If you’re a fan of vintage blues and R&B, gather ‘round and check out this 4 disc set that brings to you a fresh full rack of smothered juke joint sounds from Chicago. During the 50s=70s, labels like Chess, Vee-Jay and Brunswick had competition from an indie label Bea & Baby Records, created by the impresario Narvel “ Cadillac Baby” Eatmon. While he may have not churned out “hits” that got into the major airwaves (save for Bobby Saxton’s “Trying To Make A Living”), the groups and songs that were produce reflected the unpolished heart and soul of Chicago’s jumping club scene. The 101 songs on this boxed set, complete with an amazing collection of historical notes, is a discovered gold cache of a previously obscured mine. Get a pick and dig in!!!
OH YEAH-A DEEP DISH FROM CHICAGO!****HISTORICAL SET OF THE YEAR?****Cadillac Baby’s Bea & Baby Records: The Definitive Collection
Unless you’re a total blues nerd, you aren’t going to know any of these artists save pianist Eddie Boyd, harp master James Cotton and Andrew “Blue Blood” McMahon who was Howlin’ Wolf’s bassist, but don’t let that dissuade you. These obscure guys are the blue collar workmen who played for the love of the music, and it’s music to love. The styles range from boogie-blues, R&B, straight blues, gospel, pop soul and doo-wop, and every song is a sweat-fested delight.
Interspersed between songs are comments, stories and club announcements by Cadillac Baby himself, as he announces guests like BB King and Sugar Ray Robinson in attendance to a smoky South Side lounge. The music itself has laid back and easy groove by Boyd on “The Blues Is Here To Stay,” Elvis-inspired rock on The Daylighters’ “Mad House Jump,” some hot Chuck Berry guitar licks by “T. Valentine” on “Teen –Age Jump” some nasty slide guitar work by Hound Dog Taylor during “My Baby Is Coming Home”and some boogie piano shuffle by Singing Sam on “Sampson.”
Cotton blows hard and wild on”One More Mile” and “There Must Be A Panic On” and some sweet polished vocals hearken for airplay by Kirk Taylor and the Velvets on ”Your Love.” Smoky R&B is served by Little Mack & The Hipps” on”Woman, Help Me” with Sunnyslide Slim rolling and tumbling on material such as “She Got That Jive” and a rolling “House Rock.” Gritty and earthy material by Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon bring out “Cadillac Baby Passed So Fast” and you even get some Sunday morning service p reaching by The Pilgrim Harmonizers, Eddie Dean and the Biblical Aires, The Gloryaires, The Norfolk Singers and Rev. Samuel Paterson with some soulful fire and brimstone on pulpit pounders like “Judgment Day” and “Search Me Lord.” There are even a handful of songs by unknown artists, serving as a testimonial to the high quality and devotion of these singers and players. This is as satisfying as home-made ribs, smoked to perfection. Put on your bib and DIG IN!!!