Reviews (1)

FINALLY!!
I first bought a cassette-tape of what were apparently these 2 Jewel recordings - In a heavy bag/I've got the blues, in the late 80's on a whim. It blew me and everyone I played it to away. Unfortunately, my car along with the tape was stolen soon after and I could never remember the actual name of the tape. I soon found out these songs weren't what Lowell Fulson was known for, i.e. his previous style. It has only been with the help of the internet, after more than a decade, that I have finally worked out what the records on that tape were.
Hearing these songs again is like finding old friends!
These sessions were fantastic, with Lowell's soulful voice in fine form and David Hood's slightly funky bass kept everything grooving along. Live favourite, Big Jay McNeely, also tooted his horn on these records. It's a shame they're not better known. Blues purists apparently dismissed them at the time because of the use of the wah-wah pedal on some of the songs but to these ears the soul/blues/rock fusion sounds more than fine.They haven't dated at all.
On this double CD you get both the above mentioned records remastered plus some bonus out-takes and 45's.
Buy it while you can! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH !! DESERVES A 10+.
I patiently waited for a copy of this CD to become available. I pounced on one here recently, and have absolutely no regrets. I wish I had purchased a radar-detector with this disc. The driving force of this CD could cause a person to be a little heavy on the gas pedal if listening to it in your vehicle, not to mention any hands on the steering wheel as you do your best air-guitar licks to it. I have Volumes 1,2, and 3 and they all rock. This disc is very hard to find, and not available from Shrapnel/ Blues Bureau.

Guitar God Kevin Russell's work is the BEST!
Anything that Kevin Russell performs on is the best, be it rock or blues.This high flying blues CD has the best hard driving rock/blues songs, especially "Take It Like a Man".He is THE guitarist amoung all the guitarists in the world.If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this CD, you will play it over and over and over again.Also attempt to get The S.F. Blues Guitar Summitt #1 which is just as good.Also, any of Mr. Russell's should be a top priority for a collection.Get his other group 707's latest CD "Trip To Heaven", tremendous....

Great talent wasted on poorly produced album
There is no doubt that Nitro, Castro and Russell (the last I've seen play blistering hot blues at Lou's Pier 47 in SF) are gifted musicians. However, a number of things prevent their talent from shining through on this very disappointing studio album.

To begin with, the song selection is more befitting a mid-80's action movie soundtrack (think Kenny Loggins on "Top Gun" or "Beverly Hills Cop") than a collaborative blues album. Songs like "Alligator Alley" and "Runnin' On Fumes" fall victim to ordinary rock beats, over-distorted guitar, and uninspired solos.

The more blues-oriented tracks like "Take It Like A Man" and "You Got Something" fare better, but still feel like a constrained, almost format-like, presentation of guitar blues. Only one, "I Tried", really has a soulful, blues-y touch, but even this one sounds like a Clapton [take] from "From The Cradle."

The lyrics--when you can understand them--are weak, as are the vocal talents of these musicians; ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem, since most blues guitarists let their playing do the talking. However, the song selection includes too many love songs and not enough instrumentals.

Finally, the production quality of the album proves to be the achilles heel. Not enough variety in guitar effects or blues rhythms, poorly mixed solos, and no attempt to blend these great talents together.

If hard-driving blues rock is your cup of tea, you might still like this album. However, as a fan of more elegant fiddlers like SRV, Jimi and Albert King, I would recommend picking up their albums over this one.

Red Hot and Rockin'
The lyrics may be trashy but the fretboards burn from start to finish on this piledriving CD.

Alligator Alley is the stand out track with Kevin Russell, Johnny Nitro and Tommy Castro all taking their turns to rip it up !

Buy this immediately,you won't be disappointed.

Red Hot and Rockin'
The lyrics may be trashy but the fretboards burn from start to finish on this piledriving CD.

Alligator Alley is the stand out track with Kevin Russell, Johnny Nitro and Tommy Castro all taking their turns to rip it up !

Buy this immediately,you won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Kevin Russell - The BEST Rock/Blues Guitarist!
I was lucky enough to find this CD years ago in a Chicago music shop and it has changed my life around.No other guitarist holds a candle to this guy.If you like dynOmite, hard driving guitar licks, fast tempo rythmns and perfect lyrics, grab one of these CD's and anything else by Kevin Russell that you can get your hands on, such as 707's "Trip To Heaven".It's simply the best, forget the rest.You may burn out your audio system playing his songs over and over again like I do, but let me tell you, it's worth it.Systems come & go, his works stay the test of time! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A True Blues Guitar Original
Junior is a true original who borrows from the past to create a guitar style that is truly his own and it is this originality that shines to the forefront on every song of his first solo release.

Best living blues guitarist
The album is amazing. He is a living blues god. If you haven't seen him live you are missing one of the best blues acts around. His newer album "If I Had A Genie" is also a must have. Keep them coming Junior.

