Customer Reviews

Masters of Modern Blues

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Delta slide guitarist Johnny Shines was a pupil and travelling companion of the slightly older Robert Johnson.
Rarely recorded in his prime, Shines quit the music business for a time, but came back during the 60s blues boom, and recorded this fine album for producer Pete Weldings "Masters Of Modern Blues" series. He is backed by the great Walter Horton on harmonica, as well as veteran bluesmen Lee Jackson (bass) and Fred Below (drums), and Muddy Waters' sublime pianist Otis Spann sits in as well.

Johnny Shines was an excellent slide guitarist and a fine singer, very much inspired by Robert Johnson in his choice of material (he covers both Johnson and Charley Patton here, and the fine "Two Trains Runnin'" clearly utilizes the pattern from Delta legend Son House's "My Black Mama pr. II", AKA "Death Letter Blues").
And there are plenty of highlights on this consistently enjoayble record, particularly the swinging, up-tempo "What Kind Of Little Girl Are You", Johnny Shines' renditions of "Sweet Home Chicago" and "My Black Mare", and the excellent original "Trouble Is All I See", which features Shines' fluid electric slide guitar, Horton's harp and Spann's magnificent piano playing (and both Lee Jackson, who provides the sole backing on the slow, moody "Mr Tom Green's Farm", and the versatile Fred Below deserves praise as well...Below was one of the best and most influential blues drummers of the 50s and 60s).

If a blues record has the late, great Otis Spann rolling the 88s, it's probably a good one, and this one is no exception. "Masters Of Modern Blues" is a really fine album all the way through, well arranged and superbly played, and one of John Ned Shines' finest.

I'm writing this because it just doesn't seem right that a cd this AWESOME should have a lone review to its credit! I'm thinking: if Robert Johnson had lived and recorded with a band, THIS IS WHAT WE'D BE HEARING!!! This is THAT GOOD!!! Pete Welding has does it again, producing and writing liner notes for an excellent complement to "Standing At The Crossroads!" These two cds plus "Johnny Shines with Big Walter Horton," all Testament Records reissues, are MUST HAVES!!! You won't be disappointed! 'Nuf said!