Memphis Slim, U.S.A.

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EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 14   Total Length: 47:49

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John Morthland

eMusic Contributor

John Morthland has been writing about music since the days of electronically rechanneled stereo and duophonic sound. His name has darkened the mastheads of Roll...more »

04.22.11
1961 sides from the down-home blues sophisticate.
Label: Candid Productions / IODA

Though he came up in rough Beale Street joints, when he moved to Chicago in the '30s, Peter Chatmon, aka Memphis Slim, sought to bring urban sophistication to the blues while remaining down-home. He had a lighter touch than most, but his keyboards could thunder when he wanted; his voice was rich and lustrous and his songwriting (as on "I'd Take Her to Chicago") was smart. These 1961 sides, with Arbee Stidham on guitar and vocals and Jazz Gillum on harmonica and vocals, are a low-key tour-de-force, from the flourishes of "Just Let Me Be" to the flurries of "Red Haired Boogie."

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Raw & powerful emotion

Sadie_Is_A_Lady

Memphis Slim is in great voice on this album. However when I listen to this on headphones, I cannot escape the fact that the guitar (right ear) is out of tune . . . so badly that I had to stop listening. Maybe on speakers this wouldn't be so obvious. Too bad.

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