Albert Collins , Robert Cray , Johnny Copeland - Showdown! (1985)

Excelente reunião de bacanas!!!

Review
by Bruce Eder & Bill Dahl
Most of the original "blues summit" and blues "supergroup" type gatherings, which were done at Chess Records, were musically pointless affairs, mostly because the artists involved really didn't like the idea behind the albums being recorded or the company they were forced to keep during the recording process. What makes Showdown! work is that the three featured players actually liked each other and enjoyed working together — even more important, they had something to say together musically, which just pours out of the contents of this jewel of a record, a summit meeting between Texas guitar veterans Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland and newcomer Robert Cray — the set is scorching all the way. Collins even treats us to some harmonica playing that's more than a match for his guitar work on "Bring Your Fine Self Home," and the only pity is there's no other contribution by him on the harp anywhere else here. It's all worth hearing, many times over, and if you can't get the Mobile Fidelity version, find the Alligator Records CD, but get this album.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/131923410/ACRCJC.rar.html

Magic Sam - West Side Soul (1967)

Vá na fé!!!

Muito bom mesmo.

Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
To call West Side Soul one of the great blues albums, one of the key albums (if not the key album) of modern electric blues is all true, but it tends to diminish and academicize Magic Sam's debut album. This is the inevitable side effect of time, when an album that is decades old enters the history books, but this isn't an album that should be preserved in amber, seen only as an important record. Because this is a record that is exploding with life, a record with so much energy, it doesn't sound old. Of course, part of the reason it sounds so modern is because this is the template for most modern blues, whether it comes from Chicago or elsewhere. Magic Sam may not have been the first to blend uptown soul and urban blues, but he was the first to capture not just the passion of soul, but also its subtle elegance, while retaining the firepower of an after-hours blues joint. Listen to how the album begins, with "That's All I Need," a swinging tune that has as much in common with Curtis Mayfield as it does Muddy Waters, but it doesn't sound like either — it's a synthesis masterminded by Magic Sam, rolling along on the magnificent, delayed cadence of his guitar and powered by his impassioned vocals. West Side Soul would be remarkable if it only had this kind of soul-blues, but it also is filled with blistering, charged electric blues, fueled by wild playing by Magic Sam and Mighty Joe Young — not just on the solos, either, but in the rhythm (witness how "I Feel So Good [I Wanna Boogie]" feels unhinged as it barrels along). Similarly, Magic Sam's vocals are sensitive or forceful, depending on what the song calls for. Some of these elements might have been heard before, but never in a setting so bristling with energy and inventiveness; it doesn't sound like it was recorded in a studio, it sounds like the best night in a packed club. But it's more than that, because there's a diversity in the sound here, an originality so fearless, he not only makes "Sweet Home Chicago" his own (no version before or since is as definitive as this), he creates the soul-injected, high-voltage modern blues sound that everybody has emulated and nobody has topped in the years since. And, again, that makes it sound like a history lesson, but it's not. This music is alive, vibrant, and vital — nothing sounds as tortured as "I Need You So Bad," no boogie is as infectious as "Mama, Mama Talk to Your Daughter," no blues as haunting as "All of Your Love." No matter what year you listen to it, you'll never hear a better, more exciting record that year.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/131665330/MSWSS.rar.html

Sonny Boy Williamson - Down and Out Blues (1959)

Mais um classico incrivel.

Retaining photographer Don Bronstein's cover shot of a disheveled bum lying on the sidewalk (some former Chess artist, perhaps?) Sonny Boy Williamson's original 1959 album made it to digital reissue but has now been supplanted by MCA's exhaustive The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson. Still, for a budget price, there are a dozen unforgettable tracks: "Don't Start Me to Talkin'," and his Checker debut; "All My Love in Vain," "Wake Up Baby," "99," "Cross My Heart," "Let Me Explain," and "The Key (To Your Door)."

DOWNLOAD:
http://rapidshare.com/files/131561066/SBWRFB.rar.html

Otis Rush - Ain't Enough Comin' In (1994)

With sympathetic production from John Porter, a great lineup of players who follow him every bluesy turn of the way and a dozen well chosen pieces of material, Rush wipes the unispired album slate clean with this one. Everything that makes Otis a unique master of his form is here to savor, from his passionate vocals to the shimmering finger vibrato he applies to the liquid tones of his Fender Stratocaster. While Rush has tackled some of this material on other outings, never has it been served up so passionately as it is here. Even the re-cut of his famous Duke 45 "Homework" burns with a new intensity that makes you believe that this is one opportunity that Rush — at least this time — refused to let go by the boards.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/131459677/ORAECI.rar.html

Muddy Waters - Live at The Newport Festival (1960)

Um petardo. uma porrada , o melhor cd de BLues ao vivo que conheço!

