Blues, Ballads and Favorites is exactly what the title describes, Vaughan's hand-picked favorites, including covers of songs by artists such as Little Richard, Jimmy Reed, Willie Nelson, Roy Milton, and Roscoe Gordon. Without any outside constraints, Vaughan was free to whittle down a list of favorite blues and R&B songs, ending up with a total of 13, each of which has special meaning to him.
Several tracks, including "Wheel Of Fortune" and Billy "The Kid" Emerson's "The Pleasure Is All Mine," feature a tight, funky horn section. Other highlights include Vaughan's own "Comin' & Goin'," a self-penned instrumental, and the Willie Nelson-penned "Funny (How Time Slips Away)," first popularized by soul singer Joe Hinton. Hammond B-3 organ master Bill Willis, a veteran of the King Records hits of James Brown and Bill Doggett, took lead vocals on that one, though he didn't live to hear the finished result: he passed away shortly after recording.
The album was produced by Vaughan and recorded in his hometown of Austin, Texas with his band, and features legendary blues singer Lou Ann Barton, who duets with Vaughan on Don & Dewey's "I'm Leaving It Up To You" and Little Richard's "Send Me Some Lovin'." Says Vaughan, "I go back with Lou Ann before the Thunderbirds. When we met she was 18 and sang a Little
Richard medley and I never recovered. She was wild."
Vaughan's love affair with blues and rock 'n' roll goes back to his childhood in Dallas. Listening to R&B and blues on the radio, seeing Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, watching his uncles pick country tunes on their guitars. Vaughan founded iconic The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1974, becoming famous for the high-octane blues-rock formula that earned their music the tag "Blue Wave" in the media. Vaughan released a duets album with his brother, guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan, in 1990, shortly before the latter's untimely death, before beginning his solo career.
Jimmie Vaughan Tilt-A-Whirl Band featuring Lou Ann Barton 8:00 pm Wednesday, March 30 with special guests Moreland and Arbuckle. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Advance tickets are $20.00 at Select-a-Seat, The Cotillion, House of Sight & Sound and the employee clubs. Tickets on the day of the show will be $23.00. For further infomation and to charge tickets by phone call 316-722-4201 or logon to thecotillion.com.
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