Big Joe Turner – The Boss Of The Blues – Atlantic Records 8812-2

Listening to this astounding collection brings visions of a red velvet-draped stage with bright footlights, where a backing band all in black suits with immaculately shined patent leather shoes and pocket squares play behind insignia-signed band daises while the full-throated blues shouter in his white evening jacket, crisply pleated black dress slacks, and similarly shined shoes with spats bellows the swinging blues to an eager audience, one seated at small round tables with a petite centrally located lamp, with all in attendance immaculately dressed “to the nines” while cocktail waitresses and cigarette girls make their dutiful rounds.  This marble columned room is the place to see and be seen on a weekend night out, and the mellow yet potent blues originating from the bandstand ideally suits the slickly attired male suitors with their shiny pomaded hair and heavily cologned faces and the ladies enfolded in their brilliant sequined dresses, sky high heels, hair up to there, and bright red lips.

This set by Big Joe Turner originally saw the light of day on Atlantic Records in March, 1956, and in the process, became what could arguably be considered the first blues concept collection, and not one that simply gathered past singles and packaged them together in a compilation fashion.  By this time, Turner was highly successful, having released many chart-topping singles for Atlantic, becoming one of the bestselling artists in their stable.

For this brilliant outing, Atlantic did it right, engaging the band arranger from the famed Count Basie Band, but also certain of their musicians, in a collection that has stood the test of time as a groundbreaking endeavor.  Simply, Turner’s and the band’s efforts produced a blues excursion that can be successfully debated to be one of the best blues/jazz crossover assemblages ever fashioned. 

Across the landscape of this outing, Turner’s formidable vocals are at the zenith of his powers and poignancy, as his forceful and confident delivery always leaves no doubt as to the subject matter and feeling behind each song being sung.  Turner’s voice is a rich, full articulating machine.  And when combined with the likes of the legendary Pete Johnson and his fluid, cascading piano runs, Walter Page’s tasteful bass lines, Cliff Leeman’s solid, sensitive drumming, the mood-enhancing tenor and alto saxophones of Frank Wess and Pete Brown, respectively, the twin nourishing trumpet attack of Joe Newman and Jimmy Nottingham, and the idyllic guitar work of Freddie Green, nothing short of the stunning results found here could have been expected.

Songs very familiar to those in-the-know about Turner and a few lesser-known-but-quite-superb tunes are here to relish in, and as a document of Big Joe Turner, this is the place to begin to understand the man’s proficiencies and impact upon the blues, and the music province, overall.

Highly-essential without any qualification!