Blues

Lowell Fulson – West Coast Blues - The Blues Collection 22 (1995)

2012-07-26T16:23:23Z

Lowell Fulson – West Coast Blues - The Blues Collection 22 (1995)


1 Do Me Right 	2:56 	
2 (It) Took A Long Time 	2:37 	
3 Tollin' Bells 	3:06 	
4 Someday Baby 	3:07 	
5 I Want To Make Love To You 	3:16 	
6 Coming Home (Someday) 	2:23 	
7 Have You Changed Your Mind? 	3:06 	
8 Worry, Worry 	3:08 	
9 I Want To Know 	4:29 	
10 I'm Glad You Reconsidered 	2:49 	
11 Blue Shadows 	2:27 	
12 Hung Down Head 	2:58 	
13 So Many Tears 	2:28 	
14 Pay Day Blues 	2:56 	
15 Why Don't I'm Glad You Reconsidered 	2:49 	
16 You Write Me? 	2:34 	
17 Blue Soul 	3:01 	
18 Shed No Tears 	2:13 	
19 Trouble With The Blues 	2:39 	

Musicians:
Lowell Fulson – guitar, vocals
Lloyd Glenn – piano
Irving Ashby – guitar
Billy Hadnott – bass (tracks: 1, 9 to 11)
Willie Dixon – bass (tracks: 2,3)
Earl Brown – alto sax
Big Jim Wynn – baritone sax
Big Jay McNeely, Choker Campbell, Eddie Chamblee, Louis Williams – tenor sax
Robert Sims – drums

Lowell Fulson recorded every shade of blues imaginable. Polished urban blues, rustic two-guitar duets with his younger brother Martin, funk-tinged grooves that pierced the mid-'60s charts, even an unwise cover of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road!" Clearly, the veteran guitarist, who was active for more than half-a-century, wasn't afraid to experiment. Perhaps that's why his last couple of discs for Rounder were so vital and satisfying -- and why he remained an innovator for so long.

Exposed to the Western swing of Bob Wills, as well as indigenous blues while growing up in Oklahoma, Fulson joined up with singer Texas Alexander for a few months in 1940, touring the Lone Star state with the veteran bluesman. Fulson was drafted in 1943. The Navy let him go in 1945; after a few months back in Oklahoma, he was off to Oakland, CA, where he made his first 78s for fledgling producer Bob Geddins. Soon enough, Fulson was fronting his own band and cutting a stack of platters for Big Town, Gilt Edge, Trilon, and Down Town (where he hit big in 1948 with "Three O'Clock Blues," later covered by B.B. King).

Swing Time records prexy Jack Lauderdale snapped up Fulson in 1948, and the hits really began to flow: the immortal "Every Day I Have the Blues" (an adaptation of Memphis Slim's "Nobody Loves Me"), "Blue Shadows," the two-sided holiday perennial "Lonesome Christmas," and a groovy midtempo instrumental "Low Society Blues" that really hammers home how tremendously important pianist Lloyd Glenn and alto saxist Earl Brown were to Fulson's maturing sound (all charted in 1950!).

Fulson toured extensively from then on, his band stocked for a time with dazzling pianist Ray Charles (who later covered Lowell's "Sinner's Prayer" for Atlantic) and saxist Stanley Turrentine. After a one-off session in New Orleans in 1953 for Aladdin, Fulson inked a longterm pact with Chess in 1954. His first single for the firm was the classic "Reconsider Baby," cut in Dallas under Stan Lewis' supervision with a sax section that included David "Fathead" Newman on tenor and Leroy Cooper on baritone. The relentless midtempo blues proved a massive hit and perennial cover item -- even Elvis Presley cut it in 1960, right after he got out of the Army. But apart from "Loving You," the guitarist's subsequent Checker output failed to find widespread favor with the public. Baffling, since Fulson's crisp, concise guitar work and sturdy vocals were as effective as ever. Most of his Checker sessions were held in Chicago and L.A. (the latter his home from the turn of the '50s).

