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Byther Smith & Larry Davis - Blues Knights (1985) [Reissue 2005]

Posted By: gribovar
Byther Smith & Larry Davis - Blues Knights (1985) [Reissue 2005]

Byther Smith & Larry Davis - Blues Knights (1985) [Reissue 2005]
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 304 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 128 MB | Covers - 36 MB
Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Black And Blue (BB 466.2)

This, despite the appearance, is not a duet album. Instead, this captures a session from November 20, 1985, with guitarists Larry Davis and Byther Smith fronting the same studio band consisting of guitarist Maurice John Vaughn, bassist Douglas Watson, drummer Julian Vaughn, and tenor saxophonist A.C. Reed. As Bill Dahl points out in the liner notes to the 1994 Evidence reissue Blues Knights, the two frontmen keep true to their essential style, with their supple supporting band following suit. As such, the four Davis cuts are pretty relaxed and jazzy, usually quite alluring but at times a little sleepy…

Byther Smith - Got No Place to Go (2008)

Posted By: gribovar
Byther Smith - Got No Place to Go (2008)

Byther Smith - Got No Place to Go (2008)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 288 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 118 MB | Covers - 6 MB
Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Fedora Records (FCD 5034)

Byther Smith stands today as one of the most important links to the heady days of mid-50s Chicago blues. "Got No Place to Go" presents the man in concert with all his intensity and raw power learned from his years playing with greats such as Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood and Big Mama Thornton. This Fedora recording finds him at the very peak of his powers: a fiery spark plug of a man, stepping to the microphone, and in a full, gospeldrenched voice, barking the lyrics to Otis Rush’s Keep On Lovin’ Me Baby like commands then stepping back and discharging a series of clear, surprisingly fat-toned notes from his Stratocaster, turning the dancers into watchers, and the watchers into people standing, whistling, and applauding.

Byther Smith & The Nightriders - Mississippi Kid (1996)

Posted By: gribovar
Byther Smith & The Nightriders - Mississippi Kid (1996)

Byther Smith & The Nightriders - Mississippi Kid (1996)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 387 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 151 MB | Covers - 7 MB
Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Delmark Records (DE-691)

The 1996 release Mississippi Kid sounds like it could have been released a quarter-century or more before, which is a compliment. Bracingly free of the rockist clichés that bog down so many latter-day blues albums, Mississippi Kid is solid Chicago-style blues, with Smith's guitar and vocals supported by two organists and a full horn section. Presented as a sort of musical autobiography, with the personal title track ending the album as a kind of summation, the album dusts off a couple of Smith's earlier hits, most notably a slow, gripping version of his signature song, "Give Me My White Robe," and the playful shaggy-dog story "Blues on the Moon," given a suitably light-hearted and sly treatment. Smith is in excellent voice throughout and his playing is as fine as always, making Mississippi Kid a late highlight in his long and sometimes underappreciated career.

Byther Smith - I'm A Mad Man (1993)

Posted By: gribovar
Byther Smith - I'm A Mad Man (1993)

Byther Smith - I'm A Mad Man (1993)
EAC Rip | FLAC (tracks+.cue+log) - 268 MB | MP3 CBR 320 kbps (LAME 3.93) - 106 MB | Covers - 13 MB
Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues | RAR 3% Rec. | Label: Bullseye Blues (CD BB 9527)

Smitty is unequivocally not mellowing with age. This set finds him physically threatening some poor slob in "Get Outta My Way" and generally living up to the boast of the title track. As his profile finally rises, Smith is receiving a little high-profile assistance - Ron Levy produced the set and handles keyboards, while the Memphis Horns add their punchy interjections wherever appropriate.