Blues — Vinyl
Our Chicago roots run deep here, with plenty of postwar Chicago blues -- plus delta blues, folk blues, electric blues, pre-war blues, and more!
Chess (label)
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(Items 1 – 59 of 59)
Kip Anderson & Willie Walker —
Southern Soul Stock Vol 1 ... LP 
Chess/P-Vine (Japan), Late 60s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Chuck Berry —
London Sessions ... LP Chess, 1972. Very Good+ Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Chuck Berry makes the same London move as some of his other Chess Records contemporaries – and the result is one of Chuck's best albums from the later years! The set's not as star-studded as other efforts of this nature – but that's fine with us because Chuck really shines as the lead ... (Soul, Blues) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Big Bill Broonzy & Washboard Sam —
Big Bill Broonzy & Washboard Sam ... LP Chess, 1962. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A side each of these two important talents in blues – presented here in a format that makes the record a real double-header! Side one features Big Bill Broonzy in the lead – working with sweet electric lines on guitar alongside acoustic and his own really rich vocals – plus this ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(80s Original Chess Masters pressing.)
Bo Diddley —
Another Dimension ... LP Chess, 1971. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Funky Bo Diddley – one of Bo's key early 70s sessions for Chess Records – all of which have him stepping out in a much harder groove than years past! The sound here is relatively tight – with Diddley guitar and vocals on top of some larger arrangements from Bob Gallo – ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Bo Diddley —
Got My Own Bag Of Tricks ... LP Chess, Late 50s/1960s. Very Good+ 2LP ... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
Bo Diddley —
I'm A Man – The Chess Masters 1955 to 1958 (4LP silver vinyl) (2023 Black Friday Release) ... LP Chess/Third Man, Mid 50s. New Copy 4LP (reissue)... Out Of Stock
The birth of a genius – and an amazing batch of early material from the legendary Bo Diddley! Even at his start, Bo was unlike anyone else – a completely unique, completely self-contained bluesman who not only brought a wealth of new songs and styles to Chess Records, but who also did ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Bo Diddley —
Where It All Began ... LP Chess, 1972. Near Mint- Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Bo Diddley/Chess, 1967. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A Chicago blues trifecta – and the first time ever that Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and Little Waters ever worked together! The set's got a raw power that definitely lives up to the title – a wicked mix of raw guitars, rough rhythms, and some wonderfully soulful vocals – all served ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(60s stereo blue fade label pressing with deep groove. Cover has some surface wear & aging.)
Lowell Fulsom —
Lowell Fulson – Chess Blues Masters Series ... LP Chess, Mid 60s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Is it Fulsom or Fulson? We're not going to try and present ourselves as the authority, but what we can tell you is this collection features 27 tracks from the man, mostly raw blues, though a number of cuts are more produced, with full horn section and piano complementing Fulsom's guitar and vocals ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing in the textured cover.)
Paul Gayten & Others —
Paul Gayten Presents The Crescent City Roll 1957 ... LP Chess/P-Vine (Japan), 1957. Near Mint- 2LP ... Out Of Stock
A very cool collection – all rare New Orleans R&B, originally issued on 50s singles by Chess Records, mostly handled by producer/arranger Paul Gayten! Features work by Al Little, Ralph Williams, TV Slim, Robert Green, Roland Cook, Sherman Jones, Charles Williams, Buddy Stewart, Virginia ... (Soul, Blues) read more LP, Vinyl record album
Buddy Guy —
Chess Masters ... LP Chess, Early 60s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 80s issue. Cover has light wear and is lightly bent at the top right corner.)
Buddy Guy —
I Left My Blues In San Francisco ... LP Chess, 1969. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
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 more LP, 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.)
Buddy Guy —
I Was Walking Through The Woods ... LP Chess, Early 60s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Buddy Guy reached much bigger fame on later labels, but he sounds pretty darn great here in a set of early recordings done for Chess – all sides recorded in the first half of the 60s, when Buddy represented one of the best talents in a new generation of bluesmen rising up in Chicago! The ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
John Lee Hooker —
House Of The Blues ... LP Chess, Early 50s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
A rootsy cover, and some rootsy blues to match – a fairly stripped down session from John Lee Hooker –- and one that mostly just features vocals and guitar, plus some occasional added guitar and piano! Most of the recordings here are from the early 50s, pulled together in a full LP at ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
John Lee Hooker —
Real Folk Blues ... LP Chess, 1966. Very Good+ ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s French Vogue pressing. Cover looks great, with just a small corner bump. Vinyl has a short click for a few spins on "Let's Go Out Tonight", but is fantastic otherwise.)
Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... $19.99
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s orange label pressing. Cover has light ringwear, slightly wavy panels, and some heavy wear at the bottom seam.)
Chess/Jackpot, Late 50s/Early 60s. New Copy (reissue)... $20.99 23.99
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition colored vinyl!)
Howlin Wolf —
Howlin' Wolf – Chess Blues Master Series ... LP Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s pressing. Cover has light aging and wear.)
Howlin Wolf —
London Sessions (180 gram pressing) ... LP Chess/Elemental (Spain), 1970. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 1000 – on heavyweight vinyl!)
Howlin Wolf —
Message To The Young ... LP Chess/Elemental, 1971. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
Funky blues work from Howlin Wolf – his key entry into the funked-up genre that Chess Records was cutting at the end of the 60s with other blues artists like Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Muddy Waters! As on records with those artists, Wolf's older modes are updated here for a hipper, younger ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Howlin' Wolf —
Come To Me Baby/
Chess, 1955. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
(Funky 45's, Blues) 7-inch, Vinyl record
(60s blue fade label pressing in a Chess Group sleeve, with a number written in pen.)
Elmore James/Chess, 1950s. Near Mint- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great entry in the Chess Heritage Series at the end of the 60s – one that features rare 50s Chicago recordings by Elmore James, plus some even more obscure sides by lesser-known singer John Brim! James' style is well known, and well-executed here – rough and raw, but with a good ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(60s blue label pressing. Cover has very light wear – vinyl is great.)
Chess, 1950s. Near Mint- ... $14.99
A great entry in the Chess Heritage Series at the end of the 60s – one that features rare 50s Chicago recordings by Elmore James, plus some even more obscure sides by lesser-known singer John Brim! James' style is well known, and well-executed here – rough and raw, but with a good ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Etta James —
At Last (with bonus tracks) ... LP Argo/Chess/Jackpot, 1960. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Black vinyl pressing.)
Albert King & Otis Rush —
Door To Door ... LP Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
A split album of early recordings by Otis Rush and Albert King – both featured here in early Chicago sides done for Chess Records in the years before their bigger late 60s fame! The style here is mostly stripped down, but still pretty tight – not as rough-edged as some of their Chess ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
JB Lenoir —
Natural Man ... LP Chess, Mid 50s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
A really great collection of Chess Records work by JB Lenoir – one of the more unusual singers on the Chicago scene at the time – and one with a sound that's pretty darn great all the way through! Lenoir's tone is a pitch or two up from most of his contemporaries – not as gritty ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 70s mono blue fade label pressing. Cover has some ringwer, edge wear, light scrapes in front, and some writing in pen in back.)
Little Walter —
Best Of Little Walter ... LP Chess, Early/Mid 1950s. Very Good- ... Out Of Stock
A well-titled set – as the album features some of the best early sides that Little Walter recorded for Chess – records that went on to set a whole new standard both in blues vocals and harmonica! There's tightness here that's a bit different from some of the other Chess blues at the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo blue fade label pressing with deep groove. Cover has surface & ring wear & aging.)
Little Walter —
Confessin' The Blues ... LP Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A comprehensive look at some great recordings from Little Walter – sides recorded for Chess Records from 1953 to 1963 – offering up a decade's worth of evolution in his style! But even at the start, Walter was better than most of his generation – a heck of a great harmonica ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s GRT pressing with pink & green labels. C over has surface wear, splitting on the seams, a cutout notch, and aging.)
Little Walter —
Little Walter – Chess Blues Masters Series (aka Boss Blues Harmonica) ... LP Chess, 1960s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A pretty nice little 2LP set – put together in the early 70s, and featuring material that Walter recorded for Chess during the 60s. As the title would imply, there's a lot of harmonica on the album – but Walter's vocals should also be given their due, as they're a bit more in the soul ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 70s orange label pressing. Cover has light wear and aging.)
Memphis Slim —
Real Folk Blues ... LP Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
Memphis Slim's installment in this excellent LP series from Chess – 60s packagings of earlier recordings done by key bluesmen in the Chicago scene, with slightly improved fidelity but enough of the "real folk blues" sound to warrant the title! Instrumentation here is a bit more ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Jimmy Rogers —
Chicago Bound ... LP Chess, 1950s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
The title's an apt one here, as Jimmy Rogers was one of the many bluesmen who started out in the south, but headed to Chicago for greater fame – which was a good thing for Chess Records, who managed to come some of these great sides in the 50s! Rogers both sings and plays guitar – the ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s purple and green label pressing. Cover has light wear.)
