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CD94
Buddy Guy
Sweet Tea
(Silvertone 926021-2) Zomba Records
For Buddy Guy 2001 signifies that it is sixty-five years since he was born in Lettsworth. Louisiana on 30 July 1936. Much has been said and written about this brilliant singer, songwriter and guitarist who has now been based in Chicago, Illinois since 1957. Recent releases include the 1998 "Heavy Love" (0591182) and the 1999 best of "Buddy's Baddest" (0591232).
"Sweet Tea" was recorded at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. The studio proprietor Dennis Herring produced it. The band is Spam who is T-Model Ford's drummer, Davey Faragher (bass), Jimbo Mathus (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Guy (vocals and all guitar solos). The additional musicians who need no introduction are Bobby Whitlock (piano), Craig Krampf (percussion) and drummers Sam Carr and Pete Thomas.
Except for Muddy Water's "Honey Bee", an awesome version of Lowell Fulson's "Tramp" and Buddy's Guy's own "It's A Jungle Out There, all of the tunes on "Sweet Tea" are penned by Fat Possum recording artists past and present. This release isn't like any other of Buddy Guy's. It brings his sound back home and the North Mississippi Hill County trance blues sound of the Fat Possum label fits Buddy Guy to a tee.
"Sweet Tea" has no fewer than four of the late Junior Kimbrough's tunes including the opening track "Done Got Old", "I Gotta Try You Girl" and "Baby Please Don't Leave Me". Other great songs are Robert Cage's "It's A Jungle Out There", Cedell Davis's "She's Got The Devil In Her" and T-Model Ford's "Look What All You Got". Absolutely brilliant.
John Bates - BASEQ Member
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