Chicago [1979] Chicago 13

One of the greatest of all Chicago bluesmen, vocalist, guitarist and harp player Bill Boy Arnold made his recording debut in 1952 and played harmonica on Bo Diddley's massive 1955 hit, "I'm A Man." A prolific songwriter, Arnold's songs have been covered by many artists including the influential English blues rock group, The Yardbirds. Arnold's career has spanned well over 50 years and he still continues to write and record new material. Presented here is Arnold's classic 1979 release, "Checkin' It Out," featuring nearly all original compositions, except for a pair of Little Walter tunes. The band is Billy Boy Arnold (vocals, harmonica); Tony S. McPhee (guitar); Wilbur Campbell (drums); Alan Fish (bass).

Buddy Guy today remains one of the true international superstars of the Blues. One of his musically most glorious periods was the three classic albums he cut for JSP Records ("D.J. Play My Blues" "Breaking Out" and "Live at the Checkerboard Lounge") and the guesting on brother Phil Guy's wonderful debut album "Red Hot Blues". This compilation features some of the best cuts from that period and those albums. Buddy plays some hot guitar here and is stylistically moving forward from his sixties stuff to the ultra commercial things of today. Buddy always knew that the world would catch up eventually and he would become a superstar - the music here will tell you why.

Chicago Blues Session! features a session pianist Willie Mabon cut on Independence Day 1979 with guitarist Hubert Sumlin, guitarist Eddie Taylor, bassist Aron Burton and drummer Casey Jones. The album was originally released on the German L&R label, mainly because American labels were shunning the blues. That could be the only reason this album wasn't released at the time, since it's a nice, straightahead Chicago blues record. There are several Mabon originals, all of them strong and memorable, plus several Willie Dixon tracks and a Howlin' Wolf cut. That Howlin' Wolf song is one of a handful of tributes to Chicago blues legends - the others are to Jimmy Reed and Willie Dixon - but the true tribute is the spirit and passion the group puts into their music. That's what makes the album a worthwhile listen for serious fans of Chicago blues.

Thank heaven Norman Dayron had the presence of mind to capture these sides by Chicago pianist Johnny Jones when he played at the Fickle Pickle in 1963 - as little as remains on tape of his talents as a singer, we're eternally indebted to Dayron's actions. Jones's insinuating vocals and bedrock 88s are abetted by harpist Billy Boy Arnold on these performances, and that's it - he had no rhythm section to fall back on.

Horton was tragically underrecorded as a bandleader; this album certainly attests to his talents in that regard, whether romping through a joyous "Everybody's Fishin'" or elegantly exmaining the tonal possibilities of the Duke Ellington chestnut "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." John Nicholas provides sympathetic backing on both guitar and piano, and Kaz Kazanoff is the stellar saxman.

Bruckner did not assign a number to this Symphony that has been ascribed the number 0 "Die Nullte". He wrote it after his Symphony No. 1 in C minor (1866) and his sketches of an aborted Symphony (also 1869) in Bb major. The melodic structure, although familiar to modern listeners, was such a radical departure from mainstream Romantic Era Symphonies that it lead to criticism from the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Felix Otto Dessoff. Consequently Bruckner suffered a crisis in confidence, and this piece, (amongst others) was never performed in his lifetime.

Solti's interpretations held more than surface excitement. In conducting Beethoven, for example, he long held that the symphonies should be played with all their repeats to maintain their structural integrity, and he carefully rethought his approach to tempo, rhythm, and balance in those works toward the end of his life. Solti began as a pianist, commencing his studies at age six and making his first public appearance at 12. When he was 13 he enrolled at Budapest's Franz Liszt Academy of Music, studying piano mainly with Dohnányi and, for a very short time, Bartók. He also took composition courses with Kodály.