Blues

Jimmy McCracklin – Blues & Soul (1986)

2016-04-18T15:52:33Z

Jimmy McCracklin – Blues & Soul (1986)


01. The Walk 02:40
02. Looking For A Woman 02:34
03. That’s The Way (It Goes) 02:12
04. Every Night, Every Day 02:26
05. I Did Wrong 01:56
06. I Had To Get With It 02:59
07. Just Got To Know 02:47
08. Think 02:25
09. Get Back 02:36
10. R.M. Blues 02:42
11. I Don’t Care 02:48
12. I’ll See It Through 02:28
13. Pretty Little Sweet Thing 02:11
14. What’s Going On 02:29
15. Stinger 02:23
16. You Ain’t Nothing But A Devil 02:38

A full half-century from when he started out in the blues business, Jimmy McCracklin was still touring, recording, and acting like a much younger man. In fact, he vehemently disputed his commonly accepted birth date, but since he began recording back in 1945, it seemed reasonable. McCracklin grew up in Missouri, his main influence on piano being Walter Davis (little Jimmy's dad introduced him to the veteran pianist). McCracklin was also a promising pugilist, but the blues eventually emerged victorious. After a stint in the Navy during World War II, he bid St. Louis adieu and moved to the West Coast, making his recorded debut for the Globe logo with "Miss Mattie Left Me" in 1945. On that platter, J.D. Nicholson played piano; most of McCracklin's output found him handling his own 88s.

By 1954, the pianist was back with the Bihari Brothers' Modern logo and really coming into his own with a sax-driven sound. "Couldn't Be a Dream" was hilariously surreal, McCracklin detailing his night out with a woman sent straight from hell, while a 1955 session found him doubling credibly on harp.

A series of sessions for Bay Area producer Bob Geddins' Irma label in 1956 (many of which later turned up on Imperial) preceded McCracklin's long-awaited first major hit. Seldom had he written a simpler song than "The Walk," a rudimentary dance number with a good groove that Checker Records put on the market in 1958. It went Top Ten on both the R&B and pop charts, and McCracklin was suddenly rubbing elbows with Dick Clark on network TV.

The nomadic pianist left Chess after a few more 45s, pausing at Mercury (where he cut a torrid "Georgia Slop" in 1959, later revived by Big Al Downing) before returning to the hit parade with the tough R&B workout "Just Got to Know" in 1961 for Art-Tone Records. A similar follow-up, "Shame, Shame, Shame," also did well for him the next year. Those sides eventually resurfaced on Imperial, where he hit twice in 1965 with "Every Night, Every Day" (later covered by Magic Sam) and the uncompromising "Think" and "My Answer" in 1966.

McCracklin's songwriting skills shouldn't be overlooked as an integral factor in his enduring success. He penned the funky "Tramp" for guitarist Lowell Fulson and watched his old pal take it to the rarefied end of the R&B lists in 1967, only to be eclipsed by a sassy duet cover by Stax stalwarts Otis Redding and Carla Thomas a scant few months later. McCracklin made a string of LPs for Imperial, even covering "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in 1966, and segued into the soul era totally painlessly. Latter-day discs for Bullseye Blues proved that McCracklin still packed a knockout punch from behind his piano, no matter what his birth certificate said. Jimmy McCracklin died in San Pablo, California on December 20, 2012 at the age of 91. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

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Jimmy McCracklin - Feel So Good (2011)

2016-04-07T16:00:58Z

Jimmy McCracklin - Feel So Good (2011)


1.The Walk	2:49
2.Blues Blasters Boogie		2:49
3.Everybody Rock	2:20
4.Minnie Lee Blues	2:35
5.Im to Blame	2:45
6.Come On	2:52
7.Get Tough	2:36
8.Take Care of Yourself		2:32
9.Why Make Me Suffer		2:56
10.He Knows the Rules		3:02
11.Later On	2:36
12.I Know	2:17
13.Country Baby	2:09
14.Im Through	2:09
15.She Felt Too Good	2:48
16.The Wobble		2:56

