Neal Pattman - Prison Blues (1999) FLAC

Neal Pattman (January 10, 1926 – May 4, 2005) was an American electric blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Sometimes billed as Big Daddy Pattman, he is best known for his self-penned tracks, "Prison Blues" and "Goin' Back To Georgia". In the latter, and most notable stages of his long career, Pattman worked with Cootie Stark, Taj Mahal, Dave Peabody, Jimmy Rip, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Guitar Gabriel, and Lee Konitz. ~ Wiki

Recording may be a relatively new luxury to Neal Pattman, but in life he is a grizzled veteran. His first album is a stark affair, almost an eavesdrop into a backroom rehearsal. A frisky harp player and singer, Pattman is joined by Taj Mahal and labelmate Cootie Stark on over half the album, and together and in various configurations the trio turns out some fine, jaunty country blues. There are, however, a number of clumsy stabs at testimonial blues, and these diminish the appeal of the album as a whole. In fact, everything has a clumsiness about it, and when it swings in favor of the musicians, it can be quite charming. When it doesn't, though, it can come off as plain gawky.
~ Jim Smith, All Music

Blues harp virtuoso Neal Pattman was born January 10, 1926, in Madison County, GA. One of 14 children, at age seven he lost his right arm in a farming accident. His father taught him to play harmonica soon after, with Pattman going on to draw considerable inspiration from local-boy-made-good Sonny Terry, even borrowing Terry's trademark whooping and shouting. As a teen, Pattman earned money playing music on the street corners of nearby Athens, eventually working a kitchen job on the University of Georgia campus. Although his impassioned playing and soulful vocals made him something of a local legend via his myriad appearances at area nightclubs, churches, and festivals, Pattman remained unknown to the blues world at large until 1989, when he performed at New York City's Lincoln Center and immediately thereafter was flooded with invitations to tour internationally.

In 1991, he met Timothy Duffy, head of the North Carolina-based Music Maker Relief Foundation -- Duffy teamed Pattman with some of the other acts supported by the organization, most notably singer/guitarist Cootie Stark, with whom he mounted the 48-city Blues Revival Tour in support of Taj Mahal. A 1995 date at London's 100 Club alongside British guitarist Dave Peabody was the subject of Pattman's long-awaited debut LP, Live in London. Three years later, Duffy's Music Maker label released the follow-up, Prison Blues. Pattman died of cancer on May 4, 2005, a few months after contributing to Kenny Wayne Shepherd's 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads.
~ Jason Ankeny, All Music