These are amongst the rarest post-war blues anywhere. Very little has been reissued on LP or CD, so this collection comes across as remarkably fresh and strong. The best known artist is Arthur Gunter, whose Excello recording of Baby Let's Play House was an early influence on Elvis Presley. Here we spotlight his favorite country rockers She's Mine All Mine and Honey Babe, both freshly remastered for this CD, and the East Coast blues stylings of first-time-on-CD You Are Doing Me Wrong. Arthur is also lead guitarist on the tracks by the Leap Frogs and his brother Little Al, whose No Jive is a cult blues classic. These recordings were cut in Nashville under the auspices of Excello boss Ernie Young. So, too, were the records by Shy Guy Douglas, Louis Campbell, Slim Hunt and Robert Garrett. A major find is the single by the Dixie Doodlers, described by note-writer Chris Bentley as sounding ''remarkably like the Memphis Jug Band might have played in the early 1950s''. Bentley, one of the most respected British blues writers, comments that the last 4 tracks (all previously unissued), ''will have collectors' palates salivating''. The Chas Dowell sides were recorded in 1963 by producer and harmonica player James Stewart very much in the Jimmy Reed style. And Good Rockin' Bob, possibly with Lonesome Sundown on guitar, takes us from Tennessee into Louisiana with two tough swamp-blues numbers straight from the local juke joints.
1. The Leap Frogs - Things Gonna Change 2. The Leap Frogs - Dirty Britches 3. The Dixie Doodlers - She Was All I Had 4. The Dixie Doodlers - Best Of Friends 5. Shy Guy Douglas - Wasted Time 6. Shy Guy Douglas - I'm Your Country Man 7. Louis Campbell - Gotta Have You Baby 8. Louis Campbell - Natural Facts 9. Shy Guy Douglas - No Place Like Home 10. Shy Guy Douglas - She's My Kinda Girl 11. Slim Hunt - Welcome Home Baby 12. Arthur Gunter - She's Mine, All Mine 13. Arthur Gunter - You Are Doing Me Wrong 14. Arthur Gunter - Honey Babe 15. Little Al - No Jive 16. Little Al - Little Lean Woman 17. Little Al - Every Day Brings About A Change 18. Little Al - Easy Ridin' Buggy 19. Robert Garrett - Do Remember 20. Robert Garrett - Quit My Drinkin' 21. Chas Dowell With James Stewart - Everybody Drinkin' Wine 22. Chas Dowell With James Stewart - I've Been Jumpin' And Stompin' 23. Good Rockin' Bob - Ain't No Need To Cry 24. Good Rockin' Bob - I'm Bad
