Blowing the Fuse 1950

Another rerun by request

 Blowing the Fuse is a killer series of compilation CDs issued by Germany's premier archivist label, Bear Family. Subtitled "R&B Classics That Rocked the Jukebox," each volume is compiled by year. 1950 was a boom year for jukeboxes across the United States. This volume, like most of the others, contains 28 affirmed classics of the early postwar years though some of these titles have been obscured a bit by history. Assembled by Dave "Daddy Cool" Booth, the sequencing of these tracks has proved invaluable in this series. Some of the more relatively obscure titles here include Calvin Boze's "Safronia B," Goree Carter's "Come On Let's Boogie," Doc Sausage's' "Rag Mop," and Jewel King's "3 x 7 = 21." But there are plenty of well-known wonders too from Percy Mayfield, Ruth Brown, Roy Milton, Wynonie Harris, Lightnin' Hopkins, Eddie Mack, Professor Longhair, Joe Liggins, T-Bone Walker and over a dozen others. Sound quality is very fine throughout. Colin Escott's detailed liner notes -- a set for each cut -- are in his usual form, authoritative and engaging, and the photographs in this handsome digipack are just beautiful.