Big Bosses of the Blues – Ray Charles, B.B. King, Jimmy Rushing and More (10 CDs) DOCUMENT

The first blues singers were soloists who accompanied themselves on guitar and later also on piano. The great Muddy Waters had started out as an entertainer on plantations in the South and it was only in Chicago, where he settled in the wake of the great African-American migration to the north, that he turned into a master of the Electric guitar and founded a band. The same is true for piano-wizard Memphis Slim, who often played in a duet with another key musician on the vibrant Chicago scene: bassist and all-round talent Willie Dixon. B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and John Lee Hooker are some of the other top Chicago blues musicians documented on this box-set.

Kansas City enjoyed an exciting scene genre-bending all styles from ragtime, jazz, blues and on to boogie woogie. Here, the first pure blues singers established themselves, such as Jimmy Rushing and Jimmy Witherspoon, who appropriately carried the title “Blues Shouter”. Rushing, Jon Hendricks, and Big Miller provide fantastic definitions of the idiom and its story with their early concept albums, which also feature great instrumentalists such as Ben Webster, Zoot Sims, Kenny Burrell, and many others.

Pianist and vocalist Charles Brown began his career in Los Angeles with his remarkably blues-inspired playing. The Texas native also was a huge role model for a certain Ray Charles. How multi-layered and stylistically wide-ranging the blues genre of the 30s to 60s was and how great the singers and musicians that represented it, is aptly documented with the original albums in this collection.

CD 1

■ Ray Charles Ray Charles
1. Ain’t That Love (Ray Charles) 2’53
2. Drown In My Own Tears (Henry Glover) 3’21
3. Come Back Baby (Ray Charles) 3’06
4. Sinner’s Prayer (Lowell Fulson) 3’24
5. Funny (But I Still Love You) (Ray Charles) 3’15
6. Losing Hand (Charles Calhoun) 3’13
7. A Fool For You (Ray Charles) 3’02
8. Hallelujah I Love Her So (Ray Charles) 2’36
9. Mess Around (A. Nugetre) 2’42
10. This Little Girl Of Mine (Ray Charles) 2’32
11. Mary Ann (Ray Charles) 2’47
12. Greenbacks (Renald Richard) 2’51
13. Don’t You Know (Ray Charles) 2’57
14. I Got A Woman (Ray Charles) 2’51
Ray Charles (voc, p) Dave McRae, Freddie Mitchell, Pinky Williams (sax: 4, 5, 6, 9) Mickey Baker (g: 4, 5, 6, 9) Lloyd Trotman (b: 4, 5, 6, 9) Connie Kay (drs: 4, 5, 6, 9) Candido Camero (congas: 4, 5, 6, 9) Wallace Davenport, Frank Mitchell (tp:13) O´Neal Gerald (as:13) Joe Tillman (ts:13) Warren Bell (bs:13) Lloyd Lambert (b:13) Oscar Moore (drs:13) Joe Bridgewater, Charles Whitley (tp:2, 3, 7, 8, 10,11,
12, 14) Don Wilkerson (ts:2, 3, 7,8, 10, 11, 12, 14) David Newman (bs: 3, 7, 10, 12, 14) Wesley Jackson (g: 3, 12, 14) Jimmy Bell (b: 3, 12, 14) Glenn Brooks (drs: 3, 12, 14) Cecil Payne (bs:2, 8, 11)Paul West (b: 2, 8, 11) Panama Francis (drs: 2, 8, 11) Joe Bridgewater, Joe Hunt (tp:1) David Newman (as,ts:1) Emmet Dennis (bs:1) Roosevelt
Sheffield (b:1) William Peebles (drs:1)
Recorded May 17, 1953 (sax: 4, 5, 6, 9) , December 4, 1953 (13), November 18, 1954 (3, 12, 14), November 30 1954 (2, 8, 11) and November 27, 1956 (1).

■ Charles Brown Bonus tracks
15. Driftin´ Blues 3’17
(Charles Brown, Williams, Moore)
16. Honeysipper (Charles Brown) 2’24
17. Let´s Walk (Charles Brown) 3’05
18. Seven Long Days 3’04
(J.M. Robinson, Geddins, Avid)
19. I´ll always will be in Love with you 2’36
(Ruby, Green, Stept)
20. Black Night (Charles Brown) 3’09
21. Fool´s Paradise (J. Fuller) 2’49
22. Again (Charles Brown) 3’10
23. My Baby´s gone (Charles Brown) 3’02
24. Don´t fool with my Heart (Charles Brown) 3’09
25. Still Water (Charles Brown) 2’59
26. Hard Times (Leiber, Stoller) 3’06
Charles Brown (p, voc) Johnny Moore (git) a.o.
Recorded between 1946 and 1956.
Total Time 77’27

