National Geographic: Destination Chicago

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: Distribution N. America

Notes: This is part of Sugo's National Geographic Series. Photographers: Paul Natkin; Paul Laraia. A collection of the electric blues from the Windy City. These ones are culled entirely from the old Alligator and Delmark archives (surprisingly not taking from the Chess archives). This avoidance of Chess aside, there's some noteworthy stuff in here. All of the major players from the Chicago scene are represented here, from the opening of the genre by Muddy Waters through to the almost-current recordings of Luther Allison. The album starts out with Allison, then moves into bluesharp virtuoso Carey Bell in a shuffling Low Down Dirty Shame. Koko Taylor is represented by Let the Good Times Roll (her signature Wang Dang Doodle being on Chess), and harpist Syl Johnson shows a side very close to later R&B grooves. The Texan influence is strong in a collaboration between Lonnie Brooks and Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy teams with Junior Wells on a more thoroughly Chicagoan piece. Sugar Blue comes through with some more outstanding harping on the jumping I Ain't Got You, and Floyd Dixon performs his old Hey Bartender (both of these songs became Blues Brothers standards later on). Son Seals and Eddy Clearwater each contribute a piece, and Magic Sam's classic Sweet Home Chicago readies the album for a big finish. Finally, Muddy Waters and Little Walter combine to pull out an outstanding cut of Rollin' and Tumblin'. There are certainly plenty of blues compilations out there, but the majority have an extremely broad stylistic inclusion, with Louisianan, Texan, and Chicago blues all mixing. This one is in a league almost to itself (perhaps with some of the albums in Rhino's Blues Masters series), bringing out some outstanding cuts from all of the masters of the sound. It makes for a good starting point to the Chicago sound, or a nice compilation for the collector as well. ~ Adam Greenberg

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