Here's a welcome surprise for blues fans, who
might have been despairing they'd never again
get a CD full of juicy rarities and previously
unreleased goodies.
Ray Dobard's Music City imprint didn't record
or release a vast amount of blues as Dobard
soon began to concentrate on the label's
trademark vocal group recordings. But what
there is gives a fascinating and previously
unseen glimpse of life in Berkeley at the time.
Compiled by Roger Armstrong and Alec Palao,
with notes from Lee Hildebrand, there is
something for every shade of blues fan, from
the juke joint to the lounge.
22 of the generous 28 tracks are previously
unreleased. And while there are plenty
obscurities, there also first-time releases for
bigger names like Roy Hawkins, Little Willie
Littlefield and Jimmy 'T99' Nelson.