Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concerts Vol. 2

This is an album of exceptional vintage folk performances from the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 called “The Evening Concerts: Volume 2” on the Vanguard label

Here’s what the notes have to say: “No one who attended the Newport Folk Festival of 1963 would soon forget the three memorable nights and days of music-making. At the end, Seeger called to the stage all the festival singers he could find and led them in the singing of a song by another great contributor to American Folk Music, Woodrow Wilson Guthrie; the song? “This Land is Your Land” – known by many as the “American Folk National Anthem.” Some of the artists include: Bessie Jones, Jackie Washington, Bob Davenport, Judy Collins, Theodore Bikel, Dave Van Ronk, Jean Redpath, Jean Carignan, and Pete Seeger.

Tracklist:
Bessie Jones
– My God Is A Rock In The Weary Land
– The Buzzard Lope
Jackie Washington
– One Man’s Hands
– Bill Bailey
Bob Davenport
– With My Pit Boots On
Judy Collins & Theodore Bikel
– Greenland Whale Fisheries
Theodore Bikel
– Little Star
– Coplas

Dave Van Ronk
– Candy Man
– Hold On
Jean Redpath

– The Muckin’ O’ Geordie’s Byre

– Song Of The Seals

Jean Carignan

– Le Violon Monte En Viele

– Le Reel Du Diable

– Le Reel De Rimouski

Pete Seeger

– Cripple Creek; Old Joe Clark; Leather Britches

Festival Finale

– This Land

Recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival, July 26-28, 1963.

Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concerts Vol. 2

((256 kbps, cover art included)

Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concerts Vol. 2

This is an album of exceptional vintage folk performances from the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 called “The Evening Concerts: Volume 2” on the Vanguard label

Here’s what the notes have to say: “No one who attended the Newport Folk Festival of 1963 would soon forget the three memorable nights and days of music-making. At the end, Seeger called to the stage all the festival singers he could find and led them in the singing of a song by another great contributor to American Folk Music, Woodrow Wilson Guthrie; the song? “This Land is Your Land” – known by many as the “American Folk National Anthem.” Some of the artists include: Bessie Jones, Jackie Washington, Bob Davenport, Judy Collins, Theodore Bikel, Dave Van Ronk, Jean Redpath, Jean Carignan, and Pete Seeger.

Tracklist:
Bessie Jones
– My God Is A Rock In The Weary Land
– The Buzzard Lope
Jackie Washington
– One Man’s Hands
– Bill Bailey
Bob Davenport
– With My Pit Boots On
Judy Collins & Theodore Bikel
– Greenland Whale Fisheries
Theodore Bikel
– Little Star
– Coplas

Dave Van Ronk
– Candy Man
– Hold On
Jean Redpath

– The Muckin’ O’ Geordie’s Byre

– Song Of The Seals

Jean Carignan

– Le Violon Monte En Viele

– Le Reel Du Diable

– Le Reel De Rimouski

Pete Seeger

– Cripple Creek; Old Joe Clark; Leather Britches

Festival Finale

– This Land

Recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival, July 26-28, 1963.

Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concerts Vol. 2

((256 kbps, cover art included)

Junior Wells and Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Blues Band – Newport Folk Festival, Rhode Island 1968

“Born in 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana, George “Buddy” Guy remains one of the world’s most vital blues musicians and certainly one of the genre’s most influential guitarists. Guy grew up on a diet of uniquely expressive blues stylists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and T-Bone Walker. Eventually relocating to Chicago, he would learn directly from the likes of Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim, and Otis Rush. Guy would develop his own distinctive high-energy style that was typified by extreme string bending and a tense, staccato attack. Guy himself would strongly influence an impressive list of next generation guitarists, with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan the most obvious examples.
Junior Wells family hailed from Memphis and he was raised in Arkansas. Born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., two years earlier than Buddy Guy, Wells initially emulated Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis-based Junior Parker. Wells too would be drawn to Chicago, where at age 19, he was recruited into Muddy Waters’ band, replacing Little Walter. An exciting vocalist, Wells is more often revered for developing the modern amplified style of harmonica playing, where he soon became second to none.

