Last Week's Recording Reviews

Essential Blues Recording

J.B. Hutto & His Hawks – Slashing Chicago Blues At Its Riotous Best

J.B. Hutto & His Hawks – Stompin’ At Mother Blues – Delmark Records DE-778

An uproar. A din. A musical free-for-all. Choose a noun, but whenever Chicago bluesman J.B. Hutto took the dilapidated stages of any of the west and south side Chicago blues joints he worked, his infectious combination of intense, gashing, and grating slide guitar work transformed whatever room he was playing into a stronghold of turbulent blues rapture. Akin to his peers such as Jimmy Dawkins, Hound Dog Taylor, and Magic Slim, among so many other modern bluesmen, Hutto’s blues release was a passionate and auditory load to be basked in and treasured for its unsophisticated bluster.

Hutto’s was not “sweet” blues, such as that being made by musicians whose music included full horn sections, swaying rhythms, and affecting, fresh vocals. No, Hutto’s blues brand was a tough one, resounding, and imparted with the stressors and weights of the day-to-day realities of Chicago’s Black population. There were no unicorns and blue sunny skies in Hutto’s blues, just the ripping heartaches and agonies that led to deep emotional damages inflicted by daily ghetto life. His work deeply resonated with his audiences.

This 19-track outing was released in 2004, with the first 12 cuts recorded “live” in mid-December, 1966 at the one-time great club, Mother Blues, on N. Wells St. in Chicago; however, a “live” audience was not in attendance. The final seven selections come from the Delmark Records sessions for Hutto’s Slidewinder release.

This is prototypical Hutto; serrated, volatile, and enflamed. His fiery slide guitar outbursts are paired with his almost unintelligible vocals, and the combination is akin to meeting a charging bull. This is a tornadic set, and the result is a full-blown urban blues shock.

Stompin’ At Mother Blues is seen as essential. A greater essay of Chicago’s tough 1960s blues is difficult to unearth. Modern blues did not commence with Hutto, but he aided in the creation and cultivation of the modern Chicago blues style. This is preeminent Chicago blues; blues slide guitar of the uppermost tier.

Prior Essential Review Links

Junior Wells – A Working Modern Chicago Blues Band Captured

Various Blues Artists – Chicago Blues Mastery

John Lee Hooker – The Early Best From The Blues Boogie Man

Buddy Guy – Chicago Blues Legend At His Best

Jimmy Dawkins – A West Side Chicago Blues Master Roars

Fenton Robinson – Chicago Blues, Mellow And Versatile

Jimmy Johnson – Singular Blues Sound All His Own

Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers – Raw, Rough, And Gritty Chicago Blues

Lightnin’ Hopkins – Houston’s Master Blues Storyteller

Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell – Chicago Blues Harmonica Master And Disciple Forge Creative Brilliance

Albert Collins – Collins’ Delivers On His First Alligator Records Label Release

The Johnny Shines Band – Post-War Blues Virtuoso At The Height Of His Abilities

Various Artists – Astonishing Post-War Chicago Blues

Reverend Gary Davis – Astounding Blues, Gospel, And Ragtime Without Equal

Carey Bell – Chicago Blues Harmonica Giant Carrying The Torch Forward

Lazy Lester – Swamp Blues By One Of The Genre’s Legendary Masters

Sonny Boy Williamson – Chicago Blues Harmonica Titan Delivers Via His First Full-Length Collection

Byther Smith – Tough Unyielding Chicago Blues

Various Artists – A Pre-War Delta Blues Necessity

Blind Lemon Jefferson – Pre-War Texas Blues Guitar Giant’s Sterling Output

Floyd Jones – Chicago Bluesman Deserving Of Higher Esteem

Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson) – Revolutionary Blues Harmonica Giant’s Earliest Recordings

Little Walter – Chicago Blues Harmonica Titan’s Best

Johnny Young – Classic Chicago Blues The Wholly Satisfies

Johnny B. Moore – Chicago Blues Of The 1980s And 1990s That Stand The Test Of Time

Washboard Sam – Washboard Blues By The Instrument’s Master

Peetie Wheatstraw – The Devil’s Son-In-Law’s Earliest Blues

Buddy Guy – Guy Imparts His Blues On An Eager South Side Chicago Audience

The Aces – Legendary Chicago Blues Band Delivers

Furry Lewis – Blues By The Memphis Blues Ambassador

Lightning Hopkins – Texas Blues King’s Extremely Magnificent Work

R.L. Burnside – Mississippi Blues At Its Maximum Potency

Muddy Waters – Unparalleled Chicago Blues By The Master

Howlin’ Wolf – A Blues Force Of Nature

Big Bill Broonzy – Celebrated Chicago Bluesman’s Sensational Earliest Recorded Output

