Big Maybelle - The Complete King, Okeh & Savoy Releases 1947-61 (2016)

Big Maybelle Smith was one of the coterie of powerful female blues and R&B singers who lit up the scene during the post-war decades, the highlight coming in her appearance in the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival movie documentary Jazz On A Summer's Day. Coming from a gospel-singing background in Tennessee, she recorded for the King, Okeh and Savoy labels, scoring Top 10 R&B hits with songs like Gabbin' Man, Way Back Home and My Country Man, as well as recording the original version of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, later covered by Jerry Lee Lewis.

This great-value 53-track 2-CD set comprises all her A and B sides for those label from her solo debut for King in 1947 through to 1959, along with the tracks from her two albums for Savoy which were not otherwise released on singles. It's a thorough trawl through her core career, and is a worthy tribute to a highly distinctive and influential entertainer. It comes with substantial booklet notes including full recording session and personnel details.

TRACKLIST

CD 1:

01. Bad Dreams Blues
02. Sad And Disappointed Jill
03. Indian Giver
04. Too Tight Mama
05. Little Miss Muffet
06. Don't Try To Fool Me
07. Gabbin' Blues
08. Rain Down Rain
09. Way Back Home
10. Just Want Your Love
11. Send For Me
12. Jinny Mule
13. Maybelle's Blues
14. My Country Man
15. I've Got A Feelin'
16. You'll Never Know
17. My Big Mistake
18. I'm Gettin' 'Long Alright
19. Ain't No Use
20. Don't Leave Poor Me
21. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
22. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
23. Such A Cutie
24. The Other Night
25. New Kind Of Mambo
26. Candy

CD 2:

01. That's A Pretty Good Love
02. Tell Me Who
03. Mean To Me
04. I Don't Want To Cry
05. All Of Me
06. Rock House
07. Jim
08. Ring Dang Dilly
09. So Long
10. Blues Early, Early, Pts. 1 & 2
11. Silent Night
12. White Christmas
13. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
14. Say It Isn't So
15. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
16. Pitiful
17. Some Of These Days
18. I Understand
19. I Got It Bad
20. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
21. I Ain't Got Nobody
22. Goin' Home Baby
23. There I've Said It Again
24. Ramblin, Blues
25. Stay As Sweet As You Are
26. If I Could Be With You
27. I Could Make You Care