Deep in the Blues

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Deep in the Blues
Deep in the Blues.jpg
Studio album by
James Cotton
Released1996
Recorded1995
Studio Conway
Genre Blues
Label Verve
Producer John Snyder
James Cotton chronology
Best of the Verve Years
(1995)		Deep in the Blues
(1996)		Best of the Vanguard Years
(1999)

Deep in the Blues is an album by the American musician James Cotton, released in 1996. [1] [2] It peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Blues Albums chart. [3] Deep in the Blues won a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Album". [4] It also won a W. C. Handy Award for best "Acoustic Blues Album". [5] Cotton supported the album with a North American tour. [6]

Contents

Production

The album was produced by John Snyder. [7] Cotton was backed by Joe Louis Walker on guitar and Charlie Haden on bass. [7] "Strange Things Happen" is a cover of the Percy Mayfield song. [8] "Dealin' with the Devil" is a version of the Sonny Boy Williamson I song. [9] "You Got My Nose Open" was written by Matt "Guitar" Murphy. [10] "Worried Life Blues" is a take on the Big Maceo Merriweather song. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Edmonton Journal Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Los Angeles Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]

The Edmonton Journal determined that, "if Haden and Walker are out of their regular context they sound happy to be there, offering a tasty, enthusiastic backup that propels the harp man to some fine blowing." [8] The Los Angeles Daily News praised the "surprisingly rootsy, all-acoustic sound." [9] Guitar Player said that "easy-swinging Joe conjures a prewar vibe as he delves into mojo boogies and slow blues." [16]

The Sun-Sentinel opined that, "with Cotton's hound-dog singing out front and center, the harp's wail pierces the sandpapery vocal wall like a laser." [10] The Chicago Tribune lamented that "nothing can camouflage the truckload of gravel strewn atop Cotton's once-roaring pipes." [13] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette concluded that the album "captures the blues harp master at the absolute top of his game, groanin' and moanin' about the hold misery's got on his soul." [11]

AllMusic wrote that "the sound is intimate and raw, which is a welcome change from Cotton's usual overproduced records." [12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Down at Your Buryin'" 
2."All Walks of Life" 
3."You Got My Nose Open" 
4."Dealin' with the Devil" 
5."Strange Things Happen" 
6."Country Boy" 
7."Vineyard Blues" 
8."Worried Life Blues" 
9."Two Trains Runnin'" 
10."Ozark Mountain Railroad" 
11."Sad Letter" 
12."Play with Your Poodle" 
13."Blues in Your Sleep" 
14."Everybody's Fishin'" 

References

  1. ↑ Whiteis, David (September 1996). "James Cotton's quiet rebellion". DownBeat. Vol. 63, no. 9. p. 32.
  2. ↑ Komara, Edward, ed. (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 229.
  3. ↑ "James Cotton". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Babyface and Toni Braxton lead Black Grammy Winners at 39th Awards ceremony". Jet. Vol. 91, no. 17. March 17, 1997. p. 63.
  5. ↑ Ellis, Bill (May 2, 1997). "Blues guitarist Allison captures top Handy Awards". The Commercial Appeal. p. A5.
  6. ↑ Stoute, Lenny (November 14, 1996). "Deep dish delta harp on the howl...". Toronto Star. p. G11.
  7. 1 2 "The Many Sides of Charlie Haden". Bass Player. Vol. 7, no. 8. August 1996. pp. 46–47.
  8. 1 2 3 Levesque, Roger (August 17, 1996). "Disc digs deep for the best crop of Cotton in years". Edmonton Journal. p. C6.
  9. 1 2 3 Shuster, Fred (September 6, 1996). "James Cotton 'Deep in the Blues'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L25.
  10. 1 2 Schulman, Sandra (November 17, 1996). "Blues". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3F.
  11. 1 2 3 Norman, Tony (November 7, 1997). "100 Percent Cotton". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 20.
  12. 1 2 "Deep in the Blues Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Dahl, Bill (December 27, 1996). "James Cotton Deep in the Blues". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 26.
  14. ↑ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 139.
  15. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2013). The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin.
  16. ↑ Obrecht, Joe (November 1996). "Deep in the blues". Guitar Player. Vol. 30, no. 11. p. 105.
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