Buddy Guy & Junior Wells

Were it not for Junior Wells's superlative harmonica playing and expressive voice, You're Tuff Enough might have been a muddle of drums and horns. Wells, however, was a strong enough musician that it's he, not his backing band, that stands out most strongly on this recording. This recording illustrates Wells's prescience in incorporating elements of funk and rock into his music. Check out the James-Brown- inflected "Up in Heah," or the rock-out feel of the title track, which appeared on national R&B charts in 1968. One hears echoes of Brown on "You Ought to Quit That" as well. But Wells could sing the blues straight up as well, as he shows with a sweet rendition of "You're the One." While not quite the classic that 1965's Hoodoo Man Blues (which featured Buddy Guy on guitar) was, You're Tuff Enough is an excellent collection, one whose reissue on CD is long overdue.

–Genevieve Williams

Vince has been hard at work since March of 2010 putting together what promises to be his best work yet. This 12-song extravaganza of all originals includes a who's who lineup of Chi-Town talent and includes guest appearances from Sugar Blue, Larry McCray and Bill "The Buddha" Dickens.

The debut CD, Eyes of the City from Chicago-based Blues/Rock axeslinger Vince Agwada is one of the most powerful debut efforts to come along in quite some time. Coming in at just under 78 minutes, this CD is a fascinating sonic journey that seamlessly spans numerous genre without skipping a beat.

As the main songwriter for Chicago's Chess label, bassist/singer Willie Dixon was one of the most influential and prolific figures in blues. Although he often served as a session player for other well-known musicians, his soulful presence was always felt, as revealed on this excellent 18-track collection which features Dixon performing with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and other blues luminaries.

Junior Wells - Vanguard Visionaries (2007)
EAC Rip | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log | 36 min 57 sec | Scans | 222.39 Mb
Label: Vanguard Records | Genre: Harmonica Blues

Junior Wells (December 9, 1934 - January 15, 1998), born Amos Blakemore, was a blues vocalist and harmonica player based in Chicago who was famous for playing with Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Lonnie Brooks, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison.He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Arkansas. Wells moved to Chicago in 1948 and first made his mark at age 18 playing in Muddy Waters’ band. He later worked with Buddy Guy in the 1960s and recorded for Delmark Records.