Joe Williams - Joe Williams & Friends June 1985 - I Just Want To Sing FLAC download

Joe Williams & FriendsI Just Want to Sing: June 1985Delos 40041985**** recommendedUptown blues..smoky swing...whatever you want to call it, this is a pretty classic date from late in the Williams' catalog. He was always at home on his long stint with Count Basie (circa 1954 - 1961), but it's great to hear the focus of a small-combo date like this one...the band backing him wonderfully, short solos and everyone always part of the conversations...keyboards, guitar and horns...some stepping-out uptempo numbers but mostly pulling back into the intimate, the blues running deeply through all of it, even polishing up the Motor City grease with a version of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples," his Chitown roots (born in Georgia but moved to the Windy City at the age of three) showing clear as church bells, his gospel beginnings showing on "War No More," poking fun at white folks with "It's Not Easy Being White," his talents showing clearly on "Until I Met You" and "I Got It Bad." This set clearly shows that artists such as Joe Williams deserved the chance to have control over their own recordings, with the liner notes clearly proclaiming this was the first time Mr. Williams had complete artistic control, which is both wonderful and sad, tragic that it took so long, after nearly 50 years of recording, wonderful that that day finally came. If you dig those classic jazz vocals, check out this one.