Mapleshade records: Pick the best of

As you probably suspect, a good rock fix is not really on the menu w/ these guys. Ended up ditching alot of Mapleshade discs, some of em' hit me as the most sappy, maudlin, cliche ridden stuff i'd ever heard. There may be some land mines waiting for you on this label. I thought these four were solid keepers:
Thurman Green - Dance of the Night Creatures
Hamiett Bluiett - Young Warrior, Old Warrior
Euforia - (Smokin' bass/drums guit. trio Great sound!!)
Andy McKee - Sound Roots

Recommend going to the cd Baby website and digging through their $5 bin, (there are audio samples to click on for all the discs they have).

Sean,

Greetings amigo. Mapleshade makes somes very nice sounding CD's. I started with their Mapleshade Music Festival sampler. This CD will give you a good roadmap as to what Mapleshade is all about. The CD is more than a sampler ... it also stands on its own.

I have also purchased (and like) the C-Nuts CD; Larry Willis "Sanctuary," and Douglas Allanbrook "Majesty of the Horn."

CD's that I think you might like are ... "13 Shades of Blue," Al Lee's (from 10 Years After) "Ain't Playing the Game," Midnight Blue's "Inner City Blues," and Bad Influence's "Live at the Bad Habits Cafe." Mapleshade's idea of rock is more R&B than pure rock (think horns); more BS&T than the Stones; more Chicago/DC blues than Delta blues.

If you go on Mapleshade's web-site and select an album, you can usually listen to certain tracks. While you are in this exploratory mood try Dave Grisman's Acoustic Disc web-site . The music is primarily bluegrass and country and is typically very well recorded. An excellent one to try is "Old and in the Gray."

Regards, Rich

Bob Willoughby - Blues, Booze and Oldtimey Soul
The J Street Jumpers - Is you Is of Is You Ain't My Baby

I've tried quite a few of the Maple Shade recordings and find the production to be good to great. Both of these are fun recordings. Everyone always loves Bob Willoughby's music.

Sean,
I've tried a bunch, but Holt's Law is too true. The Cnuts is kinda fun, as the jazzy covers of rock(e.g. Police, Dire Straits) grabs your attention; at least for a while.
The only one that's held my interest over time is Sweetman - Austin Backalley Blue. Some of the best recorded sax I've ever heard. It's sort of bluesy stripjoint music with touches of SRV and Dr.John.
No doubt that the sonics of Hamiett Bluiett & Bob Willoughby are superb, (most of them are), but I never got the urge to grab these from the rack and play them instead of other music.
If they could get some top bands in that studio, it would be magic! Regards,
Spencer

Sunnyslide Slim - Live!
Drink Small - Electric Blues Doctor