Blue Lou

1. At the el Grotto

2. Straight Life

3. Let's Get Started

4. Bamby

5. Blue Keys

6. Dell's Bells

7. One for Prez

8. Man I Love

9. Easy Swing

10. Great Lie, Pts. 1 and 2

11. Blue Lou

12. Backbreaker

13. She's Got Blues for Sale

14. Groovin' High

15. Hot House

16. Bebop

Blue Lou,Wardell Gray,Proper,Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

My House
Women
Underneath The Bottle
The Gun
The Blue Mask
Average Guy
The Heroine
Waves Of Fear
The Day John Kennedy Died
Heavenly Arms

Album Description

Lou's 1982 RCA album, his first after returning to the labelfrom Arista. Dedicated to his long-time inspiration, poetDelmore Schwartz, the album features guitarist Robert Quineand 10 tracks, including 'My House', 'Women' and 'The DayJohn Kennedy Died'.

Customer Reviews:

The Blue Mask.......2007-05-29

Lou Reed-The Blue Mask *****

The Blue Mask was released in 1982, this is at least 15 years into his career of making amazing music. After the death of his long time idol and mentor Delmore Schwartz who he studied under Reed decided to dedicate an album to him. That album turned out to be The Blue Mask, incidently this happens to be Reeds most mature and thought out album. With lyrics more thoughtful then ever before and much more personal then ever before or since if that is even possible.

To this day, and even on the day of the albums release The Blue Mask is hailed by fans and critics alike as one of if not Lou Reeds all time greatest achievement as a solo artist. While this is one of his better solo records and sure as hell can rival some of his work with The Velvet Underground, The Blue Mask is not Reeds greatest triumph as a solo artist that would go to either New York or Berlin.

However songs like 'The Day John Kennedy Died' and 'Underneath The Bottle' are easily to the best songs ever written. Rockers like 'Average Guy' and the albums closer 'Heavenly Arms' so a different side of Reed that was never shown before, Reed always boasted about confidence and cool and being self-reliant, these songs so fear, and longing for a connection a weaker, yet, more mature Reed, one that wasnt in the 1970's.

As a whole, The Blue Mask is the most solid and concistant album Lou Reed ever recorded solo, and is in a league of its own. The Blue Mask is yet another Lou Reed solo album that is far superior to that of Transformer but will never get the recognition it deserves because of the hit single on Transformer, oh well as long as the real music fans know the truth.

You Know It's Worth 5.......2006-11-14

I'll only say this once: Lou Reed is not a pop star or a pop musician or anyone you could categorize as compared to anybody. Lou Reed is anti-everbody. He just wants to rock. RIP, the late Robert Quine who really made this album by goading a new, sober Lou into playing the guitar again, Lou is better than Jimi Hendrix. Always. (If anybody calls me on this I will provide a bunch of easy career examples.) He just didn't always know it sometimes. My House begins the album and you know why: you have two crazy-tuned guitars dancing around over a bassist and drummer who are just understanding each other, live on tape, that this is more sensitive than jazz and more experimental and intense and moving than anything you've heard before. It sets the tone. This is Lou Reed with 3 musicians in an odd improvisational experiment. The Velvets were his best band, sure, but to walk into a studio with strangers and pull this off? This album is controlled, newly sober, experimental and joyful and feedback and soul and drone and rage. This album is Lou Reed born again.
I'm a big fan. I'm also honest enough to say he does this only every once in a while...

He Found his Pride Underneath the Bottle.......2006-05-29

Dig Lou Reed on this album. Transformer and Berlin don't even come close to this album. Hope this helps.

The best of Lou's middle phase!.......2006-03-18

The Blue Mask is undoubtedly one of Lou Reed's finest albums and one of his most raw, angry, and personal song collections. I love all of Lou's music, and soon after The Blue Mask, his songs began to evolve into more allegorical tales with broader intonation and composition. The Blue Mask is the last Lou Reed album with a large collection of the hard edged, riff driven rock songs. This is combined with incredibly personal lyrics that are confessional, shocking, and provocative.

