Roots run deep on these three latest releases from UK-based AVID…
This third set of material from Avid featuring Lightnin’ Hopkins finds the blues legend in a spartan and acoustic mood. Two of the sessions have in in solo format. A 1959 recording in Houston, Texas has him picking and grinning on ‘Have You Ever Seen A One-Eyed Woman Cry” while included are a couple tracks from ’54 with him on a funky piano for “Goin’ To Galveston” and “Met The Blues At The Corner”. A 1962 solo session has him mixing it up with acoustic and electric guitars, sounding like an inspiration for blues rock bands like the Rolling Stones on “Rolling and Rolling”. Two recordings from the fall of 1960 feature Hopkins with Leonard Gaskin/b and Belton Evans for some rich grooves on “Back To New Orleans” while Sonny Terry brings his harmonica for “Last Night Blues” and joins in at the mic for “Conversation Blues”. Blue jeans that never fade.
Not to be confused with the Chicago bluesman Jimmy Rogers, this Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) was famous for pioneering the “blue yodel” which is featured on this collection of essentially everything he recorded in his brief life and career. The tunes are a cross between country, bluegrass, blues and down home folk as hie teams up with steel guitars, banjos and fiddles for “ Travellin’ Blues”, “In The Jailhouse Now” and “Anniversary Blue Yodel” for his debut collection of tunes from the early 30s.. Some late 20s material includes “Blue Yodel No. 4” and a smoking take of “Pistol Packin’ Papa”. You’ll feel like you’re walking down the dusty roads on “Train Whistle Blues” and “ Hobo Bill’s Last Ride” while rich and back porch blues are picked out on “No Hard Times” and “Ben Dewberry’s Final Run”. Dusty blues.
Few artists changed the direction of music as Charlie Parker, with these five albums featuring him during the height of his popularity. The 1950 superstar session with Dizzy Gillespie/tp, Thelonious Monk/p, Curly Russell/b and Buddy Rich/dr deliver sizzling takes of “Bloomdido” and “Leap Frog”. A couple of years later Parker is in a quartet with Hank Jones-Al Haig/p, Percy Heath-teddy Kotick/b and Max Roach/dr for a classic read of “Now’s the Time”, “Kim” and “Chi Chi”. Adding Billy Bauer on guitar for a ’54 session with a snappy bebopping team, Parker sears through the Cole Porter songbook with a rich read of “Love For Sale” and “I Love Paris”. Most memorable is his first ever and still definitive classic “Jazz With Strings” session, as Parker is at his swooning best on “April In Paris” and “Summertime” while “Just Friends” is one of his most famous solos. The big band session from 1952 features a gorgeous read of “Laura” and a tender “Autumn In New York”. Essential modern music.