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. With the Year of the Blues gathering steam the reissues of vintage blues keep pouring in. EMI has chimed with their Blues Kingpins series (www.blueskingpins.com). These six CD's are not "best of" collections but feature important sides that have largely been overlooked on other collections from such legendary figures as Fats Domino, Ike Turner, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James and B.B. King. All are rounded out with excellent notes by the prolific Bill Dahl and boast great sound.

 Ike Turner was a major force on southern blues scene of the 50's. Turner led one of the toughest bands around with his mighty Kings of Rhythm. The band reached immortality with 1951's "Rocket 88" (released as Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats). Turner and his band became session regulars around Memphis backing scores of Sun artists plus others such as Elmore James and Otis Rush among others. Turner was also a talent scout for the Bihari Brothers' Los Angeles-based Modern Records, where he helped get early breaks for artists like Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King. The 18 tracks on this collection, spanning the early 50's to the early 60's, is a perfect showcase for Turner's pounding piano, fine songwriting and especially his stunning guitar pyrotechnics. Turner lays down some pounding boogie piano on the raucous "Loosely" but it's his savage use of the tremolo bar and stinging guitar attack that really demands attention. Highlights include the Latin tinged "Cubano Jump", the sizzling instrumental "Prancing" and Johnny Wright singing on the tortured slow blues "The World Is Yours" as Turner unleashes some vicious whammy soaked licks. The eight-minute-long "All the Blues All the Time," on which Turner solos in the styles of some of the big blues guitarists of the day like John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters is a real showstopper.

 By the time Lightnin' Hopkins left this world in 1982 he left behind a staggering amount of recordings marking him as one of the era's most prolific bluesman. Lightnin' had a seemingly inexhaustible supply of songs, many made up right on the spot, and would lay them down for anyone who offered him cash in hand. This collection goes back to his very first recordings for Aladdin in 1946 and take us up to 1954. Lightnin' lonesome Texas blues sound was already perfected at this point complete with his brilliantly unpredictable fret work and poetic way with a lyric. Lightnin' is heard here with just his trusty guitar -that's all he ever needed- on an inspired collection including very his first recording "Katie Mae Blues" plus gems like the romping update of Tampa Red's bawdy "Let Me Play With Your Poodle", rollicking boogies like "Lightnin's Boogie", "Jake Head Boogie" with Lightnin' reeling off some stunning guitar licks and the poignant protest number "Tim Moore's Farm."

 Like Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker cut sides for anyone who was willing to pay up front. "If they had the money, I had the time", Hooker said. The recordings here are his earliest spanning 1948-55 all issued on the Modern label. These are raw, primal slabs featuring Hooker's throbbing boogie beat. This was a prolific and hugely successful period for Hooker. It all started with the immortal "Boogie Chillen" cut in 1948, which opens this disc, and promptly vaulted to number one on the R&B charts. The floodgates really opened after that and Hooker unleashed a string of vicious boogies like "Hoogie Boogie", the insistent "Weeping Willow Boogie" and "Queen Bee." In a different vein is the atmospheric "I'm In The Mood" (topping the charts in 51') with Hooker's vocals overdubbed to create an otherworldly effect, the back alley vibe of "It's Been A Long Time Baby" filled out with sax and piano and full band stompers like "Hug & squeeze" and the rocking "I'm Ready" with blasts of distorted guitar. If you're unfamiliar with Hooker's early career this one makes a fine introduction.

 If all you know about Fats Domino is Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame" then this collection will be a real eye opener. After "Ain't It A Shame" crossed over to the pop side of the hit tracks in 1955 Domino was unstoppable, hitting with a slew of crossover hits. This collection includes none of those much anthologized hits, instead focusing on the years 1949-55 when Domino was cutting some terrific New Orleans blues numbers. Backed by Dave Bartholomew marvelous band and others, Domino's rolling piano and sublime vocals are heard front and center on this collection of rarely heard sides. Highlights include early gems from his first session like "Hide Away Blues" (named after one of Domino's main haunts), the jumping "Boogie Woogie Baby" and the moving "Every Night About This Time" (later covered by Magic Sam). Later standouts include low-down numbers like "How Long" from 52', "Going To The River" from 53' plus swingers like the joyous "Please Don't Leave Me" and the aptly titled "Domino Stomp."

 The slashing aggression of Elmore James' slide guitar has influenced a generation of musicians since his untimely death in 1963. It was 1951's transcendent updating of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom" that made James a star. These recordings pick up James' story a year later when he signed on to the Modern label (with sides issued under Modern's Flair and Meteor subsidiaries) sticking with the outfit until 1956. While there's no shortage of Elmore James collections this set gathers 18 lesser anthologized numbers, every bit as good as his more celebrated classics. James seemingly never cut an uninspired side, pushed along by his mighty band aptly call the Broomdusters on the slide drenched hit "I Believe", the blistering slide soaked instrumental "Hawaiian Boogie", the shuffling "Standing At The Crossroads" once again reaching back to Robert Johnson and the storming "I Was A Fool." James shows his diversity on non-slide tracks like the swinging T-Bone Walker inspired "Baby What's Wrong", "Dark And Dreary" with some fine single string work and the low-down "Goodbye Baby" complete with doo-wopish backing vocals- it works. This is blues as tough as it gets.

 It's hard to believe that B.B. King made his first sides back in 1948, harder still to believe that he's still going strong 50+ years down the road. King crossed over into the mainstream with his smash "The Thrill Is Gone" in 70' and has remained on top ever since. The seeds of that success rest on the unparalleled recordings he cut or the Bihari Brothers on their RPM, Kent, and Modern imprints between 1950-62. Oddly this seminal period has been served poorly on reissues, at least in the States, while European labels have done a much more thorough job. That makes this 18 track collection all the more important as it focuses on King's recording career between the years 1952, bookended by his first smash, "Three O'Clock Blues," and closing with 62's classic "Rock Me Baby." In between B.B. could do no wrong with his scorching single string fretwork and magnificent vocals turning everything to gold including the crackling Latin tinged "Woke Up This Morning (My Baby's Gone)", the furious Elmore James attack of "Please Love Me" and "Whole Lotta Love" and gorgeous ballads like "Sneakin' Around (With You)." A number of signature King tunes are on board like "Everyday (I Have the Blues)", "Sweet Little Angel" and "Sweet Sixteen."

 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 more reissues.

(Jeff Harris)