MUDDY WATERS 100
Various Artists (Raisin’ Music Records)
The year Muddy Waters was born — some say 1915 and others say 1913 — remains a source of controversy. But that shouldn't detract from the quality of this very fine tribute album, in which vocalist-guitarist John Primer is joined by an incredible cast that includes Billy Branch, Gary Clark, Jr., Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Bob Margolin, Keb' Mo', Derek Trucks, and Johnny Winter.
Set for a July 24 release, the CD was produced by two-time Grammy-nominated composer Larry Skoller and is in a gorgeous hardcover package that includes a 48-page booklet illustrated with iconic black and white photos of Waters and those paying tribute to him. Also included is an essay by Robert Gordon, author of an acclaimed Waters biography, Can't Be Satisfied — The Life and Times of Muddy Waters.
Most important, the music's on the money, with 15 newly recorded tracks featuring Muddy Waters Band alumni and the stars mentioned above. It's an obvious labor of love, true to Mississippi-born Waters' down-home mix of Southern influences that ultimately defined the Chicago blues genre like no other.
Primer, who played with Muddy until his death in 1983, is out front on most songs, but the contributions from others come through loud and clear, too, from a number of guitarists to Cotton's famous harmonica. Tribute albums often yield mixed results, but not this one. It's solid and true to form. Winter, one of the best blues guitarists to emerge from Texas, performed on the song "I'm Ready" for this album shortly before he died a year ago. The original version of that song was the title track of a Grammy-winning Muddy Waters album that Winter produced in 1978, one of four he produced for Muddy in the '70s.
— TOM HENRY, The Blade
SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE
Jason Isbell (Southeastern Records)
Jason Isbell’s voice is a distinctive instrument, by turns soulful and rough, but always marked by his Alabama accent.
His songwriting is singularly focused on melody, occasionally veering into outright pop hooks. But only occasionally, which keeps the high-gloss moments few and far between.
While Something More Than Free doesn’t quite have the thunderous impact of Southeastern, his previous album, it would be fairly ridiculous to even have that expectation. What Something More Than Free does best is confirm that Isbell is a rare talent, one who doesn’t need a major life event to inspire him to make great music.
— CHRIS CONATON, popmatters.com
LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST
Sly and the Family Stone (Epic/Legacy)
Originally planned as the follow-up to the ascendant 1968 LP Life, Live at the Fillmore East got permanently shelved after the band cranked out “Everyday People” like it was nothing, topping the charts for the first time and priming the pump for a new studio smash.
Recorded over the course of two days at the New York venue in October, 1968 (with a matinee and evening show each day), these tapes capture a band about to mesmerize the world with a distinctly realistic brand of positive vibes.
— JOE SWEENEY, Popmatters.com
First Published July 16, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
