UK-based Avid Records starts the year in a blue mood, with some great roots and grooves.
One of the great blues duets, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, have their heyday anthologized here. Their 1958 debut is an intimate folk/blues delight, with drummer Gene Moore supplying the pulse to the casual sway of “Better Day” and “Confusion” with Sonny Terry’s rich harp and McGhee’s earthy voice, with some fun banter and interplay between the two. Their next album from 59/60 includes the famous “Back to New Orleans” that was a favorite cover of Van Morrison, while “Baby How Long” features some of Terry’s most venomous blowing. The 1959 Folk Songs album includes “Climbing On Top of The World” that was revamped and renamed by the rock group Cream while the two chug along the tracks on a charging “Southern Train”. The 1961 concert album captures them in the cozy San Francisco night club, with wonderful banter on classics like “Baby, I Knocked At Your Door” and the vibrant “This Woman Is Killing Me”. Back porch blues at its best.
T-Bone Walker has been one of the most influential guitarists in all of jazz, blues and rock. His fans are given a treat with his debut 1953 10” record release included here. The original vinyl goes for up to $1500 on Ebay, so you get here the heat seeking missiles of the swinging “T-Bone Shuffle” and the classic “Stormy Monday But Tuesday Is Just As Bad”. His gritty Sings the Blues has his singing and picking the strings on “Evil Hearted Woman” and “You Don’t Understand”. A 1955 date with Junior Wells and Jimmy Rogers catch him in Chicago for a deep “Why Not” and “Papa Ain’t Salto” while an LA date with jazz guitarist Barney Kessel creates a summit jam on “Two Bones and a Pick” along with nephew RS Rankin. Walker is with a hip R&B horn section on the next album, juking out some hip vocals on “The Hustle” and the shuffling “News For You Baby” . His 1961 Weary includes some great guitar crying on “Life Is Too Short” and swinging easy on “Through With Women”. The great thing about this collection is that you can hear his influence in today’s singers and guitarists. Every modern artist should give a tithe of royalties to this guy.
Possibly the most fun of all of these two disc sets is the 5 album+ collection by various “Instrumental” groups of the fledgling days of rock and roll. During that time, instrumental groups like The Ventures were just as popular as vocal groups. You get some of the best here, with The Champs starting things off with their 1958 debut that featured their classic garage rocker “Tequila” as well as lesser known but equally hip “El Rancho Park” and “Train to Nowhere”. Toledo, Ohio’s Johnny and the Hurricanes could boast that The Beatles were once their opening act. Saxist Johnny Paris teamed with Hammond B3er Paul Tesluk for some rocking versions of traditional Americana such as “Red River Rock” and “Reveille Rock”. Guitarist Duane Eddy essentially perfected the rock guitar “twang” sound, and it is perfectly captured on this 32 minute collection of his hits. He cuts up the strings on “40 Miles of Bad Road” and his “Rebel Rouser” still feels great in a black leather jacket. Bill Haley is best known for singing on the “first” rock and roll song, but his obscure album shows that his band had some instrumental chops. Without the leader’s vocals but still pushed on by his rhythm guitar, the team swings through a joyful take of “Mack The Knife”, then blues through the title piece and cruise through the Latinized “Chiquita Linda”. These guys are a hoot! Last but not least is drummer Sandy Nelson who was a session drummer back in the 50s-60s, and had a few hits on his own. This 1962 album includes the chart topper “Drums Are My Beat” but also features covers of famous songs associated with the sticks, including “Caravan” and the classic “Topsy”. This collection is a party picker upper.