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In early 1966, blues history was made with the issuance of a three-volume set of new recordings produced by blues historian Samuel Charters. This series was known as Chicago/The Blues/Today! and the release sent shock waves through the world of rock & roll. Every artist on the three volumes had recorded before (some, like Otis Rush and Junior Wells, had actually seen small hits on the R&B charts), but these recordings were largely their introduction to a newer -- and predominately white -- album-oriented audience. The "Today!" part of the title was no bit of hyperbole, either. This series accurately portrayed a vast cross section of the Chicago blues scene as one could hear it on any given night in the mid-'60s. Rather than record full albums (which Charters had neither the budget nor the legal resources to pull off), each artist simply came in for a union-approved session of four to six songs, with each volume featuring three different groupings. With these recordings, blues suddenly gained respectability as something much more vital and vibrant than just a poor cousin of jazz. A new market for this music began, one that exists today in full blossom. Their effect on musicians was enormous. It's fair to assume that most blues-influenced artists had all three volumes in their respective collections, and the songs on them ended up in the repertoires of everyone from Jimi Hendrix (Junior Wells' "Rock Me") to Led Zeppelin (a note-for-note copy of Otis Rush's "I Can't Quit You Baby") to Steppenwolf (Junior Wells' "Messin' with the Kid") and beyond. These recordings have stayed in print and have been reasonably good sellers over the years since their original release, all coming out on compact disc.
Tracklist:
Musicians:
The Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band: (LP1, Side One, 1-5)
Junior Wells, harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy, guitar
Jack Myers, bass
Fred Below, drums
J.B. Hutto and his Hawks: (LP1, Side One, 6-7; LP1, Side Two, 1-3)
J.B. Hutto, guitar, vocals
Herman Hassell, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Otis Spann's South Side Piano: (LP1, Side Two, 4-8)
Otis Spann, piano, vocals
S.P. Leary, drums
The Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet: (LP2, Side One, 1-5)
Jimmy Cotton, harmonica, vocals
James Madison, guitar
Otis Spann, piano
S.P. Leary, drums
The Otis Rush Blues Band: (LP2, Side One, 6-7; LP2, Side Two, 1-3)
Otis Rush, guitar, vocals
Robert "Sax" Crowder, alto sax
Luther Tucker, rhythm guitar
Roger Jones, bass
Willie Lion, drums
Homesick James and his Dusters: (LP2, Side Two, 4-7)
Homesick James Williamson, guitar, vocals
Willie Dixon, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Johnny Young's South Side Blues Band: (LP3, Side One, 1-6)
Johnny Young, guitar, mandolin, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Hayes Ware, bass
Elga Edmonds, drums
The Johnny Shines Blues Band: (LP3, Side Two, 1-4, 6-7)
Johnny Shines, guitar, vocals
Walter Horton, harmonica
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Big Walter Horton's Blues Harp Band with Memphis Charlie: (LP3, Side Two, 5)
Walter Horton, lead harmonica
Memphis Charlie Musselwhite, 2nd harmonica
Johnny Shines, guitar
Floyd Jones, bass
Frank Kirkland, drums
Tracklist:
Disc 1
01. Help Me - (Ralph Bass / Sonny Boy Williamson II) - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band 4:05
02. It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong)- (Elmore James) - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band 2:44
03. Messin' with the Kid (Mel London) - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band 2:21
04. Vietcong Blues - (Junior Wells) - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band 4:57
05. All Night Long (Rock Me Baby) - (Junior Wells) - Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band 3:44
06. Going Ahead - (J.B. Hutto) - J.B. Hutto 2:03
07. Please Help - (J.B. Hutto) - J.B. Hutto 2:53
08. Too Much Alcohol - (J.B. Hutto) - J.B. Hutto 2:29
09. Married Woman Blues - (J.B. Hutto) - J.B. Hutto 3:06
10. That's the Truth - (J.B. Hutto) - J.B. Hutto 2:47
11. Marie - (Otis Spann) - Otis Spann 2:27
12. Burning Fire - (Otis Spann) - Otis Spann 3:14
13. S.P. Blues - (Otis Spann) - Otis Spann 2:51
14. Sometimes I Wonder - (Otis Spann) - Otis Spann 3:27
15. Spann's Stomp - (Otis Spann) - Otis Spann 2:19
Disc 2
01. Cotton Crop Blues - (James Cotton) - James Cotton Blues Band 2:18
02. The Blues Keep Falling - James Cotton Blues Band 4:01
03. Love Me or Leave - James Cotton Blues Band 3:25
04. Rocket 88 - (Jackie Brenston) - James Cotton Blues Band 2:02
05. West Helena Blues - James Cotton Blues Band 3:27
06. Everything's Going to Turn Out Alright - Otis Rush 3:52
07. It's a Mean Old World - Otis Rush 2:21
08. I Can't Quit You Baby - (Willie Dixon) - Otis Rush 3:14
09. Rock - Otis Rush 3:32
10. It's My Own Fault - (B.B. King / Jules Taub) - Otis Rush 5:55
11. Dust My Broom - (Elmore James) - Homesick James Williamson 3:15
12. Somebody Been Talkin' - Homesick James Williamson 2:14
13. Set a Date - Homesick James Williamson 2:43
14. So Mean to Me - Homesick James Williamson 2:48
Disc 3
01. One More Time - (Johnny Young) - Johnny Young 2:26
02. Kid Man Blues - (Johnny Young) - Johnny Young 2:59
03. My Black Mare - Johnny Young 3:40
04. Stealin' Back - (Johnny Young) - Johnny Young 3:17
05. I Got Mine in Time - (Johnny Young) - Johnny Young 4:18
06. Tighten Up on It - (Johnny Young) - Johnny Young 3:09
07. Dynaflow Blues - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 2:34
08. Black Spider Blues - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 3:02
09. Layin' Down My Shoes and Clothes - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 2:27
10. If I Get Lucky - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 3:23
11. Rockin' My Boogie - (Big Walter Horton) - Memphis Charlie / Big Walter Horton 3:26
12. Mr. Boweevil - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 3:10
13. Hey, Hey - (Johnny Shines) - Johnny Shines 2:21
Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.99
MPEG-1 layer 3
*many thanks and all due respect to bitmuzic and to all those who care enough to share
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