Live in Chicago [Import]

Product Description
This Recording was in the Main Taken from One of the Best Gigs on the 2000 Tour Although Four Tracks Are Included from a Gig at the Knitting Factory in New York. The Album Forms Part of the Bananamoon Obscura Collection and Has Been Re Mastered for this Release.

Live in Chicago (Bananamoon Obscura, Vol. 5),Daevid Allen,University of Errors,Bananamoon Obscura,Acid Rock,Canterbury Scene,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Burns like a Sparkler! Incredible Need a 48th opinion? How about a decent guitar solo? wilco songs come to life

Kicking Television: Live in Chicago Wilco Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Alt Country & Americana | Live Albums | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Jacksonville City Nights Z Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Summerteeth A Ghost Is Born ASIN: B000BCE90O Release Date: 2005-11-15

Tracks:

1. Misunderstood
2. Company in My Back
3. The Late Greats
4. Hell Is Chrome
5. Handshake Drugs
6. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
7. Shot in the Arm
8. At Least Thats What You Said
9. Wishful Thinking
10. Jesus, Etc.
11. Im the Man Who Loves You
12. Kicking Television

Tracks:

1. Via Chicago
2. Hummingbird
3. Muzzle of Bees
4. One by One
5. Airline to Heaven
6. Radio Cure
7. Ashes of American Flags
8. Heavy Metal Drummer
9. Poor Places
10. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
11. Comment

Amazon.com

Recorded over four-nights in front of a sold-out hometown crowd at Chicago's historic Vic Theatre in 2005, Kicking Television: Live In Chicago is the first official live release from Wilco. It's remarkable to think that a band so well known for for its richly varied, inspiring live sets waited so long to get one these things out. At the same time, it's a little foreign hearing songs that once felt like personal treasures, plus a set-closing cover of Charles Wright's "Comment," handed over to the masses - the quietly disturbing "Misunderstood" is transformed into an audience sing-along, "Handshake Drugs" becomes a communal jig, and "Heavy Metal Drummer" a certifiable party anthem. Luckily, the whoops and clinking cocktail glasses can't take away from Jeff Tweedy's compelling laments or the band's full-throttle charge, particularly on a knuckle-gripping reworkings of "A Shot In The Arm" and "Ashes of American Flags." --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

Kicking Television-Live in Chicago, recorded over four nights in May at The Vic Theatre. "It's really the best it's ever felt," said Jeff Tweedy to the Detroit Free Press earlier this year. "I would say at this point, I don't think I've ever been in a band that's felt this connected and unified with this collective vision." To document that collective vision that band called upon veteran mixing engineer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash) to capture the energy, excitement, clarity and musicality that has earned Wilco continued praise for their live shows around the world.

Customer Reviews:

Burns like a Sparkler!.......2007-05-23

Disc #1 ******
Disc #2 **

There is always pressure on great "live" bands to release that one live album. Loyal fans of course will scream 'till they are blue in the face that they will never be able to capture that feel from actually being there and seeing it live. I think that is generally because the people that have actually seen the band live like to separate themselves from the masses, you know, feel special and all. Well, after listening to the first disc of this album you are ready to tell those prima donnas, hey, they are doing it! The first disc is magic. There are three songs on it that I might not have chosen, but overall, tremendous, shines bright. However, the second disc sees the band go into a lot slower numbers that could cause one to scratch their head. It's not that they are bad songs, just that they are not anywhere close to being rockers, which is kind of what I am looking for at a concert. The Sparkler starts to burn out a bit. Although, "Poor Places" and "Airline to Heaven" really do shine bright. Of course, how a song like "I'm Always in Love" does not make it on this release is a mystery to me, arguably Wilco's biggest crowd pleaser. Overall, the release is solid, showing excellent musicianship, but disc 1 proves quite superior to disc 2. So, if you were to rip a disc for your car stereo, you might want to lean on that more.

Incredible.......2007-02-01

Better than studio albums. Really good song flow. Can't believe i missed going to see them when they came to town. dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb

Need a 48th opinion?.......2007-01-03

I need there to be at least 48 reviews of this album so that I can sleep at night. That is all. Oh, and Wilco stirs an emotion within me similar to that of unicorn giggles.

How about a decent guitar solo?.......2006-12-19

Count me among the big fans of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco's early work. I stayed with them through A Ghost is Born and even bought the two Loose Fur CDs, all of which have some great songs on them. But, more and more often, I find myself going back to Being There and Mermaid Avenue and, in the process, I've grown kind of numb to Wilco's new sound. I don't blame Tweedy for trying to innovate, but, to my ears, Wilco has reached a point where experimentation has gotten in the way of their music. This is evident in a number of places on Kicking Television.

I like parts of nearly every Wilco song, but a good portion of their new songs unravel into a complete unlistenable mess because, it seems, Tweedy feels the need to buck convention at every turn. "Spiders" is a perfect example of this. Another example is "Misunderstood." Hearing Tweedy scream "nothing" 35 times might be fun when you're drunk at a concert, but not everytime you listen in your living room. And I can't figure out why nearly every guitar solo with the new Wilco is either an indistiguishable wall of noise or a screechy mess. I am all for innovation, but just play the thing already!

Don't get me wrong, there are some great songs here. Not surprisingly, my favorites are "One on One" and "Airline to Heaven," both of which are more reminiscent of their earlier work. Also, their live sound is somehow much fuller than their studio work and most of their songs from Ghost sound better because of that. However, as a whole, Kicking Television is a bit frustrating for me.

Similar to how U2 experimented in the 90s with the uneven Zooropa and Pop, Wilco is willing to take a chance and I will give them some credit and slack for that. But after Blue Sky Blue, this Wilco fan will be hoping for more "Kingpin" and less "Kidsmoke."

wilco songs come to life.......2006-09-22

If you are a fan of Wilco, and especially if you have never seen them live then you must own this cd! With a set list based largely on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born," you might not think of buying this. YHF is a love-or-hate album, and maybe not the best intro to this band since it's more experimental than their previous work. But the songs really come alive and take on a new dimension when they are played live. Wilco is a really tight band. I had always loved them but when I saw them live for the first time (twice in the same week in New Orleans on the Ghost tour,) I was blown away. The first few times I heard Ghost, it fell a little flat, maybe because I had anticipated it so much and it didn't seem to have quite the same edge as YHF. But hearing the Ghost songs live has really changed my opinion and now I love that record equally, if not more than the other Wilco records. Certain songs really jump out as my favorites here: "Misunderstood," "Via Chicago," (a song they have played countless times but this version really grabs me...) and surprisingly "Company in My Back" and "Hell is Chrome," 2 songs I hadn't thought much of before. I'm going to see Wilco again very soon, thankfully they are on tour again! If you can't catch a show, check out this record, it will give you an idea of why their live shows are so acclaimed.

