The tapes were only discovered in December 2014, but the sound quality is excellent, with only a slight distortion on a couple of Hooker’s first numbers being at all worth mentioning. Sometimes the vocals are off-mic, but it serves to add to the atmosphere, as do the comments and introductions – there seems to be minimal editing. As for the performances themselves, they are all certainly well worth hearing. This was the first AFBF tour, and the clichés had not yet occurred frequently enough to become clichés. A solo John Lee Hooker sounds quite overcome by his reception, and his first set is interesting as the bluesman tackles mostly recent hits – ‘I Don’t want To Lose You’ is Barbara Lynn’s ‘You’ll Lose A Good Thing’, and he refers to ‘Money’ as a novelty! Memphis Slim was already a Paris resident by this time, but his material had not yet become aver-familiar and it has a strength about it that was sometimes missing later. Chicago bluesman Shakey Jake is introduced as a ‘country blues’ player – ‘we finally got him to town’ says Memphis Slim before Jake covers Little Walter. Sonny and Brownie sound enthusiastic and invigorated, presumably by the setting, and draw wild contrast with T-Bone Walker’s reception is marked, He starts off well enough, but is showmanship apparently alienated some of the jazz lovers in the house – boos and whistles are plainly audible during the uptempo ‘You Love Me’, though so too is loud applause. Helen Humes is nice and lively, and the finale brings everyone back for a bit of a reprise. The third CD contains material from the second show – Memphis Slim announces it confusingly as ‘the second half of the second show’, and the notes mention that this time, Sonny and Brownie preceded Shakey Jake, though neither act’s sets are present here ; Willie Dixon is also absent, at least as a headliner (he plays bass, with Jump Jackson on drums; where required, piano duties were shared between Memphis Slim and Yugoslavian Davor Kajfes, the latter playing excellently behind Walker and Humes) though all three acts can be heard in the ‘Finale’, Hooker is in fine form again, T-Bone is booed before he plays a note but seems to win over most of the crowd – it is noteworthy that his contribution to this second show, apart from the finale, is limited to his version of Bobby Timmons’ ‘Moanin’ – remember, Atlantic had been trying to break him into the jazz market only a year or two before. Helen Humes is again very lively and personable, and sounds superbly confident – perhaps a legacy from her days with the Count Basie Orchestra? It is wonderful to hear this music over fifty years on. Not just a historical artefact, but good listening too.
Par Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM
Par Norman DARWEN – BLUES & RHYTHM