PORTRAIT offers fourteen powerful numbers by Muddy Water's eldest son, Mud Morganfield, including two previously unreleased songs. Mud appears surrounded by a constellation of first-rate blues musicians. All tracks have remastered especially for this first Mud Morganfield album on Delmark Records. "MUD MORGANFIELD has grown into a superstar on the blues circuit. Certainly, there will be comparisons to his dad, but that can be expected and rightly so. Mud comes as close to the Muddy experience as one can get. He will always pay tribute to his dad with the Chicago blues ensemble sound that Muddy created. But Mud was also brought up musically when soul, Motown and R&B ruled the world. Mud played bass and performed with bands playing the hits of that era. This, along with his blues pedigree, has influenced Mud's own songwriting skills, which are constantly evolving." - RICK KREHER

A review of Linsey Alexander's previous album Come Back Baby (DMK 838) in Living Blues magazine called it "a can't-miss release for any lover of no-nonsense Chicago blues". The "Hoochie Man" is back with all original material including the new smash Two Cats! "My woman got two cats, one in the front, the other in the back!" From the searing "Where Did You Take Your Clothes Off Last Night" to the tender "Til I Kissed You", from the comedic "Facebook Woman" to the political "Comb Over Blues" Linsey weaves his colorful stories throughout this album of blues, soul, R&B and funk. It's great fun and serious music at the same time. 'Cause the blues don't mess around and neither does Linsey.

This band explores the boundaries between composition and improvisation. Keefe Jackson, saxophonist and principal composer, formed the Chicago group in 2003. Fast Citizens held a residency at Chicago's famous club the Hideout, where the group developed a formidable cohesiveness. Their music has broadened, even redefined the idea of a "cooperative" band. The group includes saxophonist Aram Shelton and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, who also composes for the group, and cornet player Josh Berman, drummer Frank Rosaly and bassist Anton Hatwich. Berman, Jackson, and Rosaly are also members of the Chicago Luzern Exchange. "... Jackson's marbled tone expresses a lovely lyricism no matter how brusque or serrated his lines get." - Chicago Reader in 2004.

Sometimes The Blues Got Me is Breezy Rodio's debut album for Delmark Records. A review of Breezy's self-produced 2015 release So Close To It said "Breezy Rodio absolutely smokes through this highly enjoyable mix of originals and covers. He has it all; the voice, the guitar chops, the great players, and you can tell he FEELS the blues, and that is the most important facet" - Music Morsels. While Living Blues described Breezy as "an artist who deserves to be on the radar of all blues fans." Breezy Rodio was in Linsey Alexander's band for 8 years and appears on all 3 of Linsey's Delmark releases.

2022 Release. The album presents seven original songs by Jose Ramirez and two classic tunes by masters of Chicago Blues, Magic Sam and Eddie Taylor.

When Magic Sam passed away in 1969 at the age of 32, the world lost one of the greatest bluesmen of all time, robbing Sam of his place in blues history. He, along with a very few others, created the West Side style of Chicago blues, the style copied most by blues and rock bands. This CD features never before released performances at the Copacabana in 1966, the Alex Club in 1963 & 1964, and Mother Blues in 1968. It contains 16 songs, more than a full hour of live Chicago blues.

REBECCA KILGORE WITH KEITH INGHAM

LIVE

Cowboy Roy Brown was born in Arkansas on April 20, 1875, the son of a preacher. He and his sister learned to play guitar from their father who they accompanied when he played violin in church. In his twenties, Roy visited St Louis during the 1904 World's Fair and later moved to Kansas City, then Marion, Illinois and then drifted to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Deadwood, South Dakota. Roy eventually returned to St Louis where he was a street singer performing with his guitar and catalog of blues, folk and cowboy tunes. Roy and his band - a guitar named "Baby" and a kazoo named "Leon" - performed cowboy standards and popular tunes. All of which can be heard here on this collection of previously unissued mid-'50s recordings.

Very much in the vein of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers or Coltrane's band on the legendary Blue Train album, Bakerzmillion is Chicago's hard bop ensemble par excellence. It's six members are a true dream team of talented and seasoned jazzmen. The band's longevity, over fifteen years already, contributes to the solid and balanced sound of the ensemble. Playing original tunes composed by the co-leaders the ensemble brings a breeze of fresh air to these mainstream sonorities. Recorded February 2018 by Robert Vallone, Produced by Andy Baker, Mixed & Mastered by Fred Breitberg, Photo and notes by Michael Jackson.

Professor Eddie Lusk mastered the keyboards while still in his teens at his father's south side church. That enduring spiritual base remained at the heart of the Professor's blues until his tragic 1992 passing at the age of 43. While he played with numerous blues and soul greats (Junior Wells, Z.Z. Hill, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, Syl Johnson, the Soul Stirrers), Professor Strut was his only American release under his own leadership. (Previously deleted:6/1/05. Original release date:8/16/93)"Makes US see, even feel, the passion, joy and intensity of the blues. It is these uninhibited images that the unique vitality of the Chicago blues world shines through". - Rolling Stone.

COLLECTION OF FRED ASTAIRE

Little Arthur is a powerful blues singer & harmonica player who pounds away at you with his voice, reminiscent of the heavy, unpolished blues singers like Floyd Jones - at 65, he's part of the second generation of Chicago bluesmen, just behind Muddy, Wolf, Sonny Boy #2 & Elmore James.

Alabama barrelhouse blues pianist Robert McCoy, born in Aliceville in 1908, had two rare LPs in the early '60's on the Vulcan label. Delmark has acquired the masters & is now re-issuing the material on CD for the first time with many never before released tracks. These were his first recordings as leader although he recorded in the '30's with Guitar Slim, "Jaybird" Coleman & Peanut the Kidnapper. The San Francisco Examiner says: "Stomping piano solos & blues vocals played with vitality & authority. McCoy sets a happy & boozy pre-depression mood that is fun to share with him".

PIANO SOLOS 1