Fread Eugene Martin
b. July 19th, 1940 in Mac Comb (Mississippi)
ROCK 'N ROLL BLUES
Ahura Mazda
June 1971
Cousin de Lightnin' Hopkins, il est le fils de Josie May Martin et Jessie James Martin qui lui apprend la guitare. Pilier de la scène néo-orléanaise depuis la fin des années 50 (il y habite depuis 1954), il joue avec Babe Stovall, Slim Harpo, Boogie Bill Webb, Polka Dot Slim et son ami Leroy "Guitar Lightnin'" Williams. Il semble participer à une première séance pour Booker-Invicta au milieu des années 60. Mais, celle-ci est vraisemblablement restée inédite. Il fait donc ses débuts discographiques en 1971 sur ce LP pour le minuscule label Ahura Mazda avec John "Harmonica" Williams. "Little" Freddie King est également un pilier du New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival depuis sa création. Malgré quelques imperfections, il s'agit d'un disque qui mériterait d'être redécouvert et réédité pour les amateurs de Blues brut et terrien. "Little" Freddie a composé deux morceaux instrumentaux : "Sideways" et "The King's special". Mais, on peut aussi remarquer "Juke boy", "Declaration day", "Born dead".
Cousin of Lightnin' Hopkins, he is the son of Josie May Martin and Jessie James Martin who teaches him the guitar. Mainstay of the New Orleans scene from the end of the 50's (he lived there since 1954), he played with Babe Stovall, Slim Harpo, Boogie Bill Webb, Polka Dot Slim and his friend Leroy "Guitar Lightnin'" Williams. He seems to be participating in a first session for Booker-Invicta in the mid-1960's. But it probably remained unissued. He made his record debut in 1971 on this LP for the tiny Ahura Mazda label with John "Harmonica" Williams. "Little" Freddie King is also a regular artist of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival since its beginning. Despite some imperfections, it is a record that deserves to be rediscovered and reissued for raw and down-home blues fans. "Little" Freddie composed two instrumental tracks : "Sideways" and "The King's special". But, we can also notice "Juke boy", "Declaration day", "Born dead".
SWAMP BOOGIE
Orleans
1994 - 1995
Près de vingt cinq ans après son dernier témoignage discographique, voici un nouvel album de "Little" Freddie King produit par Carlo Ditta pour son propre label Orleans. Guitariste au jeu cinglant et terrien, il partage le disque entre instrumentaux excitants comme "Cleo's back", "Swamp boogie" et de beaux blues lents comme "Mean little woman" et "Bus station blues".
Nearly twenty-five years after his last record, here is a new album of "Little" Freddie King produced by Carlo Ditta for his own Orleans label. Guitarist with a scathing and down-home playing, he shares the disc between exciting instrumentals like "Cleo's back", "Swamp boogie" and beautiful slow blues like "Mean little woman" and "Bus station blues".
SING SANG SUNG
Orleans
March - August 1999
Enregistrement live au Dream Palace de la Nouvelle-Orleans. Voix eraillée (un peu limite parfois), guitare simple mais accrocheuse, son brut de décoffrage et toujours cet assemblage d'instrumentaux rapides et slow-blues très aboutis ("Hobo blues", "Bucket of blood"). Il faut écouter aussi "Sing sang sung", "Do she ever think of me" et "If you want to know the blues to walk in my shoes".
Live recording at the Dream Palace in New Orleans. Raucous voice (a little limited sometimes), a simple but catchy guitar, a raw sound and always this assemblage of fast instrumentals and achieved slow-blues ("Hobo blues", "Bucket of blood"). You should also listen to "Sing sang sung", "Do she ever think of me" and "If you want to know the blues to walk in my shoes".
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FRENCH QUARTER FEST LIVE
Friends of WWOZ
2003
BLUES ESTAFETTE 2003
Blues Estafette
November 2003
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I KNOW
Fat Possum
2005
Passé sous la bannière Fat Possum avec les producteurs Matthew Johnson et Bruce Watson, il est accompagné de Bobby Lewis DiTullio (harmonica), Anthony Anderson (basse), "Wacko" Wade Wright (batterie). Son style terrien reste exactement le même qu'avant. Parmi les meilleurs moments, on peut retenir "Crack head Joe", "Chicken dance", "Hot fingers" et l'hypnotique "Tough frog to swallow". On note également "Looking for my woman" avec samples et scratching de Martin Tino Gross.
