Crucial Chicago Blues [CD]

Sampler production by Bruce Iglauer and Bob DePugh
Packaging design by Kevin Niemiec
Koko Taylor photo by Jaan Kirsmaa

Tracks from Crucial Chicago Blues appear on these albums:

1. Luther Allison
Reckless
ALCD 4849
Fireball electric blues from the sensational star of the blues world. The last studio album of his career. A scorcher. Grammy nominee and W.C. Handy Award winner as Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Released in 1997. Available in Europe on Ruf Records.

2. Koko Taylor
Royal Blue
ALCD 4873
The Queen Of The Blues holds court with a dizzying array of fellow blues royalty, including B.B. King, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Keb' Mo' and Johnnie Johnson. Koko's hardest rocking, most contemporary album. Grammy nominee. Released in 2000.

3. James Cotton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell and Billy Branch
Harp Attack!
ALCD 4790
Four of the world's greatest blues harp players meet head to head in a "blowdown" super-session. Tough, inventive harp plus an all-star band with Lucky Peterson. Essential for any harp fan. Released in 1990.

4. Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers 
Natural Boogie
ALCD 4704
Pure, unadorned houserocking music from the slide guitar master and his powerhouse trio. Hound Dog used to say, "When I die, they'll say, 'He couldn't play shit, but he sure made it sound good.'" Released in 1974.

5. Son Seals
The Son Seals Blues Band
ALCD 4703
The raw 1973 debut album by one of the most exciting bluesmen of his generation. Searing, bare bones South Side blues with just keyboards, bass and drums.

6. Carey Bell
Deep Down
ALCD 4828
A master of the classic Chicago harmonica sound delivers a peak album. A veteran of both Muddy Waters' and Willie Dixon's bands, Carey's deep blues soul can be heard in every lick. A great band including Lurrie Bell. Released in 1995.

7. Magic Slim & The Teardrops
Raw Magic
ALCD 4728
Tough, no-frills blues from the South Side. Just two guitars, bass and drums pounding out the blues like they've been doing it for 30 years in Chicago. The band that took over Hound Dog's gig at Florence's - what more can we say? Released in 1982. Available in Europe on Isabel Records.

8. Lonnie Brooks
Live From Chicago- Bayou Lightning Strikes
ALCD 4759
Lonnie and his red-hot band cut live at one of the Windy City's top blues clubs. Three new tunes plus killer versions of his most-requested songs. Released in 1988.

9. Pinetop Perkins
from Living Chicago Blues, vols. 1-4 
ALCD 7701-7704
An epic collection of recordings showcasing the cream of Chicago's previously unrecorded and underrecorded blues talent. Originally issued in the late 1970s on six LPs, every song
on this collection has been fit onto four CDs, each over an hour long.

10. Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
Heads Up!
ALCD 4886
In the great tradition of Chicago slide guitar boogie masters like Hound Dog Taylor and J.B. Hutto, Ed and the Imperials are back with their first studio album in three years. Raw, stripped-to-the-bone rocking blues delivered with unlimited energy. Released in 2002.

11. James Cotton
High Compression
ALCD 4737
The Alligator debut of the king of high-powered blues and boogie harmonica, backed by two terrific bands -- an all-star traditional blues band featuring Pinetop Perkins and Magic Slim, and his own funky touring group. Released in 1984.

12. Fenton Robinson
I Hear Some Blues Downstairs
ALCD 4710
Strikingly original songs, soaring guitar and rich vocals. Subtle, beautifully crafted performances that reveal more with each listen. Grammy nominee. Released in 1978.