Rockin Wild in Chicago, Magic Sam
An amateur live recording of some incendiary 1960's club performances by one of the most passionate blues guitarists of any era. Magic Sam may have died tragically young but on this album you can still see the sweat on his forehead and feel his fingers bleed.
Juarez, Terry Allen
One of the greatest records by one of our greatest songwriters. Part song cycle, part opera, part film noir, part morality play. Roots music that dances on the sharp edge of a drunken switchblade.
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson
With his unsurpassed gospel/blues slide guitar and his blast furnance vocals, Blind Willie songs set a standard for emotional intensity that has rarely been equalled.
California Country: The Best of the Challenge Masters, Wynn Stewart
A pioneer of the west coast country style (along with Merle and Buck) and one of the greatest country singers of any era. His sweet, sad voice sounds like a cold beer in a desert roadhouse on the hottest day of the year.
Hot Just Like TNT, Johnny "Guitar" Watson
These early recordings feature Watson in more of a straight blues setting than his later excellent funk records. His guitar work here is the ultimate in sophisticated primitivism and his loud, biting tone will peel the paint off your walls.
Good Old Boys (Bonus CD) (Dlx), Randy Newman
I highly recommend this not only for the one disc of his greatest album but also for the bonus disc of his demo recordings of his masterpiece. Just Newman accompanying himself on piano, humourously explaining his vision between each song. It also features a couple of tunes left off the finished CD. Both discs are a graduate class in songwriting.
Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, Jerry Lee Lewis
Recorded after he stopped having hits and before he became a legend, this record is everything that preachers and politicians warned the world about rock and roll. This record walks the fine line between anarchy and chaos. This live performance is so intense I definitely advise you to never listening to it while driving or operating heavy machinery.
Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan
The great songwriter Peter Case once told me that "There's always something new you can learn about songwriting on any Bob Dylan record, even the not so good ones." Peter is right, of course, and this blues soaked effort is definitely one of the good ones.
Big, Bad & Blue : The Big Joe Turner Anthology, Big Joe Turner
Certainly one of the most powerful singers in any genre. Big Joe's voice (and personality) was a triumphant shout against all oppression as well as an unstoppable force of nature. They don't make singers like him anymore anywhere.
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
Long-lost live recordings that capture one of the absolute pinnacle performances in American music.
From: http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguide...rd_i=B000OCY69U
An amateur live recording of some incendiary 1960's club performances by one of the most passionate blues guitarists of any era. Magic Sam may have died tragically young but on this album you can still see the sweat on his forehead and feel his fingers bleed.
Juarez, Terry Allen
One of the greatest records by one of our greatest songwriters. Part song cycle, part opera, part film noir, part morality play. Roots music that dances on the sharp edge of a drunken switchblade.
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson
With his unsurpassed gospel/blues slide guitar and his blast furnance vocals, Blind Willie songs set a standard for emotional intensity that has rarely been equalled.
California Country: The Best of the Challenge Masters, Wynn Stewart
A pioneer of the west coast country style (along with Merle and Buck) and one of the greatest country singers of any era. His sweet, sad voice sounds like a cold beer in a desert roadhouse on the hottest day of the year.
Hot Just Like TNT, Johnny "Guitar" Watson
These early recordings feature Watson in more of a straight blues setting than his later excellent funk records. His guitar work here is the ultimate in sophisticated primitivism and his loud, biting tone will peel the paint off your walls.
Good Old Boys (Bonus CD) (Dlx), Randy Newman
I highly recommend this not only for the one disc of his greatest album but also for the bonus disc of his demo recordings of his masterpiece. Just Newman accompanying himself on piano, humourously explaining his vision between each song. It also features a couple of tunes left off the finished CD. Both discs are a graduate class in songwriting.
Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, Jerry Lee Lewis
Recorded after he stopped having hits and before he became a legend, this record is everything that preachers and politicians warned the world about rock and roll. This record walks the fine line between anarchy and chaos. This live performance is so intense I definitely advise you to never listening to it while driving or operating heavy machinery.
Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan
The great songwriter Peter Case once told me that "There's always something new you can learn about songwriting on any Bob Dylan record, even the not so good ones." Peter is right, of course, and this blues soaked effort is definitely one of the good ones.
Big, Bad & Blue : The Big Joe Turner Anthology, Big Joe Turner
Certainly one of the most powerful singers in any genre. Big Joe's voice (and personality) was a triumphant shout against all oppression as well as an unstoppable force of nature. They don't make singers like him anymore anywhere.
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
Long-lost live recordings that capture one of the absolute pinnacle performances in American music.
From: http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguide...rd_i=B000OCY69U
