Sleepy John Estes was rediscovered in 1962, and made a key journey to Europe a few years later – captured here with a lean sound that's maybe even more haunting than some of his famous early records! The set just features Estes on guitar and vocals, with Hammie Nixon on harmonica and jug ... read moreCD
A strong, rightly raw set from T-Model Ford – doing his thing on record as well as he has for years, but that's especially remarkable given that he was creeping up on 90-years-old when he made it! It's all acoustic, single take recorded numbers with spare backing on harmonica, guitar and ... read moreCD
Lowell Fulsom —
Lovemaker ... LP Big Town, 1978. Sealed ...
Just Sold Out!
A bit later than some of Lowell Fulsom's funk work for Kent Records – but a set that's almost more vintage overall! The album's recorded for the short-lived Big Town imprint – a late 70s venue that took older R&B artists back to the sounds of a few decades before – never too ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Sealed original pressing! Cover has a small cutout hole.)
Very nice work from Lowell Fulsom – strongly in the mode of his Tramp album for Kent, with a mix of blues and 60s soul, coming together in a sock-hard style that's much better than a lot of Fulsom's other work for other labels! Arrangements are by Rene Hall and Maxwell Davis – the ... read moreCD
One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of THE all time classics of funky blues – a record built around Lowell's huge single "Tramp" – a massive tune that spawned a whole generation of answer tunes! "Tramp" kicks off the set with a stone break that's worth the price of the album – then Lowell ... read moreCD
Great early work from Lowell Fulson – tracks recorded in the 50s for Chess Records – all in Chicago, and a fair bit more obscure than some of Lowell's better-known sides from the 60s! There's still a nicely gritty groove going on here – a style that's rooted in blues, but which ... read moreCD
Some of the funkiest work we've ever heard from Vernon Garrett – recorded in California, but with a nicely gritty southern soul sound! The tunes have some of the bluesy inflections of Vernon's more famous work – but they also come across with a groove that's tighter, especially on the ... (Soul, Blues)read moreCD
(Vinyl has some small marks that click a bit on "Dock Of The Bay", "Who Was That Girl", and "If You Leave Me, I'll Go Crazy". Cover has light wear, unglued bottom seam, and is bent a bit at the sides.)
Jazz Gillum —
Essential ... CD Document/Classic Blues, 1930s/1940s. Used 2 CDs ...
$6.99
A blues album, but one with a difference – thanks to some tremendous help from the legendary Johnny Otis and his young son Shuggie! Despite the fact that the leader is billed as Guitar Slim Green, Shuggie actually plays some lead guitar on the record too – adding in some cool, ... read moreCD
Beautiful blues from Guitar Slim – west coast material from the mid-50s, recorded with some very hip backings! Slim's got a lean, mean edge – a style that's a bit similar to Johnny Watson in his early years, touched with some of the class of the R&B scene that was bubbling up in ... read moreCD
Landmark early 70s Buddy Guy on Vanguard! Titles include "Watermelon Man", "Hold That Plane", "I'm Ready", "You Don't Love Me", "Come See About Me", "Hello San Francisco" and more. CD
Not the Bay Area effort you might guess from the title – and instead a sweet Chicago session that's easily one of the funkiest records that Buddy Guy ever cut! There's a great mix of funk and soul mixed in with the blues – thanks to arrangements from Charles Stepney and Gene Barge, who ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s Original Chess Masters pressing. Cover has some ringwear, a bit of chewing at the top seam, center split in the bottom seam, and some stained spots in back.)
We love our Buddy Guy here in Chicago – and this set cut for Vanguard, one of his first full solo albums with his own band will always be a favorite! Buddy's late 60s sound was as charismatic as he'd always be, but there's an understated approach to his lead that's really wonderful, and hits ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Gold label stereo pressing. Cover has light surface wear, some aging, and a small split on the top seam.)
A smoking live performance from these two Chicago blues legends – recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, but with a gritty electric vibe that's very much like the duo's best work back home! The approach is very stripped-down and unadorned – just vocals by both Guy and ... read moreCD
(Stereo blue label King pressing. Cover has a cutout hole, minor seams splits, and a few corner bends.)
Wynonie Harris —
Playful Baby ... LP Route 66 (Sweden), Late 40s/Early 50s. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$14.99
Killer work from one of the hippest cats of the postwar years – including tracks recorded under his own name, plus Wynonie Harris vocals on recordings by Oscar Pettiford, Johnnie Alston, Todd Rhodes, and Lucky Millinder! Titles include "I Gotta Lyin Woman", "Playful Baby" ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s issue. Cover has light wear and aging, some minor stains, and lightly bent corners.)
An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into ... (Soul, Blues)read moreCD
Jessie Mae Hemphill —
Run Get My Shotgun ... LP Fat Possum/Big Legal Mess, 1989. New Copy ...