Both Guy and Wells became recording artists on their own as the 1950s waned. At the dawn of the 1960s they collaborated for the first time on Guy’s recording of “Ten Years Ago.” The two would continue recording on their own, as well as collaborating, which provided them a wealth of material when they performed together. The dynamic stage presence of these two powerhouse musicians was something special indeed, and this performance, recorded at the 1968 Newport Folk Festival, is an extraordinary testament to Guy and Wells’ onstage power.

The recording begins with Festival director George Wein’s introduction. The band, which includes the exemplary rhythm section of bassist Jack Myers and jazz drummer-turned bluesman Fred Below, and A.C. Reed as a one-man horn section, kick things off with a hot warm-up instrumental before sinking their teeth into Guy’s “One Room Country Shack.” Possibly the quintessential track from Guy’s classic 1968 A Man And The Blues LP, this sets the stage for the controlled fury yet to come.

With A.C. Reed’s sax serving as additional rhythmic punctuation, Guy and Wells next tear into “Checkin’ On My Baby,” another essential song in their catalogue. Wells belts it out and blows a mean harp while Guy’s stratocaster cuts like a knife between every line. Next they slow it down for a smoldering read of “Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man” followed by Junior Wells’ signature song, “Messin’ With The Kid.” On the latter, Guy’s biting tone is particularly raunchy and it’s an outstanding performance all around.

To bring the set to a close, Guy and Wells pull out all the stops during a nearly nine-minute exploration of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.” This is pure blues of the highest order, with Guy sounding like B.B. King on steroids and Wells and the band improvising up a storm. On this performance in particular, one can clearly hear how much this band influenced younger musicians, like Johnny Winter and the Butterfield Blues Band. This performance also sounds like a precursor to the incredible version on Van Morrison’s “It’s Too Late To Stop Now,” recorded five years later but in remarkably similar form right down to the vocals. Wells’ passionate vocals and the style of these musicians were obviously having a far-reaching impact. This number must certainly have been a highlight of the entire day and the Newport audience lets them know it. Despite George Wein desperately trying to keep the show moving, the audience is literally howling for more, causing Wein to finally relent and invite Guy, Wells & Co. back to the stage for a short (and Wein clarifies it has to be short!) encore.

Guy and Wells have other plans and treat the audience to a fantastic double encore beginning with “Stormy Monday,” another tasty slow blues that starts off with a delicate touch but soon has Guy squeezing off a barrage of fiery riffs. He even manages to interject some spontaneous humor into one of his searing solos, by quoting the traditional folksong “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (it was a folk festival after all). Just when everyone was expecting the song to wind to a close, the band veers off into a funky take on James Brown’s “I Got You,” which must have had the already ecstatic audience up on their feet dancing.
Previously unheard and newly mixed direct off the 1/2″ 4-track master reel, this sho
uld prove a rewarding listen for anyone even remotely interested in amplified blues. For those already well aware of the raw energy generated by Guy and Wells together in their prime, this recording is destined to become an important part of their legacy.”

(from: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/ – thanks a lot!)

Tracklist:

1. Intro

2. One Room Country Shack
3. Checkin’ On My Baby
4. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man Intro
5. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man
6. Messin’ With The Kid
7. You Gotta Help Me Intro
8. You Gotta Help Me
9. Crowd/Talk
10. Stormy Monday/I Feel Good

Buddy Guy – Guitar, Vocals
Junior Wells – Vocals, Harmonica
A.C. Reed – Sax
Jack Myers- Bass
Fred Below – Drums

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Blues Band – Newport Folk Festival 1968

(320 kbps, no cover art)

Junior Wells and Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Blues Band – Newport Folk Festival, Rhode Island 1968

