Generally panned at the time of its release, Etta James’ 1973 self-titled album for Chess comes off somewhat better today. Perhaps we’re more accustomed to the concept of a raging R&B star paired with a hit-minded rock producer, in this case Three Dog Night’s Gabriel Mekler. Or maybe James’ current public acceptance has encouraged us [...]

The best way to describe the pleasures of this two-disc retrospective from the venerable Chicago blues label is to point out what isn’t here: no weak or inappropriate material, few over-extended guitar solos, nary a synthesizer or drum machine in earshot. Just pure, honest music of a type few record companies are interested in these [...]

At times Saffire can display all the literal-mindedness that is the folkie’s downfall, but just as often these three outspoken women are trenchant and funny, delivering songs that infuse classic blues tropes with a modern feminist slant. This retrospective of the group’s fifteen-year career contains one bona fide classic — the brash, engaging “Middle Aged [...]

Shelby S. Singleton was Nashville’s ultimate fat cat, remembered by keyboardist Jim Dickinson as a “redneck” with a “long, greasy ducktail and mirror sunglasses,” passing out cigarettes with his name embossed in gold. Perhaps Singleton’s most famous move was purchasing the legendary Sun catalogue in 1969, then reissuing it on 28-minute fake-stereo platters with “Lifetime [...]