Search - Eddie Cleanhead Vinson :: Cleanhead Blues: 1945-1947

Excellent Cleanhead collection

Pitoucat | UK | 09/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A compilation of early material by the singer with 'the head that looked to be worth four points in a game of snooker.' An experiment with lye-based hair-straightener which went horribly wrong resulted in Eddie's shiny-pated looks, although he claims, in 'Cleanhead Blues', that all the hugging, kissing and petting by his female admirers just rubbed his hair away.



Eddie Vinson was the alto-sax player and blues shouter with the distinctively wheezy voice who came to New York from Texas in 1942 to join Cootie Williams' band. In 1945 he left to form his own 'orchestra' and for the following two years Vinson and his outfit made a batch of recordings for Mercury, many of which can be heard on this CD. The music he produced in those days was very much a jump blues offshoot of the jazz mainstream, feeding into the emerging R&B style. Some of the recordings are purely instrumental, with Eddie's powerful bop-influenced alto taking the lead. Others feature his squeaky but dynamic vocals on raunchy items such as 'Cherry Red Blues', 'Some Women Do', and 'Oil Man Blues'.



The CD contains a wealth of great music, showing Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson at his very best and in excellent sound quality.



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