V/A - Southern Blues (Roots of Rock N’ Roll Vol. 11) 2-LP

V/A - SOUTHERN BLUES (Roots of Rock N' Roll Vol. 11) 2-LP

Label: Savoy Records; Year: 1981; Format: Double-LP

Blues is a form of music I have learned to appreciate increasingly over the years. Whenever I can I pick up Blues records without being all that knowledgable about the artists. But over time I have learnt more and more about certain artists and styles of blues which to be fair could take you a lifetime to learn about. On this wonderful Double-LP compilation I was of course familiar with John Lee Hooker but then again who isn't if you are remotely interested in the history of music in general. John Lee Hooker contributes to a whole side on this 2-LP and his tracks were recorded in Detroit in 1948. They are all quite rudimentary and representative of what was to come in the future. All the other artists on this compilation I was not familiar with at all and was positively surprised with. The styles differ from the raw blues of John Lee Hooker with just his guitar to a more upbeat jazzy style performed by bands supporting the main artist. Little Boy Fuller and Ralph Willis stand out to me and they split the Side B of Record 1. Their contributions were recorded in New York in 1948 and are just amazing to be listening to all these years later. Side C and D on the other record don't disappoint either and make this highly recommended if you want to dig into Blues from a non-connoisseur vantage point like myself.