The title cut is a sonic triumph focused on sadomasochistic themes, "Take the blue mask down from my face and stick me in the eye. I get a thrill from punishment, I've always been that way." Other highly personal compositions also work well both musically and lyrically. Underneath the Bottle is a song documenting the trials and consequences of alcholol abuse (Lou sings, "I've got bruises on my legs from I can't remember when..."). Waves of Fear is another hard riffing song that captures paranoid stress and confusion. It evokes a midnight breakdown after ingesting too much and too many things. The sinister "The Gun" brings us into the mind of a gun toting criminal: "The man has a gun and he knows how to use it. 6mm Browning, let's see what he can do." The song goes on to tell us just what the man is up to.

Now if all these sound morbid and challenging, well, they are. But the Blue Mask is much more. These songs are juxtaposed with compositions that express incredible passion and empathy. My favorite of these is "The Day John Kennedy Died," which showcases Lou as a highly reflective and socially engaged songwriter.

The Blue Mask is certainly a challenging and thought provoking album that is not easily forgotten once heard. If you want to go beyond the popular Lou Reed songs and his most recent more accessible work, this album is for you. Be prepared and enjoy!

Good, But Way Over-Rated.......2005-04-25

This is a good Lou Reed album, but a "masterpiece"? Uh...not at all, in my opinion. Robert Quine's guitar sounds nice. "Waves of Fear" is a great track. "My House" has some nice lyrics. "The Day John Kennedy Died" is well-intended, but very schmaltzy. And the rest is no better or worse than anything on "Growing Up in Public" - compare the two, folks. There ain't much difference. A much better album is LEGENDARY HEARTS from 1983. Lou's previous masterpiece was STREET HASSLE, prior to BLUE MASK, and he wouldn't have another until NEW YORK in 1989.
BLUE MASK is just another good Lou Reed album, nothing special.

Average customer rating:

LOU RAWLS
Lou Rawls Live
Lou Rawls at his best ! ! ! !
Live! Lou Rawls
One of the finest jazz vocal albums of the 1960s!

Live!
Lou Rawls
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stormy Monday
Soulin'
Anthology
Lou Rawls Live
Love Songs

ASIN: B000A7Q2HI
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Tracks:

(They Call It) Stormy Monday
Southside Blues/Tobacco Road (medley)
St. James Infirmary
The Shadow Of Your Smile
I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
Goin' To Chicago Blues
In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down
The Girl From Ipanema
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Street Corner Hustler Blues/World Of Trouble

Customer Reviews:

LOU RAWLS.......2006-08-17

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS CD FOR 8 YEARS AND FINALLY FOUND IT ON AMAZON. THANK YOU AMAZON. THIS CD IS WONDERFUL. I RECEIVED IT IN PERFECT CONDITION

Lou Rawls Live.......2006-08-07

This is the oldest, but the best collection of Lou Rawls. Later collections include great studio performances, but any fan of Lou Rawls knows his voice is best heard live on stage. I made me a CD of Lou Rawls live, and added my selections of studio performances for my personal satisfaction. I still have the LP's.

Lou Rawls at his best ! ! ! !.......2006-03-15

We have listened to the wonderful music made by Lou Rawls for many years. Listening to him live not only gives you the feeling of being there, it gives you a full impression of his talent and pressence. He fills the room with not only music and mood but the substance of a singer who has been around and is singing deeply from his soul. There is no song on this CD that does not belong to Lou Rawls after he has sung it. If you are a Lou Rawls fan, you will NOT be disappointed. If you are not a Lou Rawls fan you will soon be one.

Live! Lou Rawls.......2006-02-25

Excellent sound quality of an album I grew up with. Every pitch of Lou's voice comes through very clear. After all these years it is still one of my favorites!

One of the finest jazz vocal albums of the 1960s!.......2006-02-19

Although Lou Rawls would go on to superstardom in the world of music, this fantastic set from early 1966 (cannot believe it was released 40 years ago) clearly showcased his ability to handle jazz and blues material, with a great rhythm section (all studio pros) that supported him all the way.

Lou not only could master a song with a great baritone voice, but he also could tell stories that weaved into the song - check out "Tobacco Road" and "World of Trouble" - two songs that brought back great memories when I listened to the entire album (for the first time, I have to add).

January 6, 2006 was a very sad day for me (and Lou's fans around the world) because his great voice was silenced; however, we are very fortunate to have his music to enjoy for many years to come. Rest in peace, brother Lou!

Average customer rating:

Too long a wait...
A timeless classic!
Long Awaited Black & Blue and Tobacco Road
The voice shines through

Black and Blue/Tobacco Road
Lou Rawls
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions
The Very Best of Lou Rawls: You'll Never Find Another
Soulin'
Stormy Monday
At the Lighthouse

ASIN: B000FA57NU
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Tracks:

Roll 'Em Pete
I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
How Long, How Long Blues
Everyday I Have The Blues
St. James Infirmary
(What Did I Do To Be So) Black And Blue
Gloomy Sunday
Kansas City
Going' To Chicago Blues
Trouble In Mind
World Of Trouble
Six Cold Feet Of Ground
Strange Fruit
Tobacco Road
Cotton Fields
Rockin' Chair
Stormy Weather
Ol' Man River
Blues For A Four-String Guitar
St. Louis Blues
Georgia On My Mind
Sentimental Journey
Summertime
When It's Sleepy Time Down South

Customer Reviews:

Too long a wait..........2006-08-05

Adding this CD reissue of "Black and Blue" and "Tobacco Road" from 1963-64 was a no-brainer, for this was the first time I'd had a chance to hear two of the greatest albums Lou Rawls has ever recorded.

It was a treat to hear Lou do justice to some of the greatest jazz and blues classics ever written, brilliantly arranged by Onzy Matthews and played by a smokin' hot big band made up of A-list musician talent. The liner notes were very informative and gave insight of the creation of each album.

Judging by the fantastic arranging and conducting on these two albums, I cannot believe that Mr. Matthews' career did not take the more successful turn of other arrangers of that period. As for Lou, thank God that his early work is finally in circulation for all to enjoy...why wait until after his death for this to happen?

A timeless classic!.......2006-07-12

Lou Rawls is one of the greatest singers of this era. I have several of his albums. But I rejoiced when I found songs not included on other CDs such as "Blues for a Four-String Guitar," "Stormy Weather," "Georgia on My Mind," and "Summertime" as well as some of his signature tunes like "Tobacco Road." Lou Rawls really makes the standards his own. This album is Lou Rawls at his best, and a must-have for any fan!

Long Awaited Black & Blue and Tobacco Road.......2006-07-06

It's very hard for me to be objective about these two recordings by Lou Rawls and Onzy Matthews. I wore out my vinyl long, long ago and have been waiting for the CD issue of these records for 20 years. FINALLY! Great and creative big band writing by Onzy Matthews....The arrangements never get in Lou's way and such mature singing for a young guy. Lou's in great voice, the selection of material is first rate and the writing and playing top notch. Enough with the cliches........buy it..at two for the price of one!

The voice shines through.......2006-05-23

This CD comprises of two albums recorded in 1962 & 1963, with two tracks, numbers 7 & 24 as bonus tracks. Arrangements on both albums were by Onzy Matthews, with a whole slew of hand picked session players to perform them.On both sets Lou Rawls displays imperious styling and phrasing, and his voice is distinctive and given lots of space in the arrangements. There is, however a distinct contrast between the choice of material on the two albums. The "Black and Blue" set contains a much better chosen range of songs, and the arrangements more in empathy with Rawls style. Stand out tracks are a version of "Every day I have the Blues", Count Basie's "Going to Chicago Blues" and an outstanding reading of Oscar Brown Junior's "World of Trouble". The bonus track would not have been out of place in the original programming. The "Tobacco Road" set starts with an excellent version of the title track, but the rest of the set is good without ever being outstanding, except for "Blues for a four string guitar" which is really quite weak. Throughout, Rawls does his best to impart something new to all of them, though he's not helped in places by the arrangements, where on the second album the guitar sound is weak. It's also difficult not to compare the version of "Georgia on my mind" with what Ray Charles was doing with it at about the same time in another place! The remastering is excellent throughout, mixed as it was from 3 track tapes. I welcome the re-release of these long deleted albums, but on reflection despite Rawls' valiant efforts elsewhere the "Black and Blue" set is the highlight of this CD.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Incredible..Worth 30 stars
Superb singing matched with superb arrangements
Beautiful music
Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here

