Best of the Vanguard Years is a compilation CD from the innovative group Oregon; a band that was based in the state of the same name, featuring the collaborative efforts of Paul McCandless, Ralph Towner, Glen Moore, and Collin Walcott. A historically important group, the founding members of Oregon combined their classical backgrounds with jazz improvisations ...

173

Article: Album Review

John Hammond: Best of the Vanguard Years

by Ed Kopp
April 1, 2000

John Hammond Jr. is a steady performer who continues to revive some classic blues material that might otherwise be forgotten. Best of the Vanguard Years provides a nice overview of his early days. Hammond began his recording career on the Vanguard label, generating five albums between 1964 and 1967. After stints with Atlantic and Columbia, Hammond ...

193

Article: Album Review

Charlie Musselwhite: Best of the Vanguard Years

by Ed Kopp
March 1, 2000

When 18-year-old Charlie Musselwhite left Memphis for Chicago in 1962, he wasn't even aware that the Windy City was the center of the blues universe. His only objective was to land a decent factory job. But Musselwhite would soon discover how vital the blues scene was in his new hometown. He would also notice that there ...

Album

Best of the Vanguard Years

By Otis Spann

Label: Vanguard Records
Released: 1999

145

Article: Album Review

Otis Spann: Best of the Vanguard Years

by Ed Kopp
September 1, 1999

Nowhere are Otis Spann’s piano skills better showcased than on this CD’s first five tracks, lifted from the classic 1969 album Chicago/The Blues/Today! Volume 1. These cuts feature Spann in a spare format with drummer S.P. Leary as his only backing, and they contain some of the most accomplished blues piano ever recorded. The rest of ...