John Hammond – Rough & Tough (2009) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

John Hammond – Rough & Tough (2009)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 58:33 minutes | 1,24 GB | Genre: Blues
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Chesky Records

John Hammond’s blues career has spanned the better part of the last five decades. From coffeehouses to concert halls, to festivals and beyond, Hammond emerged the ever-consummate blues man out of the great blues renaissance of the 60’s. And while the 60’s renaissance was largely an electric affair, Hammond has managed to keep vital the embodiment of the quintessential acoustic blues troubadour with brilliant acoustic guitar and rack harmonica playing and an impassioned voice. A Grammy Award winner and four time nominee, Hammond is also a multiple W.C. Handy award winner and has shared the stage and/or recorded with many of the masters, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf.

John Hammond, Jr. has produced many hallmark albums during a 50-year career and 35 recordings, but Rough & Tough might top them all. Playing solo on a variety of guitars, a harmonica, and singing up a storm, Hammond acoustically interprets songs of the legendary bluesmen that established the urban Chicago train of thought. His choices should be very familiar to most blues fans, but the way he plays them are a throwback to pre-electric, back-porch days, when simplicity was the norm rather than amped-up volume. The energy is within Hammond’s soul, and he lets it loose for every track of this extraordinary album. Interpreting songs by Muddy Waters and Little Walter comes naturally, but he also tackles tunes like Howlin’ Wolf’s “My Mind Is Ramblin’,” and especially the low-down and dirty “No Place to Go,” “Statesboro Blues,” “It Hurts Me Too,” and the delightful swing jazz classic “Chattanooga Choo Choo” are included, as well as Jerry McCain’s more contemporary “She’s Tough.” Two originals by Hammond, “Slick Crown Vic” in boogie mode and the easygoing “Come to Find Out” are unearthed from previous recordings, emphasizing that he also stands proud as a presence among these giants. This is a flawless example of John Hammond’s capabilities in presenting authentic blues with a feeling and passion that few artists can match, and comes with a high recommendation, and a well-deserved 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Tracklist:

1. John Hammond – My Mind is Ramblin’ (03:57)
2. John Hammond – Still a Fool (04:56)
3. John Hammond – Up the Line (02:53)
4. John Hammond – My Time After Awhile (04:28)
5. John Hammond – Got To Find My Baby (03:18)
6. John Hammond – She’s Tough (02:56)
7. John Hammond – Chattanooga Choo Choo (02:20)
8. John Hammond – Statesboro Blues (03:25)
9. John Hammond – I Can Tell (04:25)
10. John Hammond – Get Behind the Mule (04:55)
11. John Hammond – No Place To Go (04:23)
12. John Hammond – Slick Crown Vic (03:54)
13. John Hammond – Come To Find Out (04:35)
14. John Hammond – It Hurts Me Too (04:30)
15. John Hammond – I Can’t Be Satisfied (03:31)

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