Overlooked Gems?

A previous mention of Muddy Waters' "Live at Mr. Kelly's" got me thinking about great albums that tend to get overlooked in a musician's catalog, for whatever reason.

What are some albums you love from an artist that don't get enough love?

I'll throw in Louis Myer's "I'm a Southern Man." Louis Myers tends to be primarily associated with The Aces, and I'm not sure I've ever seen this album mentioned here before. It's a great slice of slick Chicago blues, with a little sophistication thrown in (jazzy sax solos pop up now and then, Myers gives a nod to the women's lib movement). Myers' guitar playing is top notch throughout, showing a certain jazzy sophistication.

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Without thinking twice:

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Where is the love for Scott Dunbar I ask you... :(

In France, maybe ;)
Little Liza Jane (second track of this album) introduced my online radio show this month - and for once, I decided to play my usual intro after that first tune.

I had never heard of Scott Dunbar, so I checked out that album and it sounds great! Thanks for the tip, Lonewolf!

plenty of love for scott dunbar here! i'll be (eventually) including that record on my list of 100 favorite downhome/rural blues CDs . . . a classic!

I'm sure I've told this story before, but my grandfather used to have a fish camp at Lake Mary, and Scott Dunbar was his guide. My grandfather and some friends would go down there just about every weekend. Dunbar would play for them in the evenings. I bought From Lake Mary when Fat Possum reissued it and played it for my mom. She remembered several of the songs from the fish camp. "Little Liza Jane" was one of them.

Long ago, I was going through some of her pictures and there was a pic of Dunbar playing at the camp around 1964. I have been trying to find it for a while now. It's stashed away in one of the boxes in my Previous Life Closet. Hopefully, I will find it one of these days and share it with everyone.

To each their own - I thought the Scott Dunbar was crap when it came out on the Ahura Mazda LP. I got a copy of it as a Fat Possum CD to review and I still thought it was crap. I know I shouldn't toot my own horn, but the Trix album by Frank Edwards had always been overlooked, even though it was bootlegged by Wolf Records on LP and later on CD! I bet they sold as many as I did... a few hundred!! Frank was unique and that often doesn't sell records... he should have been better known.

Peter B.

Peter, I see there's also a CD version of a Trix Frank Edwards album.
It can be found at Amazon's Marketplace for peanuts.
I suppose that's the one you mean ?
Done some travelin'

I also found a Henry Johnson Trix CD for the same price : The Union County Flash!

I always looked forward to going to Atlanta when we were touring. Frank was a mainstay at Blues Harbor, always sitting in the upper level on the back side of the bar. I used to love spending time with him before gigs and between sets. Peter's right, he should have been better known. ;)

Rene' -

That's the one (and only) until his posthumous release on Music Maker. He sounds just like Frank did in 1940, and 1949... uniquely himself. Peanuts... guess you owe me the shells for both albums. Henry Johnson was a m**********r, the finest combination of superb guitarist and gorgeous singer I had anything to deal with. John Cephas came next.

Jeff -

I wish that I had been able to get South a bit then and see Frank in his milieu... He was a true gentleman and a lovely person. Oretty helpful back in the day as well. I kept him supplied w. LPs; easily done as it didn't sell worth s**t.

Peter B.

My favorite Trix lp were when I started collecting blues in the early 70's:

Henry Johnson
Peg Leg Sam

but my dessert island record is the Tarheel Sim

Kirkland and Lockwood followed, not a bad apple in the basket!

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b4s -

You show INCREDIBLY good taste in music! Both Henry, and Sam were masters of their instruments and fine performers. Slim's singing finally got to you, I'd hazard... something special, as was he as a person. Lockwood, it goes without saying, was a true master - Kirkland is STILL an audience grabber as he continues his conquest of the world one pub/bar at a time. Roberts albums were the best sellers, but nowhere near the 10,000 I had hoped for, in spite of the great reviews of the day. Nobody was buying back when I had the label up and running - a lull in interest. I am proud of what I DID accomplish, but wish that things had gone "better" for the artists involved.

Most from the SE died before interest cropped up again: I DID get Peg Leg Sam, Tarheel Slim, and Big Chief Ellis onto the Philadelphia Folk Festival. They ended up doing a trio set since Leon Redbone over-played his time limit! Sam was also on an evening performance and killed 'em... even got his photo in the NY TIMES article! But, Europe wasn't ready for the Piedmont when folks were available. Ellis eventually got booked to Germany, but died before he could make the trip (sorry, Norbert). Tours were always Chicago, then West Coast, and "Delta" folks. Later, John Jackson did well, as did John Cephas... too late for "my" roster, though.

Peter B.

p.s. - the one Ahura Mazda album I recommend is the Robert Pete Williams, also re-issued by Fat Possum. Another unique and worthy musician.

Here's another overlooked gem: Jimmy Reed Plays 12 String Guitar Blues

A Jimmy Reed instrumental album. Bizarre in concept, since at least half of Jimmy Reed's appeal came from the accessibility of his lyrics and songwriting. However, it's pulled off amazingly well. Reed's singing is replaced by him playing the melody lines on 12 string guitar (which he does with surprsing dexterity). Vee-Jay's recent remastering job is also something to hear; the instruments are nicely separated and amazingly clear. You can actually hear Reed's guitar and Eddie Taylor's guitar individually, which is very nice.

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I always thought that the Jimmy Reed 12-string album actually were his Vee Jay recordings with a 12-string guitar overdubbed by some unknown schmuck?!? Never heard the album myself.

Hi there !

Got to firmly agree about the "Live at Mr Kelly's" Muddy Waters album.

The riff on "Strange Woman" still haunts me to this day. I love it !!!

Another Muddy album I love is "Mud In Your Ear" from I think 1967 or into 1970 or so.
Muddy isn't singing but his guitarist and harp players sing.
The bit that makes the album special for me is Otis Spann's piano playing is more present in the mix than most stuff with Muddy or whoever else was lucky to have him on their records (ie. you can hear what he is playing) and thus influenced my piano playing a lot.

BB King album "Take It Home" - 1970's masterpiece.
BB King album - "Live at Cook County Jail" - I prefer many times more than the much more famous live albums eg. "Live at the Regal". Small crack band, so you can really hear him playing. Was the first blues album I bought, when I was 15. Went back to the record shop the next saturday to pick another BB King LP, but an Elmore James LP was playing on the store's sound system and I was hooked, for good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was his 1963 (I think) version of "Hand In Hand" with Big Moose Walker, I think, on piano (I might be wrong !).

Come to think of it, Elmore's original version of "Hand in Hand" from 1952 or 53 just with Ike Turner on piano is WILD !!!! Check it sometime guys !