Dink Johnson was born in New Orleans around 1880, and was the younger brother of Bill Johnson, King Oliver's great bass player. Dink played a swinging, stomping, Jelly-like piano style. He had a repertoire of tunes as unique as his style, containing many tunes of his own and other tunes long forgotten. Dink had a rollicking, contagious sense of humor which comes through on these recordings. The weirdest thing he ever did by far is, "The Pidgeon Walk." at best, the tune was just another dance tune that never got off the ground but at the hands of Dink it becomes a masterpiece of something or another! It is indeed pathetic that Dink could die and leave so little in reserve for those who belatedly came to appreciate his work.

Blues Hit Big Town contains the historic first recordings of Junior Wells. Junior was still a teenager at the time of the first session and between sessions replaced Little Walter in the Muddy Waters band. In a Down Beat review Pete Welding said "In their power, directness, unerring taste and utter consistency of mood, these may well be the most perfectly distilled examples of Wells' music ever recorded, taking their place alongside of those of Waters, Walter, Wolf and other masters of the period. Five stars." Blues Hit Big Town captures genius emerging from one of the greatest blues personalities and harmonica players of all time.(Previously deleted:3/1/03. Original release date:4/1/92)

W. Hal "Cornbread' Singer.

Trumpeter Malachi Thompson used the unconventional spelling, Jaz, to distinguish real jazz from "smooth jazz". This 1991 recording was one of Thompson's most exciting CDs and features Carter Jefferson, tenor sax; Joe Ford, alto and soprano sax; Kirk Brown, piano; Harrison Bankhead, bass; Nasar Abadey, drums; Richad Lawrence, congas. Perhaps the excitement was a result of Malachi's at the time recent victory over a rare lymphoma cancer? (Previously deleted:7/1/07. Original release date:6/16/92) "The Jaz Life forwards a thoughtful, yet passionate take on the stylistic confluence that makes the '60s such a rich chapter in jazz's trumpet legacy. Hard-bop, soul-jazz, r&b, and modal meditations convivially coexist on this album." - 4 stars Down Beat.

Vocalist/guitarist shows new facets in his blues talents, inc. his skills at smooth-swinging T-Bone-esque guitar, feat. Ken Saydak, Harlan Terson, Kenny Smith + 2 songs w. guitarist Dave Specter.

Trumpeter Malachi Thompson applies his "freebop" approach (a melding of free jazz and bebop) to brass big band again for "Blue Jazz," the third CD from the four trumpet, four trombone with rhythm section group. "Thompson has created another grand statement on the meaning, purpose and beauty of American jazz. Epic effort." - Chicago Tribune from the review of the last Africa Brass CD, "Buddy Bolden's Rag" (DMK #481). Gary Bartz on alto sax and Billy Harper on tenor sax have a strong presence throughout while vocalists Dee Alexander and the Big DooWopper, and Gene "Daddy G" Barge on tenor sax guest, add their special touches.

With Hammie Nixon 1934.

The Big DooWopper is a blind street musician who travels with his keyboard to play in the Chicago subway train system - you can find him on weekdays in the tunnel between the Red & Blue lines near Washington & State; his 9 nine originals reflect many blues influences, and he does a soul/blues cover of Prince's "Purple Rain"

One of the top R&B records of 1952, a tribute to the legendary woman who "went up to Alaska just to melt the snow"; the Blazes brought vitality & showmanship to the early years of R&B & became one of Chicago's hottest vocal combos.

Chicago blues bassist presents 8 originals & 2 originals by guest guitarist James Wheeler, also feat. Chico Banks-gtr, Kenny Barker-pno, Willie Davis-gtr +.

NHE's third Delmark CD is a tribute to trumpeter Ameen Muhammad who made his transition on Feb. 28th, 2003, not long after the release of "Capetown Shuffle - Live at the HotHouse" (DMK #545). "Last summer, Dawkins-a brilliant Chicago saxophonist-bandleader-composer-and his NHE ignited the incendiary music on this CD before a live audience at HotHouse" - Top Ten best jazz recordings of 2003 - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune. Trumpeter Maurice Brown made his recorded debut last year on Fred Anderson's "Back at the Velvet Lounge" (DMK #549). Charles Walker of Sudden Thoughts commented that "... The veteran has found himself an uncannily interactive front-line foil in Brown."

Al Miller has assembled a full house of Chicago talent for your listening pleasure on his first album. Not only does this stacked deck feature Miller's triple threat talent as harpist, guitarist and vocalist, it boasts the formidable presence of some of the hottest blues artists from the windy city circuit - Willie Kent, Dave Specter, Tad Robinson and Steve Freund. (Previously deleted:3/1/04. Original release date:6/27/95)

Chicago vocalist/guitarist plays an appealing melodic, vocal-infected contemporary blues to complement his down-home picking style.

Apollo's lady blues singers w. Danny Barker's Sextet, George Kelly, Larry Johnson, Panama Francis, Bill Campbell.

Clarinet/tenor saxophonist Vandermark forges the jazz sound of the future, while retaining a healthy respect for his musical elders, and the Sound in Action Trio recorded here is built around one of them - former Sun Ra drummer Robert Barry, as well as drummer Tim Mulvenna.