J.C. Burris - Blues Professor

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Time: 78:18
Size: 181,6 MB
Released: 2001
Styles: Country Blues
Art: Full

1. Hold Me Tight (4:40)
2. Loneliness (5:08)
3. River Of Life (4:00)
4. Mr. Jack's Dance (2:06)
5. One Of These Mornings (3:50)
6. Inflation Blues (5:59)
7. Hand Jive (2:52)
8. You Got To Roam (5:25)
9. Highway Blues (3:50)
10. Blues Professor (2:39)
11. Where Am I Bound (2:58)
12. Moving On (2:41)
13. Raining In Your Life (3:54)
14. One Way Trip (4:05)
15. Holdin' On (4:16)
16. Christmas Time Once Again (5:29)
17. City By The Bay (2:35)
18. Way Down South (3:31)
19. Blues Calling On You (4:43)
20. Wailing And Sailing (3:28)

The nephew of Sonny Terry, Johnny "J.C." Burris was also a blues harmonica player, though he didn't record too much. He is noted for his use of African rhythm bones, two sticks played like castanets that can be played off the harmonica. Burris did some performing in New York in the 1950s and worked on recording sessions with Terry, Sticks McGhee, and other artists on Folkways Records.
Half of these songs were recorded in 1975, all but one of the ten showing up on an Arhoolie LP ("Wailing and Sailing" is previously unreleased). The remaining ten, probably recorded by Burris himself on a cassette recorder in 1976, were all previously unissued. On all of the material, there's nothing but Burris' unaccompanied, singing harmonica playing, to which he adds some rhythm bones and hand clapping. Unsurprisingly, he sounds a good deal like his uncle Sonny Terry, playing wistful but warm country blues, whether originals or covers like "Hand Jive" (the Johnny Otis hit) and "Don't Let Go" (a hit for Roy Hamilton in the late 1950s). Burris has deep rich vocals, and these are nice solo harmonica pieces, but nothing astounding. The recording quality isn't top of the line, though it's clear enough to get the job done. -Review by Richie Unterberger

Blues Professor

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