van ronk folk blues and ragtime
349967
For the Van Ronk fans out there, a must have.  He has two other instructional books available, both recommended. Van Ron had a way of imitating others staying true to the intent of the original but making it his own.  This video tome will give you a window into that style.  Buy it by all means.
1173955
I previously owned several JCY albums from the 70s, was not aware of this mid-60s lp, it is Jesse doing folk/blues, just him and his guitar, very musical and enjoyable.  A must for JCY songs.
1447434
Koko Taylor was great gift for those of us who love the blues.  This album is outstanding.  The recording is excellent and the sound quality is superior.
1523282
Enjoyed this cd. Not my favorite but a nice arrangement of rags and played well by Rifkin.
4697918
I have been a fan of Bruce Molsky, but it wasn't until recently that I began to find several of his albums, and this was yet another wonderful album, if you are a fan of old-time music, then I highly recommend this one. I especially loved his renditions of "Peg & Awl", and "I Truly Understand", and I also learned a few new songs as well, with my favorite of these being, "Fishin' Blues".
4435716
Even though the Cash Box Kings have made a few albums over the past decade or so, you might not have heard of them. But the band's unique approach to old blues material has won them plaudits and awards,

Now they have a new CD -- for the first time on a national label -- and if you're a blues fan, you owe it to yourself to give them a listen.

The album, "Holler and Stomp" (Blind Pig Records) is a gem of a CD, filled with original and classic tracks that tie together, in the words of harpist, singer and songwriter Joe  Nosek, "the various byways where traditional 'blues' and 'country' intersect."

Now it's one thing to say you're interested in this old music, and even to be able to play a few of the tunes with some accuracy. But it's another thing entirely to to be able to re-create the originals and write new material that's faithful to this 1940s and '50s style, and do it with authentic vitality.

What kind of music are we talking about? The songs they cover give a hint: Jagger & Richards' take on an old blues style, "Off the Hook," Muddy Waters' "Feel Like Going Home," Lightnin' Hopkins' "Katie Mae," Ray Sharpe's "Oh My Baby's Gone" and Hank Williams' "Blues Come Around." The Waters tune is a old country blues that predates his Chicago years; Hopkins was a master of old country blues; Sharpe has reportedly been described as a "black rockabilly player," and the "greatest white-sounding black dude ever"; and of course Hank Williams was simply the legendary Hank Williams.

So the CBK are in fine company. And the stuff they've created on their own sounds just as good. There are a couple of refreshing instrumentals: "Hayseed Strut," with a great, thumping standup bass, and "Tribute to the Black Lone Ranger" (James Ramsey), with more bass and Lone-Rangerish harp work.

Then there are rousing cuts like the title track, and a swampy Slim Harpo throwback, band original, "That's My Gal."

Who's in the band? There seems to be a rotating cast of characters, all of whom fit smoothly into the mix: Founding father Joe Nosek, harp & vocals; Oscar Wilson, Chicago blues singer; Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, drums; Joel Paterson, guitar; Billy Flynn, guitar; Jimmy Sutton, upright bass & vocals; Barrelhouse Chuck, keyboards; Chris "CB" Boeger, electric bass; Alex Hall, drums & piano.

All this is just a very wordy way of saying -- these guys are really good. Buy this album.
388372
Eric Clapton fans will love this latest release. Great guitar solos. Some old standards and, as always, a taste of the blues.
3424496
Dave Van Ronk is an awesome and underrated folk musician. He's a fine guitar player with a full gruff voice. One of my favorite aspects of Van Ronk's music is that the blues manage to infiltrate his songs. This is his first album which was also released as Black Mountain Blues and Gambler's Blues, so if you already own those albums, you don't need to pick this one up unless you're a nutty completest like I am. The bottom line: you can't go wrong with a Dave Van Ronk album.

