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yotochan
yotochan
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OTIS; My main man

Posted over 2 years ago
If I had to pick one blues artist as a favorite, I'd go with Otis Spann. Based on his charisma more than his body of work. He was over shadowed by Muddy Waters, but complimented him very well.Mark, this is slow blues;
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Comments (10)

  1. ivylander
    ivylander says This is magnificent. Thanks.
    Permalink posted 07/20/2007
  2. yotochan
    yotochan says Ivylander Thank you for the feedback. It's nice to hear people like the blues that I like.
    Permalink posted 07/20/2007
  3. dermahrk
    dermahrk says It might be slow, but the fact it's just Otis and his piano make it different. I have to thank you for introducing me to Otis, and filling me in on the fact that he played behind Muddy (which I didn't know based on my limited-but-growing exposure). He certainly projects a smooth, sophisticated image, in a way reminding me more of Nat King Cole than your usual bluesman. Thanks, Nice to hear another track from the Spann Man.
    Permalink posted 07/20/2007
  4. mousetrap
    mousetrap says Dude had a left hand to die for, and his right hand weren't no slouch neither. Spann was a master of the roll, which is the piano equivalent of a guitarist strumming madly at breakneck speed to emphasize a chord. The piano doesn't sustain the way an electric guitar does, so you have to roll the chords to get a similar effect. Check out those crazy glissandos, too! Not a lot of piano players gliss UP in the middle of a song....he was obviously feelin' his oats in that session. I highly recommend the CD _Good Morning Mr. Blues_, which is just Otis and the piano, recorded on high-end equipment in Copenhagen in the early '60s. He was apparently on tour with Muddy when he stole away and recorded this solo album - golden stuff. Otis was a gifted songwriter too, and his "Worried Life Blues," one of my absolute favorite blues tunes, gets a very nice treatment on this record.
    Permalink posted 07/21/2007
  5. soulrocket
    soulrocket says excellent tune. he recorded as a session musician with chess for a long time.
    Permalink posted 07/21/2007
  6. soulrocket
    soulrocket says with = for*
    Permalink posted 07/21/2007
  7. dogpelt
    dogpelt says a fine track think I'll stick with muddy for now but will keep an eye out for the man spann
    Permalink posted 07/21/2007
  8. Spike
    Spike says "Half Ain't Been Told" is splendid musically; also the title itself seems like a poetic dig at how racial complaint had been verboten back then. Here's another track, from a compilation _Can't Keep from Crying_ (Testament S-01) about JFK's death, featuring various black musicians from the Chicago area. The LP must have been the label's first.
    Permalink posted 07/26/2007
  9. Spike
    Spike says A few additional random observations. mousetrapmedia praises Spann's left hand, and the photo shows he can play even while holding a cigarette! At the 2:53 mark of "Half Ain't Been Told" he sings "strayed-ed" rather than "strayed," and at 3:53 he sings "kicked-ed" rather than "kicked." At the 2:28 mark of "Sad Day in Texas" he sings "loved-ed" rather than "loved" in the deeply moving believable line, "The only man, only man I ever loved-ed in my life was my President Kennedy, and I also loved his wife."
    Permalink posted 07/26/2007
  10. yotochan
    yotochan says I don't think he went to an Ivy League School, pretty sure about that.
    Permalink posted 07/26/2007

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