“Born in 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana, George “Buddy” Guy remains one of the world’s most vital blues musicians and certainly one of the genre’s most influential guitarists. Guy grew up on a diet of uniquely expressive blues stylists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and T-Bone Walker. Eventually relocating to Chicago, he would learn directly from the likes of Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim, and Otis Rush. Guy would develop his own distinctive high-energy style that was typified by extreme string bending and a tense, staccato attack. Guy himself would strongly influence an impressive list of next generation guitarists, with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan the most obvious examples.
Junior Wells family hailed from Memphis and he was raised in Arkansas. Born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr., two years earlier than Buddy Guy, Wells initially emulated Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis-based Junior Parker. Wells too would be drawn to Chicago, where at age 19, he was recruited into Muddy Waters’ band, replacing Little Walter. An exciting vocalist, Wells is more often revered for developing the modern amplified style of harmonica playing, where he soon became second to none.

Both Guy and Wells became recording artists on their own as the 1950s waned. At the dawn of the 1960s they collaborated for the first time on Guy’s recording of “Ten Years Ago.” The two would continue recording on their own, as well as collaborating, which provided them a wealth of material when they performed together. The dynamic stage presence of these two powerhouse musicians was something special indeed, and this performance, recorded at the 1968 Newport Folk Festival, is an extraordinary testament to Guy and Wells’ onstage power.

The recording begins with Festival director George Wein’s introduction. The band, which includes the exemplary rhythm section of bassist Jack Myers and jazz drummer-turned bluesman Fred Below, and A.C. Reed as a one-man horn section, kick things off with a hot warm-up instrumental before sinking their teeth into Guy’s “One Room Country Shack.” Possibly the quintessential track from Guy’s classic 1968 A Man And The Blues LP, this sets the stage for the controlled fury yet to come.

With A.C. Reed’s sax serving as additional rhythmic punctuation, Guy and Wells next tear into “Checkin’ On My Baby,” another essential song in their catalogue. Wells belts it out and blows a mean harp while Guy’s stratocaster cuts like a knife between every line. Next they slow it down for a smoldering read of “Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man” followed by Junior Wells’ signature song, “Messin’ With The Kid.” On the latter, Guy’s biting tone is particularly raunchy and it’s an outstanding performance all around.

To bring the set to a close, Guy and Wells pull out all the stops during a nearly nine-minute exploration of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.” This is pure blues of the highest order, with Guy sounding like B.B. King on steroids and Wells and the band improvising up a storm. On this performance in particular, one can clearly hear how much this band influenced younger musicians, like Johnny Winter and the Butterfield Blues Band. This performance also sounds like a precursor to the incredible version on Van Morrison’s “It’s Too Late To Stop Now,” recorded five years later but in remarkably similar form right down to the vocals. Wells’ passionate vocals and the style of these musicians were obviously having a far-reaching impact. This number must certainly have been a highlight of the entire day and the Newport audience lets them know it. Despite George Wein desperately trying to keep the show moving, the audience is literally howling for more, causing Wein to finally relent and invite Guy, Wells & Co. back to the stage for a short (and Wein clarifies it has to be short!) encore.

Guy and Wells have other plans and treat the audience to a fantastic double encore beginning with “Stormy Monday,” another tasty slow blues that starts off with a delicate touch but soon has Guy squeezing off a barrage of fiery riffs. He even manages to interject some spontaneous humor into one of his searing solos, by quoting the traditional folksong “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (it was a folk festival after all). Just when everyone was expecting the song to wind to a close, the band veers off into a funky take on James Brown’s “I Got You,” which must have had the already ecstatic audience up on their feet dancing.
Previously unheard and newly mixed direct off the 1/2″ 4-track master reel, this sho
uld prove a rewarding listen for anyone even remotely interested in amplified blues. For those already well aware of the raw energy generated by Guy and Wells together in their prime, this recording is destined to become an important part of their legacy.”

(from: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/ – thanks a lot!)

