Label: Rhino Records.
Release Date: July 14, 1998.
Release Info: Studio Recording.
Recording information: Austin, TX; Burbank, CA; Chicago, IL; Hollywood, CA; Ma; Memphis, TN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Quincy, MA; Winnetka, IL.
Styles: Contemporary Blues, Album Rock, Avant-Garde Jazz, Blues-Rock, Southern Rock, Modern Acoustic Blues, Modern Electric Blues.
This is part of Rhino's Blues Masters series. All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Putting together a compilation of "postmodern" (post-1970) blues is a challenge because the classics of the era are not as commonly agreed upon as they are for previous decades, and because the form has been more static than it was in the earlier days of the blues' evolution. It's not as good as Rhino's previous Postmodern Blues compilation (issued as volume 9 of the Blues Masters series), but it still has a good alternation of cuts by major figures (the Allman Brothers, Albert King, B.B. King, James Cotton, Little Milton, Robert Cray, Koko Taylor, Albert Collins), solid journeyman types (Johnny Copeland, Joe Louis Walker, Luther Allison, Johnny Adams), and the occasional name that still isn't widely known to the general audience (W.C. Clark, Larry Garner). Soul-blues-funk-rock fusion is often characteristic of the selections, but there is a nod to acoustic traditions by Keb' Mo'. - Review by Richie Unterberger.
Personnel: Larry Garner, Albert Collins, Little Milton, Luther Allison, Robert Cray, Snooks Eaglin, B.B. King (vocals, guitar); James Cotton (vocals, harmonica); Gregg Allman (vocals, piano, organ); Joe Louis Walker, Johnny Adams, Koko Taylor (vocals); Criss Johnson, Derek O'Brien, Dickey Betts, John Leibman, Calvin Louden, James Solberg, Jimmy Ponder, Johnny Copeland, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Michael Toles, Bobby Manuel (guitar); Duane Allman (slide guitar); Brooklyn Slim (harmonica); Little Bo, Andrew Love (saxophone); Ward Smith (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); George Adams, Byard Lancaster (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Warren Rand, Arthur Blythe (alto saxophone); Nancy Wright, Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Mike Vannice (tenor saxophone, keyboards); Abe Locke, Ed Petersen, Grady Gaines, Jon Smith, Wilton Felder (tenor saxophone); Joe Rigby (baritone saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet, trombone); Yusef Yancey, Keith Winking, John Pratt, Steve Howard (trumpet); Bill Ohashi, Wayne Wallace, Garrett List (trombone); Sammy Berfect (piano, organ); Phil Jekanowski, Kevin Zuffi, Ken Vangel (piano); Jimi Stewart (organ, keyboards); David Torkanowsky, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Riley Osbourne (organ); Chris Foreman, Ernest Williamson, Jeremiah Africa, Joe Sample, Lester Snell (keyboards); Butch Trucks (drums, timpani); Herman V. Ernest III (drums, percussion); Chris Layton, Brady Williams, Dave Olson, James Robinson, Kenny Johnson, Candy McDonald, James Gadson, Laval Belle, Shannon Powell, Willie Hall, Brian Jones, Terry Baker, Ray Allison, Casey Jones (drums); Dennis Broughton (timbales, percussion); Luther Waters, Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters (background vocals).