$13.9918.99
Jessie Mae Hemphill might look like an 80s blues artist on the cover, but the record's got a much more vintage vibe – as the set features field recordings done on New Years Eve in 1989, with Jessie Mae singing in a style that seems geared to ring in the year with the ghosts of the past! The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A classic album from the early years of soul music – the only full length set ever served up by the great Joe Henderson – a vocalist with roots in the legendary Fairfield Four gospel group, but sounding equally great here in a secular mode! The arrangements are by Cliff Parham, and ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original mono pressing. Cover has minimal wear, aging.)
Classic work from Joe Hinton – a labelmate to Bobby Blue Bland and Little Junior Parker on Duke Records, but an artist who was a bit more jazzy! The set includes his classic "Funny" – plus "If It Ain't One Thing", "Be Ever Wonderful", "The Whole Town's ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s green label pressing. Cover has light wear, some aging, splitting at the bottom of the spine, a promo sticker in front, and a round sticker in back.)
Three full albums from heavy rocker Bob "Catfish" Hodge – a great underground talent on the Detroit scene of the late 60s and early 70s – and one who recorded for the same Westbound label as Funkadelic! Hodge shares a lot with some of the best Detroit talents of the time ... (Rock, Blues)read moreCD
Earl Hooker/Jody Williams —
Leading Brand ... CD Red Lightnin/Good Time Records (UK), Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
Really great early work from guitarist Earl Hooker – and a set that also feature some soulful sides by Jody Williams too! The bulk of the album features Hooker laying down that amazing guitar sound that always made him so distinct, and such a key precursor to funk as well – working in ... read moreCD
A totally great little record – the initial recording of "Boogie Chillen" by the legendary John Lee Hooker – presented here on a 7" pressing that looks like the original single on Sensation Records from Detroit! Unlike that one, this issue features a bonus second take of ... (Funky 45's, Blues)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Boogie, indeed – as the tracks here are filled with the kind of skittish guitar lines that made John Lee Hooker one of the real standouts of the 50s scene – maybe one of the most rhythmic bluesmen of his generation, next to Bo Diddley! Like Diddley's classic records for Chess, most of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
John Lee Hooker —
Chill Out ... CD Pointblank, 1999. Used ...
$0.991.99
... CD
John Lee Hooker —
Cream ... LP Tomato, 1978. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ...
$49.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the Tomato inner sleeves. Cover has light wear, but looks great overall.)
John Lee Hooker —
Definitive Collection ... CD Hip-O, Late 40s/1950s/1960s/1970s/1980s/Early 90s. Used ...
$2.99
20 tracks in all – from early Detroit classics to later duets with Carlos Santana and Canned Heat! CD
About as classic as you can get for the legendary John Lee Hooker – a set of recordings from his early postwar years that perfectly define the special touch and electric genius of his music! The sound here is often as spare as rural acoustic blues from years back – but Hooker's using ... read moreCD
John Lee Hooker —
Healer ... CD Chameleon, 1989. Used ...
$1.99
Gritty work from John Lee Hooker – a set recorded at the end of the 60s in Paris, at a time when that city was playing host to some of the hippest blues work of the decade! The style here is very much like John Lee Hooker of a decade before – simple, stark, and unadorned – with a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
John Lee Hooker —
I'm In The Mood ... LP Up Front, Late 1950s/1960s. Very Good+ ...
$16.99
A collection of early recordings for Vee Jay, with titles that include "Baby Lee", "Trouble Blues", "Drug Store Woman", "Frisco Blues", "I'm In The Mood", and "Hobo Blues". LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 60s dark grey label issue. Cover has some ring and edge wear, price sticker remnants, some yellowing from age, and a light stain at the bottom of the spine.)
John Lee Hooker gets some great treatment here – working in a loose, groovy style for the Bluesway label – and getting a nice dose of funk right down at the core! The set's produced by Ed Michel – who'd also done some great soul jazz work over the years – and in addition to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Includes the ABC inner sleeve. Cover has surface wear, a promo sticker, and a number in pen.)
A really great, but very unusual John Lee Hooker album – one that was recorded in London with backing from later blues rock heroes The Groundhogs – a group who do a really great job here of hanging back, and letting Hook really take the lead! All those raw, gritty charms of Hooker's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A mighty tribute to the music of John Lee Hooker – a set that's got a nice batch of work from his important early years, and is especially heavy on Vee Jay Records material – and one that also includes tracks from his later recordings too! The first three CDs here are the meat of the ... read moreCD
John Lee Hooker —
Mr Lucky ... CD Pointblank/Charisma, 1991. Used ...