Average customer rating: Not their best, but still a great live album Brillant live album, DMB at their height. Best Live Recording Ever Best live album..... maybe complements Live at Red Rocks perfectly

Live in Chicago at the United Center 12.19.98 Dave Matthews Band Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music Jam Bands | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado Listener Supported Live at The Gorge (CD & DVD set) The Central Park Concert ASIN: B00005QD8E Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

1. The Last Stop
2. Don't Drink the Water
3. #41
4. Lie in Our Graves
5. What Would You Say
6. Rapunzel
7. Stay (Wasting Time)

Tracks:

1. The Maker
2. Crash Into Me
3. Jimi Thing
4. So Much to Say
5. Too Much
6. Christmas Song
7. All Along the Watchtower

Amazon.com

This collection marks the fifth live Matthews collection in eight years. But while previous surveys have chronicled the band's nascent ambitions (Remember Two Things), initial fame (Live at Red Rocks), solo pretensions (Live at Luther College) and PBS-ready charms (Listener Supported), this double-disc set, recorded at the final show of their '98 tour, seems bent on formally crowning Matthews and company as arena-filling superstars--warts and all.

With a set listing culled largely from the pop-oriented Crash and more internationally experimental Before These Crowded Streets, the proceedings held some promise. But, like most arena bands before them, the DMB generally amps the nuances right out of the mix here. "The Last Stop" recalls where Led Zep's own world-music pretensions led them, while "Pantala Naga Pampa" skirts dangerously close to Kenny G. territory before finding its jazz-funk stride. Though they groove mightily and consistently throughout, the DMB's oft-criticized jam-band ethos often seems strangely burnished and studio-overdubbed to homogenous extremes here. And while legend Maceo Parker's sax further ignites the crowd-pleaser "What Would You Say," as guitarist and frequent Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds plays guest guitar god throughout, it's Matthews's own shamanic, oft-trancelike vocal excursions that barely keep this one from lapsing into DMB's McLive album. Try Budokan next time? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Not their best, but still a great live album.......2007-04-12

Live in Chicago is a great, tight live performance that displays how great DMB is live. The guests are fantastic; which includes Victor Wooten, Maceo Parker, and Tim Reynolds. I don't know why Amazon.com reviewer Jerry McCulley thinks that Pantala sounds anything close to Kenny G, it goes nowhere close. LeRoi Moore's soprano tone is much warmer and nicer than Kenny G's, that was an uncalled for comment.

Though this isn't as good a performance as say "The Gorge" or "Central Park", it still is a great one to have in your library. It is a great set and is well performed. The solo work done by Moore and Tinsley is fantastic as is the tight backings by Beauford and Lessard. Dave sings and plays great as usual. Though whenever I listen back to these older concerts, I do start to miss the great addition of Butch Taylor on keys, he certainly adds a nice new dimension and texture to the sound of the band. Still a great performance though, get it!

Brillant live album, DMB at their height........2006-11-24

This album is so good, from beginning to start, it has that energy that is so lacking in today's DMB. This is why I would stand in line for tickets and anticipate each album release. This DMB exists no more, they have become so watered down and lifeless. If you have never listened to Dave, this is THE definitive album for them. Shortly after this album, the shows became stagnant and the albums released become more paint by numbers that the next. I remember seeing a show after this where Dave was doing solo's...unreal!

I just wish they could recapture this energy, get back with Lillywhite, and quit making elevator music.

BUY THIS NOW!

Best Live Recording Ever.......2005-12-03

Even if, they had to re-record Boyd Tinsley's Violin parts.

I love this live CD, it is only for hardcore fans though, with a lot of BTCS.

Disc 1

1. Intro
*2. Last Stop 5/5
*3. Don't Drink the Water 5/5
*4. #41 5/5
*5. #40> 5/5
*6. Lie in our Graves 5/5
7. What Would You Say 5/5
8. Pantala Intro 4/5
9. Pantala Naga Pampa> 5/5
10. Rapunzel 5/5
11. Stay(Wasting Time) 5/5

Disc 2

1. The Maker 5/5
*2. Crash Into Me 5/5
*3. Jimi Thing 5/5
*4. So Much to Say 5/5
*5. Too Much 5/5
6. Christmas Song 5/5
7. Watchtower Intro 4.5/5
8. All Along the Watchtower 5/5

>= Segue to....

*= Reccomended Track

1= terrible 2= poor 3= decent 4= good 5= great

Best live album..... maybe.......2005-09-08

This is the first album that I bought. Well, second. I bought Everyday and my younger brother bought live Chicago at the same time on the way back from Myrtle Beach (traveling back to Ohio). We listened to Everyday maybe once and listened to this album almost nonstop. This was the first time that I heard DMB besides Space Between (the song that got me into the band is now one of my least favorite songs).
Last Stop is really good on this album, great energy. Don't drink the water is great, but I still think that Folsom Field has the best version of it (Folsom Field also has the best version of All Along the Watchtower - the ending is absolutly stunning, you've gotta hear it!) The song that stands out is #41. This song is my favorite upbeat DMB song, it's so smooth, and Victor Wooten guest stars and rips some phat solos on the bass. If you play bass, buy this album! This version of #41 far surpases all other version, just read the reviews. It's hot! Chrah is great, too. It's one of the better versions. Tim Reynolds play on most, if not all of the cd. So, if you play electric guitar, buy this album. It's hot!
All Along the Watchtower is a very good version, one of the best, and Too Much has so much energy. This is also the only cd where you can find the Maker.
Conclusion: This cd highlights the first 3 releases. It has less of a pop sound and more of a jazzy, bluesy, and rock sound.
If you want a cd that has a great collection of songs that include the more poppy stuff (digging a ditch, space between, big eyed fish, when the world ends, I did it, if I had it all) as well as some of the most energetic upbeat stuff (Don't Drink, Warehous, AATW, etc.) - buy the Folsom Field cd (one of the best -maybe better the Chicago, it has more catchy songs, but the good songs of Chicago outshine most every other album).
If you want the most expansive collection minus two staples (#41 and Crash) get the Central Park Concert. 20 songs, hours of music, possibly the best version of Don't Drink the Water, and the only cd with Cortez the Killer, a bluesy song that is one of the best guitar solo songs of all time (wicked 11 minute song that does't get old - Warren Haynes stars as one of the best blues guitarists of all time). This cd is in my opinion the best place for a newcomer to start, and an essential album for anyone that considers themselves even a casual fan.

