"Sings The Blues" by ROOSEVELT SYKES (2006 Ace Hip-Pocket CD Remaster In Repro Card Artwork) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Out On A Limb..." 

"Sings The Blues" is part of Ace Records 'HIP POCKET' series - 5" Card Repro sleeves of rare and iconic albums from across many genres (see list below).

This November 2006 CD reissue of "Sings The Blues" by ROOSEVELT SYKES on Ace CDCHM 1132 (Barcode 029667022521) replicates that ultra-rare US-only 1962 album on Crown Records CLP 5287.

1. Slave For Your Love

2. Gone With The Wind

3. Wild Side

4. Out On A Limb

5. Honey Child

6. Never Loved Like This Before [Side 2]

7. Last Chance

8. Casual Friend

9. Your Will Is Mine

10. Hup Dupe Do

It's a proper remaster (doesn't say who remastered it - probably NICK ROBBINS at Sound Mastering) from the original analogue tapes (25: 45 minutes) and the Audio is SUPERB - loud and clear - a typically brill job done by one of Britain's truly great re-issue labels.

The band for the album consisted of:

ROOSEVELT "The Honeydripper" SYKES on Piano

OETT "Sax" MALLARD on Saxophone

WILLIE DIXON on Upright Bass

ARMAND "Jump" JACKSON on Drums

Playing the Chicago Blues on his Piano since 1929 - Roosevelt Sykes wasn't exactly a spring chicken in the summer of 1962 - but his age imbibed the renditions with a genuine 'real deal' feel. The music is slow piano-based blues with a slight New Orleans twist on some of the tracks - a sort of harder version of Fat Domino. 

"Slave For Love" (1), "Out On A Limb" (4) and "Honey Child" (5) are Roosevelt "The Honeydripper" Sykes originals – while "Gone With The Wind" (2), "Wild Side" (3), "Never Loved Like This Before" (6), "Last Chance" (7), "Casual Friend" (8), "Your Will Is Mine" (9) and "Hupe Dupe Do" (10) are co-written with JOE JOSEA.

It doesn't say who played the excellent guitar work on "Gone With The Wind", "Out On A Limb" and especially "Casual Friend" - but it's all ‘so’ good. And I love that atmospheric 'Beale Street' artwork with its original JOE TAUBLING liner notes on the rear (June 1962).

I picked up my copy from the wonderful independent record shop SISTER RAY on Berwick Street in London for a fiver. A very cool reissue in its skinny-minnie 6" repro card sleeve. 

"Sings The Blues" is great Chicago Piano Blues you will want in your hipster's pocket...

                       Titles in Ace Records Mid-Price 'Hip Pocket' CD Series are:

1. DONALD AUSTIN – Crazy Legs (Ace/Westbound CDHP 016, Dec 2006)

2. THE BISHOPS – Cross Cuts (Ace/Chiswick CDWIKM 256, June 2005)

3. HADDA BROOKS – Femme Fatale (Ace CDCHM 1129, Nov 2006)

4. THE CHAMPS – Go, Champs, Go! (Ace CDCHM 1126, Sep 2006)

5. THE DAMNED – Machine Gun Etiquette (Ace/Chiswick CDHP 027, July 2007)

6. THE ESCALATORS [ex Meteors] – Moving Staircases (Ace CDHP 017, Dec 2006)

7. THE EVERLY BROTHERS – The Everly Brothers (Ace CDCHM 1127, Sep 2006)

8. FUNKADELIC – Maggot Brain (Ace/Westbound CDHP 030, Aug 2007)

9. CHUCK HIGGINS – Pachucko Hop (Ace CDHP 024, April 2007)

10. B. B. KING – The Jungle (Ace/Kent CDHP 031, Nov 2007)

11. JOHNNY MOPED – Cycledelic (Ace/Chiswick CDHP 029, Oct 2007)

12. JACKIE LEE – The Duck (Ace/Kent CDHP 032, Dec 2010)

13. LONNIE MACK – The Wham Of That Memphis Man! (Ace CDCHM 1134, Nov 2006)

14. MOTORHEAD – Motorhead [1977 Debut LP] (Ace/Chiswick CDHP 021, Oct 2007)

15. THE OLYMPICS – Something Old, Something New (Ace/Kent CDHP 018, Dec 2006)

16. THE RADIO STARS – Songs For Swinging Lovers (Ace/Chiswick CDWIKM 5, June 2006)

17. THE SONICS – Here Are The Sonics! (Ace/Big Beat CDHP 022, Feb 2007)

18. THE SONICS – The Sonics Boom (Ace/Big Beat CDHP 023, April 2007)

19. ROOSEVELT SYKES [aka 'The Honeydripper'] – Sings The Blues (Ace CDCHM 1132, Nov 2006)

20. VARIOUS – For Dancers Only [Kent's 1st Reissue LP compilation] (Ace/Kent CDHP 019, Feb 2007)

21. VARIOUS – For Dancers Also [Kent's 2nd Reissue LP compilation] (Ace/Kent CDHP 020, April 2007)

22. VARIOUS – Hollywood Rock 'n' Roll [80ts Rockabilly compilation] (Ace CDHP 026, July 2007)

23. VARIOUS – Fool's Gold [70ts Punk compilation] (Ace/Chiswick CDHP 028, August 2007)

24. LINK WRAY – Early Recordings (Ace/Chiswick CDCHM 6, June 2006

25. THE ZOMBIES – Odyssey And Oracle (Ace/Big Beat CDHP 025, June 2007)