Search - Robert Nighthawk, Various Artists :: And This Is Maxwell Street

Maxwell Street Blues Box a Must

R. Weinstock | Falls Church, VA USA | 10/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While efforts continue (bluesman Jimmie Lee Robinson has been on a hunger strike) to preserve the remaining portions of the historic Maxwell Street market area, Rooster Blues has released a three disc compilation, And This is Maxwell Street that presents music that was recorded as part of the making of the film, And This is Free. Some of the music from here was issued on Rounder on lp and cd as Robert Nighthawk, Live on Maxwell Street, which has been repackaged and reconfigured with a some previously unissued selections and including tracks attributed to J.B. Lenoir, Carey Bell and Johnny Young, The Rooster Blues has a full two hours of music and includes also selections from Little Arthur (Red Top/Ornithology which is deleted from the latest version of the Rounder); Big John Wrencher; Arvella Gray, Carrie Robinson; and James and Fannie Brewer. Additionally, Mama Talk To Your Daughter, credited to JB Lenoir on the Rounder is credited to Big Mojo Elem here. And there are several Nighthawk performances here that are not on the Rounder including a Dust My Broom that includes Mike Bloomfield on guitar (possibly being Bloomfield's earliest recordings). The full range of music here is quite powerful and entertaining including such selections as Nighthawk's updating of Dr. Clayton's Cheatin' and Lyin' Blues, the fervent gospel singing of Carrie Robinson as well as James and Fannie Brewer, street singer Arvella Gray's vigorous renditions of Corinna, Corinna and John Henry, and one armed harp wizard Big John Wrencher's Lucille. Several tracks spotlight Carey Bell, with I'm Ready perhaps being his first recorded vocal. Portions of vendors' sales pitches and street preachers' sermons are heard here as well. Providing some context to the recording. The Rounder has a portion of Mike Bloomfield's interview with Robert Nighthawk which is heard in its entirety (nearly 50 minutes) on the third disc of the Rooster Blues. My advance copy of the Rooster Blues lacks the booklet that should be accompanying it so I cannot comment on this aspect of the package, but because of the more complete reissue of this historic material, clearly is preferable, and a contender for vintage reissue of the year."

No suprise this was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award

C. Talcroft | Santa Rosa, CA | 03/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At last! What a pleasure it is finally to see the original recordings from Mike Shea's 1964 Maxwell Street documentary "And this Is Free" available in the North American market (also now in Europe on the Catfish label as KAT3D1) with its in-depth liner notes in English for the first time-more than 60 pages! (these recordings first appeared in 1999 in Japan as P-Vine PCD 5527/28). Both this set from Rooster and the Catfish release are identical to the P-Vine release with the exception of the language of the liner notes and the addition of a third bonus disc, which contains the entirety of the 44-minute interview of Robert Nighthawk conducted by guitarist Michael Bloomfield as part of the "And This Is Free" documentary project. And what extraordinary music it is. This disc contains the first known recordings of Carey Bell (who was about 28 in 1964). It contains one of the very few glimpses we have of Robert Nighthawk on the street. Highlights include his growling guitar work on "Cheating and Lying Blues;" some of the most extraordinary electric blues guitar playing ever recorded on "I Need Love So Bad;" Nighthawk doing the two songs that brought him his first real fame--"Annie Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel;" and a lively rendition of "Take It Easy, Baby." Not to be overlooked is fine harp work by Carey Bell, and perhaps the most dynamic and moving performances by one-armed harpist Big John Wrencher that were ever recorded. Here we also get gospel performances by James Brewer, a fine "John Henry" from Arvella Gray (so much livelier than the stiff version on the Swedish Radio tapes also recently issued), and rousing, raw gospel shouting from Carrie Robinson and other performers. Another highlight is two fine songs from Johnny Young. In short, this music captures the excitement of raw, live blues on Chicago's Maxwell Street in its heyday. Interspersed between the songs are snippets of street preachers, hawkers, hucksters, and the voices of the musicians between numbers. We also hear car horns, conversations, street noise, and the enthusiastic shouting and clapping of the audience on tracks such as "Dust my Broom" and two jams that are perhaps the wildest, most spirited live blues performances ever captured on tape. The producers have attempted (and succeeded, in my view) to recreate the experience of a Sunday on Maxwell Street in the 1960s. Revel in it.(...) "And This Is Maxwell Street" is the real thing. Don't confuse it with the Rounder disc. My advice is to take your Rounder version to the used record store and replace it with this one.While this raw, raucous, record of the blues in the streets of Chicago will not appeal to casual listeners who want to turn on some easy background music and relax, it should make any serious blues fan sit up straight and listen hard. This is a slice of what the blues was really about during this period. The interview disc is icing on a very fine cake. Highly recommended. Nominated this year for a W.C. Handy Award and surely the right choice for best historical release."

