Bobby "Blue" Bland Anthology CD

Additional Tracks

Personnel includes: Bobby "Blue" Bland (vocals); B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Roy Gaines, Clarence Holliman, Auburn "Pat" Hare, Wayne Bennett, Gerald Sims, Freddy Robinson, Spence Bean, Ray Parker, Jr. (guitar); Johnny Board, Bobby Forte, Jimmy Beck, Bill Harvey, Rayfield Davers, Melvin Jackson, Theodore Arthur, Jerome Richardson, Red Holloway (saxophone); Joe Scott, Melvin Jackson, Henry Boozier, Joseph Harden, Tommy Ferguson, Snooky Young (trumpet); Pluma Davis, Al Thomas (trombone); Connie Mack Booker, Skippy Brooks, Teddy Reynolds (piano); Hamp Simmons, Phil Upchurch, Charles Green (bass); Sonny Freeman, John "Jabo" Starks, Harrell Porter, Charles Polk (drums); Anita Kerr Singers (background vocals).
Recorded between 1952 & 1977. Includes liner notes by Bill Dahl.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Clarence Holliman, Dean Parks, Freddy Robinson , Gerald Sims, Larry Carlton, Mel Brown , Roy Gaines, Wayne Bennett, Ben Benay (guitar); Jimmy Beck, Johnny Board, Bobby Forte (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Monk Higgins (tenor saxophone); Rayfield Davers (baritone saxophone); Joe Scott , Henry Boozier (trumpet); George Bohannon, Pluma Davis (trombone); Chuck Findley, Dick Hyde, Ernie Watts, Jack Kelson, Jr., Paul Hubinon (horns); Michael Omartian (piano, organ); Skippy Brooks, Teddy Reynolds, David Ervin, Johnny Ace , Laythan Armor (piano); Earl Forest, Ed Greene, Sonny Freeman (drums); Warren Haygood (percussion); Ginger Blake, Maxine Willard Waters, Julia Tillman (background vocals).
Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl.
Recording information: Chicago, IL (1952); Detroit, MI (1952); Houston (1952); Los Angeles, CA (1952); Memphis (1952); Nashville, TN (1952); Whisky A-Go-Go (1952).
Arrangers: Jay Wellington; George Butcher.
There are a number of excellent Bobby "Blue" Bland collections on the market, but MCA's ANTHOLOGY may outdistance them all. A beautifully compiled and packaged set, ANTHOLOGY covers three decades of the singer's career. Bland's work from the 1980s and after is not represented here, but that's a small matter, since many of his finest recordings (cut on a variety of labels, many of them small independents) date from the '60s and early '70s. It was this material--a sophisticated combination of gutbucket Texas blues and emotive R&B crooning--that came to define the soul sound of the chitlin' circuit
Those familiar with Bland's work will recognize all of the singer's R&B chart classics (from "I Pity the Fool" to "Turn on Your Lovelight" to "Who Will The Next Fool Be?"), as well as important album cuts, while an unreleased live tune shows just how much Bland stretches out in concert. Detailed liner notes give plenty of background on both the recording sessions and Bland himself, but best of all is the remastered sound, which sparkles, and brings Bland's rich voice and uniquely moving delivery into crisp definition. As either an introduction to the legendary vocalist, or as a comprehensive recap for long-time fans, it is impossible to go wrong with ANTHOLOGY.
As the quintessential chitlin' circuit R&B/blues star, Memphis-based singer Bobby "Blue" Bland's career has been relatively well-documented on CD. Still, until this 2001 double set, all 25 of his Top Ten R&B hits have not been available in one package. The Anthology is still not a complete career overview though, as it ends in 1982 before his prolific years at Malaco. It does, however, cover a remarkably prolific 30-year period, starting with his first recordings for Duke in 1952 and touching base at Dunhill and MCA, all conveniently located under the current Universal Music label umbrella. Die-hard fans of Bland during this period likely own the three double-disc sets MCA released in the mid-'90s but, for those who don't need the warts-and-all treatment yet want something more in depth than skimpy single-disc collections, this is certainly the way to go. Soul expert Bill Dahl's excellent liner notes p