Various Artists – Astounding Early Delta Blues

Robert Johnson – The Delta Blues Legend’s Complete Recorded Works

Blind Blake – Elite Blues Fingerpicker Steeped in Jazz And Ragtime Influences

Roosevelt Sykes – Sykes’ High-Level Ensemble Work

Freddy King – The Leading Blues Guitar Instrumentalist

Various Artists – Barrelhouse Blues 1927-1936 – Ten-Year Glimpse Into Extraordinary Early Blues Piano

John Lee Hooker – Hooker At His Early Rawest

Bukka White – Muscular Acoustic Blues That Astounds

Blind Willie McTell – Compelling And Nimble Piedmont Style-Based Blues

Jimmy Rogers – Rogers Establishes Himself As A Major Bluesman

T-Bone Walker – Those Sweet Mellow Sounds Of West Coast Blues

Freddie King – Exhilarating And Diverse Late Period Freddie King That Wholly Captures His Broad Talents

Willie Kent – The Modern Blues Sounds Of A Respected Chicago Blues Icon

Mighty Joe Young – An Exceedingly Rewarding Blues Trek

Bobby Bland – The Marvelous Blues Musings Of A Vocal Giant

Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller) – Post-War Chicago Blues Harmonica Genius Unfurled

Otis Rush – Modern West Side Chicago Blues That Forever Reshaped The Music’s Path Forward

Magic Slim Blues Band – Remarkable Outing By A Burgeoning Chicago West Side Blues Star

B.B. King – 1950’s Era Blues By The True King Of The Blues

Big Maceo – Fertile Period Chicago Piano Blues By A Master Of The Genre

Son House – Delta Blues – Early Delta Blues That Helped Define The Genre

Tommy McClennan – Roughhewn And Exuberant Mississippi Blues

Blind Boy Fuller – Fuller’s Earliest And Arguably Best Works

Duke Robillard & His All-Star Band – A Modern-Day Blues Collection Dedicated To Taste, Touch, Collaboration, And Tone

Elmore James – The Emotional Heights Of A Modern Slide Blues Slide Guitar Master

Fred McDowell – Slashing Delta Blues Slide Guitar And Arresting Vocals That Assault The Senses

Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers – An Inferno Of Primal, Wild, And Uncompromising Chicago Blues

Lurrie Bell – Mercurial Son – Quite Possibly The Best Blues CD Of The Last 30 Years

B.B. King – King’s Sacred Roots Astound

Big Joe Turner – Boss Of The Blues, Indeed

Vance Kelly – Call Me – Supremely Versatile Blues Melds By An Obscure Yet Renowned Chicago

Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling – Moss’s Most Fulfilling Collection Yet

Albert King – Celebrated Bluesman’s Sensational Early Output With Electrifying Bonus Selections

Little Walter – Chicago Blues Harmonica Giant’s Best 1953-1959 Yield

Dr. Isaiah Ross – One-Man Blues Band Tour De Force

Junior Wells – Wells At The Pinnacle Of His Blues Power

Albert Collins – Collins’ Earliest Best

The Jimmy Dawkins Band – A West Side Chicago Blues Master Wails

Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – Post-War Chicago Blues Harmonica Giant’s Incomparable Genius Delivered

Billy Boy Arnold – Post-War Chicago Blues Harmonica Giant Blazingly Shines

Albert King – King’s Blues Genius Unfurls

The Dig 3 – The Bar Is Set Extraordinarily High With This Exemplary

Barrelhouse Chuck And The All-Star Blues Band – His Blues Shines Ever So Brightly Across This Exceptional Collection

Johny Shines – Post-War Blues Genius At The Summit Of His Vast Capabilities

Sonny Boy Williamson (II) – Strong Early Output From An Illustrious Post-War Blues Harmonica Colossus

Various Artists – Mysterious, Grand Mississippi Blues Greats Presented

Johnie Lewis – Alabama Rural Blues In The Big City

Forrest City Joe And Polka Dot Slim – Surprisingly Phenomenal Blues By Two Relative Unknowns

“Gatemouth” Brown – Brown’s Early Best To Be Found Right Here

Anthony Big A Sherrod With The Cornlickers – Unmatched Contemporary Blues

Billy Flynn And Friends – Riveting Modern Blues From A Bluesman In Constant Demand

