Music Video: Mark McGraw’s Rockabilly Boogie

Mark McGraw’s Rockabilly Boogie, played on his mid ‘70s walnut Tele.

https://youtu.be/w5jTS6vt8Tc?is=FI4vvWt6eGhKNXVK

 the pic for the video short version on YouTube 

https://youtube.com/shorts/JRPiQKFwXB0?is=R7FOWzBcde4dz7A6

Delta Snake Review Digest: January 1994 Ezine - Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Conway Twitty and more!

Delta Snake Review Digest: January 1994 Ezine

This will be the first of upcoming digests that collect the album reviews from each Ezine back issue. These are the ones that ran in the very first Ezine issue in January 1994.

I've also left in my Editor/Publisher remarks for historical context. All reviews were written by me unless otherwise noted 

Al Handa 

Aug. 24, 2026

(START OF DIGEST)

                          

DELTA  SNAKE  BLUES  NEWS

“Putting the thrill back into ASCII"

January 1994 Issue                                          

Vol I, No. 1

EDITOR'S CORNER:  

Welcome New Readers!

Welcome to the first online issue of the Delta Snake Blues News. The Snake was first published in the early 80's as a Blues newsletter, and prior to it's demise in the latter part of that decade, grew to a 20-plus page magazine.

I won't bore readers with a detailed history, or emotional eulogy to the thing (I often referred to it as a "rag" in my columns anyway). However, a little background will be useful to the new reader, as I intend to run the thing pretty much along the same lines.

The Delta Snake was a newsletter that was based in the South Bay (North Bay being San Francisco, etc).  The covers almost always featured local artists like Mitch Woods, Mark Naftalin, Roy Rogers, Mark Hummel, Troyce Keys, and others. The record reviews always focused on local artists if at all possible.  Also; I'm not really a purist.

Every issue had at least one major feature.  Unlike many of the blues publications at the time, I rarely printed interviews. It was basically a case of trying to not duplicate the efforts of others, and my own preferences. The articles tended to be historical or informative. The subjects included such topics as a history of the blues banjo and slide guitar, women in the blues, the Delta Blues avante-garde, and so forth.  Some of these articles I intend to update and reprint.

The Snake wasn't a one-person operation. The Contributing Editor was Tom Mazzolini,  who is the organizer of the San Francisco Blues Festival. His contributions were probably the most significant.  Tom's support gave me credibility in the early days, and the regular plugs on his KPFA Blues by the Bay Show brought in a steady stream of new subscribers.

A key contributor was Troyce Keys, who passed away this year. Troyce was the owner of the famous "Eli's Mile High Club" in Oakland. He was one of the first to respond to Mazzolini's radio announcements, and bought a subscription without ever seeing a copy. He bought a year's worth of full page ads after receiving the first issue, and renewed every year for the life of the newsletter.

Troyce was one of the finest human beings I ever knew. Whenever I visited Eli's, he made it a point to introduce me around as the publisher of the Delta Snake. He did it with such respect that many would think that I put out a major glossy magazine. The first time I thought he was just being gracious (which he was), but it became obvious that the respect was sincere. I really thought the world of the guy,  and he's not very far from my thoughts as I write this.

The Delta Snake also put on concerts in downtown San Jose and San Francisco. It's really another separate story, but I will mention that those shows featured such artists as Lowell Fulsom (I still carry his business card in my wallet), Roy Rogers, Mark Hummel, Mississippi Johnny Waters, Mitch Woods, and others. These shows were pretty much the last thing the Delta Snake did.

That, in a rambling nutshell, is the background. I never could let the thing go, and decided to revive it in the online form you see. It will be mainly distributed on the Internet, so for now, will be done in plain text. Also, like the first year, it'll be free for the asking. In this case, it'll be free as long as the Internet stays that way (hopefully, forever). The original Snake had readers from places as diverse as  France, Poland, Ireland, and even Hungary. The initial response hasn't been as wide, but Australia has checked in with a few new readers (and England, Ireland, and Canada).

