Music from Sam Collins, Gus Cannon, Papa Harvey, Rube Lacy, Bo Carter, Furry Lewis Son House, Geeshie Wiley, Jim Thompkins, Skip James, King Solomon, Otto Virgial, Roberet Johnson, Muddy Waters, and more – 40 tracks in all! CD

... CD

Chicago blues, but plenty darn funky – recorded with a sharpness and tightness that shows a strong soul-based influence in the second-generation electric work of James Cotton's generation! The core group here features James on harmonica and vocals – backed by piano, guitar, bass, and drums – plus a great horn section that has a distinct Chess Records feel – no surprise, given that it features Gene Barge, Paul Serrano, and Louis Satterfield! The production is by Barry Goldberg and Mike Bloomfield – and they're clearly helping Cotton tighten up his groove – and almost hit some Atlantic soul-styled modes at times. Titles include "Knock On Wood", "Sweet Sixteen", "Feelin Good", "Off The Wall", "Good Time Charlie", "Turn On Your Lovelight", "Something On Your Mind", and "Don't Start Me Talkin". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album from singer Tedd Brown – who mixes in a blend of jazz, blues, and calypso styles to his music! LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, Blues) LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty work from John Lee Hooker – a set recorded at the end of the 60s in Paris, at a time when that city was playing host to some of the hippest blues work of the decade! The style here is very much like John Lee Hooker of a decade before – simple, stark, and unadorned – with a slinky, dirty groove at the bottom of most tracks – vamped along by just a bit of bass and drums. The recording quality is a bit better than the old days, but never too slick or commercial – and Hooker's vocals are right out front with a real sense of presence and power. Titles include "I Feel Good", "Baby Baby", "Dazie Mae", "Stand By", "Going Home", and "Looking Back Over My Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of early recordings for Vee Jay, with titles that include "Baby Lee", "Trouble Blues", "Drug Store Woman", "Frisco Blues", "I'm In The Mood", and "Hobo Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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 Sugar Mama", "Spoonful", "Red Rooster", "Moanin For My Baby", "I Asked For Water", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Who's Been Talkin", "Built For Comfort", "Ooh Baby Hold Me", "Baby How Long", "Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy", and "Killing Floor". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album of funky blues – recorded by Howlin Wolf during the period when Chess/Cadet was backing its older artists up with some of the newer funk musicians it had working in its studios! The overall sound works quite well – and although purists at the time moaned at the way artists like Wolf, Etta James, and Bo Diddley were being handled (especially with a "we know better than them" message on the cover like this!), the funky blues records from this time actually seem to be some of the most enduring from Chess – especially with younger listeners in the 21st Century! A big part of the success here goes to producers Charles Stepney and Gene Barge – who helped bring together a younger batch of players for Wolf's backing – including Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch on guitars, Louis Satterfield on bass, and Morris Jennings on drums. Titles include "Spoonful", "Tail Dragger", "Smokestack Lightning", "Red Rooster", "Evil", and "Down In The Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

A great overview of the work of Abner Jay – as much of a blues singer as the folk artist promised on the cover – working here in a stunning array of styles, pulled from a variety of recordings he made in the late 60s and early 70s! It's clear that Jay is one of those talents who was rising up during the initial folk revival years, but was also able to find a groove that was very much his own when that moment faded – and the tunes here feature some very unusual phrasing on vocals, supported by acoustic guitar and a bit of percussion – on titles that include "Depression", "Lord Randal", "I Wanna Job", "St James Infirmary", "I'm Georgia Bound", "Bring It With You When You Come", "The Thresher", "Cotton Fields", "Starving To Death On My Government Claim", "Shenandoah", "99 Years In Jail", and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Electric 70s work from Freddie – not exactly funky, but with a nice chunky bottom that makes the record stand out a bit from the pack of blues work at the time. Titles include "Sugar Sweet", "She's A Burglar", "Pulp Wood", "My Credit Didn't Go Through", "Only Getting Second Best", "Texas Flyer", and "Pack It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album