Featured in Michael Fremer's Heavy Rotation in the April 2012 Issue of Stereophile!
NINE Blues Bands Recorded in Chicago in 1965 on THREE Limited Edition Audiophile 180g LPs housed in ONE Deluxe Box Set! Pressed at Pallas in Germany!
In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock & roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience. The "Today!" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid-'60s. Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor the legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom. Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and have been reasonably good sellers over the years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc. This packaging puts all three volumes together, but with no bonus tracks, as no extras were recorded for these sessions.
A plus in this packaging, is that it features a nice booklet with detailed, updated notes from Samuel Charters, a nice appreciation from Ed Ward, and absolutely eye-boggling session photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann. Even if you still have the original vinyl or CDs, this is one of the times when it would be best to spend the dough and add this one to your collection, because blues records seldom come as important, innovative, or just plain pleasurable to listen to as this set. File under "essential."
"The conversion to 180-gram vinyl is impressive. The guitars sound crisp and distortion-free. The growling vocals are clearer, but not overproduced. These weary raspy voices sound like authentic bluesmen. Minor details like the augmenting of the bass guitars and lower register piano notes make a great record even better." - Robbie Gerson, 5 Stars!!, www.audaud.com
"Whatever is less than realistic about the stereo spread is more than made up for by the utter transparency and directness of the recorded sound. There's next to nothing between the microphones and the tape recorder and that results in an open window onto the live performance in the room. This is the root of all that is rock'n'roll and it has an unbeatable power, purity and purpose not to be missed. The 3 LP set costs $100 but it's well-mastered from tape copies by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, beautifully pressed at Pallas and the package includes a nicely presented 25 page full-sized booklet with annotation and photos all in a cloth-bound box. Highly recommended!"- Michael Fremer, www.analogplanet.com, Music 9/11, Sound 8/11!
Features:
Limited Edition 180g Vinyl
Audiophile Remastering
Pressed at Pallas in Germany
Triple LP Box Set
20-Page Booklet with detailed liner notes from Samuel Charters and Absolutely Eye-Boggling Session Photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann.
Remastered by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London
Musicians:
The Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band: (LP1, Side One, 1-5)
Junior Wells, harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy, guitar
Jack Myers, bass
Fred Below, drums
J.B. Hutto and his Hawks: (LP1, Side One, 6-7; LP1, Side Two, 1-3)
J.B. Hutto, guitar, vocals
Herman Hassell, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Otis Spann's South Side Piano: (LP1, Side Two, 4-8)
Otis Spann, piano, vocals
S.P. Leary, drums
The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet: (LP2, Side One, 1-5)
Jimmy Cotton, harmonica, vocals
James Madison, guitar
Otis Spann, piano
S.P. Leary, drums
The Otis Rush Blues Band: (LP2, Side One, 6-7; LP2, Side Two, 1-3)
Otis Rush, guitar, vocals
Robert "Sax" Crowder, alto sax
Luther Tucker, rhythm guitar
Roger Jones, bass
Willie Lion, drums
Homesick James and his Dusters: (LP2, Side Two, 4-7)
Homesick James Williamson, guitar, vocals
Willie Dixon, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Johnny Young's South Side Blues Band: (LP3, Side One, 1-6)
Johnny Young, guitar, mandolin, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Hayes Ware, bass
Elga Edmonds, drums
The Johnny Shines Blues Band: (LP3, Side Two, 1-4, 6-7)
Johnny Shines, guitar, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Big Walter Horton's Blues Harp Band with Memphis Charlie: (LP3, Side Two, 5)
Walter Horton, lead harmonica
Memphis Charlie Musselwhite, 2nd harmonica
Johnny Shines, guitar
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Selections:
LP1 - Vol. 1, Side One:
1. Help Me (A Tribute To Sonny Boy Williamson)
2. It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong)
3. Messin' With The Kid
4. Vietcong Blues
5. All Night Long
6. Going Ahead
7. Please Help
LP1 - Vol. 1, Side Two:
1. Too Much Alcohol
2. Married Woman Blues
3. That's The Truth
4. Marie
5. Burning Fire
6. S.P. Blues
7. Sometimes I Wonder
8. Spann's Stomp
LP2 - Vol. 2, Side One:
1. Cotton Crop Blues
2. The Blues Keep Falling
3. Love Me Or Leave Me
4. Rocket 88
5. West Helena Blues
6. Everything's Going To Turn Out Alright
7. It's A Mean Old World
LP2 - Vol. 2, Side Two:
1. I Can't Quit You Baby
2. Rock
3. It's My Own Fault
4. Dust My Broom
5. Somebody Been Talkin'
6. Set A Date
7. So Mean To Me
LP3 - Vol. 3, Side One:
1. One More Time
2. Kid Man Blues
3. My Black Marie
4. Stealin' Back
5. I Got Mine In Time
6. Tighten Up On It
LP3 - Vol. 3, Side Two:
1. Dynaflow Blues
2. Black Spider Blues
3. Layin' Down My Shoes And Clothes
4. If I Get Lucky
5. Rockin' My Bridge
6. Mr. Boweevil
7. Hey, Hey
Recorded December 1965 at RCA Studios, Chicago.
