Search - Jimmy Witherspoon :: Baby Baby Baby

Spoon digging deep for these blues

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 06/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Between 1963 and 1966, Jimmy Witherspoon recorded seven albums for Prestige; this is the first one. What makes it exceptional is the first-rate personnel accompanying him, with Leo Wright (as) Kenny Burrell (g) Bobby Bryant (tp) Jimmy Allen (ts) and Gildo Mahones (p) all giving superb support. Most of the songs are 12-bar blues, and many are of the way-downhome variety: IT'S A LONESOME OLD WORLD, I CAN'T HARDLY SEE, LONELY BOY BLUES, and ROCKS IN MY BED being very good performances of this kind. Sometimes Witherspoon comes across in a listless manner, singing in a monotone, as if the blues he's singing had REALLY overtaken him, but the sidemen keep the proceedings rolling along fine. Some of the later Prestige releases (six of them are on OBC CD reissues) are better as a whole, but most of these sides are very nice, with the 8-bar blues I'LL GO ON LIVING among his very best single tracks. Definitely worth checking out."

Jimmy Is Special

M. Just | 93101 | 11/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I originally bought "Baby Baby Baby" at a second-hand store in Napa, CA in 1977. It so happened that actor David Jansen was in the store too [...]When I pulled "Baby Baby Baby" from amongst the group of Lps, he said to me, "That's a great album." Man, was he right! Every tune is filled with fine jazz accompaniment, and memorable lyrics and melodies. This album IS A FIND! Dig it! [...]"