Al Handa

 Editor Delta Snake

 12/93

NEW RECORD REVIEWS

Editor's Note:  Reviews in the old Snake were done in two separate sections. A section of new releases, and a section covering classics. We defined "classic" as an older record with an advocate fanatic enough to write a review and mail it in.

                 

Reissues were OK. Basically, back then (and to an extent now), lots of blues fans were also collectors. You generally HAD to be. The Chess recordings, for example, weren't available in the midline price format back then. A mint condition vinyl Chess record  could easily fetch $50.00. I must admit, however, that I was willing to accept one with it's value seriously degraded by scratches.

In the Snake, you read the new reviews to see the latest. The classic section is reserved for those  that have stood the test of time and have earned the ultimate respect the Western World can bestow on any object....a pricetag way above its original retail value.

SMOKEY WILSON:  "Smoke n' Fire"   (Bullseye Blues CD BB 9534)

This is yet another production from that incredibly prolific producer, Ron Levy. The session also features guest performances by Jimmy McCracklin, Larry Davis, and Ron Levy. Smokey is a straight-ahead modern Chicago-style  blue artist. His guitar style has a very sharp, trebly attack that often seems to jump out at the listener. Fans of Jimmy Dawkins will like this stuff, although the backing band plays it much tighter than  Dawkin's would. Some might find that a plus (not me though, I prefer it sloppier, personally).

    

The CD opens with a shuffle with a  topical bent, "Don't Burn Down L.A." Very solid, well sung, good horn parts. Let's call it a B+ opening. It goes right down into a hard-edged slow one, "You took Everything From Me." It's pretty much like that the rest of the way. Any Ron Levy production will have more funk and tight shuffles than most, and the sound is dense with excellent horn and keyboard colorings. On a good sound system, the effect is impressive. I do get the impression, however, that Smokey's sound would benefit from a bit more sweat and grease mixed in.

     

Strong points are Smokey's excellent voice, and very aggressive guitar playing. The backing is more than servicable, and is pretty much in line with those who like Robert Cray or other modern Bluesmen. I'd have to rate the recent Jimmy Dawkins higher, for this type of Blues record. Dawkins made sure the backing was as wild and driving as his voice and guitar. However, I would have to say that anyone who buts Smokey's CD shouldn't be disappointed. The guy clearly deserves to be recorded.

OMAR AND THE HOWLERS:  "Courts of Lulu" (Bullseye Blues CD BB 9541)

This CD shows yet another side of this solid bluesman, who combines a very aggressive guitar attack with a voice somewhere to the left of Howling Wolf (or John Fogerty, for that matter).  His last two releases were an above average live record, and an acoustic blues-based work. This release is ostensibly a tribute to some old Juke Joint, and shows a very obvious rock'n'roll and rockabilly sensibility. Which, from this particular artist, tends to make for a pretty fun bar-band style set. It's perfect car music, which says a lot, really.

     

The first cut, "Rose Tattoo" opens the set. It's a uptempo Creedence-style blues rocker, that leads to the Bo-Diddley beat "Do It For Daddy." Not too bad for such an overdone rhythm cliche. It benefits a lot from what is one of Omar's greatest strengths; an excellent sense of set dynamics. I've never heard a Howlers record that wasn't varied in its colors and rhythms. He may be playing time-honored (and perhaps a bit overplayed) forms, but the way the cuts flow does impress me.

    

One nice thing about the record are the little production ideas.  The third cut, "False Faces" is an energetic, but rather standard medium blues stomper. However, the choruses are augmented with a little Zydeco coloring, and it's just perfect. The CD continues along like that; rockers mixed with nice slow songs and each with different tempos and colorings (fiddles, horns, etc).  I can-

not say it's as good as any Muddy Waters record ever made, but it's definitely the Omar record to get if you only get one. It's his best work to date.

