A Roundup Of New & Noteworthy Blues Reissues

 As we do on a semi-regular basis it's time to take a look at some fine new reissues that have been stacking up here at Bad Dog Blues. This time around we take a look at a pair of historical sets in Columbia's 2-CD "The Story of the Blues" and Varèse Sarabande's continuing look at the Sun catalogue with "Sun Records: 25 Rare Blues Classics." Hightone Records continues their Heritage of the Blues series with classic sets by Phillip Walker and Jesse Mae Hemphill. Finally the Sundazed label serves up a 2-CD vintage soul collection by Bobby Patterson.

 The Varèse Sarabande label has been taking a deep look at the treasure trove of blues that Sun recorded in the early to mid-50's before Elvis, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis changed the company's focus to rockabilly and rock 'n' roll. "Sun Records: 25 Rare Blues Classics" is the fourth in a series that has progressively dug deeper and deeper into the Sun vaults. As in previous volumes this collection pulls together some glorious raw down-home blues, many of which were never released. Among the familiar names are killers by Joe Hill Louis, Junior Parker, Frank Frost and Walter Horton. Favorites include the moving acoustic blues "Before Long" - "The woman I'm loving dead and in the grave/Said the woman I hate see her every day" - by Jimmy DeBerry (his lone Sun single), Albert Williams' rocking "Rhumba Children" a version of John Lee Hooker's smash "Boogie Chillen", Earl Hooker's romping "Move On Down the Line" with a rare vocal by the reticent singer, Honeyboy Edwards vicious slide driven version of "Sweet Home Chicago" and Houston Stokes serving up good advice on the tough "We're All Gonna Do Some Wrong." As in prior volumes Bill Dahl's liner notes are excellent and there's some great period photos.

 The Hightone label has started a series called Heritage of the Blues in honor of 2003 being declared the year of the blues. These are budget priced discs that make fine introductions for newcomers. "The Best of Phillip Walker" pulls together a dozen stellar cuts from Walker's '70s and '80s Playboy, Joliet, Rounder and High Tone recordings. Walker delivers some gritty, contemporary blues with a strong soul streak and subtlety tasteful guitar work. Highlights include the breezy, horn driven "Hello, My Darling" and the low-down "Tin Pan Alley" both from "Bottom of the Top" (one of the finest blues records of the 70's) as well as "Someday You'll Have These Blues" and a marvelous cover of Sam Cooke's "Laughin' & Clownin'." An excellent introduction to an underrated artist and if you like this don't overlook his later 90's recordings on Black Top.

 "Shake It Baby" by Jesse Mae Hemphill collects a dozen tracks recorded between 1979-88. This makes for an excellent introduction to a woman who was under-recorded and likely won't record again after a stroke confined her to a wheelchair in 1995. Hemphill plays down-home delta blues with a strong rhythmic attack and this set spotlights Hemphill on guitar, diddley bow, drums, foot tambourine and bells. Hemphill stomps out the blues with gusto on tracks like "All Night Boogie (Jessie's Boogie)" one of three previously unreleased cuts, "Shake It Baby" and "Bullyin' Well" among other standouts.

 Journeyman soulster Bobby Patterson gets the deluxe treatment on the 2-CD "Soul Is My Music: The Best of Bobby Patterson" a typically classy reissue form the Sundazed label. The 40 tracks collected here comprise Patterson's complete output for the small Jetstar label spanning from 1965-70. Patterson was a fine southern soul singer although not quite in the same league as the era's best and this is reflected in the fact that he only had three chart hits during this period. Still soul fans will find much to enjoy including three very good previously unissued demo tracks plus "Soul Is Our Music", "I'm Leroy - I'll Take Her" (an answer to Joe Tex's million seller "Skinny Legs and All"), "The Good Ol' Days" and "T.C.B. Or T.Y.A." (#38 on the R&B charts) are just some of the highlights. As usual for Sundazed the liner notes are excellent with plenty of comments by Patterson himself and vintage photos.

 The 2-CD "Story of the Blues" is based on the album of the same name originally released in 1969 issued as a companion to the book "The Story of the Blues" by Paul Oliver. Thirteen new tracks are included as well as some updating of the notes by Oliver. The purpose of this collection, Oliver states, is to "trace the story of the blues from it's origins in the Black South to it's emergence as a worldwide idiom." If that sounds overly ambitious it is, especially over the course of just 42 songs. Still this is a solid introductory set which includes performances by Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Willie McTell, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughn and others. The inclusion of The Electric Flag, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Santana detract from an otherwise solid set.

 There's no shortage of reissues coming out and this being the year of the blues we should see an increase in the next few months especially as public radio/TV gear up for the airing of a number of highly anticipated blues programs. Stayed tuned next month as we take a look at yet another batch of reissues.

(Jeff Harris)