Chicago blues vocalist Tail Dragger is back with his second live CD/DVD on Delmark. The first My Head Is Bald, Live at Vern's Friendly Tavern (DMK 782 CD / DMK 1782 DVD) was chosen by Living Blues magazine as the Blues DVD of the Year 2005! Delmark captured this exciting performance at Rooster's located on Chicago's West Side. On the night of March 21, 2009, featuring Rockin' Johnny and Kevin Shanahan, guitar; Martin Lang, harmonica; Todd Fickler, bass; Rob Lorenz, drums; and special guest Jimmy Dawkins, guitar. DVD is 12 songs, 75 minutes with Tail Dragger commentary track special feature, 24 bit/48kHz PCM stereo, 5. 1 Dolby and DTS. NTSC all region.

The music of Omar Coleman, like Chicago itself, contains multitudes. Rooted in the blues, spiked with R&B urgency, and resonant with deep-soul passion, it both moves the heart and galvanizes the feet - "grown folks' music," as they say, but full of the enthusiasm, fire, and dedication of a young man making his mark on the world. The stories his songs tell are drawn from real life, rich with affirming humanity. Fourteen original songs, most either written or co-written by Omar, include "I Was A Fool" and "Wishing Well" with guest Mile Wheeler, "Man Like Me" and "You've Got A Hold On Me" with guest Toronzo Cannon, "Tell Me What You Want" and "Slow Down Baby" with guest Dave Herrero.

Live in Japan with Jimmy Johnson in 1975.

Traditional jazz clarinetist John Skillman is the leader of the Barb City Stompers in Dekalb, IL (where barb wire was invented). He also leads the New Orleans Nighthawks in Florida and the co-leader of the Coast to Coast Jazz Band. For the past 31 years, he has been the clarinetist in the Buck Creek Jazz Band. He also is the clarinetist for both the Chicago Hot Six Jazz Band, and for the CanAmGer Jazz Band. His style ranges from downtown New Orleans to Chicago to Swing. John Skillman - clarinet, Roy Rubinstein - trombone, Larry Rutan - guitar, Roger Hintzsche - bass, Aaron Puckett - drums, Diana Skillman - vocals (on two songs).

Best known for "That's All Right" and two other songs covered by Elvis Presley, bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was born in Forest, Mississippi. Crudup visited Chicago in 1939 as a member of the gospel group The Harmonizing Four and stayed to work as a solo artist but was not successful. He toured the country in 1948 with Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James. This session was recorded November 10, 1969 and features Jimmy Dawkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. Crudup's guitar was amped through the same rotating Leslie speaker that Buddy Guy used on Junior Wells' Hoodoo Man Blues (DMK 612) for seven of the nine songs here. There's also a talk section between Crudup and producer Bob Koester.

Anthony Braxton was first documented as a player in 1967 on Muhal Richard Abrams' Levels and Degrees of Light (DMK 413) Nine months of gestation produced this, his first recording as a leader. Braxton the player/composer/constructor is here at full length. In retrospect he was a much more developed and confident musician than he may have seemed at the time.

Let's Live It Up is Mississippi Heat's third recording for Delmark. For this outing, the band recorded 14 new original songs, eleven by leader, harmonica player Pierre Lacocque. Special guest John Primer sings on 3 cuts. Another great blues guitarist Carl Weathersby and keyboardist Chris "Hambone" Cameron can be heard throughout the album. Inetta Visor sings on 8 tunes, while singer Rhonda Preston delivers two songs. The Chicago Horns, percussionist Ruben Alvarez, and background vocalists also appear on this exciting and best Mississippi Heat recording to date. More Mississippi Heat on Delmark: One Eye Open, Live at Rosa's (CD DMK 783, DVD DMK 1783), Hattiesburg Blues (DMK 795).

Both critically acclaimed and the best-selling newly recorded album for Delmark in recent times, 2012's Been There Done That put Linsey Alexander in the blues spotlight. "Throughout Alexander sings with a conviction and verve that few can equal. This should be his breakout recording." Gary von Tersch, Big City Rhythm & Blues Similar to the first album, Come Back Baby is full of delightful new originals including "Little Bit of Soap", "Booty Call", "Call My Wife", "Things Done Changed", "Too Old To Be A New Fool" and the title track. Once again Linsey led his nine-piece band live in the studio with special guest Billy Branch on harmonica.

For some, the harmonica is not much more than an inexpensive plaything, but as the artists featured here amply demonstrate, the expressive range of the harmonica is as deep and wide as any other musical instrument in the blues, rivaled only by the human voice. These are among the very greatest blues players ever to pick up the instrument, from world renowned legends like Junior Wells (heard here on a previously unreleased take), Big Walter Horton and Little Walter, through undeservedly obscure players whose fame barely stretched beyond their own neighborhoods. This CD contains the best harp players on Delmark, and also includes previously unissued tracks.

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT

A 23 track explosion of nuclear-powered Chicago blues from 1958-60 from the vaults of Atomic-H Records, feat. Eddy Clearwater, Sunnyland Slim, Morris Pejoe, Henry Gray, Jo Jo Williams, Little Mack Simmons & others.

This 1957 recording has not been available since the original LP issue which has been out of print for decades. Traditional jazz at it's best on this new CD version which has many never before issued bonus tracks. Live in Fulton Missouri, The Dixie Stompers are Bill Mason, cornet; Norman Mason, clarinet; Jim Haislip, trombone; Glenn Tintera, piano; Pete Patterson, banjo; Bob Kornacher, drums. Heebie Jeebies, Dippermouth Blues, Doctor Jazz and many more.

In a review of Jason Stein's debut album, The Story This Time (Delmark 2013), JazzTimes said "This record kills. The double-horn front line allows for torrid, bop-rooted synchronicity and numerous moments of unfettered exploration." Stein understands the bass clarinet's history and seeks to extend it's comfort zone, and he's not prone to move into the stratosphere, staying in the natural range on his instrument, but picking up the pace manually, the overland route, through force of will. Add to a couple tracks the contrabass clarinet of Keefe Jackson, which ratchets the sound down into the substrata a few notches, and the uncanny play between the anchor and the waves is even more pronounced.

Live European performance from 1994, made not long before McDaniel's passing away in 1995, feat. guitarist Dave Specter & the Bluebirds, 11 tracks.

DANCE & A HOP