Guy Davis - Butt Naked Free - 2000.

Review:

Making sure that country-blues starts the 21st century off on the right foot, Guy Davis' Butt Naked Free, whose title was inspired by the comments of Davis' young son, is one of the most accomplished statements the genre has offered in a few years. Picking up where 1998's You Don't Know My Mind left off, Davis once again has decided to fill out his sound, but this time adding touches of mandolin, organ and accordion, with the results being altogether more satisfying and never sounding even slightly overproduced. Where Davis on his previous album sounded, at times, unsure of his new direction, Butt Naked Free rocks with a loose liveliness, still allowing Davis' derivative yet idiosyncratic sound to shine through. "Waiting on the Cards to Fall" and "Never Met No Woman Treats Me Like You Do," the latter with Levon Helm contributing drums and mandolin, showcase how well Davis' sound fills out and offers the unique experience of hearing what it might have sounded like if Mance Lipscomb or Reverend Gary Davis had ever recorded with full-band accompaniment. Ballads like "Let Me Stay a While" and the narrative "Sugar Belle Blue" are some of the strongest Davis has written and, if anything, benefit considerably from the more filled out sound. Of course, Davis still delivers more than a few of his stripped-down solo country-blues tunes with the humorous "High Flying Rocket," the mean slide playing on "Come On Sally Hitch a Ride," and the gorgeous instrumental "The Place Where I'm From (Butt Naked Free)." More than anything, Butt Naked Free shows that Guy Davis is still more than happy to carry the banner of country-blues, yet remains able to add to the dialogue of the genre and put his own stamp on it in the process.

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mp3 192 kbps - 59 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3107ab/n/gdbnf_rar

Willie Foster - Live at Airport Grocery - 2000.

Bio:

At first sight, the appearance of this legendary bluesman can fool you. Willie Foster is 77 years old, confined to a wheelchair, and legally blind, but to see him play is to know what the blues is all about. Mempho Records is proud to announce "Live at Airport Grocery," the latest United States release from Willie Foster. Recorded live to 12 Track analog, "Live at Airport Grocery" is a testament to the soul and love Willie foster has for his Music. Airport Grocery is a small Bar-B-Q juke joint in Cleveland, Mississippi. It is one of those places we have all seen, but often overlook; a great place to get some hot food and see live performances from some of the best kept secrets the South has to offer. "Live at Airport Grocery" is just such a performance that is captured and reproduced for everyone to enjoy. Willie Foster's performances unveil his life as a bluesman. As he says "The blues is a burden. You've got to live the blues to know the blues." From being born in a cotton field of the Mississippi delta to loosing loved ones, this recording reveals and expresses his innermost feelings. Track 2, "Love Everybody" speaks for itself. On track 8, he sings about his departed "Dear Old Dad," and nearly brings you to tears with his wailing harmonica on track 3, "Honey Ain't Sweet." An authentic bluesman whose career has spanned the better part of this century, Willie Foster is living history. Listen for yourself and be taken back to a time when all that mattered was a rhythm and a song.

Tracks:
1. Just Messin' Round 4:13
2. Love Everybody 5:45
3. Honey Ain't Sweet 7:19
4. Hoochie Coochie Man 6:32
5. Janie On My Mind 5:37
6. Promise Me Love 5:07
7. Goin to St. Louis 5:33
8. My Dear Old Dad 8:18
9. Willie's Boogie 4:06

Personnel:
Willie Foster - Vocals,Harp
Charlie Ricker - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Skeeter Provis - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Donnie Brown - Bass
Frank Vick - Drums
Larry Wright - Drums

Password and Links:
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FLAC - 280 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3171f5/n/wflaag_part1_rar
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b317179/n/wflaag_part2_rar
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b316f55/n/wflaag_part3_rar

Jerry Ricks - Many Miles of the Blues - 2000.

Review:

Ricks' second outing continues down the same dirt path as his late-coming 1997 U.S. debut. Ricks' renditions of songs made famous by legendary acoustic bluesmen like Furry Lewis, Skip James, and Mississippi John Hurt testify to his respect for tradition, while his original tunes speak to this era as well as the past. Whether he's picking a syncopated Piedmont-style rag or strumming a soulful minor-key ballad, Ricks' performances are relaxed and true to the songs. His version of "Special Rider Blues" sounds as personal as James' original recording from the '30s. His sprightly takes on Hurt's "Keep on Knocking" and "Louis Collins" serve as a reminder that Ricks was key in helping to create an audience for rediscovered country-blues artists during the folk music revival of the early '60s. More than a little of what this Philadelphia native learned from his elderly, Delta-born mentors remains evident nearly 40 years later in Ricks' gritty, authentic originals, "Missouri River Blues" and "No More Ramblin" -- just in time for another generation of acoustic blues fan

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mp3 256 kbps - 97 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3707ec/n/jrmmotb.rar

Sue Foley - Love Comin' Down - 2000.

