Crucial Harmonica Blues

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 21, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alligator Records
• ASIN: B00007JGPB
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,475 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #44 in Music > Blues > Regional Blues > West Coast Blues

Track Listings

1. Make My Getaway - Charlie Musselwhite

2. Have Mercy - Big Walter Horton

3. Shake The Boogie - Billy Boy Arnold

4. Sonny's Whoopin' The Doop - Sonny Terry

5. Broke And Hungry - Junior Wells

6. Thank You Baby - Delbert McClinton

7. Burn Your Bridges - Cephas & Wiggins

8. Coastin' Hank - Little Charlie & The Nightcats

9. Superharp - James Cotton

10. Lonesome Stranger - Carey Bell

11. One More Mile To Go - Sugar Blue

12. Blowin' Like Hell - William Clarke

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Budget-friendly collection of good blues harp, October 21, 2003

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crucial Harmonica Blues (Audio CD)

The tracks with Cephas and Wiggins, the harmonica champ Sonny Terry, and Billy Boy Arnold (best known for his work with Bo Diddley) are the standouts here. Among the many good collections of Harmonica music (particularly of the blues variety), this is highly recommended budget-friendly stuff that is for the casual fan of good music as well as the practicing harmonicist.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blues Harp Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, March 15, 2006

By 

Tim Holek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crucial Harmonica Blues (Audio CD)

Various Artists
"Crucial Harmonica Blues"
Alligator Records ALCD 115

Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell continue the protégé and mentor tradition on "Have Mercy". Blues harp doesn't get any better than that. Under-rated Bell appropriately adorns the disc's cover. With one `whew', you will recognize the brown jug, country blues of Sonny Terry on "Sonny's Whoopin' The Doop". Junior Wells could combine funk, grease and sweat like no other. Experience it on "Broke and Hungry". James Cotton's "Superharp" remains one of the best harp-blowin' tunes ever, while fiery Carey Bell shows why he now reigns as best harpist/vocalist on "Lonesome Stranger".

Do these artists and songs qualify as Crucial Harmonica Blues? You're damn right they do.

-- Tim Holek

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have Series From Alligator, March 22, 2004

By 

Mark Maj "80band" (Lackawanna, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crucial Harmonica Blues (Audio CD)

Alligator Records hit it right on the head when they named this series, "Crucial". As in this is a crucial series that every Blues fan should add to their CD collection. I bought this CD because I'm new to the Blues and wanted to find a few new artists to add to my collection. This CD introduced me to several artists that I have now added to my collection buy purchasing several other CDs. This CD starts out with an up tempo and rousing romp with Charlie Musselwhite's "Make My Getaway" and then moves on to a Harmonica Duet by Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell. The Gems just seem to roll out one after another from there. Among the notables on the CD are Legends like Billy Boy Arnold, Sonny Terry, Junior Wells, Delbert McClinton and James Cotton. I not only recommend this CD from the Crucial Blues series but all of them, especially for new comers to blues material.