Blues & Gospel - Various - Post War Urban Blues -1

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Various Artists Collections - Post War Urban Blues, Miscellaneous - 1

VARIOUS ARTISTS Blue Rock'It 118 10 Years Of Great Modern Blues ● CD $8.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Blind Pig 2001 20th Anniversary Collection ● CD $14.98

Two CD set featuring 36 tracks drawn from the Blind Pig catalog including some rare and unreleased material - Coco Montoya, Carey Bell, Roy Rogers, E.C. Scott, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Studebaker John & The Hawks, Charlie Musselwhite, Henry Gray, Johnny Shines, Eddy Clearwater, Boogie Woogie Red, Walter Horton, Commander Cody & others.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Westside 530 Ace Blues Masters, Vol. 1 - Sing My Blues Tonight ● CD $13.98

25 tracks from the Vaults of Ace Records of Mississippi recorded in New Orleans in 1959 and '60 - 20 of them previously unissued! Urban blues from Floyd Dixon, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn and H-Bomb Feguson. Some tracks are even in stereo!

VARIOUS ARTISTS Ace CDCHD 672 Across The Tracks, Vol. 2 ● CD $18.98

30 mid 50s tracks of Nashville blues, R&B and doo-wop from Ted Jarrett's Champion label - Larry Birdsong, The Kinglets, Charles Walker & The Daffodils, Gene Allison, earl gaines, Joyce Paul, Arthur K. Adams and others.
ARTHUR K. ADAMS: The Same Thing/ GENE ALLISON: Have Faith/ If Things Don't Change/ Stay A Little Longer/ You Can Make It If You Try/ JIMMY BECK & HIS ORCHESTRA: Blue Night/ Murfreesboro/ Oh My Love/ Real Good Man/ LARRY BIRDSONG: Live The Life I Sing About/ Scooter Poofin'/ Three Times Seven/ You're My Baby/ CLIFF BUTLER: Rent's Too High/ THE FAIRFIELD FOUR: Lord You Know/ EARL GAINES: Let Me Down Easy/ Love You So/ Sittin' Here Drinkin'/ You Are My Sunshine/ CHUCK HARROD & THE ANTEATERS: Crawdad Hole/ TED JARRETT WITH DADDY DEAN ORCHESTRA: Love Me A Long Long Time/ THE KINGLETS: Six Days A Week (and Sundays Too)/ You Gotta Go/ CHRISTINE KITTRELL: I Thank Him/ Kiss Away/ Let Me Get Close To You Baby/ The Clips/ LITTLE SHY GUY (DOUGLAS): My Little Baby/ JOYCE PAUL: Goofin' Off/ DON Q & CLENEST GANT: Hallelujah/ ROSCOE SHELTON: It's Almost Sundown/ CHARLES WALKER & THE DAFFODILS: No Fool No More/ Slave To Love

VARIOUS ARTISTS King 528 After Hours ● CD $9.98

10 tracks, 35 mins, recommended. It's 3 a.m., and there you are at the Dew Drop Inn - too broke, too drunk or just too blue to go out and hit that long highway home. Life just wouldn't be worth livin' if it weren't for the cool after hours sounds these cats are puttin' down - Sonny Thompson, Earl Bostic, Todd Rhodes, guitarists Bill Jennings, Pete Lewis and Jimmy Nolen, and more - all blowing soft, sweet and reet in a solid nocturnal groove. Lots of slinky sax, laid-back ivories and dreamy guitar on ten all-instrumental cuts, with original King cover. Take it from me, you can't get anything this mellow anymore without a prescription. CD remastering is not the greatest. (MB)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Arhoolie CD 102 American Masters, Vol 2 - 15 Urban Blues Classics ● CD $7.98

Another great sampler from the Arhoolie catalogs. 15 tracks - mostly Chicago and West Coast blues from Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Duskin, Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Turner & Pete Johnson, Omar Sharriff, Juke Boy Bonner, Piano Red, The Charles Ford Band and others.
JUKE BOY BONNER: Going Back to the Country/ BIG JOE DUSKIN: Cincinnati Stomp/ EARL HOOKER: Anna Lee/ BEE HOUSTON: You Think I'm Your Good Thing/ JOHN LITTLEJOHN: Been Around the World/ CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE: Up And Down The Avenue/ PIANO RED: Atlanta Bounce/ L.C. "GOOD ROCKIN'" ROBINSON: Ups and Downs/ OMAR SHARRIFF: The Raven/ BIG MAMA THORNTON: Big Mama's Bumble Bee/ JOE TURNER & PETE JOHNSON: Wine-O-Baby Boogie/ KATIE WEBSTER: I Know That's Right/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Pontiac Blues/ JOHNNY YOUNG: Wild, Wild, Woman

VARIOUS ARTISTS Antone's 74703 Antone's 20th Anniversary ● CD $21.98

Two CD set - Doyle Bramhall, James Cotton, Sue Foley, Guy Forsyth, BUddy Guy, Lazy Lester, Pete Mayes, Teddy Morgan, Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Rogers, Doug Sahm, Angela Strehli, Luther Tucker, Lavelle White, Kim Wilson.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Antone's 74220 Antone's Women - Bringing You The Best In The Blues ● CD $12.98

