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".

Guts. That's what this record is all about: Otis Rush's days in hell, and the tentative joys of returning above ground. Everything about Otis Rush says guts: his squeezing, piercing guitar, his raw-boned, blood-tinged vocals, his lyrics, full of a profound sense of the trips men and women lay on each other - and most of all, his courage to open up from the inside and let all this out in his music. Original 1975 recording with Abb Locke, Big Moose, Mighty Joe Young and others."This 1975 release cooks all the way through with Rush's vocalsbursting with blues emotion and his guitar cranking out pain. MightyJoe Young is the second guitarist on board. Very hot." - Music Revue.

BRIGHT LIGHT IN WINTER is the long-awaited third album by Chicago guitarist Jeff Parker. With his associates Chris Lopes (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums), this trio continues their examination of our post-modern musical universe via tuneful compositions by all three members, and an elastic, dynamic approach to improvisation and group interplay - rooted in our familiar musical traditions, but also searching for the new ones. Recorded and mixed by Bundy K. Brown. Also available: Jeff Parker, Like-Coping (DMK 543). "Jeff Parker is arguably the most exciting and thoughtful jazz guitarist of the past two decades, a masterful free improviser who's also fluent in everything from postbop to post rock." - Chicago Reader.

PIANO SOLOS 1

CAKEWALK

NIGHTWALK IS THE THIRD DELMARK ALBUM FOR Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames. Deepening on the furrows opened by "Burnin' Love" and "Slip Into a Dream", Dave, Monica and their band weave an original tapestry of pure Chicago blues tradition with a forward-looking sound and energy. Bringing along the beauty of the tradition he learned next to Chicago blues stalwart J.B. Hutto, Dave Weld is one of the few real innovators in the blues realm of today. His song "Mary Who" is an authentic tour de force, a vivid portrait of urban life where Dave Weld shows his metal as storyteller. Moreover, in every single track of this ground-breaking album we can relate to the vibrations of contempo- rary life blowing like a fresh breeze from the depths of a well-rooted sonority. The album was recorded at Joyride Studio, mixed at The Switchyard Studio in Nashville, pro- duced by Tom Hambridge and post-produced at Delmark Records Riverside Studio by Elbio Barilari and Julia A. Miller, who was also the album's mastering engineer.

Jazz trumpeter Brad Goode relocated to Denver two years ago, but he maintains his Chicago connection by performing there at least once or twice annually. Brad resided in Chicago and had a weekly gig 12 years running when he cut his first Delmark album, "Shock Of The New" (DMK #440). Since then he's recorded 3 more CDs most recently for the European Steeplechase label. The last time he was in Chicago Brad recorded this new, exciting and sometimes edgy session. His rhythm section features newcomer Adrean Farrugia on piano, veteran bassist Kelly Sill and longtime cohort Dana Hall on drums. Contains 9 tracks including 4 Goode original compositions. (Previously deleted:5/1/11. Original release date: 4/18/06)

Guitarist delivers kingly bends, strange, stuttering phrases & long, spooling solos - his blown-speaker voice is rough & raw, w. tight timing & fearless drive; produced by Dave Specter, who also plays guitar.

OUT OF THE PAST

Award winning bassist's full-blown stage presence is captured here on his 4th Delmark album - guitarists Billy Flynn, Willie Davis & Jake Dawson are complemented by a horn section (arranged by Willie Henderson) on a few tracks.

Wise Fools was Rush's hometown club of choice when this smokin' 1976 set was recorded for WXRT radio. This, here, is gritty blues greatness: All Your Love (I Miss Loving); It Takes Time; Sweet Little Angel; Feel So Bad; Please Love Me; Mean Old World; Woke Up This Morning; High Society, and more!

1968 solo rehearsal tapes previously unissued.