Joe Williams & Carmen Mcrae – Riviera Summit

Those who've never heard Big Joe Williams might be genuinely surprised at just how outstanding a musician he was, being tremendously accomplished on his self-made nine-string guitar and with vocals as expressive and forceful as Muddy Waters. Beautifully remastered, this collection finds Williams' talents at their peak with a fine variation of raw country blues like "Whistling Pines" and "Kings Highway Blues," and more strongly uptempo tracks like "Somebody's Been Fooling #1" and "King Bisquit Stomp #2." None of the thirteen tracks disappoint, as this ranks among the strongest releases in the Big Joe Williams' catalogue.

The Music for Lovers series from EMI and Blue Note spotlights the balladic nature and romantic side of artists who have recorded for its associated labels. Joe Williams, of course, was a superb ballad singer whose rich voice and patient interpretations usually brought a maximum of feeling to the standards he sang. His Music for Lovers volume includes songs from three sessions for the EMI-owned Roulette - all but one from either 1959 or 1961 - and it features Williams in a comfortable setting with musicians who knew how to swing the Joe Williams way; two of the tops, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and tenor Ben Webster, join him on the highlights, "I Only Have Eyes for You" and "You Are Too Beautiful"…

Cut at Gerdes Folk City in New York on February 26, 1962, this record shows Big Joe Williams in top late-era form, enjoying himself before an audience of mostly white college kids and beats. He plays his signature nine-string guitar, accompanying himself on kazoo, which basically works (even subbing for what would have been a fuzz-tone guitar on "Bugle Blues"), although the kazoo was never meant to be captured in digital sound. The material includes Tommy McClennan's "Bottle Up and Go" and 11 traditional songs, including the intense "Trouble Take Me to My Grave" (his version of a song more familiar in Muddy Waters' version as "I Can't Be Satisfied"), "Mink Coat Blues," and "Burned Child Is Scared of Fire," all done in lively fashion with daunting finger-picking…

The career of blues legend Big Joe Williams stretches back to the Mississippi Delta of the 1930s and continues up through the 1980s. The Sonet Blues Story captures Williams performing live in Sweden in 1972. Though not exactly in his prime, Williams plays with his usual boisterous spirit, reeling off classic acoustic Delta blues with a raw, propulsive edge. With only his stomping foot for rhythmic accompaniment, Williams and his guitar offer up a deep, riveting set. Informative liner notes by musical historian Samuel Charters round out the package.

Joe Williams had been wanting to record an album of spirituals since 1957 and this is it. The veteran singer gives a blues feeling and swing to the traditional pieces which range from the rollicking title cut to "Go Down Moses," "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" and "The Lord's Prayer." He is assisted by Marlena Shaw (a particularly effective partner on three of the numbers) and a five-piece chorus on four other songs. The backing usually features Patrice Rushen getting organ sounds out of her synthesizer. Despite the one-message content, the music has more variety than one might expect and Joe Williams acquits himself very well on this sincere and heartfelt effort.

This unusual session appeared on LP in 1959, featuring Count Basie exclusively on organ accompanying Joe Williams' vocals over a dozen numbers, mostly standards. Although Basie's recordings on the instrument were sporadic, his style was not at all different from the one he utilized at the piano, filling in the holes and providing just enough backing for his very fine singer. Williams' vocals seem effortless throughout the date, though excessive reverb is frequently added. The unidentified rhythm section is anchored by longtime Basie guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Eddie Jones, and drummer Sonny Payne (who sticks mostly to brushes); what's rather unusual about the date is that Green actually takes several brief solos on his unamplified instrument…

Carmen McRae - I'm Coming Home Again (1978) {Buddah–Essential Media Group 32962-3 rel 2010, Digitally Remastered}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 363 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 158 Mb
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© 1978, 2010 Buddah Records / Essential Media Group | 32962-3
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Bop / Standards

One of a handful of true greats in the jazz vocal world, Carmen McRae has always been considered a "singer's singer." Never content to remain static, Ms. McRae was constantly evolving throughout her 40 year career and eventually was recognized as one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century alongside Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

Carmen McRae - Just a Little Lovin' (1970) {2013 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27347)
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 267 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 108 Mb
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© 1970, 2013 Warner Japan / Atlantic / WEA / Rhino | WPCR-27347
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Bop / Soul Jazz

Released in 1970, Just a Little Lovin' was the fourth (and last) studio album Carmen McRae cut for Atlantic Records in the late '60s/early '70s. The albums were for the most part a mix of pop and jazz songs with a decidedly pop angle. Just a Little Lovin' isn't too different, though it leans more toward the soulful end of the street. Producer Arif Mardin put McRae together with the Dixie Flyers studio band, backup singers extraordinaire the Sweet Inspirations, and an all-star horn section led by King Curtis, and then let her loose on the usual Beatles covers (a lifeless "Something," a very relaxed and sensual "Here, There and Everywhere," and a dramatic take on "Carry That Weight") and pop tunes like Jimmy Webb's "Didn't We" and Laura Nyro's "Goodbye Joe."