Search - B.B. King, Pee Wee Crayton :: Blue on Blues

At first blush, the pairing of B.B. King and Pee Wee Crayton for this installment of Fuel 2000's Blue on Blues series might seem odd. But by featuring the early work of these artists--all tracks are from the early 1950s--the label has highlighted the early stages of their careers, which is interesting from a historical perspective. Plus, the material itself is good. "Every Day (I Have the Blues)" and "Sweet Sixteen," which King made into classics, are both here, and "Blues After Hours" and "Texas Hop" rank among Crayton's best work. What's especially interesting is that, at the time these recordings were made, King's and Crayton's sounds were fairly similar. This is explained in the liner notes as T-Bone Walker's influence. While they later diverged stylistically, this collection is a snapshot of two master musicians at early stages of their musical development. --Genevieve Williams