CD 2

■ B.B. King King of the Blues
1. I’ve Got A Right To Love My Baby 3’16
(R. King, S. Ling)
2. What A Way To Go (R. King,J. Josea) 3’08
3. Long Nights (R. King, J. Taub) 3’32
4. Feel Like A Million (R. King, J. Taub) 3’33
5. I’ll Survive (R. King, S. Ling) 2’42
6. Good Man Gone Bad 2’48
(R. King, J. Taub, F. Washington)
7. If I Lost You (R. King, J. Taub) 2’42
8. You’re On Top (R. King, S. Ling) 2’51
9. Partin´ Time (R. King, J. Josea) 3’01
10. I’m King (R. King, J. Taub) 2’22
B.B. King (voc, git), Lloyd Glenn (p), Ralph Hamilton (b), Jassie
Salles (dr).
Recorded in March 1960.

■ Chuck Willis Wails the Blues
11. My Story (Chuck Willis) 3’16
12. I Feel So Bad (C. Willis) 2’55
13. You’re Still My Baby (C. Willis) 3’13
14. Lawly Miss Mary (C. Willis) 2’12
15. Need One More Chance (C. Willis) 3’00
16. Caldonia (F. Moore) 2’26
17. Don’t Deceive Me (C. Willis) 3’05
18. One More Break (C. Willis) 2’34
19. I Can Tell (C. Willis) 2’56
20. Search My Heart (C. Willis) 2’22
21. Love-Struck (C. Willis) 2’23
22. Charged With Cheating (C. Willis) 3’02
Chuck Willis (voc) w. the Royals (16), Leroy Kirkland Orchestra (12,
14, 15, 21), Quincy Jones Orchestra (18-20), Ray Ellis Orchestra (22)
Recorded in New York City between 1952 and 1958.
Total Time 63’23

CD 3

■ Jimmy Rushing
The Jazz Odyssey of James Rushing
Esq.
New Orleans
1. New Orleans (Carmichael) 3’24
2. Tricks Ain’t Walkin’ No More 2’55
(Jimmy Rushing)
3. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home 3’35
(Warfield, C. Williams)
Kansas City
4. Piney Brown Blues (J. Turner, P. Johnson) 3’45
5. ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do 3’29
(C. Williams, Prince, Grainger)
6. I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town 2’45
(Razaf, Weldon)
Chicago
7. Careless Love (W. C. Handy) 3’34
8. Doctor Blues (E. Lewis, Rushing) 3’23
9. Rosetta (Hines, Woode) 2’56
New York
10. Lullaby Of Broadway (Dubin, Warren) 3’25
11. Old Fashioned Love (C. Mack, J. Johnson) 2’37
12. Some Of These Days (S. Brooks) 4’48
Jimmy Rushing (voc, p) Ernie Royal (tp) Vic Dickenson (tb) Budd Johnson (ts) Danny Bank (bs) Skeeter Best (git) Hank Jones (p) Milt Hinton (b) Jo Jones (drs)

■ Count Basie/Joe Williams
Just The Blues
13. Confessin’ The Blues (McShann, Brown) 3’58
14. Mean Old World (William Big Bill Broonzy) 4’42
15. Trav’lin’ Light (Mundy, Mercer, Young) 3’55
16. Key To The Highway (Broonzy, Segar) 2’54
17. Lyin’ Woman (Joe Williams) 3’12
18. Chains Of Love (A. Nugetre) 3’31
19. Mean Mistreater (James Gordon) 3’53
20. Keep Your Hand On Your Heart (Broonzy) 3’23
21. Night Time Is The Right Time 6’09
(When The Sun Goes Down) (Leroy Carl)
22. Tomorrow Night (Coslow, Gross) 3’29
Joe Williams (voc) Count Basie (p) Harry Sweets Edison, Snooky Young, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp) Benny Powell, Al Grey, Henry Coker, (tb)Marshall Royal, Frank Wess, (as) Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell (ts) Charlie Fowlkes (brs) Freddie
Green (git) Ed Jones (b) Sonny Payne (drs)
Released September 9, 1960.
Total Time 79’47

CD 4

■ Muddy Waters At Newport
1. I Got My Brand On You (M. Morganfield) 4’46
2. I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man 2’57
(M. Morganfield)
3. Baby, Please Don’t Go (M. Morganfield) 3’04
4. Soon Forgotten (J. Oden) 4’19
5. I Wanna Put A Tiger In Your Tank 4’36
(W. Dixon)
6. I Feel So Good (B. Broonzy) 2’55
7. Got My Mojo Working Part 1 4’28
(M. Morganfield)
8. Got My Mojo Working, Part 2 3’02
(M. Morganfield)
9. Goodbye Newport Blues 4’52
(L. Hughes, M. Morganfield)
Muddy Waters (voc, git), James Cotton (harmonica), Tat Harris
(git), Otis Spann (p),
Andrew Stevenson (b), Francis Clay (dr).
Recorded July 3, 1960, during performance at the Newport Jazz
Festival, Newport, R.I.

