Memphis Blues: Important Postwar Blues, part 1

 It really is amazing what JSP is doing in making such a wealth of historical and precious recordings available and at a reasonable price too! This 4 part set is pretty straight forward in it's scope, it is just what the title says it is; early postwar Blues recorded in Memphis.

"As usual, JSP is not shy with the quantity of titles provided in this amazing 4-CD set of Memphis Blues. All of the songs in this collection were recorded by Sam Phillips at his Memphis Recording Services studio between 1951 and 1954, with some of them getting released on his home-grown Sun label. Many of the titles however, were not released until years after they were recorded, due to recording quality issues or due to Phillips' reluctance to market them as hit-parade material.

While some of these songs overlap the ones issued on the Varese 3-CD set "Sun Records: Ultimate Blues Collection", there is plenty of stuff here for collectors and non-collectors alike to go crazy with. The sheer volume of material itself is almost overwhelming but the musical integrity suffers not in spite of.

Sam Phillips had a sensitive nose for talent and this attribute ensured that many who came to his studio looking to make a record were not overlooked. Even Sam Phillip's janitor/plumber got to put down 2 songs (Mose Vinson) and the evidence is that the guy could have made a living as a musician. The long term result of all of this musical activity is that JSP have compiled here, a priceless miniature archive of indigenous Memphis area blues circa post-WW2.

Here also, are some rare and early titles by better-known artists like Earl Hooker, James Cotton, Little Jr. Parker, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Big Walter Horton, Ike Turner, Bobby Bland, and Johnny Ace. All of these artists went on to other labels and more success following the demise of Memphis Recording Services.

The real treasures however, are the numbers waxed by the artists who made a few titles then left the business or vanished. The listener of this set will be treated to much additional pleasure from Doctor Ross, Joe Hill Louis, Jimmy DeBerry, Sammy Lewis, Willie Johnson (who became Howlin Wolf's working guitarist for a while), Willie Nix, and Houston Stokes.

Liner notes by long-term blues booster Neil Slaven are comprehensive and do a good job of drilling directly to the political times, the music business, and to the historical significance of this fine music. Collect this music now while it is still available in an artistically presentable format; it won't stay around like this forever." Amazon