Mem Shannon - A Cab Driver's Blues

Size: 127,0 MB
Time: 54:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. 5th Ward Horseman (1:45)
2. Play The Guitar Son (4:08)
3. $ 17.00 Brunette (1:26)
4. You Ain't Nothin' Nice (2:20)
5. My Baby's Been Watching TV (4:10)
6. Me And My Bed (3:51)
7. Ode To Benny Hill (1:18)
8. Taxicab Driver (4:44)
9. The Miserable Bastard (2:07)
10. One Hot Night (3:29)
11. Dick Tie Commandos (1:52)
12. The Boogie Man (4:50)
13. Maxine (4:28)
14. The Older Broad (0:57)
15. Got To Go (4:25)
16. Chantelle (1:02)
17. If This Ain't The Blues (5:35)
18. Food Drink And Music (1:52)

Mem Shannon's first album, A Cab Driver's Blues, became a minor media sensation upon its 1995 release due to circumstance more than music. Shannon's story is fascinating - he's a New Orleans taxi driver who wanted to get out of the business and become a bluesman. That's basically what all the songs on the album are about, whether they're about the job ("5th Ward Horseman," "$17.00 Brunette"), domestic problems ("My Baby's Been Watching TV") or just life in general ("Food Drink and Music," "Ode to Benny Hill"). Shannon's songs have so much specificity and detail that they wind up being much more interesting than the average contemporary blues album.

Also, his warm, laidback musical style is idiosyncratic and unpredictable. His delivery is friendly and conversational - he often sounds as if he's singing directly to the listener. And it's that special, intimate quality that makes A Cab Driver's Blues a truly unique and special contemporary blues record. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Various - Bayou To Basin Street Rhythm & Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 96:26
Size: 220.8 MB
Styles: New Orleans blues, Cajun, Funk
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. The Meters - Fire On The Bayou
[3:12] 2. Dr. John - I Been Hoodood
[3:43] 3. Paul Butterfield's Better Days - Louisiana Flood
[5:13] 4. ¡cubanismo! - Junco Partner
[5:17] 5. Bobby Charles - All The Money
[2:32] 6. Allen Toussaint - River Boat
[3:54] 7. Doug Kershaw - Flip, Flop & Fly
[3:16] 8. The Boogie Kings - True Fine Mama
[3:05] 9. Totta Näslund - Down In The Flood
[3:00] 10. Marcus Hook Roll Band - Louisiana Lady
[2:15] 11. Rufus Thomas - Ya Ya
[4:08] 12. Beausoleil - Cajunization Blues
[4:53] 13. James Booker - Make A Better World
[3:08] 14. Champion Jack Dupree - Junker's Blues
[3:57] 15. Max Schultz - New Orleans
[2:54] 16. Low Budget Blues Band - Back To Bayou Teche
[3:46] 17. The Sleepstones - I Put A Spell On You
[8:08] 18. Dr. John - Mardi Gras Day
[3:30] 19. Mem Shannon - I Hear You Knockin'
[4:09] 20. The Meters - They All Ask'd For You
[4:06] 21. The Boots - Stuck In A Swamp
[4:31] 22. Chuck E. Weiss - Congo Square At Midnight
[3:11] 23. Junior Mance - St. James Infirmary
[6:22] 24. Wilbur De Paris - Basin Street Blues

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Mem Shannon - Live: A Night At Tipitina's

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 74:13
Size: 169.9 MB
Styles: New Orleans blues
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[ 5:58] 1. Payin' My Dues
[ 6:59] 2. Smell Something
[ 6:12] 3. No Religion
[ 6:31] 4. Who Are They
[ 7:21] 5. All I Have
[ 4:44] 6. I Won't Back Down
[ 5:57] 7. No Such Thing
[ 5:32] 8. Forget About Me
[11:52] 9. Voodoo
[13:05] 10. Phunkville

When taxi driver-turned-bluesman Mem Shannon released "A Cab Driver's Blues" in 1995, he earned a reputation as a songwriter who told stories by carefully observing the lives of others. On "Live: A Night at Tipitina's," the New Orleans-based singer-songwriter turns the spotlight on himself with a powerful new song called, "All I Have," a first-person account of dealing with the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

According to record company information, Shannon left town before the hurricane for a pragmatic reason: he can't swim. His return to the decimated city apparently inspired "All I Have," which has him sifting through the rubble of his old home and telling an unnamed female companion about the significance of each item. The matter-of-fact realism of the piece is underscored by his band, The Membership, which back him with a melancholy, minor key groove.

There are other highlights on this CD, which was recorded live during Mardi Gras 2007 at the legendary Crescent City club. On "Payin' My Dues," Shannon gets to show off his spindly guitar style; "Forget About Me" shows his jazzy side. And the 13-minute reworking of the title track of Shannon's "I'm From Phunkville" CD really brings the funk.

The problem with having a song as intense as "All I Have" on a CD is that it can't help but overshadow the other songs. Listeners won't be able to easily shake off their first listen of "All I Have," but with repeated listenings, all of "Live: A Night at Tipitina's" will start to shine. ~Tom Sciafani

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Mem Shannon - Memphis In The Morning

Size: 117,2 MB
Time: 50:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Full

01. Drowning On My Feet (3:10)
02. Why I Sing The Blues (5:01)
03. Memphis In The Morning (5:59)
04. S.U.V. (3:44)
05. Invisible Man (4:14)
06. Tired Arms (4:34)
07. I Smell Something (4:30)
08. You Belong To Him (2:16)
09. I Love The Way You Love (3:49)
10. Unconditional Love (5:24)
11. Shake Up The Floor (3:49)
12. Doing The Best That I Can (3:40)

Mem Shannnon has come a long way from his days working as a cab driver. Six years after giving up his hack license, Shannon has four critically acclaimed albums under his belt. His fourth album, Memphis in the Morning, is his most polished effort to date. For Memphis in the Morning, Shannon collaborated with Dennis Walker, the Grammy-winning producer who has worked with artists such as Robert Cray. Shannon has evolved into an outstanding instrumentalist, mixing in blues with a little bit of funk à la the Meters. Shannon also brings a hearty sense of humor to his music, singing about traditional topics of heartbreak and loss as well as modern annoyances, as he does on the track "S.U.V." He also has a political edge, which comes through on his cover version of B.B. King's "Why I Sing the Blues," including new verses that attack the state of U.S. politics and education. After listening to Memphis in the Morning, it's easy to understand why Mem Shannon is considered one of the best modern bluesmen around. ~Review by Jon Azpiri

Thanks to Marc.
Memphis In The Morning

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