• Artist: Various Artists
• Flags: Collection (various artists)
• Rating:
• Styles: Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Modern Electric Blues
• Track Picks: "Dust My Broom," "Rough Dried Woman, Pt. 1," "Southern Country Boy"

Review

Jewel Records was founded by Stan Lewis in 1963, and the company became something of a life raft for artists whose contracts with older companies had ended -- thus, Willie Dixon, Frank Frost, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, and other internationally known names brushed up against more localized talent such as the Carter Brothers and a mysterious figure named Big Mac. This disc is the first in a series of releases highlighting Lewis' blues recordings, which tended toward extrovert electric blues. All of the artists are in good form, if not the top of their game, including Fulson who sings with a graceful soulfulness, while Turner provides the kind of lean, big-band-based R&B on which he built his reputation, slimmed down slightly for '60s sensibilities. The strangest track here is "Rough Dried Woman" parts one and two, featuring Hubert Sumlin on guitar and Big Mac on vocals. Mac, whoever he was, obviously thought he was Howlin' Wolf, even though his voice lacked the depth and power of Wolf's pipes. He tries hard, however, and Sumlin pitches in with a flashy, crunchy performance behind him (and is featured throughout the instrumental second half in one of his best recorded performances). Also, be warned that Kenny Wayne Shepherd, then 16 years old, redubbed the guitar part on Willie Dixon's "Sex Appeal" -- that kid knows his blues, even if his playing is a little flashier than would've been the case circa 1960-whatever, and Dixon gives one of his more charismatic vocal performances. The sound needs no apologies, nor does the series, which is first-rate and starts off really well with this disc. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
Southern Country Boy	...	Duke Coleman	The Carter Brothers	(2:47)
My Back Scratcher	...	Frank Frost, Chip Young	Frank Frost	(2:30)
Dust My Broom	...	Elmore James, Robert Johnson	Elmore James	(2:42)
Back Door Friend	...	Lightnin' Hopkins, Stan Lewis	Lightnin' Hopkins	(3:56)
Standing on the Threshold	...		Little Joe Blue	(2:42)
Put It All in There	...	Willie Dixon	George "Wild Child" Butler	(2:49)
Sleeper	...	Lowell Fulson, Maxwell Davis	Lowell Fulson	(3:08)
Night Time Is the Right Time	...	Leroy Carr	Big Joe Turner	(2:58)
Rough Dried Woman, Pt. 1	...	Audrey Williams, Don Clay	Hubert Sumlin, Big Mac	(2:49)
Rough Dried Woman, Pt. 2 [Instrumental]	...	Audrey Williams, Don Clay	Hubert Sumlin, Big Mac	(2:45)
Sex Appeal	...	Willie Dixon	Willie Dixon	(5:11)
The Mojo Boogie	...	J.B. Lenoir	J.B. Lenoir	(2:48)

Credits

George "Wild Child" Butler (Performer), Willie Dixon (Performer), Frank Frost (Performer), Lowell Fulson (Performer), J.B. Lenoir (Performer), Hubert Sumlin (Performer), Big Joe Turner (Performer), Lightnin' Hopkins (Performer), Elmore James (Performer), Stan Lewis (Producer), Little Joe Blue (Performer), The Carter Brothers (Performer), Big Mac (Performer)