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mercredi 21 février 2018

MEL BROWN/ BLUES GUITAR MASTERS Vol. 6


MEL BROWN

          Mel Brown, guitariste de blues, de jazz, de funk, de Country Music n'a pas assez été reconnu à sa juste valeur. Il a pourtant enregistré une œuvre de premier plan, autant d'ailleurs en tant qu'accompagnateur que sous son nom, notamment une série de très beaux albums pour Impulse et Bluesway durant quelques années à la fin de 1960's- début des 70's.
            Né le 7 octobre 1939 à Jackson, Ms Mel s'est passionné pour la guitare très jeune avec son père le bluesman du Delta John Henry "Bubba" Brown (qui a longtemps accompagné Tommy Johnson!). Il se perfectionne surtout à l'âge de 14 ans tandis qu'il se relevait difficilement d'une méningite qui aurait pu lui être fatale en écoutant les disques de ses idoles B.B. King, Tal Farlow, Hank Williams et T-Bone Walker. Quand il a vaincu la maladie, il apparaît comme un guitariste si doué que – malgré son jeune âge – il joue avec divers orchestres locaux et accompagne même un Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson) lors de ses apparitions dans les clubs de Jackson!
            En 1958, il part tenter sa chance à Los Angeles, est quasiment immédiatement embauché dans l'orchestre de Jimmy Beasley puis par Johnny Otis. En 1960, Mel tourne avec les Olympics et Etta James. Son style de guitare, cascades de notes en staccato, extrêmement original et efficace, notamment en accompagnement, lui assure une grande réputation et lui ouvre les portes des studios. Il enregistre derrière quantité d'artistes de Bobby Darin à Bill Cosby en passant par Doris Day, Jerry Lewis, Jimmy McGriff et surtout T-Bone Walker avec lequel il grave deux superbes albums pour Bluesway en 1967-68.        
Très impressionné, le producteur Bob Thiele qui s'occupe des disques Impulse lui fait faire ses débuts en vedette sur l'album Chicken Fat en 1967 en le faisant accompagner par des grands noms du jazz comme Herb Ellis. Suivent une série de très beaux LPs (The Wizard, I'd rather suck my thumb, Big foot Country girl...). Brown devient le guitariste de Bobby Bland avec lequel il tourne partout, tout en enregistrant derrière John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, B.B. King... Mais, lassé des aléas de la route, Mel Brown décide de se fixer à Nashville en 1976, s'installant comme un musicien de studio pour de nombreux musiciens et labels, notamment les vedettes du mouvement Outlaw de la Country Music, jouant alors autant de la guitare que du piano.
            En 1983, Mel se fixe à Austin où il devient le guitariste maison du célèbre club Antone's, enregistrant avec Albert Collins avant de graver un nouvel album (son premier depuis 1974!) sous son nom. Il s'installe en 1991 à Kitchener dans l'Ontario, forme les Homewreckers. Il enregistre alors avec Snooky Pryor et quatre albums en vedette dans un style plus traditionnel et bluesy que lors de ses disques Impulse/Bluesway.
            Il décède le 20 mars 2009 à Kitchener (Ontario).
            Nous proposons ici une sélection de ses meilleurs morceaux datant des années 1967-70.
                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT

           
Mel Brown, blues, jazz, Funk, Country Music master guitarist seems not to have been recognized at his real very high value! He anyway leaves us a first rate recording works, as a backing musician of many sessions and artists as well as under his own name, particularly a string of highly original and successful albums for Impulse and Bluesway during the years 1967-74.
            Born in Jackson, Ms. 7th October 1939 Mel is raised in music by his Delta bluesman father John Henry "Bubba" Brown who regularly played with numerous Delta pioneers, particularly the great Tommy Johnson! But it's when recovering from meningitis at the age of 14 that Mel becomes a proficient modern guitar player while listening (and playing behind) the records of B.B. King, Tal Farlow, Hank Williams or T-Bone Walker. After he finally recovers, he is a highly gifted guitarist and can play (despite his early age) with many local bands, even backing Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson) on his Jackson venues.
            In 1958, Mel tries his luck to Los Angeles. And he is quickly on demand, becoming Jimmy Beasley's guitarist before being part of the Johnny Otis big band. In 1960, Mel tours the USA with the likes of The Olympics and Etta James. His great original guitar playing, a cascade of notes in staccato, extremely effective gives him a great well deserved reputation and he is soon strongly in demand in the Californian studios, recording behind numerous artists from Bobby Darin to Bill Cosby through sessions with Doris Day, Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Mc Griff and T-Bone Walker with whom he records two very good albums.
            Very impressed, Impulse producer Bob Thiele records Brown under his own name in 1967 on his first album, Chicken Fat (backed by Herb Ellis!). Several very good LPs follow (The Wizard, I'd rather suck my thumb, Big Foot Country girl). Brown then tours several years with Bobby Bland, records again behind many artists (John Lee Hooker, Hopkins, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, B.B. King...)... But, tired of the ups and downs of the life on the road, Mel settles down in Nashville in 1976, making a living as a very in demand studio musician, playing guitar and piano for many Country Music stars (particularly those of the Outlaw movement).
            In 1983, Mel becomes the house guitarist at Antone's famous Club in Austin, records with Albert Collins before waxing a new album (his first since 1974!) under his name. In 1991, Mel goes to live at Kitchener, Ontario, and plays with his local band, The Homewreckers. Several CDs will follow (one with Snooky Pryor) in a more traditional blues style than previously.
            Mel Brown dies at his Kitchener's home on 20 March 2009.
            Here is a selection of his best numbers from the years 1967-70.
                                                           Gérard HERZHAFT


