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CD20
Frank Frost and Sam Carr
The Jelly Roll Kings
Hightone
When Frank Frost passed away on October 12 1999 aged 63, at his home in Helena, Arkansas, one of the foremost Delta blues harmonica players was lost to the blues world. Together with his partner of over 40 years, drummer Sam Carr, Frank left a legacy of probably the finest collection of down-home, urban Mississippi blues dating from their first recordings with Sam Phillips around 1962.
Sam Carr, 10 years Frank's senior, was born in Friar's Point, Mississippi. He grew up playing in his father, Robert Nighthawk's band, starting off on guitar and bass. Their career together began in 1950 in St Louis, Missouri, with Frank playing guitar. Several years were spent touring with Sonny Boy Williamson who helped teach Frank the harp. Moving to Mississippi in 1960, the duo added Clarksdale's Big Jack Johnson to the group and began calling themselves Frank Frost and the Nighthawks. They cut two albums with Big Jack but it wasn't until the late `70s when they signed with Chicago's Earwig label that they became the Jelly Roll Kings and toured the world to critical acclaim for many years. Sam now resides in Dundee, Mississippi and Frank played his last gig on October 8 1999 at the 14th Annual King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena. He'll be long remembered for his appearances in the films Deep Blues and Crossroads.
Their catalogue consists of releases on various labels including Evidence but the current D, The Jelly Roll Kings, recorded in 1998 at the Sonny Boy Williamson Memorial Music Hall in Helena, Arkansas, was released in 1999 on Hightone. It features Frank on lead vocal, harmonica and piano, Sam on drums and lead vocals on one song and Fred James on guitar and bass as well as production. What a great outing it is with 12 original songs played lowdown and dirty in true juke-joint style. There are three instrumentals, highlighting Frank's melodic harmonica and Fred's blistering guitar. In an atmospheric 43 minutes they deliver shuffles, stomps, and slow blues complete with Southern riffs and burning lines. From the moment you put it on you'll want to keep it in repeat mode. This is what future generations need to hear; authentic gut-bucket blues of the highest order played with raw emotion. The CD beautifully captures the raucous sounds of three of the finest, all-time exponents of unadulterated Delta boogie. It's as blue as it gets.
Al Hensley
Presenter of Blue Monday on Noosa Community Radio FM101.3
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