Portrait Of The Blues

Performer: Lou Rawls
Artist: Lionel Hampton; Joe Williams; Phoebe Snow; Buddy Guy; Junior Wells; Joe Lovano; Houston Person; Plas Johnson
Engineer: Peter Darmi
Producer: Michael Cuscuna; Billy Vera
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Lou Rawls (vocals); Steve Khan (guitar); Richard Tee (piano, electric piano, organ); Tinker Barfield (bass); Chris Parker (drums). Benny Golson Horn Section: Jerome Richardson (alto saxphone); Ron Blake (tenor saxophone); Seldon Powell (baritone saxphone); Jon Faddis (trumpet); Jimmy Knepper (trombone). Hank Crawford Horn Section: Hank Crawford (alto saxophone); David Newman (tenor saxophone); Seldon Powell (baritone saxophone); Tim Hagans (trumpet); Wayne Andre (trombone). Additional guest artists: Cornell Dupree (guitar); Tom Pomposello (slide guitar); Hank Crawford (alto saxophone). Recorded at M&I Recording Studios, New York; Streeterville Studios, Chicago, Illinois; Capitol Studios, Los Angeles from April to October, 1992. Personnel: Lou Rawls (vocals); Joe Williams , Phoebe Snow (vocals); Cornell Dupree, Steve Khan, Tom Pomposello, Buddy Guy (guitar); Joe Lovano (flute, tenor saxophone); Junior Wells (harmonica); Hank Crawford (alto saxophone); Houston Person, Plas Johnson (tenor saxophone); Richard Tee (piano, electric piano, organ); Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Eluriel Tinker Barfield (electric bass); Chris Parker (drums). Recording information: M&I Recording Studios, New York, NY (04/13/1992-10/03/1992). Arrangers: Hank Crawford; Richard Tee; Benny Golson. PORTRAIT OF THE BLUES is a very classy roots album, with Rawls revisiting material by just about every artist that influenced the development of his own style (a conspicuous thematic exception being gospel acts). Here, backed by an interestingly eclectic bunch of blues and jazz musicians (Junior Wells and Lionel Hampton on the same album!) Rawls performs urbane and idiomatic renditions of songs associated with an equally eclectic bunch of singers. Influences including Muddy Waters ("I Just Want to Make Love to You"), Clyde McPhatter ("A Lover's Question"), Jimmy Reed ("Baby What You Want Me to Do"), are all invoked here. Also included are Percy Mayfield ("Hide Nor Hair"), Little Walter ("My Babe"), and Louis Jordan (a thoroughly rocked out take on "Saturday Night Fish Fry").

Q (3/93, p.90) - 3 Stars - Good - "...his most purposeful work in years..." Down Beat (4/93, p.41) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...a suave and smooth affair....Rawls & Co. ably split the difference between jazz sophistication and bluesy swagger....a fine argument for the generous adaptability of the blues and jazz traditions, with gospel as the common ground..."

Chicago-born soulster Lou Rawls was one of the most popular and versatile singers in pop music during the 1960s and '70s. His distinctive baritone, as well-suited to pop and jazz as it was to straight soul, formed a seductive blend of silk and gravel, and made a fan out of, among others, Frank Sinatra. Rawls lent his unique style to some of the biggest names in the music business, including David Axelrod and Gamble & Huff. His later career was marked by occasional acting gigs as well his work with the United Negro College Fund. When Rawls died of lung cancer in early 2006, the music world lost a genuine treasure.

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