Soul Stream

Grant.

This brings up a real problem for me. Now I know that all this endless remastering (not to mention repeated FedExing of these tapes) is taking a toll on the original tapes. To know that "The Rock" is forever screwed pisses me off.

Actually I dug the Bobby Rush part the most. Because, like it or not, that's the real modern day chitlin' circuit scene. I know, because I played it for several years. That's the kind of show black people play for black people in the little brass rail and mirror clubs down south. Bad synthesizers, 6 string basses and a lot of posturing by all involved. But it's a whole world unto itself and one that I'm glad I got to see first hand. Say what you will about the music and performances. But that's hard work. And it's REAL. Like it or not (I never did dig the music either, how many times can you play "Down Home Blues." A lot.)

The Rock is totally f'd up sounding on the Mosaic Select. The tape is being eaten by the machine for the 1st 15 seconds or so before it rights itself. Horrible.

I'll ask George again for more specifics about Jackson's death. Even in my conversations with Patton when he was still alive....he always said he never knew what happened to Fred Jackson ultimately. So, I'll ask George again. I just thought it was amazing that Jackson was still alive as late as 1992. And yes, who knows...maybe Fred is still alive. But I'll try and dig deeper.

I saw last night's episode (hey, they re-run it at midnight so I caught it after my gig!). Anyway...now THIS is what a blues documentary should be. I had no grips at all with this one. Great episode!

Just has a conversation with George Braith. He told me he was at John Patton's house in '92 rehearsing for a recording session. George said Fred Jackson was over there just hanging out. Matter of fact, George said Fred lent him his tenor moutpiece for the rehearsal which George still has. Turns out Fred left and Braith never saw him again. Next thing George heard about him was that Fred had died. Just a little info I thought people would dig.

I question why we need modern groups performing these guy's songs on this stuff. This music doesn't need "updating" as far as I'm concerned. Good or bad, these modern performances aren't teaching us anything about the original performers. I'd rather hear/see more of the originators. Either interviewed or performing. If this series was done in the eighties, we'd be listening to ELO perform a Skip James song. 20 years from now the Beck, Cave, Spencer, ect performances will seem just as dated...and ultimately hollow. Leaving us wishing for more footage of Skip James that ended up on the editing room floor. That's why I liked the J.B. Lenoir stuff so much. We actually got to see JB JENOIR for an extended period.

Hey, didn't Bill Heid say he used to see Grant Green there all the time?

Well, I hated it...turned it off...turned it back on...and was then sucked in by the best shit I'd see so far. I really dug the extended J.B Lenoir footage. They really showed a lot and for THAT I give them credit. Otherwise....I'm not quite sure what I saw. I Hodgepodge of bad re-inactments of stuff that didn't need re-inacting. After watching this episode, all I'm definately sure of is that Blind Willie Johnson was an astronaut. Other than that, I'm clueless.

Hey...I can't even pick out a video at Blockbuster. How am I supposed to pick something out to put on my body for the rest of my life. Plus, how many poor bastards from the 70's still have that ol' "Keep on Truckin'" tatoo.

Just got this today. GET IT!!!!! This is some great stuff. And it got me to thinking what a shame it is we don't get more of this from these guys. As healthy as the organ scene is now (and it is very healthy in my estimation), these are the cats that can REALLY play this stuff. Paul Humphries, Melvin Sparks....Red, Frank...and Lonnie. You know, they're all playing better than ever. Also the SOUND of this one is great. RVG did all the recording, mixing, editing and mastering (24). And he did a WONDERFUL job. It has a touch too much lowend at times imho, but otherwise is fantastic. I'm so glad Rudy, Bob Porter and this band is still around, working and making things that sound as great in 2003 as they did in 1964. This ranks right up there with many of the best Prestige organ sides imho. Get it if you can. I want to see these guys still financially able to continue this great work. And that can only happen with some SALES damn it~!

Yeah, but WHICH Freddie Roach and Charles Earland did you leave off????

Man, the sound is good on these. I HIGHLY recommend people buying this set. If for only that Patton's widow, Thelma, will see some bread from you doing so.

Hey Man...George DID play on those early B.B. King records with the Newbournes. I'd say his blues roots run pretty darn deep.