He is accompanied by Bobby Lewis DiTullio (harmonica), Anthony Anderson (bass), "Wacko" Wade Wright (drums), under the Fat Possum banner with producers Matthew Johnson and Bruce Watson. His down-home style remains exactly the same as before. Among the best moments, we can retain "Crack head Joe", "Chicken dance", "Hot fingers" and the hypnotic "Tough frog to swallow". We also note "Looking for my wife" with samples and scratching by Martin Tino Gross.
THE MIGHTY FLOOD
Music Maker
December 2005
Entré dans la famille Music Maker en 1998, "Little" Freddie King est associé à Alabama Slim pour graver ce magnifique album de blues terrien et profond. Les deux artistes sont parfaitement en phase et se complètent remarquablement, parfois assistés par la délicate batterie d'Ardie Dean (également co-producteur) : "The mighty flood", "Crack alley", "Way down in the bottom", "Mr Charlie". Il faut savoir qu'après le passage de l'ouragan Katrina en aout 1995, Freddie dut partir vivre à Dallas pendant une dizaine d'années (il reviendra ensuite à la Nouvelle Orléans).
He joined the Music Maker family in 1998, "Little" Freddie King is associated with Alabama Slim to cut this beautiful deep down-home blues album. Both artists are perfectly in tune and complement themselves remarkably, sometimes assisted by the delicate drumming of Ardie Dean (also co-producer) : "The mighty flood", "Crack alley", "Way down in the bottom", "Mr Charlie". After the Katrina hurricane in august 1995, Freddie had to go to live in Dallas for about ten years (he will then return to New Orleans).
MESSIN' AROUND THA HOUSE
Madewright
2008
Premier disque pour Madewright avec ses mêmes musiciens impeccables (Bobby Lewis DiTullio, Anthony Anderson et son batteur-producteur-manager "Wacko" Wade Wright). Il y a trois morceaux avec sampling et scratching de Martin Tino Gross : "Messin' around tha house" qui lance bien l'album, "Can't do nothing babe", "Going out da mountain". Le reste du programme est dans son registre habituel rauque et brut ("Sad sad news", "Washerteria woman").
The first CD for Madewright with the same impeccable musicians (Bobby Lewis DiTullio, Anthony Anderson and drummer-producer-manager "Wacko" Wade Wright). There are three songs with sampling and scratching by Martin Tino Gross : "Messin' around tha house" which starts the album, "Can't do nothing babe", "Going out da mountain". The rest of the program is in his usual rude and raw sound ("Sad sad news", "Washerteria woman").
AT HOME IN THE NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS' VILLAGE
Music Maker
2009
Second disque pour la Music Maker Relief Foundation, "Little" Freddie King se présente ici seul à la guitare. Gravé à son domicile de la Nouvelle Orléans avec la seule aide de Tim Duffy à la seconde guitare. Voix erraillée et fatiguée, morceaux souvent un peu longs, tempo un peu répétitif, l'album se révèle assez inégal. On retient, néanmoins, "Playing a dangerous game", "Sweet home New Orleans", "Made me love you", "Mardi Gras stomp", "Blues drive me out of my mind".
Second album for the Music Maker Relief Foundation, "Little" Freddie King appears here alone on the guitar. Recorded at his home in New Orleans with the sole help of Tim Duffy on the second guitar. Raucous and tired voice, sometimes too long tracks, repetitive tempo, the album appears to be quite uneven. We can notice nevertheless "Playing a dangerous game", "Sweet home New Orleans", "Made me love you", "Mardi Gras stomp", "Blues drive me out of my mind".
GOTTA WALK WITH DA KING
Madewright
2010
Album live enregistré au Thirsty Ear Festival de Santa Fe, "Little" Freddie est supporté par son excellent groupe (en particulier Bobby Lewis DiTullio encore une fois remarquable à l'harmonica). Dense, puissant, terrien, il récèle quelques superbes pistes comme "Cleo's back", "Bus station blues", "Walking with Freddie", "Chicken dance", "Kinghead shuffle", "Tough frog to swallow".