So why the three stars? The execution of this repress is poor. Despite the fact that this album is repressed on a thick vinyl, the vinyl itself comes statically charged within a heavy and glossy paper sleeve. When you pull the album out for the first time, you are bound to make some very faint scratches/ marks. These marks may be only visible under a bright light, but they are definitely audible on your turntable. It doesn't help that Van Ronk's music is so soft and spacious. This also holds true of the repress of Van Ronk's second album, Dave Van Ronk Sings Vol. 2, which is also pressed by the same company. The repress of Inside Dave Van Ronk is from a different company, and while it is a more flimsy record, the sound quality is better.

With all of this being said, it is pretty difficult to find original copies of Dave Van Ronk albums on vinyl, and they really are some great albums that are worth owning. Thus, you may just have to tolerate this pressing until something better comes along.
3286368
This is one of the better recordings of Bok/Muir/Trickett. The songs are mostly appropriate to play around young children and most older children will Tots and Trotters quite funny. My brother did when he was younger.  The songs are mostly North American folk music and done quite beautifully. I would absolutely recommend this album to both those familiar with traditional music and those looking to familiarize themselves with traditional music styles.
2682784
Henry Thomas was not a blues musician, although the four blues titles in this album are excelent. Henry Thomas was a songster, a performer of popular country songs. Fans of modern blues will find it hard to compare Thomas with people like Robrt Cray, Albert Collins or Albert King. But the music played on this CD does represent what was going on and popular in the beginning of the century. I found the Panflute playing reminiscent of African flute music. This in itself makes the CD worth listening to. The CD contains many types of songs. All are delivered with a great voice and inimitable - though simple - guitar backing. Henry Thomas has the musical charisma similar to that of blues greats such as Charlie Patton, Blind lemon Jefferson or Blind Willie Johnson (himself an example of a non-blues singer who is popular among blues fans). To me all the songs are great, but Railroadin' Some, Shanty Blues, and Texas Easy Street deserve special honors. I highly recommand the album.
1752169
Great blues, folk music.  Several of the songs are reminicent of his  earlier work, but each has it's own personality.  I especially like  "Henry", "Muddy Water", "A Better Man" and  "I'm Telling You Now".
4413555
although i have not purchased this cd yet i would buy it because i like juke joint blues and the and southern soul music this would be a great buy if you know
 the music or if you like trying something new this album is for you you will be surprise how many of your friends and family will like it as well
1303629
This compilation includes selections from the three Freddie King albums that were released on the RSO label in the mid-1970s ("Burglar", "Larger Than Life", and "Freddie King 1934-1976").  Blues purists were not happy with these recording when they were initially released because they are rock oriented.  However, there is some powerful playing here, whether you call it "blues" or "blues rock".  Several of the selections include Eric Clapton on guitar (vocal on "Further Up The Road"), although you wouldn't know it from the liner notes, which are skimpy.  There has never been a domestic "best of" compilation for Freddie's RSO recordings, so this is a welcome release and an excellent value.
3916325
Does anyone  still listen to this type of music?  I sometimes wonder--with all the glitz and shiny-sounding, million-beats-a-minute music around now--is there still room for authentic, real music from the past?  I hope so.  So I thought I'd write something abut Fred McDowell, one of the best Delta/country/gospel blues singers/players  from that region.  Hopefully someone will come across this review and either take out their McDowell albums and give them a listen, or maybe someone new to the Delta blues will be inspired and curious enough to give his music a try.

This is a wonderful set of country blues by Fred McDowell and some of his neighbors, recorded on location by Alan Lomax in 1959,  McDowell is heard on Disc 1 and on one track on Disc 2, with some of his friends on the rest of  Disc 2.  The sound is typical for JSP--not great--but good/decent (especially for older recordings made under less than ideal conditions), and with an authentic, atmospheric feel to them.  Each disc is in a separate jewel case, each with a booklet with essays on McDowell, the other musicians, and the music in general.  Everything fits inside the usual JSP flimsy cardboard slip case--but the music is what's important here.

