This 1976 album was cut in France for Black & Blue with a handful of Chicago stalwarts, but the excitement that Young routinely summoned up back home is in short supply as he walks through "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Five Long Years." Young's own "Takes Money" and "Need a Friend" are a definite improvement on those shopworn standards, but with only seven lengthy selections ("Teasing the Blues" runs 10:30), there isn't a lot to choose from.

Mighty Joe Young and Jimmy Dawkins both hit a nice steady playful groove on this record. The guitar work on every tune is masterful, and as blues albums go the lyrics and singing are all top notch. There is a nice mix of jazz and soul factored in to the album (as the title would indicate), but it never strays far from the blues bullseye. Jordan Sandke and Dennis Lansing add some really delectible trumpet and sax throughout, and Big Moose Walker has some real sweet turns on the 88s and organ.

Mighty Joe Young & Snooks Eaglin is, on the one hand, a skilled guitarist from Chicago who works hard on the sessions, and on the other hand, a versatile genius guitarist from New Orleans. The Legacy Of The Blues Vol. 4 is a compilation of two LPs from the Samuel Charters series of the same name based on the originals. This is a contrasting combination. Even though they use the same instrument, the guitar, it's almost a mixed martial art. However, for guitar lovers, this is also a very interesting approach. Rare Japanese edition.

This 1976 album was cut in France for Black & Blue with a handful of Chicago stalwarts, but the excitement that Young routinely summoned up back home is in short supply as he walks through "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Five Long Years." Young's own "Takes Money" and "Need a Friend" are a definite improvement on those shopworn standards.

Blind Pig's 2002 release Mighty Joe Young is a compilation that picks from Mighty Joe Young's Ovation releases Chicken Heads (1974) and Mighty Joe Young (1976). These are generally considered to be among Young's best work, yet they have been out of print for years and never have appeared on CD. Thankfully, this collection picks the 12 best tracks from these records, bringing back into circulation the work that showcases Young at his best. While it would have been nice to have these two albums in their entirety in their original running order, the music is so good and so rare, it's nice just to have it out officially, since this is the place to go to hear him at his best.

Mighty Joe Young (Young was using the name well before the movie of the same name was released) arrived on the Chicago blues scene from Louisiana a bit late in the game and never really received the critical attention he deserved. Add in health problems related to a pinched nerve in his neck, and Young's solo recording dates were relatively few (he was, however, an active sideman, working for a time as Otis Rush's rhythm guitarist) given his obvious talent as an electric guitarist and as a strong and sturdy vocalist. This solid set, The Sonet Blues Story, was tracked in Chicago in 1972 and was originally released as part of Samuel Charters' Legacy of the Blues series on the Stockholm-based Sonet Records imprint…

For much of the 1970s and '80s, guitarist Mighty Joe Young "owned" Chicago's cozy Wise Fools Pub - at least musically speaking. He was the club's top draw, but this live disc, caught at the late and still-lamented Wise Fools, finds him sticking to the tiredest of warhorses. "Stormy Monday," "Turning Point," "That's All Right," and "I Can't Quit You Baby" may have wowed the homefolks, but they don't hold up all that well when transferred to the digital format. Young's quartet features Freddie King's brother, Benny Turner, on bass, and Lafayette Leake on piano.