... CD

With Dr John, Booker T, Paul Butterfield, Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic from The Band – a set that's hardly got them cowering in the corner the way the "stage fright" title might imply – and which instead seems to have the group at their most confident during the early years, effortlessly spinning impeccable musicianship and some surprisingly biting lyrics! The young Robbie Robertson is on guitar, Garth Hudson warms things up with organ lines, and vocals are handled by the shifting array of other players in the lead – Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel. Titles include "The Shape I'm In", "Sleeping", "Strawberry Wine", "Just Another Whistle Stop", "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", "Stage Fright", and "Time To Kill". CD reissue includes an alternate take of "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", two alternate mixes, and a radio commercial. CD

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

Muddy kicks it live in the studio at Woodstock with a number of rock and/or blues luminaries in toe for this mid 70s gig – including the great Pinetop Perkins on piano, Paul Butterfield on harmonica, and Levon Helm on bass and drums! Interestingly, the set is much more of return to the rumbling, gritty blues and soul that made Muddy's name at Chess Records years earlier – and thankfully, not at all the crossover rock moment it could have been. There's a lot more Mud here than Water! Tracks include "Why Are People Like That", "Getting Down To Main Street", "Born With Nothing", "Caledonia", "Funny Sounds", "Love, Deep As The Ocean", "Let The Good Times Roll", and more. CD

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". Includes 7 bonus tracks. CD

A fantastic classic from The Band – a set that's hardly got them cowering in the corner the way the "stage fright" title might imply – and which instead seems to have the group at their most confident during the early years, effortlessly spinning impeccable musicianship and some surprisingly biting lyrics! The young Robbie Robertson is on guitar, Garth Hudson warms things up with organ lines, and vocals are handled by the shifting array of other players in the lead – Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel. Titles include "The Shape I'm In", "Sleeping", "Strawberry Wine", "Just Another Whistle Stop", "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", "Stage Fright", and "Time To Kill". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm! CD

Maybe not the first album from the legendary Band – but a record in which the group get everything completely right all the way through – and sparkle with that special sound that continues to influence generations of music makers, and music lovers! All the great elements the group were bringing to their work with Bob Dylan are in place here – but the focus is completely different, with this warm glow that really fits the vocals of Levon Helm, and a sense of unified vision that makes it really hard to even come up with a match for the energy of the group on this album. The great John Simon adds a few special touches to the overall sound – and titles include "Rockin Chair", "Across The Great Divide", "When You Awake", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Look Out Cleveland", and "King Harvest". CD

Early solo work by Jesse Ed Davis – two albums in a single set! The self-titled Jesse Ed Davis set is one of a few records as a leader ever issued by the guitarist – a player who worked on countless other albums by big names in the late 60s and early 70s – but who has a very special flavor on his own! Davis is maybe best remembered as an important native American musician on the scene at the time – but his work here stands strongly with that of some of his hipper contemporaries – such as Eric Clapton, Leon Russel, and Gram Parsons – all of whom make an appearance here! Titles include the completely sublime "Golden Sun Goddess", worth the price of the album alone – plus "Tulsa County", "Every Night Is Saturday Night", "Crazy Love", "Reno Street Incident", and "Washita Love Child". Ululu has Jesse working with a number of his famous friends – including Leon Russell and Mac (Dr John) Rebennack – both of whose work the album owes a lot to. Jesse's got a down-home approach to his work – and sings a set of original tunes, plus versions of tracks by Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Levon Helm, and Taj Mahal – which should give you a good idea of his frame of reference. Titles include "White Line Fever", "My Captain", "Sue Me Sue You Blues", "Ululu", "Alcatraz", and "Strawberry Wine". CD

The landmark first album from The Band – and along with the follow-up, it's among the greatest records of its time – which is all the more astounding given how independent of late 60s trends it is! Each member of The Band brings such inimitable textures – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, Robertson's guitar mastery – this really was THE Band. Includes "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", "I Shall Be Released" and more. CD

A fantastic classic from The Band – a set that's hardly got them cowering in the corner the way the "stage fright" title might imply – and which instead seems to have the group at their most confident during the early years, effortlessly spinning impeccable musicianship and some surprisingly biting lyrics! The young Robbie Robertson is on guitar, Garth Hudson warms things up with organ lines, and vocals are handled by the shifting array of other players in the lead – Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel. Titles include "The Shape I'm In", "Sleeping", "Strawberry Wine", "Just Another Whistle Stop", "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", "Stage Fright", and "Time To Kill". CD

Performed by Sissy Spacek, Beverly D'Angelo, and Levon Helm. LP, Vinyl record album