Blues For a Reason

ELIZA NEALS is a dynamic front woman, multi-talented musician, confident producer and outstanding live performer plus the voice of the ‘new blues’ for this generation. The award winning sultry and powerful blues rock soul vocalist, recording artist, composer, performer, publisher and producer is being compared to greats like Etta James, Janis Joplin and Ricki Lee Jones among others.

John Mayall has been doing this blues thing now for over five decades (he released his first single in 1964), exploring the form in all of its incarnations, from gutbucket country blues to the more urbane jazz side of things, and amazingly, he's always sounded pretty much like John Mayall, a blues everyman who has always surrounded himself with the best bands and players, a big part of the reason he is still a successful touring act in his eighties. Mayall's put out 60 some albums since 1964, and while he's slowed down a bit in recent years, he's still good for a new album or live set every couple of years or so.

This single CD anthology is chock-full of the mighty Dexter Gordon (tenor sax) as leader or as primary participant in seven selections showcasing his surprisingly wide array of interpretive skills within the blues. While the majority of the contents have been culled from Gordon's late-'60s and early-'70s Prestige output, the update of Jay McShann's "The Jumpin' Blues" as well as Gordon's own "Sticky Wicket" are both alternate takes that weren't available prior to the all-inclusive 11-disc Complete Prestige Recordings (2004) box set. The latter opens the compilation as the double-sax assault of Gordon and James Moody (tenor sax) is supported by Barry Harris (piano), Buster Williams (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums)…

Essentially, George Thorogood has spent most of his career making the same sort of album over and over again, and if anyone knows how to put together a solid set of barroom-friendly, beer-drinking, hard-rockin' boogie blues, it's him. But on his 14th studio album, Thorogood has decided to change things up; Party of One marks the first time he's made an album without his band the Destroyers, and here he plays a set of blues, country, and folk covers with only his own guitar and harmonica for accompaniment. Thorogood brings out his electric guitar for a few cuts, but most of Party of One is just George and his acoustic, and the bulk of this sounds like it was recorded live in the studio, with the occasional flubbed note left in the mix.

Sonny Stitt - Only The Blues (1957) {Verve 314 537 753-2 rel 1997}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 292 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 183 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1997 Verve / Universal | 314 537 753-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Saxophone

This 1997 CD releases all of the music recorded by Sonny Stitt (who stuck to alto for the date) on Oct. 11, 1957. The original four songs teamed Stitt with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Stan Levey. Although three of the songs were blues, the most exciting number is ironically the opener, an "I Got Rhythm" run-through on a Stitt original, "The String," that is note for note the same as his "Eternal Triangle." The two horns are quite combative and inspire each other.

TOTAL ECLIPSE was conceived in 1993, well into Great Dane's ambitious "Pink Floyd Project." Great Dane had wanted to put out a box set that would appeal to the fans who had been terribly dissapointed with "Shine On," Pink Floyd's official release. It's purpose was to attempt to bring to the fans a comprehensive overview of the band's career, substituting rare material and alternative tracks wherever possible. This is the reason why many of the early singles and B-sides were included. Much "Top Gear" material was also included because not only were the sound sources believed to be the better than on any previously released RoIO (RoIO = Record of Illegitimate/Indeterminate Origin), but also because it seemed that these tracks should also be represented in the band's history. TOTAL ECLIPSE was meant to be chronological (although a few tracks are out of order) and comprehensive; something that could be listened to from beginning to end.

John Mayall has been doing this blues thing now for over five decades (he released his first single in 1964), exploring the form in all of its incarnations, from gutbucket country blues to the more urbane jazz side of things, and amazingly, he's always sounded pretty much like John Mayall, a blues everyman who has always surrounded himself with the best bands and players, a big part of the reason he is still a successful touring act in his eighties.