Los Angeles, California: Arguably the greatest duo in the history of the blues, and certainly one of the longest-running, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy are also one of the jewels in the Cleopatra Records crown. 
Label staples for close to a decade, their in concert catalog is as vast as it is vivacious, and July 17 sees the release of one of the most electrifying shows of them all, Live in New York City, 1978, recorded Live At The Bottom Line on January 9 , 1978, with Buddy and Junior joined onstage by Philip Guy (guitar), Kenny Ray (bass), Douglas Fagen (tenor saxophone) and Merle Perkins (drums).
It’s a driving, funky set - the opening “Cleo’s Back” (what a premonitory title!) sets the stage, a showcase for saxman Fagen that lets the audience warm up before the main attractions join them on stage. And the thrill is palpable, even if the song insists “The Thrill Is Gone.”
Released today as the first single from the album, “The Thrill is Gone” was originally a hit for cowriter Roy Hawkins back in 1951. It’s best remembered, though, for BB King’s 1970 version, and for many years that was the blueprint that other musicians relied upon.
Buddy and Junior, though, always had their own approach to songs, no matter how familiar any particular version might feel, and this is no exception - slow blues might seem an odd bedfellow for the funk, but they didn’t care. It was the feel of the performance that mattered, and “The Thrill Is Gone” feels fantastic.
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/juniorwellsbuddyguy_thethrillisgone
The remainder of the album is equally dynamic, from the near-15 minutes of heartbreaking Guy guitar that hallmarks “How Blue Can You Get,” to the shuddering shuffles of “Chicken Heads”; the epic medley of “Ships On The Ocean” and “Someday Baby”; the epic “Help Me,” introduced as a tribute to its composer, Sonny Boy Williamson; and “Little By Little,” another Williamson number, dating back to 1937 but still exquisite all those years later.
A master class in blues harmonica, a delicious feast of blues guitar, and a glorious companion to the rest of the duo’s Cleopatra catalog, Live in New York City, 1978 is released on July 19.
CD: https://cleorecs.com/products/junior-wells-buddy-guy-new-york-city-blues-live-1978-cd
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/juniorwellsbuddyguy_newyorkcityblues
Track listing
1, Cleo’s Back
2. The Thrill Is Gone
3. How Blue Can You Get
4. Chicken Heads
5. Little By Little
6. Help Me
7. Ships On The Ocean/Someday Baby
8. Early In The Morning
9. Juke
10. Instrumental Blues
