Memphis Slim Flac

The pianist was quite an attraction when he first ventured overseas, and he received plenty of offers to record while he was there. The uncredited combo on these 15 rare tracks is too timid to give Slim what he needed out of a band, but his irrepressible power saves the show.

Although this CD by pianist Memphis Slim and bassist Willie Dixon is marketed as a part of Verve's Jazz in Paris reissue series, it is, of course, a blues date, with a fair amount of boogie-woogie. The two veterans, who had worked together previously, are joined by drummer Phillipe Combelle during the two 1962 sessions recorded at Les Trois Mailletz, complete with a typically out of tune piano and a fair amount of noise from the audience at times. The pianist's gruff voice dominates a fair amount of the performances, although most of the songs are Dixon's. The bassist steals the show during the opener, "Rocking and Rolling the House," with a fine solo. In fact, the only standard not written by either man is a campy miniature take of Big Bill Broonzy's "All by Myself." Blues fans will want up to pick up this live recording by two legendary musicians.

Collectors will be thrilled to learn that The Come Back contains 11 previously unreleased tracks, but even those who aren't hardcore collectors will find that this CD paints an exciting picture of Slim's two years at United.
Like John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim was very much a label-hopper - from the '40s to the '80s, it was safe to assume that the singer/pianist wouldn't stay at one label for too long. In the '50s, Slim did some of his best work for United, a Chicago-based indie whose catalog has since been acquired by Delmark (another Windy City label). Slim's United period of 1952-1954 is the focus of The Come Back, a 20-track collection that Delmark assembled in 2002. This is a blues CD that has both jazz and rock appeal…

This album chronicles a 1959 Carnegie Hall bill shared between Muddy and Slim. In retrospect, it might be seen as something of a warm-up for Muddy, who would soon wow the world with the 1960 performance captured on his Newport album. Muddy's style was much more primal and sensual than the more urbane, slightly Charles Brown-like sound of Peter Chatman (AKA Memphis Slim), but the two blues giants accompany each other here with sensitivity and taste. Slim dominates the proceedings, with 13 cuts to Muddy's four, and his sophisticated vocal and piano stylings are a joy to the ear. Conversely, Muddy's tunes lack the punch his customary sidemen gave them (he's backed by Al Hall and Shep Sheppard). Nevertheless, the singer was in his prime at this time, and it was seemingly impossible for him to come across as anything less than commanding…

Previously unreleased live recordings 1963-1969. Features Willie Dixon, Matt Murphy and Bill Stepney.
An amazingly prolific artist who brought a brisk air of urban sophistication to his frequently stunning presentation, John "Peter" Chatman - better known as Memphis Slim - assuredly ranks with the greatest blues pianists of all time. He was smart enough to take Big Bill Broonzy's early advice about developing a style to call his own to heart, instead of imitating that of his idol, Roosevelt Sykes. Soon enough, other 88s pounders were copying Slim rather than the other way around; his thundering ivories attack set him apart from most of his contemporaries, while his deeply burnished voice possessed a commanding authority.

This album includes recordings from two sessions, one with solo piano, the other with the 1983 Chicago Blues Festival. Throught a beautiful series of instrumental or vocal boogie-woogies and slow blues, Memphis Slim pays homage to some of his models and peers: Roosevelt Sykes, Pinetop Smith (or Perkins!), Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Sammy Price, Jay McShann, Lloyd Glenn, Willie Mabon, Eddie Boyd, Otis Spann.