Search - Various Artists :: Dues Paid: The Bluestime Story

When Bob Thiele founded Flying Dutchman in 1969 he set up the Bluestime subsidiary at the same time. He had run ABC's Bluesway label where B.B. King had made some excellent LPs and wanted to create a similar imprint for his company. Bluestime released a series of high quality blues albums by some greats and some unknowns. This compilation anthologises its short life.The cream of the crop was probably T-Bone Walker, who had revolutionised electric guitar in the 1940s. The two tracks from his hard-to-find album Everyday I Have The Blues are being reissued for the first time (as are most of the tracks here). They show Walker mixing blues with a touch of funk, and being totally in control. Otis Spann's recordings made at some of his final sessions before he died in 1970 are of a similar ilk.Also included are works by George 'Harmonica' Smith, Big Joe Turner and a previously unreleased live version of Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton, updating it perfectly for the late 60s. Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson's track shows his sly humorous jump blues retained a relevance for the time.The extended version of Paris Blues from the all-star Super Black Blues session which featured Walker, Spann, Turner and Smith plus an astounding guitar solo; the odd Plaster Caster Blues Band, and a couple of tracks from the Super Black Blues follow-up from T-Bone Walker and Leon Thomas are featured. One unusual item is the track by Malcolm & Chris, two white blues players who were discovered by B.B. King, who went on to produce their album, probably the most obscure LP in B.B.'s discography.