Big Wolf

Big Bad Wolf was a sadly short-lived hard rock b-side project of the legendary guitarist/songwriter Craig Chaquico, who played lead guitar with Jefferson Starship and later Starship. When Starship broke up in the early 90’s, Chaquico formed Big Bad Wolf complete with a good-looking rock singer, long hair, and power chords, continuing in the same vein as Starship, recording one eponymous titled album before disbanding.

This 52-disc (no, that is not a typo) comp, ABC of the Blues: The Ultimate Collection from the Delta to the Big Cities, may just indeed live up to its name. There are 98 artists represented , performing 1,040 tracks. The music begins at the beginning (though the set is not sequenced chronologically) with Charlie Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson, and moves all the way through the vintage Chicago years of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, with stops along the way in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, and all points in between. Certainly, some of these artists are considered more rhythm & blues than purely blues artists: the inclusion of music by Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Bo Diddley, and others makes that clear…

Howlin' Wolf - Big City Blues (2021) {Modern–Soul Jam 806186 rec 1951-1962, remastered & expanded}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 323 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 16 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1951-62, 2021 Modern Records / Soul Jam Records | 806186
Blues / Chicago Blues / Jump Blues

Howlin’ Wolf was one of the greatest characters and most electrifying performers in blues history. An imposing presence, blessed with a thunderous voice, he was one of the first artists to figure out how to make thoroughly modern experimental music by emphasizing the authentic, most primitive elements of roots music. This CD contains the long unavailable album Big City Blues, which presents a collection of Wolf recordings cut for the Modern label in 1951-1952.

The musical roots of Big Joe Shelton, a 2012 Blues Music Award Nominee, run deep in the rich, dark, rich, soil of the Black Prairies of Northeast Mississippi; the same region that spawned the likes of blues icons Howlin’ Wolf, Big Joe Williams and Bukka White. As a young man Shelton was fortunate in befriending Williams and this friendship greatly influenced his musical sensibility. Big Joe has performed at numerous festivals and clubs throughout the southeastern United States including: King Biscuit Blues Festival, Howlin’ Wolf Memorial Blues Festival, Freedom Creek Blues Festival and the Beal Street Mess Around. He has also toured England, France, Belgium, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. He has played with blues legends Big Joe Williams, Furry Lewis, Son Thomas, Junior Kimbrough, Fenton Robinson and BMA / Handy Award nominees Willie King, Blind Mississippi Morris, R. L. Burnside and Johnny Rawls as well as Daniel “Slick” Ballinger, the 2007 BMA Best New Artist and 2009 Grammy nominee Elvin Bishop.

“Medicine”, King Pima Wolf and Big Medicine’s new album, contains just seven tracks, though it clocks in at an impressive 54 minutes. They’re obviously not a group to be rushed. Indeed, slow blues is their forte and they’re unafraid to let a song unhurriedly unwind, building tension as it develops and respite when it breaks like a wave. Musically, it’s consistently effective, and the band, King Pima Wolf on vocals, guitarist Mathew J. Ruffino, bassist Troy Ricciardi and drummer Michael Sversvold repeatedly bring to mind legendary blues-rockers like Free, the Allmans, or The Doors circa “L.A. Woman”…

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.