Daddy Yankee Legendaddy

According to the liner notes on their album, drummer Nick Alexander, singers Liza Gonzales and Dave Riordan, guitarist Greg Likens, keyboard player Bill Masuda and bassist Bill Reynolds met while students at San Luis Obispo's Cal Poly. Signed by Dot, their 1968 debut teamed the band with producer Frank Slay. Musically "The Yankee Dollar" was nothing less than wonderful. Gonzales and Riordan were both gifted with nice voices and on tracks such as "Sanctuary" and "City Sidewalks" effortlessly trading lead vocals. Backed by Likens' fuzz guitar (check out the great solo on "Live and Let Live"), Masuda's stabbing organ chords and occasional sound effects, the collection sported a sound that successfully blended folk-rock with Jefferson Airplane-styled psychedelic…

This is the definitive Cool. Grab it and run. You won't find a better compilation. Remixed and including notes by Mr Cool himself, Ross 'The Boss' Wilson, it sounds better than you'll ever remember. The 'hits' are on side 1 and include the extended version of 'Come Back Again'. Side 2 has live performances and some rare studio stuff. This, together with the impressive 2004 release ''The New Cool'', might be all you'll ever need to realign your swagger and cool, unless they release another.

A rare find, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's release Whatchu' Want for Christmas gives the listener a peek back @ one of todays original, 'classically fresh' and unique swing bands. This album is a mix of early recordings of their current hits, You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three Tonight (baby), Go Daddy-O, The Jungle Book favorite, I Wanna be Just Like You and, three Christmas tunes that promise to get you in a swingin' holiday mood. If there is one thing this album lacks it is the presence and "finishing touch" Josh Levy (piano, vocals) and Karl Hunter (alto, tenor & baritone saxophones, clarinet) provide in the band's current self titled release. Amidst all of the '90's swing' being thrown our way, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy offers an original yet classic swing sound that will leave you Jumpin' Jack… Go-Daddy-O!!

Recorded in the early part of 1994, this is a richly produced album. Big Daddy Kinsey’s voice, while not a dominating force on this outing, benefits from a stellar production that includes an all-star cast of supporting musicians. Audio fidelity is top notch throughout. The album begins with a mid-tempo, funky take on Slim Harpo’s hit "Tippin’ On In", followed with a fine, slow Delta styled ensemble with John Primer on acoustic guitar; son Donald contributing a nice slide solo. The disc program continues on with a skillful mixture of rhythmic beats and varied song selections; Johnny B. Gayden’s excellent bass lines and tempos pacing the selections. The program is punctuated midway through the disc with Koko Taylor dueting with Big Daddy on "Nothing's Too Good for My Baby"; and Carey Bell’s adept harp playing on a half a dozen tracks…

B.B.King said “The blues are a mystery“, and Willie Dixon stated: „The Blues are the true facts of life.“ When Hans Theessink and Big Daddy Wilson sing Blind Willie Johnson‘s classic “Everybody Ought To Treat A Stranger Right” – first recorded in 1930, the song has lost none of its relevance in the present day. Theessink’s own “Virus Blues”, is a haunting reflection of our own time and age right now: “Makes no difference if you’re rich or poor, if you’re yellow, black or white.” And remember, “You gonna reap what you sow” – one day “PAY DAY” is gonna come.

The album title refers to Daddy Mack's (aka Mack Arthur Orr) day job as an auto mechanic, but if he applies as much soul to his car repair business as he does his vocals and laid-back guitar work, he might be able to quit that gig. While he's not attempting anything unique or even doing it in an unusual way, Mack and his three-piece backing band personify Memphis soul/blues in a consistently satisfying set of mostly original (if highly derivative) tunes. Whether rewriting Albert King's "I'll Play the Blues for You" as "I Don't Understand You Baby" or laying into a jaunty, upbeat shuffle on the appropriately titled "Daddy Mack Shuffle," Mack effortlessly finds the heart of his R&B-laced blues. His fluid guitar lines are smooth and unruffled, yet create a powerful groove…

Let's just say that the songwriting of this venerable Chicago singer-guitarist - papa to the young guns who lead the Kinsey Report band - doesn't measure up to his intentions. Despite its title, this 1993 effort is a tribute to Kinsey's role model Muddy Waters. And luckily most of the tunes are classics from Waters ("Mannish Boy," "Got My Mojo Workin'," "Walking Through the Park"), Sonny Boy Williamson ("Nine Below Zero"), and others. The expert support includes Buddy Guy and Big Daddy's son Donald on guitar; harpmen James Cotton, Sugar Blue, and Billy Branch; piano legend Pinetop Perkins; and Lucky Peterson on organ. So the playing is every bit as Delta-authentic as Kinsey himself, whose deep Mississippi-accented voice is a glorious time machine that transports us back to the era of the Saturday night fish fry.