VA - The Wille Dixon Story (2012)

Willie Dixon wore a lot of hats. He sang gospel as a young man, was a boxer for a time, and was even imprisoned as a draft dodger. He was also a versatile musician a bass player, songwriter, producer, and arranger and without him, modern blues might well not exist. This wonderfully conceived four-disc, 100-track box set covers all the dimensions of Dixon's musical career, with a disc each devoted to Dixon as a performer, session musician, and songwriter, with a final disc that shows him as a general all-around fix-it man for Chess and Cobra Records. Writing "Spoonful" alone would have assured Dixon a place in the blues story, but as this set shows, he did so much more than that.

Tracklist:

CD 1 - The Performer

1. The Four Jumps Of Jive - It's Just The Blues (3:30)
2. The Five Breezes - Sweet Louise (2:58)
3. The Big Three Trio - Signifying Monkey (2:49)
4. Willie Dixon - Walking The Blues (3:08)
5. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - I Got A Razor (4:17)
6. The Big Three Trio - My Love Will Never Die (2:48)
7. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Built For Comfort (2:36)
8. The Five Breezes - Minute And Hour Blues (2:33)
9. The Big Three Trio - No One To Love Me (2:56)
10. Willie Dixon - Pain In My Heart (3:24)
11. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Unlucky (2:45)
12. The Big Three Trio - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Monkey Man (3:03)
13. The Five Breezes - Swinging The Blues (2:54)
14. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Move Me (3:27)
15. The Big Three Trio - Big Three Boogie (2:34)
16. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Roll And Tumble (2:58)
17. Willie Dixon - 29 Ways (2:16)
18. The Big Three Trio - Violent Love (3:00)
19. The Five Breezes - Just A Jitterbug (2:49)
20. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Beer Drinking Woman (2:32)
21. The Big Three Trio - Don't Let That Music Die (2:35)
22. Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Go Easy (5:56)
23. The Big Three Trio - You Sure Look Good To Me (2:46)
24. Willie Dixon - Crazy For My Baby (2:54)
25. The Big Three Trio - If The Sea Was Whiskey (3:05)

CD 2 - The Session Man

1. Rosetta Howard - Ebony Rhapsody (3:02)
2. Robert Nighthawk - Sweet Black Angel (3:05)
3. Reverend Robert Ballinger - How I Got Over (2:56)
4. Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man (3:06)
5. Chuck Berry - Maybellene (2:20)
6. Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working (2:50)
7. Bo Diddley - Mona (2:21)
8. Junior Wells - Tomorrow Night (2:28)
9. Jimmy Reed - Meet Me (2:53)
10. Sonny Boy Williamson - Fattening Frogs For Snakes (2:21)
11. Freddie Hall - Can't This Be Mine (2:33)
12. Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy (2:57)
13. John Brim - Be Careful What You Do (2:40)
14. Junior Wells - ‘bout The Break Of Day (3:16)
15. Buddy Guy - Try To Quit You Baby (2:38)
16. Little Walter - Last Night (2:55)
17. The Moonglows - Sincerely (3:15)
18. Junior Wells - I Could Cry (3:15)
19. Eddie Boyd - 24 Hours (3:31)
20. Reverend Robert Ballinger - This Train (2:52)
21. Sonny Boy Williamson - Mellow Chick Swing (2:36)
22. Washboard Sam - Soap And Water Blues (3:09)
23. Junior Wells - Lovey Dovey Lovey One (2:15)
24. Jimmy Rogers - Walkin' By Myself (2:48)
25. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (2:37)

CD 3 - The Songwriter

1. Muddy Waters - I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man (2:50)
2. Willie Mabon - The Seventh Son (2:53)
3. Little Walter - My Babe (2:35)
4. Howlin' Wolf - Spoonful (2:48)
5. Buddy Guy - Sit And Cry(The Blues) (3:03)
6. Charles Clark - Hidden Charms (2:38)
7. Muddy Waters - Close To You (3:05)
8. Bo Diddley - Pretty Thing (2:50)
9. Junior Wells - Cha Cha Cha In Blue (2:23)
10. Betty Everett - Killer Diller (2:24)
11. Lowell Fulson - Do Me Right (2:58)
12. Muddy Waters - I'm Ready (3:04)
13. Little Walter - Mellow Down Easy (2:47)
14. Howlin' Wolf - Back Door Man (2:53)
15. Bo Diddley - Diddy Wah Diddy (2:31)
16. Elmore James - I Can't Hold Out (2:15)
17. Lee Jackson - Fishin' In My Pond (2:42)
18. Muddy Waters - Just Make To Love To Me (2:49)
19. Howlin' Wolf - Evil (2:56)
20. Eddie Boyd - Third Degree (3:17)
21. Lowell Fulson - Tollin' Bells (3:05)
22. Junior Wells - Two Headed Woman (2:42)
23. Jimmy Witherspoon - When The Lights Go Out (2:51)
24. Muddy Waters - Young Fashioned Ways (3:05)
25. Howlin' Wolf - Wang Dang Doodle (2:25)

CD 4 - The Record Company Man

1. Otis Rush - All Your Love (2:37)
2. Magic Sam - Love Me With A Feeling (2:09)
3. Howlin' Wolf - The Red Rooster (2:27)
4. Walter Horton - Have A Good Time (2:22)
5. Otis Rush - Keep On Loving Me Baby (2:21)
6. Little Willie Foster - Crying The Blues (2:46)
7. Magic Sam - All My Whole Life (2:18)
8. Howlin' Wolf - Forty Four (2:49)
9. Arbee Stidham - When I Find My Baby (2:49)
10. Otis Rush - It Takes Time (2:51)
11. Sunnyland Slim - It's You Baby (2:23)
12. Magic Sam - All Night Long (2:51)
13. Charles Clark - Row Your Boat (3:00)
14. Guitar Shorty - You Don't Treat Me Right (2:15)
15. Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin' (3:05)
16. Otis Rush - Sit Down Baby (2:24)
17. Betty Everett - My Life Depends On You (2:05)
18. Magic Sam - 21 Days In Jail (2:49)
19. Walter Horton - Need My Baby (2:22)
20. Harold Burrage - Satisfied (2:57)
21. Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby (3:45)
22. Little Wille Foster - Little Girl (2:40)
23. Guitar Shorty - Irma Lee (2:12)
24. Betty Everett - My Love (2:22)
25. Magic Sam - All Your Love (2:55)