"The Boss Of The Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz: The Complete Mono And Stereo Recordings Recorded In New York City 1956" by JOE TURNER (February 2020 German Bear Family 2CD Compilation Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Rock Me Baby, All Night Long..."

When I first picked up on Atlantic R&B in the mid 70s, I was an Irish teenager living in Dublin embroiled in Rock, Prog, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Punk and New Wave. I knew of some old Blues, Boogie Woogie, Rhythm 'n' Blues and Rock 'n' Roll like everyone else in the schoolyard, but hard copies were so scarce on the LP ground that it only registered as something vaguely interesting in the musical distance.

But when the stunning seven double-albums Box Set "Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974" appeared on vinyl in 1985 - everything changed. With an awakened lust for authentic Blues and R&B of the Forties and Fifties, I went into The Clovers, Ruth Brown, La Vern Baker, The Coasters and Clyde McPhatter's Drifters big time and I've been chasing that low down dog ever since. When you dive into that joyous music, you quickly come against one of Atlantic Records' biggest stars of the 50ts day - BIG JOE TURNER. 

His first US Blues Album proper had been a self-titled duet with piano genius Pete Johnson on Emarcy Records in June 1955 and what we're dealing with here is technically his second LP release from June 1956 (his debut for Atlantic after five years of 78s and 45s).

So when I hear that one of the best reissue labels in the world (Bear Family of Germany) is finally going to tackle one of the early Atlantic Records giants - then I'm gonna sit up, get my tights in a tangle and a don that nylon hose baby (it can be a problem at times I know). And true to BF's longstanding rep, their double-CD of Big Joe Turner's landmark second album "The Boss Of The Blues..." is a cockle-doodle-doo rooster-crowing humdinger – especially on the Stereo Audio front. Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first...

German/UK/Europe released 14 February 2020 - "The Boss Of The Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz: The Complete Mono And Stereo Recordings Recorded In New York City 1956" by JOE TURNER on Bear family BCD 17505 (Barcode 5397102175053) is a 2CD 32-Track Compilation of his second studio album from 1956, originally on Atlantic Records. This newly remastered issue features the 10-track US and UK LP in both Mono and Stereo form with 12 Bonus Track Outtakes from the original March 1956 New York Sessions and it breaks down as follows:

CD1 (71:11 minutes):

1. Cherry Red - STEREO [Side 1]

2. Roll 'Em Pete - STEREO

3. I Want A Little Girl - STEREO

4. Low Down Dog - STEREO

5. Wee Baby Blues - STEREO

6. You're Driving Me Crazy - STEREO [Side 2]

7. How Long Blues - STEREO

8. Morning Glories - STEREO

9. St. Louis Blues - STEREO

10. Piney Brown Blues - STEREO

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "The Boss Of The Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz" - originally issued June 1956 in the USA in MONO only on Atlantic 1234, the STEREO version first appeared January 1958 in the USA as an 'Open Reel Tape' on Atlantic ALC 1901 (this rarity is pictured on Page 8 of the booklet) with the VINYL 'High Fidelity' STEREO LP showing in September 1958 as Atlantic SD 1234. The British LP first appeared February 1957 in MONO-only on London American Recordings LTZ-K 15053 and then June 1959 (over two years later) in STEREO on London SAH-K 6019 (American Series).

11. Pennies From Heaven – STEREO **

A March 1956 "Boss Of The Blues" outtake used to bolster up the track run for the September 1959 original recordings that made up the "Big Joe Rides Again" LP issued in the USA in July 1960 on Atlantic SD 1332.

12. Roll 'Em Pete [Take 4] - MONO **

13. Roll 'Em Pete [Take 5] - MONO **

14. Cherry Red Blues [Take 1] - MONO **

15. Cherry Red Blues [Takes 2 and 3] - MONO **

16. Morning Glories [Takes 1 and 4] - MONO **

17. Low Down Dog [Take 4] - MONO **

** Tracks 11 to 17 are BONUS TRACKS

CD2 (62:47 minutes):

1. Cherry Red - MONO [Side 1]

2. Roll 'Em Pete - MONO

3. I Want A Little Girl - MONO

4. Low Down Dog - MONO

5. Wee Baby Blues - MONO

6. You're Driving Me Crazy - MONO [Side 2]

7. How Long Blues - MONO

8. Morning Glories - MONO

9. St. Louis Blues - MONO

10. Piney Brown Blues - MONO

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "The Boss Of The Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz" - originally issued September 1956 in the USA in MONO only on Atlantic 1234 (the STEREO version is Tracks 1 to 10 on CD1). The British MONO LP first appeared February 1957 in MONO-only on London American Recordings LTZ-K 15053.