complements Live at Red Rocks perfectly.......2005-04-18

and it is at least as good, sometimes even better. Both this one and Red Rocks have a completely different song list, which covers all of the band's best songs. If you are new to the band I strongly recommend you get Red Rocks first, and if you like it, get this one (believe me, they are both very much worth the price). While Red Rocks has a lot of songs from Under the Table and Dreaming, live in chicago has a lot from Crash. I can't believe so many people don't like this live set more; it completely rocks and is definitely not only for diehard fans. anyone can appreciate the extreme beauty in the music, especially "rapunzel" and "don't drink the water." I recommend this cd to anyone who wants to branch out in their music collection. Enjoy!

Average customer rating: Hip and swinging a great introduction to Kurt Elling What Is It, That Makes Kurt Elling So Hip? Uneven overall, but Kurt shines Simply sublime!

Live in Chicago Kurt Elling Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: This Time It's Love Man in the Air The Messenger Close Your Eyes Nightmoves ASIN: B00003W87S Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

1. Downtown
2. My Foolish Heart
3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
4. Oh My God
5. Night Dream
6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
7. Intro: (Esperanto)
8. Esperanto
9. Don't Get Scared
10. Intro: (Goin' To Chicago)
11. Goin' To Chicago
12. Intro: (The Rent Party)
13. The Rent Party
14. Blues Chaser

Amazon.com

Jazz singer Kurt Elling joins rapper Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys as one of the few current artists whose musical roots lie in divinity school. In that case, one could say Elling is continuing to "spread the gospel," only now his proselytizing has taken on a more secular bend. That's not to say that certain tracks on this disc like "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" don't still sound like the emanations of a man possessed by the spirit. It's just that now Elling isn't focusing on saving souls, he's trying to sing soulfully. Being in front of his hometown crowd helps, considering that the three-time Grammy nominee is already something of a local hero in Chicago, and it's obvious that the warm and adoring crowd brings out the ham in this slickster, who's emerged as the preeminent jazz singer in the post-young-lions era. Fitting in with that hegemony, Elling is more in the "velvet smog" tradition of a Mel Torme or Earl Grant than a hipster like Mose Allison. In fact when he attempts this type of bop prosody on "The Rent Party," it sounds pretentious and forced, despite the fact that the second half of this cut provides the best example of actual jazz on the LP: with a swinging rhythm provided by pianist Laurence Hobgood, bassist Rob Amster, and drummer Michael Raynor and honking solos by tenor players Von Freeman and Ed Petersen, these guys really cook. Hobgood, who is Elling's primary collaborator, provides ample support also on a version of Wayne Shorter's "Night Dream." Meanwhile, vocalese pioneer Jon Hendricks joins Elling for renditions of "Don't Get Scared" and "Goin' to Chicago." Unfortunately, Elling is least convincing when he scats. Then again, perhaps we should heed Elling's advice in the between-song banter: "Have another drink, because the more you drink the better we sound." --Joe S. Harrington

Customer Reviews:

Hip and swinging.......2007-01-25

Excellent vocal album;
his influences ranging from bop to Coltrane and beyond, Elling is versatile and technically very strong; more conservative jazz fans will miss the subtleties of timbre and interpretation lost in post-Jon Hendricks singing (modern singers, just as sax players, often lack the individuality of tone which was to classical jazzmen what modal changes and such are to them). But, hey, the big daddy of vocalese is one of guests on this album (although he shows his age, Hendricks is still a great joy to hear)!

Other guests are also fine (saxes are really cookin') and the pianist Hobgood is at least as versatile as Elling so, whether be it "My Foolish hart" of one of the more furious scatting bonanzas, you'll probably enjoy this very much live CD...

a great introduction to Kurt Elling.......2005-10-09

This was the furst Kurt Elling disc that I picked-up...what a fun record, although the music is why I like to play it so much.

It has a little taste of everything. I won't go into the track by track hightlights, but I like the overall program here very much.

Hobgood sound terrific on this, and I enjoyed the guest performances. Kurt's ballad performances are terrific, but then so are the cookers.

This record does a good job capturing the atmosphere of a night at the Green Mill, which is a favorite Chi-town nightspot due to it's unique atmosphere coupled with the opportunity of seeing some great jazz talent in a smaller venue.

However, it's definitely the music that keeps me coming back.

