Amazingly, many of the recordings guitarist Tampa Red made for RCA Victor and Bluebird in the '40s and early '50s never saw reissue until this 2015 double-disc by Ace. As John Broven points out in his rightly evangelical liner notes for Dynamite! The Unsung King of the Blues, CD-era reissues of Tampa Red usually began at the beginning, which for the guitarist meant 1934, and petered out by the late '40s, which is when Tampa Red eased away from hokum and into earthy guitar-and-piano blues that had substantial influence on the electric blues of the '50s. On Dynamite! The Unsung King of the Blues, the interaction between Tampa Red and his pianists Big Maceo Merriweather and, later, Maceo's protégé Little Johnnie Jones certainly points the way to the classic sound of Chicago blues - particularly when it's paired with a big, swinging drumbeat - and the bluesman's repertoire was also cherry-picked by B.B. King…
The typical DMB concert during the Summer of 2014 was a little experimental. The band played two sets, the first featuring a cast of rotating acoustic performances of songs both old and new. The second set was a full fledged electric rock show. This set from the band’s stop in Tampa features unique versions of favorites from Snow Outside to I’ll Back You Up. We also get to hear some bowed bass in #27 and great percussion from Carter in the song Sweet. The second set features all bangers with the soaring vocals of So Right and the jazz explorations of Seek Up among the highlights. The evening ends with a great version of Good Good Time followed by You and Me.
Tampa Red's influential later recordings for RCA Victor (1945-53) have never been officially reissued on CD and rarely on LP, yet are a crucial element in the post-war blues canon. Many of his songs were covered by B. B. King, Muddy Waters and other top bluesmen. They feature the majestic piano of latter-day Elmore James sideman, Johnny Jones and include the harmonica of Big Walter 'Shakey' Horton and Sonny Boy Williamson II. There are four previously unissued tracks but none are available on authorised CD, not even on OOC releases.
As part of its ongoing live on tour series, FTD is pleased to announce the release of ELVIS: SOUTH BOUND Tampa/ Atlanta ‘75. Released as a 2-CD 5” digi-pak, this set features Elvis from two shows: Curtis Hixon Convention Center, Tampa, April 26, 1975 (2:30 PM) and Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, May 2, 1975 (8:30 PM).
Pink Floyd have surprised fans with the release of a dozen live albums documenting some of their gigs from the early ’70s. The 18 LPs were added to streaming services this week with no prior announcement, spanning the 1973 year.
The typical DMB concert during the Summer of 2014 was a little experimental. The band played two sets, the first featuring a cast of rotating acoustic performances of songs both old and new. The second set was a full fledged electric rock show. This set from the band’s stop in Tampa features unique versions of favorites from Snow Outside to I’ll Back You Up. We also get to hear some bowed bass in #27 and great percussion from Carter in the song Sweet. The second set features all bangers with the soaring vocals of So Right and the jazz explorations of Seek Up among the highlights. The evening ends with a great version of Good Good Time followed by You and Me.