“The Complete Chess Recordings” by JIMMY ROGERS. A Review of the 2CD MCA/Chess Compilation From 1997.

"…I Know You’re In Love With Some Other Man…But That’s All Right…"

USA released in April 1997 as part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations “The Complete Chess Recordings” is a 2CD set containing 51 tracks. It gathers up the A&B-sides of 13 singles between 1950 and 1957, 11 songs from the 1976 2LP Chess retrospective “Jimmy Rogers” and then tags on 14 previously unreleased tracks (1 on Disc 1, 13 on Disc 2).

I’ve filled in the catalogue numbers below by way of a discography - so MCA/Chess CHD2-9372 breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (74:28 minutes):
1. That's All Right
2. Luedella (Chess 1435, A&B sides)
3. Goin' Away Baby
4. Today, Today Blues (Chess 1442, A&B sides)
5. I Used To Have A Woman (Chess 1506, A-side)
6. The World's In A Tangle
7. She Loves Another Man (Chess 1453, A&B sides)
8. Money, Marbles And Chalk (Chess 1476, A-side)
9. Hard Working Man (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
10. Chance To Love (Chess 1476, B-side)
11. My Little Machine (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
12. Back Door Friend (Chess 1506, B-side)
13. Crying Shame (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
14. Mistreated Baby (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
15. The Last Time (Chess 1519, A-side)
16. What's The Matter (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
17. Out On The Road (Chess 1519, B-side)
18. Left Me With A Broken Heart
19. Act Like You Love Me (Chess 1543, A&B sides)
20. Blues All Day Long (Blues Leave Me Alone) (Chess 1616, B-side)
21. Chicago Bound
22. Sloppy Drunk (Chess 1574, A&B sides)
23. You're The One (First Version) [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
24. You're The One (Chess 1616, A-side)
25. If It Ain't Me (Who Are You Thinking Of) (Chess 1643, A-side)

Disc 2 (70:23 minutes):
1. Walking By Myself (Chess 1643, B-side)
2. I Can't Believe
3. One Kiss (Chess 1659, A&B sides)
4. What Have I Done (Chess 1687, A-side)
5. My Baby Don't Love Me No More (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
6. Trace Of You (Chess 1687, B-side)
7. Don't You Know My Baby (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
8. Don't Turn Me Down [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
9. Looka Here [Previously Unreleased]
10. This Has Never Been (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
11. Rock This House
12. My Last Meal (Chess 1721, A&B sides)
13. You Don't Know (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
14. Can't Keep From Worrying (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
15. Luedella (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
16. Act Like You Love Me (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
17. What Have I Done (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
18. My Baby Don't Love Me Anymore (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased In The USA]
19. Trace Of You (Alternate) (1976 2LP Set “Jimmy Rogers: on Chess 2CHMD-207)
20. Don't You Know My Baby (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
21. Don't Turn Me Down (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
22. This Has Never Been (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
23. Rock This House (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
24. My Last Meal (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
25. You Don't Know (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]
26. Can't Keep From Worrying (Alternate) [Previously Unreleased]

Willie Dixon and/or Leonard and Phil Chess produced the original recordings in Chicago and top engineer ERICK LABSON has remastered the first generation tapes for this release (has over 900 credits to his name and has handled huge swathes of the Chess catalogue). Given the notorious limitations of the original recordings, the sound quality of the remaster is typically excellent - except on “Don’t Turn Me Down” which was dubbed from disc.

The 16-page booklet has liner notes by MARY KATHERINE ALDIN (of the “Living Blues” magazine) who did such great work on the “Spoon So Easy” Jimmy Witherspoon CD and the “Chess Blues” 4CD box set of 1993 (see separate reviews). The bevy of previously unreleased ‘Alternate’ takes are excellent too and the sessions featured big draws for blues collectors - Little Walter, Otis Spann, Walter “Shakey” Horton and even Muddy Waters.

Jimmy Rogers (real name James Lane) died in 1997 at the ripe old age of 73 – the year this set came out. At least he is remembered well by it.

A rare release now – but absolutely worth hunting down.

JIMMY ROGERS Chess Singles Discography (78s and 45s)

1. That’s All Right b/w Luedella (1950, Chess 1435)
2. Goin’ Away Baby b/w Today, Today Blues (1950, Chess 1442)
3. The World’s In A Tangle b/w She Loves Another Man (1951, Chess 1453)
4. Money, Marbles And Chalk b/w Chance To Love (1951, Chess 1476)
5. I Used To Have A Woman b/w Back Door Friend (1951, Chess 1506)
6. The Last Time b/w Out On The Road (1952, Chess 1519)
7. Left Me With A Broken Heart b/w Act Like You Love Me (1953, Chess 1543)
8. Chicago Bound b/w Sloppy Drunk (1954, Chess 1574)
9. You’re The One b/w Blues All Day Long (Blues Leave Me Alone) (1956, Chess 1616)
10. Walking By Myself b/w If It Ain’t Me (Who Are You Thinking Of) (1957, Chess 1643)
11. One Kiss b/w I Can’t Believe (1957, Chess 1659)
12. What Have I Done b/w Trace Of You (1957, Chess 1687)
13. Rock This House b/w My Last Meal (1959, Chess 1721)