Shawn

What Is It, That Makes Kurt Elling So Hip?.......2003-05-24

Okay. You are all probably sick of me saying this, but you know what? Too bad, so sad, because there are three more sides left to do plus one more hitting stores this July (I believe). So let's get through this together, shall we? What is it about this cat that we've come to as Kurt Elling that makes him all that? His wild scat solos? His quirky take on the beat scene's poetry? His lyrical profuseness? His innovative and profound "rants"? The arrangements and concepts he and his pianist Laurence Hobgood dream up. The Swingin' accompaniment provide by an excellent and groovy rhythm section? Or is it crooner style ballads? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and probably allot more. So what's left for such a hip player to prove. Can he do it live? I saw Kurt Elling live for the first time in June of 2002. Not his typical show mind you (he shared the stage with Jazz vocal greats Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy, and Kevin Mahogany), but a very good taste of The Elling experience. But until Live At Chicago hit stores there was no solid proof to say to critics, "Yes, that hip cat can really blow." Now, for those who have never had the honor of digging one Elling's hip sets this provides a snap shot of a night at Elling's home town hot spot. A leftover dive from the dangerous days of Al Capone. In fact The Green Mill was actually owned by Capone at one point in time. Elling is joined by Laurence and the rest of the trio (Rob Amster on Bass and Michael Raynor on Drums), along with Tenor Saxophonists, Von Freeman, Ed Peterson, and Eddie Johnson, Percussionist Kahil El'zabar, and The Godfather of Vocalese, Jon Hendricks in a symbolic passing of the torch to Elling as the new King of Swing. A brief breakdown this time. I promise.
1. Downtown. Written by Yellowjackets Keyboardist Russell Ferrante for the record Politics. Elling gives a wonderful scat rendition as he jokingly encourages the house to "Sing along."
2. My Foolish Heart. This was the opener for Elling's last side, but he has mentioned in interviews that he frequently opens shows with it as well so it is quite fitting to see it here close to the front end of the set list. Included in this cut is a poem by St. John of the Cross which Elling recites with improvised melody over the Hobgood's airy piano.
3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Soft and bittersweet with a vocalese over Keith Jarrett's piano coda. Brilliant!
4. Oh My God. Okay, I was the first question the fact that Kurt Elling would to a Police cut, but lest we forget, Sting also has roots in jazz and with Kahil El'zabar's hand drums it just a sweet funk groove that the group creates.
5. Night Dream. Originally Night Dreamer by Wayne Shorter from his album of the same name. Elling spins some over powering vocalese on us here folks.
6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons. A Nat King Cole standard during which Elling not only expresses the perfect ballad emotions in his voice but stuns the audience along with anyone who listens to this cut as he holds out a note for a staggeringly large amount of time.
7-8. Esperanto. Not technically a Vocalese, but just as skillfully done as if it were. Originally titled Esperança, Elling gives an intriguing introduction about how the new title came to be.
9. Don't Get Started. Jon Hendricks enters the stage and pass Elling the torch. Singing a Stand Getz Vocalese written by Hendricks and his Mentor, King Pleasure, Hendricks does Pleasure's part well Elling wails on the line written by Hendricks.
10-11. Goin' to Chicago. As Hendricks states, this is a Jazz Anthem. Kurt sings the Vocalese around the melody, nicely put down by Hendricks. On a side note, I saw them perform this at a later date. It is truly Jazz History in the making.
12-13. The Rent Party. A groovy little Lord Buckley tribute about a tradition the stems from the very roots of Jazz in America. Elling spins some wild stuff while hips us to dig the three Tenors on the stage.
14. Blues Chaser. A goodbye over blues changers. Elling introduces the band as the close this hip and happenin' set of music.
Whether he's in the studio, or on the stage, Kurt Elling is clearly the voice of Jazz Vocalese.

Uneven overall, but Kurt shines.......2002-06-06

There's a lot of converts to Kurt Elling nowadays, a superb and charming jazz singer and a fantastic performer. This live record features a lot of blistering music and some truly astonishing musical moments.

The feeling, overall, is intense! Not just in the obvious ways, i.e. fast and loud that seem to have overwhelmed some of Mr. Ellings least perceptive fans [see bizarre negative reviews of his masterful "Flirting with Twilight"]. There's plenty of the obvious intensity, especially in his performance of his vocalise on Wayne Shorter's Night Dreamer, which is bravura. There's also the beautiful "Esperanto," which displays Kurt's wit on the introduction, and some wonderfully evocative lyrics based on Pablo Neruda. The real showpiece, though, is his interpolation of "The Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross into 'My Foolish Hear,' which works in sophisticated ways musically, from major diatonic harmonies to minor modal style and back again, and also lyrically and dramatically. Think of the concept alone! Daring, exploratory and extraordinarily successful.

Where the CD fails the last star is in the band and overall structure. The drummer is weak, and that detracts from the overall lustre, and the sense of the recording is incomplete, that we've caught a set that needs to be rounded by some further tunes to really come together. Although all that really does is leave one wanting to hear more of the leading contemporary jazz singer!

Simply sublime!.......2002-04-24

Kurt Elling is without a doubt one of the most compelling and versatile jazz singers out there. Why the official reviewer (Joe Harrington) fails to recognize this is beyond me.

I first happened upon Kurt Elling when he was performing at a small club in Oakland, California about 8 years ago. Since that time I have become an avid Kurt Elling fan (I had the pleasure of seeing him perform twice this year!)

This particular recording is one of my favorites. Elling's rendition of My Foolish Heart - jazzy, fresh - it is extraordinary. The smooth, seamless quality of his voice in Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is reminiscent of early Sinatra as other reviewers have commented. And for pure inspirational content, my vote goes to Esparanto, where Elling let's his roots in divinity school come out and play.

Elling is a gracious and soul stirring performer and I love this album

Average customer rating: THE BEST !!! Simpl;y the Best !!!! Give It A Chance Wonderful

Project Praise: Live in Atlanta Chicago Mass Choir Manufacturer: New Haven ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Live Recordings | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Similar Items: Not by Might Nor by Power Live at the Fellowship It's All About You Hide Me Finale Act II ASIN: B0007NMKLC Release Date: 2005-03-08

Tracks:

1. Introduction - Reggie Gay
2. Lord We Come to Give You Praise
3. Whatever You Want (God's Got It)
4. I Give You All the Praise
5. We've Come to Lift You Up
6. I Pray We'll Be Ready
7. Jesus Promised
8. We Exalt Your Name
9. He's Working It Out for Your Good
10. Oh Taste and See
11. What a Fellowship
12. God's Been Good
13. I'm So Glad I Found Him

Customer Reviews:

THE BEST !!!.......2006-02-24

This was my first 'Chicago Mass Choir' album.
It was simply the BEST !!! From the beginning to the end, I could not stop praising the LORD Jesus !

I highly recommand this CD to every heart-devoted Christian!
I also recommand this CD to everyone who want to know Jesus !

I also bought other Chicago Mass Choir's CD. Yes, all of them are GREAT, but this one is the BEST !

Simpl;y the Best !!!!.......2005-09-06

This has to be the best CD that The Chicago Mass Choir has ever made. The CD is full of energy and I would rate it the #1 Gospel Choir CD of 2005. My favorite is "Jesus Promised". But I also really like "Lord We Come to Praise You", "I Pray that I'll be Ready", and "We Give You all the Praise." The entire album allows you to "get your praise on"!!!

Give It A Chance.......2005-08-03

This is a really good CD, it is just one of those you have to really give it a chance to get good. At first, I was really disappointed until I warmed up to the songs. Now I love it.

My favorite song is "I Pray We'll Be Ready."

Wonderful.......2005-03-26

Chicago Mass Choir has been recording for 15 years, and they have yet to put out anything less than an A+ effort. "Project Praise" is no exception.

Everything you love about CMC is present on this set: encouraging lyrics, powerful vocals, traditional arrangements, strong melodies and hooks, and the good "feeling" that you get when you listen to traditional Chicago gospel.

I am also VERY pleased to report that the horrible oxidized sound that affected some of the songs on the previous release is not here. New Haven Music got it together for the choir this time, and the sound quality on this set is flawless.

