Chicago tenor sax great Eddie Johnson passed away on April 7, 2010 at the age of 89. This 1999 session was recorded at the tail end of his last active period in a long professional career that went back to the 40's. Eddie led the Jazz Masters for six years at Alexander's Steakhouse on Chicago's south side so the band was ready for the date. With Chicago piano legend John Young, bassist Eddie de Haas and drummer George Hughes. Jazz Masters trumpeter Paul Serrano did not participate as musician but was the recording/mixing engineer. A wonderful straight-ahead jazz CD with ten songs including the Duke Ellington title track, "Gravy Waltz", "Eyes of Love", "My Buddy". (Previously deleted:7/1/07. Original release date:6/8/98)
These 1963 sessions feature Sleepy John Estes, Big Joe Williams & Mike Bloomfield on guitar & Hammie Nixon on harmonica & jug - this was one of the 1st blues LP to feature mandolin, played by Rachell; 6 never before released cuts have been added to the original program.
This album's sound & style is similar to the route Mitchell chose on his "Hey Donald" album, mainly because he uses the same quartet, minus Malachi Favors, who was replaced by Reggie Workman; the remaining players are Jodie Christian & Albert Heath.
Guitarist fearlessly sets out on a new exploration of modern Chicago blues music on this inventive & creative effort - it's as good & honest a representation as you're likely to find of Lurrie's talents without having to pop into a Chicago blues club.
Thompson's August 1999 engagement at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago was an unexpected gift - the 82-year-old pianist, a mainstay on New York's dynamic 52nd Street scene in the 1940s & '50s, hadn't appeared in Chicago since 1941 when he was a member of Lionel Hampton's first band; on this live recording, his trio contains tenor sax man Eric Schnieder & trumpeter Art Hoyle.
Guitarist Bobby Broom has been playing professionally for more than 20 years. He's worked with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Kenny Burrell, Charles Earland & Dr. John. This album recalls the urgent, smoking energy of George Benson circa 1966's "The Cookbook". Indeed, fire-breathing baritone sax ace Ronnie Cuber & Hammond B-3 marvel Dr. Lonnie Smith - key elements of that ferocious mid-'60s Benson quartet - are both aboard. Drummer Idris Muhammad brings along his own conversational, New Orleans flavored swing to elevate the proceedings.
The Dixieland Rhythm Kings were formed in central Ohio in the late '40s and have recorded for many labels including Riverside, Red Onion, GHB, Audiophile and Jazzology. Gene Mayl, founder of the group, has played with Bob Scobey, Muggsy Spanier, Wild Bill Davison, George Brunies and many others. This album comes from a 1965 live concert originally issued on the Blackbird label as "Trip to Waukesha." the personnel is Dick Baars, cornet; Bill Coburn, trombone; Pat Patterson, clarinet; Clarence Hall, piano; Vic Tooker, banjo; Gene Mayl, tuba and Glenn Kimmel, drums. Contains previously unissued material.
Hard bop is where trumpeter Thompson hangs his stylistic hat - he & the Freebop Band embrace everything from cool modes to atonal flights, jazz-funk to the traditional New Orleans sound, feat. bassist Fred Hopkins, Gary Burtz, Kirk Brown & others.
Blues guitarist has been on the Chicago blues scene since 1990 & has gathered together a tight & burnin' band, getting lowdown & funky on originals & blues classics, feat. guest vocalists Taildragger, Sam Lay & Robert Plunkett.
Bassist Josh Abrams' quartet embodies a devastating geographic cross section of today's free music. Abrams started in Philly's the Roots and went on to Chicago's Town And Country and the David Boykin Expanse. Quartet member Jeff Parker is well known for his work with Tortoise, Chicago Underground and his first album as leader, "Like-Coping" (DMK #543). Guillermo Gregorio's work spans a lifetime of improvised playing with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jim O'Rourke and Anthony Braxton to name just a few. Axel Dorner's output as both free improvisor and composer cover multiple continents with John Butcher, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Mats Gustafsson.
Charles Wilson is an exciting and captivating performer capable of launching an audience into a frenzy. Born in Chicago, he's connected to the roots of the blues tree. From the age of four, Wilson, the nephew of blues legend Little Milton (featured as a special guest on this CD), would go with his father to see Uncle Milton's performances. Wilson released a string of albums starting in the late 80's for Ichiban and Ecko Records. "If Heartaches Were Nickels" is Wilson's first Delmark album, and in addition to Milton, Carl Weathersby provides lots of excellent guitar playing. Like all great soul singers, Wilson expresses pleading vulnerability, and like the great blues singers, he delivers the grit.
Dink Johnson was born in New Orleans around 1880, and was the younger brother of Bill Johnson, King Oliver's great bass player. Dink played a swinging, stomping, Jelly-like piano style. He had a repertoire of tunes as unique as his style, containing many tunes of his own and other tunes long forgotten. Dink had a rollicking, contagious sense of humor which comes through on these recordings. The weirdest thing he ever did by far is, "The Pidgeon Walk." at best, the tune was just another dance tune that never got off the ground but at the hands of Dink it becomes a masterpiece of something or another! It is indeed pathetic that Dink could die and leave so little in reserve for those who belatedly came to appreciate his work.
Blues Hit Big Town contains the historic first recordings of Junior Wells. Junior was still a teenager at the time of the first session and between sessions replaced Little Walter in the Muddy Waters band. In a Down Beat review Pete Welding said "In their power, directness, unerring taste and utter consistency of mood, these may well be the most perfectly distilled examples of Wells' music ever recorded, taking their place alongside of those of Waters, Walter, Wolf and other masters of the period. Five stars." Blues Hit Big Town captures genius emerging from one of the greatest blues personalities and harmonica players of all time.(Previously deleted:3/1/03. Original release date:4/1/92)
Trumpeter Malachi Thompson applies his "freebop" approach (a melding of free jazz and bebop) to brass big band again for "Blue Jazz," the third CD from the four trumpet, four trombone with rhythm section group. "Thompson has created another grand statement on the meaning, purpose and beauty of American jazz. Epic effort." - Chicago Tribune from the review of the last Africa Brass CD, "Buddy Bolden's Rag" (DMK #481). Gary Bartz on alto sax and Billy Harper on tenor sax have a strong presence throughout while vocalists Dee Alexander and the Big DooWopper, and Gene "Daddy G" Barge on tenor sax guest, add their special touches.
The Big DooWopper is a blind street musician who travels with his keyboard to play in the Chicago subway train system - you can find him on weekdays in the tunnel between the Red & Blue lines near Washington & State; his 9 nine originals reflect many blues influences, and he does a soul/blues cover of Prince's "Purple Rain"
