Various

Broadcasting the Blues

BY David BarnardPublished Jan 29, 2009

Celebrating 25 years of Those Lowdown Blues on Phoenix's KJZZ, the harp playing, record producing, club owning and concert promoting host, Bob Corritore, has dug deeply into the show's archives, creating this collection of 20 live-in-the-studio performances. Given that it was during radio interviews that the artists were recorded, most cuts feature them performing solo, occasionally with guitar accompaniment. The performers are a mixture of elders and newer names, standouts being Chicago's Billy Flynn blowing harmonica on "Billy's Blues," a tribute to his mentor, Billy Boy Arnold, who's included performing "Shake Your Boogie." Top vocals are the Persuasions' Jerry Lawson laying out a droll a cappella version of "Who Stole The Chicken" and Phoenix's own Chief Schabuttie Gilliame's strained singing giving the workhorse "No More Doggin'" a cutting edge. The most memorable performances are by Louisiana Red, whose storytelling adds a nice flavour to the mix on three cuts, including the spiritual "Look What a Wonder."
(Southwest Musical Arts Foundation)

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