Blues

Junior Wells - You're Tuff Enough 1968 (1998)

2017-05-18T15:54:25Z

Junior Wells - You're Tuff Enough 1968 (1998)


01. You're Tuff Enough (2:23)
02. It's All Soul (2:29)
03. Gonna Cramp Your Style (2:10)
04. Where Did I Go Wrong (3:09)
05. That'll Hold Me (2:20)
06. Sweet Darling Think It Over (2:25)
07. Up In Heah (2:04)
08. You're The One (3:24)
09. You Ought To Quit That (2:11)
10. Messing With The Kid (2:14)
11. The Hippies Are Trying (4:12)
12. Junior's Groove (2:17)
13. Girl You Lit My Fire (2:02)
14. It's A Man Down There (2:11)
15. I'm Your Gravy Train (2:25)
16. Leave My Woman Alone (2:56)
17. I Can't Stand No Signifying (2:51)
18. I Just Wanna Groove (2:46)
19. You Better Watch Yourself (2:12)
20. What Is That You Got (2:13)
21. Another Mule Kicking In Your Stall (3:31)
22. Party Power (2:11)

Junior Wells - Harmonica, Vocals, Primary Artist

Another period of the veteran Chicago harpman's career, and one of the most exciting. Wells' late-'60s output for Bright Star and Mercury's Blue Rock subsidiary frequently found him mining funky James Brown grooves (with a bluesy base, of course) to great effect. "Up in Heah" and his national smash "You're Tuff Enough" are marvelous examples of his refusal to bend to purists' wishes (though there's a glorious version of Bobby Bland's blues-soaked "You're the One" that benefits handily from Sammy Lawhorn's delicate guitar work). ---Bill Dahl, AllMusic Review

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, amazon.com

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Junior Wells ‎– Southside Blues Jam (1992)

2016-09-29T12:29:51Z

Junior Wells ‎– Southside Blues Jam (1992)


01. Stop Breaking Down	 (3:33)
02. I Could Have Had Religion	 (3:08)
03. Just Make Love To Me	 (4:49)
04. Lend Me Your Love	 (7:03)
05. Long Distance Call	 (3:16)
06. Blues For Mayor Daley	 (5:58)
07. In My Younger Days	 (4:06)
08. Trouble Don't Last Always	(7:54)

Junior Wells - Harmonica, Vocals
Buddy Guy – Guitar
Louis Myers – Guitar
Otis Spann – Piano
Earnest Johnson – Bass
Fred Below – Drums

Enjoyable but less electrifying follow-up to Hoodoo Man Blues, cut in 1969-1970 -- looser, with longer songs that afford more room to stretch out instrumentally but don't quite equal the stunning precision of what came before. Buddy Guy returns on guitar; Otis Spann is the pianist, and Fred Below keeps superb time. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

You might know singer and harmonica player Junior Wells from his collaborations with Rock Hall of Fame guitarist Buddy Guy — their career on vinyl was frustratingly uneven, but this was their recorded debut and "some of the best blues Chicago has to offer." The highlights were two seemingly improvised autobiographical songs, "I Could Have Had Religion" and "Blues for Mayor Daley." Also appearing here is the great pianist Otis Spann, in his last sessions before dying of liver cancer; Wells died from a heart attack in 1998; Buddy Guy still lives and plays.

What We Said Then: "Wells. . .screams in frustration and bewilderment that he has to fight to make sleep come sometimes: he doesn't want to have to fight for love or because he's black and you're white. He trails off singing 'A little bit of love. That's all I want. That's all I need.' The band soon comes to a clumsy halt. This is music of incredible honesty and emotion; rarely are such moments captured on tape." — Michael Cuscuna, rollingstone.com

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Junior Wells – Blues Hit Big Town (1977)

2011-06-26T20:56:15Z

Junior Wells – Blues Hit Big Town (1977)


1. Hoodoo Man			play
2. Cut That Out
3. Junior's Wail
4. Tomorrow Night
5. Ways Like An Angel
6. Eagle Rock
7. Please Throw This Poor Dog A Bone
8. Blues Hit Big Town		play
9. Lord Lord
10. 'Bout The Break Of Day
11. So All Alone
12. Can't Find My Baby
13. Please Throw This Poor Dog A Bone (Alternate)
14. Junior's Wail (Alternate)
15. Eagle Rock (Alternate)
16. Lord Lord (Alternate)
17. Blues Hit Big Town (Alternate)

Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); 
Otis Spann (guitar, piano); 
Elmore James, Louis Myers, Muddy Waters (guitar); 
Johnny Jones (piano); 
Dave Myers (bass guitar); 
Fred Below, Odie Payne, Jr. (drums).

