A nice little collection of Bo Diddley's earlier work for Chess – put together in the early 70s, when Bo was in his Black Gladiator phase, as pictured on the cover – but featuring the rawer, rougher grooves of his initial recordings in the late 50s and early 60s! The Bo Diddley groove ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(French pressing with blue fade labels in a gatefold cover, with a small center split in the top seam.)
There's no suffering here – as the record's a real delight, and one of the more unique sessions in the career of the great John Lee Hooker! The record was done for Impulse Records, mostly known for its jazz recordings at the time – and the session has the vocals and guitar of John Lee ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Not the famous Broadway cast recording – but the real deal instead – vintage 78rpm recordings by one of the hippest female blues singers of the 20s! LP, Vinyl record album
Incredible work from Jimmy Rogers – an important early figure on the postwar Chicago blues scene, captured here in a set of his best material for Chess! LP, Vinyl record album
Various —
Story Of The Blues ... LP Columbia, 1930s/1940s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
Includes work by Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Willie McTell, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Leadbelly, Memphis Jug Band, Bessie Smith, Leroy Carr/Scrapper Blackwell, Bo Carter, Robert Johnson, Brownie McGhee, Big Bill Broonzy, Elmore James, Otis Spann, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album
Great small combo blues from Chicago – with Spann on piano and vocals – plus James Cotton on harmonica and additioanl vocals, and both James Madison and "Dirty Rivers" (aka Muddy Waters) on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album
A late 60s album on Chess Records – but one that serves to bring together all the best early work that Muddy Waters did for the label – including lots of original 45s and 78s! The range of music is really wonderful – the kind of tracks that first got Waters noticed in the first ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Orange label pressing. Cover has edge and ring wear.)
A real classic from blues giant Joe Turner – a singer who burst back to the mainstream on 50s Atlantic Records, thanks to a host of R&B singles that burned up the charts – but who here returns to his roots, and lays down a great set of jazzy tunes that get back to his roots in the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Rockefeller label pressing with Warner rim logo. Cover has light wear, aging, and a cutout notch.)
(Early 90s issue. Cover has light wear and is bent a bit at the bottom right corner.)
Ruth Brown —
Rockin' With Ruth ... LP Atlantic/Charly (UK), 1950s. Near Mint- ...
Just Sold Out!
Classic 50s Atlantic R&B from Ruth Brown! Titles include "Oh What A Dream", "Don't Deceive Me", "Papa Daddy", "I Can't Hear A Word You Say", "Daddy Daddy", "5 10 15 Hours", "Teardrops From My Eyes", and "Love ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s issue. Cover has light wear.)
Professor Longhair —
Crawfish Fiesta ... LP Alligator, 1980. Near Mint- ...
Just Sold Out!
Titles include "Red Beans", "Willie Fugal's Blues", "Crawfish Fiesta", "It's My Fault Darling", and "Her Mind Is Gone". (Soul, Blues)LP, Vinyl record album
(Green label pressing. Cover has a small trace of a price sticker.)
A great mix of jazz and blues from Joe Turner – a set that seems to draw from his Kansas City roots, yet also inflect the sound with some of the blues changes of the 70s! Joe's got two key soloists here – Sonny Stitt on tenor and alto, and Pee Wee Crayton on guitar – and the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A great collection of Maybelle's big early hits for Savoy – all featuring backings directed by Ernie Wilkins, with a nice jazzy undercurrent. Maybelle's got a robust voice that was one of the first key attempts to bridge gospel, R&B, and jazz – and the album features 10 tracks that ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Maroon label pressing, in a red tinted cover. Cover has light wear, a small cut corner, and a bit of seam splitting – but this is a nice copy overall.)
Gruff and deep down beautiful Mississippi Blues from Bukka White – released on John Fahey's Takoma label at the end of the 60s and featuring rawly rollicking, shaky voice intensity and that heat producing bottleneck guitar! It's wonderful stuff, certainly a high water mark for the late 60s ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(1980 pressing. Cover has a small rip near the top left corner, but looks great overall.)
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
A heavy dig through the vaults of Savoy Records – with great material by Nappy Brown, Chicago Carl Davis, Eddie Mack, H-Bomb Ferguson, and Gatemouth Moore! (Soul, Blues)LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo late 60s red label pressing. Cover has some wear & aging, small bottom seam split. The back has a faint stain across the top.)
Butterfield Blues Band —
East West ... LP Elektra, 1966. Very Good- ...
