Key to Highway [Import]

Jo-Ann Kelly | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Mooncrest Records UK
• ASIN: B00000I848
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,971 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Keep Your Hands Out of My Pocket [#]

2. No Chance With You [#]

3. You Win Again [#]

4. I've Been Scorned [#]

5. Can I Get a Witness [#]

6. Rolling Log Blues [#]

7. Louisiana Blues [#]

8. I Can't Be Satisfied [#]

9. Levee Camp Holler [#]

10. Two Nineteen Blues [#]

11. Make Me a Pallet on the Floor [#]

12. Key to the Highway [#]

13. You've Got to Move [#]

14. Black Rat Swing [#]

15. Baby, What You Want Me to Do [#]

16. Louisiana Blues [Version 2][#]

17. Boyfriend Blues [#]

18. Catfish Blues [#]

19. Walking the Dog [#]

20. Jump Steady Daddy [#]

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

UK collection from the late, great British Blues artist. Key To The Highway echoes Kelly's favored style of a more acoustic, Delta-style Blues, preferring to utilize her huge voice, rather than have a loud backing band behind her. 'Levee Camp Holler' showcases Kelly's voice, whilst 'I Can't Be Satisfied' shows what a fine slide player Kelly was. Then again, her takes on Hank Williams 'You Win Again', Marvin Gaye's 'Can I Get A Witness' and Rufus Thomas' 'Walking The Dog' show that she was never afraid to take on something outside of the traditional blues arena. Most everything here was from before 1974, and six cuts that date from 1975 and there's also an interview with Kelly from 1988 as well. Given Kelly's somewhat checkered recording career, there is little doubt that Key To The Highway is as fine a collection of Jo Ann Kelly's work that you are likely to find. Superbird. 2011. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Key to the Highway, Jo-Ann Kelly, September 27, 2009

By 

fivetenhalf (NV) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Key to Highway (Audio CD)

One of the best blues albums and it is by a young white British Woman,(1960s era). She may have had a great following in Britian, but I never knew of her until recently. When I heard her for the first time on a blues station, I thought she belonged in the 1920s or 1930's and was one of the old blues ladies from that era. And such a surprise to get this CD, and one other of her's, from Amazon, (the only place I could find them) and read her history. Thanks to Amazon and all of your vendors that make this one of the best places to get MUSIC.

And NOW why not go take a listen to Jo-Ann Kelly singing "Make Me A Pallet on Your Floor" and "Come On Inna My Kitchen.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Queen of the British Blues, June 13, 2010

By 

K. Rowley (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Key to Highway (Audio CD)

The British blues singer/guitarist Jo-Anne Kelly (1944-90) was a little-known treasure. She was a member of the same generation of musicians as the Rolling Stones, but she was more interested in reviving prewar country blues than in popularizing postwar electric blues. Jo-Anne sat in with the Yardbirds in early in their early Clapton days, had a long association with The Groundhogs, and in the 1970s did a stint in the blues-rock band Tramp. But mostly she played acoustic guitar and performed in folk music clubs. She was a regular support act for American blues musicians of an older generation touring England, such as Fred McDowell and Big Joe Williams.

Jo-Anne didn't record much, and her records were hard to find in the shops - certainly in my country(Australia). Those that that I did lay my hands on revealed a powerful voice and a driving, rhythmic guitar style. Her heroine was Memphis Minnie.

Now she is gone but, courtesy of Castle Records, we can get hold of more of her recordings than ever. "Black Rat Swing" is a superb 2-CD anthology spanning her whole career. On most of the tracks she performs solo, or is backed by piano and/or harmonica. Others show her at ease with electric blues, Chicago-style. The same company have issues three CDs of "Rare and Unissued" recordings, two of Jo-Anne solo and one from her sessions with Tramp. These are occasionally marred by recording glitches, and include alternative takes or arrangements of songs on "Black Rat Swing." But there is no real drop-off in the quality of her performance from the issued recordings to these outtakes. I strongly recommend all these records.

There are several other Jo-Anne Kelly CDs now available, which I haven't heard. Unfortunately these don't include my all-time favourite among her vinyl-issued recordings, the album she cut during a visit to the USA in the early 1970s, accompanied by Stefan Grossmann and Woody Mann on acoustic guitar and Alan Siedler on piano, and issued on the Yellow Bee label.