Release Date: July 14, 1998.
Recording Time: 46 minutes.
Release Info: Studio Recording.
Recording Date: August 6, 1946 - 1992.
Styles: Harmonica Blues, Blues Revival, Blues-Rock, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Early R&B, Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Electric Harmonica Blues, Electric Memphis Blues, Modern Electric Blues, Modern Electric Chicago Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Regional Blues, Rock & Roll.
With such a wealth of great harmonica blues out there, and with such an outstanding track record on Rhino's part in general when it comes to historical compilations, it's no surprise that their second anthology of harmonica blues is just as good as the first. There are fine cuts by many big guns here, including Little Walter, both Sonny Boy Williamsons, James Cotton, Jimmy Reed, Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield, Slim Harpo, and Sonny Terry (whose hard-rocking, electric "Hootin' Blues No. 2," from a 1956 RCA single, is a highlight). The less obvious choices make this a pleasure for mid-level blues fans looking for something they haven't heard before as well as more familiar material: Papa Lightfoot's "Jump the Boogie" is great, early raw electric blues with vocals that sound as if the mike was covered with sandpaper, and Doctor Ross' "Come Back Baby" is one of the most primordial blues recorded at Sun. - Review by Richie Unterberger.
Credits: Mark Abramson - production assistant; Greg Allen - design, photography; Jerome Arnold - bass; Geese August - bass; James Austin - compilation producer; Ralph Bass - composer; Fred Below - drums; Remo Biondi - violin; Elvin Bishop - guitar (rhythm); Stephen Bladd - drums, vocals; Michael Bloomfield - slide guitar; Gene Brooks - drums; Hugh Brown - art direction; Sammy Brown - drums; Paul Butterfield - harmonica, vocals; The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Lee Campbell - drums; Lori Carfora - project assistant; Samuel Charters - producer; Steven Chean - editorial supervision; Leonard Chess - producer; William Clarke - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, producer, vocals; James Cotton - composer, harmonica, vocals; James Cotton Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Blind John Davis - piano; Willie Dixon - bass; Clarence "Jockey" Etinne - drums; Bob Fisher - remastering; J. Geils - producer; J. Geils Band - band, performer, primary artist; Nick Gravenites - composer; Rachel Gutek - design; Buddy Guy - guitar; Slim Harpo - composer, performer, primary artist; Geoffrey Haslam - producer; Milt Hinton - bass; Howlin' Wolf - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; James Johnson - guitar; Michael Johnson - project director; Willie Johnson - guitar; Juke Joint Jimmy - composer; Seth Justman - organ, piano; Fred Kaplan - piano; Danny Klein - bass; Ransom Knowling - bass; Cub Koda - compilation producer, liner notes; Sam Lay - drums; Lazy Lester - performer, primary artist; S.P. Leary - drums; Shorty Lenoir - harmonica, vocals; Alexander Lightfoot - composer, harmonica, vocals; Papa George Lightfoot - performer, primary artist; Little Walter - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Robert Lockwood, Jr. - guitar; James "Pee Wee" Madison - guitar; John Marotti - trumpet; Reubin Martin - washboard; Walter Brown McGhee - guitar, vocals; Flaco Medina - bass; J.D. Miller - composer; Jay Miller - producer; Patrick Milligan - project assistant; Dave Myers - guitar; Jack Myers - bass; Louis Myers - guitar; Ted Myers - editorial coordinator; Mark Naftalin - organ; Elizabeth Pavone - editorial coordinator; Gabriel Pandy Perrodin, Jr. - guitar; Earl Phillips - drums; Sam Phillips - producer; James Polk - organ; Gary Primich - composer, performer, primary artist, producer; Jimmy Reed - composer, guitar, harmonica, performer, primary artist; Rudolph Richard - guitar; Doctor Ross - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Paul Rothchild - producer; Alex Schultz - guitar; Al Smith - producer; Otis Spann - piano; Rob Stupka - drums; Stuart Sullivan - producer; Eddie Taylor - guitar; Sonny Terry - harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Thane Tierney - project assistant; Luther Tucker - guitar; Jonny Viau - sax (tenor); Monroe Vincent - percussion; Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band - performer, primary artist; Sonny Boy Williamson II - composer, harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Sonny Boy Williamson I - composer, performer, primary artist; Zach Zunis - guitar (rhythm).
Tracks: 1) Off the Wall - Little Walter; 2) Odds and Ends - Jimmy Reed; 3) Cotton Crop Blues - James Cotton Blues Band; 4) Keep It to Yourself - Sonny Boy Williamson II; 5) Help Me - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band; 6) Born in Chicago - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band; 7) I Hear You Knockin' - Lazy Lester; 8) Jump the Boogie - Papa George Lightfoot; 9) Come Back Baby - Doctor Ross; 10) Pawnshop Bound - William Clarke; 11) Baby Scratch My Back - Slim Harpo; 12) The Briar Patch - Gary Primich; 13) All Night Boogie (All Night Long) - Howlin' Wolf; 14) Shake the Boogie - Sonny Boy Williamson I; 15) Whammer Jammer - J. Geils Band; 16) Hootin' Blues No. 2 - Sonny Terry.