Sing Sang Sung - Little Freddie King

Right from the opening chords of the first cut of the scratchy cheap-sounding guitar, your ears begin to perk up. This is a live recording done at the Dream Palace in New Orleans and it is evident from the beginning that this raw sound has to be intentional because the technology is so far advanced from the '50s, which is when it sounds like it was recorded, that even el cheapo equipment couldn't sound this raw. However, this sound is the Little Freddie King sound, raw, dirty, and laid out in the gutter. His shows are raucous and true to who he is. He works as a body and fender man, rides a bicycle to work, and escapes his run-down apartment on the weekends to play in some cheap saloon. He is one of the last great country blues players, and doesn't get the recognition that the other Kings (B.B., Albert, and Freddie) get. But maybe for that reason his pawnshop guitar rings with the truth of who he is. He is real and lives the music he plays. It comes straight from his heart. At times his unfiltered emotion can rip right into you and either scare the hell out of you, or just make you cry. Listen to "Three O'Clock Blues," the great Riley B. King/Jules Taub tune that is a signature of B.B. King, and you'll see which version has more exposed gripping emotion. B.B.'s version is great, but for raw emotion this is where you come. ~ Bob Gottlieb, All Music Guide