Customer Reviews

Best of Vanguard Years

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It was with great anticipation that I acquired this CD--I am a longtime Otis Spann fan(atic) who welcomes each and every new release. Since Spann had his life cut short by cancer at age 40 (in 1970), and since he spent so much of his career as a sideman to the likes of Muddy Waters, there isn't nearly as much solo Spann as we fans would like.

But I didn't do my research--I didn't realize that this album is really the 1969 Vanguard album Cryin' Time with 8 other miscellaneous tracks. I already had Cryin' Time on cassette. A good album, but not as tasty as some of Spann's stuff from earlier in the '60s. Some of this is reflected in the album's cuts from the excellent Chicago/The Blues/Today compilations that Vanguard issued in the early and mid-60s. One particular track, Burning Fire, is vintage Spann, with an anguished vocal and searing piano runs--gives you chills. The rest is good, not great. The previously unreleased tracks at the end are shared with Spann's wife Lucille, and the result is only middling. A must for the serious Spann fan, especially if you don't have Cryin' Time, but not the first one by him to get (I recommend "Otis Spann is the Blues" or the Candid stuff).

Otis Spann was a master of blues piano. In a field dominated by guitars, it is refreshing to hear some true, deep blues being played on the piano. The track "Sometimes I Wonder" was worth the price of the CD to me. The other reviews here pointed out that the sound quality is not state of the art. But you have to realize that these recordings were made in the 1960's and I'm sure the producers did the best they could with the source material. Yes a vocal cuts out on one song for a few seconds, but the alternative would be to leave the song of the album and I'd rather hear it somewhat less then perfect then not at all. Otis plays a good variety of slow and fast blues, swing type music, organ and even has his wife joins in on a few songs (she has good voice by the way). I would recommend this CD to anyone looking for good piano blues and definately to any Otis Spann fan.

There are so many fine albums by Otis Spann that I only arbitrarily choose to comment on this one. With respect to this album in particular let me say simply that it is as fine a Blues collection as is imaginable. More generally however, let me say that I have always thought Otis Spann to be the most underrated of all Blues singers. Because he is seen within the history of the Blues most prominently as a member of Muddy Waters' band from the mid 50's through the late 60's, and has a much deserved reputation as a pianist, it seems that the greatness of his singing has gone largely unnoticed. As fine as his piano is, I believe that his greatest contribution was with his incredible voice. To me he is like the Marvin Gaye of the blues. Please, take another listen.