Fulson stayed with Checker into 1962, but a change of labels worked wonders when he jumped over to Los Angeles-based Kent Records. 1965's driving "Black Nights" became his first smash in a decade, and "Tramp," a loping funk-injected workout co-written by Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin, did even better, restoring the guitarist to R&B stardom, gaining plenty of pop spins, and inspiring a playful Stax cover by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas only a few months later that outsold Fulson's original. A couple of lesser follow-up hits for Kent ensued before the guitarist was reunited with Stan Lewis at Jewel Records. That's where he took a crack at that Beatles number, though most of his outings for the firm were considerably closer to the blues bone. Fulson was never been absent for long on disc; 1992's Hold On and its 1995 follow-up. Them Update Blues, both for Ron Levy's Bullseye Blues logo, were among his later efforts, both quite solid. Fulson continued to perform until 1997, when health problems forced the career bluesman into a reluctant retirement. His health continued to deteriorate and on March 6, 1999 -- just a few weeks shy of his 78th birthday -- Lowell Fulson passed away. Few bluesmen managed to remain contemporary the way Lowell Fulson did for more than five decades. And fewer still will make such a massive contribution to the idiom. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

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Lowell Fulson - One More Blues (2007)

2012-07-03T18:37:08Z

Lowell Fulson - One More Blues (2007)


01. Thank’S A Lot For The Offer (03:19)
02. Worried Life Blues (04:25)
03. Hot Mama (04:44)
04. Ten More Shows To Play (06:13)
05. I Can’T Stand It (04:59)
06. Guitar Shuffle (03:40)
07. One Room Country Shack (05:02)
08. Your Love For Me Is Gone (04:10)
09. Think About It (04:32)
10. One More Blues (03:37)
11. Jump Children (05:18)

Lowell Fulson - Composer, Guitar, Vocals
Art Hillery - Organ, Piano
Johnny Tucker – Drums
Mike Vannice - Sax (Tenor)
Dennis Walker - Bass, Composer
Phillip Walker -  Composer, Guitar

Lowell Fulson hadn't been as prolific over the couple of decades prior to One More Blues as he had been during the 1950s, but when he did get a chance to enter a studio, he usually emerged with some pretty impressive work. This 1984 album, first out on Black & Blue in France, is no exception -- the band is tight (Phillip Walker is rhythm guitarist), and Fulson came prepared with a sheaf of solid originals. --- Bill Dahl, AllMusic Review

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Lowell Fulson – Tramp (1967)

2012-06-26T18:37:00Z

Lowell Fulson – Tramp (1967)


1 Tramp 3:06
2 I'm Sinkin' 4:04
3 Get Your Game Up Tight 2:39
4 Back Door Key 3:28
5 Two Way Wishing 2:45
6 Lonely Day 3:25
7 Black Nights 3:34
8 Year of 29 3:50
9 No Hard Feeling 3:23
10 Hustler's Game 3:25
11 Goin' Home 3:06
12 Pico [Instrumental] 2:58
13 Year of 29 [Alternate Take] 4:19
14 Tramp [Take 1] 3:58

Musicians:
Lowell Fulson - Guitar, Vocals
Arthur Adams - Guitar
Rene Hall – Guitar
Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis - Arranger, Piano
Jackie Kelso - Sax (Baritone)
Chuck Thomas - Drums
Curtis Tillman - Bass

Lowell Fulson's comfortably laid-back but groovin' soul-blues workout "Tramp" quickly became one of his biggest hits (and fared even better in a cover version by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas), and this album (released to tie in with the single's success) finds Fulson following a similar stylistic path. While most of Tramp's tunes lean more heavily on traditional blues structures than the title tune, Fulson was obviously aiming for a funky ambience rather than the heavy emotional crush of the deep blues, and his clean, uncluttered guitar solos are warmer and more approachable than the typical Chicago-style axe work of the day. There's a sly playfulness to this material that's winning, and even the most down-and-out songs here display a light touch and creative intelligence that sets Fulson apart. Hardly a masterpiece, Tramp is still the sort of album to please fans and new admirers alike. --- Mark Deming, AllMusic Review

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Lowell Fulson – Now (1969)

2012-06-24T18:53:30Z

Lowell Fulson – Now (1969)


