A Roundup Of Some New & Noteworthy Blues Reissues

 One thing you have to say about MCA/Universal Records is that they've done a fine job handling the huge treasure trove that makes up the Chess catalog. Not only have they kept the Chess catalog consistently in print but they've always done a classy job with their reissues. While it's true that they seem to recycle the same material in different packages at least it assures that this material is available for a whole new generation discovering this material. The latest reissues come from the mid-60's when Chess released a series of "best of" albums for Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin' Wolf. Under each artist's name, The Real Folk Blues was issued in 1966 and a More Real Folk Blues in 1967 (the latter album for Hooker wasn't discovered and released until 1991).

 The Howlin' Wolf material spans from 1953 to 1964 and captures the mighty Wolf at the peak of his powers. Wolf was always backed by tremendous bands and this set features great guitarists like Willie Johnson, Hubert Sumlin, Smokey Smothers, Buddy Guy and pianists such as Johnny Jones and Lafayette Leake. The 300 pound Wolf is of course the focal point, a true force of nature, as he unleashes his magnificent vocals on classics like "Killing floor", "Sittin' On Top Of The World", "The Natchez Burnin'", "I'm The Wolf" and "Rockin' Daddy" and many others.

 The Muddy Waters set cuts a wide swath spanning from 1947 to 1964. This collection neatly traces Muddy's evolution from when he was just accompanied by bass player Ernest "Big" Crawford to the full band sound that forged the modern Chicago blues sound backed but a who's who of Chicago legends such as James Cotton, Little Walter, Otis Spann, Junior Wells and others. The force of Muddy's personality burns through on all time classics like "Mannish Boy", "Walking Thru The Park", "Gypsy Woman", "Forty Days And Forty Nights" and "Honey Bee."

 By the time The Real Folk Blues had come out Sonny Boy Williamson had been dead for six months but had achieved enormous success touring Europe and playing with rock & rollers like the Animals and Yardbirds. This collection spans from 1957 to 1964 and as usual features top drawer support from players like Otis Spann, Robert Lockwood, Willie Dixon, and Buddy Guy among others. Sonny Boy's sly humor and brilliant harmonica blowing are spotlighted on gems like "One Way Out," "Checkin' Up On My Baby," "Down Child," "Bring It On Home" "Help Me," and "Nine Below Zero."

 John Lee Hooker is the odd man out as these cuts were not drawn from older material but laid down in one inspired 1966 session. Hooker's early Chess sides can be found on the marvelous 2-CD The Complete Chess 50's Recordings. Backed by Eddie Burns, Lafayette Leake and Fred Below Hooker rolls through a typically fine set of boogies and shuffles. Highlights include "Let's Go Out Tonight," "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" the solo "The Waterfront", "House Rent Boogie", "Deep Blue Sea,", "Want Ad Blues" and the dark, moody "This Land Is Nobody's Land."

 On a side note expect full fledged biographies this year of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf with one in the works for Sonny Boy Williamson although I'm not sure when it's slated to come out.

 From Delmark Records comes two more volumes in their Apollo series. A while back Delmark acquired the rights to the Apollo label a New York base label that issued a diverse assortment of music between 1944 and 1962 including of course some quality blues recordings. In the past Delmark has treated us to fine collections by Wynonie Harris, Sunnyland Slim, Dinah Washington, Pete Johnson among several others.

 The first collection, Alec "Guitar Slim" Seward & Louis "Jelly Belly" Hayes The Back Porch Boys, has a decidedly down-home flavor despite the New York location and didn't reflect the sound of mainstream black music at the time. Nonetheless the music was aimed at older blacks who were still nostalgic for the sounds of the Southeast where many of them had migrated from. Seward & Hayes make a fine team playing a brand of pleasant East Coast blues in the tradition of Blind Boy Fuller, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (Seward learned directly from McGhee). Both men trade guitar and vocals on 8 sides plus 3 alternate takes from a 1947 session. The duo also made some fine sides in the early 40's that can be found on the Arhoolie CD Carolina Blues NYC 1944. The rest of the CD is comprised of similar down-home blues including the little known Dennis McMillon on the gently propulsive "Goin' Back Home" and 5 sides from Blind Willie McTell from a 1950 Regal session. McTell is in typically fine form on this late career session of all religious material including moving versions of "River Jordan", "How About You" and a rousing "Hide Me In Thy Bosom." Three of these songs are previously unreleased. You can find the bulk of McTell's regal recordings on the marvelous Pig & Whistle Red on the Biograph label. Champion Jack Dupree (recording as Duke Bayou & Mystic Six no less!) is the odd man out featuring a more contemporary sound on his four cuts including the raucous "She Can Shake It" and "Rub A Little Boogie" from a 1949 session.

  The music on Hoot & Holler Saturday Night! is much more reflective of the era featuring jumping horn driven bands fronted by the window rattling vocals of Piney Brown and Eddie Mack. This was the era of the blues shouter typified by big lunged singers like Wynonie Harris (his fine 1945 sides were reissued by Delmark on Everybody's Boogie), Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rushing and Gatemouth Moore.

 While Piney Brown and Eddie Mack never had the success as the aforementioned artists this 22 track collection is a stellar set of primal R&B from it's formative years. Piney Brown is very much in the Wynonie Harris mold belting the blues on 9 cuts from two sessions done in 1948 and 1950. He sounds particularly assured on "Piney Brown Boogie", the relentless "That's Right Baby" and the jumping "How About Rocking With Me."

 Eddie Mack proves himself a superb vocalist on 14 sides from two sessions cut in 1949 and 1950. The band honks and wails as Mack sails through fine numbers like the blasting good time rocker "Hoot And Holler Saturday Night!", furiously jumping items like "How About That", "Kind Loving Daddy" as well as the slow tortured blues of "Heart Throbbing Blues" and "Cool Mama." Both men continued to record after these sessions and at 80 years old Piney Brown is making something of a comeback having performed at the prestigious Blues Estafette festival in Holland in 2000. Eddie Mack recorded a particularly good session for Savoy in 1952 (issued originally on the 2-LP The Shouters) that is just begging for domestic reissue. The set features a number of previously unreleased songs and excellent liner notes from Juke Blues writer Brian Baumgartner.