Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland“Showdown!”
( LP Alligator Records, 1985 )
Catalog # AL-4743
Tracklisting:
01 T-Bone Shuffle [Walker] 4:54
02 The Moon Is Full [Collins] 4:59
03 Lion’s Den [Copeland] 3:55
04 She’s into Something [Wright] 3:49
05 Bring Your Fine Self Home 4:30
06 Black Cat Bone [Semien, Wilson] 4:54
07 The Dream [Unknown Blues Band] 5:28
08 Albert’s Alley [Collins] 4:01
09 Blackjack [Charles] 6:26
Review:
Most of the original “blues summit” and blues “supergroup” type gatherings, which were done at Chess Records, were musically pointless affairs, mostly because the artists involved really didn’t like the idea behind the albums being recorded or the company they were forced to keep during the recording process. What makes Showdown! work is that the three featured players actually liked each other and enjoyed working together — even more important, they had something to say together musically, which just pours out of the contents of this jewel of a record, a summit meeting between Texas guitar veterans Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland and newcomer Robert Cray — the set is scorching all the way. Collins even treats us to some harmonica playing that’s more than a match for his guitar work on “Bring Your Fine Self Home,” and the only pity is there’s no other contribution by him on the harp anywhere else here. It’s all worth hearing, many times over, and if you can’t get the Mobile Fidelity version, find the Alligator Records digital issue, but get this album.
Bruce Eder & Bill Dahl
01 T-Bone Shuffle [Walker] 4:54
02 The Moon Is Full [Collins] 4:59
03 Lion’s Den [Copeland] 3:55
04 She’s into Something [Wright] 3:49
05 Bring Your Fine Self Home 4:30
06 Black Cat Bone [Semien, Wilson] 4:54
07 The Dream [Unknown Blues Band] 5:28
08 Albert’s Alley [Collins] 4:01
09 Blackjack [Charles] 6:26
Review:
Most of the original “blues summit” and blues “supergroup” type gatherings, which were done at Chess Records, were musically pointless affairs, mostly because the artists involved really didn’t like the idea behind the albums being recorded or the company they were forced to keep during the recording process. What makes Showdown! work is that the three featured players actually liked each other and enjoyed working together — even more important, they had something to say together musically, which just pours out of the contents of this jewel of a record, a summit meeting between Texas guitar veterans Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland and newcomer Robert Cray — the set is scorching all the way. Collins even treats us to some harmonica playing that’s more than a match for his guitar work on “Bring Your Fine Self Home,” and the only pity is there’s no other contribution by him on the harp anywhere else here. It’s all worth hearing, many times over, and if you can’t get the Mobile Fidelity version, find the Alligator Records digital issue, but get this album.
Bruce Eder & Bill Dahl
By Rob
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