1 I'm a Drifter 2:49
2 Funky Broadway 2:55
3 Let's Go Get Stoned 2:29
4 Push Me 2:35
5 The Letter 2:32
6 I Cried aka I Cried Like a Baby 3:04
7 Feel So Bad 2:49
8 Everyday I Have the Blues 3:01
9 Mellow Together 2:46
10 Going to Chicago 2:47
11 Confessin' the Blues 2:54
12 Tomorrow 2:50
13 Blues Pain  5:19
14 I Wanna Spend Christmas with You 5:06

Musicians:
    Lowell Fulson -  Guitar, Composer, Vocals
    Arthur Adams - Guitar

Now! was actually comprised largely of 1967-1968 singles, filled out by three cuts which made their first appearance on this LP. It's loosey-goosey late-'60s blues-soul crossover, with a sassy attitude and adroit combinations of stinging blues guitar, strutting vocals, soulful horns, and organ, never heard better than on "I'm a Drifter." Actually, the record sounds better than much of his slightly earlier '60s Kent stuff because it's not as unduly repetitious, though it's filled out with cover versions of familiar tunes like "Funky Broadway," "Let's Go Get Stoned," and "Everyday I Have the Blues." Perhaps it wasn't cutting edge as far as late-'60s soul went, but it had some of the rawness of '50s electric blues and some of the slickness of late-'60s soul brass, and B.B. King-like horn charts, and the combination usually clicked. All of the tracks from Now! are on the Ace CD compilation The Final Kent Years, which also includes his 1978 album Lovemaker, a 1972 single, and three previously unissued cuts from around the time of the Now! sessions. --- Richie Unterberger, AllMusic Review

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Lowell Fulson – Soul (1966)

2012-06-22T16:53:23Z

Lowell Fulsom – Soul (1966)


01 - Black Nights [1965]
02 - Talkin' Woman [1964]
03 - Shattered Dreams [1965] 
04 - Sittin' Here Thinkin' [1965]
05 - Little Angel [1965]
06 - Change Your Ways [1966]
07 - Blues Around Midnight [1966]
08 - Every Time It Rains [1964]
09 - Just One More Time [1964]
10 - Ask At Any Door In Time [1966]
11 - Too Many Drivers [1964]
12 - My Asching Back [1966]

Musicians:
Lowell Fulson - Guitar, Vocals
Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis – Piano
Curtis Tillman - Bass

Lowell Fulson was one of the early artists to blend the tough melodic sensibilities of the blues with the more accessible (but no less emotional) framework of 1960s soul, and his 1966 set, Soul, finds him walking both sides of the fence on these 12 songs. Of course, some of these songs were a lot more soul- (or blues) flavored than others, and ironically Fulson would dig deeper into a soul groove on his next album, Tramp; perhaps using this title was a bit premature for him. For the most part, Soul sounds like straight-ahead blues session, through the bold horn charts on "Talking Woman" and "Change Your Ways" (among others) at once strengthen the arrangements and give it a more modern, uptown feel, while Fulson's vocals, rich without sounding heavy, certainly fit the boundaries of the soul idiom like a glove, and his guitar work is in fine fettle. Like a fine brandy, Lowell Fulson's best stuff manages to be potent and smooth at the same time, and that's just what he delivers on Soul. --- Mark Deming, AllMusic Review

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Lowell Fulson – It’s All Your Fault Baby

2011-07-21T09:24:33Z

Lowell Fulson – It’s All Your Fault Baby (1991)


01. That’s All Right
02. I Still Love You Baby
03. Reconsider Baby			play
04. I Want To Know
05. Low Society
06. Check Yourself
07. It’s All Your Fault Baby		play
08. Do Me Right
09. Trouble Trouble
10. Hung Down Head
11. Tollin’ Bells
12. Lonely Hours
13. Loving You Is All My Crave
14. It’s A Long Time
15. Rollin’ Blues
16. (It) Took A Long Time
17. Don’t Drive me Baby
18. I Want To Make Love To You
19. Comin’ Home (Someday)
20. Have You Changed Your Mind
21. I’m Glad You Reconsidered
22. Blue Shadows
23. So Many Tears
24. Why Don’t You Write Me
25. Pay Day Blues

