Fish Ain't Bittin

Rating

Album: Fish Ain't Bittin
#	Song Title		Time
1)	High Fever Blues	More Info...	0:03
2)	Frankie and Johnnie	More Info...	0:03
3)	Berry Owens Blues	More Info...	0:03
4)	Take Me Back	More Info...	0:02
5)	Fish Ain't Bitin'	More Info...	0:03
6)	Preaching Blues	More Info...	0:05
7)	Bumble Bee Blues	More Info...	0:04
8)	God Don't Ever Change	More Info...	0:02
9)	5-O Blues	More Info...	0:05
10)	Mama Got Worried	More Info...	0:03
11)	Worried Life Blues	More Info...	0:03
12)	High Fever Blues (Solo Version)	More Info...	0:04
13)	Jack O'diamonds	More Info...	0:02
14)	If You Leave Me	More Info...	0:02
15)	Moosemilk Blues	More Info...	0:03
16)	You Got to Move	More Info...	0:03
17)	Clean Rag	More Info...	0:02

Album: Fish Ain't Bittin
#	Song Title		Time
1)	High Fever Blues	More Info...	0:03
2)	Frankie and Johnnie	More Info...	0:03
3)	Berry Owens Blues	More Info...	0:03
4)	Take Me Back	More Info...	0:02
5)	Fish Ain't Bitin'	More Info...	0:03
6)	Preaching Blues	More Info...	0:05
7)	Bumble Bee Blues	More Info...	0:04
8)	God Don't Ever Change	More Info...	0:02
9)	5-O Blues	More Info...	0:05
10)	Mama Got Worried	More Info...	0:03
11)	Worried Life Blues	More Info...	0:03
12)	High Fever Blues (Solo Version)	More Info...	0:04
13)	Jack O'diamonds	More Info...	0:02
14)	If You Leave Me	More Info...	0:02
15)	Moosemilk Blues	More Info...	0:03
16)	You Got to Move	More Info...	0:03
17)	Clean Rag	More Info...	0:02

Performer Notes

Includes liner notes by Neil Strauss.
While Harris's first album, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAY was strong but unsurprising, FISH AIN'T BITIN' finds Harris moving into uncharted waters. The addition of a New Orleans-style horn section (two trombones and a tuba) and a percussionist provide striking contrast to the acoustic-based approach of Harris's debut, and complement his country blues fingerpicking perfectly. While a traditional Delta flavor is maintained throughout, the cuts where Harris is joined by the horns create a new paradigm that's solidly roots-minded but still wholly original. Instead of sounding like a self-conscious addition, the horns mesh with the guitar, sharing phrases and providing organic counterpoint.
Percussionist Harry "Point Man" M. Dennis, Jr. rounds out the sound nicely with his minimalist approach to timekeeping--he often sounds like he's just tapping along on a piece of metal or wood. Like any bluesman worth his salt, Harris has got religion too, as evidenced by intense readings of Mississippi Fred McDowell's "You Got to Move" and Son House's classic "Preaching Blues." The perfect mix of traditionalism and innovation, FISH AIN'T BITIN' is one of the finest acoustic blues albums of the '90s.

Professional Reviews

Q (6/97, p.131) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...rises above the stature of loving recreation to that of serious blues performance."

Down Beat (7/97, p.63) - 3 stars (out of 5) - "...a young black guitarist whose forte is country blues....on his second album, the 28-year-old is getting closer to a musical personality of his own..."

JazzTimes (8/97, p.75) - "...the young Delta interpreter Corey Harris, once again invokes the ghosts of Robert Johnson, Skip James and Bukka White...Harris gets off some fine Piedmont-styled picking....Corey Harris is the authentic article; the real keeper of the Delta flame."

Option (7-8/97, p.110) - "...he's so comfortable with the blues form that it's completely contemporary....FISH AIN'T BITIN' is further proof of just how much a genuine artist can find in the blues."

Village Voice (4/15/97, p.62) - "...After a debut that established his mastery of the Delta idiom, this young black Denver native does something really hard--proves he's big enough to fool around with it..." - Rating: A-