Die erste Veröffentlichung in unserer Serie mit Live-Aufnahmen vom renommierten "Lucerne Blues Festival" in Luzern, Schweiz. Im November 1999 spielte dort u.a. die Formation um den Gitarristen und Sänger Johnny Jones und den Soulsänger Charles Walker
Die beiden verbindet eine lange berufliche Freundschaft und sie harmonieren perfekt.
Begleitet vom Kern der Amazing Rhythm Aces, einer der erfahrensten Rhythm Sections im Süden der U.S.A., sowie von Gitarrist Fred James und - gelegentlich - Sängerin Mary-Ann Brandon lieferten die beiden zwei packende Shows in Luzern.
Walkers ausdrucksstarker Gesang bildet den Kontrapunkt zu Jones' Gitarre, der bei einigen Stücken auch selbst singt. Insgesamt ein mitfreissendes Blues-Livealbum mit einigen Abstechern Richtung Soul der 60er Jahre.

The first release in our series with high-profile live recordings from the renowned anual Lucerne Blues Festival" in Switzerland. In November 1999 a band fronted by guitarist/singer Johnny Jones, and soul vocalist Charles Walker played two great shows. The nucleus of the band is formed by the ryhthm section of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, one of the best you can find in the South. Also in the band, guitarist/producer Fred James and vocalist Mary-Ann Brandon. Jones and Walker have been working together on and off for the last forty years. And this shows! Deep blues, shuffles and mid-tempo groovers along with a couple of tunes, '60s soul style. A great live record that we are very proud of, and hopefully the first in a long series. If you didn't have a chance to go, take this one home and enjoy a wonderful evening at Lucerne.

Reviews

Volume 2 is a trip way down to Memphis as Johnny Jones and Charles Walker can really cook the blues meets soul stew. (...) Both of them can sing and nail down every song they perform. Plus, their backing band is as soulful as it get, especially on churchy songs like "Strain On My Heart". Not only the music is absolute high class (...) but the sound quality, production values and packing also set high standards. I love this kind of live production, real concert played from the first song to the last one, no silence or fading. If there is something as good as being there in Lucerne, sitting in a first row and listening to the blues, this is it, "In The House". This series is as essential as "The Bluesville Years" classic blues series releases some years ago by the Prestige/Fantasy label. A must have for all serious blues fans.
Radio Brawo
2008-05
Przemek Draheim

This is the second volume of 'a series of high profile live recordings from the 'Lucerne Blues Festival' in Switzerland'. (...) The recording quality is immaculate and the packaging borders on the lavisch. Some live albums are contract fillers, others are 'historical documents'. This one is damn good listening!
Blues & Rhythm
# 157, March 2001
Norman Darwen

Dieser Live-Mitschnitt vom 5. Lucerne Blues Festival (1999) ist ein Knüller. Nashvilles Blues-Legende Johnny Jones, der schon Jimi Hendrix ein paar Kniffe auf der Gitarre beibrachte, und Soul-Altmeister Charles Walker lassen nichts anbrennen. Mit Unterstützung der dynamischen Fred-James-Band zelebrieren die beiden ein energiegeladenes Blues- und Sous-Set der Extraklasse. Ein kleines Juwel!
TR7, Switzerland
February/March 2001
Frank Hubrath

Like B.B. & Bobby Bland, it is always nice to see two veterans of the blues combining talents to come up with a product greater than the sum. It is not merely the combination, but the complementing of each other that creates magnificence. With Johnny Jones and Charles walker, it is just that easy to slip into a deep soul and blues bath that is hot enough to soothe, yet cool enough to titillate! (...) You don´t want to miss ´em. A live recording with utter clarity that´s still not short on spontaneity; gives thunbs up to the producers and the CrossCut crew!
24. Januar 2001
Mark A.Cole