VA - City Of Dreams, A Collection Of New Orleans Music [2007] (4 x CD's)

 

NEW ORLEANS

VA - City Of Dreams, A Collection Of New Orleans Music [2007] (4 x CD's)

Rounder Records' music catalog runs deep with some of the best of the "roots" music of New Orleans and over the years, they've documented many of the artists who never hit the "top 40" but form the soul of the music of the Big Easy. Some artists, like the great James Booker, got a full album, while others like Professor Longhair's piano contemporary "Tuts Washington" were represented only on compilations. Much of Rounder's catalog is out there, it just doesn't get a lot of exposure for the older releases.

This has been rectified with this wonderful new "box set" (it's actually a small box with 4 CDs in cardboard leaves and a 24 page booklet with a 7 page essay and detailed track listings). The 48 tracks are grouped by musical style with Brass Bands on the "Street Beat" disc, the "funk" sounds (minus the Neville Brothers who never recorded as a group for Rounder) on another, vocal blues on a third, and my favorite, the "Ivory Emperors" (Fess Longhair, Booker, and Eddie Bo) for the last disc.

New Orleans Music has always been a "gumbo" of styles and, really, the best way to experience this set is to shuffle the discs, rather than limit yourself to one style. Then use the info in the liner note booklet (which could have used a little more background on the lesser known artists) and seek out the albums that the tracks were derived from.

The tuneful musical gumbo from national treasure New Orleans is always a splendid gift. City of Dreams is four CDs of funk, blues, piano boogie, and second-line parade inspired songs. Focusing on the R&B side of the Big Easy’s musical heritage, this set is all about booty shaking. (Amazon)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Al Johnson Carnival Time 2:41

02 Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson Sing It 4:20

03 Chuck Carbo Drawers Trouble 4:31

04 Johnny Adams Just Because 2:57

05 Irma Thomas Don't Mess With My Man 2:23

06 Eddie Bo Check Mr. Popeye 2:16

07 Joe Jones You Talk Too Much 2:32

08 Marcia Ball Big Shot 3:57

09 Davell Crawford I Bowed on My Knees 3:55

10 Ramsey McLean & the Survivors With Charmaine Neville Drink Jax Beer 3:09

11 Ruth Brown Go on Fool 4:31

12 Clarence 'gatemouth' Brown Dollar Got the Blues 4:37

CD2

01 Rebirth Brass Band Feel Like Funkin' it Up 5:07

02 Golden Eagles Featuring Monk Boudreaux Sew-Sew-Sew 4:18

03 Professor Longhair Cuttin' Out 2:37

04 Bo Dollis and Monk Boudreaux With Rebirth Brass Band Shoo-Fly 6:11

05 New Orleans Nightcrawlers Royal Flush 5:37

06 Dirty Dozen Brass Band It Ain't What You Think 4:23

07 T. Chapman All That 7:33

08 Dejan's Olympia Brass Band No it Ain't My Fault 3:58

09 Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias Golden Crown 3:54

10 Chosen Few Brass Band St. Louis Blues 4:58

11 Alvin 'red' Tyler If My Shoes Hold Out 4:32

12 Rebirth Brass Band Just a Little While to Stay Here 6:18

CD3

01 Walter 'wolfman' Washington You Can Stay But the Noise Must Go 6:18

02 Theryl 'houseman' De'clouet Ain't No Yachts in the Ghetto 4:51

03 George Porter, Jr. of the Meters Rough Spots 4:13

04 All That Flow On 4:06

05 Ed Frank Quintet A Corn for Crip 4:33

06 Bo Dollis & Wille Tee With Dr. John Keeper of the Crown 4:51

07 Johnny Adams Body and Fender Man 5:33

08 New Orleans Saxophone Ensemble Gemini Rising 4:26

09 Irma Thomas Sweet Touch of Love 3:34

10 Solomon Burke Here We Go Again 6:49

11 Walter 'wolfman' Washington Funk Yard 5:00

12 Davell Crawford House That Jack Built 7:01

CD4

01 Eddie Bo Hard Times 2:37

02 James Booker Classified 3:16

03 Professor Longhair Every Day, Every Night 2:22

04 David Torkanowsky Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most 6:18

05 Tuts Washington Tee Nah Nah 1:57

06 Willie Tee On the Q-Tee 2:04

07 Davell Crawford Gumbo Piano 3:35

08 James Booker All By Myself 3:31

09 Art Neville My Children 3:18

10 Champion Jack Dupree I Don't Know 4:52

11 Professor Longhair Go to the Mardi Gras 2:50

12 Tuts Washington Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans 2:53

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