■ Willie Dixon Willie´s Blues
10. Nervous (W. Dixon) 3’17
11. Good Understanding (W. Dixon) 2’18
12. That’s My Baby (W. Dixon) 3’25
13. Slim’s Thing (P. Chatman) 3’26
14. That’s All I Want Baby (W. Dixon) 2’19
15. Don’t You Tell Nobody (W. Dixon) 2’11
16. Youth To You (W. Dixon) 3’19
17. Sittin’ And Cryin’ The Blues (W. Dixon) 3’23
18. Built For Comfort (W. Dixon) 2’37
19. I Got A Razor (W. Dixon) 4’17
20. Go Easy (P. Chatman) 5’55
21. Move Me (W. Dixon) 3’28
Willie Dixon (b, voc), Memphis Slim (p), Harold Ashby (ts), Wally Richardson (g), Gus Johnson (dr).
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 3, 1959.
Total Time 75’04

CD 5

■ Big Joe Turner
The Boss of the Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz
1. Cherry Red (Joe Turner, Pete Johnson) 3’24
2. Roll ’em Pete (Pete Johnson) 3’45
3. I Want A Little Girl 4’18
(Billy Moll, Murray Mencher)
4. Low Down Dog (Joe Turner) 3’41
5. Wee Baby Blues (Joe Turner, Pete Johnson) 7’20
6. You’re Driving Me Crazy 4’13
(Walter Donaldson)
7. How Long Blues (Traditional) 5’48
8. Morning Glories (Traditional) 2’13
9. St. Louis Blues (W. C. Handy) 4’21
10. Piney Brown Blues 4’53
(Joe Turner, Pete Johnson) Joe Turner (voc) – Jimmy Nottingham (tp: 3, 5, 6, 9), Joe Newman (tp: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10) Lawrence Brown (tb) Pete Brown (as) Frank Wess (ts: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10), Seldon Powell (ts: 3, 5, 6, 9) Freddie Green (git) Pete Johnson (p) Walter Page (b) Cliff Leeman (drs) Ernie Wilkins (arr)
Recorded in New York, March 6 & 7, 1956

■ Howlin´ Wolf
Moaning in the Moonlight
11. Moanin’ At Midnight (H. Wolf) 2’57
12. How Many More Years (H. Wolf) 2’43
13. Smokestack Lightnin’ (H. Wolf) 3’09
14. Baby, How Long (H. Wolf) 2’55
15. No Place To Go (H. Wolf) 2’56
16. All Night Boogie (H. Wolf) 2’14
17. Evil (W. Dixon) 2’56
18. I’m Leavin’ You (H. Wolf) 2’60
19. Moanin’ For My Baby (H. Wolf) 2’50
20. I Asked For Water 2’52
(She Gave Me Gasoline) (H. Wolf)
21. Forty-Four (H. Wolf) 2’49
22. Somebody In My Home (H. Wolf) 2’24
Howlin´ Wolf (vocals, git), Willie Johnson, Lee Cooper, Otis Smothers, Humbert Sumlin, LD McGhee (git), Ike Turner, Otis Spann,
Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Willie Dixon, Alfred Elkins (b), Willie Steele, Earl Phillips (dr).
Recorded between 1953 and 1958. Released on album in 1958.
Total Time 77’50

CD 6

■ Jimmy Witherspoon
Singin´ the Blues
1. There’s Good Rockin’ Tonight (R. Geddins) 4’12
2. Times Have Changed (T. Edwards) 2’58
3. Tain’t Nobody’s Business (Crisham) 2’23
4. Wee Baby Blues (Turner, Johnson) 3’17
5. Sweet’s Blues (A. Ciminelli) 5’16
6. It Ain’t What You’re Thinkin’ (PD) 3’24
7. S.K. Blues (Saunders, King) 2’49
8. When I’ve Been Drinkin’ (A. Ciminelli) 3’37
9. Then The Lights Go Out (J. Witherspoon) 3’00
10. All That’s Good (A. Ciminelli) 3’01
11. Spoon’s Blues (A. Ciminelli) 2’25
Jimmy Witherspoon (voc) Gerald Wilson, Harry Edison (tp) Jimmy Allen , Teddy Edwards (ts) Herman Mitchell (git) Hampton Hawes, Henry McDode (p) Jimmy Hamilton (b) Jimmy Miller (drs)
Recorded in Los Angeles on May 8 and 16, 1958.

