'Live (at Mr. Kelly's)' was originally released in September 1971 on the Chess label. It was recorded on June 11 and 12, 1971 during Muddy's three-week engagement at Mister Kelly's nightclub in Chicago, and was produced by Ralph Bass.
For some reason this album gets "lost in the shuffle", which is a shame because this is an essential live blues album, with Muddy and his band on top of their game.
Along with Muddy on vocals and slide guitar (natch) are:
Paul Oscher on harmonica
James "Pee Wee" Madison on guitar
Sammy Lawhorn on guitar
"Pinetop" Perkins on piano
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones on bass
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums
This band defined Muddy's sound for the 1970s
Also on the album is James Cotton who guested on one of the nights and plays harmonica (what else?) on "What Is That She Got," "Strange Woman," and "Boom, Boom". On the original 1971 Chess release, James is credited as "Joe Denim" to circumvent contractual issues. It's interesting to hear both James' and Paul Oscher's distinctive harmonica styles.
Mister Kelly's was located on Rush Street in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood. It was one of the hotspots of Chicago nightlife in the 1950s through the mid-1970s. The nightclub offered top-notch entertainment, showcasing both established talents and emerging stars who later achieved international fame. Legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mort Sahl, Barbra Streisand, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, and Richard Pryor graced the stage at Mister Kelly’s.
Some blues fans say that this live album should have been recorded in a Southside blues club. While I don't necessarily disagree with that, I think that Mister Kelly's had better acoustics (the album's audio is excellent), and a three-week engagement at Mister Kelly's was financially rewarding for Muddy. And after all, he was in the music business, right?.
Today's freeload is the 1992 CD reissue. Tracks 10 ("She's Nineteen Years") and 12 ("Long Distance Call") are bonus tracks, not on the original 1971 release.
For the freeload, let's talk about albums that have been overlooked or "lost in the shuffle", but are essential in their respective genres.
When Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" was released, not all the jazz community was enamored. Some found it monotonous or simply un-jazz-like. In the realm of rock, "Layla and Assorted Other Love Songs" was a very slow build process in terms of commercial success. I'm not sure why, but that record still keeps coming up for me in all sorts of different contexts—I think right I've referenced it more than once right here in freeload related responses.
ReplyDeleteAbout Muddy's harp players,: Osher and Cotton both, as you say, are both distinctive mouth organists. But for me, Little Walter was always Muddy's greatest foil.
Little Walter is to harmonica, what Charlie Parker is to saxophone.
DeleteCameron de la Isla's seminal lp, La Leyenda del Tiempo (the Legend of Time) , was released in 1979 and to say it fell flat would be an understatement. Cameron was the longtime flamenco vocalist for the legendary guitarist, Paco de Lucia and is still considered to be the greatest male flamenco vocalist. But, this lp, released in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Franco and Spain becoming a democracy, was shunned by the public and at that time considered heretical due to its rock and jazz flourishes. A huge tour throughout Europe had already been scheduled but after the initial concert drew a crowd of less than 150 people, and was panned as much as the lp, the rest of the tour was immediately scrubbed. Now, it is heralded as one of the major milestones in the flamenco genre.
ReplyDeleteSince today's post is a live blues album, B.B. King's Live At The Regal is generally considered one of the great live blues albums, but I prefer a live one he released a couple of years later called Blues Is King. It has a great version of Willie Nelson's Night Life.
ReplyDeleteI also like 'Blues Is King' slightly better than 'Live At The Regal'
DeleteHere's a nice warm sounding 24bit/96kHz vinyl rip of 'Blues Is King'
https://workupload.com/file/BmNDhdXzFgF
'Live At The Regal'
Delete24bit/88.2kHz SACD rip
https://workupload.com/file/wed7FZVyDCU
thanks for the BB King!
DeleteEnjoy!
DeleteYou spoil us, Babs--thanks!
DeleteSorry for the late response. Thanks for the BB. Nice to hear someone besides me digs Blues Is King. Rarely hear people talk about this one.
DeleteJoyeuses Pâques.
ReplyDeleteI had that on vinyl.
DeleteMerci, Anonyme.
DeleteTwo that come to mind are the Zombies Odessey And Oracle and the original 1973 Compilation of Nuggets on Elektra. The Former which disappeared with barely a trace in 1968 is now recognised as one of the finest examples of British Psychedelia there is and the latter whilst barely noticed in 1973 has since became the effective template for hundreds of similar compilations in subsequent decades
ReplyDeleteLink
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/pnGagzMvc5V
The Clash Give'm Enough Rope
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Babs
ReplyDelete