Chess, 1969. Very Good+ ... $29.99
Probably THE album you truly need to own from Koko Taylor – and a completely great one, recorded way before she'd become a cliched fixture paying the bills on the frat boy tourist blues scene! The tracks here were recorded over a few years in mid-to-late 60s Chicago – mostly with ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 80s Original Chess Masters pressing.)
Chess, 1960. Very Good+ ... $14.99 19.99
Muddy Waters makes a classic appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival – playing a folksy set of blues in the years before the festival had turned more strongly towards that sort of music! The performance is surprisingly well-recorded – at a level that's similar to Waters' earlier studio ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 80s Italian "Blues & Rock Project" pressing in a border cover with black & white image. Cover has light surface wear and some price sticker remnants.)
Muddy Waters —
Best Of Muddy Waters ... LP Chess, Early 50s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Less a "best of" than an early full album that brings together some of Muddy Waters' earliest recordings for Chess – a great collection of early singles recorded in Chicago between 1950 and 1954! The work's relatively spare and rootsy overall – a great example of Chicago ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Mid 60s orange label stereo pressing in a black & white cover, with a cutout notch, some ring and edge wear, center split in the bottom seam, and yellowing from age in back.)
Muddy Waters —
Brass & The Blues ... LP Chess/Elemental, 1966. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
A unique mid 60s Chess session from Muddy Waters – one with a very different feel than usual, and a good dose of soul too! As you might guess from the title, Muddy gets some full backings on this set – not exactly a large brass section, but a set of Chicago soul-styled backings handled ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Muddy Waters —
Don't Go No Farther/Chess, 1956. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Muddy Waters —
Fathers & Sons ... LP Chess, 1969. Very Good 2LP ... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
Chess, 1963. Very Good+ ... $59.99
A seminal album by Muddy – recorded in a style that's rootsier, and more down to earth than a lot of his other chess sides! Muddy's playing acoustic guitar, and the rest of the group features Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon, and Clifton James. The sound is really spare, and very moody – and ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s orange label pressing. Cover has a cutout notch, some wear, and aging.)
Chess/Elemental (Spain), 1972. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $31.99 34.99
A famous 70s session from the great Muddy Waters – one that has him heading over to London, and rubbing shoulders in the studio with some key musicians whose work he'd helped inspire! Chess Records first tried this mode out with Howlin Wolf in 1970 – but the Waters session is maybe ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of 1000 – on heavyweight vinyl!)
Muddy Waters —
Manish Boy/Chess, 1954. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Maybe one of the most famous Muddy Waters songs ever recorded – served up here in all its fantastically raw glory! The tune's got Waters playing a famous electric guitar vamp that may well have become the blueprint for countless bar bands to come – but serving up the lyrics with a wit ... (Funky 45's, Blues) read more 7-inch, Vinyl record
(60s blue fade label pressing. In a Chess sleeve.)
Muddy Waters —
McKinley Morganfield – AKA Muddy Waters ... LP Chess, 1950s/1960s. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ... $19.99
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
(Orange label pressing. Cover has edge and ring wear.)
Muddy Waters —
More Real Folk Blues ... LP Chess, Early 50s. Sealed ... $29.99
A 60s album, but one that's filled with some of the earliest recordings Muddy Waters made for Chess Records – all wrapped up in a title that proclaims his music as the real deal! The instrumentation here is all quite spare – varying combinations of electric guitar, harmonica, piano, ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s French pressing – sealed!)
Muddy Waters —
Muddy Waters – Chess Blues Masters Series (McKinley Morganfield AKA Muddy Waters) ... LP Chess, Mid 50s. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
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 more LP, Vinyl record album
Chess, 1959. Very Good+ ... $39.99
The Big Bill in the title is Big Bill Broonzy – a key influence on midcentury bluesmen all over the US, and paid tribute to nicely here by Muddy Waters! Given this tribute approach, the sound's a bit rootsier than some of Waters' other work for Chess at the time – a bit more emphasis ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Blue fade label electronic Stereo pressing. Cover has some wear and aging, Stereo sticker, fading at the spine, bumped corners, some aging and a bit of pen in back, and is lightly bent near the opening.)