Blue Wheat
Stephen Foster , John , American Traditional , Spiritual Traditional , and Dale Warland Singers
Manufacturer: American Choral
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Harvest Home
Christmas With the Dale Warland Singers
Cathedral Classics
December Stillness
Christmas Echoes, Vol. 1

ASIN: B000003M4T
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

Oh, Shenandoah (Traditional)
He's Goin' Away (Traditional)
Skip To My Lou (Traditional)
Steal Away (Spiritual)
Wayfarin' Stranger (Traditional)
Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me? (Traditional)
Pretty Saro (Traditional)
Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
Black Is The Color (Traditional)
Red River Valley 9 (Traditional)
Nelly Bly (Stephen Foster)
My Lord, What A Mornin' (Spiritual)
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Stephen Foster)
Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)
Single Girl (Traditional)
Deep River (Spiritual)
Buffalo Gals (Cool White [John Hodges])
The Water is Wide (Traditional)
Black Sheep (African-American lullaby)

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-06-06

Robert De Cormier's remarkable arrangement and Marie Spar Dymit's and Lynette Johnson's pure vocals of "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" are well worth the price of the entire CD.

Incredible..Worth 30 stars.......2007-05-16

The Dale Warland Singers are my benchmark by which I judge all other choirs. The uniformity of sound, blend, and precise entrances, uniformity are incredible - almost inhuman. Excluding the all male Chanticleer from the roster, this was the finest choir in America. Now that they have broken up, buy all of their CD's you won't be disappointed!

Superb singing matched with superb arrangements.......2004-07-03

A project like this one inevitably highlights the skill of arrangers, and Dale Warland has selected some of the most talented anywhere. Most of these selections will be familiar to listeners, but I doubt most people have heard, for example, "Red River Valley" in Carol Barnett's haunting version here, and ditto for her magnificent "Deep River."

The disc opens with a spectacular, panoramic "Shenandoah" that takes maximum advantage of the Dale Warland Singers' refined sound, and things only get better (if that's possible). Other favorites are a cheery, fizzing "Nelly Bly" and Mark Keller's strong reworking of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More."

Throughout the recording, the freshness of the arrangements is matched by the irresistible singing. This group is known for its outstanding performances and recordings, but this must be counted as one of their all-time best. The sound quality is terrific, capturing the gorgeous blend and precision of the group in a natural-sounding acoustic. Just stunning.

Beautiful music.......2003-07-03

I bought this CD after hearing a few of the recordings on our local NPR radio station. I was not disappointed in any of the selections. Very beautiful.

Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here.......2003-01-13

The Dale Warland Singers (DWS) are among the relatively few musical professionals, who by their aesthetic standards and demonstrated artistry, have taken the less traveled and narrow road to exemplary artistic excellence.

The sound quality and acoustics are excellently engineered in this 20-bit original recording. The most delicately blend and inflection of the singers' voice can be heard. This sheaf of choral works has once existed in real space and time in the kaleidoscopic folklife of past generations. In recording the "Blue Wheat", the 40-member DWS, the creme de la creme of professional choral ensembles, has elevated the common oral tradition of American folk music into a rarified choral art form a capella "in the style of the chapel."