Koko Taylor – Chicago Blues Matriarch At The Height Of Her Considerable Blues Powers

Wynonie Harris – R&B And Jumo Blues Master Thrills

Buddy Guy – Chicago Blues Icon At His Unsurpassed Greatness

Various Artists – Swamp Blues Paradise

The Dig 3-The Bar Was Set Amazingly High With This Great Band’s Initial 2022 Output

Charlie Musselwhite – Musselwhite’s Apex Collection

Scrapper Blackwell – Blackwell Shines On His Own Soaring Merits

B.B. King – King’s Instrumentals Astound

John Lee Hooker – Hooker Drones His Enrapturing Brand Of Blues

Junior Watson – The Man Can Jump And Swing!

Kokomo Arnold – Arnold’s Earliest Blues Astounds

Black Ace – A Mostly Unheralded Bluesman’s Lofty Proficiencies Shine

Little Milton – Milton Finds His True Contemporary Musical Style

Skip James – Outstandingly And Exclusively Compelling Blues

Carl Martin / Willie “61” Blackwell – A Joyous Romp Through Early Blues And Related Musical Varieties

Jerry McCain – McCain’s Thrilling Visions As The Blues Fosters In Rock-N-Roll

J.T. “Funny Paper” Smith – Lyrical Virtuosity Unfolds

Clifford Gibson – Meticulous Guitar Attributes And Incredible Lyrics Around

Lonesome Sundown – Swamp Blues Genius

Johnny Shines And Robert Lockwood – Post-War Blues Virtuosos At The Pinnacles Of Their Titanic Competencies

Guitar Slim – Slim’s Specialty Records Gems Shine Brightly

Junior Wells – Wells Grandly Holds Court On His Home Turf

Big Creek Slim & Rodrigo Mantovani – Intense, Substantial Blues Harkening Back In All The Right Ways

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup – Unique Blues That Led To A Wider Musical Renaissance

Lightnin’ Slim – Two-For-One Swamp Blues Genius

Slim Harpo – Swamp Blues Treasures Aplenty

Magic Sams Blues Band – Thrilling Sophomore Effort On Delmark Records

St. Louis Jimmy Oden – Oden’s Recordings Highly Impress

Dr. Ross – Unequaled One-Man Blues Band, But Here With A Bit Of Assistance

The Aces – Legendary Chicago Blues Band And Guests Thrill In A “Live” Setting

Various Artists – Astounding Compilation Of Various Styled Blues Artists From Numerous Regions

Blind James Campbell And His Nashville Street Band – That Glorious Multi-Genre Street Music

B.B. King – King Thrills A Rapt Chicago Audience

Georgia Tom (Thomas A. Dorsey) – The Diverse Blues And Gospel Genius Of A Chicago Legend

Sonny Boy Williamson (11-Rice Miller) – The Early Blues Genius Of A Harmonica Titan

Barrelhouse Chuck With Erwin Helfer – Two Blues Piano Masters Dazzlingly Glow Throughout This Incomparable Set

Chuck Higgins – Powerful Saxophone Fervor Unfurls

Recommended Blues Recording

Wynonie Harris – R&B And Jump Blues Ace Electrifies

Wynonie Harris – Women, Whiskey & Fish Tails – Ace Records CDCHD 487

This 1993 21-track Ace Records gathering of stellar work by R&B and jump blues giant Wynonie Harris highlights the master blues shouter’s later period efforts for King Records, the independent label that was based in Cincinnati, Ohio, showcasing work from the 1952-1957 era.

This Harris overview, though, focuses on more unknown cuts that may not be as familiar to lovers of his most famous work, but by no means does the R&B and jump blues found here in any way disappoints. “Good Rockin’ Tonight” and “Bloodshot Eyes” are not here (those are found on another Ace Records Harris compilation), but electrifying selections such as “Drinkin’ Sherry Wine” and “Greyhound” find him still wailing like the national star he became in 1945 with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra. on the complete opposite end of a musician taking a rest. Harris takes all involved to church, so to speak, with his gospel-shaded vocal frenzy and handlings of “Shake That Thing” and The Deacon Don’t Like It.” These are amazing examples of Harris’ power and might!

Red Prysock can be heard on saxophone, as can Kenny Burrell on guitar.

Harris’ intense brand of music brought a swinging, driving spirit to R&B and jump blues lovers everywhere, and the quality here is majestic, and should be praised for its force and impact.

Below are the running tracks of this recommended CD. This needs to be in any serious blues, R&B, and jump blues collection!

Song Titles