VA - Gumbo Stew [1993] + More Gumbo Stew [1993] + Spicy Gumbo Stew [1994] (3 x CDs)

GUMBO STEW

VA - Gumbo Stew [1993] + More Gumbo Stew [1993] + Spicy Gumbo Stew [1994] (3 x CDs)

AFO (an abbreviation of 'All For One') was formed in New Orleans in 1961 by ex-Specialty A&R man Harold Battiste and fellow musicians - or executives - Melvin Lastie, Alvin 'Red' Tyler, Roy Montrell, Peter 'Chuck' Badie, and John Boudreaux. As hit-making session men they had seen a constant stream of white independent record owners pillage the talent that abounded in New Orleans. They hit the charts almost immediately with Barbara George and I Know (You Don't Love Me No More), which reached No 3 in the national pop charts in that very first year. However, chart activity was short-lived. Juggy Murray spirited Barbara away to Sue Records. AFO continued to release class records by young artists like Dr John and Eddie Bo, but in 1963 Harold Battiste moved to the West Coast where he went on to produce Sonny & Cher's, I Got You Babe and Dr John's Gris Gris album.

CD01     There could be no finer introduction to one of New Orleans R&B's finest labels - AFO - than Gumbo Stew. This CD features classic material from Willie Tee, Barbara George, Tami Lyn, Alvin Robinson, Prince La La, Eddie Bo and, of course, Dr John. AFO (an abbreviation of 'All For One') was formed in New Orleans in 1961 by ex-Specialty A&R man Harold Battiste and fellow musicians - or executives - Melvin Lastie, Alvin 'Red' Tyler, Roy Montrell, Peter 'Chuck' Badie, and John Boudreaux. As hit-making session men they had seen a constant stream of white independent record owners pillage the talent that abounded in New Orleans. They hit the charts almost immediately with Barbara George and I Know (You Don't Love Me No More), which reached No 3 in the national pop charts in that very first year. However, chart activity was short-lived. Juggy Murray spirited Barbara away to Sue Records. AFO continued to release class records by young artists like Dr John and Eddie Bo, but in 1963 Harold Battiste moved to the West Coast where he went on to produce Sonny & Cher's I Got You Babe and Dr John's Gris Gris album. Compiled by John Broven (author of the classic book on New Orleans R&B Walking To New Orleans), Gumbo Stew is a long overdue in-depth look at one of New Orleans' finest little labels. (acerecords.co.uk)

CD02      The second batch of material from the vaults of Harold Battiste's AFO label is actually a stronger collection than the first (Gumbo Stew), although over half of it was previously unissued. Most of it's good early '60s New Orleans R&B, with genuine highlights like Prince La La's "Need You" (a futuristic foreshadowing of the sort of voodoo rock that Dr. John would play in the late '60s), a couple rambunctious performances by the young Dr. John himself ("The Fix" sounds like the early Animals as played on a department store-quality organ), and the Dr. John-penned "World of Dreams," sung in heart-tugging fashion by Tami Lynn. Also includes tracks by Barbara George, Alvin Robinson, Eddie Bo, and Johnny Adams (a live 1960 performance), as well as Lee Dorsey's smash "Ya Ya" (not recorded at AFO, but included because AFO chief Harold Battiste says he produced it). If you've already got the best New Orleans R&B anthologies and want more of the same, you should make this one of your next stops. (AMG review by Richie Unterberger)

The font of the Gris Gris from which issued forth this second helping of Gumbo Stew from New Orleans master musical chef Monsieur Harold Battiste. Under the radar Rhythm and Blues from New Orleans, very lively and fun with excellent musicianship. I doubt these second-string singles ever saw the inside of many jukeboxes even 50 miles out from the pressing plant. They came, they wailed, they were mostly forgotten.

