Southern Jazz Music

King Curtis had been making records since 1953 in the r&b and jazz fields when he cut this album for Tru-Sound in 1961 - his first vocal outing. He sings in a very clear, church-inflected, tenor voice, very reminiscent of Ray Charles; fortunately he's got his saxophones with him, too. The best vocal tracks are TROUBLE IN MIND, a Richard M. Jones song from the `20s, which Curtis takes way downhome; NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT, which also has a fine Al Casey guitar solo; and AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS, where he's at his most Ray Charles-like. A female vocal trio is added to little effect on three tracks, but Mac Pierce's slashing guitar style and Paul Griffin's Red Garland-influenced piano playing are impressive. The album's highlight, without doubt, is the slow, 8-minute blues instrumental DEEP FRY, with Curtis's wailing alto and Griffin's piano spotlighted. King Curtis is a pleasant enough blues vocalist, but his forte is still blowing that saxophone, whether tenor or alto (he plays both here, though only credited on alto).

King Curtis had been making records since 1953 in the r&b and jazz fields when he cut this album for Tru-Sound in 1961 - his first vocal outing. He sings in a very clear, church-inflected, tenor voice, very reminiscent of Ray Charles; fortunately he's got his saxophones with him, too. The best vocal tracks are TROUBLE IN MIND, a Richard M. Jones song from the `20s, which Curtis takes way downhome; NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT, which also has a fine Al Casey guitar solo; and AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS, where he's at his most Ray Charles-like. A female vocal trio is added to little effect on three tracks, but Mac Pierce's slashing guitar style and Paul Griffin's Red Garland-influenced piano playing are impressive. The album's highlight, without doubt, is the slow, 8-minute blues instrumental DEEP FRY, with Curtis's wailing alto and Griffin's piano spotlighted. King Curtis is a pleasant enough blues vocalist, but his forte is still blowing that saxophone, whether tenor or alto (he plays both here, though only credited on alto).

Jeri is my all-time favorite torch singer. Although I prefer her music on Decca, which was generally sparser and even more intimate, her Capitol recordings are still of an extemely high quality.

All except one of the tracks included here are drawn from the albums At the Cresendo, Meets Cole Porter, Southern breeze and Coffee cigarettes and memories. These have been previously released on CD as two twofers, still available from Amazon.com at the time of this review.

The rarity is Two sleepy people, which is originally from the album Jeri Southern Meets Johnny Smith (not available on CD), and is the only track I didn't already own. Jeri does a great version of it, although there are plenty of other versions of this song around. You have to be a committed Jeri fan (like me) to buy this collection if you already own both the twofers.

It is, of course, an excellent collection, but if you haven't got any of Jeri's music, I recommend you try her Decca recordings first.

well, after listening to so many of today's hot new singers...it seems as if they are really heading in that direction....not conciously....they just are because someone named JERI SOUTHERN happened to get there first and people who are influenced by others don't always know they are being influenced...they are just drawn to people who affect them and touch them and, as a result, inspire them. there's nothing wrong with that, is there. except the original....and, in this case, jeri southern was so original that to have copied her would mean you were stuck with being an impersonator instead of being an interpreter. and that is not going to get you going in any kind of positive direction. if you don't know what jeri southern meant and still means (the good stuff does survive and prevail simply because it was always so right and real and original) then you owe it to that part of you that craves to be aware of the kind of singing voice that sounds so natural you don't know whether that person is actually singing or just talking the words with a musical feeling in their recitation. i chose this album because it says it: ULTIMATE. that doesn't this is the definitive JERI SOUTHERN ALBUM. it only means that it doesn't matter where you begin....you can get 'the very thought of you' or maybe about a dozen other albums of miss southern's impeccable talents......they, each and every one, will ultimately lead you in the right direction. and once you've arrived there you will want to make the trip all over again...probably with someone you want to share the experience with. i think that's what jeri southern had in mind when she sings 'i'm stepping out with a memory tonight. and when you hear her so subtle performance of 'when i fall in love' you will realize how much that song loved being sung by her.

Jeri is my all-time favorite torch singer. Although I prefer her music on Decca, which was generally sparser and even more intimate, her Capitol recordings are still of an extemely high quality.

All except one of the tracks included here are drawn from the albums At the Cresendo, Meets Cole Porter, Southern breeze and Coffee cigarettes and memories. These have been previously released on CD as two twofers, still available from Amazon.com at the time of this review.

The rarity is Two sleepy people, which is originally from the album Jeri Southern Meets Johnny Smith (not available on CD), and is the only track I didn't already own. Jeri does a great version of it, although there are plenty of other versions of this song around. You have to be a committed Jeri fan (like me) to buy this collection if you already own both the twofers.

It is, of course, an excellent collection, but if you haven't got any of Jeri's music, I recommend you try her Decca recordings first.

by the time i got into the staples they had become a pop group with BEALTITUDE which contained their number one I'LL TAKE YOU THERE and RESPECT YOURSELF and THIS WORLD. all three songs are on this collection but the first two are the single edits. i read a review at the time that pop had made inroads into their gospel sound making it seem like they sold out but BEALTITUDE was very inspiring to me and still one of my all time favorite albums. but the review has always made me think how did they sound before? well this remastered gem starts out at the beginning. and though they were a family and started out in the church the first recordings were pretty shoddy and primitive but that was starting in 53 like real old blues records. by the mid sixties they got very spiritual and cohesive and the spirit really started to flow. there are some nice mavis solo songs .she has an excellent voice. i just saw her on soul train in 74 doing A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME and it floored me. too bad thats not on here but there are enough gems to fill the two cds. al green was not the only one to take a talking heads song and put a soulful spin on it. in 85 so many years since they began they layed down a funky spiritual groove on the head's SLIPPERY PEOPLE. a rousing number. and maybe they did go commercial in the 70s with island rythm songs like IF YOURE READY(COME GO WITH ME) and TOUCH A HAND MAKE A FRIEND and the very secular and sensous number one LET'S DO IT AGAIN but those songs were no less spiritual than many of their so called gospel songs. pure joy. one of the best family groups ever. gospel , pop, whatever.

Finally a Comprehensive Staples Anthology is here, One that includes Gems from their Early Gospel Period along with The Stax Classics AND "Let's Do it Again"...However...The Single Versions of these Tunes are used, not the Longer, decidedly Superior Album Versions; Regrettably I Must Reccomend Against Purchasing this Set, I Wish I could Love it, but perhaps with all the Consolidation going on With Big Record Companies We will get a Proper Staples Collection Soon....Still Waiting...

I happen to prefer the pre-Stax period of the Staple Singers with their raw gospel/blues numbers. This CD is the only modern compilation I have yet seen that concentrates a little less on their more well known later pop songs and has the classics from their church days. Pops' guitar shines along with those powerful voices we all love. I would spend the extra few bucks to get this one over the other "Best of" collections. The next best thing to having the original albums.

Of course, there are some post-Stax selections included, too.