"Dirty Work Going On: Kent & Modern Records - Blues Into The 60s Vol.1" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Solomon Burke (as King Solomon), T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Big Jay McNeely, Little Joe Blue, Larry Davis, Fillmore Slim [aka Billy Ray], Flash Terry and more (July 2020 UK Ace Records CD Compilation of Remasters with Seven Previously Unissued Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...My New Figure Mama Sure Looks Good To Me..."

By the end of the Fifties, hard-hitting gutbucket Blues had morphed into a more commercial type of shuffling Rhythm & Blues which quickly then became the softer and more upbeat sooth of early Soul. 

Despite emphasising Blues in its title - this first volume of two CD compilations dealing with the US Kent & Modern labels and their 60s output straddles all of those genres really and is a hugely enjoyable listen for it (Volume 2 "If I Have To Wreck L.A." followed in September 2020 and is reviewed separately, pictured below). 

Although Ace say the emphasis is on Blues, most tracks veer towards R&B while all have those witty lyrical vignettes of domestic misery we love where it's always someone else's fault. With that in mind, "Dirty Work Going On..." serves you up clip-winged jealous angels, new figure mama's, fast guns, fine mellow bodies and bad-luck midnight skinny uptight Texas types, so let's get our hands mucky people and have at it...

UK released Friday, 31 July 2020 - "Dirty Work Going On: Kent & Modern Records - Blues Into The 60s Vol.1" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDCHD 1571 (Barcode 029667098724) offers 26 Remastered Tracks (Seven are Previously Unissued) that play out as follows (74:14 minutes):

1. Go Ahead - FILLMORE SLIM (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED, 1962 Kent Recording)

2. New Figure - KING SOLOMON (1966 US 45-single on Kent 45x451, B-side of "S K Blues" - for A-side see 10)

3. Understanding - LITTLE JOE BLUE (1967 recording first issued in March 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's" on P-Vine PCD 3060)

4. Hey Hey Baby - T-BONE WALKER (January 1965 US 45-single on Modern 1004, A-side - for B-side see Track 13)

5. It Can Only Hurt For So Long - LARRY DAVIS (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED 1970 Kent Recording)

6. On My Way Back Home (Alternate Take) - FLASH TERRY (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED take of Kent 310, a 1958 US 45-single A-side - for B-side see Track 15)

7. Please Mr. President - KING SOLOMON (1966 US 45-single on Kent 45x446, A-side - for B-side see Track 25)

8. Jealous Woman - T-BONE WALKER (1964 recording firs issued in 1992 on the UK Various Artists 3CD compilation "60 Great Blues Recordings" on Cascade CBOXCD 3)

9. Dirty Work Going On (Take 8) - LITTLE JOE BLUE (1964 recording first issued in March 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's" on P-Vine PCD 3060)

10. S K Blues - KING SOLOMON (1966 US 45-single on Kent 45x451, A-side, for B-side "New Figure" see Track 2)

11. Something About You Baby (Take 7) - LARRY DAVIS (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED 1970 Kent Recording)

12. Fast Gun Annie - BILLY RAY [aka Fillmore Slim] (1962 recording first issued in June 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's Vol.2" on P-Vine PCD 3063)

13. Should I Let Her Go - T-BONE WALKER (January 1965 US 45-single on Modern 1004, B-side - for A-side see Track 4)

14. Consider Yourself (Extended) - STACY JOHNSON (1965 recording first issued in March 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's" on P-Vine PCD 3060)

15. One Thing We Know - FLASH TERRY (1958 US 45-single on Kent 310, A-side - for alternate of the A-side see Track 6)

16. Let Me Be Your Eagle Baby (Take 1) - KING SOLOMON (1966 recording that first appeared on the 1999 Japan-Only Various Artists CD Compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's Vol.3" on P-Vine PCD-3065)

17. Blues In G Minor (Blues Guitar) - BIG JAY McNEELY (1968 US 45-single on Modern 45xMX32, B-side of "Deacon's Hop")

18. Love Will Lead You Right - T-BONE WALKER (1964 recording first appeared on the 1988 UK LP compilation "Blues Around Midnight" on Ace Records CH 235) 

