Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Various Artists: Bar Room Blues

Various Artists: Bar Room Blues

By C. Michael Bailey
February 7, 2004
View read count

Compilations assembled from several recent releases by a given record company serve the important role of exposing the said label’s talent roster to the public in as efficient manner as possible. Telarc Blues has taken the practice to the next level by assembling their collections with a theme. The label displayed its sense of humor with the 2002 release of This is What We Call The Blues Vol. 420 as a takeoff on the ever popular NOW (That’s What I Call Music) series. Telarc had also previously released the compilations From Matrimony to Alimony: Blues for Good Love Gone Bad (Telarc Blues, 2002), A Salute to the Delta Blues Masters (Telarc Blues, 2002), and In The Pocket—A Taste of Blues Harmonica (Telarc Blues, 2002).

The label has returned with a more thematic collection entitled Bar Room Blues—A 12-Track Program. All of the songs included address drinking: before, during, and after. The collection draws from releases between 1994 and 2002. While not as strong a release as This is What We Call The Blues, it nevertheless has its provocative moments.

Highlights of this disc include Tommy Castro’s ripping contribution of "Rip This Joint" to the Stones homage Exile on Blues Street , Troy Turner’s best Stevie Ray Vaughan on his "Later Than You Think" from 1999’s Blues on My Back, and the Tab Benoit/Kenny Neal duet on Willie Nelson’s "Nightlife" from Homesick for the Road. These are the songs able to compete with "Nice and Warm" or "Hell and High Water" from This is What We Call The Blues. For a photograph of the state of the blues, Bar Room Blues is a grand place to start, but check out the others as they have much to offer also.

Visit Telarc Blues on the web.

Track Listing

Rip This Joint

Personnel

Various Artists

various

Album information

Title: Bar Room Blues | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Telarc Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Giant Pin
< Previous

IAJE 2004: A Mammoth Undertaking
Next >

Various Artists Concerts

Sep 26 Fri

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Sep 27 Sat

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Sep 28 Sun

Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz 2025

Sandton Convention Centre
Johannesburg, South Africa

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.