Customer Reviews

Eddie Vinson Sings Cleanhead's Back in Town

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Motherlode of Jump Blues. I know Louis Jordan pioneered the sound, but he, along with many others, pales in comparison to Cleanhead. If this stuff doesn't make you want to shout and shake your money maker, then Jack, you dead! I've got tons of recordings of the masters of swinging blues, but Cleanhead always comes out on top. I definitely agree with the reviewer who would rather hear one note from Cleanhead's alto than anything, or everything, of Charlie Parker's stuff. Not only a tremendous player, but, IMHO, the greatest Jump/Swing singer. His signature high-pitched squeal at the end of vocal lines imitates the honking "R & B" sax sound - fantastic! Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I wish Cleanhead's "Dream" of sittin' in the President's rockin' chair were true. Would be a vast improvement! Ole' Kidney Stew is definitely more than fine!

Great chance to hear Eddie Vinson backed by a big band made up of ex-Basie men. They swing hard too. Cleanhead is in fine voice(wasn't he always?) on some of his old blues favorites and some jazz songs. His "ain't necessarily so" is wonderful. A must have for any fan of R&B and swing blues.

if you liek rockabilly and jump blues, uoi'll love thsi cd, Cleanhead sings liek a male version of Ruth Brown. great stuff. Essential

Great music; Vinson is a highly expresive blues, jazz and R/B singer; at times powerful as a blues shouter, at times imaginative as good old Satchmo.
It is only pity performances are not a bit longer so that the musicians could stretch a bit more (and there are some really fine musicians here, mostly but not exclusively of Basie background); the short licks and obligattos we get from Joe Newman, Frank Foster, Paul Quinichette and others make me wish for more...

Vinson's interpretations of "Ain't necessarily so" and "Caledonia" are particularly remarkable (that's why I feel free to mention Satch in this context)...

It is particularly interesting how Vinson's voice trembles and becomes a sort of falsetto in the middle of any "middle register" line - no music teacher would advise it but with Cleanhead Vinson it works just fine.

EXCELLENT BIG BAND ALBUM FROM MR. CLEAN HEAD (HE'S BACK IN TOWN), EDDIE VINSON, BACKED UP BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNT BASIE BAND. WHEN THE SUBJECT OF EARLY JUMP BLUES, R&B COMES UP, THE NAMES YOU USUALLY HEAR ARE LOUIS JORDAN & BIG JOE TURNER AND WYNONIE HARRIS, BUT CLEAN HEAD WAS JUST AS GOOD AS ANY OF THOSE ARTISTS AND IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. RECURRING THEMES IN HIS MUSIC INCLUDE HIS DREAMS, KIDNEY STEW, HIS BALD HEAD, AND HOW HE CAN TURN "CHERRY RED".

Listen to "Sweet Loving Baby", and "Trouble in Mind." That's Cleanhead playing sax and singing. I've listened to a lot of stuff ; much of which I was supposed to like because it was deep jazz, out there. Vinson defied classification. This CD captures Cleanhead at his genre-defying, repeated listening-never cloying, finest. His voice is so bluesy and, heresy of all heresies, I'd rather here one bleep out of Vinson's sax then all of Charlie Parker's ouvre. This is wonderful bluesy, jazzy, swinging,joyous, down-home-sophisticated, sad music.