19. Almost Midnight (Take 3) - KING SOLOMON (1966 recording that first appeared on the 1999 Japan-Only Various Artists CD Compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's Vol.3" on P-Vine PCD-3065)

20. Playboy (Underdub) - BILLY RAY [aka Fillmore Slim] (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED Version of the A-side to a US 45-single on Kent 45x367)

21. Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It (Take 3) - LITTLE JOE BLUE (1964 recording first issued in March 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's" on P-Vine PCD 3060)

22. Sweet Little Angel - LARRY DAVIS (January 1969 US 45-single on Kent K-507, A-side)

23. Down Now (Take 3) - B.B. KING (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED 1961 Kent Recording)

24. Jimmy's Special - LITTLE JOE BLUE (1967 recording first issued in March 1999 on the Japan-Only Various Artists CD compilation "West Coast Modern Blues 1960's" on P-Vine PCD 3060)

25. Mr. Bad Luck - KING SOLOMON (1966 US 45-single on Kent 45x446, B-side - for A-side see Track 7)

26. Texas Queen (Underdub) - BILLY RAY [aka Fillmore Slim] (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED Version of Kent 367)

Tracks 1, 5, 6, 11, 20, 23 and 26 are PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED 

The 16-page booklet features informative liner notes courtesy of DICK SHURMAN sat alongside photos of those rare US 45-labels and rare publicity shots of heroes like Little Joe Blue, B.B. King and Big Jay McNeely (dig T-Bone Walker looking cool with a cigarette in his mouth and that huge guitar in hand) while DUNCAN COWELL does his usual spectacular best - the Audio kicking ass on every tune. The fidelity (despite the age) is at times eerily brill. To the listen...

Clever inclusions are several tracks from those desirable but long-deleted 'P-Vine' CD compilations out of Japan as well as early Ace releases. "Dirty Work Going On..." opens with a Blues bruiser, the rough and ready "Go Ahead" where Fillmore Slim finally gets a 1962 Kent Records recording an airing. Far funnier and better recorded comes the first of four fab songs from Atlantic Records stalwart Solomon Burke credited as 'King Solomon'. Our robe-be-draped hero is digging his lady's "New Figure" where she may have put on a few pounds but it's in all the right places. Speaking of genre heroes, T-Bone Walker gets hugely enjoyable cuts - the first of which is the very B.B. King shuffle of "Hey Hey Baby" where the big man is prepared to forgive his dirty no-good mistreater of a gal if she'll only agree to come home and face the music never mind his guitar (what a guy). But it gets worse - T-Bone is then afraid to go asleep in "Jealous Woman" 'cause his latest squeeze will stab him in his PJ's if he gawks at his old girlfriend ' that way' again. 

Fantastic audio accompanies the witty brass and bass roll of "S K Blues" where Solomon Burke wants the wig he bought his lady back because she keeps on doing him wrong (the Lord done forgot to give her hair apparently). There is something about his baby that lingers in the mind of Larry Davis, a fabulous slow mooching of a Blues song with nifty guitar work (Take 7 is Previously Unissued and is a genuine find). Heartbreaker and money-taker Billy Ray (Fillmore Slim) jumps in his Cadilac for "Playboy" – or is it a Coupe de Ville? Little Joe Blues has deep regrets in "Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It Too" – naturally this B.B. King-sounding singer finds that the want for too much sugar is on his lady’s side (the man is blemishless). And on it goes...

A great listen, Bluesy, Shufflers when you need them, Fun moments and those superb unreleased along with eight from Solomon Burke and T-Bone Walker lifting up everything to winner status. 

"I got a sweet little angel and I love the way she spread her wings... " - Larry Davis pines on "Sweet Little Angel". He asked her for a nickel and she gave him a twenty-dollar bill. Well, "Dirty Work Going On: Kent & Modern Records - Blues Into The 60s Vol.1" does the same...