| I'm a Gambler | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Studio | Malaco Studios [1] | |||
| Genre | Blues, R&B, soul | |||
| Label | Malaco Records [2] | |||
| Producer | Tommy Couch, Wolf Stephenson | |||
| Little Milton chronology | ||||
| ||||
I'm a Gambler is an album by the American blues musician Little Milton, released in 1994. [3] [4] It was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award, in the "Soul/Blues Album" category. [5] Little Milton promoted the album by touring the United States, Japan, and Europe. [6]
The album includes covers of songs by Johnny Ace and Percy Mayfield, among others. [7] "Like a Rooster on a Hen" was written by the Memphis songwriting partnership of Ben Shaw and John Ward. [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Commercial Appeal | [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |  [11] |
The Commercial Appeal stated: "Backed by his smoking band, Little Milton Campbell takes a good-humored look at the latest Delta blues theme." [7] The Chicago Tribune called the album "as satisfying as his classic 1960s R&B catalog for Chicago's Chess Records." [12] The Advocate thought that "Casino Blues" "eyes heartbreak with a wink and a chuckle," and praised the "brassy, soulful style" of the album's other songs. [13]
AllMusic wrote that "Milton sings with vigor, like he was feeling at the top of his game when he recorded this CD—and no wonder, since the material is quite strong." [9]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Casino Blues" | |
| 2. | "I've Got the Blues" | |
| 3. | "Poke Salad Annie" | |
| 4. | "Like a Rooster on a Hen" | |
| 5. | "Pledging My Love" | |
| 6. | "Love Is a Gamble" | |
| 7. | "That's All Right" | |
| 8. | "Baby Please" | |
| 9. | "You've Been Gone Too Long" | |
| 10. | "A Man Needs a Woman" | |
| 11. | "That's What a Good Woman Can Do" |
Arzell J. "Z. Z." Hill was an American blues singer best known for his recordings in the 1970s and early 1980s, including his 1982 album for Malaco Records, Down Home, which stayed on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years. The track "Down Home Blues" has been called the best-known blues song of the 1980s. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Hill "devised a combination of blues and contemporary soul styling and helped to restore the blues to modern black consciousness."
Bobby Rush is an American blues musician, composer, and singer. His style incorporates elements of blues, rap, and funk.
James Carson Whitsett was an American keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer.
James Milton Campbell Jr., better known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist, best known for his number-one R&B single "We're Gonna Make It". His other hits include "Baby, I Love You", "Who's Cheating Who?", and "Grits Ain't Groceries ".
Malaco Records is an American independent record label based in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, that has been the home of various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Mel Waiters, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Tyrone Davis, Marvin Sease, and the Mississippi Mass Choir. It has received an historic marker issued by the Mississippi Blues Commission to commemorate its important place on the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Ora Denise Allen, known by the stage name Denise LaSalle, was an American blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who, since the death of Koko Taylor, had been recognized as the "Queen of the Blues". Her husband was rapper Super Wolf.
Artie "Blues Boy" White was an American blues and soul singer and guitarist based in Chicago, who was described as "one of the foremost Chicago practitioners of Southern Soul music".
Down Home is an album by the American blues musician Z. Z. Hill, released in 1982. "Down Home Blues", the album's first track, was a crossover hit, and is regarded as a blues standard. The song is said to be the best selling blues single of the 20th century.
Back in the Game is an album by the American soul musician Syl Johnson. It was released in 1994. Johnson had not recorded an album since the 1980s, but had witnessed a revival of his music due its use as samples in hip hop production.
Ain't Enough Comin' In is an album by the American blues musician Otis Rush, released in 1994. It was Rush's first studio album in more than 15 years. Ain't Enough Comin' In was regarded as a successful comeback album.
Sad Street is an album by the American R&B musician Bobby "Blue" Bland. It was released in 1995.
Double Good Everything is an album by the American R&B musician Smokey Robinson, released in 1991. It was his first album to be released by a label other than Motown.
Shootin' Straight is a live album by the American musician Dan Hicks, released in 1994. Hicks was backed by the Acoustic Warriors. It was Hicks's first major album since 1978.
Boogie Woogie Zydeco is an album by the American zydeco band Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, released in 1991. The album was part of the zydeco revival of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was noted for its especially fast tempos and rock elements.
Return of a Legend is an album by the American musician Jody Williams, released in 2002. Williams had not recorded music in around 30 years; he was inspired in part to return to the studio after listening to his playing on a 1964 tape he found at his house. He supported the album with a North American tour.
Come On in This House is an album by the American musician Junior Wells. Released in 1996, it was Wells's final studio album. He supported it with a North American tour.
Years of Tears is an album by the American musician Bobby "Blue" Bland, released in 1993. Bland supported the album with a North American tour. The album peaked at No. 80 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart. It won a W. C. Handy Award, in the Soul/Blues category.
Lost in the Blues is an album by the American musician Otis Rush, released in 1991. A version of the album titled Troubles, Troubles was released in Europe by Sonet Records.
King of the Blues: 1989 is an album by the American musician B. B. King, released in 1988. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Blues Recording" category.
Back on Track is an album by the American musician Arthur Adams, released in 1999. It was his first album in 20 years. Adams supported Back on Track with an international tour.
