Big Joe Burrell & The Unknown Blues Band was a local phenomena in the greater Burlington, Vermont area in the 1990โs. You know the type of group Iโm talking about, every big city has (at least) one. A group that, given the right breaks, had what it took to make the big time. Big Joe and the boys were our version. Big Joe could blow that tenor sax with the best of them, and he had the perfect blues voice - older, world weary, just a bit gravelly. The Unknown Blues Band was a tight group of musicians who both knew their stuff and played well together. Props to my good friend Harry Thompson III who held down half the rhythm section on drums. The group plays mostly standards here, with one Big Joe original (โGoinโ To New Orleansโ). This is music to dance to, which is what Big Joe intended. But itโs also music to kick back on ones day off and settle into the groove Big Joe and the boys laid down. The recording, while inoffensive, isnโt audiophile grade by any stretch of the imagination. But it is good enough to allow the music and the funky groove to get your toes tapping. This CD, and any others Big Joe recorded before his passing in 2005 at the age of 80 (this album was recorded in 1992) will be hard to find, given Big Joe was basically a local phenomenon, but well worth seeking out if you like New Orleans style dance blues. Listening to this was like taking a stroll down memory lane to the days of my youth when this music held the local music scene together. Highly recommended. #cd #music #blues #R&B #jazz #album #digital #stereo #audio #highend #audiophile #bigjoeburrell #unknownbluesband
