Customer Reviews

Me & The Blues

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Arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Jimmy Jones, Joe Williams singing and The Blues. This is an only-Blues CD. A rare gem from 1963 with some unreleased tracks.

(Note: If you are looking for blues music by Big Joe Williams, this is NOT that artist)
This CD is the product of the elegant, genteel, baritone jazz master, Mr. Joe Williams. Even though he was born in Georgia, his family moved to Chicago before he was three. Chicago gave him a rich & varied musical education. He joined the Basie band in 1954 and soon after he was signing his anthem, "Every Day I Have the Blues". He could sing all vocal styles from romantic ballads to swinging "burners" but his grasp of the blues is notable.
This CD was recorded in 1963 and it features arrangements by Jimmy Jones. On this you will hear Williams singing with jazz greats as saxaphonists, Ben Webster & Phil Woods; trumpeters, Clark Terry & Thad Jones; guitarist, Kenny Burrell; pianists, Hank Jones & Junior Mance & bassist, Milt Hinton.

The title track has some inspired horn work that is contrasted by Williams' mornful tone that he's "through with love". Throughout this CD, you can feel that all the players are really listening to each other. There must have been magic in that studio because all I can say is, how can the blue make me feel so good?
I'm not sure why "April in Paris" was chosen for this CD. It's a Williams standard but it's a romantic ballad and not bluesy. But, you can always just put that cut on a different playlist! Just sit back and enjoy the jazz vocal master "doin' his thing".