This sampler features 8 ladies of the blues (Angela Strehli, Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton, Sarah Brown, Barbara Lynn, Sue Foley, Toni Price and Lavelle White) in various groupings. The 3 cuts from the highly-touted Foley fail to excite much, but Toni Price's cover of Richest One is convincing enough to drop a few bucks on her debut disc. The next best thing is Barton's sultry take on Lynn's You'll Lose A Good Thing off her Read My Lips album. And Lynn's own I'm A Good Woman comes in a close third. Everything else, including 3 previously unreleased tracks, is good but not great. Memo to Antone's: Send more Marcia Ball. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Atlantic 81695 Atlantic Blues: Guitar ● CD $10.98

A selection of 24 tracks by 17 different artists including one track from Blind Willie McTell's brilliant 1949 session for Atlantic and one by Fred McDowell recorded by Alan Lomax in 1959 and previously available on the superb "Southern Folk Heritage Series". There is a nice previously unissued Sticks McGhee cut from 1949 with guitar by brother Brownie and three tracks featuring fine, though obscure Houston guitarist Texas Johnny Brown. There are two tracks from T. Bone Walker's brilliant 1957 session for Atlantic and he is followed by Los Angeles guitarist Chuck Norris who was very strongly influenced by him - both vocally and instrumentally. The king of slide guitar Elmore James is featured on Big Joe Turner's classic recording of T.V. Mama and the brilliant New York guitarist Mickey Baker is featured on the splendid Midnight Midnight. Other artists featured include John Lee Hooker, Guitar Slim, Cornell Dupree, Al King (with great guitar by Johnny Heartsman), Ike & Tina Turner, B.B. King (recorded live in Puerto Rico in 1972), Albert King (two classic Stax sides), John Hammond Jr and Stevie Ray Vaughan. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Atlantic 82309 Atlantic Blues: Guitar - Piano - Vocalists - Chicago ● CD $56.98

This 4-CD set (in an LP-sized box) is frequently great, although it is somewhat more problematic than the label's landmark rhythm-and-blues set, and only partly because Atlantic's R&B catalog is more extensive than its blues catalog. Every one of these discs - featuring, respectively, guitar, piano, vocal and Chicago blues - is full of strong material. The "Guitar" disc features excellent material from the likes of Blind Willie McTell, Mississippi Fred McDowell, John Lee Hooker, Sticks McGhee, and T-Bone Walker, and the "Chicago" set includes marvelous cuts by Johnny Jones, Freddie King, and Otis Rush, before it deteriorates into sundry blues festival recordings that showcase Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Johnny Shines far past their peaks. There is much spectacular music here, though those familiar with the 8-LP version of this set will be disappointed that CD length constraints have cut 20 tracks off of the original 103-song program. Few of the set's absolute best tracks are cut, though any box that lops off even one T-Bone Walker tune is asking for trouble. The high quality of most of these recordings ensures that Atlantic Blues earns a recommendation, but be aware that this is not the whole story. (JG)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Atlantic 81696 Atlantic Blues: Vocalists ● CD $10.98

29 tracks by 20 artists. The first album is mostly from the 40s and 50s and includes some lovely sides by Mama Yancey, Lavern Baker (a fine version of Bessie Smith's Gimme A Pigfoot), Joe Turner, Lil Green (her only 50s recordings), the rare Atlantic sides by Wynonie Harris and two by Ruth Brown including the previously unissued Rain Is A Bringdown from 1949 with Amos Milburn on piano. The second album is mostly from 45s issued on Atlantic and subsidiary labels in the 60s and 70s. There are fine sides by Percy Mayfield (from 1974 with fine guitar by Johnny `Guitar' Watson), Ted Taylor, Esther Phillips, Johnny Copeland (the brilliant It's My Own Tears That's Being Wasted), Eldridge Holmes (New Orleans singer with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, etc), Johnny Taylor, a surprisingly blues flavored cut by Aretha Franklin and Z.Z. Hill. The tracks by Otis Clay, Rufus Thomas, Titus Turner and Bobby Bland are expendable though. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS GNP Crescendo 2261 Best Of Gene Norman's Blues Jubilee ● CD $15.98

18 tracks, 53 mins, recommended Excellent live recordings from concerts called "Blues Jubilees" organised in Los Angeles in 1949, 1950 and 1955 by Frank Bull and Gene Norman. There are five sides by Dinah Washington from 1950 including some that were big hits at the time. Dinah is in great form and the audience is very enthusiastic. Jimmy Witherspoon is featured on five tracks from 1949 and 1950 including his hits Ain't Nobody's Business/ No Rollin' Blues. There are four fine cuts by Helen Humes from 1950 including her hits Million Dollar Secret and E Baba Le Ba. Big Joe Turner winds up the proceedings in fine style with four songs from 1955 accompanied by Roy Milton & The Solid Senders. The supposed "ad-libbed" Blues is, in fact,a version of his 1953 hit Honey Hush! Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes by Scott Yanow. These recordings have all been out before but this is their first reissue on an American CD. I can't help but wonder if any other performances from these shows were recorded and do they exist? (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS MCA Special Products MCAD 22020 Best Of The Blues ● CD $7.98

