50 years from now, the post war and Baby Boomer years will be best remembered for the surfeit of blues and R&B that influenced and created what we now called “rock and roll.” While the present sounds from that root will be long forgotten, material such as that on these two reissues, will continued to be heard and revered.
“Champion” Jack Dupree (1910-1992) left an early career of boxing to become one of the best blues boogie woogie pianists and singers of his time. This 2 disc set has him in a variety of settings, ranging form solo piano and vocals as on “Fisherman’s Blues” and the rollicking “Johnson Street Boogie Woogie” to larger ensembles with the likes of Al King/ts, Wilbert Ellis/p, Brown McGhee/g, Thomas Barney/b and Ernest Hayward” on the smoky “I’m Gonna Find You Someday” and “My Baby’s Coming Back Home.” Dupree’s vocal style had a sly edge to it, perfect for telling woeful stories of money and women on trio sessions with McGhee on a tenacious “How Long Blues” and getting a bit more into the popular jump blues that paved the way to rock music with Sonny Terry/harp along with Brownie McGhee and Stick McGhee on guitars during stomping “Shim Sham Shimmy” and “Shake Baby Shake.” The juke joint jumps with this set.
Floyd Dixon (1929-2006) was a champion of Texas and West Coast Blues, amalgamating them into an irresistible jumping R&B groove. This 3 disc set covers both A and B sides from his time with labels Supreme, Modern, Aladdin, Specialty and others featuring him as both a leader and as a sidemen for the likes of Eddie Williams and His Brown Buddies (for a hopping “Boston Jump”), Sonny Parker (on a deep “I Want A Little Girl” and as a replacement for Charles Brown for Scotty Moore’s brother Johnny’s hip Three Blazers during ”Blues For Cuba,” “Broken Hearted Traveler” and a fun “Telephone Blues.” He has a dash of Brown in his sighing and earthy voice, making for hip reads of “Call Operator 210” and in a trio setting is indigo’d and intimate on “Mississippi Blues” and “Drifting Blues.” Other big hits for Floyd include “Dallas Blues” and “Sad Journey Blues” but popularity is completely arbitrary, as there isn’t anything on these discs that isn’t less than exemplary and able to create a late night, low ceilinged mood. Grab this puppy!