Two cool UK albums from Otis Spann – back to back on a single set! First up is the album Blues Of Otis Spann – a rare UK session, and one that's sometimes got even more grit than some of his hometown recordings back in Chicago! The vibe is very lean and laidback – an early Mike Vernon production, with work from Muddy Waters on guitar – working here under the nom-du-date of "Brother" – in a quartet that just has Ransom Knowling on bass and Little Willie Smith on guitar, and plenty of killer piano and vocals from Otis! Spann seems to have even more bite here than usual – and titles include "Sarah Street", "T 99", "I Came From Clarksdale", "Rock Me Mama", "Natural Days", and "Jangleboogie". Cracked Spanner Head is a record that builds on the sound of the obscure Blues Of Otis Spann album from 1964 – using the performances from that record, but mixed differently, with different songs at times, and added work on tenor, baritone, and trumpet brought into the lineup! The vibe is great – Otis Spann with a bit more punch than usual, and maybe some slight currents of funk – on titles that include "Crack Your Head", "Iced Nehi", "Lucky So & So", "Dollar Twenty Five", "Sometimes I Wonder", and "Mr Highway Man". CD features four bonus tracks – "Pretty Girls Everywhere", "Country Boy", "My Home In The Delta", and "You're Gonna Need My Help". CD

A mighty tribute to the music of John Lee Hooker – a set that's got a nice batch of work from his important early years, and is especially heavy on Vee Jay Records material – and one that also includes tracks from his later recordings too! The first three CDs here are the meat of the package – as they feature studio work from the early Detroit years onwards, including some tracks recorded with Texas Slim and Delta John, and many more under Hooker's own name too. CD 4 is all live material, and includes a number of unissued tracks – and the final CD features collaborations with The Groundhogs, Canned Heat, Eddie Kirkland, BB King, and others. The whole thing's packaged in a beautiful book-style design – with 54 pages of rare photos and new liner notes – and even if you've got other John Lee Hooker material in your collection, there's still plenty here to love! 100 tracks in all – 8 previously unissued. CD

Maybe the most comprehensive package of Memphis blues music we've ever seen – a set that goes back all the way to early pre-WWI recordings in the city, the moves all the way through the 60s – and has a very strong focus on music that was originally issued only on 78rpm and 45rpm singles! There's a massive 534 tracks on a total of 20 CDs – and the music is presented chronologically, showing a huge evolution – from rural styles that moved up to the city from the delta, jug bands of the 20s, combos of the 40s and 50s, and some of the more urban-styled blues that reigned in the 60s! The progression really shows the city's important role in shaping the music – and the 360 page, LP-sized hardcover book that accompanies the package carries a huge amount of information, mixed with hundreds of rare photos and illustrations. Artists include Allen Shaw, Fleming & Townsend, Furry Lewis, Rufus Thomas, Bill Harvey, Willie Nix, Harmonica Frank, Tuff Green, Cliff Jackson, and even Ike & Tina Turner – plus hundreds of others, all presented in a mindblowing array of music. CD