10 tracks, 42 mins, good. No notes or session info - most of these recordings have an early 70's sound, and are not always the originals. So, Bobby Bland's Stormy Monday is very good, but not the #9 R&B hit he recorded in '61. But his Turn On Your Love Light sounds like the real thing. John Lee Hooker's angry Lonesome Mood is excellent, as is Memphis Minnie's Moanin' The Blues. Others include T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, and Sonny & Brownie. B.B. King has three tracks, with The Thrill Is Gone being the best. And that's it. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Collectables 5050 Blame It On The Blues - From The Vaults Of Dootone ● CD $11.98

A nice collection of mid/late 50s West Coast blues recorded for Dootsie Williams' Los Angeles based Dootoo label. There are four tracks by the powerful Willie Headen ranging from the intense You Can Be Replaced to the novelty I Love You Bobby Sox. There are 4 sides of smooth big band blues from the consistently fine Roy Milton, 4 varied sides by Chuck Higgins and 2 forgettable tracks by Filmore. Not surprisingly for Collectables there are no notes or discographical data and the sound is unexceptional. Still, a nice cross section of West Coast blues. (FS)
FILMORE SLIM: I Want To Hold Your Hand/ You've Got The Nerve Of A Brass Monkey/ WILLIE HEADEN: Blame It On The Blues/ I Love You Bobby Sox/ Let Me Cry/ You Can Be Replaced/ CHUCK HIGGINS: Don't You Know I Love You Baby/ Here I'm Is/ I Need Your Love/ Lookin For My Baby/ ROY MILTON: Cry Some Baby/ I Cant Go On/ I Never Would Have Made It/ Nothing Left

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7057 Blue Cat Blues - All Instrumental ● CD $7.98

Smokey Wilson Larry Davis, Ron Levy & More

VARIOUS ARTISTS Stax 8528 Blue Monday - The Stax Blues Masters ● CD $11.98

Compilation of tracks by Stax bluesmen Little Sonny (The Things I Used To Do), Albert King (Born Under A Bad Sign/ Driving Wheel), Freddie Robinson (After Hours/ River's Invitation) and Little Milton (Blue Monday/ Open The Door To Your Heart). 12 cuts total.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Universe 10 Blues .. A Real Summit Meeting ● CD $29.98

Two CD reissue of 2 LP set originally on Buddah featuring live recordings made in 1973 at the Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts in New York and featuring Big Mama Thornton, Jay McShann, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Lloyd Glenn, Muddy Waters, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and B.B. King. Some nice, if not particularly compelling performances.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Rounder AN 10 Blues Across The U.S.A. ● CD $8.98

18 tracks, 73 min., recommended. In this case "blues" means blues, soul, R&B, and New Orleans-flavored music. Which is fine, especially when your roster includes Otis Clay, Irma Thomas, Chuck Carbo, Barbara Lynn, Charles Brown, Marcia Ball, Eddie Hinton, The Holmes Brothers, Larry Davis, and many more. Ann Peebles' Fear No Evil, lifted from Full Time Love, is a superb shot of musical adrenalin that allows no sitting still. Everything is culled from recent Rounder/Bullseye releases, and culler Ron Levy chose well. A nice introduction to the label. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7027 Blues After Hours - All Instrumental ● CD $7.98

Ronnie Earl, Mike Morgan, Tutu Jones, Tony Z, Joe Houston & more

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7030 Blues Bar-B-Que ● CD $7.98

Marcia Ball, Elvin Bishop, Son Seals, William Clarke & more

VARIOUS ARTISTS Westside 531 Blues Complete ● CD $13.98

This interesting disc features all 10 sides recorded by North Carolina bluesman Ralph Willis for Jubilee in 1950 and '51 including two recently discovered unissued sides. It is worth mentioning that 8 of the 10 sides were issued by Sequel only a few years ago and are probably still available! The set also includes all 8 sides Lonnie Johnson recorded for Rama in 1956 - his last sessions for a commercial label. The disc winds up with 6 tracks from a previously unissued 1960 Chicago session for End featuring Jump Jackson's Combo featuring the fine vocals and piano or Johnny "Big Moose" Walker.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7056 Blues Cruise - Ten For The Highway ● CD $7.98

