Jimmy 'T99' Nelson - 2 albums: Cry Hard Luck / The Legend

Album: Cry Hard Luck
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:35
Size: 141.0 MB
Styles: R&B/Blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Cry Hard Luck
[2:15] 2. Married Men Like Sport
[2:51] 3. Meet Me With Your Black Dress On
[2:15] 4. Right Around The Corner
[3:04] 5. T-99 (My Sweet Little Honey Dripper)
[2:13] 6. Bad Habit Blues
[2:05] 7. Sweetest Little Girl
[2:56] 8. Little Miss Teasin' Brown
[2:29] 9. Rich Little Poor Girl
[2:39] 10. Mean Poor Girl
[2:53] 11. Big Mouth
[3:02] 12. Baby Child
[2:29] 13. Second Hand Fool
[2:28] 14. Cry Hard Luck
[2:41] 15. Fine Little Honey Dripper
[2:40] 16. T-99 Blues
[2:26] 17. She's My Baby
[2:39] 18. Rain Drop Blues
[2:56] 19. Big Eyed Brown Eyed Girl Of Mine
[2:38] 20. Last Time Around (Last Turn Around)
[3:00] 21. Unlock The Door
[2:58] 22. I Sat And Cried
[3:22] 23. She's My Baby

Since I joined the Ace team a little over two years ago, I've been privileged to work fairly extensively with the Modern catalogue. And I'd have to say that of all the Modern reissues that I've played a part in anthologising for the format, this month's CD debut of Jimmy T-99 Nelson is one of those that I'm especially proud of. This hugely important artist, whose titular theme song T-99 Blues was among the pivotal R&B records of the first half of the 1950s and one of its most influential, has deserved a package such as this is for years. I could hardly be happier than I am as I write these words to know that, in CRY HARD LUCK, Jimmy is getting exactly what he deserves.

Neither Ace nor I would deny that CRY HARD LUCK is long overdue. Had technology been what it is now half a decade ago, this RT piece would probably have been written by someone else, as the CD would have actually been released several years back. Chief among the reasons it hasn't been, is that several of the original tape sources had not survived the years as well as they might have done, and only now do current sonic improvements allow us to bring you some of the damaged recordings in the excellent sound that you'll hear here. As compiler, annotator, project supervisor and top-tier JN fan, I can say with no small degree of certainty that all of you who also fall into the latter category will not fail to be impressed!

As well as at least one version of every track Jimmy Nelson recorded for the Biharis, this CD also contains a number of nice surprises for those who have bought Ace's vinyl reissues on Jimmy and may, at this point, be wondering what's on offer here to warrant an upgrade to compact disc. Well, aside from the fact that the masters are all presented in their best ever sound reproduction, the guys at Sound Mastering have also managed to significantly reduce the distortion on the tracks from Jimmy's 1960 Kent session, which was originally largely unissued due to technical difficulties. So much so, in fact, that we've managed to include one alternate take of the Fats Domino influenced She's My Baby that was once considered too rough to work with.

That's just for starters. During this CD's lengthy gestation we were also delighted to locate the original Olliet acetate of Jimmy's 78 rpm debut Baby Child. Previous vinyl reissues of this track - including the Bihari's own 1952 reissue, on RPM 329, have had the opening instrumental introduction excised, with the number coming straight in at Jimmy's vocal. The last minute location, just days before the project went to SML for mastering, of that Olliet acetate has enabled us to bring you, for the first time in hi-fi, the song as it was originally recorded, on bulky portable equipment, in an Oakland, California club in 1949.

These are just a few of the nice 'plus'es that ought to put CRY HARD LUCK at the top of every blues collector's "must-buy" list for this month. These, and the pleasure of hearing some classic early 50s west-coast blues shouting in sound so real you can almost reach out and touch it, performed by a man who's made an acclaimed comeback in the years since they were last reissued, and who is currently wowing audiences at blues festivals around the world with a mixture of these classic hits and the new material he's been recording in the last half decade for labels like Bullseye Blues and his own Nettie Marie imprint. These are the recordings that built this great bluesman's reputation, and on which reputation they still predominantly rest. The only persons who will be CRY HARD LUCK if they don't buy this superb CD are you lot." ~ TONY ROUNCE

Cry Hard Luck mc
Cry Hard Luck zippy

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Album: The Legend
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:01
Size: 114.5 MB
Styles: R&B/Blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. The Devil's Sending Up A Blessing To You
[4:14] 2. Run Joe
[4:59] 3. Help Me
[5:12] 4. Sleepy Time Down South
[4:12] 5. My Country Woman
[6:17] 6. My Woman
[4:15] 7. I'm Sick And Tired Of You
[3:20] 8. One Step At A Time
[4:23] 9. Be Knowing What I Got To Do
[4:47] 10. Sunrise Blues
[4:23] 11. Still In Love

Jimmy "T99" Nelson first started performing R&B way back in the late '40s and scored his first and only hit, "T99 Blues," in 1951. The Legend, cut some 50-odd years later, is easy to like from the first track. Nelson still possesses a deep, expressive vocal style, and he knows how to put a song across with style and feeling. He's also surrounded himself with a fairly large, top-notch supporting band that includes electric guitar, a horn section, and piano. A fun set list includes Willie Dixon's "Help Me" and originals like "The Devil's Sending Up a Blessing to You." The formula -- an expressive singer, a solid band, and great material -- shows that making authentic R&B really hasn't changed that much in 50 years. What really sticks with the listener, though, is Nelson and the band's ability -- again and again -- to offer fresh arrangements and an eclectic choice of material. The Legend, then, doesn't remind one of the type of blues album that sounds -- by midway point -- pretty much the same. Recording the album live at Duke's Mood Room also seems like an inspired choice, because the album maintains a high level of energy through track 11. The Legend is a very satisfying album and will please fans of classic R&B and blues. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

The Legend mc
The Legend zippy

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