For the world at large, the complete Dupree & McPhee session has been little more than a listing in Blues Records for the best part of nearly four decades, and a hugely interesting musical experiment that virtually no one, outside of those who were present at the session, has ever heard until now. When Ace was buying a selection of tapes from Mike, he asked us if wed be interested in buying this unique 67 session, warning us that there wasnt really enough to make up a full-price CD, but assuring us that what there was, was very good indeed with both participants in top form throughout. Mike was right on all counts. There are only 17 tracks, but all are really great. Unless someone can tell me differently, Im going to stick my neck out and say that these tracks represent the only recordings of Champion Jack Dupree which feature him backed by just a solo guitar accompaniment. And what accompaniment Tony McPhee provides throughout! His stellar and beautifully-recorded picking on this session serves as a reminder of just why, at this time in particular, he was usually regarded as the equal of the Claptons and the Greens of the world, and often as their superior. Tony McPhee was always totally sensitive to the requirements of Jack Dupree, who regarded the younger man as being better than any of his Amercan peers and who worked with him whenver the opportunity arose. How well the two men complemented each other is apparent from the very first note of music here to the very last Jack Dupree moved to England not too long after this session was committed to tape, spending almost two decades living in Halifax, Yorkshire before moving to mainland Europe to live out his final years. During that time both he and Tony became musical icons; Dupree as one of the elder statesmen of classic blues and McPhee via his work with various line-ups of the Groundhogs that have continued to this day. Whatever else both men achieved (and in Tonys case, continue to achieve) in their recording careers, few of their susbsequent sessions remain as refreshing and satisfying as the music they made in North London on that day in 1967. 01 GET YOUR HEAD HAPPY 02 SICK IN BED 03 PAPA TOLD MAMA 04 EASY IS THE WAY 05 WHO WAS HERE A WHILE AGO 06 DOWN IN CLARKSDALE 07 BABY DON'T YOU PUT ME OUT 08 MY BABY TOLD ME 09 NO MEAT BLUES 10 MY DARLING 11 DEAD CAT ON THE LINE 12 TALK ALL IN MY SLEEP 13 GOT MY TICKET 14 MY HOME IN MISSISSIPPI 15 BLACK SNAKE BREAKDOWN 16 THE SNOW IS ON THE GROUND