ANGELA STREHLI:  "Blonde&Blue"  (Rounder CD 3127)

Strehli is a highly regarded vocalist out of that often overhyped Antone records group.  She is a powerful vocalist, and has an excellent background (if the "Angela Strehli Scrapbook" included in promo packs is any indication.  

One could say her voice reminds one at times of Bonnie Raitt, or Irma Thomas. Given that, it'd be tough for her to make a bad record. Her first work had a harder blues approach, mixed in with an old

Delany and Bonnie sound at times. It showed a strong vocalist looking around for a definitive personal style. I say that about any vocalist who is clearly very good, but is covering Blues songs clearly unsuited to her voice. She simply isn't your classic Blues vocalist.

     

This new CD comes closer to the mark. She branches out in a wider range of styles, loosens up a bit on the straight Blues (although the cover version of "Sun Is Shining" simply does not work). Her best  blues work is on songs like "Say It's Not So," which is more like a Steve Ray type slow one. I think she'd do very well on a cover of "Tin Pan Alley."

     

Rock critic Robert Christgau once said that one great song can make one like a whole side, and Angela does have one perfectly realized production.  Her cover of "Never Like This Before," rocks along in as perfect an updated Stax groove as I've ever heard. It would have been a big hit in the 60's, no doubt about it. Her duet with Don Covay is very close to perfect also. In fact, when she does a slicker soul groove the effect can be electrifying. "Gotta Find Me A Lover," and "Go On" are just excellent.

     

Recommended to those who like Bonnie Raitt or Stevie Ray Vaughn. This is an artist who does fairly good Blues,  although her affectations sound a bit forced. When put into a looser groove, the effect is startling. I think we might see an excellent third record from this one. She just needs to take a few more steps to the left of the Mississippi.

GEORGE THOROGOOD:  "Haircut"  (EMI)

Well, I guess Thorogood did the only  thing  left  to him.  He finally turned the bass knob up on his amp and went heavy.  Gone is the buzz-saw slide sound, and the final descent into the land of Foghat has been completed. Actually, I do like the record, although it's not going to be a favorite or anything. I still admire his first two records, which were quite electrifying to fans around here in the South Bay when first released.  Also, could Rounder be putting out their five thousand zillion releases every month if George hadn't put them into the big leagues?

     

Like many of you, I'm sick of hearing "Bad To the Bone" by now, and have a hard time keeping my perspective on this guy. He still has excellent taste, as evidenced by "Want Ad Blues" (an old Hooker classic), and "Dead Gone Train." Also; his "Down In The  Bottom," really does rock.

 

CLASSIC  RECORD  REVIEWS

"Vinyl Still Spoken Here…”

BEST OF CONWAY TWITTY:  "Volume 1 - Rockin' Years"  (Mercury)

Conway died this year, and was primarily mourned by his millions of Country fans. I remember seeing him on David Sanborne's "Night Music" show. He did an incredible rendition of "It's Only Make Believe" and as his second number, did a blues shuffle about cool sun shades. The choice of a straight blues shuffle would have seemed strange to many of his country fans, but not to this guy.  Conway, to me, was a guy who covered "Got My Mojo Working" as a young rocker, and probably listened to more than one blues CD in his tour bus in his later years. This was a guy who did Chuck Willis numbers.  Not your average Merle Haggard type by any means.

     

This CD collects his first releases. Some are truly immortal, like his "It's Only Make Believe." Add to that his incredible "Is A Blue Bird Blue," “Halfway to Heaven," and a cool, cool "What A Dream." Call this the perfect summer record for a Blues fan who's listened to his Elmore James once too often and needs a break.

ELMORE JAMES:  "Let's Cut It"   (Ace Records)

There's plenty of Elmore James out these days. The box set that came out last Christmas is a must-get. However, for the average Blues fan who prefers to get something that can fit in a glove compartment, this review is presented as a public service.

