Strange Angels: In Flight with Elmore James

Overview

The 2018 tribute album Strange Angels: In Flight with Elmore James was released to coincide with the 100th birthday of Elmore James, one of the titanic figures in 20th century blues. Given that James died at the age of 45 in 1963, 55 years prior to the release of Strange Angels, his profile could use the boost this kind of star-studded tribute album delivers, and there are enough blues, country, rock, and soul stars here to snag the attention of the curious. What they'll find is an exceptional catalog given a slyly diverse array of interpretations, almost all of which are considerably less fiery than James' originals. Tom Jones' barrel-chested roar on "Done Somebody Wrong" attempts to conjure some of that rawness and it finds a counterpart in a long jam between Warren Haynes, Billy Gibbons, and Mickey Raphael on "Mean Mistreatin' Mama," but the act that gets the closest to the loose groove of Elmore is Rodney Crowell, who plays "Shake Your Money Maker" with a grin. If James' electric vitality is distinctly absent, it's also to the credit of the producers and performers that they treat James' catalog as songs that can withstand interpretation, while also nodding to his exceptional skills as a slide guitarist. This means Strange Angels is a fine, engaging collection of traditional blues, one that's enjoyable on the surface but more importantly provides a possible introduction to one of the true greats of postwar blues. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	01/26/2018
Label:	Sylvan Songs
UPC:	0793447407623
Rank:	101813

Tracks

1. Can't Stop Lovin' You  - Gus Berry  - Clay Blair  - Elayna Boynton  - Rudy Copeland  - Marco Giovino  - Rick Holmstrom  - Elmore James  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio
2. Person to Person  - Phil Butler  - Lorne Entress  - Charlie Giordano  - Marco Giovino  - Elmore James  - Bettye LaVette  - John Leventhal  - Daniel Sanint  - Marshall Sehorn  - G.E. Smith
3. Shake Your Money Maker  - Gus Berry  - Rodney Crowell  - Billy Earheart  - Marco Giovino  - Edsel Holden  - Elmore James  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio  - Joe McMahan
4. Done Somebody Wrong  - Jay Bellerose  - Clay Blair  - Rudy Copeland  - Lorne Entress  - Marco Giovino  - Rick Holmstrom  - Elmore James  - Tom Jones  - Morris Levy  - Clarence Lewis  - Larry Taylor
5. Mean Mistreatin' Mama  - Gus Berry  - Billy Earheart  - Billy Gibbons  - Marco Giovino  - Warren Haynes  - Edsel Holden  - Elmore James  - Viktor Krauss  - Cowboy Eddie Long  - Mickey Raphael  - Bobby Robinson
6. Dust My Broom  - Sonny Barbato  - Deborah Bonham  - Peter Bullick  - Paul Burton  - Steph Durwin  - Lorne Entress  - Marco Giovino  - Zack Hickman  - Elmore James  - Robert Johnson  - Thomas Juliano  - Duke Levine  - Sam Margolis
7. It Hurts Me Too  - Billy Earheart  - Lorne Entress  - Marco Giovino  - Warren Haynes  - Edsel Holden  - Jamey Johnson  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio  - Hudson Whittaker
8. Strange Angels  - Clay Blair  - Rudy Copeland  - Lorne Entress  - Marco Giovino  - Rick Holmstrom  - Elmore James  - Shelby Lynne  - Joe McMahan  - Allison Moorer  - Peter Parcek  - Marshall Sehorn  - Larry Taylor
9. Look on Yonder Wall  - Sonny Barbato  - Gus Berry  - Marco Giovino  - Edsel Holden  - Elmore James  -  Keb Mo  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio  - Joe McMahan  - Marshall Sehorn
10. My Bleeding Heart  - Sonny Barbato  - Steph Durwin  - Marco Giovino  - Zack Hickman  - Elmore James  - Thomas Juliano  - Duke Levine  - Sam Margolis  - Mollie Marriott  - Tony Savarino  - Marshall Sehorn
11. Hawaiian Boogie  - Gus Berry  - Clay Blair  - Tony Gilkyson  - Marco Giovino  - Elmore James  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio  - Chuck E. Weiss
12. Dark and Dreary  - Darol Anger  - Sonny Barbato  - Gus Berry  - Bobby D'Ambrosio  - Steph Durwin  - Marco Giovino  - Zack Hickman  - Joe Josea  - Thomas Juliano  - Duke Levine  - Sam Margolis  - Addi McDaniel
13. Bobby's Rock  - Gus Berry  - Clay Blair  - Rudy Copeland  -  Elmore's Latest Broomdusters  - Marco Giovino  - Rick Holmstrom  - Elmore James  - Viktor Krauss  - Doug Lancio

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Keb' Mo'   Primary Artist,Vocals
Tom Jones   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jamey Johnson   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Allison Moorer   Primary Artist,Vocals
Elayna Boynton   Primary Artist,Vocals
Addi McDaniel   Primary Artist,Vocals
Elmore's Latest Broomdusters   Primary Artist
Shelby Lynne   Primary Artist,Vocals
Bettye LaVette   Primary Artist,Vocals
Deborah Bonham   Primary Artist,Vocals
Mollie Marriott   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chuck E. Weiss   Primary Artist,Rap,Washboard
Warren Haynes   Primary Artist,Vocals,Slide Guitar
Rodney Crowell   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Doug Lancio   Mandolin,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
John Leventhal   Guitar (Baritone)
Marco Giovino   Drums,Tambourine
Rick Holmstrom   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Billy Earheart   Piano
Darol Anger   Violin
Peter Parcek   Guitar
Jay Bellerose   Drums
Thomas Juliano   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Larry Taylor   Slide Guitar,Bass (Upright)
Duke Levine   Banjo,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Sonny Barbato   Accordion,Organ
Phil Butler   Bass (Upright)
Tony Savarino   Guitar (Electric)
Tony Gilkyson   Guitar (Electric)
Rudy Copeland   Piano
Billy Gibbons   Slide Guitar,Featured Artist
G.E. Smith   Slide Guitar
Viktor Krauss   Bass (Upright)
Joe McMahan   Slide Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Cowboy Eddie Long   Harmonica
Peter Bullick   Guitar
Bobby d'Ambrosio   Clarinet (Bass)
Zack Hickman   Bass (Upright)
Mickey Raphael   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Marco Giovino   Producer
Hudson Whittaker   Composer
Marshall Sehorn   Composer
Morris Levy   Composer
Tom Waltz   Mastering
Daniel Sanint   Engineer
Clay Blair   Engineer
Edsel Holden   Engineer
Gus Berry   Mixing
Steph Durwin   Engineer
Kylie Harris   Artwork
Thomas Siering   Executive Producer
Max Waltz   Design
Paul Burton   Engineer
Lorne Entress   Mixing
Robert Johnson   Composer
Sam Margolis   Engineer
Bobby Robinson   Composer
Clarence Lewis   Composer
Joe Josea   Composer
Elmore James   Composer