From the Heart
Artist: Johnny Adams

First-class production by Scott Billington, a delicious Crescent City combo led by longtime cohort Walter "Wolfman" Washington on guitar and Red Tyler on tenor sax, and Adams' perennially luxurious pipes tab this as one of his finest contemporary outings. Nice song selection: the pens of Tony Joe White, Percy Mayfield, Sam Cooke, and Doc Pomus... Read More

Groovy Blues, Vol. 2
Artist: Roy Milton & His Solid Senders

The rarities and unissued material begin to pop up on Vol. 2, making it even more of a feast for collectors. Milton's Solid Senders, featuring pianist/singer Camille Howard, guitarist Johnny Rogers, and a crew of roaring saxmen, were one of the tightest and most respected on the Coast. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide Read More

Playful Baby
Artist: Wynonie Harris

Playful Baby contains a cross section of Wynonie Harris sides from 1945-1954, covering his early Aladdin and Philo years through the hugely successful run he had at King. Even though his big King hits are not included, there still are plenty of fine, obscure cuts here. Of special interest are the early tracks from 1945; the jump blues numbers... Read More

Out of the Dark
Artist: Walter "Wolfman" Washington

Walter "Wolfman" Washington's second Rounder session mixed Crescent City R&B and jazz licks with contemporary and vintage songs and production. Washington's cover of "Ain't That Loving You," while not quite as dramatic as Bobby "Blue" Bland's, was still outstanding, while he was appropriately ironic and bemused on "You Can Stay but the Noise... 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

Something Gonna Jump out the Bushes
Artist: Nappy Brown

Ultra-solid support from guitarists Anson Funderburgh, Eugene Ross, Ronnie Earl, and Earl King and Black Top's superb house horn section make this Dallas-cut set Brown's best contemporary album to date. His lusty shouting style works well on covers of the Dominoes' "Have Mercy Baby," the "5" Royales' title track, a pair of Earl King-penned... Read More

Walking on a Tightrope
Artist: Johnny Adams

Whenever Johnny Adams does a repertory album, it's as much his own showcase as a forum for the spotlighted composer. Even Percy Mayfield's lyrically brilliant works didn't hamper Adams from displaying his special magic; his treatments on the session's ten tunes ranged from excellent to magnificent. Adams was gripping on "My Heart Is Hangin'... Read More

One Foot in the Blues
Artist: Johnny Adams

Johnny Adams is renowned for his smoky but smooth voice, but One Foot in the Blues is as much a showcase for Lonnie Smith's Hammond B-3 organ, which sounds like a living, breathing creature. The spare, mostly live-in-the-studio production allows plenty of wide open sonic space for Smith's expressive organ (including his pulsating bass pedal), Ed... Read More