An absolutely incredible collection of classic R&B, blues, d
Willy | Santa Cruz | 03/21/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The packaging of "Stompin' At The Savoy; The Original Indie Label 1944-1961" claims that it is "The ultimate anthology of ground breaking R&B classics", and for once this is not hyperbole in any way - overstating the quality of this box set is nearly impossible. Packed full of nearly four hours of brilliantly transferred classics, this is probably the only place one can find the best secular hits and B-sides of both the Savoy and National labels in their prime (mainly 1945-1959). As such, the set is an absolute gold mine of jump blues, doo wop, R&B and other styles that verge on or prefigure soul and rock 'n' roll, representing an incredible musical education for nearly anyone.
According to the limited general liner notes, the owner of the Savoy label (who later purchased National and other, smaller labels) targeted R&B radio listening and 78-buying audiences and encouraged his artists to 'overplay' in studio, resulting in music that is still incredibly fresh and spirited. As luck would have it, the A&R men working at Savoy and National had great taste in the acts they hired and produced, resulting in the legacy of this set and in the record companies those A&R men would later start (including Atlantic).
This is the one place to find the early singles of Johnny Otis, Joe Turner, Nappy Brown, Brownie McGhee (solo), and the last, best, two cuts from the immortal Big Maybelle. While the general liner notes are sparse, the individual track notes are extensive and spotlight the enormously talented nature of the artists. Even the virtually unknown artists put in superb performances - Pete "Guitar" Lewis' loping, slashing electric lead guitar on Johnny Otis' "Midnight At The Barrel House" (1947) has got to be the nastiest, loudest, most distorted guitar on record until the 60's.
Included on the set are the ORIGINAL versions of some certified American classics including "Uncle Sam Blues" (Hot Lips Page), "Open The Door Richard (1&2)" (Dusty Fletcher), "Candy" (Big Maybelle), and "(Night Time Is)The Right Time" (Nappy Brown). As a matter of opinion, even the much more famous cover versions of the two latter songs have still not equaled the versions heard here.
The Ravens' "Gonna Write Me A Letter" from 1947, possibly the first popular rock'n song ever (a #5 R&B and #24 Pop hit), is on disc one, as is 1947's "We're Gonna Rock We're gonna Roll" by Wild Bill Moore (who would later play sax on Marvin Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me"). Billy Eckstine (think Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie) has an orchestral cut on disc one, and Hal Sexton's (think Duke Ellington) barn-burning #1 R&B hit "Corn Bread" shows up on disc two. There are four Nappy Brown (still an active performer!) cuts on discs three and four - "Little By Little" and "Don't Be Angry" highlight the possibilities of his unique vocal style.
Listening to the music in this collection gives one a very good idea of where 50s and early 60s popular musical luminaries were coming from. Ray Charles, Bill Haley, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Elvis did not arise in a musical vacuum - they were listening to many of the songs included here! Can there be a more compelling recommendation?
Incredibly, the digital transfer of these ancient lacquers and tapes has been pulled off without a hitch, and the fidelity of these mostly mono records is phenomenal given their age. A handful of the cuts have unavoidable, audible hiss, but the majority were remarkably well-recorded and are transferred and mastered flawlessly. A job well done by Denon Digital."
Track Listings (21) - Disc #1