T-Bone WALKER - T-Bone Blues 1959

T-Bone Walker - T-Bone Blues 1959
Label: Atlantic / Wea
Audio CD October 25, 1990

Blues
  
Originally issued by Atlantic Records in 1959, "T-Bone Blues" compiled 11 singles recorded between 1955 and 1957, and the 1994 CD reissue added four bonus tracks, including "Why Not", which Jimmy Rogers would later record as "Walkin' By Myself" and credit to himself, and a soulful rendition of Leroy Carr's "How Long Blues".

Many of these sides are re-recordings of Aaron "T-Bone" Walker's classic 40s sides, like "T-Bone Shuffle", "They Call It Stormy Monday", and "Mean Old World", and while any self-respecting blues collection should include Walker's original Capitol and Black & White singles (Rhino's "Blues Masters - The Very Best Of T-Bone Walker" is a great collection of those early sides), "T-Bone Blues" is perhaps the most satisfying album Walker ever made.

The sound is simply magnificent for mid-50s waxings, wonderfully clear and crisp and realistic, and T-Bone Walker is backed by men like Junior Wells, Jimmy Rogers, Ransom Knowling, legendary arranger/pianist Lloyd Glenn, and saxists John "Plas" Johnson, Jr., Edward Chamblee, Mack Easton, and Earl Hines-cohort Andrew "Goon" Gardner.
And T-Bone's own playing and singing is superb. Just listen to his inspired soloing on "Blues For Marili", "Mean Old World", the classic "T-Bone Blues", and this the definitive rendition of "Papa Ain't Salty". It's a delight to hear him playing with Little Walter Jacobs on the 1955 recordings, which include a swinging "Play On, Little Girl" and the fine bonus cut "T-Bone Blues Special", and Walker's re-recording of "They Call It Stormy Monday" captures the essence of the magnificent original version from 1947, this time with stellar fidelity.

There are a number of amazing instrumentals here, too...T-Bone Walker duels with his nephew R.S. Rankin and highly esteemed jazz guitarist Barney Kessel on the up-tempo scorcher "Two Bones And A Pick", and comes off victorious. He may have been best known for his slow, after-hours blues laments, but T-Bone could cut it with the best of them no matter if the tempo was set at 40 or 140.
The highlights on this disc are too many to mention...among the best of the lesser-known songs are the up-tempo "You Don't Know What You're Doing", sung by Rankin, and the jouyous instrumental "Shufflin' The Blues", but literally everything is worth a listen.
An essential addition to any semi-serious collection of electric blues.
By Docendo Discimus.
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01. Papa Ain't Salty (2:47)
02. Why Not (2:43)
03. T-Bone Shuffle (2:50)
04. Play On Little Girl (2:33)
05. T-Bone Blues Special (2:39)
06. Mean Old World (4:07)
07. T-Bone Blues (3:48)
08. Call It Stormy Monday (3:02)
09. Blues For Marili (4:20)
10. Shufflin' The Blues (3:22)
11. Evenin' (2:39)
12. Two Bones And a Pick (2:52)
13. You Don't Know What You're Doing (1:53)
14. How Long Blues (5:19)
15. Blues Rock (2:50)
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