Big Jim Wynn (Baritone Saxophone)
Chick Booth (Drums)
Choker Campbell (Saxophone)
David 'Fathead' Newman (Saxophone)
Earl Brown (Alt Saxophone)
Eddie Chamblee (Tenor Saxophone)
Fats Morris (Trombone)
Fred Below (Drums)
Jimmy Smith (Piano)
John Johnson (Tenor Saxophone)
Julien Beasley (Saxophone)
Leroy Cooper (Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone)
Lloyd Glenn (Piano)
Louis Williams (Tenor Saxophone)
Lowell Fulson (Vocals, Guitar)
Otis Spann (Piano)
Paul Drake (Piano)
Phillip Gibeaux (Trumpet)
Robert Sims (Drums)
Sylvester Morton (Bass)
William K. 'Billy' Hadnott (Bass)
Willie Dixon (Bass)

As a logical extension from Elmore James and T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson has always, unfortunately, been neglected in the general scheme of the blues. So it's a good thing these 26 tracks have surfaced, although it's hard to know from exactly where, or who his sidekicks are. Nonetheless, it showcases 17 songs he wrote, downhearted in the main, such as "Lonely Hours," "Have You Changed Your Mind?" and "Why Don't You Call Me?" can attest. The most hopeful number, "I'm Glad You Reconsidered," and the title track, with its crowd noise, are somewhat out of character. Also included is a great version of the Jimmy Rogers evergreen "That's Alright." No matter the origin or source material, the world can always use another Lowell Fulson (or "Fulsom": it has been spelled both ways) CD. ---Michael G. Nastos, allmusic.com

Lowell Fulson recorded every shade of blues imaginable. Polished urban blues, rustic two-guitar duets with his younger brother Martin, funk-tinged grooves that pierced the mid-'60s charts, even an unwise cover of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road!" Clearly, the veteran guitarist, who was active for more than half a century, wasn't afraid to experiment. Perhaps that's why his last couple of discs for Rounder were so vital and satisfying — and why he remained an innovator for so long.

Exposed to the western swing of Bob Wills as well as indigenous blues while growing up in Oklahoma, Fulson joined up with singer Texas Alexander for a few months in 1940, touring the Lone Star state with the veteran bluesman. Fulson was drafted in 1943. The Navy let him go in 1945; after a few months back in Oklahoma, he was off to Oakland, CA, where he made his first 78s for fledgling producer Bob Geddins. Soon enough, Fulson was fronting his own band and cutting a stack of platters for Big Town, Gilt Edge, Trilon, and Down Town (where he hit big in 1948 with "Three O'Clock Blues," later covered by B.B. King).

Swing Time records prexy Jack Lauderdale snapped up Fulson in 1948, and the hits really began to flow: the immortal "Every Day I Have the Blues" (an adaptation of Memphis Slim's "Nobody Loves Me"), "Blue Shadows," the two-sided holiday perennial "Lonesome Christmas," and a groovy mid-tempo instrumental "Low Society Blues" that really hammers home how tremendously important pianist Lloyd Glenn and alto saxist Earl Brown were to Fulson's maturing sound (all charted in 1950!).

The relentless mid-tempo blues proved a massive hit and perennial cover item — even Elvis Presley cut it in 1960, right after he got out of the Army. But apart from "Loving You," the guitarist's subsequent Checker output failed to find widespread favor with the public. Baffling, since Fulson's crisp, concise guitar work and sturdy vocals were as effective as ever. Most of his Checker sessions were held in Chicago and L.A. (the latter his home from the turn of the '50s).

A couple of lesser follow-up hits for Kent ensued before the guitarist was reunited with Stan Lewis at Jewel Records. That's where he took a crack at that Beatles number, though most of his outings for the firm were considerably closer to the blues bone. Fulson was never been absent for long on disc; 1992's Hold On and its 1995 follow-up Them Update Blues, both for Ron Levy's Bullseye Blues logo, were among his later efforts, both quite solid. Fulson continued to perform until 1997, when health problems forced the career bluesman into a reluctant retirement. His health continued to deteriorate and on March 6, 1999 - just a few weeks shy of his 78th birthday - Lowell Fulson passed away.

