Deep in the Blues
Deep in the Blues is an album by the American musician James Cotton, released in 1996.[1][2] It peaked at No. 13 on Billboard's Blues Albums chart.[3] Deep in the Blues won a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Album".[4] It also won a W. C. Handy Award for best "Acoustic Blues Album".[5] Cotton supported the album with a North American tour.[6]
| Deep in the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Studio | Conway | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | John Snyder | |||
| James Cotton chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production edit
The album was produced by John Snyder.[7] Cotton was backed by Joe Louis Walker on guitar and Charlie Haden on bass.[7] "Strange Things Happen" is a cover of the Percy Mayfield song.[8] "Dealin' with the Devil" is a version of the Sonny Boy Williamson I song.[9] "You Got My Nose Open" was written by Matt "Guitar" Murphy.[10] "Worried Life Blues" is a take on the Big Maceo Merriweather song.[11]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [12] |
| Chicago Tribune | [13] |
| Edmonton Journal | [8] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [9] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [14] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [11] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues | [15] |
The Edmonton Journal determined that, "if Haden and Walker are out of their regular context they sound happy to be there, offering a tasty, enthusiastic backup that propels the harp man to some fine blowing."[8] The Los Angeles Daily News praised the "surprisingly rootsy, all-acoustic sound."[9] Guitar Player said that "easy-swinging Joe conjures a prewar vibe as he delves into mojo boogies and slow blues."[16]
The Sun-Sentinel opined that, "with Cotton's hound-dog singing out front and center, the harp's wail pierces the sandpapery vocal wall like a laser."[10] The Chicago Tribune lamented that "nothing can camouflage the truckload of gravel strewn atop Cotton's once-roaring pipes."[13] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette concluded that the album "captures the blues harp master at the absolute top of his game, groanin' and moanin' about the hold misery's got on his soul."[11]
AllMusic wrote that "the sound is intimate and raw, which is a welcome change from Cotton's usual overproduced records."[12]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Down at Your Buryin'" | |
| 2. | "All Walks of Life" | |
| 3. | "You Got My Nose Open" | |
| 4. | "Dealin' with the Devil" | |
| 5. | "Strange Things Happen" | |
| 6. | "Country Boy" | |
| 7. | "Vineyard Blues" | |
| 8. | "Worried Life Blues" | |
| 9. | "Two Trains Runnin'" | |
| 10. | "Ozark Mountain Railroad" | |
| 11. | "Sad Letter" | |
| 12. | "Play with Your Poodle" | |
| 13. | "Blues in Your Sleep" | |
| 14. | "Everybody's Fishin'" |
References edit
- ^ Whiteis, David (Sep 1996). "James Cotton's quiet rebellion". DownBeat. Vol. 63, no. 9. p. 32.
- ^ Komara, Edward, ed. (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 229.
- ^ "James Cotton". Billboard. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Babyface and Toni Braxton lead Black Grammy Winners at 39th Awards ceremony". Jet. Vol. 91, no. 17. Mar 17, 1997. p. 63.
- ^ Ellis, Bill (May 2, 1997). "Blues guitarist Allison captures top Handy Awards". The Commercial Appeal. p. A5.
- ^ Stoute, Lenny (14 Nov 1996). "Deep dish delta harp on the howl...". Toronto Star. p. G11.
- ^ a b "The Many Sides of Charlie Haden". Bass Player. Vol. 7, no. 8. Aug 1996. pp. 46–47.
- ^ a b c Levesque, Roger (17 Aug 1996). "Disc digs deep for the best crop of Cotton in years". Edmonton Journal. p. C6.
- ^ a b c Shuster, Fred (6 Sep 1996). "James Cotton 'Deep in the Blues'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L25.
- ^ a b Schulman, Sandra (17 Nov 1996). "Blues". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3F.
- ^ a b c Norman, Tony (7 Nov 1997). "100 Percent Cotton". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 20.
- ^ a b "Deep in the Blues Review by Thom Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b Dahl, Bill (27 Dec 1996). "James Cotton Deep in the Blues". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 26.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. p. 139.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2013). The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin.
- ^ Obrecht, Joe (Nov 1996). "Deep in the blues". Guitar Player. Vol. 30, no. 11. p. 105.