One of the phrases that obsessive
blues collectors love to hear is "previously unreleased." They're always hoping that a label will unearth a rare
John Lee Hooker or
Lightnin' Hopkins recording that, for whatever reason, has remained in the can for 30 or 40 years. So imagine how ecstatic
blues collectors were when, in 2002,
Delmark described this
Sleepy John Estes CD as a "never-before-released July 28, 1964, session." Those are the sort of words that drive collectors wild, especially when the bluesman in question is someone of
Estes' stature. And
Estes is in good to excellent form on these 1964 performances, which find the Tennessee
country blues icon forming an acoustic trio with longtime colleagues
Hammie Nixon (harmonica, jug) and
Yank Rachell (mandolin, guitar, piano).
Newport Blues is an appropriate title for this 65-minute CD because on July 28, 1964,
Estes had just appeared at
the Newport Folk Festival, and he popped into New York before heading back down south. This session was hardly the first time that
Estes had joined forces with
Nixon and
Rachell -- the three of them had been playing together since the '20s, and in 1964 their rapport was still quite strong. One of the things that makes
Newport Blues so much fun is the session's informal, jam-like atmosphere.
Estes and his friends certainly don't sound like they're in a high-pressure situation;
Newport Blues sounds like three musical friends getting together for some relaxed, good-natured fun. Most of the singing is handled by
Estes, although the singer/acoustic guitarist occasionally features
Nixon or
Rachell on lead vocals.
Newport Blues falls short of essential, but it's an enjoyable disc that
Estes' more devoted fans will want to acquire. ~ Alex Henderson
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