Rhythm & Blues: Original Masters

Read About This Recording

When the Swing Era ended during 1945-46, its huge audience split in two. While many listeners gravitated towards the ballad singers, those who wanted to dance and party loved rhythm & blues. During its prime era, which lasted until the early 1960s, R&B lived up to its name, emphasizing both heated rhythms and bluesy material. It grew away from swing and blues to have its own identity, but, as can be heard on this ten-CD imported set, R&B covered a wide range of material and performers.

The 200 performances on this spirited box include many exciting romps along with blues, ballads and hints of rock and roll. The performers range from Louis Jordan to Lightnin' Hopkins, from Johnny Otis to Big Maybelle. One of the joys of a collection such as this one is that for every Big Joe Turner there are several obscure performers (The Rockets, Nat Cool Cat, Mr. Rain and Walkin' Willie) who are long forgotten but still well worth hearing.

Even veteran R&B collectors will probably not have many of these performances, and listeners who are new to this music will be surprised just how much fun these singers and musicians were having more than a half-century ago.

—Scott Yanow

Contents

CD 1 (TT: 54:23): Roy Milton: Milton's Boogie; Jesse Thomas: It's You I'm Thinking Of; Wynonie Harris: Teardrops From My Eyes; Eddie Boyd: Kilroy Won't Be Back; Lowell Fulson: Cold Hearted Woman; Baby Won't You Jump With Me; Juke Box Shuffle; Joe Turner: Wine-o-Baby; Rocket Boogie 88; Long Down Dog; My Gal's a Jockey; Eddie Vinson: Gonna Send You Back; Lil Armstrong: Joogie Boogie; Joe Morris: Beans and Corn Bread; The Rockets: Big Leg Mama; Lee Barnes: Blues for What I Never Had; Mary Deloatch: Straighten Him Out; Ivory Joe Hunter: I Like It; Annie Laurie: My Rough and Ready Man; Stick McGhee: One Monkey Don't Stop the Show.

CD 2 (TT: 49:58): Joe Turner: Mad Blues; King Porter: Chiltin' Ball; Johnny Otis: Goomp Blues; Pearl Reaves: You Can't Stay Here; Big Mama Thornton: You Did Me Wrong; Honey Brown: Rockin' and Jumpin'; Joe Turner: Sally Zu Zazz; Sheri Washington: Ain't Talkin' to You Baby; Peppermint Harris: The Blues Pick on Me; Tony Grimes: Hey Now; Paul Bascomb: Mumbles Blues; Floyd Dixon: Wine Wine Wine; Ooh Little Girl; Jimmy McCracklin: She Felt Too Good; I Wanna Make Love to You; Charlie & Ray: Oh Gee Oh Wee; Gene & Eunice: I Gotta Go Home; Jewel King: 3 x 7 = 21; GAS: Seven to Eleven; H-Bomb Ferguson: Rock H-Bomb Rock.

CD 3 (TT: 48:57): Bobby & Ron: You're Mine; Lula Reed: Sick and Tired; The Bees: Tough Enough; Rufus Thomas: Easy Livin' Plan; Wally Mercer: Rock Around; Team Mates: Crazy Baby; Buddy Rogers: Mad At You; Finney Mo: Shake That Thing; Pork Chops: Everything is Cool; Buster Brown: Sugar Babe; Mary Lewis: Satisfied With My Lovin'; Kid Thomas: Wolf Pack; Big Boy Groves: I Got a New Car; Lord Tennison: The Dance; Howlin' Wolf: Down in the Bottom; L. Sundown: Mojo Man; Brown & Brooks: Sleeping in An Ocean of Tears; Prince Ch.: Come on Home; Little Walter: Roller Coaster; W. King: Big Leg Woman.

CD 4 (TT: 47:27): Elmo Nixon: Forgive Me Baby; Doc Caddy: Evil Man Blues; Earl Williams: Let's Make Love Tonight; L.C. Williams: Shout Baby Shout; King Perry: Come Back Baby; Ch. Williams: So Worried; J.L. Smith: If it's Too Late; Homesick James: Set a Date; Johnnie Fuller: No More; Nat Cool Cat: Come By Here; B.B. Brown: I Weep; Elton Anderson: I Love You; Harmonica Fats: My Baby Didn't Come Home; Billy Gayles: Do Right Baby; Hank Moore: Knock Kneed Rooster; Baby Curtis: I Wanna; Charles Sheffield: It's Your Voodoo Working; Charles Walker: You Know it Ain't Right; Garland: Hello Miss Sims; Danny Taylor: You Look Bad.