Credits: George Adams - sax (alto), sax (tenor); Johnny Adams - performer, primary artist, vocals; Jeremiah Africa - keyboards; Greg Allen - design; Luther Allison - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Ray Allison - drums; The Allman Brothers Band - performer, primary artist; Duane Allman - slide guitar; Gregg Allman - organ, piano, vocals; James Austin - compilation producer, producer; Kip Bacque - guitar (rhythm); Terry Baker - drums; Roland Bautista - guitar (rhythm); Laval Belle - drums; Sammy Berfect - organ, piano; Dickey Betts - guitar; Scott Billington - producer; Arthur Blythe - sax (alto); Little Bo - saxophone; Bruce Bromberg - producer; Brooklyn Slim - harmonica; Dennis Broughton - percussion, timbales; Hugh Brown - art direction; Larry Burton - guitar (rhythm); Roy Byrd - composer; Charles Calmese - bass; Lori Carfora - project assistant; Steven Chean - editorial supervision; W.C. Clark - composer, primary artist; Albert Collins - guitar, primary artist, producer, vocals; Louis Collins - composer; Johnny Copeland - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist; Tom Copi - photography; James Cotton - harmonica, performer, primary artist, vocals; Richard Cousins - bass, composer; Robert Cray - composer, guitar, vocals; Robert Cray Band - performer, primary artist; Bill Dahl - compilation producer, liner notes, producer; Tom Dowd - producer; Dan Doyle - producer; Snooks Eaglin - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Herman V. Ernest III - drums, percussion; Wilton Felder - producer, sax (tenor); Bob Fisher - remastering; Chris Foreman - keyboards; James Gadson - drums; Grady Gaines - sax (tenor); Jim Gaines - producer; Larry Garner - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Rachel Gutek - design; Willie Hall - drums; Stix Hooper - composer, producer; Steve Howard - trumpet; Bruce Iglauer - producer; Al Jackson, Jr. - producer; Wayne Jackson - trombone, trumpet; Jaimoe - multi instruments; Phil Jekanowski - piano; Will Jennings - composer; Criss Johnson - guitar, producer; Kenny Johnson - drums; Michael Johnson - project director; Brian Jones - drums; Casey Jones - drums, vocal harmony; Sandy Jones - composerMark "Kaz" Kazanoff - producer, sax (baritone), sax (tenor); Keb' Mo' - performer, primary artist; Michael Kindred - composer; Albert King - performer, primary artist; B.B. King - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Byard Lancaster - sax (alto), sax (tenor); Chris Layton - drums; Legendary White Trash Horns - group; John Leibman - guitar; Stewart Levine - producer; Garrett List - trombone; Little Milton - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Abe Locke - sax (tenor); Calvin Louden - guitar; Andrew Love - saxophone; Rick Lovejoy - composer; Jennifer Mandel - project assistant; Bobby Manuel - guitar, producer; Candy McDonald - drums; Blind Willie McTell - composer; The Memphis Horns - group; Patrick Milligan - project assistant; Kevin Moore - composer; Jerry Murphy - bass; Mat Murphy - composer; Matt "guitar" Murphy - composer, guitar; Ted Myers - editorial coordinator; Derek O'Brien - guitar; Berry Oakley - bass; Henry Oden - bass; Bill Ohashi - trombone; Dave Olson - drums; Riley Osbourne - organ; Dean Parks - guitar (rhythm); Elizabeth Pavone - editorial coordinator; Dan Penn - composer; Ed Petersen - sax (tenor); Jimmy Ponder - guitar; Robert "Pops" Popwell - bass; George Porter, Jr. - bass; John Porter - producer; Shannon Powell - drums; John Pratt - trumpet; Warren Rand - sax (alto); Sir Mack Rice - composer; Joe Rigby - sax (baritone); James Robinson - drums; Joe Sample - keyboards, producer; Hammond Scott - producer; Tommy Shannon - bass; Dick Shurman - producer; Dave Smith - bass; Jon Smith - sax (tenor); Dr. Lonnie Smith - organ; Ward Smith - sax (soprano), sax (tenor); Lester Snell - keyboards; John Snyder - producer; James Solberg - composer, guitar; Jimi Stewart - keyboards, organ; Koko Taylor - composer, performer, primary artist, producer, vocals; Thane Tierney - project assistant; Julia Tillman Waters - vocals (background); Michael Toles - guitar; David Torkanowsky - organ; Butch Trucks - drums, timpani; Ken Vangel - piano; Mike Vannice - composer, keyboards, sax (tenor); Dennis Walker - composer, producer; Joe Louis Walker - composer, multi instruments, performer, primary artist, producer, vocals; Wayne Wallace - trombone; Luther Waters - vocals (background); Oren Waters - vocals (background); David Weatherspoon - bass; Willie Weeks - bass; Don Whitcomb - bass; Carson Whitsett - composer; Maxine Willard Waters - vocals (background); Brady Williams - drums; Ernest Williamson - keyboards; Keith Winking - trumpet; Nancy Wright - sax (baritone), sax (tenor); Yusef Yancey - trumpet; Kevin Zuffi - piano.
Tracks: 1) Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers Band; 2) Walking The Back Streets And Crying - Little Milton; 3) Boogie Thing - James Cotton; 4) Firing Line (I Don't Play With Your Woman, You Don't Play With Mine) - Albert King; 5) Never Make A Move Too Soon - B.B. King; 6) Claim Jumper - Johnny Copeland; 7) Ego Trip - Albert Collins & The Ice Breakers; 8) Phone Booth - The Robert Cray Band; 9) Cold Shot - W.C. Clark; 10) Prove Your Love - Joe Louis Walker; 11) Red Beans - Snooks Eaglin; 12) Spellbound - Koko Taylor; 13) Am I Wrong - Keb' Mo'; 14) Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is - Luther Allison; 15) Had To Quit Drinking - Larry Garner; 16) One Foot In The Blues - Johnny Adams.