This 1998 CD reissue of Wells' debut recordings for the States label adds four previously unheard tracks along with the original 13-track vinyl lineup. Wells' legacy begins with these landmark sides, featuring Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Johnnie Jones, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, and the Aces in the lineup at various points. Whether it's a slow one like his original take on "Hoodoo Man" or a jump number like "Cut That Out," the grooves are classic Chicago and a mile deep. Most telling are the acoustic duets with Louis Myers recorded between the 1953 and 1954 studio sessions and the fine instrumentals like "Junior's Wail" and "Eagle Rock." Although at the start of a long career, it's obvious that Junior Wells was already a young man with a style all his own, ready to make blues history. File under essential. ---Cub Koda

The long-overdue release of this seminal collection on CD is cause for celebration; not only that, but Delmark Records added four previously unreleased tracks, making this CD all the more essential for harp fans in general and Junior Wells fans in particular (and what harp fan could not like Wells?). The tracks on Blues Hit Big Town were recorded in 1953-54 and are thus of historical interest as well; these are Wells's first recordings, done shortly after he joined the Muddy Waters Band. From the slow, smoking "Hoodoo Man" and the title track, to the tight, high-powered "Cut That Out" and "Tomorrow Night," everything here is first-rate, and the added bonus tracks make this re-release a special treat. ---Genevieve Williams, allmusic.com

Originally released in 1977, this album brings together Junior Wells' earliest singles, recorded in 1953 and 1954 when he was just a teenager (he turned 20 in December, 1954). This 1998 CD reissue adds six bonus tracks, five of which are alternate takes, and while the liner notes are somewhat sparse, the music is top-notch.

Junior Wells' first LP came out more than ten years later, in 1965, but these tough early singles, taped when Junior was Muddy Waters' harmonica player, are at least as seminal. Junior's sublime first reading of "Hoodoo Man" is here, alongside a rollicking "Cut That Out", a lean, mean "Please Throw This Poor Dog A Bone", the swinging "Tomorrow Night", and the blazing instrumentals "Eagle Rock" and "Junior's Wail". Junior's rendition of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's "'Bout The Break Of Day" is every bit as powerful as "Hoodoo Man" (another Williamson-number) and he sounds thoroughly menacing on the grinding title track.

As well as playing with Muddy Waters, Junior Wells was the lead singer of the Aces for a while, a group which consisted of brothers Louis and Dave Myers on guitar and bass respectively, and drummer extraordinaire Fred Below. They back him on most of these recordings, and Johnnie Jones lends his considerable talents on piano on the 1953 sides. And the great Elmore James appears as well, wielding his smouldering bottleneck on the master take of "Hoodoo Man". Piano player Otis Spann from the Muddy Waters band is rolling the 88s on the 1954 recordings, and Waters himself shows up as well, backing Wells on guitar.

These early recordings are some of Junior Wells' finest and grittiest, and while his blistering harmonica playing was often more or less absent on his 60s and 70s waxings, it takes centre stage on these superb 50s singles. A must have. ---Docendo Discimus

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Junior Wells - It's My Life, Baby! (1966)

2010-06-17T14:56:42Z

Junior Wells - It's My Life, Baby! (1966)


01. It's My Life, Baby  
02. It's So Sad to Be Lonely  
03. Country Girl  
04. You Lied to Me  
05. Stormy Monday Blues  
06. Shake It Baby  
07. Checking on My Baby  
08. Early in the Morning  
09. (I Got A) Stomach Ache  
10. Look How Baby  
11. Slow, Slow  
12. Everything's Going to Be Albright

Junior Wells - Harmonica, Vocals
Buddy Guy - Guitar, Vocals
Walter Beasley 	- Guitar
Leroy Stewart - 	Bass
Little Al – Drums
Fred Below – Drums

Although It's My Life, Baby! was decent mid-'60s electric Chicago blues, coming so soon after Junior Wells' 1965 classic Hoodoo Man Blues -- one of the greatest blues LPs ever -- it was something of a disappointment. Wells' chief right-hand man for Hoodoo Man Blues, guitarist Buddy Guy, was still on board for these recordings, but the band arrangements weren't quite as tight. More crucially, the material wasn't as good or innovative, giving far more weight to slow blues with standard progressions, and relatively little attention to the funk-soul-Latin influences that had supplied several of Hoodoo Man Blues' finest moments. Finally, the decision to mix studio recordings with live tracks (recorded at Pepper's Lounge in Chicago) could be questioned, as it lent the record an inconsistency, particularly as different bands were used live and in the studio. Taken on its own terms, however, it's certainly respectable, at times revving up the energy for an infectious bounce. "Country Girl," for instance, stands in peppy contrast to the relatively sleepy slow tunes; "Shake It Baby" revives some of the soul feeling of the Hoodoo Man Blues sessions; and "(I Got A) Stomach Ache" is funky in a silly but fun way. ---Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com

