Anthology for former member of 60s combo Don & Dewey who was also feat. on Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats' album & later went on to form Sugarcane Harris Group which became Pure Food and Drug Act. Includes tracks from 'Go... more »t The Blues', 'Flashin' Time', 'Fiddler On The Rock' & 'Keep On Driving'-recorded both live & in the studio between 1970-73. Many of these tracks are available on CD for the first time. 20 tracks in all including a cover of the Beatles 'Eleanor Rigby'. 1999 release. Slimline double jewel case.« less
Anthology for former member of 60s combo Don & Dewey who was also feat. on Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats' album & later went on to form Sugarcane Harris Group which became Pure Food and Drug Act. Includes tracks from 'Got The Blues', 'Flashin' Time', 'Fiddler On The Rock' & 'Keep On Driving'-recorded both live & in the studio between 1970-73. Many of these tracks are available on CD for the first time. 20 tracks in all including a cover of the Beatles 'Eleanor Rigby'. 1999 release. Slimline double jewel case.
CD Reviews
Sugarcane forever
Joachim Theis | Bangkok Thailand | 06/29/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Don Sugarcane Harris is the funkiest violin player I have ever come across - just listen to "The Buzzard's Cousin"! He has recorded at least half a dozen of his own LPs and has played the violin on dozens of other records (with Frank Zappa, John Mayall...) - all on vinyl. It is incredible that this gifted man's music had almost disappeared - until this anthology came out - the day he passed away much too soon. The anthology contains a good cross-section of Sugarcane's work. I can hardly wait for the next volume of the anthology."
Why was this one deleted?
P.J. Le Faucheur | Canada (ex- U.K. resident) | 12/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Soul stirring music from the guy from New Orleans who was called the "Jimi Hendrix of the violin" and was part of the legendary duo "Don & Dewey". What's presented here in this double CD set is a wonderfully funky mixture of full throttle psychedelic acid jazz/blues/rock with nods towards artists like Eddie Harris and Frank Zappa. There is a loose, jam session atmosphere on every track with plenty of space for the artistry of Sugarcanes violin, as well as the wonderful, very underrated guitar work of Volker Kriegel, Harvey Mandel and Terje Rydal. The German axeman, Volker Kriegel, sadly died recently. This guy is one of the most fluent and imaginative guitar players . Harvey Mandel plays some of his greatest licks and Norwegian Terje Rydal is mesmerisingly good. May i also add , Paul Lagos's very funky, muscular drumming throughout really drives the whole session.
Infact without Lagos's HUGE contribution i don't think the songs contained would be half as great.(listen out for his blindingly good solo on "Eleanor Rigby"). Sugarcane's voice is disturbingly dark & haunting in places and gives insight to a man living on the edge.(listen to "My Love Will Never Die") I guess he was similar to Charles Mingus in disposition.
The trax here were taken from different periods in Harris's career and from 4 of Sugarcane Harris's finest albums."Keep On Driving"(i970) "Got The Blues"(1973) "Fiddler On The Rock"(1971) "Cupful Of Dreams"(1974) 20 great tracks on two c.ds.
When will volume two be issued?? Better still, why was volume one deleted? (such a dismal shame)
"In the story of the rock and blues there has not been any other emblematic personality so gifted and expressive as Sugar Cane .
You may talk about Stephan Grapelli and Jean Luc Ponty but somehow his performance level were simply musical , they never went far beyond the scarfskin .
Cane did it . You listen the blues I am alone , or A cup filled of dreams and you can feel the rapport , the sincerity and deep honesty of his art .
He belongs to the reduced dynasty of musicians that surpassed the status of simple gifted musicians such John Mayall , BB King, Eric Clapton , Jimmy Hendrix to become in real icons .
"
Sugarcane is the best blues violinist ever
randulo | 08/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No one can even come close to the special mixture of rawness and yet harmonic sophistication that Sugarcane had. In live performance, he mesmerized the audience with his fireworks, throwing in wild classical cadenzas at the ends of songs that began with funk pizzicato chords.
If this limited edition isn't available when you read this, Amazon will surely have other suggestions where you can hear this unique artist's work."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1