Live! – LOU RAWLS****

Stormy Monday/Southside Blues/Tobacco Road/St James Infirmary/The Shadow Of Your Smile/I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water/Goin’ To Chicago Blues/In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down/The Girl From Ipanema/I Got It Bad & That Ain’t Good/Street Corner Hustler’s Blues/World Of Trouble

R & B vocalist Lou Rawls achieved his first US top twenty album with this live release. He enjoyed much success in the States during the mid sixties only to fade from view before returning to the charts a decade later. (US:4)

"Long before he became known as a smooth pop balladeer in the 1970s, Lou Rawls was a powerful vocalist whose rich baritone ably blended soul, pop, jazz and blues. This 1966 live album finds Rawls at the peak of his early period, backed by a small combo of great jazz/R & B players and tackling a program of classic blues tunes with characteristic verve and class."

"This fantastic set from early 1966 clearly showcased his ability to handle jazz and blues material, with a great rhythm section that supported him all the way."

"Lou not only could master a song with a great baritone voice, but he also could tell stories that weaved into the song - check out Tobacco Road and World Of Trouble - two songs that brought back great memories when I listened to the entire album."

"This is truly one of the greatest jazz albums of the 1960s. It has it all: soul, humour and hipness. Lou Rawls is always good, but this recording shows him in his prime - in great voice, and at the height of his creativity. The material is sensational, and so is the accompaniment. The great Herb Ellis is on guitar, and the piano player, Tommy Strode, brings tears to your eyes."

"This is the soulful, gritty, down-home, bluesy Lou Rawls that made me a fan in the early 60s. He has never come close to this since." "Backed by a nice and tight jazz-combo, Lou wails through some of the best loved blues and jazz standards with equal emotion and power, showing the true musicianship often attributed to him."

"Believe me this is it. Live recordings don't get any better than this. And Lou Rawls live is better than most studio sessions. It doesn't get any better than this."