Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim - Willie's Blues
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Willie Dixon, vocals
Memphis Slim, piano
Hal Ashby, tenor sax
Wally RIchardson, guitar
Gus Johnson, drums
Written by Willie Dixon (A1 to A3, A5 to B3, B5)
1 LP, tip-on jackets on thick cardboard stock
Limited edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Prestige
Recorded in Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, by Rudy Van Gelder
Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Tracks :
Side A:
- Nervous
- Good Understanding
- That's My Baby
- Slim's Thing
- That's All I Want Baby
- Don't You Tell Nobody
- Youth To You
Side B:
- Sittin' And Cryin' The Blues
- Built For Comfort
- I Got A Razor
- Go Easy
- Move Me
« According to the original liner notes, this 1959 Willie Dixon session was cut during a two hour span in between flights. This certainly explains the relaxed, jam session feel of the recordings. Unfortunately, the songs come out sounding sluggish and stilted at times; this is partly due, no doubt, to the makeshift nature of the date, but also, more surprisingly, because of drummer Gus Johnson's overly slick and formalized playing. On top of this, one has to contend with Dixon's less-then-inspired vocals -- it's Dixon's writing talents and A&R savvy in the blues world that warrant him a place in the pantheon, not his skills at the microphone. That all said, this still is an enjoyable disc to listen to, not least of all because of the quality of Dixon's many originals and the freshness of pianist Memphis Slim's playing. And while the vaudevillian comedy of a song like "Built for Comfort" can be traced to Dixon's earlier pop R&B work with the Big Three Trio, rougher blues standouts like "Go Easy" and "Move Me" lead back to the Chicago blues world Dixon shared with Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Not a first disc for curious listeners, but certainly a pleasant enough addition to the blues lover's collection. » AllMusic Review by Stephen Cook