Blues — New Arrivals   New Arrivals Last Two Days 1st Time at DGA  

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The masterpiece! This album is a monumental work in the early soul vein that Bobby pioneered, and did better than anyone else. The arrangements are perfect, and Bobby's rough soulful voice is blended in this amazing way with killer horn arrangements that are far more sophisticated than most stuff... read more

Very raw, very rootsy stuff from Big Bill Broonzy, issued by Columbia (strangely enough) as part of their Adventures In Sound series. The packaging and the notes have the usual smug Columbia "serving up the best in roots culture for white liberals" tone – but the set's actually a... read more

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A smoking live set from the Butterfield Blues Band – and like all the group's work, as much of a jazz and soul album as a blues one! Butterfield drew his inspiration from the Chicago bluesmen, it's true – but his style also has plenty of echoes of New Orleans soul, Memphis R&B, and... read more

Massive lost work from the Butterfield Blues Band – recorded in 1964, quite early in the group's career – but a set that already has them hitting hard with a really powerful sound! The recording quality and overall sound is nice and rough – a gritty groove that's more closely... read more

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An amazing document from Tomkins Square – and a set that goes even beyond the usual high level of some of the other releases from the label! The set's a beautiful archival project – one that seeks to resurrect the rare music of Arizona Dranes – a gospel pianist and vocalist who... read more

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Frank Frost really kicks it hard on this set of classic recordings from the 60s – a batch of tracks that easily show why Frost was one of the funkiest bluesmen to record for the Jewel/Paula label! Frank sings and plays harmonica – but an equal attraction here is the rhythms –... read more

A pretty great late live set from Buddy Guy – who's tearing it up at his namesake Legends club in Chicago! Buddy's been throwing it down for years at Legends during annual winter residencies – which can be among the tougher tickets to score in the winter live club scene around here... read more

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Later Chess work by Howlin Wolf – but done in a rootsier electric mode that's similar to his earlier forays for the label! The set's from the years when Chess was backing off that great funk approach they brought to blues work at the end of the 60s – kind of a "back to basics"... read more

Seminal work from the great Ivory Joe Hunter – an artist who went onto have a huge impact on the development of music well into the 70s, but who doesn't always get his due! Joe's got a really amazing way of weaving together different strands of music – jazz, blues, and R&B –... read more

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One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront,... read more

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Gritty blues from the great Lightnin Slim – a set of tracks that has a romping, almost rocking groove right from the start – the kind of back/forth energy we might expect to hear more from Jimmy Reed at the time! The overall proceedings are definitely in a more rootsy mode, though... read more

Eight piano improvisations – recorded in 1939, issued here for the first time!... read more

Great work from the legendary Magic Sam – a smoking Chicago bluesman of the 60s, and one who was taken away from us all too soon! The set captures Sam in a club in his west side home – playing with the kind of sharp and soulful style he soon made famous on his West Side Soul album for... read more

Titles include "Leaving Trunk", "EZ Rider", "Dust My Broom", "Diving Duck Blues", "The Celebrated Walkin Blues", and "Statesboro Blues".... read more

Delta blues, recorded right near their source – an early Mississippi recording by Arhoolie Records – one that captures Mississippi Fred McDowell at his best! Fred's mostly on acoustic guitar, alongside his tremendous vocals – really stretched-out, well-inflected lyrics that could... read more

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An incredible album that has Cleanhead moving way past his usual bag! Sure, he's normally known as an R&B vocalist and alto player, but here, in one of those great Riverside "Cannonball Adderley Presents" sessions, Vinson gets into a whole new bag on some cuts. He's playing with... read more

The funk-tinged, pyschedelic soul album from Muddy Waters – one that irritated many a blues purist in its day – but it's finally reaching its earned status as a leftfield gem! You know, in the immediate years after this one (and similar funky blues albums on Chess/Cadet) was released,... read more

The funk-tinged, pyschedelic soul album from Muddy Waters – one that irritated many a blues purist in its day – but it's finally reaching its earned status as a leftfield gem! You know, in the immediate years after this one (and similar funky blues albums on Chess/Cadet) was released,... read more

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A bit blues, a bit soul, and very much in the bayou mode promised in the title – especially given that some of the tracks here have a bit of a zydeco flair too! The package is a great entry in this series exploring the undercurrents of Louisiana music – and really illustrates the way... read more

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Features work by Cow Cow Davenport, Bert Mays, Lee Green, Dan Stewart, and Montana Taylor.... read more

Features work by Pinetop Burks, Bernice Edwards, Black Ivory King, and Son Becky.... read more

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