Tag Archives: Janis Joplin

Roseanna Vitro & Kenny Werner: The Delirium Blues Project

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On March 26, 2008,  “Half Note” label released “The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer”, first album released by Roseanna Vitro and Kenny Werner. It was recorded in August 2007, at “Blue Note” in New York City, and was produced by Jeffrey Levenson.

Personnel:

  • Roseanna Vitro– vocals, arrangements
  • Kenny Werner– keyboards, arrangements
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet
  • James Carter– tenor saxophone
  • Ray Anderson– trombone
  • Geoff Countryman– baritone saxophone
  • Adam Rogers– guitar
  • John Pattitucci– acoustic and electric bass
  • Rocky Bryant – drums

Track listing:

  1. What Is Hip? – Emilio Castillo, John David Garibaldi, Stephen M. Kupka
  2. Goodnight Nelda Grebe, the Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off – Tracy Nelson
  3. Blue – Gildo Mahones, Jon Hendricks
  4. Be Cool – Joni Mitchell
  5. Half Moon – Janis Joplin
  6. In the Dark – Lillian “Lil” Green
  7. Cheater Man – Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn
  8. Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy – Mose Allison
  9. Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down – Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur

Albert Grossman

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On January 25, 1996, Albert Bernard Grossman died aged 58. He was entrepreneur and manager, best known as manager of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Band, Todd Rundgren, Odetta, Gordon Lightfoot and Ian & Sylvia. In 1969 he built the “Bearsville Recording Studio” near Woodstock, and in 1970 he founded “Bearsville Records”.

Big Brother & The Holding Company: Same

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On August 23, 1967, “Mainstream” label released the self-titled, debut  Big Brother and the Holding Company album. It was recorded in December 1966, and was produced by Bob Shad.

Personnel:

  • Janis Joplin – vocals
  • James Gurley – vocals, guitar
  • Sam Andrew – vocals, guitar
  • Peter Albin – bass guitar
  • David Getz – drums

Track listing:

  1. Bye, Bye Baby – Powell St. John
  2. Easy Rider – James Gurley
  3. Intruder – Janis Joplin
  4. Light is Faster Than Sound – Peter Albin
  5. Call On Me – Sam Andrew
  6. Women is Losers – Janis Joplin
  7. Blindman – Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin
  8. Down on Me – traditional, arr, by Janis Joplin
  9. Caterpillar – Peter Albin
  10. All is Loneliness – Moondog

James Marshall

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On March 24, 2010, James Joseph Marshall died aged 74. He was  photographer, best known for his photographs of rock musicians, including The Beatles (final paid live concert in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park), Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Who, Guns N’ Roses and Santana. He was also the chief photographer at Woodstock.

James Cotton

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On March 16, 2017, James Henry Cotton died aged 81. He was musician (harmonica), singer and songwriter, had a successful solo career, recording albums under his own name, and recording and performing with number of great blues and rock musicians including Gregg Allman, William “Billy Boy” Arnold, Elvin Bishop, Mike Bloomfield, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Butterfield, Grateful Dead, Pat Hare, Howlin’ Wolf, Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Freddie King, Alexis Korner, Steve Miller, Charlie Musselwhite, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Keith Richards, Todd Rundgren, Santana, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Otis Spann, Taj Mahal, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Louis Walker, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Johnny Winter.

Nina Simone

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On April 21, 2003, Eunice Kathleen Waymon aka Nina Simone, died aged 70. She was singer, songwriter, musician (piano), arranger, and civil rights activist. In her career, Simone has recorded more than forty albums. Many famous musicians have cited Simone as their influence, among the others: Aretha Franklin, Adele, David Bowie, Antony and the Johnsons, Dianne Reeves , Sade , Beyoncé,  Janis Joplin , Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison, Elkie Brooks, Lena Horne, Bono, Cat Stevens, Peter Gabriel, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Elton John, Alicia Keys and Lana Del Rey. John Lennon cited Simone’s version of “I Put a Spell on You” as a inspiration for the Beatles’ song “Michelle”.

For her work, Simone received various awards including:

  • In 2000, “Grammy Hall of Fame Award”for her interpretation of “I Love You, Porgy”
  • Honorary degrees in music and humanities, from the “University of Massachusetts Amherst” and “Malcolm X College”
  • Honorary degree by the “Curtis Institute of Music”
  • In 2002, city of Nijmegen, in Netherlands, named a street the “Nina Simone straat”
  • In 2009, Simone was inducted into the “North Carolina Music Hall of Fame”
  • In 2010, her home town Tryon, in North Carolina, placed her statue in the “Trade Street”

Janis Joplin: Pearl

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Janis_Joplin-Pearl

On January 11, 1971, “Columbia” label released “Pearl”, the second and final Janis Joplin solo studio album. It was recorded September – October, 1970, and was produced by Paul A. Rothchild. This was the only Janis Joplin album recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band. The album was certified 4 x Platinum in US by the “RIAA”.