Muddy Waters —
Rare & Unissued ... LP Chess, Late 40s/1950s. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Rare and unissued work from Muddy Waters – mostly from his first decade at Chess Records – a time when both Waters and the label were helping reinvent the sound of blues in the postwar years! Muddy's already-released material is already so strong, it's hard to imagine the need for a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(80s issue.)
Muddy Waters —
Real Folk Blues ... LP Chess, 1950s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A classic packaging of Muddy Waters' famous early work for Chess Records – brought together with a cover and title that pitch him strongly towards the growing folk movement of the time! And, although most of these tracks were recorded in Chicago, with some electric guitar in the mix, there's ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Muddy Waters —
Rolling Stone ... LP Chess, 1950s/1960s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
Muddy Waters —
Sugar Sweet/Chess, 1955. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Chess, 1950s/1960s. Very Good+ ... $29.99
A rich collection of Muddy Waters' famous work for Chess Records – put together in the 70s, but featuring tracks from his earliest days in the studio, up through the key electric years of the 60s! The package pulls together some real gems – including work with Little Walter and James ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Early 70s blue fade label stereo pressing. Cover has some surface wear, small splits in the top seam and spine, and heavy yellowing from age around the edges in back.)
Muddy Waters —
Unk In Funk ... LP Chess, 1974. Near Mint- ... Out Of Stock
Muddy Waters definitely put the "unk" in funk – although back in his day, the word meant something different than in the 70s! This set features some great late Muddy for Chess – produced in conjunction with Ralph Bass, Muddy's longtime associate in the studio, and done with a ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Unk In Funk ... CD 8.99
Chess, Early 70s. Near Mint- Gatefold ... $11.99 14.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(80s pressing. Cover has light staining and waviness, but looks nice overall.)
Muddy Waters/Chess, 1950s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
Sonny Boy Williamson —
One Way Out ... LP Chess, Late 50s/Early 60s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A great little collection of work that Sonny Boy Williamson recorded for Chess in the 50s and early 60s – presented here as one of the well-done archival packages that Chess was doing in the early 70s, as interest in their classics was coming back again. Most of the numbers here feature ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(70s purple label "Vintage Series" pressing. Cover has minimal wear.)
Sonny Boy Williamson —
Real Folk Blues ... LP Chess, Late 1950s/Early 1960s. Very Good- ... Out Of Stock
Not as folksy as you might think from the title – thanks to a really powerful presentation by Sonny Boy Williamson! The style here has echoes of Bo Diddley or Jimmy Reed's sense of rhythm – a more upbeat and electrified Chicago approach than Chess was serving up a decade before – ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(Mono black & silver label pressing. Cover has surface wear & aging, some gloss peeling along the top.)
Chess, Late 50s/Early 60s. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ... $19.99
One in a series of double LP compilations Chess put out in the 70s collecting some of the classic blues sides in their catalog. As near as we can tell, these raw folk blues numbers were mostly issued as 45s, featuring Sonny Boy on vocals and harp, with sidemen that include Muddy Waters, Robert Jr ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
(80s French Vogue pressing.)
Chess, 1950s/Early 60s. Very Good 2LP Gatefold ... $9.99
A sweet collection of early work by Sonny Boy Williamson – lots of Chess Records classics! LP, Vinyl record album
(Orange label 70s pressing. The first 2 tracks on side 3 play with a click, but the rest is great! Cover has faint staining along the opening.)
Chess/MCA, Mid 50s. Near Mint- ... $2.99 6.99
Howlin Wolf —
Walk That Walk – Wolfman At The Chess Studio 1957 to 1959 – The Howlin Wolf Story Vol 6 ... LP Chess/P-Vine (Japan), Late 50s. Near Mint- ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great chapter in the career of Howlin Wolf – late 50s work recorded for Chess Records, served up here in a cool Japanese-only package! Features Willie Dixon on bass, Abe Locke on tenor, and Hubert Sumlin on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album
(Great Japanese pressing – with obi!)
Various —
Heavy Heads ... LP Chess, 1950s/1960s. Very Good+ ... Out Of Stock
A collection of classic blues that influenced the heavy rock generation – with older tracks from some of the best Chess artists of the early electric days! Titles include "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" by Muddy Waters, "Don't Start Me Talkin" and "Sad To Be ... read more LP, Vinyl record album
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