Search - Johnny Young :: Chicago Blues

Young At His Best

Mitchell Galinkin | Toms River, NJ | 10/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since his recording debut in 1947 Young shines on this one. Originally on Arhoolie lps 1029 & 1037 Young hosts an all star Chicago blues band. With legendary harpmen James Cotton & Big Walter Horton, Otis Spann and Lafayette Leake on piano, SP Leary & Lester Dorsie on drums, Ernest Gatewood and Jimmy Lee Morris on bass and Jimmy "Fast Fingers" on second guitar this cd is a winner. It is the eptiome of the tough Chicago sound of the day (for 1965). Highly recommend for all students and fans of Chicago Blues."

Fine down-home blues

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Singer, guitarist and mandolinist Johnny Young was one of the very few post-war blues artists to incorporate the mandolin in his sound. It doesn't excactly dominate this CD, but it is very prominent on "Stealin'", "I'm Doing All Right", and "Keep Your Nose Out Of My Business", three acoustic numbers in the rough-and-tumble string band tradition of the Mississippi Delta.This fine album brings together the output from two separate sessions, one from November, 1965 with Otis Spann on piano and James Cotton playing the harmonica, and one from November, 1967, which adds Jimmy Dawkins on electric guitar, and which has Lafayette Leake rolling the 88s, and the great Walter Horton on harmonica.
Apart from the three numbers in the classic, pre-war style of the Southern string bands, this is mostly mid-tempo blues with some slow numbers in between. The two piano players and harpists Cotton and Horton steal much of the show with some really fine performances - the instrumental "Walter's Boogie" is a showcase for the omnipresent and hugely influential Horton, and even though none of these songs are as immediately memorable as the music of Elmore James, Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf, the consistently fine performances by all the musicians involved makes for an hour of really enjoyable, old-time urban blues."