Bluesiana Triangle is a collaboration of Jazz drummer extraordinaire, Art Blakey, Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, and David 'Fathead' Newman on flute and saxophone. Also featured is Essiet Okon Essiet on bass.
The album was released in March of 1990.
Guitarist Bernard Summer, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris began their musical careers with Joy Division. After Joy Division's singer, Ian Curtis, killed himself, Summer, Hook and Morris went on to form New Order along with Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. 'Brotherhood' is their fourth album, released in 1986.
The full album can be found here or here.
The Texas Tornados were Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers from The Sir Douglas Quintet, accordion player extraordinaire, Flaco Jimenez, and country singer Baldemar Huerta, who you may know as Freddy Fender.
Sounds like a Supergroup to me.
'Hangin' On By A Thread' was their fourth album, released in 1992.
Best known for his work with Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin is one of my favorite guitarists. Always loved the way he made that guitar pop. So did quite a few Rock 'N' Roll guitarists who cited Sumlin as their inspiration, including Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page.
The full album can be found here and here.
Robert Gordon is a Rockabilly singer who came out of the NYC Punk scene in the 70's. Link Wray has been called "the father of the power chord". They teamed up on two albums, the second one being 'Fresh Fish Special'.
In case you're wondering, the album's title refers to Elvis Presley's haircut in the film 'Jailhouse Rock'.
The full album can be found here or here.
Aleck Miller, better known as Sonny Boy Williamson, played harmonica and sang the Blues with the best of 'em. He wasn't the first Blues man to use that name... the other was John Lee Curtis Williamson... but he's the one that most modern Blues fans are familiar with. To distinguish the two musicians, the one who is featured here is often referred to as Sonny Boy Williamson II, although he would claim that he was the first one to use the name.
'More Real Folk Blues' was part of Chess Records 'Real Folk Blues' series that was compiled to introduce musicians to the Folk crowd of the early 60's who were just discovering the Blues at the time. It was released posthumously in 1966.
The full album can be found here or here.
Heading to Arizona with Howe Gelb and Giant Sand.
'Heartbreak Pass' is Gelb's twenty-first album with Giant Sand, released in 2015.
Q: What do you get when you mix Polka, Norteño, Salsa, Samba, Cumbia and Merengue with a dash of Ska and a little bit of Rock 'N' Roll?
A: Brave Combo.
Thought I'd feature another Jazz chanteuse, this one being Eleanora Fagan, better known as Billie Holiday. 'Songs for Distingué Lovers' is her eighth studio album, released in 1956. The musicians who worked with Billie on this album include the legendary Barney Kessel on guitar, and the wonderful Mr. Ben Webster, who may be the finest tenor saxophonist to ever play the instrument.
Another son of the bayou state, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. Ella Fitzgerald was born sixteen years later in Newport News, Virginia.
Released in 1956, 'Ella and Louis' was the first of three albums that Satchmo and Lady Ella collaborated on for Verve Records. Their backing band consisted of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums.
Les Claypool is one of the more interesting and talented musicians to make a name for himself these last thirty to forty years. Best known for his work with Primus, his side projects have included Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains with Bernie Worrell, Buckethead and Brains, Oysterhead, Frog Brigade, Duo de Twang and The Claypool Lennon Delirium with Sean Lennon, as well as his own solo albums.
Released in 1996, 'Highball With The Devil' is Claypool's first solo release. Some critics panned it as "too kitschy" but I think that's part of its charm.
The full album can be found here or here.
Some claim 'Blank Generation' is the first album to be labelled as Punk. Not sure if that's true but who cares. The album kicks ass and that's what counts.
Along with Richard Meyers, aka Richard Hell, the Voidoids were Ivan Julian, Robert Quine, and Mark Bell, who would go on to become Marky Ramone when he joined The Ramones as their second drummer..
The full album can be found here or here.
Feelin' like some Otis on this Sunday evening.
'Pain In My Heart" is Otis Redding's first album, released in 1964. Backing him are the usual Stax Records crew, including Booker T, Duck Dunn, Steve Cropper and Al Jackson, as well as Johnny Jenkins, who is credited with launching Mr. Redding's career when Jenkins hired him as a vocalist.
The full album can be found here or here.
Old-timey music from North Carolina.
Released in 2010, 'Genuine Negro Jig' is the third studio album by the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
With Billy Strayhorn conducting, other notable musicians on the album includes two of my favorite horn players from Duke Ellington's orchestra, Mr. Lawrence Brown on trombone and Cat Anderson on the trumpet.
Papa John Creach was a Blues and Jazz violinist who played with such musical legends as Big Joe Turner, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, T-Bone Walker and Nat King Cole.
In 1967, he added Rock 'N' Roll to his credits, playing with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, The Dinosaurs, The Grateful Dead and The Charlie Daniels Band.
'Papa Blues' is his eighth and final solo album, released in 1992.
The full album can be found here or here.