Tracklist:

1. Intro

2. One Room Country Shack
3. Checkin’ On My Baby
4. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man Intro
5. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man
6. Messin’ With The Kid
7. You Gotta Help Me Intro
8. You Gotta Help Me
9. Crowd/Talk
10. Stormy Monday/I Feel Good

Buddy Guy – Guitar, Vocals
Junior Wells – Vocals, Harmonica
A.C. Reed – Sax
Jack Myers- Bass
Fred Below – Drums

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Blues Band – Newport Folk Festival 1968

(320 kbps, no cover art)

Mahalia Jackson – Newport 1958

General critical consensus holds Mahalia Jackson as the greatest gospel singer ever to live; a major crossover success whose popularity extended across racial divides, she was gospel’s first superstar, and even decades after her death remains, for many listeners, a defining symbol of the music’s transcendent power. With her singularly expressive contralto, Jackson continues to inspire the generations of vocalists who follow in her wake; among the first spiritual performers to introduce elements of blues into her music, she infused gospel with a sensuality and freedom it had never before experienced, and her artistry rewrote the rules forever.

“Newport 1958”  is a wonderful album with recordings of the Newport Jazz Festival 1958.

 Jackson was at the peak of her career, and she gave a stunning performance at this show, lifting such songs as “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands,” “Lord’s Prayer,” “Evening Prayer,” “I’m on My Way,” “Walk over God’s Heaven” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow” to glorious heights. It’s not only one of the great live gospel albums, it’s simply one of the great gospel albums.

 

Mahalia Jackson – Newport 1958
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Reverend Gary Davis – Live At Newport (1965)

This is one of the few handful of recordings to feature the Rev. Gary Davis in concert. As the name of the project suggests, the proceedings were documented at the Newport Folk Festival in July of 1965.

The Reverend’s solo vocal is accompanied by his own six- and twelve-string guitar(s) as well as mouth harp. The repertoire incorporates a wide range of secular blues and sacred gospel. Davis’ material is derived from his own writings and notable interpretations of folk and blues standards such as “Lovin’ Spoonful” and “I Won’t Be Back No More.” Also featured are insightful readings of some of his best-known and loved religious sides – namely “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and “Twelve Gates to the City.”

It is remarkable that although the Reverend was approaching 70 – at the time of this recording – his driving passion and verve are of a man half his age. The frenetic “Samson & Delilah (If I Had My Way),” the haunting “You’ve Got to Move,” the high-spirited “Buck Dance,” and “Twelve Sticks” are among the most passionate and emotionally charged selections available in his canon. This set provides the platform for Davis to raise them to an even greater exceptionally potent level. The clean and nimble fret and fingering that became his signature sound has arguably never been as direct and forceful. The two instrumentals best reveal this facet of his performance. Unlike a majority of the garden-variety studio renditions of these songs, there is an almost palpable sense of salvation and urgency in the concert recordings – making them seminal installments of his musical catalog.

Tracklist:

01. Samson and Delilah

02. I Won’t Be Back No More
03. Buck Dance
04. Twelve Sticks (the Dozens) 
05. Death Don’t Have No Mercy 
06. You Got to Move
07. Lovin’ Spoonful
08. She Wouldn’t Say Quit 
09. I’ve Done All My Singing for My Lord 
10. Twelve Gates to the City
11. I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land Somewhere
12. Soldier’s Drill
13. Get Along Cindy 

Reverend Gary Davis – Live At Newport
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Reverend Gary Davis – Live At Newport (1965)

This is one of the few handful of recordings to feature the Rev. Gary Davis in concert. As the name of the project suggests, the proceedings were documented at the Newport Folk Festival in July of 1965.

The Reverend’s solo vocal is accompanied by his own six- and twelve-string guitar(s) as well as mouth harp. The repertoire incorporates a wide range of secular blues and sacred gospel. Davis’ material is derived from his own writings and notable interpretations of folk and blues standards such as “Lovin’ Spoonful” and “I Won’t Be Back No More.” Also featured are insightful readings of some of his best-known and loved religious sides – namely “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” and “Twelve Gates to the City.”

