Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969

[kh1958]

For the Blues fans in the house, there is an interesting new release recorded live at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, which might be the greatest assemblage of blues talent at one place ever to occur. The recording quality is not great, but seems acceptable for the most part. With my Time Machine, I would surely pick this Festival over Woodstock; an easy call.

https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Arbor-Blues-Festival-1969/dp/B07SQ66W35/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2MA27X3OZHAYN&keywords=ann+arbor+blues+festival+1969&qid=1565367858&s=music&sprefix=Ann+%2Cpopular%2C154&sr=1-1

Tracklist 

ANN ARBOR BLUES FESTIVAL 1969 - VOL. 1
1 Dirty Mother for You – Roosevelt Sykes
2 So Glad You’re Mine – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup 
3 Too Much Alcohol – J.B. Hutto & His Hawks
4 I Wonder Why – Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins 
5 Help Me (A Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson) – Junior Wells
6 I’ve Got a Mind to Give Up Living – B.B. King with Sonny Freeman and the Unusuals 
7 John Henry – Mississippi Fred McDowell
8 Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy – Luther Allison and the Blue Nebulae 
9 Tu m’as promis l’amour (You Promised Me Love) – Clifton Chenier
10 Hard Luck – The Original Howlin’ Wolf and His Orchestra
11 So Many Roads, So Many Trains – Otis Rush

ANN ARBOR BLUES FESTIVAL 1969 - VOL. 2
1 Long Distance Call – Muddy Waters
2 Movin’ and Groovin’ – Charlie Musselwhite
3 I Feel So Good (I Wanna Boogie) – Magic Sam
4 Jelly Jelly Blues – Shirley Griffith
5 Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) – T-Bone Walker 
6 Ball and Chain – Big Mama Thornton and the Hound Doggers
7 Juanita – Big Joe Williams
8 Key to the Highway – Sam Lay
9 Mojo Hand – Lightnin’ Hopkins
11 Off the Wall – James Cotton Blues Band
12 Death Letter Blues – Son House

 

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for this will definitely consider.  Have to admit I'd much prefer the full 4-5 song sets (I assume everybody at least got those?) of certain artists rather than this one-on congolomeration but it still looks good to me.

[kh1958]

Agreed. I think they must have played longer sets than 4-5 songs, judging from Magic Sam Live, which releases his set in full on two sides of an LP, as I recall.

[kh1958]

As I listen to this, the sound is wildly variable. the Otis Rush track sounds like a professional recording, while the Luther Allison cut sounds like Dene Benedetti was there with his wire recorder. 

[Dan Gould]

Thanks for the further report. Now I am curious what the proportion is of "professional" vs "Benedetti wire recorder"

[kh1958]

On the first CD, two of the eleven songs I find to be unlistenable sonically (Luther Allison and J.B. Hutto). One track (Otis Rush) is recorded very well (why not release this whole set?). The rest are in between, listenable (for me) but clearly audience recordings. The music quality is good to great (B.B. King's wonderful track, for example).

I haven't ventured into CD2 yet.

Actually, reading the fine print in the notes, the reason the Otis Rush is so sonically different is because it was actually recorded at a concert for the 1970 Ann Arbor Blues Festival.

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by kh1958

[kh1958]

All of the CD2 tracks are in acceptable sound. Highlights are T Bone Walker playing with Luther Allison on T Bone's track, then T Bone Walker backing up Big Mama Thornton.

[Dan Gould]

19 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

All of the CD2 tracks are in acceptable sound. Highlights are T Bone Walker playing with Luther Allison on T Bone's track, then T Bone Walker backing up Big Mama Thornton.

Thanks!