Rarely has the primal excitement of the electric blues guitar been so voraciously and expertly illustrated on one compilation than on Screaming And Crying, renowned British blues buff Neil Slaven s monumental homage to the music which shaped both his life and a whole generation. Over three discs and 75 tracks, the set straddles the spectrum of the electrified blues which fuelled the British R&B boom of the 1960s and beyond, mixing much-feted names such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley with more deliciously obscure outings by the likes of Doctor Ross and Guitar Shorty. Slaven s liner notes outline the story behind the roughshod classics which bust out of the set, whether screaming with the joy of musical release, or crying in a pool of despair, both amplified through jacked-up guitar strings.

John Lee Hooker was the king of the endless boogie, a globally cherished bluesman whose droning, hypnotic, one-chord grooves were driving, primitive, and timeless. During a 50-year career, he melded regional sounds from the Delta, Detroit, and Chicago in a trademark, oft-imitated approach. From the late 1940s until 1969, he cut more than 100 singles for labels such as Modern, Chess, Federal, Atco, and Vee-Jay, including hits such as "I'm in the Mood," "Hobo Blues," "Boogie Chillen," "Crawling Kingsnake," and "Boom Boom." In 1966 he resurrected and reinvented the '50s R&B hit "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" and made it his own. He spent most of the '70s and '80s touring. 1989's The Healer initiated a charting, award-winning, five-album run of Hooker recording new songs and revisioning some of his classics backed by well-known contemporary guests.

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.

Simply one of the greatest live blues recordings ever. Hooker plays alone at Soledad, yet the real thrill is hearing him backed at Greenwich Village's Café Au-Go-Go in 1966 by Muddy Waters and his band, including pianist Otis Spann, unsung harmonica giant George Smith, Francis Clay on drums, and guitarists Sammy Lawhorn and Luther Johnson. All are at the height of their abilities, but it's Hooker who works like a hoodoo conjurer, making misery rain down in "Seven Days" and "When My First Wife Left Me." This August night's reading of "I'm Bad Like Jesse James" ranks among the most intimidating vocal performances ever taped. His guitar and baritone singing sink to rarely heard depths of the blues - that secret place in the music (known only to its absolute masters) where it becomes an elemental force.

Given Hooker's unpredictable timing and piss-poor track record recording with bands, this 1965 one-off session for the jazz label Impulse! would be a recipe for disaster. But with Panama Francis on drums, Milt Hinton on bass, and Barry Galbraith on second guitar, the result is some of the best John Lee Hooker material with a band that you're likely to come across. The other musicians stay in the pocket, never overplaying or trying to get Hooker to make chord changes he has no intention of making. This record should be played for every artist who records with Hooker nowadays, as it's a textbook example of how exactly to back the old master. The most surreal moment occurs when William Wells blows some totally cool trombone on Hooker's version of Berry Gordy's "Money." If you run across this one in a pile of 500 other John Lee Hooker CDs, grab it; it's one of the good ones.

100 Blues 'N' Soul Greats is an expansive four-disc anthology celebrating the roots and enduring legacy of classic blues and soul-influenced recordings. Released in 1991, this collection gathers many of the genre’s most respected pioneers, including John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, Leadbelly, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Ray Charles. The set presents a broad overview of raw Delta traditions, Chicago electric blues, jump blues, and emotionally powerful vocal performances that helped shape modern popular music. From gritty guitar-driven grooves to deeply expressive ballads, each disc highlights the authenticity, passion, and storytelling at the heart of the blues tradition. This compilation is ideal for listeners seeking a historical survey of foundational artists whose recordings influenced rock, rhythm and blues, soul, and countless later styles. It remains an essential archive of timeless performances and legendary voices.

