How Green Was

In the late 1960s, Peter Green was one of a handful of British lead guitar heroes who were turning the music industry upside down. As a member of the original version of Fleetwood Mac, Green's tortured lead work was on a par with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page and many championed him as the top of the heap. Unfortunately, Green's promise came crashing down quickly, as drugs and his involvement with the occult drove him from the band and public life. He sold his beloved Les Paul guitar to become a grave digger and severed all ties to show business. Over the years, he has slowly eased himself back into it, making surprise appearances at other stars' concerts and starting to play regularly again. While his legions of true believers wait for him to find his way back to full recovery, we have this album, recorded after a successful American tour with his regular band, the Peter Green Splinter Group…

This is the third and final volume in the complete recordings of Lil Green in chronological order as reissued by the Classics Blues & Rhythm Series. By 1947 Lil Green was beginning to sound more than a little like Ida Cox, even when handling songs from Tin Pan Alley rather than straight up out of the tried and true traditional blues repertoire. Comparisons could also be drawn between Lil Green and Nellie Lutcher or Julia Lee. While her "crossover" performances are worthwhile, there's nothing quite like hearing this woman savor the flavor of Bessie Smith hits like "Aggravatin' Papa," "Outside of That," and "You've Been a Good Old Wagon (But You Done Broke Down)." Green's own "Lonely Woman" has a powerful undercurrent running through it – there is even a remote possibility that Ornette Coleman was inspired by this record when conceiving his own composition of the same title in 1959. Even if the link is purely coincidental, these melodies have something wonderful in common. Green's final recordings for the Victor label are strengthened by the presence of tenor saxophonists Budd Johnson, Lem Johnson, and David Young.

As a trio, this edition of guitarist Grant Green's many ensembles has to rank with the best he had ever fronted. Recorded on April Fool's Day of 1961, the band and music are no joke, as bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey understand in the most innate sense how to support Green, lay back when needed, or strut their own stuff when called upon. Still emerging as an individualist, Green takes further steps ahead, without a pianist, saxophonist, or - most importantly - an organist. His willpower drives this music forward in a refined approach that definitely marks him as a distinctive, immediately recognizable player. It is also a session done in a period when Green was reeling in popular demand, as this remarkably is one of six recordings he cut for Blue Note as a leader in 1961, not to mention other projects as a sideman…

As a trio, this edition of guitarist Grant Green's many ensembles has to rank with the best he had ever fronted. Recorded on April Fool's Day of 1961, the band and music are no joke, as bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey understand in the most innate sense how to support Green, lay back when needed, or strut their own stuff when called upon. Still emerging as an individualist, Green takes further steps ahead, without a pianist, saxophonist, or - most importantly - an organist. His willpower drives this music forward in a refined approach that definitely marks him as a distinctive, immediately recognizable player…

CeeLo Green has never made a bad album, and isn’t about to change his ways with Heart Blanche, which overflows with positive energy. The key track is “Est. 1980s”, a euphoric celebration of his musical influences, set to the kind of flanged guitar groove popular in an era when “Michael Jackson was king, Aaron Neville was God, and Run DMC looked just like me”. The period influence is confirmed by the sampled Taxi theme used for “Sign of the Times”, and by the departed comics (Belushi, Pryor, Williams) eulogised in “Robin Williams”, his tribute to the late comedian. Elsewhere, “Mother May I” suggests the teenage CeeLo straining at the parental leash, while “Music to My Soul” offers uplift to those “living in darkness”. The standard dips slightly in the later stages, but the grooves throughout are sleek and snappy, and CeeLo himself has rarely sounded better.

Fleetwood Mac founder Peter Green released his third solo album Little Dreamer in 1980. Peter's brother Mike was responsible for the lyrical content, while Peter was the man behind the musical ideas. He invited some other musicians, like Fairport Convention's drummer Dave Mattacks and Status Quo's bass guitarist John 'Rhino' Edwards, to play on the record. The third track “Born Under A Bad Sign” takes you right back to the roots of his music, while "Loser Two Times” is his venture into the disco music. But above all he shows how he is still the master of the blues. In 1967 Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie played in the legendary John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, and were given free studio time during which they recorded five songs. Peter Green was so convinced of this band´s musical prowess that he formed Fleetwood Mac on the spot and named it after the drummer & the bass player.