V/A
"The Essential Shoebox Full Of Blues"
(House Of Blues/Platinum)
Whoever really needs a "Shoebox Full Of Blues" this expansive is either named Bigfoot or has the worst case of blues you ever saw. Containing nine double-discs of classic and contemporary blues artists, this "Shoebox" covers every aspect of blues you can use, and then some more. While the House of Blues' generic packaging is only fair, this collection includes highly informative liner notes on an auspicious variety of designated blues categories. The box contains three separate volumes of "Essential" blues performances by everyone from Elmore James to Albert King to Jimmie Reed to Koko Taylor to Little Walter to Muddy Waters to R.L. Burnside and literally dozens of others. Besides the trilogy of greatest blues hits, the blues continues with other "Essential" compendiums including Blues Guitar, Blues Piano, Blues Harmonica, Texas Blues, Chicago Blues and even Women In Blues. While many chosen artists appear on several of these "essential" collections, there's little doubt that most of the blues being presented here actually is essential. Spanning rural and urban influences, fingerpicking and slide guitar, acoustic and electric excursions, vocal and instrumental prowess, barrelhouse, delta, rocking, boogie-woogie and jump blues (to name just a few), this shoebox serves as a veritable college of essential blues knowledge. With this collection as your guide, you'll soon learn the difference between a hoodoo, a mojo and a black cat bone. Like B. B. King once said, "How blue can you get?"
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.