Jenis Joplin

This set of archival recordings lets us witness the formation of arguably the most powerful and expressive voice in rock history. From the earliest known performances in the small bars of Texas to the first sessions with Big Brother to her mesmerizing live shows, Janis never left behind her raw roots. She drew upon them to impel emotional performances as if by exposing her pain she gained power over her past and transformed it into a gift. In these newly sourced pearls, we can hear as never before the birth and fast burning flame of Janis Joplin. Included are outtakes and unreleased songs from the 1968 "Cheap Thrills" studio sessions, demos for the 1969 Kozmic Blues album and vast improvements on all existing vintage (1962-65) live recordings. The vintage recordings, in particular, are wonderful and although we had some of this material from the long out of print "Janis" movie soundtrack vinyl release, this collection has 39 (!) tracks recorded between 1962-65 including the ubiquitous "Typewriter Tapes" made by Jorma. The fourth CD unchains the urgent expression and lets it be heard in a complete Big Brother concert from 1967.

Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", Scott Joplin (ca. 1868-1917) was one of the most important and influential composers at the turn of the 20th century. At age seven, he discovered a piano in a neighbour's house and began experimenting with it by ear. In 1897, Joplin had his breakthrough, when he completed his Maple Leaf Rag.

As well as being one of the finest rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of the era.

As well as being one of the finest rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of the era.

Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas.

In many facets, Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills is the quintessential album to spring from the outcome of the Summer of Love. Best known as Janis Joplin's major-label debut, the 1968 set arrived when the countercultural movement was in full swing and before co-optation, drugs, and violence signaled the fall of the era. Ranked #338 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, it puts a female singer in the prominent position traditionally given to a male and showcases a band pouring a potent cocktail of fiery psychedelic, blues, and folk sounds that informed the unfettered creativity of the San Francisco scene. Produced by John Simon, Cheap Thrills also features one of the most iconic and elaborate album covers in history.

Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. This soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary, Janis: Little Girl Blue, showcases Janis at her very best and features brand new liner notes from Oscar nominated Director & Producer Amy Berg, rare, vintage photos and reproductions of letters written by Janis as detailed throughout the documentary.

As a soundtrack to the documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue, this 2016 album does its job, providing an aural biography to complement the visual one. The 17 tracks are sequenced chronologically – the exception being the title track, pulled from I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! and functioning as a coda here – so it's possible to hear her raw talent evolve from an early performance of "Careless Love" to a heavy dose of Big Brother & the Holding Company and on to her solo work. Although Big Brother's "Down on Me" and her lone Top 10 hit "Me and Bobby McGee" are here in their familiar studio versions, this soundtrack is populated by live tracks, many pulled from expanded reissues, so this functions almost as an alternate history: it tells the story through versions that aren't readily familiar. Also, these versions seem somewhat more rare than they actually are – any dedicated Janis fan likely has all of the cuts here somewhere in their collection – which speaks to how thoroughly the vaults have been combed. That said, this does a good job of rounding up some of the best rarities and presenting them in a fashion that's appealing to a broader audience.