Accidentally Born in New Orleans

by Alexis Korner, Alexis Korner & Snape

Overview

In 2004, Water Records reissued Accidentally Born in New Orleans for the first time on CD, some 31 years after its initial release on Warner Bros. Credit must be given to Water for the care that was put into this project via remastered tracks and new and informative liner notes by Ian Wallace. Unfortunately, the music itself hasn't improved with age. What could have been an astounding collaboration between British blues granddaddy Alexis Korner and Snape, featuring CCS slide guitarist Peter Thorup and former King Crimson members Mel Collins, Ian Wallace, and Boz Burrell, never gets up to speed. The musicians fail to match the emotional fervor that tracks like "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" or "Rock Me" demand, while the remaining tunes definitely needed to be brightened up. Part of what makes this date so frustrating are the few shining moments that provide a window into what could have been. For instance, the overdubbed horn section in the middle of "Country Shoes" begins to boil with a dynamic blend of R&B and free jazz, before the tune inexplicably droops into generic hard rock filler. Evidently the chemistry of the band's short existence was lost somewhere between the initial tracks recorded in San Francisco and the finishing touches applied in a London studio with a smattering of special guests who included Steve Marriott, Zoot Money, Patto members Ollie Halsall and Mike Patto, and keyboardist Tim Hinkley, who was working at the time with Alvin Lee and Humble Pie. With that kind of talent, you would have expected more from this aggregation than the flat production and the overall forgettable arrangements. ~ Al Campbell

Product Details

Release Date:	08/28/2020
Label:	Talking Elephant
UPC:	5028479044528

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alexis Korner & Snape   Primary Artist
Alexis Korner   Primary Artist,Tiple,Guitar,Vocals
Mel Collins   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano),Sax (Baritone),Horn,Flute,Piano,Sax (Alto)
Ian Wallace   Drums
Mike Patto   Piano,Vocals (Background)
Steve Marriott   Organ,Vocals (Background)
Boz Burrell   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Zoot Money   Piano,Keyboards
Peter Thorup   Guitar,Vocals,Slide Guitar
Sappho Gillett Korner   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Tim Hinkley   Piano,Vocals (Background)
Ollie Halsall   Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Alexis Korner & Snape   Audio Production
Ian Wallace   Producer,Liner Notes
Eddie Reeves   Composer
Pat Thomas   Reissue Producer
John Burns   Engineer
Willie Chambers   Composer
Gary Hobish   Remastering
Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson   Composer
Alexis Korner   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Traditional   Composer
Boz Burrell   Producer
James Taylor   Composer
Rudy Toombs   Composer
Peter Thorup   Arranger
Jimmy Holiday   Composer
George Peckham   Engineer
Barbara Casado   Design,Cover Art
John Casado   Design,Cover Art
Ed Thrasher   Art Direction
Donald "Dusty" Rhodes   Reissue Art Director
Jim Marshall   Photography
Rudolph Toombs   Composer
Jim Gaines   Engineer
Mel Collins   Producer