Blues & Ballads | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1960 | |||
Recorded | April 5, 1960 | |||
Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
Genre | Blues | |||
Length | 43:25 | |||
Label | Bluesville | |||
Producer | Chris Albertson | |||
Lonnie Johnson chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [2] |
Blues & Ballads is a 1960 recording featuring Lonnie Johnson on vocals and electric guitar accompanied by Elmer Snowden on acoustic guitar and Wendell Marshall on bass. This was the first commercial recording by Snowden in 26 years. The same ensemble, under the supervision of Chris Albertson, recorded a second volume, Blues, Ballads, and Jumpin' Jazz, released in 1990.
The album has generally received high acclaim. Although one writer appears to disregard the album with a single sentence, calling it "just plain sad, lacking even the vitality of rock and roll." [3] Others have noted Johnson's "plaintive, slightly nasal voice" [4] and indicated that he "sings smooth blues and sentimental ballads with equal skill." [1] The guitarists styles are described as distinctive, yet complementary, [1] and Snowden is described as a "sympathetic accompanist" with "an easy swingingly graceful style." [4]
One reviewer calls Johnson's performance on the blues numbers "convincing, affecting interpretations," but indicates that his performance on the three ballads is less consistent. He states, "On 'Memories of You', his approach is gentle and lyrical, and yet his controlled inner tension builds tremendous emotional power. Two other ballads, his own compositions are too stickily sentimental to be effective." [4]
year | format | label | catalog # |
---|---|---|---|
1960 | LP | Prestige Bluesville | Bv-1011 |
1960 | Bluesville/Original Blues Classics | OBCCD-531-2 (BV) | |
CD | Bluesville/Original Blues Classics | OBCCD-531-2 | |
LP | Bluesville/Original Blues Classics | OBC-531 | |
CD | Bluesville/Original Blues Classics | 531 | |
1991 | CD | Obc | 531 |
1993 | CD | Ace | 531 |
LP | Fan/Obc | 531 |
Anthony James Donegan, known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was Britain's most successful and influential recording artist before the Beatles.
Breathe is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Faith Hill. It was released November 9, 1999, via Warner Bros. Records. It won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Breathe is one of the most successful country/pop albums to date. It has been certified 8× Platinum by the RIAA, for shipping eight million copies in the US. The album includes the singles "Breathe", "The Way You Love Me", "Let's Make Love", and "If My Heart Had Wings". "Breathe" and "The Way You Love Me" both reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart; the former also peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the top pop song of 2000 according to Billboard Year-End. Several of the album's tracks also charted from unsolicited airplay.
Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was an American blues and jazz singer, guitarist, violinist and songwriter. He was a pioneer of jazz guitar and jazz violin and is recognized as the first to play an electrically amplified violin.
Elmer Chester Snowden was a banjo player of the jazz age. He also played guitar and, in the early stages of his career, all the reed instruments. He contributed greatly to jazz in its early days as both a player and a bandleader, and is responsible for launching the careers of many top musicians. He has been largely overlooked in jazz history.
Christiern Gunnar Albertson was a New York City-based jazz journalist, writer and record producer.
Cyril "Sonny" Moorman is an American power blues guitarist. His style is sometimes compared to that of the Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Lonnie Mack, Gov't Mule, and occasionally Warren Haynes. Moorman's parents owned a nightclub called the "Half-Way Inn" located halfway between Hamilton, Ohio and Middletown, Ohio on Ohio State Route 4 where he was able to watch musicians who played there, such as Lonnie Mack, from an early age. Moorman attended Michigan State University and also graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He also owned a music lesson studio in Fairfield, Ohio called Rock School, and now offers guitar lessons out of 3rd Street Music in Hamilton, Ohio. He has been a member of Warren Zevon's touring band and the Tomcats with members of Sly and the Family Stone. One of his signature tunes is his cover of Lonnie Mack's Cincinnati Jail. Moorman sometimes plays a Jamon Zeiler crafted Acoustic guitar and a 2004 model Gibson Flying V Reissue. On some tunes Sonny plays Slide guitar either upright or laptop. The band has opened for Johnny Winter in 2012.
The Skiffle Sessions – Live in Belfast is a live album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, with Lonnie Donegan and Chris Barber, released in 2000. Lonnie Donegan had played with the Chris Barber jazz band when he had his first hit with "Rock Island Line"/"John Henry" in 1955. He had been a childhood influence on Van Morrison, who had performed in his own skiffle band with schoolmates when he was twelve years old in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was Donegan's second album in twenty years, reviving his career until his death in 2002.
Silver is the 25th anniversary studio album by American country singer Johnny Cash and his 62nd album overall, released on Columbia Records in 1979. It peaked at #28 on the Billboard albums chart. "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" peaked at #2 on the singles chart; the two other singles, "Bull Rider" and "I'll Say It's True", reached #66 and #42, respectively. Recordings of "Cocaine Blues" had previously appeared on At Folsom Prison and Now, There Was a Song!, under the title "Transfusion Blues" on the latter. The album was produced by Brian Ahern, who controversially introduced digital elements into the songs to the disapproval of some listeners. This is the last album that Marshall Grant, the original Tennessee Two bass player, played on. He departed from Cash's band the following year.
Cowboy Songs III – Rhymes of the Renegades is the eighteenth album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey and his third album of cowboy songs. The album is devoted to cowboy folklore and true tales of the West and focuses on real-life outlaws, from Jesse James to Billy The Kid to Belle Starr. Murphey performs these songs "with a scholar's eye and a fan's heart."
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing is the eighth studio album released by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His last album for the Decca Records label, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing produced two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including a cover of the Aerosmith song of the same name, which reached Number One on the country charts, becoming the final Number One of his career thus far. This cover was also Chesnutt's biggest crossover, reaching Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Only one other single was released from this album: "This Heartache Never Sleeps", which reached #17 on the country charts.
Hot Number is a studio album by the blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was released in 1987.
Butt Rockin' is the third studio album by Texas-based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, released in 1981. The recording took the band closer to old rhythm and blues and added additional musicians playing piano and brass. A 2000 CD reissue contains three bonus tracks.
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Blues by Lonnie Johnson is an album by blues musician Lonnie Johnson, recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label.
Losing Game is an album by blues musician Lonnie Johnson, recorded in 1961 and released on the Bluesville label.
Idle Hours is an album by blues musicians Lonnie Johnson and Victoria Spivey, recorded in 1962 and released on the Bluesville label.
Tired of Wandering. subtitled The Blues of Arbee Stidham, is an album by blues musician Arbee Stidham recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.
Jimmy Reed Plays 12 String Guitar Blues is an album by blues musician Jimmy Reed recorded in Chicago in 1963 and released by the Vee-Jay label.