These recordings for the Mercury label date from 1967-1969 and include some of his best later recordings.  Honey Drippin’ Blues has the added bonus of Doug Sahm’s production skills on some of the bluesy tracks and include Sahm's wonderful band (he called them Amigos De La Musica on the label) at the time.  Most of these tracks have been hard to find on CD since the 1990's.

R&B paragon Ike Turner's natural fact mastery, limitless capacity for incendiary grooves and towering creativity qualified him as an a unstoppable musical force. As a band leader, arranger, and accompanist, he was without peer, and this rollicking compilation of Turner and his Rhythm Kings backing up the likes of Jackie Brenston, Billy Gayles and Clayton Love captures Turner's irresistible blues hustle at its majestic, bumping peak.

Why Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s name is rarely mentioned when it comes to any discussion of the greatest post war blues men of all-time is baffling. However, I can cite three very obvious reasons: 1) he was too talented for his own good;  2) he spent the last years of his life being a world renown “Funksta;” and 3)he was a Texafornian lacking the prerequisite Mississippi/ Chicago blues pedigree. The twenty six sides rounded up here represent the cream of the crop as it relates to his hard core blues material and represents one of the better Watson compilations.  - D.M.

Finally, one of the West Coast's most important and creative forces gets the definitive re-issue treatment here. While his early recordings for Modern have been expertly re-issued by Ace and P-vine, this collection concentrates on his Chess, Checker, Mercury and Peacock recordings as well as the best Imperial LP releases. His Chess LP from 1959 is beefed up with bonus tracks and his Peacock recordings, which have been hard to find on CD for a while, include seven previously unissued sides.  The Imperial LP is a collection of early hard blues sides he cut for Irma, Geddisons, Art Tone and the Premium labels as well his first sides for Imperial. This two disc 58 track release is it.

This two CD 45 track set features the A and B sides of all his releases between 1947 and1961 and brings together all of his singles for the Peacock and Aladdin labels in one collection. Despite receiving very little chart success, many of his singles were highly original and are now so famous it becomes difficult to understand why. Boogie Uproar, Okie Dokie Stomp, Gate Walks To Board and many others were staples for bar bands for years to come and were a huge influence over guitarists like Johnny Winter, Anson Funderburgh, Stevie Ray Vaughan and particularly, his brother, Jimmie Vaughan. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown didn’t like to be called a bluesman, but whether he liked it or not, he was undeniably a major influence over the genre throughout his lifetime.

This collection of the earliest 45s from the Chexk, Veltone, Aladdin, Jody, Rhythm and Gedinsons labels of the fabulous blues and soul singer also contains the full content of the LP she released on Checker Records in 1962. The LP consisted of tracks recorded for the famed Bay Area producer and writer, Bob Geddins. Sugar Pie DeSanto became a popular performer in the UK and across Europe and the photographs from some of those tours are featured on the cover of this superb set.

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