Roomful Of Blues, Johnny Adams, Monster Mike Welch & More

VARIOUS ARTISTS P-Vine PCD 3062 Blues Divas, 1940s ● CD $23.98

24 tracks, 63 mins, recommended Fine collection of blues and R&B from seven excellent female singers who recorded for Modern and RPM between 1949 and 1956. The fine and ever popular Helen Humes is featured on four sides - two studio cuts including I Ain't In The Mood (the "answer" song to John Lee Hooker's I'm In the Mood) and two cuts live from The Blues Jubilee Concert with Roy Milton's Band in front of a very enthusiastic audience. There are two sides by the wonderful Little Esther from 1949 with Johnny Otis & His Orch including some hot guitar by hot guitar. There are two sides each by Zola Taylor (who later became a member of The Platters) and the obscure but excellent Linda Peters. There are six cuts from 1955 by the fine Dolly Cooper from 1955 with a hard driving band led by Maxwell Davis - half of her cuts are tough blues and the other half are bluesy doo-wop ballads like Teenage Prayer and Teen Age Wedding Bells no doubt aimed at the growing rock 'n roll audience. Donna Hightower is another fine singer whose material is divided between hard blues & R&B and more pop oriented material but all of it is very listenable and there's some hot guitar pickin' on He's My Baby. (FS)
DOLLY COOPER: Ay La Bah/ Down So Long/ Every Day & Every Night/ My Man/ Teen Age Prayer/ Teen Age Wedding Bells/ DONNA HIGHTOWER: Dog Gone It/ Hands Off/ He's My Baby/ I Ain't Gonna Tell/ Love Me Again/ Right Now/ Since You Left Me/ HELEN HUMES: I Ain't In The Mood/ I'm Gonna Let Him Ride/ Livin' My Life My Way/ Million Dollar Secret/ LITTLE ESTHER: I Gotta Guy/ Mean Ole Gal/ LINDA PETERS: Central 1609/ If I had Listened/ ZOLA TAYLOR: Make Love To Me/ Oh My Dear

VARIOUS ARTISTS Laserlight 17105 Blues Festival ● CD $6.98

8 tracks, 33 mins, very good. Interesting collection featuring live recordings from Europe in 1964 previously on the LRC label - it includes 2 songs each by Cousin Joe Pleasants (excellent), Lonnie Johnson (excellent), Victoria Spivey (okay) and Muddy Waters (pretty good). One of the Muddy songs is credited as being by Otis Spann but it isn't. At this price it's worth checking out. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Malaco 2008 Blues From The Montreux Jazz Festival ● CD $15.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7049 Blues Guitar Duels ● CD $7.98

Buddy Guy, Phil Guy, Ronnie Earl Duke Robillard, Phillip Walker

VARIOUS ARTISTS Delmark 697 Blues Guitar Greats ● CD $14.98

A collection of blues guitar from the Delmark vaults including Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Robert Lockwood Jr., Sleepy John Estes, Lurrie Bell, Jimmy Johnson and others. Includes a previously unissued live cut by Magic Sam.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7016 Blues Guitar Greats ● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7072 Blues Guitar Masters ● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7046 Blues Guitar Power ● CD $7.98

Albert Collins, Duke Robillard, George Thorogood, Earl King and others - from the Rounder catalog.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7063 Blues Gumbo ● CD $7.98

Featuring Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Dalton Reed, Earl King & more - from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7074 Blues Hotel ● CD $7.98

Walter Washington, Ron Levy, Bobby Parker, Tutu Jones and others - from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7058 Blues Joint ● CD $7.98

Featuring Jimmy King, Rod Piazza & Mighty Flyers, etc - from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7050 Blues Moods ● CD $7.98

Carey Bell, Hubert Sumlin, Love Dogs, Mighty Sam Mcclain & more - from Rounder.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7029 Blues Of Robert Johnson ● CD $7.98

Johnny Shines, Rory Block, John Hammond, Bob Brozman & more

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 9007 Blues On Fire ● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7061 Blues Organ Grooves ● CD $7.98

Ron Levy, David Maxwell, Tony Z, Lynn August & more from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Wolf 120.400 Blues Power Vol. 1 - The Best Of The Blues ● CD $14.98

A 20 track, 74 minute sampler drawn from Wolf's not always consistent catalog of blues releases. It includes A.C. Reed, Dana Gillespie, Big Joe Turner, Rudy Richard, Charles Brown, Homesick James & Snooky Pryor, Hound Dog Taylor, John Littlejohn, James Cotton, Otis Rush and others. Most of this is worthwhile.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Audioquest 1052 Blues Quest ● CD $9.98

Budget priced 12 track sampler from Audioquest's catalog of blues and R&B releases - Terry Evans, Doug MacLeod, Joe Beard, Mighty Sam McClain, Ronnie Earl (with Pinetop Perkins), Bruce Katz Band, Sherman Roberston and Robert Lucas.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7059 Blues Road Trip - City To City ● CD $7.98

Clarence Gatemouth Brown, James Harman, Marcia Ball & more - from Rounder.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7047 Blues Sax Power ● CD $7.98

Sil Austin, Mark Kazanoff, Greg Piccolo, Deanna Bogart & more from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7019 Blues T-Bone Style ● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7062 Blues Train ● CD $7.98

Johnny Nocturne, Rory Block, Snooks Eaglin, Chuck Carbo & more - from Rounder

VARIOUS ARTISTS Easydisc 7010 Blues Women Today ● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Wolf WBJ 014 Bluestown Story Volume 2 ● CD $14.98

