RSSEddie "Cleanhead" Vinson [extended]
- The Original Cleanhead [Blues Time, 1970] A-
- Kidney Stew Is Fine [Delmark, 1979] A-
- The Late Show [Fantasy, 1988] B+
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Consumer Guide Reviews:
The Original Cleanhead [Blues Time, 1970]
A worthy introduction to one of the cleanest--and nastiest--blues voices you'll ever hear. He also plays alto sax with the solid adaptability of a territory man who's been on the road since the '40s, although not as cannily as Plas Johnson, who together with Joe Pass heads a committed supporting cast. How's that again, Cleanhead? You've been balled a long long time? A-
Kidney Stew Is Fine [Delmark, 1979]
Cut in the early '70s with an all-star band featuring T-Bone Walker and Jay McShann, this was winning various grand prix in Europe as Wee Baby Blues long before it was released here. More tentative and human-scale, more felt perhaps, than The Original Cleanhead, it sacrifices power and presence as a result, but the material sounds loud enough, and at times Walker threatens to steal the record. A-
Etta James/Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson: The Late Show [Fantasy, 1988]
Volume One: The Early Show showcased Cleanhead well past his prime and Etta at her most dispensable, mixing lax remakes of signature tunes with blues standards resistant to revitalization. This one's just fun, as Etta diddles blues tradition with stock refrains and off-color jokes. Plus a nice "Teach Me Tonight" duet. Too bad about "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." B+