Erotic, humorous, and loaded with double entendres, these dozen tunes were recorded between 1956-1961 by Memphis Slim, Tampa Red, Victoria Spivey, Lonnie Johnson, Pink Anderson, Memphis Willie B., and Blind Willie McTell. The collection includes "Let Me Play with Your Poodle," "I'm a Red Hot Mama," and "If You See Kay."

This release contains what is sadly the final volume in Bluesville's trilogy of long-players featuring the highly original Piedmont blues of Pink Anderson. As with the two previous discs, Ballad & Folk Singer was recorded in 1961. It is also notable that Anderson returns to his native South Carolina to document this set. The second installment - Medicine Show Man - had been compiled from a New York City session held earlier the same year. Astute listeners will note that three of the titles - "The Titanic," "John Henry," and "The Wreck of the Old 97" - were duplicated from Anderson's side-long contribution to Gospel, Blues & Street Songs. The other side featured another Piedmont native, Rev. Gary Davis. However Anderson's delivery is notably different when comparing the two performances. One of the primary discrepancies lies in the pacing. Here, the readings are more definite and seemingly less rushed…

Like volume one and three of the series of LPs Anderson did for Bluesville, this was recorded in 1961 (though it was recorded in New York City whereas the others were recorded in Spartanburg, SC). Volumes one and three were mostly traditional songs; these are all traditional songs in the public domain. It follows that if you liked volumes one and three, you'd probably like this too; if you want to choose just one, you're about as well off with any of the individual volumes. If you had to split hairs, it seems that Anderson sounds a bit more comfortable in the studio/recording setting on this one than on the others, and a tad less countrified and more urbane. The tone is cheerful and easygoing, like that of a well-loved man entertaining his neighbors. Which is not to say this is a throwaway; the phrasing and rhythms are crisp, and the ragtime-speckled folk/blues guitar accomplished.

A vast majority of the known professional recordings of Piedmont blues legend Pink Anderson were documented during 1961, the notable exception being the platter he split with Rev. Gary Davis - Gospel, Blues and Street Songs - which was documented in the spring of 1950. This is the first of three volumes that were cut for the Prestige Records subsidiary Bluesville. Carolina Blues Man finds Anderson performing solo - with his own acoustic guitar accompaniment - during a session cut on his home turf of Spartanburg, SC. Much - if not all - of the material Anderson plays has been filtered through and tempered by the unspoken blues edict of taking a familiar (read: traditional) standard and individualizing it enough to make it uniquely one's own creation…

With just voice and guitar, Mickey Baker returned to the roots of the blues with this collection of standards and his own compositions performed onstage at the 1973 Montreux Festival. This marks the first time that this performance has ever appeared in its entirety.

John Lee Hooker's greatness lies in his ability to perform the same songs the same way yet somehow sound different and memorable in the process. He operates at maximum efficiency in minimal surroundings with little production or assistance. That was the case on a 1969 session for Black and Blue; it was just Hooker and his guitar moaning, wailing, and narrating on 10 tracks which included familiar ditties "Boogie Chillen," "Love Affair," "Big Boss Lady," and "Cold Chills." Evidence has now not only reissued these 10 but has added another six bonus cuts, bringing the CD total to 16. If you have ever heard any Hooker, you will not be surprised or stunned by these renditions; you will simply enjoy hearing him rework them one more time, finding a new word, phrase, line, or riff to inject.

“Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee 1938-1948” is an extensive and historically significant collection that documents a crucial decade in the development of acoustic blues. Spanning five discs, the compilation captures early recordings from both Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, individually and as a duo, showcasing their evolution as influential figures in American roots music. Terry’s dynamic harmonica style and McGhee’s expressive guitar work and vocals form the foundation of a raw and authentic sound deeply rooted in rural blues traditions. The recordings highlight a wide range of material, from solo performances and duets to collaborations with other artists, reflecting the diversity and vitality of the blues during this era. Despite the archival nature of the recordings, the performances remain vibrant and emotionally resonant. This collection serves as both an essential historical document and a comprehensive overview of two legendary artists whose work helped shape modern blues.

“The Duo” by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee is a timeless blues collection that captures the essence of one of the most celebrated partnerships in acoustic blues history. Featuring Terry’s expressive harmonica playing and McGhee’s warm guitar work and vocals, the album presents a raw and authentic sound rooted in traditional blues storytelling. The performances are intimate and direct, emphasizing rhythm, melody, and emotional delivery over elaborate arrangements. Each track reflects the duo’s natural chemistry, with a balance of upbeat, foot-tapping numbers and more reflective, melancholic pieces. Their ability to convey narrative and feeling through simple yet powerful musical structures highlights the enduring appeal of classic blues. “The Duo” stands as both an accessible introduction and a rewarding listen for longtime fans, showcasing the depth, character, and cultural significance of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee’s music.

