Swinging Pig

This stalwart independent label, headquartered in San Francisco, began in a small Ann Arbor club and grew into one of the most important imprints in blues. Thirty-three tunes ricochet between the potent old-school Chicago stylings of Buddy Guy and Junior Wells's classic "Hoodoo Man Blues" and Big Walter Horton'ss swinging shuffle "Put the Kettle On" to the intriguing pop-folk hybrid of Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo and the dashing retro-nuevo guitarisms of Nick Curran & the Niteflies to the brawny Texas-schooled sounds of Omar & the Howlers and Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King. The label's Delta blues side is underrepresented, although James Cotton and Elvin Bishop offer two great flavors of cottonland grind.

There aren't many - there may not be any - contemporary male/female co-billed couples who both sing and contribute original songs, thus making the partnership an equal dynamic. Roots musicians Peter Karp and Sue Foley released their successful He Said, She Said song cycle in 2010, a challenging conceptual piece that examined, sometimes with excruciating intimacy, the beginnings of their professional and personal relationship in songs derived from written correspondence they sent each other over a several-years-long courtship. It was an audacious start to the duo's joint recorded career and one that set the bar pretty high. Two years and thousands of road miles later, it's encouraging to find that the couple has not only withstood the pressures of romantically linked touring musicians but has thrived creatively…

Electric blues fans flock to Jimmy Thackery to hear his fiery guitar, and tolerate his serviceable but far from thrilling gruff vocals. So, the compilers of this Blind Pig-era (six albums from 1992-2000) collection wisely stuck with all instrumental cuts. While that doesn't adequately summarize his career during this time, it sure makes for a dazzling disc displaying Thackery's sizzling six-string prowess. Although it is compiled predominately of previously released material (along with three unreleased live tracks), and these tunes are certainly among his best, by avoiding the "Greatest Hits" tag Blind Pig makes it easy to zero in on Thackery's most incendiary guitar showcases.

These recordings with the exception of tracks 8, 9, 10, and 11 were originally released on LP in 1983 by Murray Brothers Records under the title "Johnny Dyer and the L.A. Jukes". Untill now, they have never been available on compact disc. This reissue is Johnny's debut album. Produced by Rod Piazza. "Breezy jump rhythms, clear-toned guitar solos, playful breaks and novelty melody lines…is pure West Coast, as are Dyer's smooth vocals." "Characteristic style and a cut-loose approach to playing."

Being the oldest son of Louisiana harmonica legend Raful Neal and having Lazy Lester, Buddy Guy, and Slim Harpo as family friends and frequent household guests meant Kenny Neal literally grew up with the blues, the swamp variety and otherwise, and his career as such has been all about plying the family business. A pretty good harp player himself (he was still a toddler when he was given his first harmonica by Slim Harpo), Neal has also developed into a sleek, economical, and graceful electric guitarist, and thanks to songs like the title track here, “Hooked on Your Love,” and the wise and beautiful “Bitter with the Sweet,” he has also become a skillful songwriter. This set isn’t quite as powerful as his previous Let Life Flow album from 2008, but only by a slight degree, and it’s clear that Neal has hit his mature stride in the past couple of years…

With West Coast jump blues and boogie-woogie piano. Featuring Charlie Musselwhite, The Roomful of Blues Horns, Ronnie Earl. Dubbing his swinging approach "rock-a-boogie," pianist Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s have revived the jump blues approach of the '40s and '50s. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Mitch Woods moved to San Francisco in 1970. While he was growing up in Brooklyn, he studied both jazz and classical music, but when he relocated to the Bay Area, he primarily played jump blues and R&B. San Franciscan guitarist HiTide Harris introduced Woods to the joyous jive of Louis Jordan, and the pianist's musical tastes were transformed. Between 1970 and 1980, Woods performed as a solo artist, gigging at a number of local clubs. In 1980, he formed the Rocket 88s, featuring Harris on guitar, and four years later, the band released their debut album, Steady Date, on Blind Pig.