Various Artists - Juke Joints 3 : 4 x CDs (due to weight, this price for the USA only. Outside of the USA, the price will be adjusted as needed) (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
JSP 77150
Great set of rockin’, early electric blues hoppers! I’ve owned this for a decade!
“Juke Joints. Dark and noisy rooms bursting with loud music, drunken revelry and an air of imminent violence. A reality which few of us have experienced. Many then present held their lives cheap and carried guns and knives that were used to redress a momentary disagreement or a long-held grudge.
Eddie Burns reckoned, 'Mississippi was a rough place. I've seen them gamble and everybody would lay their guns up on the table in the lamplight. There wasn't no electricity back then. So everybody get to shooting in there and the lights go out 'cause the lamplight got a tendency to don't stay lit. A lamp don't when they're shooting in a house.'
The music seems to perfectly match the times. Tough, loud and raucous, it was intended to command the attention of people with plenty of distractions. Selection and notes are by Neil Slaven, so you know you're in safe hands."
“Four discs, each in a separate jewel case. The outer slip case box is made of very flimsy cardboard-the usual JSP box. As usual with JSP box sets, all the tracks are listed on the back. The digitally remastered sound is good/very good, especially considering when these tracks were recorded. The individual booklets contain an on going essay, by noted blues authority Neil Slaven about the various musicians and songs. It's informative but by no means comprehensive. The only photos of note are the four atmospheric shots on the cover of each booklet. The most valuable thing is the recording data in each booklet for each track-including location, date, and (most importantly) personnel.
This is the third volume in (hopefully) an on-going series dedicated to juke joint music. Of the three volumes, this may be the best yet. It's filled with both relatively well known performers and lesser (or completely) unknown artists. The music is by and large on the rough side, the beat may get turned around sometimes, but that only adds to the excitement of hearing these tunes. Most of the tracks consist of electrified small backing combos, with a few solo performers in the mix.
The majority of tracks are from the 1950's, with a few from the 1940's, and the latest recordings are from 1960. Juke joints weren't just found in the big city, they could also be found way out in the country. The smaller country joints usually had electricity-but sometimes not. A few of these solo artists are representative of that style of music-unplugged or not but still entertaining. And that's a plus for this set, which encompasses both styles of music.
Well known artists like Slim Harpo, Jimmy Rogers, Big Joe Williams, Earl Hooker, John Lee Hooker, Homesick James, and Jimmy Reed are here-usually performing a lesser known tune. But it's the performers who are lesser or completely unknown that bring the real excitement and depth to this collection. People like Hop Wilson (a personal favorite), Boy Green, Country Jim, Chicago Sunny Boy, The Sugarman, Hank Kilroy, Junior Blackmon, Silver Cooks, Little Sam Davis, Stick Horse Hammond, and many others all contribute some good exciting music.
Also noteworthy are the personnel in the backing bands. Blues fans will recognize names like Snooky Pryor, Jimmy Liggins, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Louis Myers, Sunnyland Slim, James Cotton, Earl Hooker, John Brim, and others who are listed throughout this set.
This is a strong contender for best volume in this series. The mix of artists, the backing bands, the songs themselves, and (most importantly) the performances are unbeatable. Fans of small, post war, electrified bands will find a number of treasures here. The best of this music captures the juke joint feel-nothing fancy, just great music.” - Stuart Jefferson