Album Cover of the Day

I got this album from my friend Donna Grove (nee Greenwald) while I was working at The Bomstein Agency. Donna used to live across the street from Ian MacKaye's house in Glover Park. It was in a box with about 15 other records that Ian gave Donna and she gave them to me because she knew how much I love vinyl and music in general.

I've been listening to this LP over and over for the last few days (a) because I really like it and (b) because I was trying to burn a copy to CD for my mom. The funny thing about his LP is how misleading the information on the cover is. First, Amos Milburn's name is misspelled. Second, it's not really an album of "oldies" even though the songs were some of Milburn's most popular tunes they were re-recorded for this album by the legendary Johnny Otis. Otherwise this is fairly awesome record of Milburn's rhythm & blues and Southern-style roadhouse stomp made even more incredible by the fact that, according to the liner notes, Amos had suffered a stroke that affected the left side of his body so he played the right-hand piano parts and sang while Otis played the left-hand parts.

Now, I haven't heard any of his early records, but if they're half as good as this then they are definitely worth checking out. This LP is probably going to be hard to find since it's produced on Johnny Otis' small indie label Blues Spectrum Records which is, sadly, no longer around. I have seen compilations of Amos Milburn on Amazon and elsewhere.

Great Rhythm & Blues Oldies Volume 10: Amos Milburne

Blues Spetrum Records BS 110
Produced by Johnny Otis, 1977
Vocals and piano: Amos Milburne [sic]
Drums and piano: Johnny Otis
Saxes: Jack Kelso, Fred Clark
Guitars and bass: Shuggie Otis
Bass: Edgar Willis
Guitar: Melvin Wonder