Electric blues was a genre that was mainly coming from the challenged ‘hoods of Chicago. It developed in the Thirties and Fourties, but had come to a standstill in the Sixties. By that time, it was viewed as a conservative cousin of jazz, an offshoot of that other quaint tradition: folk rock. It was in this atmosphere that music historian Samual Charters brought together nine blues artists to make some low-budget recordings.
The result has been single handedly responsible for the survival of electric blues as a genre. The influence of these records can be heard in the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and Steppenwolf. All of these have had this record in their own collections. I think this is the only compilation album in my collection that made it into a remastering, and is actually re-released several times by its owner, Vanguard Records. In 2021 it was released as part of the record store day specials, on 180 grams and again remastered.
A lucky find, and one that immediately got my attention for its sheer enjoyment. Good quality, a recommended listen.