Ray Charles - Doing HIS Thing, 1969 (24/96 lp rip)

Well I searched pretty far back and it appears that I never posted this here! My personal fave of the Tangerine albums. For some reason the Tangerine ABC recordings of Ray Charles have languished in obscurity due to lack of reissues for the entire digital age. Some of the other early ABC era stuff can be found, but the Tangerine albums have never been re-issued. I think Rhino or Bear Family will do a box someday soon, but until then we will have to be content with my digital transfer and restoration of this LP gem.

Unlike the majority of ABC material that I have heard, this is not over produced and dripping syrup, but is much more a continuation of the Atlantic years. The album is painfully short, but All Killa, No Filla! 

I had to go look for a back cover because I was confused why I had not bothered to keep one - it is because the back cover held no useful information, I'd guess... it may be that by the time I did this, my scanner had crapped out too. I also tried to find the full discograpy for the date, but even though my Fancourt / McGrath discography covers up to 1970, they apparently don't consider Ray "Blues worthy" past 1959. Hank, Fathead and Jimmy Lewis are obvious, but I wish I knew the rest; if anyone finds more complete session-ography, it would be appreciated.

 

David 'Fathead' Newman - Resurgence! (new 24-48 LP rip)

David Fathead Newman - Resurgence (1980)

Muse 5234, Vinyl LP

1. Everything Must Change 4:35
2. Mama Lou 5:54
3. Davey Blue 9:15
4. Carnegie Blues 8:28
5. Akua Ewie 6:24
6. To The Holy Land 7:04

Marcus Belgrave Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Ted Dunbar Guitar
Louis Hayes Drums
David "Fathead" Newman Flute, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Cedar Walton Piano, Piano (Electric)
Buster Williams Bass

This is one of the best David Newman albums you will ever hear and we are talking about a guy with some great albums! All the players compliment each other nicely and the session was recorded beautifully. Add to this that I have a Near Mint copy and I don't see how you can go wrong.

Mr. 'Fathead' leaves the R&B soaked sound of the Ray Charles band behind and really digs deep into some hard bop and soul jazz type material on this fine record.( I wonder what Dave and Jimmy Heath would have sounded like together?) The Walton, Williams Hayes rhythm section is as good as it gets and they shine like gold here. You also get rarer opportunities to hear guitarist Ted Dundar and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. The version of Everything Must Change is just sublime and Cedar Walton's To The Holy Land is taken for a really satisfying spin. Davey Blue is the kind of late night, smokey, whiskey sippin' Blues that I just love and that David always excelled at. Akua Ewie could easily have come off of a classic mid 60's Blue Note LP. Anyone who can actually sit still during Carnegie Blues probably needs to go to the hospital right away. It has the kind of infectious, head bobbing swing that changes the mood of a room.

Gotta say I like 'em all, All Killa, No Filla

David "Fathead" Newman - House Of David (1967) [vinyl>flac]

I was fortunate enough to borrow this great LP and grab a rip whilst I listened. Ever since, being turn onto some of Newman’s Muse albums, I have been searching out some of his lesser known earlier LPs and this definitely is a fantastic place to start. David’s luscious tenor sound does not disappoint and with the likes of Ted Dunbar on guitar, Kossie Gardner on organ and Milt Turner on drums supporting him the album boils-over reaching some wonderful soulful heights. The listener gets to hear three Newman compositions as well as a vibrant selection of contemporary jazz and pop tunes. On Miss Minnie he swaps solely to flute. As a supposed comeback album he certainly has nothing to prove other than he is on par with some of the best tenor players that emerged throughout sixties and beyond.  

The House of David was David "Fathead" Newman's comeback album of sorts, marking his first release after the end of his association with Ray Charles and a few years spent with his family in his hometown of Dallas. Organist Kossie Gardner, guitarist Ted Dunbar, and drummer Milt Turner support Newman's gritty "Texas tenor" sound, which captures the straightforwardness of R&B pop and the improvisational elements of jazz. Newman plays the flute on the spunky "Miss Minnie," but one of the most interesting songs on the album is the untypical rendition of a Bob Dylan tune, "Just Like A Woman." the artist's warm tenor lifts this song to angelic heights, and it's fathomed that he had only heard the song a few times before laying down this recording. Other standouts on the album include the Cedar Walton penned closer, "The Holy Land," and the original blues numbers such as the title track and "New Blues." This album boils with inventive hooks and the soulful combination of organ and guitar that would become more pop-oriented on subsequent Newman recordings. ~ by Jeff Schwachter.

Atlantic Records, SD 1489, 1967

Recorded 4th-7th March, 1967

Track Listing:

A1. I Wish You Love (Albert Beach, Charles Trénet} (6:08)

A2. One Room Paradise {J. Leslie McFarland} (1:35)

A3. Little Sister {David Newman} (8:15)

A4. Miss Minnie {Claude Johnson} (2:28)

B1. Just Like A Woman {Bob Dylan} (4:31)

B2. House of David {David Newman} (3:47)

B3. Blue New {David Newman} (3:56)

B4. The Holy Land {Cedar Walton} (7:22)

Personnel:

David "Fathead" Newman - Tenor Sax, Flute (A4)

Kossie Gardner - Organ

Ted Dunbar - Guitar

Milt Turner - Drums

Jimmy Witherspoon - Midnight Lady Called the Blues

Jimmy Witherspoon - Midnight Lady Called the Blues
Muse 5327, 1987

1. New York City Blues
2. The Barber
3. Blinded By Love
4. Happy Hard Times
5. Something Rotten In East St. Louis
6. Midnight Lady Called The Blues
7. Blues Hall Of Fame

Bass – Wilbur Bascomb
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar – Calvin Newborn
Piano, Arranged By, Producer – Dr. John
Producer – Pomus*
Saxophone [Alto], Arranged By – Hank Crawford
Saxophone [Tenor] – David "Fathead" Newman
Trumpet – Charlie Miller
Vocals – Jimmy Witherspoon

WOW was this one ever a fabulous surprise! I bought this and a Shirley Scott at the same time and hit home runs on both. Not only is this a relatively unknown Spoon album but the band is mostly Mac's mid eighties aggregation that included Fathead Newman, Hank Crawford and Charlie Miller! Everything is produced, arranged and written by Doc Pomus (click for bio) and Doctor John. There is even a picture of the elusive Doc Pomus, certainly one of the two greatest white Blues and R&B songwriters ever! (see evidence here), the other guy would be Dan Penn.

If looking at those titles isn't enough to back me up on that statement take a look at the list of people who have recorded Doc Pomus songs here. Kind of staggering isn't it?

This is one terrific little jewel of an album and I'm quite pleased to be able to share it with y'all.