11. Pennies From Heaven - MONO **

A March 1956 "Boss Of The Blues" outtake used to bolster up the track run for the September 1959 original recordings that made up the "Big Joe Rides Again" LP issued in the USA in July 1960 on Atlantic 1332 (Mono).

12. Testing The Blues - MONO **

13. St. Louis Blues [Take 1] - MONO **

14. You're Driving Me Crazy - MONO **

15. I Want A Little Girl [Takes 1 and 3] - MONO **

The album was recorded across two days, 6 and 7 March 1956 at the Carnegie Hall Recoding Company on 57th Street in New York with the following personnel:

BIG JOE TURNER – Vocals

PETE JOHNSON – Piano

FREDDIE GREEN – Guitar

PETE BROWN – Alto Saxophone

FRANK WESS – Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10 only)

SELDON POWELL – Tenor Saxophone (Tracks 3, 5, 6, 9 and 11 only)

LAWRENCE BROWN – Trombone

JOE NEWMAN – Trumpet (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 and 10 only)

JIMMY NOTTINGHAM – Trumpet (Tracks 3, 5, 6, 9 and 11 only)

WALTER PAGE – Bass

CLIFF LEEMAN - Drums

If I’m completely honest, the three-way foldout card sleeve packaging comes on as a bit of a disappointment. As you can see, the pictures of BJT on the inside flaps aren’t anything like the period memorabilia we’re used to from BF and the bare tightly-fitted CDs inside each flap will cause problems for those wanting to remove them without greasy thumb-prints or scratches. The 24-page booklet stuck inside the centre flap almost caused me to rip the whole damn thing trying to get it out. On the upside COLIN ESCOTT provides the liner notes and Discography at the rear and (as always) offers up his knowledge and affection on the subject matter in an entertaining and enlightening way.

Downsides – although the Side 1 US label for Atlantic SD 1234 is repro’d and there are a couple of photos of our hero (one with Alan Freed and those Mercury Records R&B stars Buddy and Ella Johnson (Page 7) – the 1956 or 1957 LPs actual cover artwork or rear sleeve isn’t here for either the US or UK variants on Atlantic and London Records nor are the subsequent reissues of the album (Discography too). But you do get a genuine oddity and rarity. As you can see from the info I’ve provided above, the STEREO variant first appeared in January 1958 not on an LP but on an 'Open Top Reel' of Tape. I've never seen a picture anywhere of Atlantic Records ALC-1912 and a quick Superhighway trawl tells me that (it looks like) neither has anyone else! While the expensive LP might have set a punter back four or five bucks (a lot back then), the reel-to-reel tape was aimed at Hi-Fi buffs and cost a whopping twelve dollars – so I can't imagine how many of these first issued Blues Album in Stereo things are actually still intact and in existence in 2020.

But all of those minor gripes are wiped away once I clock my enormo-lugs on the AUDIO – Disc Transfers and Mastering care of MARLON KLEIN. The last CD I had of this album was a Japanese 2012 issue that claimed DSD Remastering – and it was/is great. But this Bear Family 2020 offering is another ball game altogether. Hardly surprising that Bear start with the STEREO variant on Disc 1 because its shockingly good – the separation clean and the sound just gorgeous. By the time I was onto "Roll 'Em Pete" or "How Long Blues" or even the cheesy outtake "Pennies From Heaven" – I was blubbing like a Wall Street Banker with a Covid-19 thermometer in his gob.

The other Bonus Outtakes are like eavesdropping on history albeit in a much muddier way – the Audio is compromised - but Takes 4 and 5 of the fabulous horn-bopper "Roll 'Em Pete" even with a distant vocal sound cool to me and I've never heard of "Testing The Blues" over on the MONO CD2. Tasty…

Pete Johnson passed in March 1967 and Big Joe lasted until November 1985 - gigging to the end because he needed to pay the bills (Ahmet Ertegun, the co-founder of Atlantic Records paid off his debt so that his wife could live on in their home free of worry). Anyone who loves old timey Rhythm 'n' Blues and especially the fantastic Atlantic Records sound - will cry at this release. And isn't that how we should remember a man many feel was the greatest R'n'B and Blues shouter of em all...