23 tracks, good. The second volume of recordings from Skippy White's Boston based Bluestown label is truly frustrating as there are several extremely good moments but much of it is either mediocre or irrelevant. The set opens with 4 songs by Otis Rush from Cobra that were leased to Bluestown - classic material but how many times do we need it reissued? The most interesting tracks are two previously unissued demos by James Cotton alone with his harmonica and sounding very good indeed. There are two intense soul blues from the excellent Albert Washington and the moderately interesting two part Slow That Disco Down by Little Scotty. And then there is Walter Allen - 13 tracks - 9 of them previously unissued. Allen is a decent enough singer but he accompaniments himself with that most improbable of blues instruments - the electric organ - after a few tracks I want to climb the walls! If the best cuts here had been combined with most of the first volume the result would have been an absolute killer. And what would a Wolf release be without a major typographic blunder - I'm sure that Neil Slaven will be surprised to learn that he died in 1991. From the context I assume they mean Simon Napier. Can't they get anything right?! (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS Prestige 9905 Bluesville Years, Vol 1 - Big Blues Honks & Wails ● CD $14.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Prestige 9906 Bluesville Years, Vol 2 - Feelin' Down On The South ● CD $14.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Prestige 9907 Bluesville Years, Vol 3 - Beale Street Get Down ● CD $14.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS Prestige 9922 Bluesville Years, Vol. 12 - Jump, Jumpin' The Blues ● CD $15.98

This volume includes K.C. Douglas, Memphis Willie B., Memphis Slim, Billy Boy Arnold, Otis Spann, Roosevelt Sykes, Jimmy Witherspoon, Sunnyland Slim and more.

VARIOUS ARTISTS Tone-Cool 1146 Boston Blues Blast Vol. 1 ● CD $14.98

If you don't associate the city of Boston with hot blues, you will when you hear this collection. Most of the bands will probably not be familiar, which makes this even more of a find. Outstanding tracks include Your Red Wagon by Sugar Ray Norcia, who sounds a bit like Kim Wilson (Wilson did produce Jerry Portnoy's harmonica heavy Blues In A Dream). And for a music generally underrepresented by women, this set includes Lynne Harrison & The Hardliners doing Amnesia Blues and Shirley Lewis Experee-ance on Boppin' And Rockin' The Blues; two fine bands, two fine songs. Perhaps the best cut is Paul Rishell's original Louise, which features Mr. Richell's vocals and National steel guitar. The song is so good you'll check the credits to see if it was written by Lightnin' Hopkins. Other performers include "Earring" George Mayweather, Boogaloo Swamis, Ron Levy, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson, Rick Russell Band, Weepin' Willie and others. Long live Tone-Cool! (JC)

Back To Blues Index Next Urban Blues Collections ->

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Blue Rock'It 118	10 Years Of Great Modern Blues	● CD $8.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Blind Pig 2001	20th Anniversary Collection	● CD $14.98
Two CD set featuring 36 tracks drawn from the Blind Pig catalog including some rare and unreleased material - Coco Montoya, Carey Bell, Roy Rogers, E.C. Scott, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Studebaker John & The Hawks, Charlie Musselwhite, Henry Gray, Johnny Shines, Eddy Clearwater, Boogie Woogie Red, Walter Horton, Commander Cody & others.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Westside 530	Ace Blues Masters, Vol. 1 - Sing My Blues Tonight	● CD $13.98
25 tracks from the Vaults of Ace Records of Mississippi recorded in New Orleans in 1959 and '60 - 20 of them previously unissued! Urban blues from Floyd Dixon, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn and H-Bomb Feguson. Some tracks are even in stereo!

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Ace CDCHD 672	Across The Tracks, Vol. 2	● CD $18.98
30 mid 50s tracks of Nashville blues, R&B and doo-wop from Ted Jarrett's Champion label - Larry Birdsong, The Kinglets, Charles Walker & The Daffodils, Gene Allison, earl gaines, Joyce Paul, Arthur K. Adams and others. ARTHUR K. ADAMS: The Same Thing/ GENE ALLISON: Have Faith/ If Things Don't Change/ Stay A Little Longer/ You Can Make It If You Try/ JIMMY BECK & HIS ORCHESTRA: Blue Night/ Murfreesboro/ Oh My Love/ Real Good Man/ LARRY BIRDSONG: Live The Life I Sing About/ Scooter Poofin'/ Three Times Seven/ You're My Baby/ CLIFF BUTLER: Rent's Too High/ THE FAIRFIELD FOUR: Lord You Know/ EARL GAINES: Let Me Down Easy/ Love You So/ Sittin' Here Drinkin'/ You Are My Sunshine/ CHUCK HARROD & THE ANTEATERS: Crawdad Hole/ TED JARRETT WITH DADDY DEAN ORCHESTRA: Love Me A Long Long Time/ THE KINGLETS: Six Days A Week (and Sundays Too)/ You Gotta Go/ CHRISTINE KITTRELL: I Thank Him/ Kiss Away/ Let Me Get Close To You Baby/ The Clips/ LITTLE SHY GUY (DOUGLAS): My Little Baby/ JOYCE PAUL: Goofin' Off/ DON Q & CLENEST GANT: Hallelujah/ ROSCOE SHELTON: It's Almost Sundown/ CHARLES WALKER & THE DAFFODILS: No Fool No More/ Slave To Love

