where to start with Buddy Guy and Gatemouth Brown?

[Big Beat Steve]

A GREAT introduction to Gatemouth Brown's Peacock-era recordings (if you do not want everything strictly chronologically) is the SAN ANTONIO BALLBUSTER LP on the Red Lightning label (also issued later on Ace - or was it Charly? - with a different cover). Still one of my all-time R&B faves.

[CJ Shearn]

does the Complete Vanguard recordings of Buddy Guy contain the Buddy Guy Live album you speak of?

[kenny weir]

does the Complete Vanguard recordings of Buddy Guy contain the Buddy Guy Live album you speak of?

yes, I believe so.

[CJ Shearn]

cool, thanks. Because I haven't seen many Vanguard albums, jazz or blues on CD really.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

cool, thanks. Because I haven't seen many Vanguard albums, jazz or blues on CD really.

Ace in Britain have issued a few - including Jr Wells' "It's my life baby" with Buddy. A live gig in '68.

MG

[blind-blake]

I think it's pretty widely accepted that "A Man And The Blues" and his playing on Junior Well's "Hoodoo Man Blues" are his masterpieces in a nutshell. The stuff on Chess is definately what I'd go for next such as "The First Time I Met The Blues" which is about as raw and full of emotion as it gets.

I'm a pretty big blues fan, and I think that Soul Stream has pretty much nailed it.

[kh1958]

I can't imagine that anyone who has seen Buddy live at a peak performance would agree with that conclusion. A Man and the Blues is a weak Buddy Guy performance, and an excellent Otis Spann performance. Hoodoo Man Blues is a classic Junior Wells album, with Buddy Guy performing ably in a suporting role.

[paul secor]

Have to strongly disagree with you about A Man & the Blues. It's surely not a "weak" Buddy Guy performance. Subdued compared to the over the top stuff he does these days, but much of it is very intense and smoldering.

[John L]

Have to strongly disagree with you about A Man & the Blues. It's surely not a "weak" Buddy Guy performance. Subdued compared to the over the top stuff he does these days, but much of it is very intense and smoldering.

Amen to that. "A Man & the Blues" is deep and beautiful (IMO). I prefer it to everything that Buddy has recorded since.

[paul secor]

As far as Gatemouth Brown goes, I heard him play live a few years before he passed and he was great. I don't feel that his later recordings captured that magic - at least not the ones I've heard.

[kh1958]

As far as Gatemouth Brown goes, I heard him play live a few years before he passed and he was great. I don't feel that his later recordings captured that magic - at least not the ones I've heard.

I saw him several times in the 1980s and found him to be okay, definitely not great.

[scottb]

I initially recommended the box set and still would for someone looking to start exploring Buddy. It's a good representation of a long and varied career.

I really dig Hoodoo Man Blues and I think A Man and the Blues is great early Buddy Guy but I think the record that best represents Buddy at his peak is Stone Crazy.

When I was younger and more into blues rock, I didn't really care for it too much. Fifteen years later, my tastes have evolved Stone Crazy is my favorite record of his. That is raw Buddy Guy and the closest I've heard him on record to the two times I've seen him live.

[paul secor]

As far as Gatemouth Brown goes, I heard him play live a few years before he passed and he was great. I don't feel that his later recordings captured that magic - at least not the ones I've heard.

I saw him several times in the 1980s and found him to be okay, definitely not great.

Guess that I was lucky enough to catch him on a good night. It was obvious that he was ill too. He seemed to give it everything he had - guess he knew that there wouldn't be many more chances.

[kh1958]

He was obviously a fine and versatile artist--just not entirely my cup of tea.

[John L]

Gatemouth's recordings from the 40s and 50s are fantastic. I saw him live a number of times in the 70s and 80s. It was a mixed picture. I tended to like him better when didn't appear to being pursuing an agenda to prove that he can play everything in American music from bluegrass to country to blues to R&B to jazz. As one blues festival in Oakland in the 80s, he just came out with his guitar, sat down, and played a straight blues set without any grandstanding. That was memorable.