If the soul of the DWS is a capella singing, then Warland and the arrangers are the wings of the same soul. Among the kapellmeisters whose arrangements have graced this folksong anthology are the late Norman Luboff and Roger Wagner. Also included in this album are contemporary arrangements by other esteemed composers: John Rutter (conductor of The Cambridge Singers), Carol Barnett (the DWS resident composer from 1992 to 2001), and Stephen Paulus.

Gertrude Stein is famous for saying of her childhood home, Oakland, California, "When you get there, there's no there there." Purportedly, Stein opined this city by the San Francisco Bay lacked a defining sense of place. Bel canto notwithstanding, the folk melodies of "Blue Wheat" invoke a longing for something no longer possible. The abyss between the America today and the its past is impossible to bridge. Already, we have yielded to the abstractness of political correctness. Our past is either neglected, actively destroyed, or selectively museumed. We do not live in an understood land and culture. There is no there here in the presence of this music. It is only the poignancy of the moment that these beautifully rendered tunes live in our mind. We have to accept this reality as part and parcel of our rootlessness.

Tracks:

The A-Team - Nic Raine
The Addams Family - Nic Raine
The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe - Nic Raine
Airwolf - Derek Wadsworth
The Avengers - Mike Townend
Barnaby Jones - Jerry Goldsmith
Batman - Nic Raine
Battlestar Galactica - Nic Raine
Baywatch - Derek Wadsworth
Beverly Hills 90210 - Derek Wadsworth
Bewitched - Nic Raine
Between The Lines - Mark Ayres
The Bill - Nic Raine
Bonanza - The Philharmonia Orchestra
Brideshead Revisited - Derek Wadsworth
Buck Rogers In The 25th Century - Nic Raine
Burke's Law - Derek Wadsworth
Cagney And Lacey - Derek Wadsworth
Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons - Mark Ayres
Casualty - Mark Ayres
Cheers - Mark Ayres
Dallas - Nic Raine
Dangerman (Secret Agent) - Mike Townend
Doctor Who - Mark Ayres
Doctor Kildare - Jerry Goldsmith

Tracks:

Doogie Howser, M.D. - Derek Wadsworth
Dynasty - Nic Raine
The Equalizer - Derek Wadsworth
Falcon Crest - Derek Wadsworth
Fireball XL-5 - Derek Wadsworth
The Fugitive - Nic Raine
Hawaii 5-0 - Mike Townend
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - Nic Raine
The High Chaparral - Nic Raine
Highway To Heaven - Derek Wadsworth
Hill Street Blues - Derek Wadsworth
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Mark Ayres
The Incredible Hulk - Derek Wadsworth
Jason King - Mike Townend
Jesus Of Nazareth - Paul Bateman
Joe 90 - Derek Wadsworth
Johnny Staccato - Derek Wadsworth
Knight Rider - Derek Wadsworth
Kojak - Mike Townend
L.A. Law - Derek Wadsworth
Land Of The Giants - Nic Raine
Little House On The Prairie - Derek Wadsworth
Lonesome Dove - Nic Raine
Lost In Space - Nic Raine
Lou Grant - Derek Wadsworth

Tracks:

Magnum, P.I. - Derek Wadsworth
A Man Called Ironside - Mike Townend
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - Derek Wadsworth
M*A*S*H - Nic Raine
Miami Vice - Mark Ayres
Mike Hammer - Derek Wadsworth
Mission Impossible - Mike Townend
Monty Python's Flying Circus - Nic Raine
The Munsters - Derek Wadsworth
Murder She Wrote - Derek Wadsworth
Newhart - Derek Wadsworth
North And South - Derek Wadsworth
Northern Exposure - Derek Wadsworth
NYPD Blue - Mark Ayres
The Outer Limits - Nic Raine
Perry Mason - Mike Townend
The Persuaders - Mark Ayres
Peter Gunn - Mike Townend
Police Squad - Nic Raine
The Prisoner - Mike Townend
Quantum Leap - Derek Wadsworth
Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) - Mike Townend
Red Dwarf - Mark Lambert
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Roseanne - Dan Foliart

