B.B. King - Live in Cook County Jail (1971)

Folkers, folkers, folkers.  What's up folkers?  Jeff the Intern here, back after a brief holiday hiatus, when the internet shuts down and people go back to doing whatever the hell it is that they did before the internet was a thing.  

I know most of you have probably been pretty bummed, dare I say blue, over the lack of meaningful content posted here recently.  But never fear, B.B. King and his old girl Lucille are here to demonstrate just how blue you can get.

Recorded live in Cook County jail, during the halcyon days of 1971, this is an incredibly soulful set.  Like Johnny Cash's Live at Folsom Prison, there is something pretty stirring about a mainstream artist performing in front of a bunch of prisoners.  It really brings out the best in both groups.  B.B. King holds Lucille high on his chest, and coaxes out some really heart-rendering wails.  But I was even more impressed with King as a vocalist.  He belts these tunes.  The prisoners are a game audience, they serve almost as a set of background vocalists, their cheers and applause seem to season the down and out jams.

Highlights include the stop-time interlude three quarters of the way through "How Blue Can You Get?", the "3 O'Clock Blues" medley, and extended jam on "Worry, Worry."  Get this one while it's hot folks, who knows how long it will last.  

Bert Jansch - Rosemary Lane (1971)

Often called the "British Bob Dylan", Scottish folk artist Bert Jansch is one of my all-time favorites.  Perhaps best known for his work in the band Pentangle, Jansch's "folk-baroque" style has been a huge influence on musicians such as Jimmy Page, Nick Drake, Paul Smon, Neil Young, Donovan, Neil Halstead, and the Fleet Foxes.  This album came out early in his career, and does a good job of displaying his seamless jump from traditional folk tunes, to original folk tunes, to guitar interpretations of classical baroque compositions.  Find a cozy nook someplace and give this old folk album a listen.

Flash and The Dynamics - The New York Sound (1971)

1971 has been our year around here.  This one, from Flash and the Dynamics, is all set to go for any Friday night dance party you may need to bump.  Unfortunately this is the only album from this incredible electric latin soul outfit from New York City.  With a boogaloo backbone, they ramp up the intensity with some killer guitar solos and dripping, soulful vocals.  Check out this quick sample and get on getting this album.  You will not regret it.  Once you've got it, take the song "Borinquen" for a lap or two.  Wow.

Cowboy - 5'll Getcha Ten (1971)

Another record from 1971, and it couldn't sound any different from the other one we posted.  This is the second album from Cowboy, a southern-fried rock outfit from Jacksonville, Florida.  Founded by Scott Boyer and Tommy Talton in 1969, the band rented a house together and began developing their sound.

They were eventually discovered by Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band, and were soon signed by the Allman's record label, Capricorn Records which was based in Macon, Georgia.  Their debut album "Reach For the Sky" was released in 1970, before the band decamped to the legendary Muscle Shoals studios to work on this, their second album.

A quick glance at the album cover should give you all the information you need to know about what resulted from those sessions.  A twangy, laid-back sound, complete with hushed harmonies and the occasional slide guitar.  This is a very old-fashioned record.  There are no singles, not many hooks, no fiery solos, just a handful of solid tunes, perfect for a late night or early morning.

Check out the gorgeous title track, 5'll Getcha Ten.

Buddy Miles - Buddy Miles Live! (1971)

By the time he was 12 years old, Buddy Miles had already been labeled a child prodigy.  At 12, he would play drums with his Dad's band the Bebop's, and as a teenager would spend time in Ruby and the Romantics, The Delfonics, and the Ink-Spots.

So began his storied musical career that would see him play with everyone from Mike Butterfield in seminal blues-rock outfit Electric Flag, to a stint with his friend Jimi Hendrix in the short-lived side project Band of Gypsies. After releasing a live album with a young Carlos Santana, he would even find success later in his career as the frontman to the now infamous ad campaign, California Raisins.  

This set finds Buddy in Seattle, post-Hendrix, with a group called simply the Buddy Miles band.  Over the course of the set, Miles handles drums and vocals, and shows just how experienced he was at performing all different styles of American music.  From rock, to pop, blues, funk, and soul this record touches them all.  Highlights include "Them Changes", "We Got to Live Together", and the epic, aching, soulful cover of Neil Young's "Down By The River"