Live album recorded at the Thirsty Ear Festival in Santa Fe, "Little" Freddie is supported by his excellent band (especially Bobby Lewis DiTullio again remarkable on harmonica). Dense, powerful and down-home, it features some great tracks such as "Cleo's back", "Bus station blues", "Walking with Freddie", "Chicken dance", "Kinghead shuffle", "Tough frog to swallow".
LITTLE FREDDIE KING
APO
2011
LIVE AT 2011 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2011
CHASING THA BLUES
Madewright
2012
Le son intense et immanquablement brut de "Little" Freddie King est toujours bien présent. Son groupe, précis et plein de feeling, l'accompagne merveilleusement. Un florilège de superbes titres méritent l'écoute : "Crackho Flo", "Louisiana train wreck", "Back in New Orleans", "Night time in Treme", "Standin' at yo door". A noter aussi une version remixée par Martin Tino Gross de "Bucket of blood".
The intense and unmistakably raw sound of "Little" Freddie King is always present. His backing band, precise and full of feeling, accompanies him wonderfully. A great selection of titles worth listening : "Crackho Flo", "Louisiana train wreck", "Back in New Orleans", "Night time in Treme", "Standin' at yo door". Also note a remixed version of "Bucket of blood" by Martin Tino Gross.
LIVE AT 2012 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2012
LIVE AT 2013 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2013
LIVE AT 2014 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2014
MESSIN' AROUND THA LIVING ROOM
Madewright
2015
En plus de son remarquable et dévoué groupe, "Little" Freddie peut compter sur les participations de Luke Winslow King et Vasti Jackson sur cet opus. "Bad bad Julie", "Hey Tom I saw you", "Back at the bucket of blood", "Two days two nights", "Do da duck quack quack" présentent ce cocktail habituel de blues terrien rude et hypnotique dans lequel il passé maitre.
In addition to his remarkable and dedicated band, "Little" Freddie can count on Luke Winslow King and Vasti Jackson's appearances on this album. "Bad bad Julie", "Hey Tom I saw you", "Back at the bucket of blood", "Two days two nights", "Do da duck quack quack" present this usual cocktail of rough and hypnotic blues in which he became a master.
LIVE AT 2015 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2015
LIVE AT 2016 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Munck Music
2016
YOU MAKE MY NIGHT
Madewright
2017
Bien que sa voix soit réellement limitée dans cet album live, Freddie réussit toujours à délivrer son blues brut et sans fioriture, bien supporté par son groupe régulier (Bobby Lewis Di Tullio et son batteur-producteur-manager "Wacko" Wade Wright notamment). Des pistes excitantes à souhait ("Tough frog to swallow", "Chicken dance", "Standin' at yo door") et des reprises convaincantes ("Wang dang doodle").
Although his voice is really limited in this live album, Freddie still manages to deliver his raw and unadorned blues, well supported by his regular band (Bobby Lewis Di Tullio and his drummer-producer-manager "Wacko" Wade Wright in particular). Exciting tracks ("Tough frog to swallow", "Chicken dance", "Standin' at yo door") and convincing covers ("Wang dang doodle").
JAW JACKIN' BLUES
Madewright
2020
Cet album réalisé sous la supervision de "Wacko" Wade, T.W. Wright et Tino Gross n'est pas vraiment un disque de Blues. Il s'agit plutôt d'un collage aléatoire de sons electro, de samples répétitifs sans vraiment d'inspiration ni de ligne directrice. Finalement, on n'entend pas beaucoup "Little" Freddie King, son chant ou sa guitare, rélégués au second plan. Le dernier titre "Trip to Detroit" ressemble enfin à du Blues.
This album produced under the supervision of "Wacko" Wade, T.W. Wright and Tino Gross is not really a Blues record. It's more of a random collage of electro sounds, repetitive samples without any real inspiration or guideline. Finally, we don't hear much "Little" Freddie King, his singing or his guitar, relegated to the background. The latest title "Trip to Detroit" finally looks like to Blues.