Down Home Urban Blues Classics (1996) (Williamson/Thornton/Littlejohn)

Product Summary Label: Arhoolie UPC: 00096297010228 Release Date: 6/10/2003 Buy.com Sku: 60026749 Item#: MJ354C Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Pontiac Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson ~ Various Artists 2. Big Mama's Bumble Bee - Big Mama Thornton ~ Various Artists 3. Cincinnati Stomp - Big Joe Duskin ~ Various Artists 4. Anna Lee - Earl Hooker ~ Various Artists 5. Up & Down The Avenue - Charlie Musselwhite ~ Various Artists 6. Been Around The World - John Littlejohn ~ Various Artists 7. Wine-O-Baby Boogie - Joe Turner/Pete Johnson ~ Various Artists 8. I Know That's Right - Katie Webster ~ Various Artists 9. Raven, The - Omar Sharriff ~ Various Artists 10. You Think I'm Your Good Thing - Bee Houston ~ Various Artists 11. Going Back To The Country - Juke Boy Bonner ~ Various Artists 12. Ups & Downs - L.C. "Good Rockin" Robinson ~ Various Artists 13. Atlanta Bounce - Piano Red ~ Various Artists 14. Wild, Wild, Woman - Johnny Young ~ Various Artists 15. Gibson Creek Shuffle - The Charles Ford Band ~ Various Artists   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info Editors: Chris Strachwitz; Tom Diamant. Photographer: Chris Strachwitz. A collection of urban blues from various releases in Arhoolie's catalog, this album starts out with some straightforward boogie blues with Sonny Boy Williamson, then moves into proto-rock & roll with Big Mama Thornton and some stride piano from Big Joe Duskin. Earl Hooker provides some slower guitar blues, and Charlie Musselwhite updates the blues harp tradition a bit in "Up and Down the Avenue." John Littlejohn exemplifies the Chicago scene and Joe Turner brings it back to proto-rock & roll. Katie Webster brings a full band into the picture with a higher tempo number involving the whole range of instruments, and Omar Shariff (not the actor) pumps out some stripped down piano blues with emotion at the core laid bare. Bee Houston almost sounds like a ska musician, Juke Boy Bonner combines guitar and bluesharp, and Good Rockin' Robinson presents a wailing, although rather rare, blues violin instrumental along with his vocals. Piano Red almost sounds like he's singing along with a player piano, Johnny Young provides another look at the more contemporary Chicago scene, and the album finishes on Charles Ford with a stuttering approach for the band and a rocking little solo line for his guitar. There are certainly urban blues compilations of better quality (such as the Blues Masters series on Rhino), but this one isn't bad as a quick sampler. Give it a listen if you can't find the more comprehensive items locally, and start digging deeper from there. ~ Adam Greenberg Producer: Chris Strachwitz; Tom Diamant   Technical Info Release Date : 11/05/1996 Original Release Date : 1996 Catalog ID : 102 Label : Arhoolie Number of Discs : 1 Runtime : 55m : 44s Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Mixed SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00096297010228    Product Image