VARIOUS ARTISTS	King 528	After Hours	● CD $9.98
10 tracks, 35 mins, recommended. It's 3 a.m., and there you are at the Dew Drop Inn - too broke, too drunk or just too blue to go out and hit that long highway home. Life just wouldn't be worth livin' if it weren't for the cool after hours sounds these cats are puttin' down - Sonny Thompson, Earl Bostic, Todd Rhodes, guitarists Bill Jennings, Pete Lewis and Jimmy Nolen, and more - all blowing soft, sweet and reet in a solid nocturnal groove. Lots of slinky sax, laid-back ivories and dreamy guitar on ten all-instrumental cuts, with original King cover. Take it from me, you can't get anything this mellow anymore without a prescription. CD remastering is not the greatest. (MB)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Arhoolie CD 102	American Masters, Vol 2 - 15 Urban Blues Classics	● CD $7.98
Another great sampler from the Arhoolie catalogs. 15 tracks - mostly Chicago and West Coast blues from Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Duskin, Charlie Musselwhite, Joe Turner & Pete Johnson, Omar Sharriff, Juke Boy Bonner, Piano Red, The Charles Ford Band and others. JUKE BOY BONNER: Going Back to the Country/ BIG JOE DUSKIN: Cincinnati Stomp/ EARL HOOKER: Anna Lee/ BEE HOUSTON: You Think I'm Your Good Thing/ JOHN LITTLEJOHN: Been Around the World/ CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE: Up And Down The Avenue/ PIANO RED: Atlanta Bounce/ L.C. "GOOD ROCKIN'" ROBINSON: Ups and Downs/ OMAR SHARRIFF: The Raven/ BIG MAMA THORNTON: Big Mama's Bumble Bee/ JOE TURNER & PETE JOHNSON: Wine-O-Baby Boogie/ KATIE WEBSTER: I Know That's Right/ SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Pontiac Blues/ JOHNNY YOUNG: Wild, Wild, Woman

