Release Date: 2/27/2001
Recording Date: 2/2001
Tracks: 18
Length: 00:57:45 Hrs
Label: Koch
Type: CD
- Genre/Styles
- Urban Blues, Jump Blues, Jazz Blues
Album Tracks (18)
Currently 0.0 / 5.0 Stars
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What the Critics Say
Drawing from the legendary television series produced by journalist Ralph Gleason, this recording collects aural tracks from two shows broadcast in 1962. The first features blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon backed by a highly compatible small jazz group, with the legendary Ben Webster on tenor sax and Vince Guaraldi on piano. The second broadcast highlights vocalist Jimmy Rushing accompanying himself on piano. As with other recordings in this series, there are relaxed yet probing interviews by Gleason that give fascinating insights into the music and the performers. Some of the tracks are slightly truncated to fit the format but, as with all of Gleason's productions, there is a serious professional commitment that was seldom seen on television at the time. Webster is in fine form, and is clearly one of the highlights on the disc, easily acclimating himself to Witherspoon's style. Neither Witherspoon nor Rushing breaks any new ground, but instead each offers representative samplings, with Witherspoon singing signature tunes such as "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," and Rushing serving up lots of traditional blues, plus his infamous version of the perennial favorite "Tricks Ain't Walkin' No More." Rarely did commercial television reach the artistic heights to which Gleason brought it, and this recording represents some of the best episodes from the series. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide
