Great early work recorded for the United label – including a few unissued tracks! CD

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, but also set amidst arrangements that have a bit more soul than the average Chicago blues session from the same time. The set features a number of originals by Stax regulars like Booker T and David Porter – and titles include "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "Down Don't Bother Me", "Laundromat Blues", and "Personal Manager". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, but also set amidst arrangements that have a bit more soul than the average Chicago blues session from the same time. The set features a number of originals by Stax regulars like Booker T and David Porter – and titles include "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "Down Don't Bother Me", "Laundromat Blues", and "Personal Manager". LP, Vinyl record album

Collects b-sides, alternate takes, plus unissued cuts from Albert King's run at Stax and features Isaac Hayes, Booker T, Steve Cropper, and others! 13 tracks total. CD

A tight date from 1977, and one that follows nicely in the spirit of King's later Stax sides, but with a slightly smoother groove. There's a bit of the Detroit 70s mode going on in the set – that rough-and-smooth quality that you'd find on a Don Davis production, which proves to be a wonderful blend for King's music, especially on some of the album's funkier numbers. Titles include "Chump Change", "You Upset Me Babe", "Let Me Rock You", "Boot Lace", "Love Mechanic", "Call My Job", and "Good Time Charlie". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Stax blues by the king of the Memphis blues scene of the late 60's. Production's handled by Stax, even though the LP was released on Atlantic, and the set includes "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Overall Junction", "Laundromat Blues", "Cold Feet", and "You're Gonna Need Me". CD

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A genius early combination from BB King – his own majestic vocals and a host of spiritual sounds that bring out a whole new side of his talents! The pairing is unusual – as King hardly cut much other material in this manner – and the record puts aside his famous guitar work to focus on his deeply soulful style of singing – set up in some raw 50s gospel arrangements that feature lots of work on Hammond organ, romping rhythms, and a backing vocal group that support BB in a really great way. Titles include "Save A Seat For Me", "I Never Heard A Man", "I Am Willing To Run All The Way", "Servant's Prayer", and "I'm Working On The Building". CD also features 8 bonus tracks not available elsewhere – including "The Key To My Kingdom", "I Am", "A Lonely Lover's Plea", "Sixteen Tons", and "The Story From My Heart & Soul (take 1)". CD

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The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

The definitely got the title right here – as BB King is plenty great, and already a powerhouse in these early years of his career! King sprung forth from the Memphis scene almost fully-formed – and in addition to his famous guitar work, he was also a hell of a singer who could bring a new sort of soulful presence to blues music – able to croon with the charm of a jazz singer in the right moments, join with a doo wop group at others, yet come on with the power of a bluesman whenever he stepped in front of the mic! This great album has BB in all these modes – recorded with brilliantly bold sound – and titles include "I Had A Woman", "Sweet Sixteen", "Someday Baby", "I'm Gonna Quit My Baby", and "I Was Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

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

BB King at his late 60s best – working here in the company of producers Johnny Pate and Quincy Jones, and serving up a great blend of blues and soul in the process! The set's less a "best of", than a collection of ABC work that doesn't seem to be on the other full albums of the time – mostly produced by Johnny Pate, with those great Chicago soul touches that helped his work with King really cross new boundaries – and finally give BB the kind of full, forceful approach that Bobby Blue Bland had been getting for years. The Quincy Jones cuts are two from the soundtrack to For Love Of Ivy – both pretty groovy, with a socking soul punch – and titles on the full album include "Tired Of Your Jive", "Don't Answer The Door", "The BB Jones", "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss", "All Over Again", "I Don't Want You Cutting Off Your Hair", "Sweet Sixteen", "Meet My Happiness", and "You Put It On Me". CD

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An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". CD

BB King live in Japan – really cooking here on a concert performance that's quite different from his other live records of the time! The set's a double-length one – originally a 2LP set – and most tracks are nice and long, with lots more room for solos from BB – stretching out wonderfully in front of a crowd that's clearly going out of their minds – almost as enthusiastic, at least in the way they're recorded, as the Apollo crowd at a James Brown performance! Although not issued in the US at the time, the material is essential BB King – really great tracks that are some of the best he recorded in the 70s. Titles include "Jamming At Sankei Hall", "Hikari", "Chains & Things", "You Are Still My Woman", "Niji Baby", "How Blue Can You Get", and "Eyesight To The Blind". LP, Vinyl record album

If you only know BB King from later years, you'll really be stunned at the sound of this great set from the start of the 60s – a record that's much more R&B than the straighter blues of King's bigger label work – and which has a jumping groove nearly all the way through! The mix of modes is right in that best Memphis style of the 50s – currents of jazz, jump blues, and other soulful styles – all topped by King's bold vocals, and given a bit of sweet guitar solos on most tracks – already razor-sharp, even at this early point in his career! Titles include "Bad Luck Soul", "Shut Your Moth", "My Reward", "Don't Cry Anymore", "Just Like A Woman", and "Blues For Me". CD features 8 bonus tracks – including "Broken Promise", "Mercy Mercy Baby", "Lonely", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "I Can Hear My Name", and "Just A Dream". CD

The very first full length album from BB King – a killer collection of previous singles for the RPM Records label, served up as a bold statement of King's early genius! The record announces its presence right from the very first note – that brilliant blend of effortless electric guitar solo work and completely charismatic vocals that made BB such a star, right from the get-go – and which maybe comes through even more clearly here than in some of his overproduced material from later decades! Many tracks have nicely jumping backings by the great Maxwell Davis – and titles include "Please Love Me", "Bad Luck", "3 O'Clock Blues", "Ten Long Years", "Sweet Little Angel", "You Upset Me Baby", and a classic early take on "Every Day I Have The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes 6 non-album bonus tracks. CD

Early King Records material by Champion Jack Dupree – a hell of a pianist, and a heck of a great singer too – working almost as a raconteur on some of the best songs on this collection! The music has deep roots in New Orleans, where Jack must have really honed his piano skills – but there's also a more northern, more urban presentation of the music on these cuts – a strong current of wit that comes in the way that Jack puts over a tune, and a great mix of jazzy phrasing in both his piano and the electric guitar that sometimes provides strong accompaniment. Jack's vocals are almost more commentary than traditional lyrics – often with an undercurrent of raunch – and titles include "That's My Pa", "Failing Health Blues", "Big Leg Emma's", "Two Below Zero", "Camille", "Me & My Mule", "She Cooks Me Cabbage", and "Silent Partner". CD

A really wonderful collection of early work from the great Esther Phillips – different than her later material for Atlantic and Kudu Records – as it was done in a raw R&B style for the mighty King Records! 16 tracks in all – and detailed notes on the material, too! (Soul, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible late 50s set for King by singer Lula Reed – and a pretty unique blend of R&B and bluer and moodier material – but a lot more upbeat than you'd expect from the title! Lula's voice is a genuine vessel for the bluesy material, but it's also light and lovely, and works even better on more upbeat sounding tunes – and she does both here beautifully. It's almost unbelievable that this is her lone solo album, and it's even harder to belive that it's been so hard to find over the years, given how strong it is! Includes "Watch Dog", "I'll Drown My Tears", "Going Back To Mexico". "Three Men", "Sample Man", "Last Night", "Rock Love", "Bump On A Log", "My Poor Heart", "Every Second" and "Jealous Love". (Soul, Blues) CD

A great comeback album from this postwar legend – with titles that include "Lucky Dreamer", "Too Fine For Crying", "I Don't Want Your Rambling Letters", "Come Home", "Blow Out All The Candles", "If You Don't Believe I'm Crying Take A Look In My Eyes", and "This Fool Has Learned". (Soul, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

Killer King Records material from Wynonie Brown – 20 raunchy R&B numbers that were crucial to the invention of rock & roll! (Soul, Blues) CD

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A nice bit of funky blues, and a very strange record to appear on Motown! The production style and presentation are very rootsy – right down to the photo of Luther on the front cover, who's smoking a cigarette, but trying to pretend it's a joint! The style is electric blues of the Chicago school, but given a bit more of a country funk kind of sound. Titles include "Bad News Is Coming", "Dust My Broom", "Evil Is Going On", "Rock Me Baby", and "Raggedy & Dirty", which actually has some very nice drums! LP, Vinyl record album

We know it's hard to think of anyone named Mildred as hip, but take it from us, the lady's actually a great singer with a deep capacity for jazzy blues and mellow R&B. These rare Savoy sides were cut during the years 1946 and 1947, and they feature great backing by pianist Ellis Larkin on nearly every cut, set up in either small combo or large group settings. Titles include "At Sundown", "Love In Vain", "It's A Woman's Prerogative", "You Started Something", and "Born To Be Blue". (Vocalists, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

Lurrie Bell just seems to get better and better with age – taking on a depth of tone in his guitar work that definitely marks his long years on the Chicago scene! This set's got Lurrie in mostly a small combo mode – singing and playing guitar with just a bit of organ, bass, and drums – plus additional horns and harmonica on a few other cuts. Titles include "Blues In My Soul", "My Little Machine", "South Side To Riverside", "If It's Too Late", and "Blues Never Die". CD

A great collection of Maybelle's big early hits for Savoy – all featuring backings directed by Ernie Wilkins, with a nice jazzy undercurrent. Maybelle's got a robust voice that was one of the first key attempts to bridge gospel, R&B, and jazz – and the album features 10 tracks that include "Rock House", "I Don't Want To Cry", "Jim", "All Of Me", and "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie". (Soul, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

Otis Blackwell takes back his songs – providing his own new versions of tunes that were recorded famously by a host of rock, pop, and R&B artists back in the 50s! The 70s session is definitely done as part of the generation that was "giving back" to the roots of rock and roll – and Blackwell's performance here is possibly more tilted towards the rockers in the room than the R&B fans, given the used of heavy guitar on the record, and the cleaner style of production. Still, as a revivalist set, it's got plenty to offer – and Blackwell working with a small combo for backing, and sounding a bit Elvis-like at times – no surprise, given that Otis was supposedly a big influence on Presley. Titles include "All Shook Up", "Fever", "Daddy Rollin Stone", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Don't Be Cruel", "Searchin", "Hey Little Girl", and "Handy Man". CD

Four fantastic albums from Bobby Bland – all brought together in a single package for the first time! First up is Come Fly With Me – great work from Bobby Blue Bland – one of the few artists to rise up at the end of the 50s, and still find a way to chart their own path forward in soul with fresh material like this! Bobby's voice is still incredible here, and he works with production from Al Bell and Monk Higgins, the latter of whom arranged – in this cool style that's a bit like some of the territory that Tyrone Davis was taking on at Columbia Records during the second half of the 70s – fuller arrangements that bring some sophisticated soul touches to the music, but in ways that never lose the core of Bobby's genius! Titles include "Lady Lonely", "Night Games", "You Can Count On Me", "Love To See You Smile", "Come Fly With Me", and "To Be Friends". The next album is I Feel Good I Feel Fine – and Bobby Bland sounds pretty good too – thanks to arrangements from the great Monk Higgins, who does a perfect job of mixing Bland's trademark vocals with some sweet late 70s arrangements! The sound is upbeat, but never in a cliched disco mode – more in the territory that you'd hear Johnnie Taylor using over at Columbia Records – maybe a good comparison, given the Memphis roots that both artists shared – as both also evolved a lot to shift their sound with the changing modes of the time. And as with Johnnie, Bobby never loses the core that makes him great – as you'll hear on titles that include "Tit For Tat", "Soon As The Weather Breaks", "In His Eyes", "Someone To Belong To", "I Feel Good I Feel Fine", and "Little Mama". Sweet Vibrations is a real gem from the start of the 80s – arranged by Monk Higgins, who co-produced the set with Al Bell – a duo who'd already given Bobby some great records before, but who really knock it out of the park with this one. There's an extra-special quality going on here – maybe a slight reintroduction of blues roots, but still with a very contemporary spirit – set up to superb backings throughout. Titles include "Soul With A Flavor", "Hollywood Woman", "You'd Be A Millionaire", "Sweet Vibrator", "Special Kind Of Fool", and "A Real Woman Is What It Takes". Try Me I'm Real is record with a title that certainly fits the bill – as the amazing voice of Bobby Bland is as real here as it ever was, and blended with superbly soulful backings that take the singer's sound forward for a whole new generation! Some of Bobby's contemporaries were content to just stick in a straight blues mode – but Bland really grew and developed a lot as an artist, thanks in part to Monk Higgins and Al Bell – who are both at the production helm of the record, and balance the bluesy roots of Bobby with some richer soul backings that really knock the whole thing out of the park! We love Bobby Blue Bland during his early Duke Records years – but we love him equally as much for music like this, on titles that include "But I Do", "What A Difference A Day Makes", "Givin Up The Streets For Love", "A Song For You My Son", "Just You Just Me", and "Love Is Where It's At". CD

A record with a title that certainly fits the bill – as the amazing voice of Bobby Bland is as real here as it ever was, and blended with superbly soulful backings that take the singer's sound forward for a whole new generation! Some of Bobby's contemporaries were content to just stick in a straight blues mode – but Bland really grew and developed a lot as an artist, thanks in part to Monk Higgins and Al Bell – who are both at the production helm of the record, and balance the bluesy roots of Bobby with some richer soul backings that really knock the whole thing out of the park! We love Bobby Blue Bland during his early Duke Records years – but we love him equally as much for music like this, on titles that include "But I Do", "What A Difference A Day Makes", "Givin Up The Streets For Love", "A Song For You My Son", "Just You Just Me", and "Love Is Where It's At". LP, Vinyl record album

Great guitar work from this legendary Caribbean player – working here with his Royal Victoria Hotel ensemble! (Global Grooves, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

The cover has a 70s photo, but the set features key postwar work from this early king of R&B – titles that include "Gamblin Man", "I Feel That Young Man's Rhythm", "It's A Cryin Shame", "Cryin & Singin The Blues", "Deep Sea Diver", "Riding High", "Miss Fanny Brown", and "Woman's A Wonderful Thing". (Soul, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

With a cell phone on the cover, blues has definitely gone far from the delta – yet this recent set from Willie Buck still keeps strongly in a Chicago electric tradition! Backing is by a tight group of north side players – including Rockin Johnny on guitar, who helps underscore Willie's soulful lead vocals as the set rocks and rollicks along! There's a surprising amount of cuts on the record – and titles include "Streamline Woman", "What's The Matter With The Mill", "Tow Truck Man", "Doin Good & Bad At The Same Time", "Cell Phone Man", "Strange Woman", and "Blow Wind Blow". CD

An archetypal album from the legendary Paul Butterfield – and a set that would shape the sound of countless blues rock records to come! Despite what you might think of the genre or its many later incarnations, there's a raw power here that's really amazing – the young Butterfield and his Chicago comperes, hanging out at clubs on the south side, drinking in the relatively new electric sound of the city, and turning out a groove that's a lot more hard-edged than some of the overseas imitators at the time! Paul's pretty darn great on vocals and harmonica – but the group has some even more powerful sounds in the twin guitar talents of Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop – the former on slide, the latter on rhythm – along with Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums, and Mark Naftalin on some Hammond too. Titles include "Blues With A Feeling", "Born In Chicago", "Shake Your Money Maker", "Mystery Train", "Screamin", "Last Night", and "Look Over Yonders Wall". (Rock, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking live set from the Butterfield Blues Band – and like all the group's work, as much of a jazz and soul album as a blues one! Butterfield drew his inspiration from the Chicago bluesmen, it's true – but his style also has plenty of echoes of New Orleans soul, Memphis R&B, and other strands of American work – in a mode that's quite similar to some of the changes that were going on in the British beat group scene at the end of the 60s. The lineup here features some really nice touches on sax from Trevor Lawrence and Gene Dinwiddie – and the live setting only seems to loosen all the players up even more than usual, and let them hit a few nice funky moments. Titles include "Get Together Again", "Love Disease", "The Boxer", "No Amount Of Loving", "Driftin & Driftin", "Number Nine", and "Born Under A Bad Sign". (Rock, Blues) CD

The cover's a striking one – and it definitely supports the music inside, given that most of these Bo Carter tunes are vintage blues tunes with a decidedly erotic bent! The metaphors are obvious, but they're put together beautifully – without any of the heavy-handed schlock that later copycats would never get quite right – and set to spare acoustic lines that complement Carter's vocals wonderfully. And in a case where a title is definitely more than enough to get you started – let us say simply that the tracks include "Pig Meat Is What I Crave", "What Kind Of Scent Is This", "Mashin That Thing", "Pin In Your Cushion", "Ram Rod Daddy", "Ants In My Pants", "Pussy Cat Blues", and "My Pencil Won't Write No More". LP, Vinyl record album