Blue Blazes (album)

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Blue Blazes
Blue Blazes (album).jpg
Studio album by
Sugar Blue
Released1994
Genre Blues
Label Alligator
Producer Sugar Blue, Fred Breitberg
Sugar Blue chronology
Absolutely Blue
(1991)		Blue Blazes
(1994)		In Your Eyes
(1995)

Blue Blazes is an album by the American musician Sugar Blue, released in 1994. [1] [2] Alligator Records secured the rights to the album from the Japanese King label. [3] Blue supported the album with a North American tour. [4]

Contents

Production

The album was coproduced by Fred Breitberg. [5] Blue was left alone in the studio to record the album he wanted. [3] He typically played his harmonica solos without any vibrato. [6] Lurrie Bell accompanied Blue on acoustic guitar on the cover of Jimmy Rogers' "That's All Right". [7] The Chicago Horns appeared on a couple of tracks. [7] "Miss You" is a cover of the Rolling Stones song; Blue played on the original track. [8] "Back Door Man" was written by Willie Dixon. [8] "Help Me" is a version of the Sonny Boy Williamson II song. [9] "I Ain't Got You" is a cover of the Billy Boy Arnold single. [10] "Country Blues" and "Out Till Dawn" were cowritten by Blue; they were influenced by his appreciation of country music. [11] [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Edmonton Journal Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Press of Atlantic City Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Tri-City Herald Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]

The Edmonton Journal wrote that Blue "does blow a powerful, wailing harp sound tune after hopping tune." [7] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that "Blue's smoky, passionate vocals can be just as torchy or tough, a fine complement to his harp." [8] The Washington Post noted that, "when the music is moody, it often a conjures a familiar shade of blues... And when the music is hot, it's ablaze alright, fueled by the sort of incendiary, upper-register runs that ignite the solo on 'Out Till Dawn'." [9] The Boston Globe stated that "few blues artists in recent years have come up with a sound this personable and recognizable, or pushed the frontiers of their instrument this far." [16]

The Press of Atlantic City deemed the album "both old and new, uptown and down-home" with "a solid rock flavoring." [15] The Journal & Courier called it "typical Alligator Records fare—substantial, if not a little slick." [17] The Austin American-Statesman opined that "guitarist Motaoki Makino is especially sharp." [18] The Detroit Free Press wrote that Blue's "sexy blues vocals are driven by some of the sweetest high-end harmonica around." [19]

AllMusic determined that "harmonica player and vocalist Sugar Blue isn't a singer who doubles on harp; he's an extraordinary instrumentalist who's also a quality vocalist." [13]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."I Ain't Got You" 
2."Help Me" 
3."Miss You" 
4."I Just Got to Know" 
5."One More Mile to Go" 
6."That's All Right" 
7."Country Blues" 
8."Back Door Man" 
9."Just to Be with You" 
10."Out Till Dawn" 

References

  1. ↑ "Sugar Blue Biography by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ↑ Iglauer, Bruce; Roberts, Patrick A. (2018). Bitten by the Blues: The Alligator Records Story. University of Chicago Press. p. 317.
  3. 1 2 Gettelman, Parry (September 23, 1994). "A Sound of His Own and an Album Too". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 6.
  4. ↑ Stoute, Lenny (June 9, 1994). "In Passing". Toronto Star. p. H11.
  5. 1 2 MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 347.
  6. ↑ Himes, Geoffrey (June 30, 1995). "Sugar Blue's Harmonica 'Blazes'". The Washington Post. p. N15.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Levesque, Roger (April 3, 1994). "Blues discs". Edmonton Journal. p. E3.
  8. 1 2 3 4 White, Jim (May 8, 1994). "'Blue Blazes,' Sugar Blue". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. H5.
  9. 1 2 Joyce, Mike (July 29, 1994). "Blazing Sugar Blue; Good Steve James". The Washington Post. p. N10.
  10. ↑ Miller, Dennis (April 21, 1994). "Blues greats take harp to high art". Time Out. Star-Gazette. p. 5.
  11. 1 2 Spence, Scott (May 13, 1994). "Sugar Blue Blue Blazes". Tri-City Herald. p. C5.
  12. ↑ Rothstein, David S. (September 30, 1994). "Sugar Blue found niche in domestic blues world". The Charlotte Observer. p. 3F.
  13. 1 2 "Blue Blazes Review by Ron Wynn". AllMusic. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  14. ↑ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 614.
  15. 1 2 Allen, Greg (April 8, 1994). "Sinatra live in Paris; Sugar on the harp". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. p. 24.
  16. ↑ Wald, Elijah (June 2, 1994). "Sugar Blue Blue Blazes". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 12.
  17. ↑ Bangert, Dave (April 29, 1994). "Sugar Blue always leaving audiences slackjawed". Journal & Courier. p. D2.
  18. ↑ Point, Michael (May 12, 1994). "New releases worth a spin". Jazz/Blues. Austin American-Statesman. p. 13.
  19. ↑ Jackson, Dana (May 30, 1994). "Blue Blazes". Detroit Free Press. p. 3C.
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