Big Wolf

Omar Dykes, of Omar & the Howlers, pays tribute to blues icon Howlin' Wolf on Runnin' with the Wolf. All of the tracks on this disc were written by either Wolf or Willie Dixon except for the Omar original "Runnin' with the Wolf." Dykes stays close to the original versions of these songs, which most listeners have heard in some form or other: "The Red Rooster," "Back Door Man," "Smokestack Lightning," "Wang Dang Doodle," and "Killin' Floor." That doesn't mean these are straight covers. The passion in the performances is undeniable, but so is the fun these musicians are obviously having. Dykes has the perfect voice for this project and is complemented by Derek O'Brien on guitar, Ronnie James on bass, Ted Roddy on harp, and Wes Starr on drums along with Mark Kazanoff and Les Izmore on saxophones, Nick Connolly on organ, and Mike Buck on percussion.

Little Wolf has been named 2007 Male Blues Vocalist of the Year by the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame. It is little wonder that Little Wolf, a Bay Area blues veteran, is being recognized for his amazing vocal style and riveting stage presence.Little Wolf is not new to the national music scene. As a band leader and accomplished drummer in the early 80’s Malik managed and arranged backup bands for many blues luminaries like Big Joe Turner, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy McCracklin, and others…..

Warren Wolf - Black Wolf (2009) {Japan M&I Jazz MYCJ-30548}
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© 2009 Japan M&I Jazz | MYCJ-30548
Jazz / Post Bop / Vibraphone / Piano Trio

Warren Wolf, born in Baltimore in 1979, is the first young jazz vibraphonist with star quality to burst onto the scene since Stefon Harris. For his sophomore release from the Japanese M&I label, the producer surrounded him with an awesome set of talents – pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and the results are explosive!

CHICAGO BLUES SESSION VOL. 1 features tracks by Boston Blackie recorded in 1992 and by Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers in 1984.

The 1972 live album Live and Cookin' at Alice's Revisited is a great document of Wolf toward the end, still capable of bringing the heat and rocking the house down to the last brick. Of special note are the wild and wooly takes on "I Had a Dream," "I Didn't Know," and Muddy Waters' "Mean Mistreater." There are mistakes galore out of the band and some P.A. system feedback here and there, both of which only add to the charm of it all. A compact-disc reissue added two stellar bonus cuts. The first one, "Big House," first showed up on a hodge-podge Wolf bootleg album from the '70s. Its non-appearance on the original album is somewhat of a mystery since it's arguably one of the best performances here./quote]

The Paul Smith Trio & Quartet - The Big Men + The Sound Of Music (1959-60) {2014 Fresh Sound Records 24-bit Remaster}
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© 2014 Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD 838 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Cool / Bop / Piano

The two enticingly swinging sessions brought together here find pianist Paul Smith in typically well-crafted form, with “The Big Men” a joyously engaging date in which he is heard performing solo or in a trio. Much skill, considerable feeling, and unceasingly ebullient energy transform this album into a thoroughly listenable program of modern jazz, throughout which his lines show strong classical influence and clear indication of his imposing compositional talent (Theme for Theda). The playing of the trio is crisp and knowing, and there are moments of brilliant musicianship by Smith with the fine support of Vinnegar and Levey, two swingers who keep the pulse vibrant.

Kingdom Come scored big success at the end of the 80's/early 90's. Lenny Wolf's Germany contains early material from the lead singer of Kingdom Come.

Oliver Nelson - The Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (1962-67) {6CD Box Set Mosaic MD6-233 rel 2006}
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© 1962-67, 2006 Mosaic Records / UMG | MD6-233
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Big Band

Oliver Nelson was one of the more distinctive arrangers to be active in jazz, the studios, and popular music of the '60s. While most Nelson reissues focus on his always-excellent saxophone playing (whether on tenor or alto), this six-CD set, Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions, focuses on Oliver Nelson the arranger-composer-bandleader. He does take solos on some of these dates on tenor, alto,and soprano (his only recorded solos on that instrument), but it his writing that takes center stage.