     

The music in this one comes from earlier sessions, and are rawer than those he did later for Bobby  Robinson.  One could get these cuts on the semi-legendary cheapie labels like United. This release  adds  alternate takes, and such. The usual collector stuff. It has just about every essential Elmore one could want. It opens with a very raw double punch, "Dust My Blues" and "Blues Before Sunrise." I couldn't think of a better opening for a Blues record if I thought about it all day, actually.  

I love the Fabulous T-Birds, Stevie Ray, Robert Cray, and I really like Thorogood. But when these two cuts come on, one realizes that the road to becoming a legend is more than just playing louder or better. Elmore James played Blues that just jumped out of a speaker, and I can't prove it by  any scientific test, but my van seems to run better with this tape playing at full volume.

     

One interesting alternate take, "Sho Nuff I do," is clearly better than the one that appeared on the United LP it came out on (and before that on other labels). Best of all; it SOUNDS better. The sound on this tape is superb. I still have the old United (the one I first bought), but this sounds better than

any tape I could have made from the LP. Hearing  "I Was A Fool" with cleaner and sharper sound is a revelation. I never could make that song sound loud enough, now my problems are solved.

     

The Blues critic can risk losing a little credibility by raving so much over a release, especially an old one. Some modernists may sneer and dismiss it as the sign of a nostalgic showing his true colors. Frankly, I would wonder about any modernist that didn't have this Ace release in their collection. I would suspect that the person prefers their blues to be pretty or something.

MUDDY WATERS:  "Trouble No More - Singles 1955-1959"   (Chess)

One  generally can't go very wrong buying any Muddy on Chess. In fact, one could say he rarely ever made a truly  bad record (except for Electric Mud, of course). Also, his records generally remained amongst the most available.

The exception was a compilation of his singles, which included one of the most famous B-Sides ever written (Got My Mojo Working).  Finding this collection was the highlight of a particular visit to a used-record store. It's available in stores, of course, but I tend to prefer to pay less if at all possible.

     

There's plenty of great stuff here. For me, the big  surprise is his "I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love." I always loved the Mose Allison version.  Hearing Muddy's version, one can see why Mose was moved to cover it.  It's a cool, smoky masterpiece. Also, the listener will enjoy an excellent rendition of "Rock Me," which surprised me. I normally hate the song.  Also, the studio version of "Mojo Working" is even better than the live version normally on records.

    

These songs were recorded for the purpose of getting a hit. So fans of his harder, darker sound might not be as impressed by this stuff. On the other hand, though, the songs are very listenable and most are considered classics. It's definitely one you could recommend to a friend who is interested in getting a Muddy recording. It would merely be the first step of a longer journey, of course.

(END OF DIGEST)

The Delta Snake Review Vintage Scrapbook: Decca DMI-201, 1972 Hagstrom Viking Series Jazz Guitar, 2000 Fender Eric Clapton Strat

The Delta Snake Review Vintage Scrapbook 

1960s Japanese-made Decca, DMI-201

This was actually a fun guitar although I always thought that the yellow foil didn't sound quite right. Later on I found that this guitar, and I guess it was common with others, had a gold foil shell with an inexpensive Squier Strat pickup underneath and the actual original gold foil had been taken off and sold for $200 or more back in the 2000s. Other than that though, it was an amazing shape and to this day I consider it one of the best playing guitars I ever had. It had extra life as a promo photo. When considering the purchase of a guitar with a vintage gold foil pick up, be absolutely sure that the original pickup hasn’t been sold off and you’re looking at a shell with another pick up underneath.

1972 Hagstrom Archtop - Viking series

This was a guitar I mentioned having traded a Strat Plus and an SG special for. It was an excellent hollow body and I used it in the “Bombay Beat Box” cut (on YouTube and elsewhere). It had a great '60s style sustain type sound and I also used additional riffs from it, reversed in a loop.