1, 2, 4, 11, 12 and 13 credited to JIMMY ROGERS
3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 credited to JIMMY ROGERS and HIS ROCKING FOUR

“Chess Blues”, 1993 USA-Only 4CD Box Set on MCA/Chess CHD4-9340. A Review…

“…I Woke Up This Morning…Couldn’t Even Get Out Of Bed…”

Released in early 1993 in the USA, the 101 tracks on this 4CD box represented the first proper overview by MCA of the Chess Blues legacy since their acquisition of its entire catalogue way back in 1985. And even now (in late 2009) with many subsequent compilations and box sets having followed - I estimate there are still at least 20 to 30 tracks exclusive to this set.

Here's a basic breakdown (each CD has a themed label):

Disc 1, 1947-1952, 25 Tracks, Yellow Aristocrat Label (73:31 minutes)
Disc 2, 1952-1954, 25 Tracks, Blue Chess Label (73:01 minutes)
Disc 3, 1954-1960, 26 Tracks, Plum Checker Label (73:08 minutes)
Disc 4, 1960-1967, 25 Tracks, Brown Argo Label (71:30 minutes)

"Chess Blues" was produced and co-compiled by ANDY McKAIE and features a wonderful 64-page booklet detailing track-by-track liner notes by MARY KATHERINE ALDIN of the LIVING BLUES Magazine (she handled the liner notes for many of the early Chess compilations). The text is peppered with classy black & whites photos of Chess giants like MUDDY WATERS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, LITTLE WALTER, HOWLIN' WOLF, WILLIE DIXON, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON, CHUCK BERRY and ETTA JAMES. There are a few reproduced trade adverts and an opening comment by PHIL CHESS. Best of all though is the read - the paragraphs have great insights into the songs and revelatory information on long forgotten artists like LAURA RUCKER, ROBERT NIGHTHAWK and ARBEE STIDHAM. Just like Peter Grendysa's liner notes in the "Chess Rhythm & Roll" box that followed it, the booklet in this is a peach.

Remastered from Aristocrat and Chess master tapes by ERICK LABSON (over 800 credits to his name), the sound is great throughout - excepting a few tracks dubbed from disc ("Memory Of Sonny Boy" by FOREST CITY JOE from 1949 is one of them).

The music is far grittier than the "Rhythm & Roll" box where the Blues morphed into Rhythm 'n' Blues and then into Soul, but it's equally brilliant.

Unreleased gems include the fabulous piano-boogie of "Cryin' The Blues" by LAURA RUCKER sounding like a blues'd up version of Nellie Lutcher (lyrics above) - and a truly electrifying stripped down alternate take of "All Night Long" by Muddy Waters (just Muddy on guitar and Little Walter on harmonica) where he wants his woman to "rock me...all night long...'til my back has no bone..." Great stuff!

Listening to "Chess Blues" a full 16 years after its release is still a fabulous experience - and although it's not nearly as rare as it's follow-up set "Chess Rhythm & Roll", it's just as desirable...

Recommended - big time.

PS:
See also 5 separate reviews - the 1994 4CD box set "Chess Rhythm & Roll", the mammoth 15CD box set "The Chess Story 1947-1975" issued in 2000 and it's 3 separate parts issued as stand-alone 5CD sets in 2003

“Spoon So Easy - The Chess Years” by JIMMY WITHERSPOON - A Review of the 1990 USA-Only CD Compilation.

“…One Day We’ve Got Ham And Bacon…The Next Day Ain't Nothin' Shakin'…”

Transferred from the original analogue mono tapes by DOUG SCHWARTZ, “Spoon So Easy” was released in 1990 in the USA on CHD-93003. It was a 12-track LP and 14-track CD (with the two CD bonus tracks being “Mack & Jay” and “Just To Prove My Love To You”). This early Chess compilation is a mix of 7” singles, an LP track and several previously unreleased outtakes. The period is 1954 and 1955 on Chess’ subsidiary label CHECKER.

“It Ain’t No Secret” is Checker 826, “When The Lights Go Out” and “I Can Make It With You” are the A & B of Checker 798 and “I Don’t Know Why (Why Do I Love You Like I Do)” is Checker 826. “Goin Down Slow” is off the Anthology LP “Blues: Shoutin’ Swingin’ And Makin’ Love” (Chess LP 412) while the other 8 tracks are all previously unreleased. Willie Dixon composed the excellent “Live So Easy” (previously unreleased), “I Can Make It With You” and the sexed-up single that should have charted “When The Lights Go Out”.

Soundwise – it’s good – rather than great – but in 2009, the transfer quality of 1990 is really showing its age – especially in the light of Erick Labson’s stunning remasters of almost all the Chess catalogue in 1998 and onwards in the 2000s. The short but affectionate liner notes are by MARY KATHERINE ALDIN of the LIVING BLUES Magazine.

Slow blues – a couple of shouters - it’s a good set, and cheap too - but like so many of the Chess compilations of the period, it’s in real need of an upgrade.