Search - Various Artists :: Blues Masters 5

She must have thought I was a real gone jerk

Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 06/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The CD features a great selection of "jump blues" songs from the late '40s to the mid '50s. Jump blues can be considered to be sort of a combination of swing music and the blues. Or you could just call it early r&b with horns. However you want to look at it, it was definitely a precursor to rock and roll. Many of the songs here would go on to be recorded by rock and rollers. (Elvis covered four of the songs here.) But putting the rock and roll connection aside, this music can stand on it's own merits. This is just plain fun, wild music. But don't take my word for it, listen to it and decide for yourself. Highly recommended."

Superb collection of the roots of the neo "swing" movement

Johnny Heering | 08/24/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This excellentCD presents a superb 15-year cross-section of an underappreciated branch of the blues. "Jump" blues seems to answer the never-posed question, where does swing end and the blues begin? For that matter, add rockabilly and electric blues, go way back to the late forties, and you have performances infinitely more powerful than Bill Haley and Jerry Lee Lewis. These artists suddenly seem embarrassingly derivative--especially when you hear the original Big Mama Thornton version of Hound Dog. You'll wish you'd never heard of Elvis."

Early R&B and R&R at its best!

ngdski | Cleveland, Ohio United States | 09/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a excellent example of the roots of R&B and R&R. The blues have never sounded so good! "Hand Clappin'"(#1) still uses the sounds of the big band era, and "Hoy, Hoy"(#6) brings blues and rockabilly to a new level. It is no surprise that Little Richard picked up his sound from Rudy Green's "Juicy Fruit"(#8). Wynona Carr's "'Til the Well Runs Dry"(#16)is an excellent example of the early R&B music sounds of Etta James in the late 50's. There were so many artists performing this type of music in the late 40's, but mainstream music critics never gave them their due. Many of the great rock n roll artists started their careers in blues music, including James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, and the Doors, unfortunately many stirred their talents toward mainsteam pop. Remember the names of these artists and those local jump blues bands in your community that honor their music."