Label: Atlantic Records.
Release Date: 1986.
Releases: 1987, 1990.
Recording Time: 74 minutes.
Release Info: Studio & Live.
Recording Date: November 9, 1953 - July 17, 1982.
Styles: Chicago Blues, Regional Blues, Blues Revival, Blues-Rock, Early R&B, Electric Blues, Modern Electric Blues, Modern Electric Chicago Blues, Soul Jazz, Soul-Blues.
This is part of the "Atlantic Blues" series.
Chess is arguably the first label for blues, but behemoth Atlantic has enough of the stuff -- albeit a bit past its prime -- to still warrant a multi-disc box. This separately sold part of that package takes in some of the giants from the Illinois epicenter of urban blues. Two of the best, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, as well as latter-day Windy City queen Koko Taylor, are featured on cuts taped live at the 1972 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Back in the studio, the mighty tandem of Buddy Guy and Junior Wells mixes it up with Dr. John and Eric Clapton, while Southern blues scion Duane Allman contributes fine slide work to a couple of top-notch Otis Rush performances. Freddie King's three numbers, featuring honking sax star King Curtis and the arrangements of soul great Donny Hathaway, take the prize, though. Not a good primer, maybe, but a solid blues roundup all the same.
Review by Stephen Cook.
Credits: Luther Allison - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Duane Allman - guitar; Joe Arnold - sax (tenor); Martin Banks - trumpet; Barry Beckett - keyboards; Brian Bisesi - guitar; Michael Bloomfield - composer, producer; Carol Bobolts - art direction; Boogie Woogie Red - piano; James Booker - keyboards; Willie Bridges - saxophone; Big Bill Broonzy - composer, performer; J.T. Brown - sax (tenor); Sarah Brown - bass; George "Mojo" Buford - harmonica; Billy Butler - guitar; Paul Butterfield - composer; Fran Christina - drums; Eric Clapton - bottleneck guitar, guitar, guitar (rhythm), producer; George Coleman - saxophone; Michael Cuscuna - producer; Detroit Junior - piano; Willie Dixon - bass, composer, performer, vocals; Jimmy Douglas - producer;Tom Dowd - producer; Dr. John - piano; Richard Drake - sax (alto); Cornell Dupree - guitar; Ronnie Eades - sax (baritone), sax (tenor); Ben Emerson - trumpet; Tunc Erim - producer; Ahmet Ertegun - executive producer, producer; Nesuhi Ertegun - producer; Sam Feldman - mastering; Nick Gravenites - composer, producer; Buddy Guy - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Walter Hambrick - sax (tenor); Donny Hathaway - arranger; Roger Hawkins - drums; Howlin' Wolf - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; J.B. Hutto - performer, primary artist, Slide guitar, vocals; Gary Illingsworth - keyboards; Gary Illingworth - keyboards; Stephen Innocenzi - digital transfers; LeRoy Jackson - drums; Elmore James - bass, guitar, performer; Gerald Jemmott - bass, guitar; Jimmy Johnson - guitar; Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Marcus Johnson - sax (alto); Calvin "Fuzz" Jones - bass; Deacon Jones - organ; Johnny Jones - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; Joe Josea - composer; King Curtis - arranger, producer, saxophone; B.B. King - composer, performer; Freddie King - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Riley King - composer, performer; Ransom Knowling - bass; Kenny Krumbholz - bass; Melvin Lastie - trumpet; Trevor Lawrence - saxophone; S.P. Leary - drums; James "Pee Wee" Madison - guitar; David Maxwell - piano; Percy Mayfield - composer, performer; Andrew McMahan - bass; Andrew McMahon - bass; Gene Miller - trumpet; McKinley Morganfield - composer; Louis Myers - guitar; Mark Myerson - producer; Mark Naftalin - keyboards; Steve Nardella - harmonica; Robin Nedboy - photography; David "Fathead" Newman - saxophone; Joe Newman - trumpet; Johnny Nicholas - guitar; Don Nix - performer; Odie Payne, Jr. - drums; Pinetop Perkins - piano; Jacoola Peters - bass; Lefty Pina - drums; Bob Porter - producer; Norman Pride - drums; Philippe Rault - producer; A.C. Reed - sax (tenor); Kenneth "Spider Webb" Rice - drums; Bob Richey - drums; Bobby Rickey - drums; Charles Robinson - drums; Jimmy Rogers - guitar; Ernie Royal - trumpet; Otis Rush - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Zal Schreiber - mastering; Eddie Shaw - sax (tenor); Roosevelt Shaw - drums; Johnny Shines - arranger, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Dick Shurman - liner notes; Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - drums; Leroy Stewart - bass; George Stubbs - piano; Hubert Sumlin - guitar; Jules Taub - composer; Koko Taylor - performer, primary artist, vocals; Rufus Thomas - composer, performer; Traditional - composer; Benny Turner - bass; Mike Utley - keyboards; Aaron Varnell - sax (tenor); Aaron Walker - performer; T-Bone Walker - composer, guitar, vocals; Muddy Waters - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Junior Wells - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Frank Wess - saxophone; Jerry Wexler - producer; Paul White - organ; Sonny Boy Williamson II - composer; Chuck Willis - composer, performer; Richard Wright - piano; Mighty Joe Young - guitar.
Tracks: 1) Chicago Blues - Johnny Jones; 2) Poor Man's Plea - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells; 3) My Baby She Left Me (She Left Me a Mule to Ride) - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells; 4) T-Bone Shuffle - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells; 5) I Wonder Why - Freddie King; 6) Play It Cool - Freddie King; 7) Woke up This Morning - Freddie King; 8) Gambler's Blues - Otis Rush; 9) Feel So Bad - Otis Rush; 10) Reap What You Sow - Otis Rush; 11) Highway 49 - Howlin' Wolf; 12) Honey Bee - Muddy Waters; 13) Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor; 14) Dust My Broom - Johnny Shines; 15) Please Send Me Someone to Love - Luther Allison; 16) Walkin' the Dog - Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson; 17) I Feel So Good - J.B. Hutto.