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Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (1965)

2010-05-20T22:38:19Z

Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (1965)


1. Snatch It Back And Hold It	 2:53
2. Ships On The Ocean	4:09
3. Good Morning Schoolgirl	3:56
4. Hound Dog	2:10
5. In The Wee Hours	3:45
6. Hey Lawdy Mama	3:13
7. Hoodoo Man Blues	2:06
8. Early In The Morning	4:48
9. We're Ready	3:41
10. You Don't Love Me Baby	2:25
11. Chitlin Con Carne	2:14
12. Yonder Wall	4:09
13. Hoodoo Man Blues (Alternate Take)	2:53
14. Chitlin Con Carne (Alternate Take)	3:10

Junior Wells – harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy (originally billed as Friendly Chap) – guitar, vocals
Jack Myers – bass
Bill Warren – drums

Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts -- guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren -- and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to "Snatch It Back and Hold It," "You Don't Love Me, Baby," "Chitlins con Carne," and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells' finest achievements, it also became Delmark's best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into "Good Morning, Schoolgirl," "Yonder Wall," or "We're Ready," they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as "Friendly Chap" on Delmark's original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early '70s, Guy's real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

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Junior Wells - In My Younger Days (1972)

2010-05-11T22:12:32Z

Junior Wells - In My Younger Days (1972)


01 - Cut That Out
02 - So All Alone
03 - Eagle Rock
04 - 'Bout the Break of Day
05 - Lawdy! Lawdy!
06 - Junior's Wail
07 - Tomorrow Night
08 - I Could Cry
09 - Cha Cha Cha In Blues
10 - Lovey Dovey Lovey One
11 - Little By Little
12 - Universal Rock
13 - Messin' With The Kid
14 - You Sure Look Good To Me
15 - It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong)
16 - I Need Me A Car

Junior Wells - Harmonica, Vocals
Earl Hooker, Syl Johnson, Louis Myers – Guitar
Henry Gray, Lafayette Leake, Johnny "Big Moose" Walker – Keyboard
Willie Dixon, Dave Myers, Jack Meyers – Bass
Fred Below, Eugene Lounge - drums

Although not an essential release by this fine blues harmonica frontman, there are some tracks on this collection of early recordings that are outstanding. Blues harmonica players will want the set just for the instrumental track "Junior's Wail," which is beautiful harp playing to be sure. Heard as a contrast to the later Wells period where he went overboard into the realm of soul jive, the completely straightforward blues on this collection is downright refreshing, although some of the 1953 pieces are done with so much more respect than personality that Wells comes across almost like a choirboy. By 1957, he was beginning to dig his own potatoes; the terrific "Cha Cha in Blues" is a preview of the type of fine music that would make the Delmark Hoodoo Man Blues so classic, yet this is delightfully more over the top, featuring Eugene Lounge (what a name) on heavily reverberated drums, including a really loud cowbell. While on the subject of reverb, the guitar of Syl Johnson motorizes into the Chuck Berry lane on "Lovey Dovey Lovely One," but also gets into aggressive single string picking as well. When Earl Hooker stops in to fill out the band on the rest of the album it is the equivalent of a blessing from above, as Wells works particularly well when he has an inventive guitar foil. The nifty instrumental "Universal Rock" gives Hooker a bit of a loud, boisterous showcase while also sporting the sax work of Gerry Gibson. The final track, "I Need a Car," even includes vibraphone, which might explain why a harmonica player would need a car, to help the vibraphone player get around. --- Eugene Chadbourne, allmusic.com

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Junior Wells - Come On In This House (1997)

2010-04-07T17:27:48Z

Junior Wells - Come On In This House (1997)


1. What My Momma Told Me/That's All Right [4:31]
2. Why Are People Like That? [3:51]
3. Trust My Baby [5:01]
4. Million Years Blues [5:11]
5. Give Me One Reason [5:00]
6. Ships On The Ocean [5:27]
7. She Wants To Sell My Monkey [4:32]
8. So Glad You're Mine [5:48]
9. Mystery Train [7:01]
10. I'm Gonna Move To Kansas City [3:39]
11. King Fish Blues [5:18]
12. You Better Watch Yourself [3:47]
13. Come On In This House [5:54]
14. The Goat [3:47]

Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); 
Alvin Youngblood Hart (vocals, steel guitar, National guitar, dobro); 
Bob Margolin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); 
Tab Benoit (acoustic guitar); 
John Mooney (electric guitar, slide guitar); 
Sonny Landreth (slide guitar, steel guitar, National guitar); 
Derek Trucks (slide guitar); 
Corey Harris (steel guitar, National guitar);
 Jon Cleary (piano); 
Bob Sunda (acoustic bass, 6-string bass); 
Herman V. Ernest III (drums).

