The Sonet Blues Story - Snooks Eaglin

Biography: When they refer to consistently amazing guitarist Snooks Eaglin as a human jukebox in his New Orleans hometown, they're not dissing him in the slightest. The blind Eaglin is a beloved figure in the Crescent City, not only for his gritty, Ray Charles-inspired vocal delivery and wholly imaginative approach to the guitar, but for the seemingly infinite storehouse of oldies that he's liable to pull out on-stage at any second – often confounding his bemused band in the process! His earliest recordings in 1958 for Folkways presented Eaglin as a solo acoustic folk-blues artist with an extremely eclectic repertoire. His dazzling fingerpicking was nothing short of astonishing, but he really wanted to be making R&B with a band. Imperial Records producer Dave Bartholomew granted him the opportunity in 1960, and the results were sensational. Eaglin's fluid, twisting lead guitar on the utterly infectious "Yours Truly" (a Bartholomew composition first waxed by Pee Wee Crayton) and its sequel, "Cover Girl," was unique on the New Orleans R&B front, while his brokenhearted cries on "Don't Slam That Door" and "That Certain Door" were positively mesmerizing. Eaglin stuck with Imperial through 1963, when the firm closed up shop in New Orleans, without ever gaining national exposure. Eaglin found a home with Black Top Records in the 1980s, releasing four albums with the label, including 1988's Out of Nowhere (re-released on CD by P-Vine in 2007) and 1995's Soul's Edge. In 2002 he released The Way It Is. A year later P-Vine put out Soul Train from Nawlins, an album drawn from a live set Eaglin did at 1995's Park Tower Blues Festival. A collection of Eaglin's earliest recordings, all done on acoustic guitar, was released in 2005 by Smithsonian Folkways as New Orleans Street Singer.

Notes: This 1971 date by New Orleans guitarist Snooks Eaglin was recorded in the Crescent City and produced – insofar as such a thing exists on a solo date like this – by Samuel Charters, who has written new liner notes for the Sonet Blues Story series – he produced the entire range of blues sessions for the European label in the early '70s. These 15 cuts capture Eaglin and his considerably understated and under-appreciated artistry – Eaglin was a guitarist's guitarist and could play jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, and soul with equal acumen. The high points here are his originals such as "Who's Lovin You Tonight," &Funky Malaguena" and "That Same Old Train." However, his covers, especially of Phil Spector's and Doc Pomus' "Young Boy Blues," and Charles E. Calhoun's "Shake, Rattle and Roll," are also high points – the latter of which is one of two bonus cuts included here. Sound is spectacular, and remastered in 24-bit sound. Eaglin's soulful voice is every bit as attractive and compelling as his guitar playing. One listen to "Little Girl of Mine," or Sam Cooke's "Win Your Love for Me," (another bonus track) is enough to make any blues fan sit up and take notice. This is one of the brightest volumes in the Sonet Blues Story series.

Recorded at Snooks Eaglin's hometown of New Orleans, this album presents the lauded blues singer/guitarist performing a typically eclectic acoustic set. Tracks range from the quirky "Boogie Children" to the laid-back "Funky Malaguena" to the ironically sunny "I Get the Blues When It Rains," with Eaglin's emotive voice and subtle six-string playing faring wonderfully in the solo spotlight. For those unfamiliar with this somewhat obscure artist, this is an excellent introduction.

Claes Persson - Remastering
Göran Isaelsson - Project Director
Margareta Lundstrom - Project Coordinator
Samuel Charters - Liner Notes, Reissue Producer

Personnel: Snooks Eaglin (guitar, vocals)

24 Bit Re-mastering CRP Recording, Stockholm, Sweden.
Recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1971.
Previously released as "The Legacy of the Blues, vol.2"
Booklet includes extensive liner notes by historian Samuel Charters.

http://rapidshare.com/files/200406725/SETSBS.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/200406727/SETSBS.part2.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/200414102/SETSBS.part3.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/200414106/SETSBS_2.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/200414902/SETSBS_2.part2.rar