The 1961 solo acoustic album by Lightnin’ Hopkins features the legend at his finest. Showcasing Hopkins’ guitar and vocals, Blues in My Bottle shines a spotlight on his blues mastery. The album contains Hopkins’ performances of originals, traditional standards, and renditions of covers. This album has been newly remastered from the original tapes and is available on hi-res.

Booker White (his name was misspelled on the label for Shake 'Em on Down when it was issued on Vocalion in 1937, and it stuck) turned his vigorous guitar style, heavy voice, and considerable songwriting abilities into 20 classic blues tracks between 1930 and 1940. Then, following a last session for Vocalion in 1940 when he recorded the striking and passionate group of songs on which his reputation rests (including the ultimately revelatory "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues"), White effectively dropped off the public radar. Until 1963, that is, when graduate students and blues fans John Fahey and Ed Denson sent a letter addressed to "Bukka White, Old Blues Singer, c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, MS," in an effort to locate the man who had recorded a 78 rpm called "Aberdeen Mississippi Blues" some 20 years earlier. Amazingly, the letter actually reached White, who was still alive, although he had since moved from Mississippi to Memphis…

The career of blues legend Big Joe Williams stretches back to the Mississippi Delta of the 1930s and continues up through the 1980s. The Sonet Blues Story captures Williams performing live in Sweden in 1972. Though not exactly in his prime, Williams plays with his usual boisterous spirit, reeling off classic acoustic Delta blues with a raw, propulsive edge. With only his stomping foot for rhythmic accompaniment, Williams and his guitar offer up a deep, riveting set. Informative liner notes by musical historian Samuel Charters round out the package.

Groundbreaking guitar work of dazzling complexity that never fails to amaze - and this stuff was cut in the 1920s! Lonnie Johnson's astonishingly fluid guitar work was massively influential (Robert Johnson, for one, was greatly swayed by his waxings), and his no-nonsense vocals (frequently laced with threats of violence - "Got the Blues for Murder Only" and "She's Making Whoopee in Hell Tonight" are prime examples on this 19-cut collection) are scarcely less impressive. Johnson's torrid guitar duets with jazzman Eddie Lang retain their sense of legend over nine decades after they were cut.

This four-disc, 68-track collection paints a broad definition of the blues, with cuts ranging from vintage country blues (Robert Johnson's “Cross Road Blues,” Son House's “Death Letter Blues”) to uptown jazz blues (Nina Simone's “Blues for My Mama,” Billie Holiday's “Billie’s Blues”), Chicago blues (a live version of “Howling Wolf” by Muddy Waters), British blues (Jeff Beck's “JB’s Blues”), and contemporary acoustic blues (“Am I Wrong” by Keb' Mo'), with plenty of stops in between, making for a random but varied playlist that circles the different approaches and musical definitions of the genre.

A whopping three CDs, and 56 songs, from Hooker's early sessions that were unreleased at the time, although they were available for a while in the early 1970s on some United Artists LPs. Like his more widely known material of the period, it mostly features Hooker unaccompanied, though he's aided by piano and second guitarists on a few tracks. Some of these are alternates of songs that were released in different versions, or embryonic renditions of compositions that evolved into somewhat different shapes. Especially interesting are early versions of his big hit "I'm in the Mood for Love." It's too much at once, though, and too unvarying in approach, for anyone but Hooker specialists. General fans are advised to stick with The Legendary Modern Recordings, which has 24 more renowned, and somewhat more accomplished, tracks from the same era. It's certainly a well-done package, though, containing a 38-page insert with detailed liner notes and session information.

Charley Patton lived only into his 40s, but he left a large body of recorded work, which reveals a broad repertoire, much self-written. He came to his first recording session - in June 1929, for Paramount - with an established reputation. It was said his voice could be heard 500 yards away. The songs he recorded that day include some he had been honing for 20 years around the Delta. Pony Blues is usually cited as a masterpiece. He cut two versions. Both are good, the first is finer: he growls the lyrics, his guitar lopes and bucks. Patton's rhythms are one of his trademarks - complex, intricate, powerful, his fingering always precise. Listen to his playing on Down The Dirt Road Blues - he puts brilliant guitar phrases at the end of each stanza. Songs like Banty Rooster, with its beautiful slide work, and the idiosyncratic Spoonful represent the essence of Mississippi blues and are typical of Patton fast-and-loose approach to blues structures (there's not a standard 12-bar in Patton's recorded output) and rhythmic conventions. Even those who have studied Patton's lyrics find areas to dispute. The voice is gruff, the phrasing eccentric and his Mississippi accent can be impenetrable. But it's worth paying attention - Patton's songs evoke a world that has vanished.