Blues — Recently Added

A group that definitely lives up to its name – given that the lineup features the Chess Records stalwarts Bo Diddley, Howlin Wolf, and Muddy Waters! The set's maybe a bit more in the mode of Wolf or Waters than some of Bo's own records – although there's a bit of that riffing spark of ... LP, Vinyl record album

The title certainly gets it right – because although Champion Jack Dupree recorded some rootsier blues in his time, the music here is all pretty upbeat and rocking – and includes a fair bit of unissued titles recorded for RCA's Groove and Vik labels in the 50s! The set begins with a ... CD

A great document of an amazing blues tradition – bottleneck guitar, offered up here in a host of original 78s from the 30s! The style is one that was co-opted often in later years, but is presented here at its roots – with a nice, gritty feel overall – and use of the mode that's ... LP, Vinyl record album

Really raw work by Reverend Charlie Jackson – gospel in subject, but delivered in a style that's much more blues overall – thanks to a stripped-down presentation, and lots of electric guitar from the man himself! The Rev comes across here like some cat recorded out at a juke joint in ... CD

A mid-60s smoker from the great Bo Diddley – a set that's maybe more obscure than some of his initial classics, but equally great! Bo's completely on fire right from the start – fast-riffing his guitar with that rhythm he invented, and which bore his name for decades to come – ... CD

One of the rootsiest albums ever recorded by Taj Mahal – a set that begins with a song by Lightnin Hopkins, then seems to have Taj echoing a lot of the spareness of that work! The film's set in the 30s, and the music is very rootsy rural blues – with just Taj Mahal on vocals, steel-bodi ... CD

One of the most legendary bluesmen of the early 78rpm generation – heard here in a wonderfully-recorded set from 1964! The session came at a time when Skip James was hardly getting any mainstream attention, but had been rediscovered by a younger generation – which led to the fledgling ... LP, Vinyl record album

An album recorded in the Netherlands, but a set that hits right to the heart of RL Burnside's Mississippi roots – thanks to a beautifully spare, careful presentation of the music! Most numbers feature just Burnside on vocals and guitar – with a vibe that's similar to the field ... LP, Vinyl record album

Funky blues from the great Lowell Fulsom! Lowell's best known to the world for his classic "Tramp", a tight funky number that virtually created a whole subgenre of soul, as Otis Redding and Joe Tex were quick to cut answer records to cash in on the action. Nobody could beat Lowell's ... CD

Great gritty sides from the mighty John Lee Hooker – material with a slightly obscure origin, but recorded in the late 50s, right in a stretch when he was cutting some of his classics! Hooker's guitar and vocals are center stage – both growling with a hell of a lot of soulful power ... LP, Vinyl record album

A really nice later set from legendary Texas blues titan Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins – done up for the Jewel label with a bit of the spark that was missing from the hit & miss work he did earlier in the decade for Bluesville! Blue Lightnin' also has a down and dirty style in spots, ... LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing blues from the Georgia scene of the 70s – music that hardly feels like other versions of the genre coming out at the time – partly thanks to the raw recording quality of these tracks! Most of the music features just a singer and guitar – sometimes just one or the other ... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the real gems of Prestige's Bluesville label – a small combo session with Slim on piano and some vocals – plus Harpie Brown on harmonica on two tracks, Lafayette Thomas on guitar on a few others, and Wendell Marshall on bass on the same cuts – but more than half the tracks ... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Big blues from Little Milton, recorded with a mighty big sound as well – thanks to the cool criss-crossing of soul and blues that was going down at Chess Records in the 60s! Milton's got this raw, raspy style in his voice – a nasty edge that mixes perfectly with his own sharp guitar ... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound ... LP, Vinyl record album

A famous date that showcases the Chess Records influence on the sound of the Brit rock scene – one that has a number of key players "giving back" to the label, and working on a special date with Howlin Wolf! Wolf's rough vocals are in the lead on all tracks, and he also plays a bit ... LP, Vinyl record album

Most folks know Doc Pomus as a writer of some famous songs from the early years of rock and soul – but Pomus was also a surprisingly strong singer, as you'll hear here in a set of rare recordings from his early years – including some with the group of Hammond player Bill Doggett, and ... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the fantastic Duke LPs by Bobby Bland from the early 60's, with a rootsy southern soul sound that prefaces later sounds to come out of Stax and Muscle Shoals. Includes the great cut "You're The One (That I Adore)", plus "You're Worth It All", "Your Friends", ... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Bobby Blue Bland's best albums ever – a stunning mix of blues and soul that's the kind of killer stuff that will make you a fan of his forever! There's no beating Bland at this point in his career – and the record is one of the finest illustrations of the power he brought to his ... LP, Vinyl record album

Howlin Wolf sings the blues, and comes across in a way that influences an entire generation too – with that raw, raspy sound that made the singer a perfect blend of delta roots and contemporary sounds that were bubbling up in the postwar years! These tracks have a spare, simple, stark style ... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Is it Fulsom or Fulson? We're not going to try and present ourselves as the authority, but what we can tell you is this collection features 27 tracks from the man, mostly raw blues, though a number of cuts are more produced, with full horn section and piano complementing Fulsom's guitar and vocals ... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Skip the "rock" in the title, because this set is pure blues all the way through – filled with rare treasures from those years when the electric guitar first started dominating the music – with a heady sound that rang from the Chicago scene down to Texas – and all the ... CD

Classic raspy vocals from the legendary Howlin Wolf – singing here in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that ... LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for blues on Chess – a key early album from Howlin Wolf, featuring an array of great original tunes, all set to very spare accompaniment. Most tracks have a searing electric guitar rasping around underneath the vocals and harmonica work – and titles ... LP, Vinyl record album