive new notes.

Originally conceived as a play with musical accompaniment, Henry Purcell's 1691 King Arthur endures on the strength of its adventurous harmonies and appealing orchestration. Laying aside the Camelot legends, poet John Dryden framed the tale as the Christian King Arthur defending England against the pagan Saxons, and added colorful visitations by Greek and Norse deities to the plot.

Vox Luminis already boasts an impressive discography, orientated mainly towards sacred music and German repertoire (its album devoted to music by Heinrich Schütz won the Gramophone ‘Best Recording of the Year’ Award in 2013). Now this ensemble, founded nearly fifteen years ago by Lionel Meunier, has scaled one of the summits of English music: the legend of King Arthur and his mentor the wizard Merlin inspired one of Henry Purcell’s most popular successes, King Arthur, a semi-opera on which Purcell lavished all his exuberant musical and theatrical inventiveness.

“Whether he’s wailing a Freddy King inspired blues ballad, stomping out low down and dirty blues, or getting down with a super funky New Orleans groove, Bryan Lee is gonna grab your soul and squeeze it till you scream in blues ecstasy." Born on March 16, 1943 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Bryan Lee lost his eye sight and was legally blind by the age of eight. Bryan Lee had an avid interest in early Rock and Roll and Blues Music which was fostered through the 1950’s late night listening sessions from the Nashville Music radio stations such as WLAC. This is where Lee was first introduced to the sounds of Elmore James, T-Bone Walker and many other influential bluesmen. The man now known as “Braille Blues Daddy” started out playing for Midwest crowds at the early age of 15.

Henry Purcell's King Arthur, or The British Worthy, occupies the small genre of English semi-operas, i.e., stage works in which the most of the main characters speak dialogue, but songs, choruses, and incidental music provide commentary on the action. This 2018 performance by Lionel Meunier and the period ensemble Vox Luminis presents King Arthur without speaking parts, so the music is continuous and complete on two CDs, and displays the variety of musical forms and effects Purcell employed to make John Dryden's somewhat confusing play – a mixture of Norse and British mythology – come to life.

Arthur Crudup may well have been Elvis Presley's favorite bluesman. The swivel-hipped rock god recorded no less than three of "Big Boy's" Victor classics during his seminal rockabilly heyday: "That's All Right Mama" (Elvis' Sun debut in 1954), "So Glad You're Mine," and "My Baby Left Me." Often lost in all the hubbub surrounding Presley's classic covers are Crudup's own contributions to the blues lexicon. He didn't sound much like anyone else, and that makes him an innovator, albeit a rather rudimentary guitarist (he didn't even pick up the instrument until he was 30 years old).

New Orleans bluesman Bryan Lee, a longtime fixture on Bourbon Street, indulges in a pyrotechnic guitar summit on Live At The Old Absinthe House Bar…Friday Night. Backed by his good rockin', hard shufflin' band, the blind guitarist cranks on his exuberant theme song "Braille Blues Daddy," Albert King's "Crosscut Saw" and Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying." Harmonica legend James Cotton joins him on rousing renditions of "Ain't Doin' Too Bad" and "Five Long Years," then Lee goes toe-to-toe with guest guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Frank Marino. Originally released on CD in 1997.