If I could change just one thing, it would be to replace the two covers of their older songs (the last two on the album) with two new ones we haven't heard before. These versions are fine, but they do not improve upon the originals; nor do they offer anything new in the arrangements. But at least this way new fans can hear these gems for the first time.

I am so glad that artists like the Chicago Mass Choir are here to consistently give us good ... no, make that GREAT ... church music. "Project Praise" is yet another job well done.

Average customer rating: RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "Chicago native, comes home "LIVE" to play the blues!" Great Blues Album From Late Guitar Slinger Luther Allison Blues Star Makes His Own Way Foreign and Comes Home To the States for a Huge Comback Like We've Never Seen! Luther Is The Man Fantastic

Live in Chicago Luther Allison Manufacturer: Alligator Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Chicago Blues | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Rock Guitarists | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Alligator Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Chicago Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Luther's Blues Reckless Bad News Is Coming Blue Streak Soul Fixin' Man ASIN: B00000JWP7 Release Date: 1999-08-24

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. Soul Fixin' Man
3. Cherry Red Wine
4. Move From The Hood
5. Bad Love
6. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
7. Big City
8. Give Me Back My Wig
9. It Hurts Me Too
10. Medley: Gambler's Blues/Sweet Little Angel

Tracks:

1. Party Time
2. All The King's Horses
3. What Have I Done Wrong?
4. Walking Papers
5. Think With Your Heart
6. What's Going On In My Home?
7. Will It Ever Change?
8. You're Gonna Make Me Cry
9. Everything's Gonna Be All Right

Amazon.com

The blues world lost a treasure when Luther Allison died in 1997, just as he was finally garnering the recognition he so richly deserved. If there's any question of that, this live album, recorded at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival and at Buddy Guy's Legends, will dispel any such notion. A performer and songwriter of the first order, Allison had the sort of mastery of his instrument that comes from long experience; whether rolling off licks on the "Gambler's Blues/Sweet Little Angel" medley, or playing extended solos on "All the King's Horses," Allison's on the ball and in control at all times. This album contains mostly newer material previously recorded for Alligator Records, like "Soul Fixin' Man," "Bad Love," "All the King's Horses," and "What Have I Done Wrong?" Overall, this is an excellent memorial to a musician who should be remembered. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "Chicago native, comes home "LIVE" to play the blues!".......2007-01-23

It's unfortunate that Luther had to leave America and go to Europe to make a living, due to lack of interest in America. When he was invited to come home to Chicago for the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival, he came back with a vengeance! This DOUBLE CD, YES DOUBLE! Is a gem and a bargain. There is not one weak song on these CD's. Part of the performances take place at Buddy Guy's, Legend's nightclub. In addition, to the above, he teams up with his idol OTIS RUSH, ON A 10 MINUTE AND 25 SECOND tour de force of "GAMBLER'S BLUES/SWEET LITTLE ANGEL"! This CD (S) is on my 20 greatest electric blues guitar CD list.

Great Blues Album From Late Guitar Slinger Luther Allison.......2006-05-07

Luther Allison died just as he was on the verge of gaining the recognition in America that he so greatly wanted and richly deserved.

Live in Chicago features a broad range of guitar playing, from the straight-ahead blues playing on Soul Fixing Man and Cherry Red Wine, to great slide playing on Give Me Back My Wig, to plaintive singing and playing on Big City and You're Going To Make Me Cry.

Luther Allison is more than another tragic story of great talent lost too soon. On Live In Chicago, he proves that he has achieved music immortality with the skill, heart, and talent of someone whose music will be celebrated forever.

Blues Star Makes His Own Way Foreign and Comes Home To the States for a Huge Comback Like We've Never Seen!.......2006-03-26

Picture this: a blues musician that started out emulating BB King's licks eventually takes over Freddy King's band in Chicago at the peak of when blues are hot! He then goes on to become the only blues musician to record for Motown (at the same time Marvin Gaye is laying down hits!)and not only that his Motown album becomes the highest sold from an unknown's first album ever. To juice up the story a bit more let us say he is the only guitarist that can effectively have a full conversation with his guitar and to in 1960 break the sound barrier with later day Mariah Carey screams! Too good to be true?

Well Luther Allison accomplished that and much more in the '60s when he left America for a much better appreciative crowd for the blues in Paris. He stayed there till this album where he came back to his roots in Chicago for the first time in ages, and well listen for yourself he blew their minds with his intense playing (he was known for his scorching 4 hour no mercy shows), and he had no holdbacks about singing about serious issues at all very shocking to blues world at the time and still shocking to this day. I can't say enough about Luther Allison, and still I couldn't say enough in 10 lifetimes about this one particular album it is the culmination of everthing. It is the one must own, it captures a lifetime of a great man in one setting what more could you ask for?

Luther Is The Man.......2005-04-08

This Live Blues set from 1995 shortly before his death is a classic. Luther's guitar style has several sounds. His Chicago Blues style with lots of horns, to his party band sound, as well as several slide sets, this is a very impressive album. His 'Gimme Back My Wig' is a slide extravaganta. My favorite, 'All The King's Horses' is a searing, blistering nearly 12 minute version that leaves you panting for more. We will enjoy this one for years to come. This set is truly a masterpiece.

Fantastic.......2005-04-01

I'll add my voice to the chorus of fans. This is one of the best recordings of modern Chicago blues, and one of the best live albums ever.

Average customer rating: A Band That Will Blow Your Mind Concert movies The best live band of the last 10 years So-so Ween Simply Amazing

Live in Chicago Ween Manufacturer: Sanctuary Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Comedy Rock | Comedic Music | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paintin' The Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98 Shinola, Vol. 1 Chocolate and Cheese The Pod White Pepper ASIN: B0001XANSU Release Date: 2004-05-04

Tracks:

1. Take Me Away
2. The Grobe
3. Transdermal Celebration
4. Even If You Don't
5. Voodoo Lady
6. The H.I.V. Song
7. Baby Bitch
8. Roses Are Free
9. Mutilated Lips
10. Chocolate Town
11. I'll Be Your Johnny On Th' Spot
12. Buckingham Green
13. Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down
14. Pork Roll Egg And Cheese
15. The Argus
16. Zoloft
17. Ocean Man

Customer Reviews:

A Band That Will Blow Your Mind.......2007-05-10

Though they got no significant airplay - and Beavis & Butthead even proclaimed, "These guys have no future..." Ween are one of the most creative and simply AWESOME live acts of the alternative rock era.