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Antone's 74703	Antone's 20th Anniversary	● CD $21.98
Two CD set - Doyle Bramhall, James Cotton, Sue Foley, Guy Forsyth, BUddy Guy, Lazy Lester, Pete Mayes, Teddy Morgan, Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Rogers, Doug Sahm, Angela Strehli, Luther Tucker, Lavelle White, Kim Wilson.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Antone's 74220	Antone's Women - Bringing You The Best In The Blues	● CD $12.98
This sampler features 8 ladies of the blues (Angela Strehli, Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton, Sarah Brown, Barbara Lynn, Sue Foley, Toni Price and Lavelle White) in various groupings. The 3 cuts from the highly-touted Foley fail to excite much, but Toni Price's cover of Richest One is convincing enough to drop a few bucks on her debut disc. The next best thing is Barton's sultry take on Lynn's You'll Lose A Good Thing off her Read My Lips album. And Lynn's own I'm A Good Woman comes in a close third. Everything else, including 3 previously unreleased tracks, is good but not great. Memo to Antone's: Send more Marcia Ball. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Atlantic 81695	Atlantic Blues: Guitar	● CD $10.98
A selection of 24 tracks by 17 different artists including one track from Blind Willie McTell's brilliant 1949 session for Atlantic and one by Fred McDowell recorded by Alan Lomax in 1959 and previously available on the superb "Southern Folk Heritage Series". There is a nice previously unissued Sticks McGhee cut from 1949 with guitar by brother Brownie and three tracks featuring fine, though obscure Houston guitarist Texas Johnny Brown. There are two tracks from T. Bone Walker's brilliant 1957 session for Atlantic and he is followed by Los Angeles guitarist Chuck Norris who was very strongly influenced by him - both vocally and instrumentally. The king of slide guitar Elmore James is featured on Big Joe Turner's classic recording of T.V. Mama and the brilliant New York guitarist Mickey Baker is featured on the splendid Midnight Midnight. Other artists featured include John Lee Hooker, Guitar Slim, Cornell Dupree, Al King (with great guitar by Johnny Heartsman), Ike & Tina Turner, B.B. King (recorded live in Puerto Rico in 1972), Albert King (two classic Stax sides), John Hammond Jr and Stevie Ray Vaughan. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Atlantic 82309	Atlantic Blues: Guitar - Piano - Vocalists - Chicago	● CD $56.98
This 4-CD set (in an LP-sized box) is frequently great, although it is somewhat more problematic than the label's landmark rhythm-and-blues set, and only partly because Atlantic's R&B catalog is more extensive than its blues catalog. Every one of these discs - featuring, respectively, guitar, piano, vocal and Chicago blues - is full of strong material. The "Guitar" disc features excellent material from the likes of Blind Willie McTell, Mississippi Fred McDowell, John Lee Hooker, Sticks McGhee, and T-Bone Walker, and the "Chicago" set includes marvelous cuts by Johnny Jones, Freddie King, and Otis Rush, before it deteriorates into sundry blues festival recordings that showcase Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Johnny Shines far past their peaks. There is much spectacular music here, though those familiar with the 8-LP version of this set will be disappointed that CD length constraints have cut 20 tracks off of the original 103-song program. Few of the set's absolute best tracks are cut, though any box that lops off even one T-Bone Walker tune is asking for trouble. The high quality of most of these recordings ensures that Atlantic Blues earns a recommendation, but be aware that this is not the whole story. (JG)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Atlantic 81696	Atlantic Blues: Vocalists	● CD $10.98
29 tracks by 20 artists. The first album is mostly from the 40s and 50s and includes some lovely sides by Mama Yancey, Lavern Baker (a fine version of Bessie Smith's Gimme A Pigfoot), Joe Turner, Lil Green (her only 50s recordings), the rare Atlantic sides by Wynonie Harris and two by Ruth Brown including the previously unissued Rain Is A Bringdown from 1949 with Amos Milburn on piano. The second album is mostly from 45s issued on Atlantic and subsidiary labels in the 60s and 70s. There are fine sides by Percy Mayfield (from 1974 with fine guitar by Johnny `Guitar' Watson), Ted Taylor, Esther Phillips, Johnny Copeland (the brilliant It's My Own Tears That's Being Wasted), Eldridge Holmes (New Orleans singer with Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli, etc), Johnny Taylor, a surprisingly blues flavored cut by Aretha Franklin and Z.Z. Hill. The tracks by Otis Clay, Rufus Thomas, Titus Turner and Bobby Bland are expendable though. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	GNP Crescendo 2261	Best Of Gene Norman's Blues Jubilee	● CD $15.98
18 tracks, 53 mins, recommended Excellent live recordings from concerts called "Blues Jubilees" organised in Los Angeles in 1949, 1950 and 1955 by Frank Bull and Gene Norman. There are five sides by Dinah Washington from 1950 including some that were big hits at the time. Dinah is in great form and the audience is very enthusiastic. Jimmy Witherspoon is featured on five tracks from 1949 and 1950 including his hits Ain't Nobody's Business/ No Rollin' Blues. There are four fine cuts by Helen Humes from 1950 including her hits Million Dollar Secret and E Baba Le Ba. Big Joe Turner winds up the proceedings in fine style with four songs from 1955 accompanied by Roy Milton & The Solid Senders. The supposed "ad-libbed" Blues is, in fact,a version of his 1953 hit Honey Hush! Sound quality is excellent and there are informative notes by Scott Yanow. These recordings have all been out before but this is their first reissue on an American CD. I can't help but wonder if any other performances from these shows were recorded and do they exist? (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	MCA Special Products MCAD 22020	Best Of The Blues	● CD $7.98
10 tracks, 42 mins, good. No notes or session info - most of these recordings have an early 70's sound, and are not always the originals. So, Bobby Bland's Stormy Monday is very good, but not the #9 R&B hit he recorded in '61. But his Turn On Your Love Light sounds like the real thing. John Lee Hooker's angry Lonesome Mood is excellent, as is Memphis Minnie's Moanin' The Blues. Others include T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, and Sonny & Brownie. B.B. King has three tracks, with The Thrill Is Gone being the best. And that's it. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Collectables 5050	Blame It On The Blues - From The Vaults Of Dootone	● CD $11.98
A nice collection of mid/late 50s West Coast blues recorded for Dootsie Williams' Los Angeles based Dootoo label. There are four tracks by the powerful Willie Headen ranging from the intense You Can Be Replaced to the novelty I Love You Bobby Sox. There are 4 sides of smooth big band blues from the consistently fine Roy Milton, 4 varied sides by Chuck Higgins and 2 forgettable tracks by Filmore. Not surprisingly for Collectables there are no notes or discographical data and the sound is unexceptional. Still, a nice cross section of West Coast blues. (FS) FILMORE SLIM: I Want To Hold Your Hand/ You've Got The Nerve Of A Brass Monkey/ WILLIE HEADEN: Blame It On The Blues/ I Love You Bobby Sox/ Let Me Cry/ You Can Be Replaced/ CHUCK HIGGINS: Don't You Know I Love You Baby/ Here I'm Is/ I Need Your Love/ Lookin For My Baby/ ROY MILTON: Cry Some Baby/ I Cant Go On/ I Never Would Have Made It/ Nothing Left

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7057	Blue Cat Blues - All Instrumental	● CD $7.98
Smokey Wilson Larry Davis, Ron Levy & More

