(Soul, Blues) CD

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 often comes across with some of those more sly, more wicked moments that have always made Fulson one of our favorites – almost a slightly jazz or funk undercurrent at points, and a bit different than the regular Chess groove. Titles include "Do Me Right", "Trouble Trouble", "Hung Down Head", "Tollin Bells", "Low Society", "Check Yourself", "That's All Right", and "I Want To Know". CD

An excellent collection of rare work from the legendary BB King – a selection of 25 tracks from the vaults of RPM and Kent Records, 23 of which appear here for the first time ever! Some cuts are alternates, some are different versions of other recordings – and all are pretty darn wonderful – that sharp-edged BB King sound right at the start, before the famous Memphis powerhouse was recording for bigger labels in a more commercial setting! Lots of these cuts have a jazzy backing alongside BB's sweet guitar and raspy vocals – a mode that's similar to the mix of bigger band and bluesy elements you'd get on early work from Bobby Blue Bland – that great Memphis mix of modes that always makes us love this stretch in King's career so much. Titles include unusual versions of "Sweet Little Angel", "Catfish Blues", "Early In The Morning", "I Wonder Why", "Goin Down Slow", "Whole Lotta Meat", "Loving You In Vain", "Long Nights", "The Woman I Love", "Soul Beat", "Don't You Want A Man Like Me", "Be Careful With A Fool", and "Whole Lot Of Lovin". CD

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 dates for Chess, but with a clarity that's impressive, given the live setting – and which captures just a bit of the open space in which the group was working. Waters' vocals and guitar are supported by harmonica from James Cotton and piano from Otis Spann – who also sings on one number too. Titles include "I Got My Brand On You", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Soon Forgotten", "Tiger In Your Tank", "I Feel So Good", and "Goodbye Newport Blues". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including "Meanest Woman", plus different versions of songs on the LP! LP, Vinyl record album

A deep look at a blues scene that doesn't always get its due – music not from Chicago, Memphis, or various points south – but some nicely gritty tracks that were cut in New York during the postwar years! Despite New York's fame as a hub of jazz, soul, and other styles – the city also had a surprisingly strong blues scene in the 50s and 60s, which is when most of these tracks were recorded – music that's both in the electric modes that were showing up in other urban centers at the time, and also in some more traditional modes that were sometimes left behind in other cities – but which got a nice revival in New York, thanks to an interest in folk blues from the underground! Material here was originally recorded by a range of different labels – Old Town, Atlantic, Mercury, Prestige, Fire, Apollo, King, and Chess – and as you'd expect from Ace, there's also some unreleased material on the set, all presented with a great assortment of notes and details on every single track. 26 titles in all – with cuts that include "Bad Blood" by Champion Jack Dupree, "Step It Up & Go" by Blind Boy Fuller, "The Guy With A 45" by Allen Bunn & His Trio, "Stormy Monday Blues" by Bob Gaddy, "Kansas City March" by Wild Jimmy Spruill, "Four Women Blues" by Larry Johnson & Hank Adkins, "Idle Hours" by Lonnie Johnson with Victory Spivey, "Hard Times" by Noble Thin Man Watts, "Believe Me Darling" by June Bateman, "Security" by Tarheel Slim & Little Ann, "Jack That Cat Was Clean" by Dr Horse, and "Goodbye Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison. CD