Repertoire Reissue
very good condition
To produce the first LP by Otis Rush, Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites went to Fame in 1969. Although a proliferation of weak material and occasionally overdone horn charts taint the set, Rush's unique approach to blues certainly does have its moments. Naturally his edgy, kinetic lead guitar takes center stage, leaving Allman back in his role as ever soulful side man. Only on "Reap What You Sow," and on Bloomfield's "Me," is there any interplay between the two great guitarists. But even then it's brief. With the taste of Allman's blues on Boz Scaggs' "Loan Me A Dime," and following the unfulfilled promise of this album, Allman's eventual work with Eric Clapton on Layla, in retrospect at least, seems like an inevitability.
For Mourning In The Morning, his 1969 album debut on Atlantic Records, southpaw blues guitar legend Otis Rush journeyed from his Chicago home to Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama—a burg best known for seminal soul platters. Backed by a horn-powered band that included a young Duane Allman on rhythm guitar, Otis’ slashing axe and anguished vocals glowed on the tortured “You’re Killing My Love,' remakes of his Cobra Records classics “My Love Will Never Die' and “It Takes Time,' and a stunning revival of B.B. King’s “Gambler’s Blues.' Half the set consisted of new compositions from producers Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites, and Rush’s mile-wide string bending on a shimmering instrumental version of Aretha Franklin’s “Baby I Love You' is utterly breathtaking.
Panned by many a critic upon its 1969 release, Otis Rush's trip to Muscle Shoals sounds pretty fine now (with the obvious exceptions of "My Old Lady" and "Me," which no amount of time will ever save). The house band (including Duane Allman and drummer Roger Hawkins) picks up on Rush's harrowing vibe and runs with it on the stunning "Gambler's Blues," a chomping "Feel So Bad," and a shimmering instrumental treatment of Aretha Franklin's "Baby I Love You."
