Atlantic Blues (1949-1970) (4CD)
£39.99
Description:
2007 marked the 60th anniversary of Atlantic Records, one of the most influential independent music companies of all time. Founded by a pair of jazz and blues aficionados -- the late Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson -- Atlantic quickly became the country's preeminent R&B label (in fact, longtime Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler is widely credited with coining the term “Rhythm & Blues”). Rhino Handmade pays tribute to the label's lasting legacy with Atlantic Blues (1949-1970), a 4-CD box set highlighting the wide variety of blues that found a home at Atlantic.
Produced by Billy Vera, Atlantic Blues features 80 tracks culled from the label's ffirst four decades, featuring virtually every style of blues imaginable. From the down-home sounds of Blind Willie McTell to the urban jump of Joe Morris, from male and female shouters like Joe Turner and LaVern Baker, to sophisticated instrumental work from the likes of Jimmy Yancey and T-Bone Walker, it's all here. Among the other artists featured on Atlantic Blues are New Orleans piano great Professor Longhair, Leadbelly, Jimmy Witherspoon, Champion Jack Dupree, Esther Phillips, Freddie King, and Otis Rush. Soul legends Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin also weigh in with several sides that showcase their skills as blues singers.
The first of a trio of limited-edition boxed sets honoring genres championed by the label, ATLANTIC BLUES (1949-1970) is presented in a sepia-toned 12'' x 12'' box that includes a booklet filled with extensive liner notes and rare photos. Atlantic's very first hit -- Stick McGhee and His Buddies' “Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee” - was a blues record, and as this new Rhino Handmade collection convincingly demonstrates, both the music and the label built on it were made to last