Oh..to have not heard "The Way I Feel" "That Certain Feeling" and "Understanding" again.... On the upside for me, having only gotten these one at a time with long waits between, I REALLY had a chance to absorb all these albums. I think I could sing you every note played on each of these albums. With all of these hitting you at once it maybe a bit overwhelming. Big sylistic leaps between Along Came and Understanding. Big John's style and scope broadened with each album.... Well, I digress. Did I say "ENJOY THE HELL OUT OF THEM, AND REJOICE THE DAY YOU RECIEVE THIS SET!!!!!!"

Yeah, mine just dropped this morning. I've got all the music...but the booklet is BAADDD. GREAT PICTURES. Mostly of the "Along Came John" session. Some great shots that show the Dixon/Patton/Green team talking it out during the session among other things. It's GREAT to hear "That Certain Feeling" cleanly for the first time without pops and crackles!!!! That session is so awesome. Bad stuff.

Saw the first episode and already am not a fan. Maybe the other directors will have a different approach. I found it to be thin. Corey Harris, Keb' Mo...paleeese. Taj. I'm not a huge fan, but at least he's had first hand contact and relations with some of the masters. Keb Mo at one point kept going on about his exposure to a Robert Johnson song was through a Led Zepplin 8 track. If the director's intent was to show lineage, he failed right there. Any suburban white kid has the same story. The best part was footage of Johnny Shines playing in the 60's in his living room. That was some bad shit. If you want to see a pretty good blues doc., check out Robert Gordon's one-hour Muddy Waters documentary running on PBS. Much more informed. \ ....my problem with these PBS-sponsered blues and jazz docs, is that they're are produced and directed by people who don't seem to have that big of grasp on the topic at hand. ....I turned it off at one point it was so boring. A BIG disappointment for me on this first episode. I bet Eastwood's episode is the best considering he has real knowledge about the topic.

Great pick Big Al. I could talk all day long about this one. And will.

Thanks Jim. I should have thought about Pete first. By the way....Have you heard his latest...McGriff Avenue? I know a bass player is on all tracks which makes me think the stories are true.

All these moves into Miles "electric" period by yesterday's "young lions" seem all so familiar. Just a different time period. Remember when they all hated fusion...that's how they made their name. Now...15 years later...they've finally caught up to Miles thinking. Now it's just the 70's way of Miles thinking. This is BOGUS. I'll guarantee you one of these guys will be playing "Time After Time" ala Miles in the 80's pretty damn soon, 10 years I guess (Hargrove is my guess for the first on base). C'mon...why are we all pretending these guys still have something UNIQUE to say. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Dave Douglas, Roy or Nicholas....Hell, they're BAAAADDDD MFers! The best young cats today. BUT LET'S QUIT PRETENDING THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS when they keep trying to copycat Miles!!!!!!! This is all B.S.

I had heard some rumors that McGriff suffered some sort of stroke awhile back and hasn't really been able to play his own basslines since then. Does anybody know if this is true, or what his current condition is. Anybody SEEN him play in the last year or so? I'm curious because I'm thinking about trying to hook him up with a booking and wondered what his touring status is these days.... Thanks for any help.

I'm a BIG Rodney Jones fan. I dug Manifesto...could have liked it more, but the lineup was killer. If you want a real taste of what Jones can do, pick up Irene Reid's "Movin' Out" CD on Savant. Jones KILLS on a couple of cuts on that. I mean, he about blows me away more than ANY cat on the scene these days. Peter Bernstein used to be my favorite young guitarist, but Jones has taken him over in my book. His skills aren't so apparent, oddly enough, on Soul Manifesto.... But pick up this Irene Reid, a nice blues-based organ outing...but Jones...he is BAAADDDD on it.

Just ordered it from CD Universe. Thanks for the heads up.

I can relate to Jim's comments about sitcoms, movies...and certain musicians playing in a box (hey, I count myself as one. So no disrespect. ). Here in Austin, there are a LOT of great musicians who play out of the strict Buck Owens/early Haggard style. They're great and I appreciate what they do, but...on some level it rings hollow. Same thing about seeing the umpteenth summer action blockbuster move. Or hearing Sonny Stitt on, seemingly, autopilot. Or hearing Eric Alexander play George Coleman. Or Joey Defrancesco play Jimmy Smith. Or Wallace Roney play Miles Davis. Hey, these guys are all SUPERIOR musicians. The best of the best. But as a LISTENER....I get bored with it at times. And yes, it IS because we're jaded. THAT's the definition of jaded. There's nothing new under the sun. But every once in a while somthing or somebody comes along to dispell all that! Thank goodness.