All Categories — All Formats  

Raw blues from Sonny Boy Williamson – harmonica, guitar, and some rough drumming underneath the vocals – all in a mode that has plenty of early Chess Records grit! And despite the "down and out" title and cover image, Sonny's got a heck of a lot of punch here – an approach to the blues that is almost more vibrant than some of his Chess contemporaries, and which brings a bit of R&B "umph" to the mix! Tracks were recorded over a number of sessions in the late 50s – and titles include "Dissatisfied", "Don't Start Me To Talkin", "I Don't Know", "Wake Up Baby", and "99".

Acoustic guitar vamps strongly along with the groove – setting up a mighty hip rhythm for the vocals and harmonica of Sonny Boy Williamson! "Polly" is one of those numbers that perfectly shows Sonny's influence on 60s rockers – especially in the UK – and the "Mellow Chick" flipside has a similar bad-strutting groove!

Includes tracks by Luke Jordan, Blind Willie McTell, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elijah Jones, Clifford Gibson, James Rachel, the Memphis Jug Band, Joe Williams, Cannons's Jug Stompers, and Walter Davis.