$2.99
Great gritty sides from the mighty John Lee Hooker – material with a slightly obscure origin, but recorded in the late 50s, right in a stretch when he was cutting some of his classics! Hooker's guitar and vocals are center stage – both growling with a hell of a lot of soulful power ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
With 43 tracks including "Big Mama Jump", "LA Blues", "Katie May", "Thinkin & Worryin", "Sugar On My Mind", "Moon Rise Blues", "Howling Wolf", and "See See Rider". CD
Rightly rootsy work from the great Lightnin Hopkins – captured beautifully here on a rare session for the mostly-folk Tradition label! A few tracks also feature some vocal assistance from Luke "Long Gone" Miles – and titles include "Long Time", "Baby", ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Lightnin Hopkins —
Guitar Lightnin ... CD Creative Sounds, Late 50s/1960s. Used ...
$3.99
Includes "Please Help Poor Me", "Way Out In Abilene", "Don't You Call That Boogie", "Swing In The Backyard", "The Hearse Is Backed Up To The Door" and more! CD
Lightnin Hopkins at his best – a set that rings out with all his bold electric tones on the guitar, yet which also has the moody, stripped-down feel of a blues recording from a few decades before! The electricity really does a lot to deepen the tone – both in the echo from Hopkins' ... read moreCD
Lightnin Hopkins —
Strums The Blues ... LP Score/Third Man, Early 50s. New Copy (reissue)...
$20.9926.99
A late 50s collection of earlier 78rpm singles issued by Aladdin Records – material that's far rawer than the "strums" in the title might imply! At a time when other blues musicians were fleshing things out a bit – sometimes adding in larger backings, horns, and a bit of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Great early work recorded for the United label – including a few unissued tracks! CD
(Barcode has a cutout hole.)
Walter Horton —
Fine Cuts ... LP Blind Pig, 1977. Sealed ...
$11.9916.99
Features Big Walter Horton on vocals and harmonica – with Ron Levy on piano, John Nicholas on guitar, and Mark Kazanoff on sax – on tiles that include "Walter's Swing", "Everybody's Fishin", "Worried Life", "Stop Clownin", "Hobo Blues", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great return to recording for Son House – a musician who'd stopped playing the guitar in the postwar years, but rose again to fame during the great folk blues revival of the 60s! The style here is every bit as classic as some of Son's earliest music – just recorded a lot better, too ... read moreCD
A really well done collection of work recorded by Howlin Wolf for Chess – put together in the early 70s, but featuring sides from the 50s and 60s. The album's got a good set of notes by Pete Welding, and tracks that include "Down In The Bottom", "Forty Four', "My Country ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s orange label pressing. Cover has light ringwear, slightly wavy panels, and some heavy wear at the bottom seam.)
The title definitely gets it right – as this 70s collection brings together most of the best Chess Records material by Howlin Wolf from the late 50s and early 60s – almost all of them small combo sides that present the man in all of his raspy, growling glory! The tracks span a space ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
2 blues classics from the great Howlin Wolf – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Howlin Wolf – a record that has Wolf tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for ... read moreCD
A famous date that showcases the Chess Records influence on the sound of the Brit rock scene – one that has a number of key players "giving back" to the label, and working on a special date with Howlin Wolf! Wolf's rough vocals are in the lead on all tracks, and he also plays a bit ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Two great female blues talents, recorded at a time when they were still alive and well in Chicago – Alberta Hunter on vocals, and Lovie Austin on piano! CD
18 tracks in all – including "I'm Satisfied", "Rich Women Blues", "Chicken", "here I Am Oh Lord Send Me", "Coffee Blues", "Shake That Thing", "Make Me A Pallet On The Floor", "Salty Dog", and "Trouble I Had ... read moreCD
A massive 3CD look at the key early years of Elmore James – a package that's overflowing with great work by one of the greatest blues guitarists of the 50s! The set starts way back at James' roots in Mississippi, with some sweetly rough-edged recordings that still sparkle with incredible ... read moreCD
Early work from the great Elmore James – originally recorded for the Meteor label! Titles include "Happy Home", "I Was A Fool", "Sunnyland", "Dust My Blues", "Sho Nuff I Do", "Canton Mississippi Breakdown", "Wild About You ... read moreCD
An amazing step forward for the young Etta James – a singer who was delivering a raw, shouting form of R&B just a few years before – but who here ascends into soul music heaven with her famous work on the album! The title cut is the stuff of legend – played and played, again ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Great spare work from Skip James – who plays both guitar and piano on the set! The album's one of Skip's best from the 60s – raw, rootsy, and undeniably powerful – with titles that include "Illinois Blues", "Catfish blues", "Mistreating Child Blues", ... read moreCD
A great overview of the work of Abner Jay – as much of a blues singer as the folk artist promised on the cover – working here in a stunning array of styles, pulled from a variety of recordings he made in the late 60s and early 70s! It's clear that Jay is one of those talents who was ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album