Jimmy McCracklin - The Modern Recordings 1948-50 (1999)

Tracklist

01. Reelin' & Rockin' AKA Rockin' All Day
02. Deceivin' Blues (Alternate Take)
03. Beer Drinkin' Woman
04. I'll Get a Break Some Day
05. Love When It Rains AKA Rainy Weather Blues
06. Deceivin' Blues
07. I Think My Time Is Here
08. Josephine
09. Bad Condition Blues
10. Blues Blasters' Shuffle (Instrumental)
11. Oh! I'm in Love
12. You Deceived Me
13. Gotta Cut Out
14. Up and Down Blues
15. Racket Blues (Take 2)
16. Bad Health Blues
17. Just Won't Let Her Go
18. Don't Mistreat Me (Take 1)
19. Cold Hearted (Take 2)
20. Your Heart Ain't Right
21. Hamburger Joint
22. Crying Blues
23. Mistreating Me (Demo Version)
24. Bad Health Blues (Demo Version)
25. 1942 Boogie

Although McCracklin had already been recording for a few years, his association with Modern marked his first reasonably long tenure with an established label. This 25-track disc covers his first stay with the company, covering a half dozen singles, three songs that first showed up on the 1981 Ace album And His Blues Blasters, and ten demos, outtakes, and alternate takes that were previously unissued. It's solid small-combo West Coast jump blues, sometimes embellished by the tenor saxophone of Maxwell Davis. It's more interesting on the speedy, jumpy numbers, although McCracklin was competent at setting an after-hours vibe on the slower ones. The drums-piano-guitar trio, especially guitarist Robert Kelton, gets into a real frenetic groove on the 1948 instrumental "Blues Blasters' Shuffle"; "Hamburger Joint" is a silly novelty whose spoken repartee verges on sleaziness. In a more serious mood are two previously unissued McCracklin solo piano demos, "Mistreating Me" and "Bad Health Blues."

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