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Stax 8528	Blue Monday - The Stax Blues Masters	● CD $11.98
Compilation of tracks by Stax bluesmen Little Sonny (The Things I Used To Do), Albert King (Born Under A Bad Sign/ Driving Wheel), Freddie Robinson (After Hours/ River's Invitation) and Little Milton (Blue Monday/ Open The Door To Your Heart). 12 cuts total.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Universe 10	Blues .. A Real Summit Meeting	● CD $29.98
Two CD reissue of 2 LP set originally on Buddah featuring live recordings made in 1973 at the Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts in New York and featuring Big Mama Thornton, Jay McShann, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Lloyd Glenn, Muddy Waters, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and B.B. King. Some nice, if not particularly compelling performances.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Rounder AN 10	Blues Across The U.S.A.	● CD $8.98
18 tracks, 73 min., recommended. In this case "blues" means blues, soul, R&B, and New Orleans-flavored music. Which is fine, especially when your roster includes Otis Clay, Irma Thomas, Chuck Carbo, Barbara Lynn, Charles Brown, Marcia Ball, Eddie Hinton, The Holmes Brothers, Larry Davis, and many more. Ann Peebles' Fear No Evil, lifted from Full Time Love, is a superb shot of musical adrenalin that allows no sitting still. Everything is culled from recent Rounder/Bullseye releases, and culler Ron Levy chose well. A nice introduction to the label. (JC)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7027	Blues After Hours - All Instrumental	● CD $7.98
Ronnie Earl, Mike Morgan, Tutu Jones, Tony Z, Joe Houston & more

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7030	Blues Bar-B-Que	● CD $7.98
Marcia Ball, Elvin Bishop, Son Seals, William Clarke & more

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Westside 531	Blues Complete	● CD $13.98
This interesting disc features all 10 sides recorded by North Carolina bluesman Ralph Willis for Jubilee in 1950 and '51 including two recently discovered unissued sides. It is worth mentioning that 8 of the 10 sides were issued by Sequel only a few years ago and are probably still available! The set also includes all 8 sides Lonnie Johnson recorded for Rama in 1956 - his last sessions for a commercial label. The disc winds up with 6 tracks from a previously unissued 1960 Chicago session for End featuring Jump Jackson's Combo featuring the fine vocals and piano or Johnny "Big Moose" Walker.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7056	Blues Cruise - Ten For The Highway	● CD $7.98
Roomful Of Blues, Johnny Adams, Monster Mike Welch & More

VARIOUS ARTISTS	P-Vine PCD 3062	Blues Divas, 1940s	● CD $23.98
24 tracks, 63 mins, recommended Fine collection of blues and R&B from seven excellent female singers who recorded for Modern and RPM between 1949 and 1956. The fine and ever popular Helen Humes is featured on four sides - two studio cuts including I Ain't In The Mood (the "answer" song to John Lee Hooker's I'm In the Mood) and two cuts live from The Blues Jubilee Concert with Roy Milton's Band in front of a very enthusiastic audience. There are two sides by the wonderful Little Esther from 1949 with Johnny Otis & His Orch including some hot guitar by hot guitar. There are two sides each by Zola Taylor (who later became a member of The Platters) and the obscure but excellent Linda Peters. There are six cuts from 1955 by the fine Dolly Cooper from 1955 with a hard driving band led by Maxwell Davis - half of her cuts are tough blues and the other half are bluesy doo-wop ballads like Teenage Prayer and Teen Age Wedding Bells no doubt aimed at the growing rock 'n roll audience. Donna Hightower is another fine singer whose material is divided between hard blues & R&B and more pop oriented material but all of it is very listenable and there's some hot guitar pickin' on He's My Baby. (FS) DOLLY COOPER: Ay La Bah/ Down So Long/ Every Day & Every Night/ My Man/ Teen Age Prayer/ Teen Age Wedding Bells/ DONNA HIGHTOWER: Dog Gone It/ Hands Off/ He's My Baby/ I Ain't Gonna Tell/ Love Me Again/ Right Now/ Since You Left Me/ HELEN HUMES: I Ain't In The Mood/ I'm Gonna Let Him Ride/ Livin' My Life My Way/ Million Dollar Secret/ LITTLE ESTHER: I Gotta Guy/ Mean Ole Gal/ LINDA PETERS: Central 1609/ If I had Listened/ ZOLA TAYLOR: Make Love To Me/ Oh My Dear

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Laserlight 17105	Blues Festival	● CD $6.98
8 tracks, 33 mins, very good. Interesting collection featuring live recordings from Europe in 1964 previously on the LRC label - it includes 2 songs each by Cousin Joe Pleasants (excellent), Lonnie Johnson (excellent), Victoria Spivey (okay) and Muddy Waters (pretty good). One of the Muddy songs is credited as being by Otis Spann but it isn't. At this price it's worth checking out. (FS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Malaco 2008	Blues From The Montreux Jazz Festival	● CD $15.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7049	Blues Guitar Duels	● CD $7.98
Buddy Guy, Phil Guy, Ronnie Earl Duke Robillard, Phillip Walker

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Delmark 697	Blues Guitar Greats	● CD $14.98
A collection of blues guitar from the Delmark vaults including Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Robert Lockwood Jr., Sleepy John Estes, Lurrie Bell, Jimmy Johnson and others. Includes a previously unissued live cut by Magic Sam.

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7016	Blues Guitar Greats	● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7072	Blues Guitar Masters	● CD $7.98

VARIOUS ARTISTS	Easydisc 7046	Blues Guitar Power	● CD $7.98
Albert Collins, Duke Robillard, George Thorogood, Earl King and others - from the Rounder catalog.