$11.99
Titles include "Walkin Blues", "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Mary Mary", "East West", "Two Trains Running", and "Work Song". (Rock, Blues)LP, Vinyl record album
Classic Texas blues from Clarence Gatemouth Brown – with titles that include "Gate's Salty Blues", "She Winked Her Eye", "Just Got Lucky", "You Got Money", "Okie Dokie Stomp", "Just Before Dawn", and "Sad Hour". LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s issue. Cover has light wear and a trace of a sticker.)
One of the most tightly-produced of BB King's albums for MCA, but a set that's still filled with undeniable charm – and which really shows King more than able to step up to some well-deserved superstardom! There's a bit of an LA finish to the backings, but things are never too smooth – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow label pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light ring & edge wear.)
A sharp live set, recorded in 1975 by Trio Records in Tokyo – with Rush on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Johnson on second guitar, Sylvester Boines on bass, and Tyrone Centuray on drums! LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover looks great, with just one tiny corner bump.)
One of the biggest albums of Muddy Waters' career – a key crossover effort that has Waters as the "father" working with "sons" Paul Butterfield and Michael Bloomfield! The style here is still quite rootsy overall – and the double-length session features one album ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Orange label pressing in a non-gatefold cover, with a cutout notch.)
A pair of very stripped-down albums from John Lee Hooker – issued together in this 70s set! First up is Country Blues Of John Lee Hooker – featuring the legendary John Lee Hooker, heard here in one of his more obscure recordings from the late 50s – at least in contrast to his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(70s brown label pressing. Cover has a small center split on the top seam and some light wear, but looks great overall.)
Features Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonic and vocals – in a trio with guitar from Matt Murphy and drums from Billie Stepney – plus added piano from Memphis Slim on a few tracks! LP, Vinyl record album
Produced by Tommy Couch, with tracks that include ZZ's classic "Down Home Blues" – plus "Givin It Up For Your Love", "Woman Don't Go Astray", "When It Rains It Pours", and "Love Me". (Soul, Blues)LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear.)
Joe Turner —
Texas Style ... LP Black & Blue (France), 1971. Near Mint- ...
$9.99
Great rootsy blues from John Lee Hooker – and an unusual session that has him getting backup help from jazz players Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums! Jones and Hayes only play on a handful of tracks, and most of the focus is on Hooker's damn-great vocals, and acoustic guitar – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(200 gram OBC pressing. Cover is bent a bit at the top left corner.)
A great session that features Jimmy Rushing singing in the rootsy style of his early Kansas City recordings, with backing by a group that includes the legendary Pete Johson on piano, plus Rudy Powell on alto, Emmett Berry on trumpet, Buddy Tate on tenor, and Freddie Greene on guitar. Titles ... (Vocalists, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Japanese pressing – K20P 6184 – with insert. Cover is lightly bumped at the bottom right corner.)
Joe Turner with Pete Johnson —
Jumpin The Blues ... LP Arhoolie, Late 40s. Near Mint- ...
$9.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing. Cover has bumped corners and is bent a bit at the top right corner.)
Features work by Donald Kinsey & The Kinsey Report, Valerie Wellington, Dion Payton & The 43rd Street Blues Band, The Sons Of Blues/Chi-Town Hustlers, The Professor's Blues Review featuring Gloria Hardiman, John Watkins, Michael Coleman, Maurice John Vaughn, Melvin Taylor & The Slack ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner, light wear and aging, and is lightly bent at the right side.)
Recorded with a hip group that includes Lloyd Glenn on piano, Pee Wee Crayton on guitar, Joe Banks on trumpet, and Hollis Gilmore and Bill Clark on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the booklet.)
John Mayall's Blues Breakers —
Bare Wires ... LP London, 1968. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$16.99
Another great step forward for the legendary John Mayall – proof that he was never just content to copy American blues modes, and always willing to bring something new to the table! Although steeped in sounds from the delta on up to Chicago, the record's also got a hipper, almost trippier ... (Rock, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue label pressing with Bell Sound/SF etch. Cover has light aging, but is nice overall.)
Albert Collins —
Ice Pickin' ... LP Alligator, 1978. Near Mint- ...
$19.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
Son Seals —
Bad Axe ... LP Alligator, 1984. Near Mint- ...
