Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session...

Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session...
2010, Stax Records

It was a one time union that has become legendary.  In December of 1983, the legendary Albert King shared a soundstage with Stevie Ray Vaughan, a young buck who would himself become a legend.  That recording session has been memorialized several times over the years on CD, but on November 9th of this year Stax Records made the video from that session available for the first time in the form of a CD/DVD package.  In Session... captures two icons of the blues practicing their art in a laid back setting that allows a serious yet playful musical nature shine through. 

The album itself has been on the market for years, and if you're already familiar with it there's little to be said.  If, however, you are new to the blues, then In Session may be the perfect place to get your feet wet.  King and Vaughan create magic here and the album is worth owning for anyone with even a passing interest in the blues.  The real reason to buy this release, however, is the DVD, which features three performances not previously available ("Born Under A Bad Sign", "Texas Flood" and "I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town".  The video here offers an insight into the chemistry King and Vaughan achieved on the magical winter's night.  That chemistry is apparent in the music on the CD, but you can almost see the energy flow back and forth between the two icons on DVD.

It's reasonable to be skeptical of the sort of value-added re-releases the music industry is so fond of.  They are ultimately cheap ways for the record companies to extact more cash from fans for things they essentially already own.  Occasionally you get fair value in return, and In Session... is one such occasion.  The addition of the DVD illuminates the musical performances on the CD sufficiently to be of value to fans.  And if you're not familiar with Albert King or Stevie Ray Vaughan, you'd be hard pressed to find a better introduction.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Information about Albert King is available from Stax Records, while you can learn more about Stevie Ray Vaughan at http://www.srvofficial.com/.  In Session... is available as a CD/DVD combo, Audio Download, or DVD from Amazon.com.

Mike Farris - The Night The Cumberland Came Alive

2010, Entertainment One Music

Mike Farris - The Night The Cumberland Came Alive

Mike Farris first caught the public eye as front man for The Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies.  He went on to perform with CSW, Peaceful Knievel and Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughan's band) before becoming a practicing Christian and rejecting his former lifestyle.  In the time since, Farris has become a highly lauded performer in Gospel music, blending Americana, folk and blues into the mix.  His album Salvation In Lights made numerous critics lists in 2007, and Farris has been a regular performer in Nashville and at major festivals ever since.  Like so many others, Farris was deeply affected by last year's "thousand year flood" in Nashville and its environs.  On October 26, 2010, Farris releases The Night The Cumberland Came Alive", a six song EP that commemorates the event and celebrates the revitalization of the entire area.

Recorded just weeks after the flood, The Night The Cumberland Came Alive boasts an all-star cast of musicians, including Sam Bush; Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart); Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor and Gill Landy, The McCrary Sisters, Byron House (Robert Plant) and members of Farris' Roseland Rhythm Revue.  The EP opens with the title track.  Written about the flood and its aftermath, "The Night The Cumberland Came Alive" is pure pre-war Americana and Gospel and is full of the sort of energy that can only be inspired by great tragedy and triumph.  "Wrapped Up, Tangled Up" is a witness song in the Southern Gospel tradition.  Farris is amazing on vocals here in a powerful and moving arrangement.  "Down On Me" blends blues, folk and gospel in an inspired if somewhat tempered rendition.  Farris and Ketch Secor wrote "Dear Lazarus" just days before the EP was recorded.  The cut offered here gets a bit busy at times, but was essentially a jam.  Exuberance aside, you can hear the magic in the moment of the song.  "Mother Earth" is a song of humility in the face of then-recent events, a reminder that people spring forth from the earth and in time owe themselves back to whence they came.  Farris closes with "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", an inspired tune and great close to what must have been a magical experience.

The Night The Cumberland Came Alive reflects the joy and thankfulness of a people who have stared destruction in the face and lived to talk about it.  It's a transitive moment and one that is captured in fine form by Mike Farris and friends.  This EP is a gift to all humanity, not so much even for the music but because it captures the moment so perfectly and completely.  That's not a knock on the songs on The Night The Cumberland Came Alive; the entire EP is a first class listening experience.  This one's special.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Mike Farris at www.mikefarrismusic.net or www.myspace.com/mikefarrismusic.  The Night The Cumberland Came Alive drops on October 26, 2010, but you can pre-order the album on CD or as a Download from Amazon.com.  A portion of the proceeds from The Night The Cumberland Came Alive will go toward feeding and clothing the homeless of Nashville.