Live Wire/Blues Power is a live album from Albert King recorded in 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. Featuring originals and King’s rendition of classics, the album demonstrates Albert King’s blues prowess. According to Rolling Stone, this album is “Just the unadulterated pure and simple blues.

Last Night Blues is Lightnin’ Hopkins’ 1961 album, featuring Sonny Terry. The second of three album collaborations, Last Night Blues showcases Hopkins’ and Terry’s different yet complementary styles to create a well-rounded listening experience. AllMusic declared, “this dynamite disc represents what the blues should be: stripped-down, soulful, and full of truth.” This edition has been remastered from the original tapes.

There s nothing to compare to the sound of an amplified Hohner Marine Band harmonica in the hands (and mouth) of a master like Little Walter, Walter Horton, Snooky Pryor or Sonny Boy Williamson. All of them were just as adept with the unamplified specimen but the addition of electricity takes this miniscule instrument into a different realm. Many musicians heard here were disciples in one way or another of John Lee Williamson (the original Sonny Boy), who played his harp through a microphone in clubs but never recorded that way. The list of these men is a long one, including Billy Boy Arnold, Walter Mitchell, Doctor Ross, Forrest City Joe and Robert Richard, while Little Walter influenced younger men like Junior Wells, Jerry McCain, James Cotton and George Smith…

E.C. Scott is a superior blues and soul singer who is in prime form throughout this set. She is also a talented and witty lyricist, as can be heard on her tribute to "Money" (which should become a standard), "He Ate the Apple," and a song called "This Ain't Yo Daddy's Kind of Blues." Scott's band, Smoke, supports her perfectly, with Bill Ireton contributing some blazing guitar solos. Little Milton makes guest appearances on "Just One of Those Days" and "If I Can Borrow Some of Your Love," but E.C. Scott is certainly strong enough to carry this set by herself. The Other Side of Me is one of her finest and most stirring recordings to date.

Cousin to the late blues ballad singer Chuck Willis, Robert "Chick" Willis is primarily beloved for his ribald, dozens-based rocker "Stoop Down Baby." The guitarist cut his original version in 1972 for tiny La Val Records of Kalamazoo, MI, selling a ton of 45s for the jukebox market only (the tune's lyrics were way too raunchy for airplay).
Willis left the military in 1954, hiring on as valet and chauffeur to cousin Chuck, then riding high with his many R&B hits for OKeh Records. At that point, Chick's primary role on the show was as a singer (he made his own vinyl debut in 1956 with a single, "You're Mine," for Lee Rupe's Ebb Records after winning a talent contest at Atlanta's Magnolia Ballroom), but he picked up the guitar while on the road with his cousin (Chick cites Guitar Slim as his main man in that department)…

Provogue Records is proud to announce the new studio album from the legendary Steve Cropper, 'Friendlytown'. The follow-up to his 2021 album, 'Fire It Up', which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, and was nominated for the Best Blues Album at the 64th Grammy Awards, 'Friendlytown' is yet another hit from the guitar hero. Featuring guest appearances from Billy Gibbons, Brian May, and Tim Montana, 'Friendlytown' is a must have for fans of Cropper's world-renowned repertoire. "I feel great about this batch of songs. It's packed with great radio hooks, and features some of the best musicians in the world," says Cropper. "It's like guitar heaven."

Recorded by Paul Smith at ACME Studio, Chicago on October 25, 1989. Released on Wolf Records. Feautres the great A.C. Reed on tenor sax and vocals, Big Wheeler on harp and vocals along with Luther Adams and John Primer on guitar, Willie Kent on bass and Timothy Taylor on drums.

There is no need for guest musicians when Smokin' Joe Kubek is around, for the explosive guitarist completely fills up the ensembles with distortions worthy of acid rock. Kubek is a fairly well-rounded player who occasionally leaves space and during at least two songs ("All the Love There Is" and "She's It") on this CD creates some surprising tones on his instrument (sounding like a keyboard on the former and playing 1970s-style wah-wah notes during the latter). With B'nois King contributing smooth but emotional vocals and bassist Paul Jenkins and drummer Mark Hays supporting Kubek, this is a tight group that probably puts on a killer live show.

Soul singer extraordinaire E.C. Scott comes back from her 1995 debut with perhaps even a stronger album the second time at bat. Ten of the 11 tunes on here emanate from her prolific pen (the only cover is her interpretation of the Eurythmics' "Missionary Man"), and her earthy, engaging style is heard to great effect on the opener, "Steppin' Out on a Saturday Night," the bouncy shuffle "Don't Touch Me," the slow blues "Lyin' and Cheatin'" and the title track. Her time is impeccable, her phrasing straight and true, and every vocal on here is chock full of deep feeling; as a modern-day example of a soul-blues album, this one's about as good as the form gets.