$8.99
An Alligator Records classic, and a great showcase for Chicago guitarist Son Seals – who also serves up some great vocals too! Titles include "Cold Blood", "Friday Again", "Don't Pick Me For Your Fool", "Out Of My Way", "Person To Person", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A tight date from 1977, and one that follows nicely in the spirit of King's later Stax sides, but with a slightly smoother groove. There's a bit of the Detroit 70s mode going on in the set – that rough-and-smooth quality that you'd find on a Don Davis production, which proves to be a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout notch, but is nice.)
John Lee Hooker & Coast To Coast Blues Band —
Anywhere Anyplace Anytime ... LP United Artists, Late 40s/Early 50s. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
$19.99
Early recordings by John Lee Hooker and his Coast To Coast Blues Band – recorded in Detroit in the late 40s through the early 50s. The Coast To Coast Blues Band may be a little misleading in the title, as the recordings find Hooker with only the sparest accompaniment on bass, drums, and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner, half split top seam, some wear and aging.)
Lightnin Hopkins —
Blue Lightnin' ... LP Jewel/P-Vine (Japan), 1965. New Copy (reissue)...
$31.9939.99
A real 60s killer from Lightnin Hopkins – the kind of set that showed that even when just working alone, he could carry the force of a much bigger group! Hopkins plays guitar here with just a bit of rhythm at points – a drummer who kicks things up on a few cuts – and he's got a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Josh White —
In Memoriam ... LP Tradition, Early 50s. Very Good+ ...
$3.99
Johnny's very much in his "revival" mode here – dipping back to his earlier R&B roots, and working with a host of famous older blues singers. The set's got vocals by Roy Milton, Roy Brown, Esther Phillips, Mighty Mouth Evans, Ivory Joe Hunter, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Margie ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow label stereo pressing. Cover has a cut corner, light wear and aging, a large peeled strip in front, and splitting in the spine. Labels have a name in marker.)
All 41 recordings of Robert Johnson – a lasting legacy of music that's still one of the touchpoints for any exploration of early blues! LP, Vinyl record album
(Original early 90s issue. Includes the booklet and catalog insert. Box has some corner wear, light wear and lightly bent side in back, and is bent a bit at the left edge.)
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee —
Home Town Blues ... LP Mainstream, Late 1940s/Early 1950s. Very Good ...
$8.99
A range of different recordings from the team of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee – all recorded by a young Bob Shad at the end of the 40s and start of the 50s – and originally issued as 78s on the Sittin In With and Jax labels! The work is quite rootsy, even for the time – but ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono mid 60s pressing. Cover has aging and light surface wear, spot of pen on the back.)
The cover's a striking one – and it definitely supports the music inside, given that most of these Bo Carter tunes are vintage blues tunes with a decidedly erotic bent! The metaphors are obvious, but they're put together beautifully – without any of the heavy-handed schlock that later ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Fantastic material from Jimmy Witherspoon – that sublime mix of blues and jazz that really set him apart from the rest! Titles include "Failing By Degrees", "Big Fine Girl", "Have A Ball", "Fickle Woman", "Sweet Lovin Baby", and "Ain't ... (Vocalists, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black and silver Crown label pressing, with deep groove. Cover has some light wear and a split top seam.)
The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label pressing with rainbow Crown logo and deep groove. Cover has some light wear, but no splits – and vinyl is nice and clean.)
With small combo backing from Zoot Sims and Al Cohn on tenor, plus Budd Johnson on tenor and soprano sax, Ray Nance on cornet, and Dave Frishberg on piano! Titles include "Fine And Mellow", "I Surrender Dear", "Linger Awhile", "My Last Affair", "More ... (Vocalists, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout notch and light wear.)
Rev Gary Davis —
At Newport ... LP Vanguard, 1965. Near Mint- ...
$24.99
Features Gary Davis on six and twelve string guitar, plus a bit of harmonica – on titles that include "Lovin Spoonful", "Samson & Delilah", "You Got To Move", "Twelve Sticks", "Buck Dance", and "Twelve Gates To The City". LP, Vinyl record album
Produced by Rod Stewart and Elton John. With Ron Wood and most of the players that would wind up playing on Rod's "Every Picture Tells A Story" album. (Rock, Blues)LP, Vinyl record album
(White label stereo promo. Cover has light wear and aging.)
John Mayall's Blues Breakers —
Crusade ... LP London, 1967. Very Good- ...
$9.99
John Mayall's on a new crusade here – hitting lines that are almost more truly blusey than his previous albums – thanks to a new lineup in the Blues Breakers combo! Alongside Mayall's lead on vocals, organ, harmonica, and bottleneck guitar – the group also features Mick Taylor on ... (Rock, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue label pressing with Bell Sound stamp. Includes London inner sleeve. Cover has a split spine with clear tape repair, edge & surface wear, aging.)
Wild electric work from Les McCann – an album of free, open sounds that's quite a change from his styles of the 60s – and from most of his other work of the 70s too! Side one features an extended 26 minute track titled "The Lovers" – a slow-building number that has Les ... (Jazz, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(1841 Broadway label pressing. Cover has ring wear with a peel spot in the middle, light surface wear, small top seam split.)
Joe Turner —
I Don't Dig It ... LP Jukebox Lil (Sweden), 1940s. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
$4.99
Excellent work from this lost time in the career of the great Joe Turner – material after his early work with Count Basie in the 30s, but before his rock and roll revival on Atlantic in the 50s! LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear and a rip on the back with a strip of clear tape.)
An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and ... (Rock, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono gold "big E" label pressing. Cover has light wear and aging.)
Features early work by Homesick James, Baby Face Leroy, Little Walter, JB Hutto, Eddie Boyd, Junior Wells, Little Willie Foster, Snooky & Moody, Johnny Young, Floyd Jones, Big Walter, Rober Nighthawk, and John Brim. LP, Vinyl record album
(60s issue. Cover has split seams, surface wear, aging, and a bit of pen.)
A really well-recorded set by Lightnin Hopkins – one that's got a crisper, cleaner sound than some of his others of the time – yet which still comes across with all his best rootsy modes too! The instrumentation here is quite spare – just Hopkins' acoustic guitar behind his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mono Bluesville pressing with deep groove and RVG stamp. Vinyl has some pressing bumps, but is nice and clean. Cover has water damage a few inches off the spine, with some staining and peeling.)
A really wonderful album of Etta James material for Chess – 10 of her biggest tracks for the label, including some really hard-hitting R&B numbers, mixed with other tunes that represent the sadder, softer side of Etta's wonderful voice! Tracks include "Stop The Wedding", "S ... (Soul, Blues)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Turquoise label pressing with gold printing.)
Eddie C Campbell —
King Of The Jungle ... LP Mr Blues/P-Vine (Japan), 1977. New Copy (reissue)...
$32.9939.99
A raw cooker from the Chicago scene of the 70s – the best kind of gritty electric blues that was being recorded by the indie labels, even at a time when other bigger companies were trying to turn it into cliche! Eddie Campbell is great here – with raw vocals that captivate instantly, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Seminal sounds from Elmore James – a classic album that brings together material recorded in California, New Orleans, and Chicago – all with an amazing focus on Elmore's stunning talents on electric guitar! The music here mixes sides that have tight band backing with some smaller combo ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Beautiful Japanese pressing – much nicer vinyl than the original, and it includes 2 bonus tracks!)
The legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, recorded in Copenhagen in the early 60s – but at a level that's still strongly respectful of all the work he'd done in the US – maybe even more so, given the rootsy feel of the whole record! The group is small, and Sonny's vocals and harmonica are ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(UK pressing. Cover has some ring and edge wear, lightly bent edges and front panel, and some writing in pen in back.)
A French session from harmonica player Sugar Blue – with titles that include "Shed No Tears", "War Zone", "Pontiac", "My Baby Caught The Train", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Begging The Girl To Go". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has some edge wear.)
A killer album of funky blues – recorded by Howlin Wolf during the period when Chess/Cadet was backing its older artists up with some of the newer funk musicians it had working in its studios! The overall sound works quite well – and although purists at the time moaned at the way ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo Cadet Concept pressing with deep groove. Cover has some ringwear, yellowing from age at the edges, and spotty blemishes.)
Great R&B work from a range of Savoy singers – Big Maybelle, Little Esther, Albinia Jones, Miss Rhapsody, and Linda Hopkins – all 78rpm material, packaged here with great notes! LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cut corner, large promo sticker, and some ring impressions.)
An incredible slice of Chicago blues – and maybe one of the most important contributions Delmark ever made to the Windy City scene! The album captures Junior Wells in all his rough and raw brilliance – working in territory that's quite similar to the Chess Records vibe of the early 60s ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(White label Lincoln Ave pressing a 7 West Grand cover.)