Big Walter Horton was one of the key architects of modern blues harmonica. Blues legend Willie Dixon referred to him as "the best harmonica player I ever heard." Along with Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II, he is considered to be one of the most influential harpists ever. He was capable of both intense power and fragile delicacy, often in the same song. He was endlessly melodically adventurous, and always unpredictable. His only Alligator Records album, - "Big Walter Horton With Carey Bell", came out in 1972. It paired him with his young protégé, who had played under Walter's tutelage since Bell's arrival in Chicago. Walter's long-time partner Eddie Taylor joined them on guitar. It was Alligator's second-ever release, and received widespread critical acclaim, especially for the fiery harp duets that pitted the two harmonica masters against one another.
An excellent choice for an introduction to the archguitar, this is a great recording with its smooth and lovely tone. The arrangements are of pieces from the baroque, renaissance and medieval periods. The Handel Sarabande and my variations on it have long been one of my audience’s favorites. While most musicians hate to hear that their music puts people to sleep, here, I consider it a compliment. Many listeners have said Style Brisé helps them relax and fall asleep at night. It's funny how they seem to say this almost apologetically - I am honored and flattered to accompany them to the threshold of their dreams!
James Brown’s celebrated homecoming concert in Augusta, Georgia will have its 50th anniversary marked by Republic/UMe’s first-ever release of the complete show on 25 October. Live At Home with His Bad Self will be available on CD, 2LP vinyl, and digital audio as a full memento of the Godfather of Soul’s concert at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta on 1 October 1969.
Here is yet another Peter Green collection comprised mainly of material from 1979 through 1983, with the thoroughly enjoyable Fleetwood Mac A-side "Man of the World," from 1969, included for some inexplicable reason. The material here is culled from Green's first return to recording after a six-year hiatus for personal and mental health reasons. The Peter Green who returned to the scene on In the Skies was a leaner and meaner player. His concern was more with the atmospherics of playing blues-inflected material than with the attack of the blues themselves. The opening track from that album, "Slabo Day," with its four-chord repetitive minor-key figure and organic hand percussion, is an anomaly in the Green discography, with the possible exception of "Albatross"…