A magnificent box set

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 08/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even the most casual fans of classic Chicago blues need to own a copy of slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk's 1964 album "Live On Maxwell Street".

And those slightly more obsessed will want to check out this wonderful document, the soundtrack, if you will, to Mike Shea's 1964 documentary "And This Is Free". It features all of Nighthawk's recordings, plus another 18 cuts by artists like Johnny Young, Carey Bell and Big John Wrencher, and it is one of the most impressive live blues albums you'll ever come across.



The well-written and exceptionally thorough 62-page (!) booklet includes information about every recording, artist's biographies, interviews, pictures, and all available recording information, and the sound is surprisingly clear and full considering the unusual circumstances. You can sometimes hear a car driving by, a street preacher pops up for a few seconds, and the chatter of the crowd is audible in the background.



This two-hour collection is a rare treat indeed. You can just pop the discs in you CD player and turn it up. No need to program anything out...there is barely the slightest dip in quality along the way.

Disc one opens with singer/guitarist Johnny Young's excellent, gritty rendition of "The Sun Is Shining", all clattering drums and simple but effective boogie-styled rhythm guitar, and one-armed harpist Big John Wrencher's tough "Can't Hold Out Much Longer" is equally wonderful. You can also hear John Wrencher jamming with guitarists Robert Nighthawk and Little Arthur King on his own "Lucille", and inquiring about the drinking habits of his fellow musicians: Tea or coffee? Apparently Robert Nighthawk was a coffee-man ("coffee" meaning whiskey. "Tea" was wine).



Other highlights include "All I Want For My Breakfast" by Johnny Young, and pretty much everything by Robert Nighthawk, including the menacing "Cheating And Lying Blues", an up-tempo "Take It Easy, Baby", and a couple of songs not included on Nighthawk's "Live On Maxwell Street". One is a snippet of Robert Nighthawk doing "That's All Right" (the Jimmy Rogers tune, not the one by Arthur Crudup that Presley recorded); "Honky Tonk" is a swaggering instrumental boogie, and Nighthawk also lays down a thumping "Dust My Broom" which was omitted from previous issues of this material, perhaps because of the flawed mix which allows the repetitive rhythm guitar playing to drown out Nighthawk's fluid leads. Bit of a shame, that.



Still, that's about the only letdown on disc one, and it's a very minor one. And disc two is equally great. A lively performance of J.B. Lenoir's infectious boogie "Mama Talk To Your Daughter" has previously been credited to its composer, the man with no first name, but nothing indicates that Lenoir was present when this music was recorded, and this repacked and expanded edition of the Maxwell Street tapes credits Robert "Big Mojo" Elam as the singer. He supposedly got his nickname because of his ability to pull off a rousing rendition of Lenoir's "Mojo Boogie".

Harpist Carey Bell, who later became a member of the Muddy Waters band (and is still playing), smoulders on the instrumental "Carey'n On", little-known singer/guitarist Arvella Gray does a thoroughly authentic sounding solo performance of "John Henry", and the listener is treated to a couple of gospel numbers:

The James Brewer Gospel Group do a wonderful swinging "When The Saints Go Marchin' In", and a rendition of "Fly Away" which is made all the more remarkable by a very enthusiastic harmony vocal by one of the male singers! Also, the (unfortunately truncated) "I Shall Overcome" by singer/guitarist Fannie Brewer is just beautiful.



But, again, the main attraction is Robert Nighthawk (or "Night Hawk" as the liner notes call him, and as he probably spelled it himself). Nighthawk's magnificent 8 1/2 minute medley of his two biggest hits and best-known songs, "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel", has been restored...the previously issued version which edited out two minutes of instrumental bridge, and his single-string solo halfway through the supremely tough "The Time Have Come" [sic!] is quite mind-boggling. Nighthawk was as accomplished a lead guitar player as he was a slide slinger, and his single-string picking is pure liquid fire.

The slow grind of "Love You Tonight" is another previously unreleased number by Big John Wrencher, and Robert Nighthawk's powerful rendition of Big Joe Turner's "Honey Hush" takes Turner's bouncy jump blues into new territory.



The dozen songs by Robert Lee "Nighthawk" McCullum do indeed form the centrepiece of this collection, but literally everything is worth a listen. This is one top-notch blues box set...great annotation, great music, nicely packaged. Five stars and no reservations at all."