egroj world: Big Mama Thornton & The Muddy Waters Blues Band • In Europe

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Big Mama Thornton & The Muddy Waters Blues Band • In Europe

Review by Al Campbell

In the mid- '60s, Big Mama Thornton was a relatively obscure blues singer known mainly for her original recording of "Hound Dog" in 1953, three years before Elvis had a monster hit with it. Due to a lack of gigs, Thornton had a tough time keeping a steady band on the road and would scramble to gather consistently decent musicians. Fortunately, Arhoolie Records' founder and president Chris Strachwitz had witnessed an amazing performance of the era which had Thornton backed by a group of Chicago musicians who included Buddy Guy on guitar. With that performance in mind, Strachwitz was determined to capture that excellence in the studio. He offered the gig to Muddy Waters, whom he met in San Francisco a few days prior to this session. Muddy accepted and brought with him James Cotton (harmonica), Otis Spann (piano), Sammy Lawhorn (guitar), Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson (bass), and Francis Clay (drums). What came out at Coast Recorders on April 25, 1966 is presented on this 17-track disc including seven previously unreleased cuts. From the low-down gutbucket blues of "Black Rat," and "Big Mama's Shuffle" (featuring both Thornton and James Cotton engaging in a battle of the harps), to the hazy, late-night atmosphere of "Life Goes On," "Since I Fell for You," and "I Feel the Way I Feel," all of this material is absolutely timeless. One can only imagine what would have happened if Big Mama's hopes of recording a gospel album with this band had been fulfilled.

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Reseña por Al Campbell

A mediados de los años 60, Big Mama Thornton era una cantante de blues relativamente oscura conocida principalmente por su grabación original de "Hound Dog" en 1953, tres años antes de que Elvis tuviera un gran éxito. Debido a la falta de conciertos, Thornton tuvo dificultades para mantener una banda estable en la carretera y se apresuró a reunir a músicos consistentemente decentes. Afortunadamente, el fundador y presidente de Arhoolie Records, Chris Strachwitz, fue testigo de una increíble actuación de la era que tuvo a Thornton respaldada por un grupo de músicos de Chicago que incluyó a Buddy Guy en la guitarra. Con ese rendimiento en mente, Strachwitz estaba decidido a capturar esa excelencia en el estudio. Ofreció el concierto a Muddy Waters, a quien conoció en San Francisco unos días antes de esta sesión. Muddy aceptó y trajo consigo a James Cotton (armónica), Otis Spann (piano), Sammy Lawhorn (guitarra), Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson (bajo) y Francis Clay (batería). Lo que salió en Coast Recorders el 25 de abril de 1966 se presenta en este disco de 17 pistas que incluye siete cortes inéditos. Desde los blues de gutbucket de "Black Rat" y "Big Mama's Shuffle" (con Thornton y James Cotton participando en una batalla de arpas), hasta la brumosa atmósfera nocturna de "Life Goes On" "Desde que me caí por ti" y "Me siento como me siento", todo este material es absolutamente atemporal. Solo se puede imaginar lo que habría pasado si Big Mama hubiera tenido la esperanza de grabar un álbum de gospel con esta banda.

Tracklist:
1 Swing It On Home
2 Sweet Little Angel
3 Little Red Rooster
4 Unlucky Girl
5 Hound Dog
6 My Heavy Road
7 School Boy
8 Down Home Shake Down
9 Your Love Is Where It Ought To Be
10 Session Blues
11 I'm Feeling Alright
12 Sometimes I Have A Heartache
13 Black Rat
14 Life Goes On
15 Everything Gonna Be Alright
16 Bumble Bee
17 Looking The World Over
18 I Feel The Way I Feel
19 My Love

Credits
    Alto Vocals – Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton
    Bass – Jimmy Lee Robinson
    Blues Harp – Walter "Shaky" Horton (tracks: 4, 5, 8, 9 and 13), Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (tracks: 7, 9, 12 and13)
    Composed By – Willie Mae Thornton
    Drums – Fred Below
    Guitar – Buddy Guy
    Piano, Organ – Eddie Boyd
    Recorded By, Producer, Photography By – Chris Strachwitz