Search - James Blood Ulmer :: Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions

Good Disc!

Whispering Veal- | Redington Shores, Florida, USA | 07/28/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good disc, with one caveat.The singing is great, and the rhythm section is world class. These are some of the best songs ever written, and a terrific survey of blues songs/styles. "Dimples" and "Death Letter" are classic performances.The one caveat is Vernon Reid's guitar playing. I could never tap into the music of "Living Color" -- it always seemed like someone had subtracted the rhythm. On this disc, Vernon tries to play blues guitar, and on a couple of songs he succeeds. On the others, his playing sounds like Ornette Coleman is sitting in while suffering from a middle ear disorder. This is a matter of taste, but it didn't suit me.In summary, this disc is similar to a blues sampler in the range of the material, all of the songs swing, and the singing is great. Four stars."

Raw and Soulful

bigfreezer | Statesville, NC United States | 12/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've never listened to much blues music, but I heard this one playing at a record store and had to have it. The sound is raw as if these musicians got together in the studio and just started playing from the hip with the red light on. I don't think they did much in the way of mixing, editing, or second takes. It's not the cleanest, crispest album I've heard but man it is good listening! Without a blues background, I can't really critique this album nor can I compare it to anything I've heard. But I can say that this album has opened a whole new genre in my music library."