Pure Blues CD

This across-the-board blues compilations attempts to be all things to all blues fans, and comes as close to succeeding as any single-disc collection possibly could. Part of the reason is a series of cross-licensing coups that bring together tracks from a disparate group of labels, but mostly it's good old-fashioned taste. For the rock fans there's the Eric Clapton/Duane Allman duet "Mean Old World" and Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Flood Down in Texas." Those hungry for new, young blues heroes are offered the likes of Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Susan Tedeschi. The meat of the compilation, though, is taken up by classic Chicago blues cuts, including Muddy Waters' gloriously salacious "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man," Jimmy Reed's proletarian shuffle "Big Boss Man," and Howlin' Wolf's vicious-but-wise take on the Willie Dixon-penned blues standard "Spoonful." As a broad introduction to the various strains of mainstream blues, PURE BLUES is an excellent primer.

Digitally remastered by Doug Schwartz (Audio Mechanics).

Eric Clapton/Duane Allman/Koko Taylor/Albert King/Etta James

Recording information: Brookline &Watertown, MA (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Chiucago, IL (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Cincinnati, OH (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Detroit, MI (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); LA, CA (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Memphis, TN (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Miami, FL (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Minneapolis, MN (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Montreux, Switzerland (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Muscle Shoals, AL (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); Nashville, TN (08/12/1952-06/??/1997); New York, NY (08/12/1952-06/??/1997).