The jumping blues are covered over a 60 year span on these three reissues and/or releases. Turn the lights down low and the heat up.
Known as “Mr. Bear” or “Teddy (Mr. Bear) McRae, Teodore McRae was a big toned tenor saxist that performed with the likes of Stuff Smith, Lil Armstrong, Chick Webb and Artie Shaw, even directing Ella Fitzgerald’s band for awhile. This disc has him in his R&B mood, and is featured here singing, playing the tenor and getting generally down to business with his own band as a sideman for others. He’s hittin’ the tenor hard on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “Just Don’t Care” while going to church with the Heavenly Gates Gospel Singers on “What A Fellowship” and The Satellite Wanderers on “Meet Me In Zion” . With Jack Dupree, the grooves on ”Daybreak Rock” while leading his own band he gets mischieveous on “Peek A Book” Music for Saturday night and Sunday mornin’.
One of the last of the great blues shouters, Jimmy Witherspoon helped define the Kansas City
sound, having been with the likes of Jay McShann before going out on his own. Here, in 1972He leads a band featuring future guitar giant (and pre-Yellowjacket) Robben Ford along with Paul Nagel/p, Stan Poplin/b and Jim Baum/dr before a packed house in the tiny West Hollywood club The Troubadour. Witherspoon belts it out on pieces like ‘Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and sounds
inspired by Ford’s work on a nasty little “Spoonful” and rollicking “Around The Clock”. This guy is in your face throughout, and simmers like a Cuban cigar on “Goin’ Down Slow”. A mold that’s been broken.
Fast forward to the 1990s, and old school singer/pianist Howard McCrary works the room at Ronnie Scotts with a swinging team of Mike Burney/ts, Josh McCalla/g, Roger Inniss/b and Tim Jones/dr. McCrary has that classic Kansas City shout of a voice, and his piano must have been assembled at 12 and Vine, as he plays the blues like he grew up on the streets on a wailing “Goin’ To Chicago” (with Burney growling like a lion) and going four to the bar on “Every Day I Have The Blues”. He drives a straight 8 cylinder through “Route 66” and shows his church roots as he hits the pulpit on ”Precious Lord, Take My Hand”. This guys got some blisters on his hands.
Neo-blueser King Pleasure sings and plays a hefty tenor with his team of Big Mally Baxter/tp, Popps Martin/as-bs, Julian Webster-Greaves/ts, Ivory Dan McCormack/p-B3, Bullmoose K Shirley/g, Slap Happy/b, Bam-Bam Beresford/dr and Big Mart Winning/ts. Pleasure sings and jives with a Louie Prima feel, singing with mischieviousness on “Girl With The Gold Dress On” and the 4 to the bar title track. Wining gives some big and brawny solos on ”Red Headed Woman” and “Fat Sam From Birmingham” with the rhythm team tighter than Kim Kardashian’s sweater. Party hearty.