Larry Carlton & Sapphire Blues Band Album_ The Paris Concert

It was a thrill for the audience to welcome 6 time Grammy Award, Guitar & Singer great Jose Feliciano, backed by his superb 5 piece band. Throughout this compelling performance, combining effortlessly flamenco, bossa nova, pop and jazz influences with blues and rock lead guitar inflections, Jose delighted his fans with stunning interpretations of all times hits such as Purple Haze, Sunshine of Your Love and Rain…

Led by Colin Cooper, the former frontman of the R&B unit the Hipster Image, the Stafford, England-based Climax Chicago Blues Band were one of the leading lights of the late-'60s blues boom. A sextet also comprised of guitarists Derek Holt and Peter Haycock, keyboardist Arthur Wood, bassist Richard Jones, and drummer George Newsome, the group debuted in 1969 with a self-titled effort recalling the work of John Mayall. Prior to the release of 1969's Plays On, Jones left the group, prompting Holt to move to bass. In 1970 the Climax Chicago Blues Band moved to the Harvest label, at the same time shifting toward a more rock-oriented sound on the LP A Lot of Bottle.

Climax Blues Band (originally known as The Climax Chicago Blues Band) is a British blues rock band. The band was formed in Stafford, England, in 1967 by vocalist and harmonica player Colin Cooper (1939–2008), guitarist and vocalist Pete Haycock (1951–2013), guitarist Derek Holt (b. 1949), bassist and keyboardist Richard Jones (b. 1949), drummer George Newsome (b. 1947), and keyboardist Arthur Wood (1929–2005)…

Three-time Grammy winner, Larry Carlton and Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto, the most renowned guitarist in all of Asia, teamed up to compose, record, and release "Take Your Pick", an extraordinary collection of 12 original instrumentals already being hailed as "one of the most significant collaborations of contemporary guitar of all time."

All but one of the 15 songs were recorded in concert for the BBC on December 8, 1982 (the one remaining track, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm," was recorded on March 23, 1981 for a separate BBC broadcast). The Blues Band were, in limited respects, a big deal in Britain in this era: a blues-rock group with integrity and pedigree that had a reputation as an excellent live act. On this record, it must be said, they come across more like an above-average blues-rock bar band, one that happens to feature a singer (Paul Jones) who's much, much better than the typical bloke you'll see fronting a bunch of geezers doing Chess covers at the local pub…

Following up his surprise hit debut on acoustic guitar, Alone/But Never Alone, Carlton offers a collection of easygoing, laid-back, Wave-oriented smooth jazz that slowly reveals hints of the full range of his capabilities. At first, it sounds as if the guitarist would be merely killing time here, but starting with the funky "Knock on Wood," things get progressively more interesting as Carlton seems to find his funky bearings. "Discovery" is actually quite nice with its cushiony vamp; "My Home Away From Home" finds Carlton flashing his acoustic chops quite effectively; the shuffling "Minute By Minute" garnered a lot of airplay. Kirk Whalum can be relied upon for stock, crowd-pleasing R&B tenor solos on several tracks, while Terry Trotter plays digital synths, John Pena handles the bass, and Rick Marotta is on drums. Nice stuff, not too demanding, but it wears well.

Led by Colin Cooper, the former frontman of the R&B unit the Hipster Image, the Stafford, England-based Climax Chicago Blues Band were one of the leading lights of the late-'60s blues boom. A sextet also comprised of guitarists Derek Holt and Peter Haycock, keyboardist Arthur Wood, bassist Richard Jones, and drummer George Newsome, the group debuted in 1969 with a self-titled effort recalling the work of John Mayall. Prior to the release of 1969's Plays On, Jones left the group, prompting Holt to move to bass. In 1970 the Climax Chicago Blues Band moved to the Harvest label, at the same time shifting toward a more rock-oriented sound on the LP A Lot of Bottle.

A lot of people return to their first lovewhen they reach a certain age. In Mick Fleetwood’s case, his first love was the blues. When he founded Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac together with Peter Green back in 1967, which was later shortened to Fleetwood Mac after John McVie joined the fold, this group went on to grow into one of the most successful blues acts of its time. ”Black Magic Woman” (with which Santana later also had a hit), “Oh Well”, and “Man Of The World” became major chart successes,and their instrumental, “Albatross”, became Fleetwood Mac’s first no. 1 hit in the UK.

On April 21, 1988, two significant events occured in the Cradle of the Blues, Clarksdale, Missisippi. One was ZZ Top's dedication of a guitar made from a board from Muddy Waters' home to the Delta Blues Museum. Of equal significance were the incredible performances turned in by the "original" Muddy Waters Blues Band at John Mohead's Cotton Exchange Club. No overblown concert to mark the event, rather two authentic juke-joint shows by a special group of players, the likes of which invented the genre.
This two-CD set was distilled from those historic performances. Be warned! You'll hear crowd noise, clinking glasses, missed notes and feedback. You'll hear tade-ins and fade-outs, mainly because the original recording devices were not always operating at the right time…