100 Greatest Blues Instrumentals

This unusual compilation from the Kool Jazz at Midem Festival combines parts of three separate sets. The Dave Brubeck Quartet with clarinetist Bill Smith, bassist Chris Brubeck and drummer Randy Jones, has the most interesting program, utilizing an electronic delay along with Smith's clarinet to add a new touch to "Lover Man," offering an energetic version of "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and introducing a recent work by Brubeck, the very swinging "Ol' Bill Basie" which showcases some fine playing by the leader and some choice bass trombone by son Chris. Guitarist Pat Metheny joins the Heath Brothers for "Move To The Groove; " Metheny's bluesy guitar and Jimmy Heath's soulful tenor sax work well together. B. B. King's set is at best average and an odd choice to include on what is predominantly a jazz record.

Recorded by Norman Dayron live on the street (you can actually hear cars driving by!) in 1964 with just Robert Whitehead on drums and Johnny Young on rhythm guitar, Robert Nighthawk's slide playing (and single-string soloing, for that matter) are nothing short of elegant and explosive. Highlights include "The Maxwell Street Medley," which combines his two big hits "Anna Lee" and "Sweet Black Angel"; a mind-altering 12-bar solo on "The Time Have Come," which proves that Nighthawk's lead playing was just as well developed as his slide work; and a couple of wild instrumentals with Carey Bell sitting in on harmonica. Nighthawk sounds cool as a cucumber, presiding over everything with an almost genial charm while laying the toughest sounds imaginable…

Of the numerous British blues-rock bands to spring up in the late '60s, the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation was one of the better known, though solid reception on tours did not translate into heavy record sales. Musically, the group recalled John Mayall's Bluesbreakers during the 1966-1967 era that had produced that group's A Hard Road album, though with a somewhat more downbeat tone. The similarities were hardly coincidental, as the band's founder and leader, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, had been in the Bluesbreakers lineup that recorded the A Hard Road LP. Too, bassist Alex Dmochowski would go on to play with Mayall in the 1970s, and guitarist Jon Morshead was friendly with fellow axeman Peter Green (also in the Bluesbreakers' A Hard Road lineup), whom he had replaced in Shotgun Express.

With each album Manx releases, his deep Indo-Canadian roots music becomes more defined and further accomplished. The title West Eats Meet is a play on Ravi Shankar's West Eats Meat, a nod both to an Indian musical giant and Manx's own western usage of Indian instruments, folk melodies and styles. Manx strays a bit from his standard blues idiom with this album and introduces gospel flavours with the help of backing singers Emily Braden and Australian trio the Heavenly Lights. The latter add depth and a churchy soul to The Great Unknown and, along with Manx's banjo, Sitting on Top of the World becomes a down from the mountain call to worship out of an as yet undiscovered Baptist/Hindu hymnal. One of two covers on the album, Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me features an under pad of delicate drones and a slinky slide solo injecting a little Rajasthan into this Chicago standard…

Electric blues, Texas style! Inspired by the greatest players, he sounds like a Freddie King/Johnny Winter blend. If you like extended guitar soloing on a good level, and Johnny Winter-like vocals, you will love Texas Slim! Texas is a big state and Texas blues is big blues - so a name like "Texas Slim" is not to be used lightly. John Lee Hooker got away with it on King Records back in 1949 as he was a long way from Texas and probably had little to do with it. Many years ago, Johnny Winter settled instead for "Texas Guitar Slim" - but both are relevant for our man here, as the first blues he recalls hearing was by John Lee Hooker, and as for Johnny Winter, well, let's hear from Slim himself: “Johnny Winter is certainly my favorite guitarist of all time! I liked him before I realized he WAS blues.