Lowell Fulson Black Nights CD

In the trio of Ace CDs that document Fulson's stint with Kent in the 1960s, Black Nights covers the first part of that era (although, confusingly, it was not the first of the reissues to be released). The 1965 release "Black Nights" itself was his big success of the period, stopping just outside the R&B Top Ten and even getting into the bottom of the pop charts. A brassy and sassy feel-good tune despite the sorrowful lyrics, it also features a guitar with a twang so unusual it verges on sounding rather like an electric sitar. It's the unquestioned highlight of a collection that documents a time at which Fulson was modernizing, but only slightly, his brand of urban blues. All of the material dates from the mid-'60s, much of it written by Fats Washington, though Fulson wrote a few of these numbers himself. It's well-constructed blues-R&B with adult lyrics and just a slight 1960s soul influence (especially in some of the horn arrangements). It sounds like it could have been recorded in the 1950s, which is not so much of a drawback as the mid-tempo similarity of many of the songs to each other, and the lack of many tunes on the same level as "Black Nights." The guitar still stings admirably, though. Two of the songs were previously unissued. ~ Richie Unterberger

24 track compilation is part two of a three part retrospective of Fulson's great blues recordings for the Kent label in the 1960s. This volume concentrates on his debut recordings for Kent, highlighted by his national hit "Black Night," plus two never be

Recorded between 1964 and 1967.

Includes liner notes by Dick Shuman.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Contains 24 tracks.Living Blues (9-10/01, pp.77-8) - "...Dated though they may be...these tracks are solid, thanks to the combined talents of Fulson, Davis and Washington."