McDowell is heard accompanying himself on all but four tracks, where his accompaniment is another guitar and (for rhythm)  a comb.  The occasional female voice you hear ("Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning" for example) is McDowell's wife, Annie May McDowell who sung wit her husband on some wonderful gospel/blues sides that are well worth hearing even today. His steady, rhythmic chording or slide work accents and punctuates his rough and ready, unpretentious vocals.  Some of these tunes were recorded  in the evening after McDowell had been picking cotton in the hot sun all day, and his no nonsense, slightly weary approach to the music is evident--and adds  something real to his playing and singing.  His songs include older blues songs along with his own songs of equal quality.  In obscurity until recorded by Lomax, McDowell continued to make albums and play live at many concerts.  Songs like "Drop Down Mama", "Shake "Em On Down", "Goin' To The River", "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning",  "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" "Worried Mind", and other songs (basically all of them) show McDowell as a (then) modern day blues performer steeped in the traditions of earlier blues players from around the Mississippi Delta area,  carrying on in the Delta blues traditions.

Disc 2 has performances by the Young brothers--one brother playing a fife--a traditional Delta cane instrument that goes back to the Revolutionary War era of fife and cane bands.  Miles and Bob Pratcher are heard on three tunes, Boy Blue and his small band are here on three tunes, but the majority of this disc is by Forrest City Joe Pugh--both solo and with a small band.  All of these recordings are important (and make for great listening!) alongside McDowell's because they show the depth  of the Delta blues style of music.  From the relatively primitive sounding fife/snare drum band to more "modern" sounding songs by Pugh, these recordings--along with McDowell's--are authentic Delta blues.  This is music without affectations or anything fake or "gimmicky".  This music and these performances ring true and real.  And that's rare.
1027590
This is an excellent collection of blues songs from Glenn's earlier days, most of which are from various Resurrection Band albums. I definitely recommend this CD for any fan of the blues.

One note on the song selection: The Crossing is a beautiful song, one of my favorite Rez songs in fact. However, I don't believe I would call it blues. Had I produced this CD I would have excluded The Crossing and instead included Great God in Heaven from the Innocent Blood album.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Great-God-In-Heaven/dp/B0040HZOSC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Great God In Heaven</a>
1006997
The basic comments here have been used, used many times, to review other Van Morrison albums from various points in his long and honorable career.

Apparently just now, although this time rather accidentally, I am on something of an outlaw country moment tear, again. I have mentioned on previously occasions when I have discussed county music, or rather more correctly outlaw country music, that I had a very short, but worthwhile period when I was immersed in this genre in the late 1970s. After tiring somewhat of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and other more well know country outlaws I gravitated toward the music, eerily beautiful and haunting music, of Townes Van Zandt whose Steve Earle tribute album Townes I have recently reviewed in this space. As I noted there, as well, while this outlaw country thing was short-lived and I scrambled back to my first loves, blues, rock and folk music I always had time to listen to Townes and his funny mix of blues, folk rock, rock folk, and just downright outlaw country.

And that brings us to the album under review,  The Best Of Van Morrison, Volume Two l, and another "outlaw" country music man, the Belfast cowboy Van Morrison. Wait a minute, Van Morrison? Belfast cowboy? Okay, let me take a few steps back. I first heard Van Morrison in his 1960s rock period when I flipped out over his Into The Mystic on his Moondance album. And when I later saw him doing some blues stuff highlighted by his appearance in Martin Scorsese PBS History of Blues series several years ago I also flipped out, and said yes, brother blues. But somewhere along the way he turned again on us and has "reinvented" himself as the "son", the legitimate son, of Hank Williams. But Van Morrison is no one-trick pony as his long and hard-bitten career proves.

If you do not believe me then just listen to him ante up on his cover of Bob Dylan's It's All Over now Baby Blue, a classic folk bluesy number; the thoughtful Sense Of Wonder; the pathos of Real Real Goner; the song I'll Tell Ma; and, something out of time,Hymns To The Silence . The Belfast cowboy, indeed, although I always thought cowboys wore their emotions down deep, not on their blues high white note sleeves.
2096298
Many years ago, I owned both of these LP records. It is GREAT to see them re-issued on CD. The first four recordings are perhaps the very best from Judys' "folk period". (see my review of 3 & 4)

There are some minor technical problems on the first record (not bad, but noticeable), no doubt due to the age of the original tape. If you are a fan of folk-era music, this CD is a must !