Last Week's Recording Reviews

Essential Blues Recording

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

Black Ace – I Am The Boss Card In Your Hand – Arhoolie CD 374

This 1992 23-track collection (re-release) by Black Ace (i.e. B.K. Turner), six of which were recorded in Chicago, Illinois in February, 1937, with the remainder recorded in Ft. Worth Texas in August and September, 1960, paints a vivid portrait of a Texas blues artist with a melodic vocal presentation and an incredibly exceptional slide guitar design.

Black Ace played the National resonator guitar as it was rested across his knees using a slide, creating what previous music critics called a “Hawaii meets the Delta” flair. Indeed, there can be in listening to his blues hints of that sweet Hawaiian guitar sound melded with his deep South blues sensibilities.

Black Ace’s vocals are clear and concise, with articulation crisp, cueing a slight falsetto at the end of his sung lines. Back Ace’s ability to convey the messages in his songs is ever convincing.

This superb compilation again brings home the point that brilliant blues must continuously be hunted down by any true fan of the music, as there are multitudes of blues artists whose music is top-tier, yet generally unknown. That search and discovery makes for a continually fulfilling blues quest; even this highly seasoned blues collector revives his collecting passion via new discoveries even after all these years. That excitement is certainly to found here for the Black Ace uninitiated.

Below are the running tracks of this essential CD. This needs to be in any serious blues collection!

Song Titles

I Am The Black Ace
Bad Times Stomp
Drink On, Little Girl
Sante Fe Blues
New Triflin’ Woman
Evil Woman Blues
‘Fore Day Creep
Little Augie
Your Leg’s Too Little
No Good Woman
Santa Claus Blues
Golden Slipper
Hitchhiking Woman
Ace’s Guitar Blues
Beer Drinking Woman
Ace’s Guitar Breakdown
I’ve Been In Love With You, Baby
Trifling Woman
Black Ace
You Gonna Need My Help Someday
Whiskey And Women
Christmas Time Blues
Lowing Heifer

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

Junior Wells – Groundbreaking Work By A Modern Chicago Blues Harmonica Titan

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

Recommended Blues Recording

Lee Allen – Greatly Fulfilling New Orleans Tenor Saxophone Workouts

Lee Allen – Walkin’ With Mr. Lee – Collectables COL-CD-5083

Lee Allen was a high-flying tenor saxophone virtuoso whose mighty dexterities and vast influence meaningfully played a part in modeling blues and the music that would burst upon the scene as rock-n-roll in the decades of the ‘50s and ‘60s.

Allen’s tenor saxophone style was both expressive and commanding, and he left an unforgettable legacy as both an in-demand studio cog and as a solo performer.

When the ‘60s wound to a close, Allen was continuing to both be a studio presence and as a hired hand with others. Despite a period in the 1970s when opportunities were fewer, Allen erupted back onto the scene with Downey, California’s roots band, The Blasters, once again thrilling throngs of fans, and being wholly revered by the band, including the tandem sibling team of the band’s front men, the Alvins, Dave and Phil

Walkin’ With Mr. Lee is a tasty mix of satiating blues, steamy jazz forays, swirling rock-n-roll, and wild soaring danceable treats. Song titles tell the tales, with nourishments like “Walkin’ With Mr. Lee,” “Hot Rod Special,” and “Bee Hive” setting the tone for the “party on a CD” found here.

This is definitive New Orleans saxophone sustenance, and one decidedly satisfying ride. If you’re a fan of that distinctive tenor saxophone sound, this one’s for you.

Highly recommended!