Live In New York (Fred McDowell Album)

''Live in New York'' is the final album recording by the American country blues musician Mississippi Fred McDowell. New York-based American independent Oblivion Records released the first edition in the Spring of 1972, months before McDowell's death in July 1972. A subsequent Oblivion issue with a one song substitution, and new and redesigned liner notes came out one year later.

Recording

Producer/engineer Fred Seibert (assisted by Roy "Slim" Langbord) recorded Fred McDowell's November 1971 performance at The Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village for radio broadcast over Columbia University's WKCR-FM, in New York City. He hosted the station's Saturday blues show and was hometown friends with McDowell's second on the performance, bassist Tom Pomposello.

Recording was done with Shure Electronics microphones and mixers and a one-track monaural Nagra tape recorder. Editing was accomplished in one 14-hour session at WKCR using Ampex tape decks.

Release

The album has remained available continuously from 1972 until the present. Currently, there are streaming versions of all editions that can be accessed at the official Oblivion Records archive blog. Digital downloads are available worldwide from Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon.com, and other major digital retailers. Buyers should be aware of inferior bootlegs available as of 2010 on Amazon.com from Labor Records and Tomato Records.

The last authorized physical retail release of the recordings was in 2000 by the almost immediately defunct CD label Live Archive. Bassist/producer Pomposello went back to the original tapes and re-edited, re-sequenced, and remastered all nine tracks from the first two editions, plus 16 bonus outtakes. Slight hints of equalization and echo were added.

Release formats:
* LP record (12") record (mono) eleted late 1970s* CD (2000 version) (mono) eleted late 2000* MP3 (mono)
* Audio streaming (mono)

Packaging

On the original 1st pressing the cover sleeve consisted of very thick cardboard outer sleeve and the 12" vinyl record was protected with a white paper album liner. The 2nd edition pressing included a Fred McDowell discography printed on the inner sleeve.

Sleeve notes

Live session bassist and album producer Tom Pomposello wrote three different variations of the liner notes, consisting of several essays, across all officially licensed editions. Fred McDowell contributed a paragraph to the original release. There is a lengthy producer's notated digital booklet at the Oblivion archive site.

Album cover and label

The original album covers and liners were designed by producer/engineer Fred Seibert. First edition labels were designed at the Viewlex pressing plant in Hauppauge, New York; second edition labels were designed by Seibert. The cover photo was of Fred McDowell at a live festival concert; back liner photos on the second edition are by noted UK writer and photographer Val Wilmer.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Fred McDowell; except where indicated
1st edition, vinyl, 1972

Side one

#" Shake 'Em on Down" - 4:04
#"I'm Crazy About You Baby" - 4:42
#" John Henry" - 4:40 (Traditional)
#"You Got To Move" (aka " You Gotta Move")- 2:38
#"Someday" - 3:52 ( Sleepy John Estes, Fred McDowell)

Side two

#"Mercy" - 5:25
#"The Lovin' Blues" - 4:01
#"Goin' to the River (Gonna Carry My Rockin' Chair)" - 5:12
#" Baby Please Don't Go" - 3:42 (Big Joe Williams)

2nd edition, vinyl, 1973

Side one

#"Shake 'Em On Down" - 4:04
#"I'm Crazy About You Baby" - 4:42
#" John Henry" - 4:40 (Traditional)
#"You Got To Move" (aka " You Gotta Move")- 2:38
#"Someday" - 3:52 ( Sleepy John Estes, Fred McDowell)

Side two

#"Mercy" - 5:25
#"The Lovin' Blues" - 4:01
#"White Lightnin'" - 5:12
#" Baby Please Don't Go" - 3:42 (Big Joe Williams)

3rd edition, CD, 2000

Disc one

#"Shake 'Em On Down" - 4:04
#"Fred's Worried Blues"
#"Mercy" - 5:25
#"Jesus is on the Mainline" (Traditional)
#"When the Saints Come Marchin' In" (Traditional)
#"Someday Baby" - 3:52 ( Sleepy John Estes, Fred McDowell)
#"The Lovin' Blues" - 4:01
#"White Lightnin'" - 5:12
#"You Got To Move" (aka " You Gotta Move")- 2:38
#"Louise"
#" Baby Please Don't Go" - 3:42 (Big Joe Williams)

Disc two

#"Goin’ to the River (Carry My Rocking Chair)" - 5:12
#"Shake 'Em On Down" - 4:04
#"61 Highway"
#" John Henry" - 4:40 (Traditional)
#" My Babe" (Willie Dixon)
#"I'm Crazy About You Baby" - 4:42
#" Red Cross Store"
#"Levee Camp Blues"
#" Good Morning, School Girl"
#"Don’t Mistreat Nobody (Cause You Got a Few Dimes)"
#"Get Right"
#"Good Night (Spoken Outro)"

Personnel

*Mississippi Fred McDowell – vocals, electric guitar
* Tom Pomposello – bass guitar & second guitar

;Additional musicians and production
* Fred Seibert – producer & audio engineer
*Dick Pennington & Tom Pomposello – producer

Release history

References

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Sources

The Official Oblivion Records websitePomposello, Tom "Mississippi Fred McDowell" Guitar Player Magazine, November 1977Pomposello.com

External links

"Live in New York" on the Official Oblivion Records websiteComplete liner notes and free MP3s for "Live in New York"

Mississippi Fred McDowell albums
1972 live albums
Oblivion Records albums
Albums recorded at WKCR-FM