2001 (approx) Fender Eric Clapton Strat

I got it because of the mid-range boost but didn't quite like it because I didn't feel the then new noiseless pickups were as good as the original lace sensors that were on this particular model. It found later service as a promo picture but I never recorded anything with it.

 

- Al Handa

Aug. 24, 2026

Harmonica Reviews: Fender Blues Deluxe And OIBTECH Double Tremolo

Harmonica Reviews: Fender Blues Deluxe And OIBTECH Double Tremolo

I got my first harmonica as a young teenager, a standard Hohner marine band and kept that one for almost 10 years. Later on in the early 70s I went through a period, similar to guitar GAS and tried pretty much every type that could be bought in a music store or by mail. That included other marine bands, blues type harps, various types of chromatics, double reeds, echo harps, etc. The main reason for this eclectic journey, as opposed to diving deeper into, say for example, blues harp like most American players, was how the instrument was introduced to me. 

Many guitar players first started after hearing Rock or Blues and I'm sure more than a few American harp players started after hearing blues players ranging from Sonny Terry if you were a folkie to Little Walter or Paul Butterfield if you were in a blues and rock bag. As a young teenager my main music, and this was during the Beatles era, was primarily folk because my second and third grade teachers were all 60s folkies. I was certainly beginning to be aware of the Beatles because you saw them on Ed Sullivan on Sunday night but in terms of learning harmonica, it was from a folk or European tradition and so I tended to visualize playing sea shanties, folk melodies or European genres like polka, etc. 

Later on in the early seventies, when I began to be exposed to blues, it didn't change my life in the sense of finding what I wanted to do with a harmonica. For one thing, it was never my main instrument but always a very fun thing to have for a lot of different reasons. Hearing blues harp players merely added a new color to the palette, so to speak. I did play blues harp here and there, as needed and tended to gravitate towards the echo and double reed type harmonica because those had a tone I was more accustomed to. So even when I was playing Blues numbers, I would use an echo harp.

I remember hearing a live recording of Rod Stewart and his band and after a blues number that featured a harp, he said "that's a harmonica, the cheapest instrument you can buy." You could tell by his tone of voice that it wasn’t meant as an insult; he was simply saying what is still true, in spite of the typical western world tendency to make everything expensive. 

Some harp articles will tell you that in order to get a truly decent harp, you had to spend at least $40. Now, I'm not going to judge harp players because I'm not an expert at it like a Little Walter or even your typical bar level musician playing blues but I have played the instrument all my life and do know one thing; the basic appeal from a is that it is and was an inexpensive instrument with a pleasant learning curve that a person could make a lot of music with, both solo and accompanying others. 

I'm sure the reasons for the opinions on harmonica prices vary but basically a first line harp, like a a Hohner, will set you back a pretty penny although luckily, is still incredibly cheap compared to a guitar. One can buy the best if they can afford it and it won't cost a lot of money (relatively speaking). 

By the same token, like with guitars, once the name brands moved up into the premium price stratosphere, then capitalism always allows for other companies to come in and fill the entry level vacuum left by those brands. In other words, even though the experts may sneer and turn their nose up at them, there are still inexpensive harps that one can buy for a few bucks, just like the good old days. 

So in modern times there’s still a large price range with the usual spread of opinion about good and bad, economy versus premium and what it apparently takes to have a top flight instrument. For example, top notch harmonicas are more “airtight,” which may be a hard concept to grasp for beginners given that you're blowing a lot of air through the thing in the first place. 

Also, like with guitars, a lot of the remarks about durability, crummy or good reeds, all that talk, has to be tempered with how the instrument is actually going to be used. In other words if you're a hobbyist, you're almost certainly not going to use an inexpensive harp in a way that will blow the reeds out. That's something that's more likely to happen to a gigging musician. 