Pianist/singer Jimmy McCracklin was born in 1921 in Arkansas but raised in St. Louis, MO. He served in the US Navy during World War II, and after the war he moved to Los Angeles, CA, to become a professional boxer, using the name Jimmy Mackey. He fought as a light-heavyweight, and won nearly two dozen bouts before deciding to leave boxing for a career as an R&B pianist, something he had been doing on the side during his boxing days. He met up with producer Robert Geddins in 1947 and recorded for Geddins' Cavatone label. He also released songs in a variety of genres--blues, R&B, big-band swing--for a succession of labels in the 1940s and 1950s. His first big hit, "The Walk", was recorded for Checker Records in 1958. He has recorded more singles and albums over the years, though none had the success of "The Walk". --- imdb.com

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Jimmy McCracklin - High On The Blues (1971)

2013-04-20T16:14:36Z

Jimmy McCracklin - High On The Blues (1971)


1	Double Dealing			
2	Just Got To Know	
3	Stay Away From That Monkey			
4	Yesterday Is Gone	
5	Would Man Be Satisfied			
6	Like My Mama		
7	I Finally Got You			
8	You're the One		
9	Love Money Can't Buy			
10	Think 
11	I Got Somebody			
12	Girl Stealer

Jimmy McCracklin – vocals
Charles Hodges – organ, piano
Mabon "Teenie" Hodges  - guitar
Leroy Hodges – bass
Howard Grimes – drums
The Memphis Horns
Carolyn Crawford, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes, Jessica Smith,  Venetta Fields – vocals
Charles Chalmers – string arrangements, vocals

Given that this was co-produced by Al Jackson (of Booker T. & the MG's) and Willie Mitchell (of Hi Records), and adds embellishment by the Memphis Horns, it's unsurprising that this is very much a soul-blues record. It's a workmanlike effort with an early-'70s Stax period feel, including remakes of two of his past R&B singles, "Think" and "Just Got to Know." The CD reissue adds a couple of previously unreleased bonus tracks. ---Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com

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Jimmy McCracklin – San Francisco Blues – The Blues Collection Vol.66 (1996)

2009-10-28T17:01:32Z

Jimmy McCracklin – San Francisco Blues – The Blues Collection Vol.66 (1996)


01. Jimmy McCracklin - The Walk (2:47) 
02. Jimmy McCracklin - I'm to Blame (2:44) 
03. Jimmy McCracklin - Minnie Lee (2:34) 
04. Jimmy McCracklin - Take Care of Yourself (2:31) 
05. Jimmy McCracklin - Suffer (2:56) 
06. Jimmy McCracklin - Get Tough (2:35) 
07. Jimmy McCracklin - Later on (2:36) 
08. Jimmy McCracklin - Everybody Rock (2:19) 
09. Jimmy McCracklin - Come on (2:50) 
10. Jimmy McCracklin - I Know (2:15) 
11. Jimmy McCracklin - Country Baby (2:08) 
12. Jimmy McCracklin - He Knows the Rules (3:01) 
13. Jimmy McCracklin - The Wobble (2:55) 
14. Jimmy McCracklin - I'm Through (2:09) 
15. Jimmy McCracklin - Hurt Me (2:43) 
16. Jimmy McCracklin - I'll Take the Blame (2:48) 
17. Jimmy McCracklin - One Track Love (2:12) 
18. Jimmy McCracklin - Trottin' (3:01)

Alto Saxophone – Raymond Boyd (tracks: 2 to 4)
Bass – Horace Hall (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums – Ray Cotton (tracks: 1), Unknown Artist (tracks: 2 to 4)
Ensemble [Vocals] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 5)
Guitar – Lafayette Thomas
Organ – Unknown Artist (tracks: 7)
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Parker (tracks: 1), Willie Cowart (tracks: 2)
Trombone – Al Jones (tracks: 5,)
Vocals, Piano – Jimmy McCracklin

McCracklin recorded for a daunting array of tiny labels in Los Angeles and Oakland prior to touching down with Modern in 1949-1950, Swing Time the next year, and Peacock in 1952-1954. Early in his recording career, McCracklin had Robert Kelton on guitar, but by 1951, Lafayette "Thing" Thomas was installed as the searing guitarist with McCracklin's Blues Blasters and remained invaluable to the pianist into the early '60s. By 1954, the pianist was back with the Bihari Brothers' Modern logo and really coming into his own with a sax-driven sound. "Couldn't Be a Dream" was hilariously surreal, McCracklin detailing his night out with a woman sent straight from hell, while a 1955 session found him doubling credibly on harp.

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