CD 5 (TT: 50:01): Rufus Thomas: Decorate the Counter; Mr. Google: Oh What a Fool; Milt Buckner: Red Red Wine; Jimmy Preston: Oh Babe; Lemmy Johnson: Eatin' and Sleepin' Blues; Carl Matthews: Big Man; Jimmy Crawford: Til My Baby Comes Back; Cherri Lynn: Your Money Ain't No Long Enough; Webster & Conroy: Baby Baby; Eddie Alston: I Just Can't Help It; Johnny Duke: Oh Oh Mojo; Hop Wilson: Chicken Stuff; Mr. Bo: I'm Leaving This Town; Ch. Sheffield: Shoo Shoo Chicken; Erline Harris: Long Tall Papa; Billy Wright: Man's Brand Boogie; Piano Slim: Lot of Shakin' Lot of Jivin'; Harmon Jones: Pack Your Clothes; Sandra Grimms: Hallelujah Rock and Roll; Duke Jenkins: The Duke Walks.

CD 6 (TT: 52:06): Tommy Moore: Your Car Machine; Louis Payne: That's Allright With Me; Mr. Sad Head: Sad Head Blues; T.J. Fowler: Tell Me What's the Matter; Bob Williams: Talk to Me; Leon Tarver: Somebody Help Me; Herman Manzy: I'm Your Rockin' Man; King Perry: Everything's Gonna Be Alright Tonight; Woo Woo Moore: Something's Wrong; Jimmie Nelson: Great Big Hunk of Man; Jesse Stone: Runaway; Johnny Otis: Court Room Blues; Rudy Greene: Wild Life; Eddie Riff: My Baby's Gone Away; Jimmy Anthony: Before Day in the Morning; Freddie Hall: She's An Upsetter; Lee Christy: My Heart Goes Diddely Bum; Mr. Rain: Who Dat; Oliver Jones: What I Say; Joan Shaw: You Drive Me Crazy.

CD 7 (TT: 44:09): The Royals: All Night Long; George Jenkins: Shufflin' Boogie; The Kid: Booted; Joe McCoy: Hey Loretta; Frank Linkenberg: Ball of Fire; Jesse Allen: Love Me Baby; Artie Wilson: Tarzan; Bill Heyman: I Want My Baby; Joe McCoy: Too Much Going On; Larry Hanna: Good Lovin'; Blanche Thomas: You Ain't So Such a Much; Niteriders: Looking for My Baby; John Greer: Honey Why; Willie Mitchell: Lizzie Lou; Paul Kimble: That Big Fat Mamma; Famous Renegades: Invasion; Miss Baker: You'd Better Find; Arabians: Dog Wild; Billy Garner: Little Schoolgirl; Good Guys: Whoa Whoa.

CD 8 (TT: 48:52): Frankie Lee Sims: She Likes to Boogie Real Slow; Lightnin' Hopkins: Movin' Out; I'm Wild About You; The Cardinals: Choo Choo; Mojo Watson: Look a There; The Thrills: I Ain't Got the Money; The 4 Gators: Wine o Wine; Billy Miranda: Go Ahead; Betty James: I'm a Little Mixed Up; Joe Tex: You Upset My Home; Sonny Knight: But Officer; King Rhythm: Killer Diller; Papa Lightfoot: Jumpin' With Jaris; Crusher: I Got to Know; Buddy Johnson: Walk the Chalk Line; Gus Jenkins: Slow Down; Mercy Baby: Pleadin'; Charles Clark: Hidden Charms; Sonny & Jaycee: You Keep on Doggin' Me; Bobo Jenkins: Tell Me Who.

CD 9 (TT: 48:41): The Silhouettes: Miss Thing; The Millionaires: Arkansas Jane; John Lee: Rhythm Rockin' Boogie; Wynona Carr: Touch and Go; Eddie Clearwater: A Real Good Time; Ricky Charles: Hi Yo Silver; Roy Bonner: Running Shoes; Bill Broonzy: Little City Woman; Johnny Wright: Look At That Chick;v Jumpin' Jay: Come on Home; Washboard Sam: Never Never; Big Maybelle: Rockhouse; Model T. Slim: Shake Your Boogie; J.D. Edwards: Hobo; Bobby Long: Jersey City; Louisiana Red: Ride on Red; Junior Wells: Little By Little; Little Willie John: Leave My Kitten Alone; Jimmy Liggins: I Ain't Drunk; Sam Myers: You Don't Have to Go.

CD 10 (TT: 52:33): Eddie Burns: Hard Hearted Woman; Carrie Grant: Mish Mash; Brownie McGhee: Anna Mae; Babs Gonzales: House Rent Party; She's Just Right for Me; Jimmy Liggins: Talking That Talk; Stomp Gordon: The Grind; Walkin' Willie: Blow Little Willie; The Sultans: You Got Me Goin'; Wynonie Harris: I Want My Fanny Brown; Varetta Dillard: Them There Eyes; Little Esther: It Ain't What You Say; Esther & Willie: Turn the Lights Down Low; Amos Milburn: Let Me Go Home Whiskey; Eddie Hope: A Fool No More; Mister Ruffin: Bring it on Back; Tarheel Slim: Number Nine Train; Buddy Lucas: Night Train; Arthur Crudup: That's Alright Mama; Louis Jordan: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie.