Texas Twister
Artist: Johnny Copeland
Community Score: 10.00

Johnny Copeland's tenure on Rounder Records was mostly productive. He made several albums that ranged from decent to very good, increased his audience and name recognition and got better recording facilities and company support than at most times in his career. The 15 numbers on this anthology cover four Rounder sessions, and include competent... Read More

Working Girl Blues
Artist: Phillip Walker

Walker remains in fine form on this recent set, a mix of remakes of past triumphs ("Hello, My Darling," "Hey, Hey Baby's Gone") and fresh explorations. Two distinct bands were utilized -- a New Orleans crew populated by bassist George Porter, Jr., and his funky cohorts, and an L.A. posse with more of a straight-up swinging feel. ~ Bill Dahl, All... Read More

Turn on Your Love Light: The Duke Recordings, Vols. 1-2
Artist: Bobby "Blue" Bland

Picking up right where the first volume left off and continuing into 1964, this two-disc compilation (50 tracks!) showcases one of Bland's most appealing periods at Duke. Joe Scott was experimenting boldly with his protegé's repertoire, his brass-powered arrangements urging Bland to increased heights of incendiary energy on "Turn on Your Love... Read More

Texas Bluesman
Artist: Zuzu Bollin

Zuzu's principal contribution to Texas blues history is an immaculately realized collection that includes remakes of both sides of his debut 78 (the original version of "Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night" is available on Vol. 3 of Rhino's Blues Masters series, "Texas Blues") and a uniformly tasty lineup of jump blues goodies. The... Read More

Sooner or Later
Artist: Larry Davis

Unless someone has the ultimate Larry Davis album still awaiting release somewhere, the late guitarist's final album also looks to be his best. Sumptuously produced by organist/Bullseye Blues boss Ron Levy with the Memphis Horns providing punchy interjections, Davis roars a finely conceived concoction of covers and his own material ("Goin' Out... Read More

Bottom of the Top
Artist: Phillip Walker

There weren't many blues albums issued during the early '70s that hit harder than this one. First out on the short-lived Playboy logo, the set firmly established Walker as a blistering axeman sporting enduring Gulf Coast roots despite his adopted L.A. homebase. Of all the times he's cut the rocking "Hello My Darling," this is indeed the hottest,... Read More

Blue Soul
Artist: Joe Louis Walker

Another winner sporting memorable songs ("T.L.C.," "Personal Baby, " "City of Angels, " "Prove Your Love"), sinuous grooves, and a whole lot of vicious guitar from one of the hottest relatively young bluesmen on the circuit. He goes it alone on the finale, "I'll Get to Heaven on My Own, " sounding as conversant with the country blues tradition... Read More

The Gift
Artist: Joe Louis Walker

Although it didn't enjoy the major label hype that his current output does, Walker's HighTone encore just may be his finest album of all, filled with soulful vocal performances, bone-cutting guitar work, and tight backing from the Boss Talkers and the Memphis Horns. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of Walker's remarkably consistent HighTone... Read More

Cold Is the Night
Artist: Joe Louis Walker

The Bay Area blues guitarist's debut album sounds underproduced compared to what would soon follow -- and that's no knock. Walker's gritty, expressive vocals and ringing, concise guitar work shine through loud and clear in front of his band, the Boss Talkers. Walker and his producers Dennis Walker and Bruce Bromberg wrote virtually the entire... Read More

Tell Me What I Want to Hear
Artist: Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets

First-rate, contemporary Texas shuffle and blues with tasteful, biting guitar comes from Funderburgh and great vocals and harp from Mississippian Sam Myers. This is their most varied and ambitious release to date (the band seems to get better with each album). The title track was used in the movie China Moon. "Rent Man Blues" is a humorous... Read More

Sins
Artist: Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets

Sins is a good fusion of Texas and Delta blues, alternating between rocking shuffles and laidback ballads. Funderburgh's playing is tasteful -- he has an enticing sound, but he never falls into grandstanding -- and Sam Myers's voice is rich and his harp playing intoxicating. Furthermore, the selection of material is first-rate, featuring sharp... Read More

The Things I Used to Do
Artist: Pee Wee Crayton

Pee Wee Crayton, a popular L.A.-based blues singer and guitarist, recorded frequently between 1947-57 but this 1970 session was his first full album and ended an eight-year drought in the studios. At 55, Crayton performed some country-flavored tunes and soul ballads but is at his best on the simpler straightahead blues such as a spirited "Let... Read More

Early Hour Blues
Artist: Pee Wee Crayton

A West Coast blues guitar hero, Crayton died shortly after these sessions, done primarily with Rod and Honey Piazza's band, or with jazz pianist Llew Matthews' quartet. The two dates show Crayton could do it all. Jump blues, hard or straight blues, and boogie were all easily played. It's that unmistakable T-Bone Walker influence, a stinging,... Read More