Junior Wells' penchant for clowning around sometimes conflicts with his craftsmanship, but he's all business on Come on in This House, his most unadulterated blues record since his highly acclaimed Hoodoo Man Blues of more than 30 years vintage. This is what has come to be known as an "unplugged" session -- that is, predominately, although not exclusively, acoustic instrumentation. Producer John Snyder's concept was threefold: to team Wells with some of the era's top younger traditional blues guitarists -- Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Sonny Landreth, Bob Margolin, and John Mooney; to have those musicians, in various combinations, accompany Wells on a variety of slide guitars; and to concentrate on vintage Chicago and Delta blues from the repertoires of Rice Miller, Little Walter, Tampa Red, Arthur Crudup, and Wells himself. The result is a virtual slide-guitar mini-fest and a demonstration of the timeless appeal of classic blues done well. Wells' vocals are deep and manly; his harp playing is high-pitched, like a child's pleading. A surprising highlight is the only contemporary tune on the disc, Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." New Orleans drummer Herman Ernest III, who appears on 11 of the 14 cuts, does a masterful job laying down understated rhythmic grooves. ---Steve Hoffman, allmusic.com

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Junior Wells – Calling All Blues (2000)

2009-10-28T20:06:54Z

Junior Wells – Calling All Blues (2000)


01 - Two Headed Woman (Weaver, Dixon) 1957
02 - Lovey Dovey Lovey One (London) 1957
03 - I Could Cry (Wells) 1957
04 - Cha Cha Cha in Blues (Cut my toe nail) (Wells, Dixon) 1957
05 - Little by Little (I'm loosing you) (London) 1958
06 - Come on in This House (London) 1959
07 - You Don't Care (Wells) 1960
08 - Prison Bars All Around Me (Wells) 1960
09 - Calling All Blues (Hooker, Wells) 1960
10 - Galloping Horses A Lazy Mule (Hooker, Wells) 1960
11 - Messin' With the Kid (London) 1961
12 - You Sure Look Good to Me (Wells) 1961
13 - So Tired (Berry) 1961
14 - Universal Rock (Hooker) 1961
15 - I Could Cry (Wells) 1961
16 - I'm a Stranger (Wells) 1961
17 - Things I Do For You (London) 1961
18 - Love Me (Wells, London) 1961
19 - It Hurts Me Too (When Things Go Wrong) (Whittaker) 1961
20 - I Need Me a Car (London) 1961
21 - I'll Get You Too (Emerson, Dixon) 1963
22 - One Day (Every Goodbye Ain't Gone) (Emerson, Dixon) 1963
23 - She's a Sweet One (Dixon) 1963
24 - When the Cat's Gone the Mice Play (Dixon) 1963

Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); 
Willie Dixon (bass)
Syl Johnson, Earl Hooker (guitar).

Following his recorded debut as a leader for States Records, Junior Wells signed with Mel London, producing a number of sides for the producer's Chief and Profile imprints. Perhaps best-known for his spectacular harmonica playing, this period, documented on Calling All Blues, saw Wells emerging as an outstanding vocalist as well. A consummate performer with a firm grasp of the range of emotions the music can produce, Wells wrings every drop of feeling out of the lyrics. The singer growls, shouts, howls, moans across these 24 tracks including two versions of his great "I Could Cry" and other classics like "Little By Little," "Cha-Cha-Cha in Blue," and "Lovey Dovey Lovey One." While it has a great deal of overlap with the collections from Paula Records, Calling All Blues remains a fine introduction with no glaring omissions. The bulk of the compositions come from three sources: his employer, London; the "poet of the blues," Willie Dixon; and Wells himself. While the recording quality may be shaky at times, it's to be expected and in fact only adds to the feeling of authenticity emanating from the music. It's like stepping inside a hot, sweaty room for a forbidden peek at a late-night jam session. Wells and company imbue the material with such intensity, it can almost be overwhelming at times. For the most part, the singer leaves his harp alone, but the handful of harmonica moments are memorable. On the instrumental title track, he lays into his instrument, battling for space amongst piercing guitar and piano leads. Only when the music is tempered by the more popular forms of rock & roll and R&B on songs like "I'll Get You Too," "One Day (Every Goodbye Ain't Gone)," and "I Need a Car" does it begin to lose its potency. Leading up to the sessions that produced Wells' classic 1966 album Hoodoo Man Blues, this is electric blues at its fiery best. ---Nathan Bush, allmusic.com

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