Pan Alley

There weren't many blues albums issued during the early '70s that hit harder than this one. First out on the short-lived Playboy logo, the set firmly established Walker as a blistering axeman sporting enduring Gulf Coast roots despite his adopted L.A. homebase. Of all the times he's cut the rocking "Hello My Darling," this is indeed the hottest, while his funky, horn-driven revival of Lester Williams's "I Can't Lose (With the Stuff I Lose)" and his own R&B-drenched "It's All in Your Mind" are irresistible. After-hours renditions of Sam Cooke's "Laughing & Clowning" and Long John Hunter's "Crazy Girl" are striking vehicles for Walker's twisting, turning guitar riffs and impassioned vocal delivery.

Described by songwriter Stephin Merritt as "my folk album", the instrumentation of Realism is largely acoustic, stark in contrast to the band's previous album, Distortion, released in 2008. Merritt said he "thought of the two records as a pair" and considered titling the albums True and False; ultimately, he couldn't decide which title would correspond with which album.

With the recent loss of Detroit Jr. it becomes more acutely aware than ever that the piano blues is a dying art form. There's only a handful of old timers keeping the tradition alive such as Pinetop Perkins, Big Joe Duskin, Henry Gray and Ernest Lane. Barrelhouse Chuck represents one of the few younger generation pianists (he's 48) and has been well schooled in the art as he demonstrates on the fabulous "Slowdown Sundown."
Chuck has paid his dues the time honored way by apprenticing with piano masters such as Sunnyland Slim, Pinetop Perkins, Lafayette Leake and Little Brother Montgomery. Chuck spent 10 years studying with Sunnyland who he calls "the great-granddaddy of all the blues piano players." He also formed a special bond with piano legend Little Brother Montgomery. He honed his craft working and recording with a who's who of Chicago legends like Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Dawkins, Billy Boy Arnold, Detroit Jr. and Big Smokey Smothers and many, many others. Along the way Chuck has released several fine recordings under his own name such as 1999's fine "Salute To Sunnyland Slim" and 2002's strong "Prescription For The Blues." "Slowdown Sundown", on his own Viola label, finds Chuck in peak form playing both solo and with an all-star cast of Chicago bluesmen…..

This CD was recorded live at the Greenwich Village bar that, for 25 years, showcased the best jazz pianists in the world. The atmosphere was relaxed and intimate, the audience hip and respectful; this collection reflects that history as it reveals three veteran masters at their best. Here are extended explorations of five varied tunes, featuring the elegant fluidity of Kenny Barron's piano, the fat sound and ever-swinging pulse of Ray Drummond's bass, and the superb intricacy of Ben Riley on drums.

George Harrison is the eponymous album release by George Harrison in 1979. It was recorded during a period of domestic happiness in which Harrison married Olivia Trinidad Arias and his son Dhani was born.