Otis Spann Is The Blues

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Otis Spann Is The Blues album cover
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EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 10   Total Length: 44:40

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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
A blues pianist with the ultimate combination: chops and passion.
Label: Candid Productions / IODA

Muddy's main man played boogie-plus: his left-hand basslines rumbled deeper than others, and played off his right-hand chording to pack an emotional wallop. He was the ultimate combination of chops and passion, and this is his greatest showcase. Paired only with guitarist Robert Jr. Lockwood, his playing is bright, immediate, urgent and virtuosic on "Otis in the Dark," "I Got Rambling on My Mind," and, for that matter, everything else; his distinctive, smoky vocals are a lagniappe.

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Work that Piano

rgnr8ed1

Spann is the greatest ivory keys player ever! "Otis in the Dark" is a must download.

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Great performance; so-so songs

Wanderer

The songs here are rather undistinguished; you've heard blues songs like these before. But his piano playing is wonderful and his singing voice is strong, too.

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Otis Spann may not have been the blues, but he was sure close to being the blues pianist. Spann provided wonderful, imaginative, tasty piano solos and better-than-average vocals, and was arguably the best player whose style was more restrained than animated. Not that he couldn’t rock the house, but Spann’s forte was making you think as well as making you dance, and the tracks on Otis Spann Is the Blues will do both. – Ron Wynn