*Keeping The Blues/Folk Lamp Burning- The Music of Les Sampou-"Borrowed And Blue"-With Maria Muduar In Mind
In Honor Of The 50th Anniversary Of The Formation Of The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, A Band That Maria Was A Central Part Of Back In The Day, Celebrated At Club Passim (Club 47 back then), Cambridge On August 29 & 30 2013
CD Review
Borrowed And Blue, Les Sampou, McNando Records, 2001
The substance of this review was originally used in the review of Les Sampou’s “Borrowed And Blue” album. I have revised that review and most of the points made apply to the other three CD’s reviewed in this space as well.
The name Les Sampou most recently came up in this space, in passing, as part of a review of blues/folk stylist/ songwriter Rory Block’s work. I made the point there that Rory (and Les, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur and precious few others) were performing a great service by keeping the female blue singer tradition alive (and, for that matter, male-witness the songs covered by all four). And along the way doing the same for the more amorphous contemporary folk tradition with their own fair share of masterful songwriting efforts. Since I placed Les Sampou in such august company it was, thus, only a matter of time before I got around to giving her a few kudos of her own. The following paragraph from the Rory Block review can serve here for Les as well:
“But more than that, thanks for this great album of country blues classics some famous, some a little obscure and known only to serious aficionados but all well worth placing in the album with the quirky little Rory Block treatment that makes many of the songs her own. Oh, did I also mention her virtuoso strong guitar playing. Well, that too. I have gone on and on elsewhere in this space about the old time women blues singers, mostly black, like Bessie Smith, Victoria Spivey and Ida Cox. I have also spilled some ink on more modern, mainly white, women blues singers like Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur and a local talent here in Boston, Les Sampou, and their admirable (and necessary) efforts to carry on this proud tradition. Rory belongs right up there with these women.”
As For “Borrowed And Blue” here is the ‘skinny’:
Yes, indeed Les Sampou can take pride in this album. Mississippi Fred McDowell lives. Her incredibly strong slide guitar playing makes some of Les's old classics like “Chinatown” and “Sweet Perfume” just jump out of the album. She also does a nice job on Blind Willie McTell's “Statesboro Blues” and Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Women Blues”. I could go n but I hope you get the drift. Les can DO the blues. Just think of this. What if Les had had the opportunity, like Bonnie Raitt, to learn and travel with the old master McDowell? Wow. Definitely Les's best album. How about doing McDowell's classic “You've Got To Move” on the next album? (An album, by the way, that is supposed to come out in the Fall of 2009. Watch for it.)
CD Review
Borrowed And Blue, Les Sampou, McNando Records, 2001
The substance of this review was originally used in the review of Les Sampou’s “Borrowed And Blue” album. I have revised that review and most of the points made apply to the other three CD’s reviewed in this space as well.
The name Les Sampou most recently came up in this space, in passing, as part of a review of blues/folk stylist/ songwriter Rory Block’s work. I made the point there that Rory (and Les, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur and precious few others) were performing a great service by keeping the female blue singer tradition alive (and, for that matter, male-witness the songs covered by all four). And along the way doing the same for the more amorphous contemporary folk tradition with their own fair share of masterful songwriting efforts. Since I placed Les Sampou in such august company it was, thus, only a matter of time before I got around to giving her a few kudos of her own. The following paragraph from the Rory Block review can serve here for Les as well:
“But more than that, thanks for this great album of country blues classics some famous, some a little obscure and known only to serious aficionados but all well worth placing in the album with the quirky little Rory Block treatment that makes many of the songs her own. Oh, did I also mention her virtuoso strong guitar playing. Well, that too. I have gone on and on elsewhere in this space about the old time women blues singers, mostly black, like Bessie Smith, Victoria Spivey and Ida Cox. I have also spilled some ink on more modern, mainly white, women blues singers like Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur and a local talent here in Boston, Les Sampou, and their admirable (and necessary) efforts to carry on this proud tradition. Rory belongs right up there with these women.”
As For “Borrowed And Blue” here is the ‘skinny’:
Yes, indeed Les Sampou can take pride in this album. Mississippi Fred McDowell lives. Her incredibly strong slide guitar playing makes some of Les's old classics like “Chinatown” and “Sweet Perfume” just jump out of the album. She also does a nice job on Blind Willie McTell's “Statesboro Blues” and Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Women Blues”. I could go n but I hope you get the drift. Les can DO the blues. Just think of this. What if Les had had the opportunity, like Bonnie Raitt, to learn and travel with the old master McDowell? Wow. Definitely Les's best album. How about doing McDowell's classic “You've Got To Move” on the next album? (An album, by the way, that is supposed to come out in the Fall of 2009. Watch for it.)
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