Search - Jimmy Witherspoon :: Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

Flawed but still definitely worth a listen for blues fans

soup_nazi | London | 10/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm prompted to add this review to balance the other one-star review posted earlier. To correct the reviewer - this recording is from his 1972 performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Robben Ford, NOT the 1959 performance where he played with the great Coleman Hawkins.



This concert was played with Robben Ford his band, and was disrupted mid performance when the curtains closed after just over 20 minutes. The rest of the set suffers as he continues to sing with the band playing behind the curtain. Ford's guitar playing is top class however, and while Spoon isn't at his best, his singing is pretty good, and I think the reviewer was mistaking questionable drunken remarks for good natured banter with the audience. This is a live record, and Spoon was a great showman - for some things I guess you just had to be there...



Anyway I do recommend a listen for blues fans, as Spoon's classic blues shouting is more than matched by a young Robben Ford's raw and fiery but very classy guitar playing."