These sixteen tracks are split equally between Sonny Boy Williamson II and pianist Willie Love, who befriended each other in the early 40s, and recorded a number of sides for Trumpet records. All eight Sonny Boy-numbers are previously unreleased, and the fidelity is very good, better than on Trumpet's other Sonny Boy Williamson-releases. Rice Miller (Sonny Boy) is backed by various electric combos. Three cuts feature Willie Love on piano, and Miller's harp blowing is augumented by the presence of a saxophone player on five tracks. Here are early vesions of "Keep It To Yourself" and "I'm Not Beggin' Nobody", as well as a great "Shuckin' Mama" and the piano-driven boogie of the title track. And it's no surprise that Miller's playing and singing is every bit as impressive as on his later Chess releases. He was in his fifties when these sides were recorded, fully developed as an artist, and had of course been a playing partner of Robert Johnson more than fifteen years before…

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.

Masters of Blues: Best Of The Best Collection, released in 2009 on Luxury Multimedia, is a comprehensive compilation that brings together some of the most iconic blues tracks from across decades. This album showcases a wide range of blues styles, from raw Delta blues and soulful Chicago blues to electric guitar-driven modern blues, highlighting the genre’s depth and versatility. Each track captures the emotional intensity and musical craftsmanship that has made blues a timeless art form, featuring expressive vocals, intricate guitar work, and authentic rhythmic grooves. What sets this collection apart is its careful curation, offering both legendary hits and lesser-known gems, providing a rich and immersive listening experience. Perfect for longtime blues fans or newcomers eager to explore the genre, this compilation offers a journey through the heart and soul of blues music, celebrating its legacy and enduring appeal.

This four-disc box from London's JSP Records collects an astounding 100 songs recorded by John Lee Hooker in Detroit from the years 1948 to 1952, including his first two sides ever, the signature tunes "Boogie Chillen" and "Sally Mae." Most of the tracks here are done solo, with Hooker's ever-present foot-stomping, although a few feature other musicians on loose-limbed blues boogies. Since Hooker never significantly altered his style during his long career, these first recordings set the stage for all that came after, and he arguably never sounded fresher or better. Four discs worth of this throwback Mississippi bluesman will be severe overkill for casual listeners, but diehard Hooker fans will find this box set absolutely essential.

Immerse yourself in the soul of the blues with 'Blues Classics 100 Greatest Hits'. This 4-CD set brings together an essential collection of the genre's greatest hits, performed by the original artists who defined the blues. From timeless classics to hidden gems, this album is a celebration of the rich history and enduring legacy of the blues.
John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Howlin' Wolf, Pinetop Perkins, Memphis Slim, Big Joe Turner, Billie Holiday and others.

This three-disc set features 56 previously unreleased tracks from John Lee Hooker's early sessions, some of which were briefly available on vinyl in the early 1970s. The collection primarily consists of solo performances, with occasional accompaniment by piano or a second guitar, featuring early drafts and alternate takes of major hits like "I'm in the Mood for Love." While the package is meticulously produced and includes an extensive 38-page booklet with session data, its repetitive nature makes it more suitable for specialists than casual listeners. General fans are encouraged to opt for "The Legendary Modern Recordings," which offers a more concise and polished selection of tracks from the same era.

Broke, Black & Blue delivers multiple surprises within its 100 songs of prewar blues. Arranged chronologically by Joop Visser, the set admirably covers the first 22 years of recorded blues, 1924 to 1946, from vaudeville and Delta to boogie-woogie and jump blues. It's a swell gift for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of blues. But old-timers will be pleased, too, as special attention has been paid to culling rare and idiosyncratic tracks by the well-known and the obscure. The first three discs present single tracks by artists as diverse as the Memphis Jug Band, De Ford Bailey, Tommy Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Peetie Wheatstraw, Lonnie Johnson, and Bukka White, alongside unknowns such as Isaiah "The Mississippi Moaner" Nelson, Barbecue Bob and Laughing Charley, Ed Andrews, Chicken Wilson, and Bumble Bee Slim. On the fourth disc, this convention is jettisoned to luxuriate in a series of very rare sides of lovely, oddly subdued boogie-woogie and jump blues by Jimmie Gordon, Johnny Temple, and Lee Brown.

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.