For many back in the early '60s, this was their first exposure to live recorded blues, and it's still pretty damn impressive some 40-plus years down the line. Muddy, with a band featuring Otis Spann, James Cotton, and guitarist Pat Hare, lays it down tough and cool with a set that literally had 'em dancing in the aisles by the set closer, a rippling version of "Got My Mojo Working," reprised again in a short encore version. Kicking off the album with a version of "I've Got My Brand on You" that positively burns the relatively tame (in comparison) studio take, Waters heads full bore through impressive versions of "Hoochie Coochie Man," Big Bill Broonzy's "Feel So Good," and "Tiger in Your Tank." A great breakthrough moment in blues history, where the jazz audience opened its ears and embraced Chicago blues. This album was in print almost continuously on vinyl for 20-plus years, and MCA reissued it in a fair CD version in 1986. At least one enterprising European bootlegger issued their version in the early 1990s, but the real edition of this album to get is the March 2001 remastering from MCA. Transferred in high-resolution digital audio, it brings up the bass overall and the details of just about every aspect of the playing, as well as moving Muddy's singing several layers forward in the mix, so that one gets a very vivid stage ambience, making the original CD seem very ragged. The reissue has been augmented by the presence of four studio sides cut by the same group a month prior to the concert — none hold a candle to the live material, but they do fill in a few hole in Muddy's U.S. discography. The new notes by Mary Katherine Aldin also give a much better picture of the background of the show and Muddy's performance (so where's the film of the performance that she mentions?)

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/131418450/MWLATNP.rar.html

Eric Clapton - From The Cradle (1994)

O que falar desse cd???

Muito bom.

For years, fans craved an all-blues album from Eric Clapton; he waited until 1994 to deliver From the Cradle. The album manages to re-create the ambience of postwar electric blues, right down to the bottomless thump of the rhythm section. If it wasn't for Clapton's labored vocals, everything would be perfect. As long as he plays his guitar, he can't fail — his solos are white-hot and evocative, original and captivating. When he sings, Clapton loses that sense of originality, choosing to mimic the vocals of the original recordings. At times, his overemotive singing is painful; he doesn't have the strength to pull off Howlin' Wolf's growl or the confidence to replicate Muddy Waters' assured phrasing. Yet, whenever he plays, it's easier to forget his vocal shortcomings. Even with its faults, From the Cradle is one of Clapton's finest moments.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/131271054/ECFTC.rar.html

Joe Louis Walker - The Gift (1988)

Although it didn't enjoy the major label hype that his current output does, Walker's HighTone encore just may be his finest album of all, filled with soulful vocal performances, bone-cutting guitar work, and tight backing from the Boss Talkers and the Memphis Horns. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of Walker's remarkably consistent HighTone discs — but give this one the slightest of edges over the rest.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/131261646/JLW.rar.html

Otis Spann - Otis Spann Is The Blues (1960)

Otis Spann em mais um disco de 5 estrelas de acordo com o Allmusic.

Sensacional , pra que não sabe ele foi o pianista do Muddy Waters nos anos mais legais de suasa carreiras.

Otis Spann may not have been the blues, but he was sure close to being the blues pianist. Spann provided wonderful, imaginative, tasty piano solos and better-than-average vocals, and was arguably the best player whose style was more restrained than animated. Not that he couldn't rock the house, but Spann's forte was making you think as well as making you dance, and the tracks on Otis Spann Is the Blues will do both.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/131254899/OSTB.rar.html

Buddy Guy - Skin Deep (2008)

I'll post it's cover later.
Buddy Guy's latest cd.
Very fucking good!

DOWNLOAD:
http://rapidshare.com/files/131229177/BGSD.rar.html

Freddie King - Texas Cannonball (1972)

Similar to his first Shelter outing (Getting Ready), but with more of a rock feel. That's due as much to the material as the production. Besides covering tunes by Jimmy Rogers, Howlin' Wolf, and Elmore James, King tackles compositions by Leon Russell and, more unexpectedly, Bill Withers, Isaac Hayes-David Porter, and John Fogerty (whose "Lodi" is reworked into "Lowdown in Lodi"). King's own pen remained virtually in retirement, as he wrote only one of the album's tracks. Reissued in its entirety on King of the Blues.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/131187369/FKTC.rar.html

Albert King - Big Blues (1962)

É surpreendente como a carreira desse cara começou numa onda bem menos Funky do que na fase mais conhecida do seu catálogo.

SENSACIONAL!

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http://rapidshare.com/files/130810396/AK.rar.html

Hubert Sumlin - About Them Shoes (2003)