NINE Blues Bands Recorded in Chicago in 1965 on THREE Limited Edition Audiophile 180g LPs housed in ONE Deluxe Box Set! Pressed at Pallas in Germany!
In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock & roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience. The "Today!" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid-'60s. Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor the legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom. Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and have been reasonably good sellers over the years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc. This packaging puts all three volumes together, but with no bonus tracks, as no extras were recorded for these sessions.
A plus in this packaging, is that it features a nice booklet with detailed, updated notes from Samuel Charters, a nice appreciation from Ed Ward, and absolutely eye-boggling session photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann. Even if you still have the original vinyl or CDs, this is one of the times when it would be best to spend the dough and add this one to your collection, because blues records seldom come as important, innovative, or just plain pleasurable to listen to as this set. File under "essential."
"The conversion to 180-gram vinyl is impressive. The guitars sound crisp and distortion-free. The growling vocals are clearer, but not overproduced. These weary raspy voices sound like authentic bluesmen. Minor details like the augmenting of the bass guitars and lower register piano notes make a great record even better." - Robbie Gerson, 5 Stars!!, www.audaud.com
"Whatever is less than realistic about the stereo spread is more than made up for by the utter transparency and directness of the recorded sound. There's next to nothing between the microphones and the tape recorder and that results in an open window onto the live performance in the room. This is the root of all that is rock'n'roll and it has an unbeatable power, purity and purpose not to be missed. The 3 LP set costs $100 but it's well-mastered from tape copies by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, beautifully pressed at Pallas and the package includes a nicely presented 25 page full-sized booklet with annotation and photos all in a cloth-bound box. Highly recommended!"- Michael Fremer, www.analogplanet.com, Music 9/11, Sound 8/11!
Features:
Limited Edition 180g Vinyl
Audiophile Remastering
Pressed at Pallas in Germany
Triple LP Box Set
20-Page Booklet with detailed liner notes from Samuel Charters and Absolutely Eye-Boggling Session Photos taken by Charters' wife, Ann.
Remastered by Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London
Musicians:
The Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band: (LP1, Side One, 1-5)
Junior Wells, harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy, guitar
Jack Myers, bass
Fred Below, drums
J.B. Hutto and his Hawks: (LP1, Side One, 6-7; LP1, Side Two, 1-3)
J.B. Hutto, guitar, vocals
Herman Hassell, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Otis Spann's South Side Piano: (LP1, Side Two, 4-8)
Otis Spann, piano, vocals
S.P. Leary, drums
The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet: (LP2, Side One, 1-5)
Jimmy Cotton, harmonica, vocals
James Madison, guitar
Otis Spann, piano
S.P. Leary, drums
The Otis Rush Blues Band: (LP2, Side One, 6-7; LP2, Side Two, 1-3)
Otis Rush, guitar, vocals
Robert "Sax" Crowder, alto sax
Luther Tucker, rhythm guitar
Roger Jones, bass
Willie Lion, drums
Homesick James and his Dusters: (LP2, Side Two, 4-7)
Homesick James Williamson, guitar, vocals
Willie Dixon, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Johnny Young's South Side Blues Band: (LP3, Side One, 1-6)
Johnny Young, guitar, mandolin, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Hayes Ware, bass
Elga Edmonds, drums
The Johnny Shines Blues Band: (LP3, Side Two, 1-4, 6-7)
Johnny Shines, guitar, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Big Walter Horton's Blues Harp Band with Memphis Charlie: (LP3, Side Two, 5)
Walter Horton, lead harmonica
Memphis Charlie Musselwhite, 2nd harmonica
Johnny Shines, guitar
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Selections:
LP1 - Vol. 1, Side One:
1. Help Me (A Tribute To Sonny Boy Williamson)
2. It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong)
3. Messin' With The Kid
4. Vietcong Blues
5. All Night Long
6. Going Ahead
7. Please Help
LP1 - Vol. 1, Side Two:
1. Too Much Alcohol
2. Married Woman Blues
3. That's The Truth
4. Marie
5. Burning Fire
6. S.P. Blues
7. Sometimes I Wonder
8. Spann's Stomp
LP2 - Vol. 2, Side One:
1. Cotton Crop Blues
2. The Blues Keep Falling
3. Love Me Or Leave Me
4. Rocket 88
5. West Helena Blues
6. Everything's Going To Turn Out Alright
7. It's A Mean Old World
LP2 - Vol. 2, Side Two:
1. I Can't Quit You Baby
2. Rock
3. It's My Own Fault
4. Dust My Broom
5. Somebody Been Talkin'
6. Set A Date
7. So Mean To Me
LP3 - Vol. 3, Side One:
1. One More Time
2. Kid Man Blues
3. My Black Marie
4. Stealin' Back
5. I Got Mine In Time
6. Tighten Up On It
LP3 - Vol. 3, Side Two:
1. Dynaflow Blues
2. Black Spider Blues
3. Layin' Down My Shoes And Clothes
4. If I Get Lucky
5. Rockin' My Bridge
6. Mr. Boweevil
7. Hey, Hey
Recorded December 1965 at RCA Studios, Chicago.
