Essential Recordings: Down on Bended Knee

Personnel: Johnny Copeland (vocals, guitar); John Leibman, Jimmy Hyacinthe, Ken Pino, Stevie Ray Vaughan (guitar); George Adams (saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Joe Rigby (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Byard Lancaster (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Sam Furnace (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Kotti Assale, Arthur Blythe (alto saxophone); Bert McGowan, Greg Alper (tenor saxophone); Yusef Yancey, Ben Bierman, John Pratt (trumpet); Emmett King, Bill Ohashi, George Lewis , Garrett List (trombone); Ken Vangel (piano); Michael Merritt (bass guitar); Candy McDonald, Jimmy Wormworth, Dwayne "Cook" Broadnax (drums); Souliman Moamed, Souliman Moamed (percussion).
Audio Mixers: Joe Arlotta; Michael Finlayson; Paul Mufson; Bob Blank.
Audio Remasterer: Jonathan Wyner.
Recording information: Blank Tapes, New York, NY; Hip Pocket Studios, New York, NY; JBZ Studios, Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Unique Recorders, New York, NY.
Photographer: Jack Vartoogian.
Arranger: Ken Vangel.
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.