For example, I remember when the original Hohner Golden Melody harps first came out and players I knew had mixed opinions on them. Some liked the smoother sound and the subtle tones one could get from the type of reeds used and others criticized the lack of durability. I had to agree a bit with the latter after quickly blowing out two Golden Melody harps before it became obvious that the design wasn't, at least at that time, set up to take a lot of hard playing. In retrospect it was a design that still needed to be perfected for professional level play. 

Getting back to the point of knowing what you intend to do with the harmonica before buying; two of my current harps are those that I bought because they provided what seemed to me good value for the price. In the case of the Fender Blues deluxe, a ten hole diatonic type that's about 22.00 on Amazon, the price was right and it was:fun to have a Fender harmonica to go with my telecasters. In my mind, the Deluxe sounds similar to the old Hohner marine bands, or at least as I remember them from the 60s and 70s. It's clear to me that if you're not blowing them out hard in a club, this harmonica will last you quite a while. 

Also the plastic comb makes it much easier to keep clean and until you're proficient, it's a lot easier on your mouth. As far as the tone for blues or whatever, it's probably best to do as you do with guitars and check out a variety of players on YouTube and elsewhere so you can hear it played at different levels of skill.  However, the Fender Blues Deluxe sounds good for the price and like I said, unless you're going to start playing hard for hours on end, this should be all the harp you need. 

Also, one thing to keep in mind about the harmonica, particularly the diatonic type. Given the note spacing, it's basically impossible to play a wrong note so your learning curve will not only be easy but quite pleasant.

As far as the basic tone and sound, I'm sure you'll hear a lot of different opinions but coming from someone who has always had a harmonica in his possession since his early teens, this one sounds fine. As far as its application as a blues harp, quite a bit of that can depend on the type of microphone you use to amplify the sound. So, I wouldn't put it all on the harp; like with guitar and amps, there's a lot of factors to consider. However, compared to some very inexpensive harmonicas I've heard and played, this Fender definitely has better tone.

The OIBTECH Double Tremolo Harmonica is actually cheaper now, I originally paid 26.00 and it's now in the 20.00 range. As you can see from the picture it's a nice looking harmonica with a good case and accessories. Again, being diatonic it will be a harmonica with a pleasant learning curve where you can't play any bad notes. 

From what I can see, one reason for the lower price is that whoever makes this particular harmonica probably subcontracts out to others because this is a very common type that seems to be in the same price range with a lot of other very similar looking brands. In this case, you'll have basically what's called double tremolo but it's a double reed design to give you a, well, slight tremolo or vibrato, which has a very pleasant effect, particularly if you're playing quietly. The sound is a hair bit thinner than a Hohner but that can be adjusted with technique. 

One way to put it is that it has more of an accordion effect, which makes this type popular in Europe because the range of harmonica music there is wider than you'll hear in the States. There’s more advanced skills involved with all types of harmonicas, like judging reed quality, being able to disassemble the harmonica to clean or replace reeds, that sort of thing. In the beginning, I would treat it like playing a guitar or banjo;  just start off and learn, have fun and if you feel like going into it deeper, you can learn all those finer points.

It's one of those types of harmonicas where, depending on where you live, particularly in the United States, somebody might steer you towards a marine band or chromatic type because the reference point will be blues and jazz. 

If you want to explore the harmonica, it's like any other instrument; it doesn't hurt to explore all of the types of music produced by this very fun instrument. You might find that you prefer to play polkas, which incidentally has a secondary application in Celtic music. You never know where your heart will go.

Al Handa

August 2026

OIBTECH Double Tremelo

24 Holes

Major Diatonic

Double Tremelo

Key: C

Color: black

Dimensions: (17.7cm x 2.9cm x 2.3cm) (L x W x H)

weight: 308g

Classic Album Review: East-West Live - Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Winner Records)

ClassicAlbum Review: East-West Live - Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Winner Records)

Note: This review originally appeared in the Delta August 1997 Snake E-zine.