Mel Brown, g; Herb Ellis, g; Arthur Wright, g/hca; Gerald Wiggins, og; Ron Brown, bs; Paul Humphrey, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 31 mai - 1 June 1967
01. Blues for Big Bob
02. Chicken fat
03. Greasy spoon
04. Home James
05. I'm going to Jackson
06. Sad but true
07. Slalom
Mel Brown, g; Terry Evans, g; Mack Johnson, tpt; Clifford Solomon, t-sax; Gerald Wiggins, pno/og; Ron Brown, bs; Paul Humphrey, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 21 March 1968
08. African Sweets
09. Blues after hours
10. Chunk a funk
11. Miss Ann
12. Ode to Billie Joe
13. Stop
Mel Brown, g/vcl; Abraham Miller, dms; band. Los Angeles, Ca. 3 March 1969
14. Blues for we
15. Son of a preacher man
Mel Brown, g; Matthew Kelly, hca; Clifford Coulter, pno/og; Bob West, bs; Greg Ferber, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. August 1969
16. Scorpio
17. Do your thing
18. Troubles
Mel Brown, vcl/g; Carle Vickers, tpt;Jack Riley, tb; Lorenzo Carnegie, a-sax; Onion Miller, t-sax; Tobie Butler, b-sax; Clifford Coulter, pno; Jimmy Davis, og; bs; Jeff Osborne, dms. Los Angeles, Ca. 21-23 October 1970
19. Cheap at half the price
20. Drifting blues




21 commentaires:

  1. Mel Brown/ Blues Guitar Masters Vol. 6

    http://www.mediafire.com/file/zgsg42tlqfoa1pl/BROWNMel.zip

    OK?

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    Réponses
    1. As some of you seem to have problems with Mediafire, I've uploaded the Mel Brown's file also here:

      https://mega.nz/#!iNAFBTDB!ddPoYI8BxORpR25xyN9wKT-Ymr6qUv9ynlo-67f5jAc

      But anyway, if you want it, grab it while you can

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  2. Encore une fois merci, Mr.H., pour cette enthousiasmante collection.

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  3. Excellent choice Gerard. Thank you very much for this.

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  4. Hello Gerard,
    got that message from Mediafire:
    Permission Denied.
    "I'm Goin' To Jackson" by Mel Brown may be available for download from Amazon.
    Mel Brown
    Title: I'm Goin' To Jackson
    Album: Chicken Fat
    Buy it now!
    Thanks and best KansasJoe

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    Réponses
    1. Kansas Joe, it seems that you're using a browser which is linked with Amazon, i.e. Silk or maybe Internet Explorer? It's much better (for downloading from those "grey zones" sites) to use Firefox or Opera. Anyway, I have added another downloading source
      https://mega.nz/#!iNAFBTDB!ddPoYI8BxORpR25xyN9wKT-Ymr6qUv9ynlo-67f5jAc
      So I hope you can get it!
      But now the problems are many with almost any downloading site. Zippy deletes files as soon as you upload them etc... etc...

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  5. Top cette compilation (comme d'habitude !)
    Merci Gérard !
    R.DUPRAT

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  6. Excellent Gerard. I'm flying to Bali this afternoon so I'll listen to this on the flight. As always many thanks for putting these great collections together.

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  7. @KansasJoe: Yeah I got that message too, in the past I've got those messages sometimes with Mediafire, but just try again and again for a few times and you'll get through.

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  8. merci pour cette compilation ainsi que l'ensemble de votre travail.

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  9. Great work again Gérard. Thank you.

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  10. Thank You, Gérard for your great work and sharing it!
    Best,
    Michael Louis
    Brooklyn, NY

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  11. Gerard:

    Thanks for the Mel Brown. I love his funk recordings and can't wait to hear his earlier material. Another great compilation.

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  12. Thanks for putting together this marvellous collection. Much appreciated!

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  13. Another gem - merci beaucoup!

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  14. Thank you for your generosity and impeccable taste!

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  15. New link
    http://www.mediafire.com/file/zgsg42tlqfoa1pl/BROWNMel.zip/file

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