Beggin

Bill Champlin, the former leader of the Sons of Champlin (1965-1977) and, for the previous 11 years, a singer/keyboardist with Chicago, was on tour promoting his third solo album, Burn Down the Night, when the then-46-year-old and his four-piece band appeared on the German television program Ohne Filter on October 6, 1993, a show reproduced 11 years later on this DVD. In a performance running 58 minutes, he performed 11 songs, five of them from Burn Down the Night. Champlin has a rangy, expressive voice that he uses in the manner of an R&B singer like Ray Charles or James Brown, and during the show he traded off between electric guitar and his Hammond organ, which he played in a style reminiscent of Jimmy Smith.

After nearly 20 years as a performer, Michael Burks finally issued this debut disc, and his years of practical blues experience are evident on every track. While some of the guitar pyrotechnics may be more technique than substance, it cannot be denied that this fellow can tear up his ax. He sets the stakes on the muscular opener, "Hit the Ground Running," and maintains the intensity level through moodier tunes like "Beggin' Business." While his vocals are not stellar, he has a rich, gritty quality to his singing that is nicely matched to his guitar playing.

The seventh in a series of two-fer reissues of the 1960s albums by the Four Seasons and their lead singer Frankie Valli on the British label Ace, this disc combines the group's ninth studio album, The 4 Seasons Sing Big Hits by Burt Bacharach…Hal David…Bob Dylan (originally released in November 1965) and its eleventh, New Gold Hits (May 1967). (For good measure, Ace has tossed in two Four Seasons singles from 1966, "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)" and "I've Got You Under My Skin.") These may be the quartet's two most misunderstood albums; for one thing, despite the presence of the word "Hits" in both titles, neither was actually a compilation.

These sixteen tracks are split equally between Sonny Boy Williamson II and pianist Willie Love, who befriended each other in the early 40s, and recorded a number of sides for Trumpet records. All eight Sonny Boy-numbers are previously unreleased, and the fidelity is very good, better than on Trumpet's other Sonny Boy Williamson-releases. Rice Miller (Sonny Boy) is backed by various electric combos. Three cuts feature Willie Love on piano, and Miller's harp blowing is augumented by the presence of a saxophone player on five tracks. Here are early vesions of "Keep It To Yourself" and "I'm Not Beggin' Nobody", as well as a great "Shuckin' Mama" and the piano-driven boogie of the title track. And it's no surprise that Miller's playing and singing is every bit as impressive as on his later Chess releases…