One of the nicer things about the latest surge in interest about the blues has been the increased attention to the contributions of the Butterfield Blues Band. A great deal has been written about that

legendary band, including in the Snake (see my review of "Strawberry Jam") so I'll focus on a narrower aspect of that great band's talent highlighted here in this CD from Mark Naftalin’s Winner Records label. I should note that the Strawberry Jam CD is also from Winner Records.

   

In rock, and even blues to a large extent, musicians and bands tend to be remembered by their songs.  This can overlook a key aspect of the blues, which is that it is in the main an improvisational art form not unlike jazz. The tendency to focus on studio performances can accidentally make a blues classic a sacred text, to be performed note for note, or with close adherence to the style.

   

In baroque music, for example, Bach compositions are often played to a known arrangement, when in reality, the composer often improvised new variations when playing live, and on the score, would write in alternate routes the musician could take. Over time, classical lost that improvisational spirit, and presuming to change a Mozart piece could get a player in trouble with the critics and fans.

   

Thus, to some, the idea of a CD with three versions of the same song could seem redundant. To some, it could seem like a Beatle release with several versions of "Hey Jude (which I must admit, would seem redundant to me ;-)). However, "East-West" wasn't just a rock or pop song.  It was also a vehicle for improvisation that had a far reaching effect on the rock scene of the 60's beyond even the psychedelic bands. John Fogerty, a master of the rock single, even mentioned in an interview that seeing the Butterfield Blues Band play "East-West" was what gave him the idea for the extended version of "Suzy-Q" that was his band's

first hit.

   

Even a cursory listen to the three versions here will make it obvious that the music here had a freedom one associates with jazz (but is indeed always present in great blues). The early versions are closer to the studio version and the last is a nearly half-hour exploration that moves into a realm one couldn't really pin down as pure rock or blues.

   

It's more of an evolution and exploration, in which the last becomes the most free in a sonic sense. By 1967, the band had played it for over a year, and some of the sections show them collectively exploring and producing sounds where individual intention and sound merged into a single sonic idea as opposed to people taking turns soloing. By the same token, the same cuts have moments of total individuality, which move the others to literally live in that moment and move with it...Or not, for that matter, which created some interesting textures and rhythmic tension.

   

That being said, the earlier versions do have their attractions. Although more restrained, the performances have the beauty of the original studio themes and ideas being put into a fuller and freer context. There is much melodic intensity in the early cuts, so in the end, each of the performances have to be taken as much as unique moments in time as progressions towards some perfection. After all, in the case of "East-West," what would constitute a "perfect" version?

One thing is also obvious; one of the true stars of this CD is the rhythm section. Although there has always been a great deal of focus on Butterfield and Bloomfield, none of these cuts would have worked without a great band, anchored by a great rhythm section. This isn't unusual.  The great STAX recordings were due in no small part to the great studio band of Booker T and the MG's. Atlantic's classic soul sound was more than partly defined by the great Muscle Shoals band, and the same for Motown and Hi-Rhythm for that matter.

   

Given the freedom that Bloomfield, Butterfield, Naftalin, and Bishop enjoyed in these performances, one can see that an unsympathetic rhythm section could have pulled these jams down to the level of an atonal boogie or bad psychedelic noodling. If these versions have such life, it was also due to a bassist and drummer who could provide a pulse and continuity that was both an anchor, and a free path where new textures could be explored.

   

Obviously, those textures and ideas could stand alone, but we're also talking about what the average listener will enjoy also, so talking about pulse is also about what sounds good. A great rhythm section can do that, provide a vehicle for musicians to improvise and explore, and be that bridge for the average listener.

   

So, while this CD is a both a document and celebration of a blues band that is now seen as the legendary unit that it was, it is also a tribute to the work of bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Billy

Davenport. A rhythm section as great as any that ever played, in a band that was as great as any.   

Al Handa

August 1997