Personnel:

  • Janis Joplin – vocals, guitar
  • Richard Bell – piano
  • Ken Pearson –organ
  • John Till– electric guitar
  • Bobby Womack– acoustic guitar
  • Sandra Crouch –tambourine
  • Brad Campbell –bass guitar
  • Clark Pierson –drums
  • Bobbye Hall– conga, percussion
  • Phil Badella, John Cooke, Vince Mitchell –backing vocals
  • Barry Feinstein, Tom Wilkes – photography, design for Camouflage Productions

Track listing:

  1. Move Over – Janis Joplin
  2. Cry Baby – Jerry Ragovoy, Bert Berns
  3. A Woman Left Lonely – Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham
  4. Half Moon – John Hall, Johanna Hall
  5. Buried Alive in the Blues – Nick Graventies
  6. My Baby – Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman
  7. Me and Bobby McGee – Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster
  8. Mercedes Benz – Janis Joplin, Bob Neuwirth, Michael McClure
  9. Trust Me – Bobby Womack
  10. Get It While You Can – Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman

Slade: Slayed

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Slayed

On November 1, 1972, “Polydor” released “Slayed?”, the third Slade album. It was recorded in 1972, and was produced by Chas Chandler. In 1974 “Record and Radio Mirror” poll results, “Slayed?” peaked at  number 4 on the top ten list of “Best British Albums”.

Personnel:

  • Noddy Holder- lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Dave Hill- lead guitar
  • Jim Lea- bass guitar, piano
  • Don Powell- drums
  • Gered Mankowitz– cover photography
  • Chris Charlesworth- liner notes

Track listing:

  • How D’You Ride – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazee – Noddy Holder
  • Look at Last Nite – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • I Won’t Let It ‘Appen Agen – Jim Lea
  • Move Over – Janis Joplin
  • Gudbuy T’Jane – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • Gudbuy Gudbuy – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • Mama Weer All Crazee Now – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • I Don’ Mind – Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
  • Let the Good Times Roll/ Feel So Fine – Leonard Lee

Big Brother And The Holding Company: Cheap Thrills

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Cheapthrills

On August 12, 1968, “Columbia” label released “Cheap Thrills”, the second Big Brother and the Holding Company studio album (first one with Janis Joplin as lead singer). It was recorded March-May 1968 and was produced by John Simon, who incorporated recordings of crowd noise to give the impression of a live album, but only the last song, band’s cover of “Ball and Chain”, had been recorded live at “The Fillmore” in San Francisco.  “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Cheap Thrills” at number 338 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Janis Joplin– vocals
  • Sam Andrew– vocals, lead guitar, bass
  • James Gurley– guitar
  • Peter Albin – bass, guitar
  • Dave Getz – drums

Track listing:

  1. Combination of the Two – Sam Andrew
  2. I need a Man to Love – Sam Andrew, Janis Joplin
  3. Summertime – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  4. Piece of My Heart – Bert Berns, Jerry Ragovy
  5. Turtle Blues – Janis Joplin
  6. Oh, Sweet Mary – Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, David Getz, James Gurley, Janis Joplin
  7. Ball and Chain – Big Mama Thorton

Janis Joplin

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On October 4, 1970, Janis Joplin died aged 27. She was singer, songwriter, arranger, painter and dancer, started the career in the late 60s as the lead singer of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company, and later as a solo artist with her own backing bands The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band. Her successful performance at the “Monterey Pop Festival”; brought her talent to a wider audience, but she became worldwide popular after the performance on “Woodstock Festival.Her extraordinary voice possibilities and electric live performances brought her nick names “The Queen of Psychedelic Soul” and “Pearl”. In 2004, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and in 2008, number 28 on the list of “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. In 1995, Joplin was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. In her short career she sold more than 15 million albums in USA only and left a legacy of songs that includes: “Piece of My Heart”; “Ball ‘n’ Chain”; “Maybe”; “To Love Somebody”; “Kozmic Blues”; “Work Me, Lord”; “Cry Baby”; “Mercedes Benz”; “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Down on Me” and “Summertime”.