Tracks:

The Saint - Mike Townend
Seaquest DSV - Nic Raine
Space 1999 - Derek Wadsworth
Star Trek - Mike Townend
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Derek Wadsworth
Star Trek: Voyager - Nic Raine
St. Elsewhere - Derek Wadsworth
The Streets Of San Francisco - Nic Raine
Stingray - Barry Gray
Taxi - Derek Wadsworth
Thunderbirds - Derek Wadsworth
Thirty Something - Derek Wadsworth
The Time Tunnel - Nic Raine
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - The Philharmonia Orchestra
The Twighlight Zone - Nic Raine
Twin Peaks - Derek Wadsworth
U.F.O. - Derek Wadsworth
The Virginian - Nic Raine
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea - Nic Raine
Wagon Train - Paul Bateman
The Waltons - Jerry Goldsmith
The Wild Wild West - Derek Wadsworth
Young Riders - John Debney
Xena: The Warrior Princess - Paul Bateman
The X-Files - Mark Ayres

Customer Reviews:

Quantity Over Quality.......2007-01-15

As a musician myself, I know too well that one of the most important ingredients in ANY performance (live or recorded) is passion. The recordings here generally lack the same passion and sheer drama of the originals. Much of the instrumentation has been reduced to a cheezy, thin, plastic synthesized replica. The performances are simply a watered-down lackluster version of the classic originals. If it were not for the sheer volume of tracks compiled here, I would have rated the comp only "one star".

Mediocre.......2006-05-17

The sound quality for this collection isn't much better than the samples offered by Amazon.

One Hundred Greatest TV Themes.......2005-08-06

I have watched almost all the shows that are on these 4 cd's. Many were made before I started watching TV. Most I've seen once or twice before.

Pretty close to original recordings.......2005-07-24

Definitely not as good as the originals. You'll probably notice the slight differences since it's stuff you saw and listened to every week or everyday in reruns growing up, but it's still an amazing collection.

Really Good Collection.......2004-07-11

I bought this in part because it had soundtracks to tv shows that are unavailable. My husband and I watch aome British programming. Many of the theme songs are for what seems like obscure British shows. That said; it has been enjoyable to hear music that I would normally never hear. Some music does sound tinny; some are very very rich, and some music is derived from actual preformances from the original artists. I think this is worth buying because is has a wonderful blend of music. The pieces are full soundtracks so they includes the parts of the theme song which are often edited out. I think the orchestra's who preformed the music did a great job. I have MonsterMania which redoes the soundtracks to the Godzilla movies. The interpretation is less heavy and stark than the preformance we associate with the original soundtrack; but I regard it as a new way to appreciate the music and all the componets which make the song unique.

Average customer rating:

Alone on a Street Of Blue Notes
Blues Walk: A First-Rate Lou Donaldson Group

Blues Walk
Lou Donaldson
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Boogaloo | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Alligator Bogaloo
Natural Soul
Blue and Sentimental
Everything I Play Is Funky
The Thing to Do

ASIN: B000005H56
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Blues Walk
Move
The Masquerade Is Over
Play Ray
Autumn Nocturne
Callin' All Cats

Album Description

Lou Donaldson's undisputed masterpiece, Blues Walk, marks the point where the altoist began to decisively modify his heavy Charlie Parker influence and add a smoky, bluesy flavor of his own. The material is still firmly in the bebop style, and the mellower moments aren't as sleepy as some of Donaldson's subsequent work, so the album sounds vital and distinctive even as it slows down and loosens things up. What elevates Blues Walk to classic status is its inviting warmth. Donaldson's sweetly singing horn is melodic throughout the six selections, making even his most advanced ideas sound utterly good-natured and accessible. The easy-swinging title cut is arguably Donaldson's signature tune even above his late-'60s soul-jazz hits, and his other two originals - "Play Ray" and "Callin' All Cats" - are in largely the same vein. Elsewhere, Donaldson displays opposite extremes of his sound; the up-tempo bebop classic "Move" provokes his fieriest playing on the record, and his romantic version of "Autumn Nocturne" is simply lovely, a precursor to Lush Life. The addition of Ray Barretto on conga is a subtle masterstroke, adding just a bit more rhythmic heft to the relaxed swing. There are numerous likable records in Donaldson's extensive catalog, but Blues Walk is the best of them all.