Review
by Joe Viglione
Hubert Sumlin's About Them Shoes is a refreshingly pure blues recording which comes at a time when others are distorting the genre with various "contemporary" elements. The songs are from the repertoire of Muddy Waters — seven tunes written by Waters (McKinley Morganfield), four by Willie Dixon, one from Carl C. Wright, and a beauty by Sumlin to close things out. Dixon's "I'm Ready" starts things off with Eric Clapton on lead guitar and vocals, the drums of Levon Helm, and Paul Oscher's oozing harmonica filling in nicely with David Maxwell's piano. It's bouncy and shows a side of Clapton not often present on his own albums. Sumlin's lead is tasty, giving way to Oscher's equally gritty wail. Waters' own "Still a Fool" has Keith Richards on lead vocals and sharing the guitar chores with Sumlin. It's got that Rolling Stones-ish ragged edge that producer Rob Fraboni knows so well; Fraboni's guiding hand never gets in the way of the musical process that flows across the CD. James Cotton's harp comes in to spice up "She's Into Something," which features percussionist George Recile on lead vocals and Helm back on the skins. Helm plays drums on eight of the 13 tracks, Recile on four, with the final number, Hubert Sumlin's only original, "Little Girl, This Is the End," closing the set without percussion. "Little Girl" features a charming interplay between Keith Richards and Sumlin's guitars, while Paul Nowinski adds a full-bottom bass to round things out. It's Sumlin's onlyvocal contribution to the disc, and that voice swims in Fraboni's mix of upfront guitars. This particular song was premiered on Holly Harris' Blues on Sunday program on December 15, 2002, a few months before the album's release, and played next to the remastered "Love in Vain" from Let It Bleed, one could see why the distinctive Richards style is such an important component of the Rolling Stones' success. The two Keith Richards tracks as well as the two contributions from Clapton will get immediate attention, and they do not disappoint, but Blondie Chaplin's vocal on "Look What You've Done" as well as Paul Oscher's on "Come Home Baby" deserve to not get lost in the shuffle. Nathaniel Peterson and George Recile also get to take the mic (with David Johansen about to add some vocals at press time), but none of the changing voices disrupt the vibe or take away from the fun. These blues aren't sad, they are charging, energetic performances from musicians who catch the groove and drive it for all it's worth. Maxwell's piano on Waters' "Come Home Baby" adds frills behind the guitars of Sumlin and Bob Margolin, while Oscher's harmonica just screams. It's a stunning blend of tension and dynamite, and one of the disc's highlights. About Them Shoes could have taken the marquee talent and gone for a glitzy platform to bring Hubert Sumlin into the mainstream. Instead, they dive headfirst into what this music is all about, and in doing so have come up with a mini-masterpiece. It's one of those records that can run endlessly in the CD player and keep entertaining. Hopefully it will expand the audience of this deserving virtuoso.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/130533963/HS.rar.html

Melvin TAylor & The Slack Band (1995)

Disco recomendado para fans de Stevie Ray. Melvin Taylor arrebenta com performances geniais!

Review
by Don Snowden
The U.S. release of Melvin Taylor's two early-'80s LPs by Evidence a decade later was a shock introduction to a blues guitarist who seemingly blazed out of nowhere — outside of Rosa's Lounge in Chicago, that is. "Blazed" is the right word, too, because Taylor is a total maximalist who unleashes torrents of notes to fill up every space. But he's so convincing a player that the concept of "blues guitar hero" might get a good name again, even with fans dead-tired of excess who never thought they'd think things like, "Man, can Melvin Taylor play the ever-loving (add the expletive superlative of your choice) out of the guitar" again. Taylor's first real-time release, Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band, is a pretty straightforward affair — basic trio with minimal overdubs, servicable vocals in an Albert King mode, and a mix of originals and very classic covers. The opening "Texas Flood" lets him rip on a slow blues, constantly changing up his playing with wah-wah blitzes as the real ace in his sonic hole. The originals "Depression Blues" and "Groovin' in New Orleans" add some funk flair, while "Talking to Anna Mae" is a straight-up Chicago boogie instrumental that Taylor shines on. But he's even more in his element on the unadorned slow blues "Tin Pan Alley" and King's "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." It's partly the speed but even more the phrasing — the unexpected stops and starts, the spiky and blazing runs and flurries, the unusual note selections he tosses in — that sets his playing apart. The other covers have their sporadic moments — "T-Bone Shuffle" is inconsequential, but Otis Rush's "All Your Love" and "Voodoo Chile" are worth listening to, even if the latter doesn't add anything to the famous Hendrix wah-wah workout. Taylor actually doesn't sound that radical here, like he was playing to establish blues circuit credentials by putting his stamp on familiar songs more than indulging offbeat personal touches like the mellow lounge jazz take on the Champs' "Tequila." But his playing can be truly electrifying and Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band is recommended for anyone, especially Stevie Ray Vaughan fans, looking for a distinctive new blues guitar voice.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/130303708/Mememememe.rar.html

Champion Jack Dupree - Blues From The Gutter (1958)

100% BLUES!

Review
by Bill Dahl
The 1958 masterwork album of Champion Jack Dupree's long and prolific career. Cut in New York (in stereo!) with a blasting band that included saxist Pete Brown and guitarist Larry Dale, the Jerry Wexler-produced Atlantic collection provides eloquent testimony to Dupree's eternal place in the New Orleans blues and barrelhouse firmament. There's some decidedly down-in-the-alley subject matter — "Can't Kick the Habit," "T.B. Blues," a revival of "Junker's Blues" — along with the stomping "Nasty Boogie" and treatments of the ancient themes "Stack-O-Lee" and "Frankie & Johnny."

DOWNLOAD:
http://rapidshare.com/files/130297913/nunununu.rar.html

Primeiro Post.

Olá amigos , meu objetivo aqui é a divulgação do Blues e gêneros afins.
Conto com vcs para o aprimoramento desse espaço.
Vida longa ao Blues!