Customer Reviews

Rhythm Room Blues

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

 

 

Bob Corritore - producer, musician & club owner - delivers this single live CD by performers ranging from Delta blues to West Coast to Chicago! First out is Mr. Kim Wilson, harmonica ace and singer in the tradition of Smiley Lewis and Jr Parker. His cover of Sonny Boy's shuffle "Eyesight of the blind" sets the mood and tells everyone what this will be about: straight blues from the heart! R L Burnside plays Delta guitar with deep soul, Nappy Brown brings more of the swinging West Coast style and Henry Gray (from Howlin' Wolf's old band) gives us some the trademark Chicago big town blues. Despite the various styles on this CD it is an engaging listen, with top-notch musicians including Bob Corritore on harp and excellent sound. The final track, the often covered Eddie Boyd slow blues "Five Long Years" oozes out of the speakers with Rusty Zinn and Billy Flynn trading stinging guitar lines and on top of that Kim Wilson's killer harp tone and emotional singing! This is over 10 minutes of emotion - and you can even hear a couple of reeds in Kim's Chromatic harp buzzing of exhaustion in the onslaught. As a sampler of contemporary blues artists in a live setting this is a good CD, but it may be more of a memory to anyone who's ever been at the Rhythm Room or fans of a specific artist on the album. Either case, this is good music that definitely deserves to be heard.

Never been to the Rhythm Room where this stuff was recorded, but man, do they have good taste. There is not a track here that isn't soulful & well recorded. I was absolutely surprised by this disc. The Burnside tracks will be welcome if you've become a fan... how can he keep such a solid boogie going with only his guitar, vocals & one chord???
Considering the low price you'd be hard pressed to pick up a better value in the blues this month. Hope you like it too.
Smokin'

Powerful live music is what this is. This compilation is deep with talent. Hightone Records continues to produce quality contemporary blues albums. 4 previously unreleased R.L. Burnside tracks!! Recording quality is excellent. Lots of talking from the bluesmen. Grab a drink, turn on the chili pepper lights, and move the furniture up against the wall. Turn it up!

"If the Budweiser lasts, I believe we'll make it." - R.L. Burnside (track 2, intro to "Rollin' and Tumblin')

This CD features live recordings celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Phoenix's self proclaimed "premier Roots and Blues venue". The CD itself contains songs from the performances of 7 bluesmen including personal favorites, R.L. Burnside--the Mississippi Hills Bluesman and Mojo Buford--the forgotten and underrated harpist from the Muddy Waters band. This is roots music at its best, with not a bad track on the disc.