This CD/DVD is all about the musicianship. From sea shanties to '70s rock to twisted nursery rhymes to punk-rock freakouts, these guys give you everything you need. And, on the DVD, the "All of My Love" Led Zeppelin cover is note-perfect.

Buy this for the concert CD and stay for the DVD, and you will get a wonderful musical experience.

Concert movies.......2005-04-13

Concert movies tend to suck, the very fact that it's recorded and you're watching it in your living room breaks with what's happening, and they tend to end up feeling "guh." You can't feel the energy in the room, you can't look where you would normally look (take a glance at a person around you and you can see how they react) so all of that "ambience" is lost.

I used to do the ween website before they did their own, so I'm biased here, but Ween is such a great live band and it totally shows on this DVD. Their craftsmanship is top notch.

I would agree with the other reviewer about the energy level and level of showmanship being lower than a typical ween show, I think the fact that the cameras were present has a lot to do with that.

The best live band of the last 10 years.......2004-11-22

Yeah, maybe the concert is only 3 stars, when compared to other Ween shows (like Live At Stubbs or Live In Toronto), but it's 5 stars compared to any other music concert DVD available. It's a very good Ween concert and includes songs from all of their CD's. The bonus audio CD really adds to the value of this package. Their range as a band is amazing. They skillfully swoop from metal to country to 70's jam rock to cabaret to jangle rock with scary ease. Dean Ween is our generation's Jimi Hendrix. He is THAT good. His solos are like train wrecks crossed with airplane landings. The band's version of Led Zeppelin's "All Of My Love" is a dead-on, perfect replica, and it alone makes this worth purchase. There aren't many bands around today that can equal Ween with live performing talent. A few that are in their realm are Los Lobos, the Mekons, Primal Scream, Wilco, Midnight Oil (they were, at least, until their recent breakup), the Roots, and that's about it. Ween should be selling millions of records. Don't miss out on one of the era's best groups.

So-so Ween.......2004-11-07

I've been waiting for a live Ween DVD for a while; I've seen them live many times, and I have all of their albums.

This performance just didn't seem very inspired and didn't have the energy that I've seen live (especially around the Mollusk-era). I have Ween bootlegs on horrible quality VHS that are much more entertaining than this "official" DVD. I guess that's what makes it so disappointing.

Also, the lack of special features - the video for "Transdermal Celebration" looked like a slightly-above-mediocre quality Flash animation... why not put some of the old videos on the disc (Voodoo Lady-that was a good one).

At any rate, they just cancelled their fall tour due to a "long-time problem" one of the members in the group was having (most likely drug-related), so they're supposedly taking time to deal with that.

Perhaps they'll clean up and bring a new energy to their music...

...or perhaps they'll clean up and start to suck as bad as post-rehab Stone Temple Pilots. Let's hope not.

Simply Amazing.......2004-05-26

Ween has always been a great live band, and they've shown that since their first official live CD release "Paintin' The Town Brown". Since then there has been a steady supply of live Ween; including the 3 disc set "Live at Stubbs," "Live in Toronto" touring for their country album, and now "Live in Chicago" with a DVD. This DVD is spectacular. Mastered in 5.1 surround and great picture quality. They change the songs so much, refusing to recreate the studio album version of the song. This makes the concert so much fun and instresting to watch. They change instruments, lyrics, add/change sound effects; it's fantastic. And Dean must be one of the greatest guitarists in music today; some of those solos were just sick, such as "I'll be your Johnny on the spot" or "Voodoo lady"; just tearing up every song with some killer lead guitar. Also, a great cover of Led Zeppelin's "All of my love". This is a must own for Ween lovers, and for anyone who appreciates good music and a great live performance.

Average customer rating: Great Live Blues Album Must have, but.... OOOOOOOTTTTIIIS RRRUUUUSSSHHHH !!!!!! Awesome Blues Power Buy this CD. The sound is superb. There are no clunkers here

So Many Roads: Live in Concert Otis Rush Manufacturer: Delmark ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Chicago Blues | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music Rock Guitarists | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Right Place, Wrong Time Essential Collection: The Classic Cobra Recordings 1956-1958 All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at The Wise Fools Pub Chicago [Live] Cold Day in Hell Otis Rush - Live at Montreux 1986 ASIN: B000004BJP Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. Introduction
2. Will My Woman Be Home Tonight (Blue Guitar)
3. Everyday I Have The Blues
4. I Can't Quit You, Baby
5. Crosscut Saw
6. Looking Back (Take A Look Behind)
7. Chitlins Con Carne
8. I've Got News For You
9. Mean Old World
10. All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
11. So Many Roads
12. Gambler's Blues
13. Three Times A Fool

Customer Reviews:

Great Live Blues Album.......2007-03-31

Otis Rush is one of those great blues artists whose guitar playing is matched only by his great voice.

This CD is taken from live perfomances in Japan from 1975. The crowd was obviously into the music, and Otis delivers on cuts such as Chitlins Con Carne, Crosscut Saw, Mean Old World, and the title cut, which isn't as haunting here as it was on the original studio recording, but great nonetheless.

This a great CD to have in your collection, and Otis Rush is a blues player that deserves his legendary status among the greatest blues guitarists ever recorded.

Must have, but...........2005-12-21

I have looked for this cd for years, and finally have it in my collection. All Your Love is one of my fav blues tunes. BUT... Otis does not have the most perfect timing.... Check out his turn arounds... The recording also has feedback on his guitar - not the good kind of feedback... Yes, I really like Otis and have many of his recordings. His studio recordings are more polished. This is one to have in your collection, but only if you are a true Otis fan. Pick up some of his studio recordings to get started before you get this one.

OOOOOOOTTTTIIIS RRRUUUUSSSHHHH !!!!!!.......2003-11-26

This album is a must have for fans of blues guitar, or just great blues music. Otis Rush is a force to reckoned with on this album, his guitar is alive in his hands and sings, squeals and grunts at times. His singing is powerful, and always tasteful.
Right from the opening track his 'blue guitar' hits the mark and never waivers. All Your Love is well done, and I also loved that he did a version of Kenny Burrell's Chitlin's Con Carne !!! very cool !
Otis Rush is awesome and certainly lives up to his nick-name as 'King of Singing String.'

