Big Maybelle

[JSngry]

Are you man enough to handle it?

There were times when I wasn't sure I was...

The last session is sad, but everything else is cause for goosebumps.

And Mickey Baker is INSANE!

Highly recommended for those still on the fence about Eric Clapton or Bonnie Raitt.

[Tom in RI]

I had a vinyl release of a lot of this material and sold it without ever really getting into it. Picked up the cd quite some time later and dug it a lot more. You haven't lived until you've heard One Monkey Don't Stop The Show. One thing though, do you file under Big or Maybelle? Any thoughts on the Savoy sessions which I have not heard.

Edited January 4, 2004 by Tom in RI

[JSngry]

do you file under Big or Maybelle? Any thoughts on the Savoy sessions which I have not heard.

I do "Big", just as I file Little Richard under "Little". But Rich Little still goes under "L".

I haven't heard all the Savoy stuff, but the few things I have heard are at least as good as this OKeh material. Not sure that it all is, though. I'd sure like the chance to find out.

Edited January 4, 2004 by JSngry

[Harold_Z]

Yeah - this is a good one and also a good example of the cross pollination and the difficulty of using labels to pigeon hole music. When these recordings first came out , they were probably referred to as Rock and Roll. Now we call it R&B. When you look at the players - there's a WHOLE LOT of familiar Jazz names. Her version of "Candy" (earlier than the material here) shouldn't be missed and "I'm Gettin' Along Allright" (in here) is another great one. Later covered by The Raelettes (on Tangerine) with Merry Clayton singing lead. Anybody know if there are reissues of this?

Mickey Baker was an early exponent of guitar effects - and to a large extent he was making use of the effects that came on the amp. Tremolo and Echo. He'd get distortion too (when he wanted it - most likely by overdriving a small amp). That's Mickey of Ray Charles' "Losin' Hand" and Ike and Tina's "It's Gonna Work Out Fine". Tremolo and echo

[Brandon Burke]

The Savoy sessions are equally great. Lot's of familiar faces there as well: Hank Jones, Kenny Burrell, Jerome Richardson, etc. Not sure if it ever made it onto CD, though.

[jazzbo]

The nineties Savoy/Denon series of excellent cds included one cd of Big Maybelle material; currently the Savoy/Atlantic series of cds has a two cd complete Big Maybelle offered.

[BruceH]

I could swear I've got an LP compilation of Big Maybelle buried somewhere around here... But I'd buy this baby just for the cover!

(I'm firmly of the opinion that you can judge many an album by its cover, and this one just yells out "Good stuff! Buy me!!" I once bought a John Lee Hooker album just for the cover, and it turned out to be one of the best blues records I ever got.)