Jimmy Witherspoon - Ill Be Right On Down: The Modern Recordings 1947-1953 '2011

Tracks list

Tracklist
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01. Love My Baby (Takes 1 & 2)
02. Im Going Round In Circles
03. Baby, Baby (Take 1)
04. Slow Your Speed
05. Geneva Blues (Take 2)
06. Daddy Pinocchio
07. Dont Ever Move A Woman Into Your House (Take 2)
08. Im Just A Country Boy
09. Practice What You Preach
10. Moaning For You (Take 1)
11. Jump Children (Take 2)
12. There Aint Nothing Better
13. Whos Been Jivin You (Take 1)
14. Drinkin Beer
15. You Cant Kiss A Dream Goodnight
16. Operation Blues aka Doctor Blues aka The Dr Knows His Business (Take 1)
17. Ill Be Right On Down
18. Oh Mother, Dear Mother
19. Ive Only Myself To Blame (Take 4)
20. Rain, Rain, Rain
21. Let Jesus Fix It For You
22. Each Step Of The Way
23. Its Raining Outside (Take 1)
24. Blowing The Blues (Take 2)

As the liner notes to this compilation explain, The chief purpose of this CD is
to reissue the remaining Modern masters that were originally issued in Spoons
name and that have so far not been digitized by Ace. So while the CDs subtitle,
The Modern Recordings 1947-1953, might lead you to assume that this could be a
retrospective with all or the best material Jimmy Witherspoon cut for the Modern
label during that period, be aware that its actually a mix of some of his Modern
45s with some previously unissued outtakes and alternates. Since not all
Witherspoon or R&B fans collect the singers Modern work, by acquiring his Ace CD
reissues (or keep track of whats been reissued on which of those), it might be
best for the general listener to treat this anthology as a respectable, but
hardly definitive, collection of some of the sides he cut for Modern during the
late 40s and early 50s. These dont include his biggest sellers from the time
(some of which werent recorded for Modern in any case), but its a decent
assortment with roughly equal proportions of both uptempo R&B/jump blues, and
ballads, if not a collection that includes any of his top signature tunes.
Theyre hardly highlights, but a couple gospel sides from a 1953 single issued on
Moderns gospel label stand out as anomalous changes of pace, though Witherspoon
doesnt sound comfortable working with a background choir on these. Better is the
title track, a 1953 45 penned by the then-emerging young songwriting team of
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, which has tempo changes and some Latin rhythmic
influence that anticipates the more varied R&B variations soon to blossom in
1950s rock & roll. Leiber and Stoller also wrote its flipside, Oh Mother, Dear
Mother (also included), which exhibits a clear Fats Domino influence.

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