Personnel: Johnny Copeland (vocals, guitar); Stevie Ray Vaughan (guitar); George Adams (saxophone); Michael Merritt (bass guitar); Dwayne "Cook" Broadnax (drums); Souliman Moamed (percussion).
Johnny Copeland was unusual among his contemporaries in that he played a sophisticated brand of horn-laden urban blues heavily influenced by T-Bone Walker. ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS: DOWN ON BENDED KNEE collects the best of Copeland's 1980s recordings for Rounder Records. The New York-via-Houston bluesman's big voice and tasty, stinging guitar leads are in evidence on everything from funk workouts ("Kasavubu") to gospel-style roof raisers ("Claim Jumper") to classic shuffles ("Down On Bended Knee"). All the songs are Copeland originals too, making this collection one of the best representations of some of Copeland's best work.