CD03     As the good doctor - Dr John - says in his autobiography: "I feel really blessed to have been around AFO, because they were putting down so much of the new and fascinating music that was coming out of New Orleans at the time. I was on the inside with this new funk style from the beginning. "'Still Spicy Gumbo Stew' is Volume 3 in the Ace story of AFO Records, the crucial New Orleans' record label. As the titles have it, the first course was 'Gumbo Stew' (CDCHD 450), the second 'More Gumbo Stew' (CDCHD 462) and this time around the dish is Still Spicy! There's Dr John with The Point, Eddie Bo with his Check Mr Popeye, the mighty fine Alvin Robinson (he of Down Home Girl - covered by The Rolling Stones), Willie Tee, Tami Lynn and the late piano great James Booker with his ballad End Of A Dream. The stew this time is a littler jazzier but from the same great pot that was AFO - one of the finest of the early '60s New Orleans' R&B organizations. (acerecords.co.uk)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Alvin 'red' Tyler - Olde Wine 5:46

02 Barbara George - I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) 2:23

03 Tami Lynn - Mojo Hanna 2:15

04 Prince La La (Lawrence Nelson) - Things Have Changed 2:26

05 Eddie Bo - Tee Na Na Na Na Nay 2:45

06 Grits 'n' Gravy (Dr. John & Ronnie Barron) - My Key Don't Fit (Somebody) 2:48

07 Tick Tocks - Mary 2:42

08 Willie Tee - All For One 2:38

09 Wallace Johnson - Private Eye 2:43

10 Dr. John - The Pot 2:38

11 Pistol (Jimmy Jules) - Keep On Lovin' You 2:25

12 Charles Carson - Time Has Expired 2:22

13 Nookie Boy - I'll Make A Bet 2:32

14 Robbie Lee (Olivia Robinette) - True Love 2:31

15 Willie Tee - I Found Out (You Are My Cousin) 2:11

16 Tick Tocks - Is It Too Late 2:48

17 Turquinettes - Tell Me The Truth 2:19

18 Alvin Robinson - Tuned In, Turned On 2:52

19 Alvin Robinson - Give Her Up 3:15

20 Melvin Lastie & Harold Battiste With Cornell Dupree - Ignant 2:04

21 Alvin Robinson - Empty Talk 2:46

22 The Pastor (Melvin Lastie) - I Shall Not Be Moved 2:38

CD02

01 Lee Dorsey - Ya Ya 2:28

02 Wallace Johnson - Clap Your Hands 2:36

03 Willie Tee - Always Accused 2:32

04 Prince La La - Need You 2:35

05 Eddie Bo - You Better Check 2:43

06 Dr. John & Ronnie Barron - Talk That Talk 5:33

07 Tami Lynn - World Of Dreams 2:28

08 Tick Tocks - Gonna Get You Yet 2:12

09 Wallace Johnson - Peace Of Mind 2:37

10 Joan Duvall - Two Weeks Three Days 2:32

11 Dr. John - The Fix (One Naughty Flat) 2:25

12 Barbara George - Try Me 2:01

13 Pistol - Make Her Your Wife 2:47

14 Willie Tee - It Was You 2:29

15 Afo Executives - Wyld 3:30

16 Robbie Lee - Let Me Know 2:09

17 Alvin Robinson - Better Be Cool 2:11

18 Alvin Robinson - I've Never Been In Love 2:41

19 Tami Lynn - Light My Fire 4:03

20 Alvin Robinson - We Got Love 2:57

21 Johnny Adams - Johnny A's Blues 8:09

CD03

01 Barbara George - I Don't Want To Be Hurted 2:04

02 Johnny Adams - A Losing Battle 2:51

03 Eddie Bo - Check Mr. Popeye 2:15

04 Eddie Bo - Now Let's Popeye 2:38

05 Dr. John - Shrimp Boat 2:19

06 Tick Tocks - Somebody's Got To Go 2:30

07 Willie Tee - Why Lie 2:31

08 Eddie Bo - I Found A Little Girl 2:17

09 Wallace Johnson - A Love As True As Mine 2:23

10 Nookie Boy - I Got A Feelin' 2:24

11 Afo Executives - Money (That's What I Want) 3:05

12 Willie Tee - Who Knows 2:32

13 Robbie Lee - Heart For Sale 2:35

14 Dr. John - The Point 2:14

15 Eddie Bo - Roamin-Itis 2:17

16 Tami Lynn - Baby 2:24

17 Woods Brothers - Love, Love, Love 2:30

18 Turquinettes - Why Couldn't It Be Me 2:41

19 Afo Executives - Nancy 2:53

20 Alvin Robinson - Serpent Woman 1:50

21 Alvin Robinson - Cry, Cry, Cry 2:26

22 Alvin Robinson - Soulful Woman 1:58

23 Alvin Robinson - Sho 'bout To Drive Me Wild 2:46

24 James Booker - End Of A Dream (Booker's Ballad) 2:36

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