Jr Watson is amazing
Jr Watson is amazing. I've heard many a folk go on about Hollywood Fats, but Jr is so unpredicable and orginal with a feel that is as real and soulful as music gets. A Bob Dylan of the guitar. Jr Watson is amazing.

Junior, please make another album!
This one took about 3 years to record and he's been owrking on number 2 for about 4 years now. I guess he's busy playing with Canned Heat and such, but gee-whiz it would be nice to hear another record.

By the way, this is the best jump-blues recording of the 90's, PERIOD. "Certainly all . . "

Junior Watson-just the best
Junior Watson is simply the best jump-swing-westcoast-blues-guitarist of all time..I never heard two solos sounding the same....this cd is not one of his best, because of the poor sound quality...but still, you have to buy it... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A great place to begin
This was my first blues CD. I used to listed mainly to rock music, and it was the guitar-angle that caught me....about a hundred blues CDs ago.

If you are relatively new to classic 50s and 60s blues, "Chess Blues Guitar" is an excellent starting place. This double-disc set boasts lots of well-chosen songs by Robert Nighthawk ("Anna Lee", "Someday"), Elmore James ("I Can't Hold Out"), Howlin' Wolf ("Killing Floor", "Hidden Charms", "I've Got A Woman"), Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Little Milton Campbell, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley and many more.
The Muddy Waters songs aren't really among his best, and are obviously chosen for the guitar playing, but the Howlin' Wolf-tracks in particular are not only sublime examples of classic blues guitar playing, "Hidden Charms" and "Killing Floor" are also two of Wolf's best-ever songs, and the former features perhaps the greatest guitar solo ever comitted to tape.

And most of the lesser-known songs are excellent as well, even offering something for the more experienced blues fan:
Blue Smitty's "Date Bait", Danny Overbea's "Forty Cups Of Coffee", Morris Pejoe's "Tired Of Crying Over You", "Give Me One More Shot" by J.B. Lenoir, "One Sunny Day" by Lonnie Brooks, Eddie Burns' "Treat Me Like I Treat You", "Claim On You" by Lafayette Thomas, and Jody Williams' "What Kind Of Gal Is That" are all great songs, and not that easy to find on compact disc.

A fine purchase for novice and veteran alike. Highly recommended.

Killer Fretwork for guitar lovers
Chess was the home of most of the bigger blues legends of the 50's and 60's. This compilation is a must have for any blues guitar lover. Some of the early tracks (the first 10 or so) are country blues and are fairly mediocre, but the rest of the album is 5 stars. Lots of catchy instrumentals from Earl Hooker, Jody Williams, Chuck Berry(even his are good!), Buddy Guy(you can here where Stevie Ray was influenced from-check out Buddy's Boogie)as well as the great Hubert Sumlin on the Howlin Wolf tracks, Otis Rush, Little Milton, and Bo Diddley. This is true blues before the rock influence caught on, so be sure to include it in your collection. ... Read more

Album Description

Digitally remastered UK compilation from 2001 featuring 48tracks from the likes of Ivory Joe Hunter, Louis Jordan,Wynonie Harris, Little Esther, John Lee Hooker, PeppermintHarris, Nellie Lutcher & Nat King Cole, Roy Hawkins, RoyMilton, Cecil Payne, Joe Turner, & many more.Indigo/Pinnacle. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

1950: The R & B Hits - Various Artists
This Indigo CD has Great Fidelity! Many rare tracks! A treasure! Others in the series are just as great! ... Read more

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation features comprehensive liner notes, photographs, & discographies. Proper. 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Story of a good blues man
The life stories of blues musicians are often as bittersweet as the music they played. L.C. "Good Rockin" Robinson is a good example. Born in southeast Texas in 1918, L.C. and his brother A.C. travelled and played the blues around Texas in the 1930's, but never made it big. L.C. served in World War II and then came west to join his brother, who had settled in the San Francisco Bay area. L.C. worked in a laundry and played and sang the blues when he could get a gig. He played fiddle and steel guitar, which he held in his lap. L.C. was discovered by Arhoolie Records in the early '70's, a few years before his death and he cut this album. The album is a little uneven. Four of the last 6 songs are gospel numbers in which he duets with his brother, A.C. There's nothing wrong with mixing the two, but the quality of the blues cuts is clearly superior --- especially the first 6 cuts on which L.C. is jointed by "Pinetop" Perkins" on piano and Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica.

Some of these songs are brilliant, like "Ups and Downs", which is also featured on the Arhoolie Anniversary Album. If only he had been discovered at the right time, L.C. Robinson might be remembered as one of the all time greats of blues. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Exellent cd from Big Mama Thornton
A energetic jump blues session with Mama shoutin' the blues withh all the sass of Dinah Washington combined with Big Maybelle!!! This cd is full of energy and rockin' rhythm. Fun session taht finds Mama in particularly fine form! A fun party cd! ... Read more