It is remarkable that although the Reverend was approaching 70 – at the time of this recording – his driving passion and verve are of a man half his age. The frenetic “Samson & Delilah (If I Had My Way),” the haunting “You’ve Got to Move,” the high-spirited “Buck Dance,” and “Twelve Sticks” are among the most passionate and emotionally charged selections available in his canon. This set provides the platform for Davis to raise them to an even greater exceptionally potent level. The clean and nimble fret and fingering that became his signature sound has arguably never been as direct and forceful. The two instrumentals best reveal this facet of his performance. Unlike a majority of the garden-variety studio renditions of these songs, there is an almost palpable sense of salvation and urgency in the concert recordings – making them seminal installments of his musical catalog.

Tracklist:

01. Samson and Delilah

02. I Won’t Be Back No More
03. Buck Dance
04. Twelve Sticks (the Dozens) 
05. Death Don’t Have No Mercy 
06. You Got to Move
07. Lovin’ Spoonful
08. She Wouldn’t Say Quit 
09. I’ve Done All My Singing for My Lord 
10. Twelve Gates to the City
11. I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land Somewhere
12. Soldier’s Drill
13. Get Along Cindy 

Reverend Gary Davis – Live At Newport
(192 kbps, front cover included)

Ray Charles – At Newport (1958)

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging ’50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the ’60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and ’60s work, however, can’t obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-’60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death.
For his appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 5, 1958, Ray Charles pulled out all the stops, performing raucous versions of “The Right Time,” “I Got a Woman,” and “Talkin’ ‘Bout You.”

Tracks:
01. The Right Time (N. Brown, O. Cadena, L. Herman)
02. In A Little Spanish Town (M. Wayne, S. Lewis, J. Young)
03. I Got A Woman (R. Charles)
04. Blues Waltz (R. Charles)
05. Hot Rod (R. Charles)
06. Talkin’ ‘Bout You (R. Charles)
07. Sherry (B. R. Crawford Jr)
08. A Fool For You (R. Charles)

Ray Charles – At Newport (1958)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Ray Charles – At Newport (1958)

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging ’50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the ’60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and ’60s work, however, can’t obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-’60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death.
For his appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 5, 1958, Ray Charles pulled out all the stops, performing raucous versions of “The Right Time,” “I Got a Woman,” and “Talkin’ ‘Bout You.”

Tracks:
01. The Right Time (N. Brown, O. Cadena, L. Herman)
02. In A Little Spanish Town (M. Wayne, S. Lewis, J. Young)
03. I Got A Woman (R. Charles)
04. Blues Waltz (R. Charles)
05. Hot Rod (R. Charles)
06. Talkin’ ‘Bout You (R. Charles)
07. Sherry (B. R. Crawford Jr)
08. A Fool For You (R. Charles)

Ray Charles – At Newport (1958)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concert Vol. 1

From the liner notes:

“Freebody Park in Newport, R. I., is a vast, rambling, open piece of real estate bounded on one side by a large stage which is surrounded on all sides by music lovers.
There, under the stars, have been held the evening concerts of the three Newport Folk Festivals in the summers of 1959, 1960 and 1963.
The peninsula on which this historic city is situated – it was a center of trade and smuggling in colonial days, and then a famous resort – just out into Narragansett Bay, and fogs are frequent. The sight of a performer on the stage as the fog billows and eddies around him beneath the colored lights, often adds to the impact of the performance.
But foggy weather or clear, the relaxed atmosphere and open-air sourroundings at the park lend themselves well to a folk concert.
“Contrast” and “variety” are the first words which come to mind in describing the performers on this disk. Their backgrounds are as diverse as the United States population. This is true of the entire roster of singers at these festival concerts, which included intellectuals, primitives, students, teachers, farmers and professional musicinans.”

The album presents live recordings by Mississippi John Hurt, Jack Elliott, Ian & Sylvia, The Freedom Singers, Sam Hinton and Bob Dylan.

Newport Folk Festival 1963 – The Evening Concert Vol. 1
(192 kbps, ca. 65 MB)