Awesome Blues Power.......2002-08-30

Here is some of the most perfect blues guitar playing you will ever hear. There's even a smokin' version of Kenny Burrell's Chitlins Con Carne. You can hear the warmth & slight crackle of the tubes in Otis'amp. Tone to the bone. Majestic vibrato. Spine tingling singing. Otis' only living equal in this music (that I can think of right now) is Buddy Guy. I have several Otis Rush CD's. Highest recommendation to this one, Right Place, Wrong Time, and Cold Day in Hell (if it's still in print, I'm not sure). Blues Power.

Buy this CD. The sound is superb. There are no clunkers here.......2001-07-27

You can feel his guitar sing beautifuly on every track. His vibrato is second to none. If you like it, get "Right Place Wrong Time".

Average customer rating: Not the best of 'live Otis Rush' Otis Rush's Soundtrack to his first DVD RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I GOT AN ELECTRIC "RUSH" WHEN I FOUND THESE GOLDEN BLUES!"

Otis Rush Live and In Concert from San Francisco Otis Rush Manufacturer: Blues Express ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music Similar Items: Live at Theresa's 1975 Otis Rush - Live at Montreux 1986 All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at The Wise Fools Pub Chicago [Live] Got to Get Over You Jr Boy Live ASIN: B000FP2ZJ4 Release Date: 2006-10-17

Tracks:

1. I Wonder Why
2. All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
3. It's My Own Fault
4. 717
5. I Can't Quit You Baby
6. Feel So Bad
7. Got My Mojo Working

Customer Reviews:

Not the best of 'live Otis Rush' .......2007-04-21

This cd is taken from the dvd from Bluesexpress: Otis Rush, live part 1. So nothing new for the Otis Rush fan. The accompanying band is too big giving a too sophisticated feeling. It shows Otis Rush in his later years, still going strong but for an even stronger and more intimate Otis Rush I recommend "Live in Europe", the best album of Otis Rush ever. Also "Live at the Wise Fools pub Chicago" is better then this bluesexpress performance.

Otis Rush's Soundtrack to his first DVD.......2007-04-11

Well like Albert King, Otis Rush is an unorthodox guitarist, he plays his axe upside down. This CD is also a bit upside down. Unlike his Montreux release with Eric Clapton last year, this set is a new release of Rush's Blues Express concert in San Francisco (Part One) which was released a couple of years ago on DVD. The interesting thing about that is that Part Two never has been released. This set has one tune that is not on the DVD "Feel So Bad". The sound quality is great and the tunes are largely the same as most of Otis' other live albums (except the Wise Fool's Pub release in 2005 a gem from the Delmark vaults).

The absolute highlight of this set is the Band. They are great and really enhance Rush's sound, its the best band he ever played with (I have all of Otis' released material going back to Cobra and Chess Records). The keyboardist is fantastic and he can also be seen with Buddy Guy in his Montreux set released last year. Bobby Murray, who played with Rush on his best ever "Live" release "Tops" is on hand (he is from the Bay Area) to play on "Mojo Working". Overall the sound is great. Otis is 65 years old on this disc and still playing good. His signature "lazy vibrato" is fabulous and his is still playing his Gibson 335/355 guitars.

The tunes are Rush's standard fare but they have the Big Band enhancement. "All Your Love" (I Miss Loving- often tagged onto the title so it isn't confused with Magic Sam's "All Your Love" from West Side Soul) is a definate highlight. It features the arrangement of this song that he used after his "Live And Awesome" (1996) release. It is his best interpretation of his signature tune, the one he wrote in a car on the way to the Cobra recording sessions. And the song most of us first heard Eric Clapton play blues with John Mayall. B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" is another superb slow blues outing, recorded by Rush many times (also a highlight of the Montreux DVD!). All in all this is an excellent Blues CD from one of the two remaining West Side masters. A very good documentary on the latter styles of Otis Rush as he hasn't been playing much since the Chicago Blues Festival in 2002 due to a heart condition.

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I GOT AN ELECTRIC "RUSH" WHEN I FOUND THESE GOLDEN BLUES!".......2007-01-24

This weekend (1/20/07) I was hankering for a new infusion of great electric blues, to add to my extensive collection. I went to my local CD/book store (name withheld to protect amazon.com) and was amazed to find, that their tiny, blues section, was even tinier! It didn't even have the cardboard blues sign up anymore. There weren't even any monthly new release CD's displayed. So as I truly got the blues, I just, as a last ditch effort, started thumbing through, every CD, at "WARP" speed, with one foot almost out the door. Like a sign from heaven, I noticed a multi-colored CD cover with, Otis Rush on it. I gulped, and silently said to myself, "I haven't seen this before!" and since half the head sets, at the un-named retail location, were broken in half, and the other half didn't work, (and the ones broken in half, one half ear set, didn't work) I took a chance and bought this CD without hearing nary a note! I zoomed home and put it in my stereo. Now, if you're one of Shaq's loyal blues review readers, you know the first thing you're worried about on a live CD, (The release date on the CD was 2006, and yet I never heard of it. The concert was December18, 1999, a date you could not find out, unless you bought the CD and opened it!) Is the sound quality? (See prior Shaq reviews!) Well, the sound was loud and crystal clear! The second thing, Shaq is worried about, is "YOU CAN'T GET THE BLUES IN 2-3 MINUTES!" Well, there are 7 songs with a total playing time of 52 minutes! Hoo! Haa! Every single song on this is great. The music, the voice, the feeling with the crowd! Whoever released this CD below the radar should be fired! This CD is an instant electric blues classic! I am told by amazon.com that I am the first person to review this! If that's the case, this review should break the record for the most "THIS REVIEW WAS HELPFUL!" votes! I have played it twice already, all the way through, to make sure I wasn't dreaming! I'm not. In fact as I wrote this review I pinched myself. Ouch! I have already called a blues-friend of mine, and said go buy this. You should too! SUMMARY: IT'S LOUD! IT'S CLEAR! IT'S LIVE! THE GUITAR STRINGS ARE BENDING! AND THE VOICE IS CLEAR! YOU ALL HEARD IT HERE FIRST! SHAQ SAYS A FIVE STAR CLASSIC!

Average customer rating: YES!!!

