WorldofBlues.com

Billy Lavender “Memphis Livin” CD Definitely Recommended

I picked up the Billy Lavender CD last week and it seems to be stuck in the CD player of my car. Not literally but figuratively. Every time the CD finishes it starts over and it starts off with Singing the Blues and before you know it I’ve listened to the whole CD again.

That’s how it started but now I’m finding I’m really hooked. I love a Memphis sound in the blues. While the Mississippi Delta is considered the birth place of the blues there is no doubt Memphis, the commercial center just north, was responsible for giving the rest of us access. I have a feeling there is a lot of great music in Memphis but it doesn’t leave often.

I plan to go to Memphis this summer and I’m thinking there is probably something wonderful about being in Memphis and that is probably what kept Billy Lavender a secret and also inspired this break out album that I think we’ll be hearing frequently as the media picks up on this talent. Here is a video of Memphis Livin by Billy Lavender. I wonder if its representative of the life Billy’s been living in Memphis singing the blues?

Billy Lavender’s Memphis Livin CD is a virtual showcase of many Memphis talents. There is hardly room for anything else on the CD back cover. Here are a few of the more recognizable names:

Vince Johnson - Harmonica and vocals

Dan Cochran - Bass

Tony Adams - Drums & Percussion

Russell Wheeler - B3 Organ & Piano

Blind Mississippi Morris - Harmonica (rated by Bluzharp magazine as one of the 10 best harmonica players in the world)

All in all this is a can’t miss combo which gives us all a taste of Beale Street, Memphis.

One more thing I must add. As many of you know I’m a big fan of eMusic and MP3s vs collecting CDs. Billy Lavender’s Memphis Living album is available on eMusic and if you’re new to the service you should be able to pick it up for free as part of your free no risk trial membership by clicking this banner: