Bandera Blues and Gospel

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: May 29, 2001
• Total Time: 69:41
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Blues

Review

You can tell from the title alone that this isn't the kind of release likely to feature heavily in major chain discount ads, but rather one targeted toward the specialist collector. The Bandera label was one of many recording blues in Chicago in the late '50s and early '60s; Laredo and Jerico Road were Bandera subsidiaries, Jerico Road specializing in gospel. This anthology is split between electric blues (17 tracks) and gospel (ten tracks), and none of the artists achieved widespread recognition. Sometimes these compilations serve as little more than to suck up generic rarities for the convenience of collectors, but this one is on a higher level. Dusty Brown, Jimmie Lee Robinson, Grover Pruitt, and Bobby Davis all play decent classic 1950s-style Chicago electric blues, pretty well produced (and boasting good fidelity on this reissue CD). But it also retains the raw edge that attracts so many listeners to blues from this time and place. No one would have been that surprised if Dusty Brown's four tracks were identified as vault finds from the Cobra and Chess labels. Jimmie Lee Robinson's "All My Life" was covered by John Mayall, and his seven tunes are pretty versatile for a little-known bluesman, getting into Johnny Cash rockabilly-influenced sounds on "Cry Over Me," and taking a slight R&B/early soul flavor on some other sides. Grover Pruitt's 1959 single "Mean Train" also has an interesting rockabilly residue, and Bobby Davis' four songs have a good-time mixture of blues and New Orleans R&B. The gospel tunes by the Norfleet Brothers, the Space Spiritual Singers, the Faithful Wanderers, and Elder Samuel Patterson are not as interesting as the blues material, but have a well-produced (yet not slick) R&B-blues-informed feel. It's a collection worth investigating by blues fans who want to dig into some obscure stuff that's just notable for its obscurity. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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