Customer Reviews:

Alone on a Street Of Blue Notes.......2001-07-21

Lou Donaldson made his mark with this one...probably his best, then again this was 1958 and he had many more albums to cut. He was young and inventive and he made his own tune "Blues Walk" a classic. Take this and then jump to the second cut "Move" another legitimate bop standard up there with anything written by anybody...in fact the entire CD is up there with anything ever written......and why I don't see it on anyones Jazz To Have Lists can only be explained by pure oversight or lack of record company hype (support)...I know, a lot of great Jazz came out of the 1950's but this one is a definitive stand out. I write about music but never recommend anything...but...forget about Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins for a minute and get this album...it catches every mood and rises to the top of all the Blue Note releases... you just can't put it down.

Blues Walk: A First-Rate Lou Donaldson Group.......2000-04-15

Although Lou is wonderfully facile in this Blue Note session from the late 1950s, it's Herman Foster, the great pianist, who steals the show, with convincing evidence that a complex harmonic instrument need not be treated as another variant on the Horace Silver/Bud Powell single-note theme. Foster's highly sophisticated two-handed harmonies in "Play Ray", a medium tempo blues for Barretto, are worthy of transcription. This is a virtuoso pianist with an aggressive, percussive approach which is atypical of Blue Note recordings of the era. The intensity of Foster's attack in Denzil Best's "Move" is phenomenal. Check it out.

The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions

Average customer rating:

The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions
Lou Rawls
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music

Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Black and Blue/Tobacco Road
The Very Best of Lou Rawls: You'll Never Find Another
Groovy People: The Best of Lou Rawls
Stormy Monday
Soulin'

ASIN: B000EHQ82I
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Tracks:

Motherless Child
God Bless The Child
Nobody But Me
Blues For The Weepers
Goin' To Chicago Blues
How Long, How Long Blues
Southside Blues/Tobacco Road (Medley)
Something Stirring In My Soul
Georgia On My Mind
So Hard To Laugh, So Easy To Cry
Old Folks
Somebody Have Mercy
Why (Do I Love You So)
Street Of Dreams
I Wonder
Let's Burn Down The Cornfield
One For My Baby, One More For The Road
Mean Old World
Long Gone Blues
Fine And Mellow

Album Description

This collection covers the greatest blues and jazz performances of Lou Rawls' Capitol years (1962-70) and finds him in the company of such great arrangers as Benny Carter, Onzy Matthews, Benny Golson, and H.B. Barnum, and with Les McCann's trio and The Pilgrim Travelers. Researching this compilation uncovered an amazing, previously unissued session of three classic blues with saxophonist Curtis Amy's sextet featuring the legendary trumpeter Dupree Bolton. Now these wonderful performances--Mean Old World, Long Gone Blues, and Fine and Mellow--are available at last.

Average customer rating:

Awesome
The voice of a star, the warmth of a friend

The Legendary Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Classic R&B | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Soul | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Love Songs
Groovy People: The Best of Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls - Greatest Hits
Love Songs
Stormy Monday

ASIN: B000002V0E
Release Date: 1992-02-25

Tracks:

I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water
World Of Trouble
Tabacco Road
Willow Weep For Me
(They Call It) Stormy Monday
God Bless The Child
For You My Love
Dead End Street
Your Good Thing (Is About To End)
Love Is A Hurtin' Thing
You Can't Go Home No More
At Last
Fine Brown Frame
Room With A View
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
All Around The World
Good Morning Blues

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2006-03-10

It was what I wanted in Lou Rawls. Most of my favorites by him.