■ T-Bone Walker T-Bone Blues
12. Two Bones And A Pick (T-Bone Walker) 2’52
13. Mean Old World 4’07
(Michael Goldsen, T-Bone Walker)
14. T-Bone Shuffle (T-Bone Walker) 2’50
15. Stormy Monday Blues (T-Bone Walker) 3’08
16. Blues For Marili (T-Bone Walker) 4’20
17. T-Bone Blues (T-Bone Walker) 3’49
18. Shufflin’ The Blues (T-Bone Walker) 3’22
19. Evenin’ (Harry White, Mitchell Parish) 2’42
20. Play On Little Girl (T-Bone Walker) 2’33
21. Blues Rock (T-Bone Walker) 2’51
22. Papa Ain’t Salty 2’47
(Grover McDaniel, T-Bone Walker)
T-Bone Walker (voc, git) Plas Johnson (ts:12, 19, 21) Barney Kessel (git: 12, 19, 21), R.S. Rankin (git: 12, 19, 21) Lloyd Glenn (p: 13, 15, 16, 17, 18), Ray Johnson (p: 12, 19, 21)
Billy Hadnott (b: 13, 15, 16, 17, 18), Joe Comfort (b: 12, 19, 21) Earl Palmer (drs: 12, 19, 21 ), Oscar Bradley (drs: 13, 16, 17, 18).
Recorded in 1955, 1956 and 1959
Total Time 71’48

CD 7

■ Jon Hendricks
The Evolution of the Blues Song
1. Introduction (J. Hendricks) 3’18
2. Amo (J. Hendricks) 2’08
3. Some Stopped On De Way (J. Hendricks) 2’52
4. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Trad) 3’52
5. New Orleans (Trad) 4’03
6. I Had My Share (C. Miller) 3’58
7. Please Send Me Someone To Love 3’23
(P. Mayfield)
8. Sufferin’ Blues (C. Miller) 2’23
9. That’s Enough (D. L. Coates) 2’25
10. Aw, Gal (J. Hendricks) 1’50
11. See See Rider (Ma Rainey) 3’49
12. Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid (L. Young) 2’48
13. Sun Gonna Shine In My Door 2’04
(B. B. Broonzy)
14. W. PA. Blues (L. Melrose, C. B. Weldon) 2’45
15. Sometimes I Feel Like A
Motherless Child (Trad) 3’01
Jon Hendricks (narr, voc) Jimmy Witherspoon (voc) “Big” Miller
(voc) “Pony” Poindexter (as) Ben Webster (ts) Bobby Gibbons (git)
The Ike Isaacs Trio: Jack Wilson (p) Ike Isaacs (b) Jimmie Smith
(drs) The Hannah Dean Chorus
Recorded in Hollywood, CA in 1960
Total Time 44’41

CD 8

■ Al Smith Midnight Special
1. I’ve Been Mistreated (E. Boyd) 7’01
2. You’re A Sweetheart (Adamson, McHugh) 4’34
3. Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me (Al Smith) 3’33
4. Ride On Midnight Special (Al Smith) 2’36
5. The Bells (J. Hicks) 4’12
6. Goin’ To Alabama (Al Smith) 3’22
7. I’ll Never Let You Go (Al Smith) 3’40
8. Can’t Make It By Myself (Al Smith) 3’31
Al Smith (voc) King Curtis (ts) Jimmy Lee (git) Robert Banks (organ) Leonard Gaskin (b) Bobby Donaldson (drs)
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood, NJ on August 11, 1960.

