Various: The Mercury Blues 'n' Rhythm Story 1945-1955 [disc 1: Midwest Blues, Vol. 1] CD Track Listing

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Various The Mercury Blues 'n' Rhythm Story 1945-1955 [disc 1: Midwest Blues, Vol. 1] (1996)
8CD: Mercury 314 528 292-2 (1996-09-24), UPC 731452829221.\n\nThis volume covers Midwest artists - including Chicago blues - from 1945 to 1949.\nDisc 1 of 8 total.\n\nOriginally Released September 24, 1996\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Mercury R&B Story 1945-55 is a four-disc, 211-track collection covering Mercury's first decade as a label. Each of the four discs is arranged thematically according to region -- East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and Southwest -- and each features a number of blues and R&B classics, including cuts from Professor Longhair, Johnny Otis, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Dinah Washington, Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Big Bill Broonzy. 22 unreleased performances are mixed into the compilation, making the set enticing for collectors, but the main value of Mercury R&B Story 1945-55 is as a concise overview of one of the most influential R&B labels in history. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Midwest Blues) Midwest Blues chronicles the best of the Mercury Records blues and R&B sessions that took place in Chicago from 1945 to 1952. If the entire Mercury Blues 'n' Rhythm Story box set is out of your reach and you're especially partial to Chicago blues, then you can settle for this two-disc volume. While it was no Chess Records in the down-home blues department, Mercury still attracted its share of Chicago-area talent in Memphis Slim, Sunnyland Slim, St. Louis Jimmy Oden, Robert Lockwood, and Big Bill Broonzy (who is represented here both as an electric guitar-wielding bandleader and as a solo folky songster). Most of the Chicago-style blues sides fill up disc two, while disc one offers a mix of swing, boogie-woogie, and R&B by a cast of recording stars that includes Dinah Washington, Julia Lee, T-Bone Walker, Sippie Wallace, and Albert Ammons. Whether or not all these styles fall under "midwest blues" is probably subject to debate, but that hardly matters when all the music is uniformly this good. -- Ken Chang\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nBlues 'n' Rhythm Story devotes two discs to four regions--the Midwest, Southwest, West Coast, and East Coast. Featured artists range from the acclaimed (Professor Longhair, Lightnin' Hopkins, Jay McShann, "Cleanhead" Vinson, Dinah Washington) to the wayward. Nevertheless, the overall quality is remarkably high. The 88-page booklet helps put the music in perspective. This isn't a modest investment for a collector, but it's certainly among the elite of the R&B collections yet assembled. --Steven Stolder \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nAn absolute must for R&B fans!!, July 7, 1999 \nReviewer: A music fan from Washington, D.C. \nThis INCREDIBLE 8-CD set covers all of the Mercury blues, R&B and jump music from post-WWII -- the music that laid the foundation for the rock 'n roll revolution of the late '50's. The set is divided by geographic styles; West Coast, Southwest, East Coast and Midwest. There are many artists featured who are all but unknown today, but were popular in the club sub-culture and with returning GI's. I love the small orchestral arrangements of fast, jumpin' blues, boogie, and R&B tunes. The lyrics in many songs are hilarious, and demonstrate the subconscious relief of ending the world wars. Anyone who is remotely interested in R&B and the foundations of rock HAS to get this set. It's expensive, but worth every single penny. I've been listening non-stop since the set arrived, and I walk around all day with the jumpin' and jivin' tunes in my head! \n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nCompilation producers: Jim Fishel, Barbara Lynn Micale.\n\nRecorded between July 7, 1945 and July 8, 1955. Includes liner notes by Dick Shurman, Mary Katherine Aldin, Jim O'Neal and Billy Vera.\n\nTHE MERCURY BLUES 'N' RHYTHM STORY 1945-1955 was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. YEAR: 1996
This blues cd contains 26 tracks and runs 76min 22sec.
Freedb: 7811e41a

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