If you've never got the concept of a string band, this is the record to really illuminate your ears – as it features a beautiful set of stripped-down sides by the Mississippi Sheiks – all recorded in the early 30s, and a wonderful blend of bluesy inflection and folksy roots! Most tracks just features guitar, violin, and some especially great vocals – pushed with lots of delta-styled elements on the edges, but set to music that's got plenty of touches from the other side of the fence. The blend is wonderful, and the set features tracks recorded in Grafton, Wisconsin in July of 1932, Chicago in June of 1933, and San Antonio in 1934. Titles include "New Shake That Thing", "Don't Wake It Up", "Kitty Cat Blues", "Show Me What You Got", "Hitting The Numbers", "Pencil Won't Write No More", "I Am The Devil", "She's Got Something Crazy", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure small label set from Luther Allison – issued on a label out of Peoria! The set features Allison on guitar and vocals – with keyboards from Sid Wingfeld, alto from Mike Allen, and drums from Kenny Arnold. Titles include "Strokes", "You're Gonna Need Me", "Cat Blues", "Messin With The Kid", and "You Upset Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Harmonica Frank – an artist who recorded these firey sides for Sun Records in the early 50s! Frank's got this offbeat style that's definitely blues at the core, but which also has links to some of the novelty modes of the Appalachian scene – as he's not afraid to go for a gimmick at some moments, especially in the way he plays his harmonica along with the guitar! Yet overall, Frank's music is plenty bluesy – so much so that he's often been lumped with older blues musicians by collectors, who couldn't tell the vintage or race of the artists from his original singles. Titles include two versions of the classic "Howlin Tom Cat" – plus "Monkey Love", "Great Medical Menagerist", "She Done Moved", "Rockin Chair", "Swamp Rat", and "Goin Away Walkin". LP, Vinyl record album