"Beef Ball Baby! The New Orleans R&B Sessions" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – 1947 to 1949 Recordings (Eight Previously Unreleased) featuring Eddie Gorman, Paul Gayten, Smiley Lewis, Cousin Joe and His Sextette, Jewel King, Dave Bartholomew and (Velma) Chubby "Hip Shakin'" Newsom (November 2015 UK Ace Records CD Compilation of Nick Robbins Remasters – Part of The King & Deluxe Acetate Series) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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BLUES, VOCAL GROUPS, DOO WOP, ROOTS

RHYTHM 'n' BLUES and ROCK 'n' ROLL ON CD 

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"...When Me And My Baby Boogie Woogie... "

The kind of CD compilation that simply falls by the wayside no matter how good the reissue company's intentions, but this is one you shouldn't ignore. 

I know CDTOP 1435 says the dread word 'Acetate' on the sleeve (these recordings – many unissued - were done between 1947 and 1949), but frankly Frank you would be hard pressed to know it. There's a very real reason England's Ace Records states 'Stupendously rare and unissued New Orleans R&B and Blues in Incomparable sound quality' on the rear sleeve as a tagline - they mean it on all fronts. You get Blues, Rhythm and Blues and even Vocal Group crooner moments in amazing click-less audio quality. And the tunes are good too. To the Beef Balls and the Bedroom Blues of olde New Orleans... 

UK released 27 November 2015 - "Beef Ball Baby! The New Orleans R&B Sessions" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP 1435 (Barcode 029667070829) is a 24-Track CD Compilation in The King & Deluxe Acetate Series that plays out as follows (65:19 minutes):

1. Answer To Chubby's Bedroom Blues - EDDIE GORMAN * 

2. Beef Ball Baby - EDDIE GORMAN 

3. Don't Worry 'Bout Nothin' - PAUL GAYTEN and His Band (Vocal Eddie Gorman) 

4. Hey Now - EDDIE GORMAN *

5. Telephone Blues (Alternate Take) - EDDIE GORMAN * 

6. Worrying About My Love - EDDIE GORMAN *

7. You Don't Move Me No More - EDDIE GORMAN *

8. Swimming Blues - SMILING LEWIS (Smiley Lewis) 

9. Turn On Your Volume, Baby - SMILING LEWIS (Smiley Lewis)

10. Here Comes Smiley - SMILING LEWIS (Smiley Lewis)

11. Love Is Like A Gamble - SMILING LEWIS (Smiley Lewis) 

12. Phoney Woman Blues - COUSIN JOE and His Sextette 

13. Little Woman Blues - COUSIN JOE and His Sextette 

14. It's Dangerous To Be A Husband - COUSIN JOE and His Sextette 

15. Give Me A Clue Baby - JEWEL KING *

16. Go Now - JEWEL KING *

17. Passion Blues - JEWEL KING * 

18. She's Got Great Big Eyes (And Great Big Thighs) - DAVE BARTHOLOMEW and His Sextette

19. Dave's Boogie Woogie - DAVE BARTHOLOMEW and His Sextette

20. Chubby's Confession - CHUBBY "Hip Shakin'" NEWSOM and Her Hip Shakers 

21. Back Bitin' Woman - CHUBBY "Hip Shakin'" NEWSOM and Her Hip Shakers

22. Bed Room Blues - CHUBBY "Hip Shakin'" NEWSOM and Her Hip Shakers 

23. Close To Train Time - CHUBBY "Hip Shakin'" NEWSOM and Her Hip Shakers 

24. New Orleans Lover Man - CHUBBY "Hip Shakin'" NEWSOM and Her Hip Shakers

* Tracks 1, 4 to 7 and 15 to 17 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 

Amidst knowledgeable and affectionate liner notes by Soul and R&B expert TONY ROUNCE - the 12-page booklet pictures those super rare DeLuxe Records 78" labels - "Back Bitin' Woman" by Chubby "Hip Shakin'" Newsom on DeLuxe 3204 and "Turn On Your Volume, Baby" by Smiley Lewis (as Smiling Lewis) on DeLuxe 1099. There are also classy black and white publicity shots for Dave Bartholomew and a fetching Velma 'Chubby' Newsom looking a lot like a smiling LaVern Baker. The last couple of pages provide a Discography as to who plays on what - famous names like Saxophonist Joe Harris and Drummer Earl Palmer. Eight of the tracks are Previously Unreleased with the overall Audio masterfully handled by NICK ROBBINS. 

Faves include the raunchy title track "Beef Ball Baby!" where Eddie Gorman sings the praises of his effortlessly thrilling lady whereas by the time he's gotten to "Worrying About My Love" - the man is distraught at her over friendliness. The Smiley Lewis style of rolling Fats Domino R&B comes sailing out of "Swimming Blues" whilst I can only imagine Velma Newsom and Her 'Hip Shakers' tearing up a storm on any Chitlin Circuit Saturday night. 

Great fun and a disc I like playing a lot. "It's Dangerous To Be A Husband" Cousin Joe tells his Sextette - well it's lethal to have a debit card anywhere near Ace Records of the UK with releases like this...