Double Rhythm

All-star jams can go two ways. They either turn out a muddled mess, or inspire everyone involved to new heights of musical synergy. Fortunately for blues, R&B, and soul fans, Triple Trouble belongs firmly in the latter category. It helps that Castro, Jones (guitar), and Hall (sax, harmonica) have different strengths, which complement one another nicely. It also helps having the renowned Double Trouble on board; one couldn't ask for a tighter, tastier backup band. Together, this group ranges all over the musical map, from traditionally-inflected blues ("Raised in the Country") to James Brown-style funk ("Cold Funk"). With Telarc Records clean, crisp production every note comes out clear, showcasing these three artists to their best advantage. They might not be superstars, but they've got their mojo workin'.

The Melody of Rhythm, is an unparalleled collaboration between banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, composer and double-bass master Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain, arguably the world’s greatest tabla player.

Freddie Green - Mr. Rhythm (1955) {RCA Japan Prime Jazz Series BVCJ-37553 rel 2007}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 238 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
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© 1955, 2007 RCA / BMG Japan | Mono | BVCJ-37553 | K2 24bit mastering
Jazz / Guitar Jazz

Freddie Green seldom led sessions and seldom played lead. Instead, he formed part of the classic rhythm section that gave the Count Basie band its steady pulse. This rare date finds Green with tenor Al Cohn, trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Henry Coker, pianist Nat Pierce, bassist Milt Hinton, and either Jo Jones or Osie Johnson on drums. Mr. Rhythm, in fact, will remind many of a good Basie set. The steady drums, bass, and guitar on "Back and Forth" and "Something's Gotta Give" push the music forward, swinging ever so lightly. Nat Pierce's minimalist piano work also owes something to Basie.

You might call Jimmy D. Lane a natural born bluesman. His father was the legendary Jimmy Rogers, who Jimmy D. shared the stage with for many years before recording on his own. Lane can play it '50s-style, as he did with his father and on Eomot RaSun's album, but he can also turn it up and rock out with any of the finest guitar slingers. For It's Time, Lane tackles a program of original tunes (except for one), with the aid of Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section. These guys bring decades of experience to their blues rhythms, and know exactly how to support a player like Lane. Keyboard duties are split between Celia Ann Price on B3 and piano, and Mike Finnigan on the B3. In addition, the album was produced and engineered by the one and only Eddie Kramer, who adds crisp, clear production values and some very subtle studio tricks (check out the panning in the slide solo on "Stuck in the Middle"). As a writer, Lane sticks close to standard subject matter "What Makes People" is certainly a close cousin of Willie Dixon's "The Same Thing," but the variety of tempos and grooves and great playing all around keep the album exciting.

Johnny Otis - Rhythm & Blues Caravan: The Complete Savoy Recordings (1999) {3CD Set, Atlantic–Savoy 92859-2 rec 1949-1952}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 937 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 518 Mb
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© 1949-52, 1999 Atlantic / Savoy Jazz | 92859-2
Jazz / Blues / Early R&B / Jump Blues

A deluxe three-disc set summing up Otis' pre-Hand Jive days as an R&B bandleader of some renown who employed various singers on a number of singles for the Savoy label. The recording debuts of the Robins, Little Esther Phillips, Mel Walker, guitarist Pete Lewis, and Linda Hopkins are all here, and you hear how Otis kept his ear to the ground, changing and moving to keep pace with a big-band scene that was slowly dying out, while making some marvelous DIY records along the way. Incredible notes from Billy Vera make this a box set well worth having in the collection.