Various Artists, The American Folk Blues Festival ’80 (L+R)
When Lippmann & Rau unexpectedly revived the AFBF in 1980, the talent pool was less deep and the budget seems to have been tighter. Louisiana Red, resident in Germany, brought his nagging 'look at me, I'm so blue!' melodramatics to the first two latterday festivals, but 1980's highlight, despite Carey Bell's theremin imitations and Eddie Taylor's flat singing on 'Dust My Broom," was the Chicago band, with Bob Stroger and Odie Payne solidly effective on bass and drums. Sunnyland Slim's voice shows some wear, and his 'New Orleans Boogie' is a paradigm of over-extended tedium, but Hubert Sumlin surprises with a pair of bearable semi-spoken vocals. In this he outshines Willie Mabon, who was well past his prime. Washboard Doc et al. and Eunice Davis never had primes to be past, and swiftly returned to obscurity.
--Tony Russell, The Penguin Guide to Blues (Penguin, 2006)
I was really looking forward to Sunnyland Slim's lost "paradigm of over-extended tedium," but apparently no one is brave enough to post it on YouTube. Here's what I could find:
Louisiana Red's "Look at me, I'm so blue!" melodramatics:
Eddie Taylor's flat singing on "Dust My Broom":
Willie Mabon, well past his prime:
Washboard Doc, Lucky & Flash (with Louisiana Red) just prior to their swift return to obscurity:
We queue. You decide.
bQ • panned-me-downs #013