■ John Lee Hooker Travelin´
9. No Shoes (J. Hooker) 2’26
10. I Wanna Walk (J. Hooker) 2’15
11. Canal Street Blues (J. Hooker) 2’55
12. Run On (J. Hooker) 2’12
13. I’m A Stranger (J. Hooker) 2’42
14. Whiskey And Wimmen 2’59
15. Solid Sender (J. Hooker) 2’36
16. Sunny Land (J. Hooker) 2’30
17. Goin’ To California (J. Hooker) 2’24
18. I Can’t Believe (J. Hooker) 2’50
19. I’ll Know Tonight (J. Hooker) 2’41
20. Dusty Road (J. Hooker) 2’18
John Lee Hooker (vocals, git), Lefty Bates (git), Sylvester Hickman (b), Jimmy Turner (dr).
Recorded in Chicago in 1960.
Total Time 63’22

CD 9

■ Memphis Slim/ Willie Dixon
The Blues Every Which Way
1. Choo Choo (P. Chatman) 3’05
2. 4 O’Clock Boogie (P. Chatman) 3’22
3. Rub My Root (Willie Dixon) 4’17
4. C Rocker (P. Chatman) 3’24
5. Home To Mamma (Willie Dixon) 4’59
6. Shaky (Willie Dixon) 3’41
7. After Hour (Parrish) 3’53
8. One More Time (Willie Dixon) 2’52
9. John Henry (P. Chatman) 2’37
10. Now Howdy (Willie Dixon) 5’55
Memphis Slim (p, voc on: 1 and 9) Willie Dixon (b, voc on: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
Recorded in New York City in January 1960.

■ Big Miller
Did You Ever Hear The Blues?
His choice of 11 deep blues by Langston Hughes
11. Five O’Clock Blues (Martin, Hughes) 2’01
12. Lament (Hughes, Heyward) 3’49
13. Did You Ever Hear The Blues? 2’49
(Martin, Hughes)
14. Tired As I Can Be (Martin, Hughes) 2’48
15. Good Old Guy (Martin, Hughes) 4’17
16. Mr. Blues’ Child (Martin, Hughes) 2’55
17. Red Sun Blues (Hauge, Hughes) 5’01
18 Mojo Blues (Hughes, Heyward) 2’24
19. Cool Saturday Night (Martin, Hughes) 3’08
20. Got To Live (Hughes, Heyward) 2’57
21. Wee Small Hours (Martin, Hughes) 3’42
Big Miller (voc) Pat Brooks (tp) Jimmy Cleveland, Vic Dickenson (tb) Phil Woods (as) Zoot Sims (ts) Al Cohn (bs) Billy Bauer, Chuck Wayne, Everett Barksdale, Barry Galbraith, Kenny Burrell, Turk Van Lake (git) Jimmy Jones (p) Chet Amsterdam (b) Elvin Jones, Gus Johnson, Joe Jones (drs) Budd Johnson (arr)
Recorded in New York City in May, 1959
Total Time 74’20

CD 10

■ Jimmy Reed I´m Jimmy Reed
1. Honest I Do (J. Reed) 2’40
2. Go On To School (J. Reed) 2’46
3. My First Plea (J. Reed) 2’45
4. Boogie In The Dark (J. Reed) 2’34
5. You Got Me Crying (J. Reed) 2’33
6. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby (J. Reed) 2’14
7. You Got Me Dizzy (J. Reed) 2’50
8. Little Rain (J. Reed) 3’09
9. Can’t Stand To See You Go (J. Reed) 2’50
10. Roll And Rhumba (J. Reed) 2’46
11. You’re Something Else (J. Reed) 2’33
12. You Don’t Have To Go (J. Reed) 3’04
Jimmy Reed (voc, git) Eddie Taylor (b) Earl Philips (drs)
Recorded in Chicago on April 3, 1957

■ Bobby Bland
Two Steps from the Blues
13. Two Steps From The Blues 2’36
(Deadric Malone, John Riley Brown)
14. Cry, Cry, Cry (D. Malone) 2’45
15. I’m Not Ashamed (Don Robey, Joseph Scott) 2’37
16. Don’t Cry No More (D. Malone) 2’29
17. Lead Me On (D. Malone) 2’06
18. I Pity The Fool (D. Malone) 2’43
19. I’ve Just Got To Forget You (D. Malone) 2’35
20. Little Boy Blue 2’40
(LaCharles Harper, Joseph Scott)
21. St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose) 2’27
22. I’ll Take Care Of You (Brook Benton) 2’27
23. I Don’t Want No Woman (Don Robey) 2’41
24. I’ve Been Wrong So Long 2’21
(D. Malone, Ray Agee)
Bobby Bland (voc) Joe Scott (tp) Pluma Davis (tb) L. A. Hill, Robert Skinner (ts) Rayfield Devers (bs) Clarence Holliman, Wayne Bennet (git) Connie Mack Booker, Teddy Reynolds (p) Hamp Simmons (b)
John Jabo Starks, , Sonny Freeman (drs)
Recorded between 1957 and 1960.
Total Time 63’18