Live in Europe Otis Rush Manufacturer: Evidence ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Chicago Blues | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Blues | Styles | Music Rock Guitarists | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Chicago Blues | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: So Many Roads: Live in Concert Ain't Enough Comin' In Cold Day in Hell Right Place, Wrong Time All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live at The Wise Fools Pub Chicago [Live] ASIN: B0000014P1 Release Date: 1993-11-29

Tracks:

1. Cut You Loose
2. All Your Love
3. You're Breaking My Heart
4. I Wonder Why
5. Feel So Bad
6. Society Woman/Love Is Just A Gamble
7. Crosscut Saw
8. I Can't Quit You Baby
9. I'm Tore Up
10. Looking Back

Customer Reviews:

YES!!!.......2001-03-09

I love Otis and this is just a fine recording of him live. He's famously erratic, but there's some great playing and an even greater vibe on this. He hasn't been recorded anywhere near enough and half of the stuff out there proves it. This is from that half. Buy it!

Average customer rating: Will bear the test of time Hurry, buy this

Down in the Delta Paul Oscher Manufacturer: Blues Fidelity ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Similar Items: Alone With the Blues Delta Hardware Blues According to Zacariah Think of Me Nickels & Dimes ASIN: B000A1IKOW Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

1. Driftin' Blues
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Blues and Trouble
4. 32-20 Blues
5. Blues Before Sunrise
6. Deborah's Baby
7. Sugar Mama
8. Take A Little Walk
9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
10. I'm Goin' Away Baby
11. So Lonesome
12. You're Still My Baby
13. What A Friend We Have In Jesus
14. Georgia

Album Description

Blues singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Paul Oscher's Down in the Delta was recorded live "the old-school way"--with no overdubs--and features Oscher on vocals, harmonica, guitar, piano and melodica with special guests including Levon Helm (drums), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (drums), Calvin Jones (bass) and David Maxwell (piano). Down in the Delta captures the no-frills, down-in-the-alley, gutbucket, lowdown and lonesome deep blues of Oscher's live performances.

Paul Oscher first came to national attention as Muddy Waters' harmonica player from 1967-1972 (following in the footsteps of Little Walter, Junior Wells, James Cotton and Big Walter Horton). The first white musician to become a full-time member of a world-class black blues band, Muddy treated Oscher like a son. Oscher shared the basement in Muddy's southside Chicago home with the great Otis Spann. Working alongside Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Sammy Lawhorn, Pee Wee Madison and S.P. Leary, Oscher learned deep Blues phrasing and timing. He learned to play slide guitar from Muddy--literally by looking over Muddy's shoulder--and piano from Otis Spann.

"I certainly draw from the time I was on the road with Muddy and the experiences I had living on the southside. I give thanks everyday for that--it's the biggest gift of my life and it's given me my foundation..."

Brooklyn, New York native Paul Oscher started playing the blues at the age of twelve when his uncle gave him a harmonica. By the time he was fifteen, he had hooked up with guitarist/singer Little Jimmy Mae and was playing professionally in soul revues at black clubs around NYC including the Baby Grand, The 521 Cub, Seville Lounge and the Nitecap.

Still in his early teens, Oscher met Muddy Waters back stage at the Apollo Theatre in the mid-l960's. A couple years later, Muddy came to New York without a harp player. Oscher sat in with the band and played two numbers: "Baby Please Don't Go" and "Blow Winds Blow." Muddy hired him on the spot.

With the Muddy Waters Blues Band, Oscher toured the US and abroad and played a range of venues from the rough and tumble juke joints of the chitlin' circuit to the major concert stages of the world. During that time he backed up blues luminaries John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker, Son House, Fred McDowell, Lightning Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, Albert King, Magic Sam and Big Mama Thornton. Oscher recorded a number of albums with Muddy for the legendary Chess Records label.

Paul Oscher toured with Muddy's band till late 1971 when he left to form his own band under the name Brooklyn Slim. In 1976, he toured Europe with Louisiana Red and continued fronting his own band in the New York area in addition to backing up Big Joe Turner, Doc Pomus, Victoria Spivey, Big Walter Horton and Johnny Copeland.

In the '80s, Oscher quit music and got a day job. But the blues kept calling and in 1992 he hooked up with piano players David Maxwell and Bob Gaddy and his old drummer Candy McDonald and started playing again. Still performing under the moniker Brooklyn Slim, Oscher recorded for Mojo Productions and Lollipop Records. In 1994, Paul toured the US with Jimmy Rogers and the Muddy Waters Tribute Band.

In 1995 Oscher released his first solo CD, The Deep Blues of Paul Oscher, for Blues Planet Records. His follow-up, Knockin' on the Devil's Door (Viceroy Records), received a W.C. Handy Award nomination. In 2000, Paul Oscher received the L.A. Music Award for "Outstanding Blues Artist of the Year." Oscher's Alone with the Blues (2004/Electro-Fi Records), was nominated for four 2005 W.C. Handy Awards: "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year", "Blues Song of the Year", "Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year" and "Instrumentalist of the Year - Harmonica".

Paul Oscher appears on Mos Def's release New Danger (October 2004) and is a featured guest on the Mannish Boys' CD on Delta Groove (November 2004). Oscher appears on Mark Hummel and Johnny Dyer's Muddy Waters tribute CD Rollin' Fork Revisited (Mountain Top Records/November 2004) and is featured on the January 2005 Hubert Sumlin release About them Shoes (Tone Cool/Artemis) along with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Levon Helm.

Nowadays, multi-instrumentalist Oscher performs primarily as a solo artist. "I really dig playing alone, I follow my own time, my feet are my drummer and I can play the harmonica and guitar together like the way I want to, and I can change up in the middle of a number without having to rehearse anyone. Plus me and the band is getting along real good. I don't have to worry about nobody getting drunk or not showing up for the gig and the only one I argue with is myself. Yeah, except for the guitar player--he's always fightin' with the harp, the harp player gets all the women".

There are only a handful of artists left that can carry on the tradition of the deep blues and Paul Oscher's one of them. "When I was a young man I played other peoples blues. Now that I'm older, I write and play my own and when I play a blues classic, I put my own stamp on it. And I always keep that lowdown and lonesome feelin' I learned in Muddy Waters' band--I keep it real and in the moment."

Customer Reviews:

Will bear the test of time.......2006-12-25

this is a great blues cd offfered at a time when most blues records have been diluted in an age of digital manipulation. This cd is old school in everyway and refreshing to that extent, great music, great artist. no wonder this cd won the 2006 blues music award (handy award) for "acoustic album of the Year" A totaly fulfilling blues experience.

Hurry, buy this.......2006-08-23

Traditional and modern, at the same time. It has a live sound because it is essentially live in the studio. I'm guessing that no computers were used to make this music. What a joy.

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