The Real Blues

Performer: Buddy Guy
Distributor: Allegro Corporation (Dist

Notes: Personnel includes: Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); Gerry Gibson (tenor saxophone); Donald Hankins (baritone saxophone); Jack Meyers (bass); Fred Below (drums). Recorded live at The Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Illinois in 1964. Personnel: Buddy Guy (vocals, guitar); Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); Gerry Gibson (tenor saxophone); Donald Hankins (baritone saxophone); Fred Below (drums). Recording information: Chicago Blues Festival (1964). This is a poor-quality soundboard tape of a live show from an unnamed location and date; this budget collection gives absolutely no information of any kind as to its origin. Starting off with an instrumental warm-up titled "Buddy's Blues," the set moves on to T-Bone Walker's "They Call It Stormy Monday," mistitled as "Blue Monday." Next up are Guy and his small group on what is audibly a sax, bass, and drums take on "Everyday I Have the Blues," "Leave My Woman Alone" (here mistitled as "Woman Blues"), and a chaotic version of the Stones' "Satisfaction." Midway through the set, Junior Wells joins Guy and the band for "Messin' With the Kid," "Come on in This House" (mistitled as "No Use Cryin'''), and the instrumental joined in progress "Junior's Shuffle." Then they finish up with a shared vocal on James Brown's "Out of Sight," which also features an out-of-tune sax solo from the unnamed reed man. If you're looking to add some Buddy Guy and Junior Wells to your blues collection, this one should be at the end of the list. While the performances are generally good, the sound is atrocious and the tuning goes all to hell on the closing number. Buyer beware. ~ Cub Koda

Eric Clapton once called Buddy Guy "the greatest blues guitarist ever." Guy, along with contemporary Magic Sam, took the sounds of Chicago blues of the 1950s and ratcheted them up a notch, in the process creating a new form of controlled blues mayhem. Born in Louisiana, he moved to Chicago as a young man in 1957 and served an apprenticeship with Chicago blues king Muddy Waters while getting his own solo career underway. Guy's frequent collaborations with harmonica player Junior Wells are among his best work.

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