Review:

Sue Foley just keeps getting better. On her sixth album, the singer/songwriter and guitarist turns in a diverse set of blues (a slow and mournful version of Willie Dixon's "The Same Thing"); Stax-styled, horn-fueled R&B ("To Be Next to You"); New Orleans party rockin' (an obscure Freddie King cover of "You're Barkin' Up the Wrong Tree"); and even a spooky, flamenco-influenced spaghetti Western instrumental ("Mediterranean Breakfast") -- and it all surprisingly gels into a consistently satisfying album. Foley's distinctive voice -- part Bonnie Raitt, part Bessie Smith, part Memphis Minnie -- has evolved and matured, tearing and tugging at the edges, flawlessly complementing these lovelorn songs. There's an airy, effortless, and unhurried (but not laid-back) quality on Love Comin' Down, likely motivated by recording in the Tragically Hip's cushy home studio, and Foley's performances here take on a bluesy edginess, best exemplified by the acoustic tracks "Let My Tears Fall Down" and the album-closing "How Strong," where she sighs and cries with a unnerving poignancy. As producer, fellow Canadian blues-rocker Colin Linden leaves breathing room for Foley's biting, snakelike guitar and heartfelt vocals, while bolstering the tunes with subtle horns and swampy, understated drums. Lucinda Williams' dramatic vocals are impressive on "Empty Cup," but it's Linden's spine-chilling Dobro and Foley's menacing guitar that stand out. With a rugged and uncompromising style, and a smooth yet earthy and wholly assured approach, Sue Foley dexterously treads the line between commercial and rootsy, and in the process creates her most eclectic -- and best -- album.

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mississippimoan
mp3 256 kbps - 89 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b371h89/n/sflcd.rar

Chris Thomas King - Me, My Guitat and The Blues - 2000.

Review:

On Me, My Guitar and the Blues, Chris Thomas King ventures out into eclectic musical territories. King sings and plays all the instruments on his first disc for the Blind Pig label. Recorded in New Orleans, this release retains some of those Crescent City funk influences while "Superstitious Blues," "Gambling Woman," and Robert Johnsons' "Stones in My Passway" are gritty acoustic delta blues. However, the majority of this release finds King reaching for a broader more popular approach that will likely turn off blues purists. "Born Under a Bad Sign" injects hip-hop into this blues classic, "You Are My Heaven" is comparable to the soul sound of Robert Cray, while the synth laden "Stay Just As You Are" would be the obvious pick for crossover radio play specifically going after a more mainstream pop audience.

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mp3 256 kbps - 75 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3778c1/n/ctk.rar

Larry Garner - Once Upon The Blues - 2000.

Dirty:

Nice modern stuff!

The Rough Guide to the Blues
A winning collection from the year 2000, including the great "Where The Blues Turn Black"

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mp3 128 kbps - 95 Mb

http://www.filefactory.com/file/b37egef/n/lgoutb_rar

Peter Madcat Ruth - Live At The Ark - 2000.

Tracks:

1. St. Louis Blues
2. Watching The World Roll By
3. La Cucaracha
4. Take Five
5. Kwahari
6. Jericho
7. Driftin' and Driftin'
8. On The Road Again
9. Mountain Soup
10. When The Saints Go Marchin' In

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WAV File - 454 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3ca26f/n/pmr.rar

Robert Belfour - What's Wrong With You - 2000.

Review

There's a certain honesty about people like Robert Belfour. Just by listening to What's Wrong With You one can immediately tell that he had a back breaking life in Memphis, TN. Blues enthusiasts are fortunate enough to hear all about it on his first album.

Belfour was 60 years old by the time that What's Wrong With You came out. Over forty years of guitar playing is clearly heard throughout this record, as he bears his soul of all the heartbreak and hard times in his life. And through his vintage of country based blues that looks back into the '20s and '30s, you can tell that there's not a fake bone in Belfour's body.

Password and Link:
mississippimoan
FLAC - 275 Mb
http://www.filefactory.com/file/b4cbcec/n/rb.rar