Few bluesmen managed to remain contemporary the way Lowell Fulson did for more than five decades. And fewer still will make such a massive contribution to the idiom. --- youmix.co.uk

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Lowell Fulson - Them Update Blues (1995)

2011-01-20T19:37:03Z

Lowell Fulson - Them Update Blues (1995)


1. What's The Matter Baby - 3:50 
2. Think About It - 4:49 
3. Don't Lie - 3:40 
4. My Secret Love - 3:32 
5. Sun Going Down - 5:10 
6. Get On Down (Them Update Blues) - 3:20 
7. Lonely Man - 2:56               play
8. Forty-Four - 3:28 
9. Too Soon To Tell - 4:55 
10. Not A Dime - 3:12              play
11. L & L Special - 3:35

Lowell Fulson - Guitar, Vocals
with - South Central Rhythm:
Terry 'Big T' DeRouen - Rhythm Guitar
James B. Wyatt - Bass
Craig Kimbrough - Drums
Darby Hicks Jr.; Leon Haywood - Piano
Ron Levy - Hammond B3 Organ

THEM UPDATE BLUES was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

A half century after he made his debut waxings, Fulson is still going strong - and not as some museum piece, either. Still a vital blues artist who refuses to rest on his massive laurels, Fulson's latest is a fine addition to his vast discography, comprised mostly of fresh originals and featuring his customary biting guitar and insinuating vocals. The song are less striking and occasionally his singing is a little tired, but most artists in their 70s would be glad to close their recording account sounding so resilient.

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Lowell Fulson – Hold On 1992

2010-10-27T13:50:57Z

Lowell Fulson – Hold On (1992)


1. Working Man	5:24	
2. Shake, Rattle And Roll	4:13
3. Me And My Woman	4:06	
4. Ain't That Sweet	2:41	
5. Quicker The Better		4:11
6. It's No Need	3:03	           play
7. Real Name Is Danger Zone	4:14
8. I'm Just A Fool About You	3:46	
9. Cryin' Won't Help	3:51
10. Hold On	3:29                   play
11. Love is the Bottom Line	5:11

Personnel:
Lowell Fulson - Guitar & Vocals
Jimmy McCracklin - Piano
Ron Levy - Organ
Ray Cooksey - Bass
Craig Kimbrough - Drums
Pee Wee Thomas - Guitar
Terry DeRouen - Guitar
Bobby Forte, Joe Campbell, Eddie Synigal,
Bernard Baisden, William Zimmerman - Horns

Lowell Fulson first recorded in 1946, and had his first hit with "Three O'clock Blues" in 1948. In the `50s his recordings for the Checker label included the classic "Reconsider Baby"; in the `60s, he recorded for Kent, and his song "Tramp" was a huge hit for Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. Hold On was recorded in South Central Los Angeles in 1992, with his old friend Jimmy McCracklin on piano, and tenor man Bobby Forte, who put in many years with B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland. ---Editorial Reviews, amazon.com

There is nothing old fashioned about Hold On, recorded by blues veteran Lowell Fulson, who scored his first r&b hit back in 1948 with the classic "Three O'Clock Blues." This album. recorded at the Johnny Otis Studio in South Central Los Angeles on the night of the Rodney King riots, smolders with intensity from start to finish.

Fulson's voice, full and mature, blends perfectly with Joe Campbell's subtle, unobtrusive horn arrangements, creating a sound that is at once playful and anguished. Fulson still rocks hard, but at the age of seventy-one, he is restrained, showing little enthusiasm for pyrotechnics, relying heavily on storytelling and understatement.

Fulson's sparkling lead guitar, superb vocals, and strong writing conspire to make Hold On more than another comeback album by an aging musician. Fulson and his band play each note flawlessly, with workman-like precision. Hold On is so surprisingly fresh, so smoothly put together, one can only hope that Fulson continues to record for years to come.

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