Mem Shannon's first album, A Cab Driver's Blues, became a minor media sensation upon its 1995 release due to circumstance more than music.
Shannon's story is fascinating -- he's a New Orleans taxi driver who wanted to get out of the business and become a bluesman.
That's basically what all the songs on the album are about, whether they're about the job ("5th Ward Horseman," "$17.00 Brunette"), domestic problems ("My Baby's Been Watching TV") or just life in general ("Food Drink and Music," "Ode to Benny Hill").
Shannon's songs have so much specificity and detail that they wind up being much more interesting than the average contemporary blues album.
Also, his warm, laidback musical style is idiosyncratic and unpredictable.
His delivery is friendly and conversational -- he often sounds as if he's singing directly to the listener.
And it's that special, intimate quality that makes A Cab Driver's Blues a truly unique and special contemporary blues record.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5th Ward HorsemanMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:45 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Play the Guitar SonMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | $17.00 BrunetteMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:26 | 3 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | You Ain't Nothin' NiceMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 02:20 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | My Baby's Been Watching TVMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:09 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Me and My BedMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 03:51 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Ode to Benny HillMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:18 | 3 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Taxicab DriverMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:44 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | The Miserable BastardMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 02:07 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | One Hot NightMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 03:29 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | The Boogie ManMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:50 | 11 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | MaxineMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:28 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 13 | The Older BroadMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 00:57 | 2 MB | 0 MB |
| 14 | Got to GoMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 0 MB |
| 15 | ChantelleMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:02 | 2 MB | 0 MB |
| 16 | If This Ain't the BluesMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 05:35 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 17 | Food Drink and MusicMem Shannon | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:52 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 18 | Dick Tie Comandos | Mem Shannon | Play | 01:52 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 54 mins | 124 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold | Drums |
| 2 | Jackie Banks | Organ, Piano, Synthesizer |
| 3 | Mark Bingham | Editing, Engineer, Producer |
| 4 | Peter Carter | Bass |
| 5 | Tim Green | Sax (Tenor) |
| 6 | Mark Hood | Mastering |
| 7 | Reggie Houston | Executive Producer |
| 8 | John MacDonald | Mastering |
| 9 | Amasa Miller | Executive Producer |
| 10 | Charmaine Neville | Executive Producer |
| 11 | Patti Perret | Photography |
| 12 | Mem Shannon | Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 13 | Barry Thomas | Drums |
| 14 | Portia Williams | Mastering Assistant |
Mem Shannon
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |