The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions is really Young's 1969 Fat Mandolin record, expanded with some alternate takes and some material recorded during those sessions that was never released. The Bible says a man is known by the company he keeps. That is particularly true in the music world. There are some great musicians who aren't widely known but are respected by artists with more acclaim. For Fat Mandolin, he was backed by longtime Muddy Waters sidekick Otis Spann on piano, Paul Oscher on harmonica, Sammy Lawhorn on bass and second guitar, and S.P. Leary on drums. That's a hell of a band! On other records, Young was backed by Spann and harp geniuses James "Superharp" Cotton and Big Walter Horton. You may not know Young and you may not have heard a lot of blues mandolin records, but these heavyweights worked with Young throughout his career and that says a lot.
Speaking louder than the associations and the history and tradition of blues mandolin is the music these men created. The infectious, swinging groove of "Moaning and Groaning" opens the set and it's one of the tracks where Young's mandolin is right out front. In addition to some great mandolin work from Young, Oscher is commanded to "blow" at the first break and he delivers some fantastic harp. Later on the track, and throughout the record, Young calls out to Spann and stands aside for one of the pioneering blues pianists to take center stage.
When playing alongside Muddy Waters, Spann sometimes sounded like he was playing with his fists and not his fingers. The power in his playing is something special. On these numbers, he occasionally dials that down just a notch. As great as Young's mandolin work is, it's pretty clear that Spann is holding these sessions together (in fact, it was at his suggestion Blue Horizon recorded Young in the first place). Spann got plenty of work as a bandleader during his time with Waters, and that leadership is evident on these tracks. It is made more evident by his absence on "Prison Bound."
Other standout tracks include "Jackson Bound," mistakenly referred to as "Chicago Bound." The liner notes tell us this cut is actually a version of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's (the first Sonny Boy Williamson) "Shotgun Blues." Regardless, it's a great track. It starts off with a false start and even sounds a little tentative when they begin but slowly pick up steam as they play, culminating in a great piano run by Spann followed by Young's mandolin. "Lorraine" doesn't have quite the swing of "Moaning and Groaning" but there's such a great feeling on the track and Young's work is top notch. This is also a track where Leary's fine drumming is invaluable.
Article comments
1 - Joanie
As a devout lover of all things mandolin, it does my heart good to see you embrace the music so joyfully. Remind me sometime to tell you about MY mandolin and a trip to Georgia.