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

Big Maybelle's got a new bag – and we like it! This tasty set was cut for the tiny Rojac label in between Maybelle's earlier years at Savoy and later albums on Brunswick – and it's got a swinging, 60s mod sort of style that's pretty darn groovy, baby! The arrangements are by Bob Gallo, and most of the tracks are 60s pop and soul standards – but Maybelle sings them with a gusty, sincere style – and brings a really great approach to the album – almost giving it the feel of some of the best Tangerine label albums from the decade. Titles include "Eggplant That Ate Chicago", "I Can't Control Myself", "Coming On Strong", "Mellow Yellow", "96 Tears", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Black Is Black". Kind of nutty, but it kind of works! (Soul, Blues) CD

They don't call Jimmy Dawkins "fast fingers" for nothing – and the first few minutes of the record are definitely testament to his mighty power on the guitar! The instrument is electric, and recorded with this sense of powerful echo that easily has Dawkins blowing away some of the UK blues rockers who were starting to get into the game at the time – as do his vocals, which we'd put head to head with some of the giants who took this mode and ran with it through the arena rock scene of the 70s! Yet throughout, it's the guitar that's especially amazing – completely confident and masterful, even though this was Jimmy's first album – with nice lean support from Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano and organ, and Mighty Joe Young on second guitar. Titles include "Little Angel Child", "Night Rock", "Triple Trebles", "It Serves Me Right To Suffer", "Breaking Down", "I Don't Know What Love Is", and "I Wonder Why". CD features two bonus tracks – "Sad & Blues" and "Back Home Blues". CD