I Hold a Wolf

There's no doubting the quality of blues that Wolf Records has been releasing over the last two decades; what this collection shows is its breadth. From the Delta stylings of Son House, with a superb take on "My Black Mama," to the easier, West Coast feel of Charles Brown, the raw Chicago pump of Muddy Waters on "Hoochie Coochie Man," and even as far as British blues, in the person of Dana Gillespie, the label has indeed covered the waterfront. In addition to the big names, they've also showcased some lesser-known (but equally talented) performers like John Primer and Larry Garner who deserve a wider hearing, certainly on the basis of the tracks included here. Louisiana guitar whiz Garner might be from a younger generation, but the roots of his blues still run deep. Still, it's impossible to deny the power of the old masters - or even mistresses, as Memphis Minnie is superbly featured on "Hold Me Blues"…

These Charly, UK sets are not easy to find. Their sets are generally made with great care and pride. 151 Chess and Sun recordings- it is entitled "Complete" although it does not contain two very non-essential albums from the period (The Super Super Plus Band from 1967 and the 1968 Cadet album aka "Howlin' Wolf Didn't Like This Album"- and with good reason; both are quite disposable and unnecessary), plus a conversation; this is all from Sun and Chess, his very best stuff, the real essential recordings without a bad track in the lot.

This three-CD box set currently rates as the best – and most digestible – overview of Howlin' Wolf's career. Disc one starts with the Memphis sides that eventually brought him to the label, including hits like "How Many More Years," but also compiling unissued sides that had previously only been available on vinyl bootlegs of dubious origin and fidelity…

This three-CD box set currently rates as the best - and most digestible - overview of Howlin' Wolf's career. Disc one starts with the Memphis sides that eventually brought him to the label, including hits like "How Many More Years," but also compiling unissued sides that had previously only been available on vinyl bootlegs of dubious origin and fidelity. The disc finishes with an excellent cross section of early Chicago sessions, including classic Wolf tracks like "Evil," "Forty Four," "I'll Be Around," and "Who Will Be Next?" Disc two picks it up from there, guiding listeners from mid- to late-'50s barnburners like "The Natchez Burning" and "I Better Go Now" to the bulk of the Willie Dixon classics. The final disc runs out the last of the Dixon sessions into mid-'60s classics like "Killing Floor," taking the listener to a nice selection of his final recordings…

Omar Dykes, of Omar & the Howlers, pays tribute to blues icon Howlin' Wolf on Runnin' with the Wolf. All of the tracks on this disc were written by either Wolf or Willie Dixon except for the Omar original "Runnin' with the Wolf." Dykes stays close to the original versions of these songs, which most listeners have heard in some form or other: "The Red Rooster," "Back Door Man," "Smokestack Lightning," "Wang Dang Doodle," and "Killin' Floor." That doesn't mean these are straight covers. The passion in the performances is undeniable, but so is the fun these musicians are obviously having. Dykes has the perfect voice for this project and is complemented by Derek O'Brien on guitar, Ronnie James on bass, Ted Roddy on harp, and Wes Starr on drums along with Mark Kazanoff and Les Izmore on saxophones, Nick Connolly on organ, and Mike Buck on percussion.