The voice of a star, the warmth of a friend.......2003-05-06

It's always hard to comment authoritatively on a career retrospective when your knowledge of the artist's career is sketchy, and the career has been so long and varied. I had only a radio-listener's knowledge of this blues-soul-jazz-pop vocal maestro when I heard "Tobacco Road" and "Willow Weep for Me" played on our jazz station, but I knew immediately that it was Lou, although I had never heard him sing jazz. I didn't know if he'd recorded these songs last month or (as it turns out) nearly forty years ago, but I went right out and bought the CD.

I found it to be a mix of late-60s live recordings of blues and jazz (with some very compelling introductory "raps" with the audience), the late-60s soul hits, and a crop of very satisfying soul-pop from 1989-1990 recorded just before the CD was released in 1991. Inexplicably and unforgivably, the 70s disco phase was completely skipped, even his all-time biggest hit "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", a masterful song that is sorely missing.

The only common thread in the collection is Lou himself, but that's no thread, it's a 12-inch thick rope. His exceptionally warm voice and artistry pull it all together, and he sings to you like a long-lost friend. The highlights of this collection, for me, are: 1) The live "Tobacco Road". When he refers to a neighborhood in Los Angeles "that they used to call Watts", you know it's 1966. 2) The live "Willow Weep for Me", in which his final "weeeeeeep" goes on forever. 3) The soul hits "Love is a Hurtin' Thing" and "Dead-End Street", with its "Almighty Hawk - Mr. Wind". These were my first experiences of Lou as a boy back in the late sixties, and are among the best and most underplayed classic songs of that generation. 4) Lou's reinterpretation of Eric Burdon and the Animals' anguished plea "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". This is the best of Lou you can get, so please welcome this friend into your home.

Over the Rainbow
Average customer rating:

One of America's great songwriters

Over the Rainbow

Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Get Happy: The Harold Arlen Centennial Celebration

Harold Arlen Centennial Celebration

Harold Arlen Sings Sweet and Hot

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Harold Arlen

ASIN: B000000WMG
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

(You Got Me In Between) The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
I've Got The World On A String
I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
Public Melody No. 1
When The Sun Comes Out
Hittin' The Bottle
Let's Fall In Love
Let's Put Our Heads Together
Now I Know
As Long As I Live
Rasin' The Rent
Blues In The Night
Down With Love
Over The Rainbow
It's Only A Paper Moon
Bud's Won't Bud
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
Stormy Weather
Kickin' The Gong Around
Two Blind Loves
That Old Black Magic
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
Ill Wind
Get Happy

Customer Reviews:

One of America's great songwriters.......2001-03-09

Amid the Cole Porters, Irving Berlins and George Gershwins of the world, Harold Arlen tends to be forgotten. And yet, when the greatest song of the 20th century was recently voted on by a distinguished panel of critics, whose song came out on top? Mr. Arlen's (Over the Rainbow). Here is a superb cross section of Harold Arlen songs by a cast ranging from Judy Garland to Bing Crosby to Ethel Waters, spanning decades and spanning a wide range of styles, from jazz to ballads, poignant to funny. Although the sound is not ideal, as many of the recordings date from the 30's and Pearl's objective in remastering has always been to achieve the fullest musical sound rather than to reduce surface noise, this is a minor complaint given the rich and mind-opening selection of great music found here.

Average customer rating:

Lush Life
Lou Donaldson
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Undercurrent
The Spoiler
The Right Touch
Introducing Johnny Griffin
You Gotta Take a Little Love

ASIN: B000MG2LQI
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

Sweet Slumber
You've Changed
The Good Life
Star Dust
What Will I Tell My Heart
It Might As Well Be Spring
Sweet And Lovely

Album Description

On this gorgeous album, one of Donaldson's favorites, his alto soars over an all-star octet arranged by Duke Pearson on seven standards. Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and McCoy Tyner also contribute solos. This album was readied for release in 1967 when it was recorded, but subsequently shelved when Donaldson's Alligator Bogaloo album became a big hit. It was first issued in 1980.

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

jazz music