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Saturday, August 20, 2016

Rockin' With Reed - Jimmy Reed

Rockin' With Reed
Jimmy Reed
Vee-Jay LP 1008
1959

Sometimes the discount bin coughs up a surprise. In this case, the original release of this LP which can also be found as digital download from your usual vendors and also, apparently, in re-release on vinyl. No secret to blues collectors, this is a fine LP and there are many examples of the cover art to be found online. However, I could not locate a nice example of the back cover, so I'm sharing a scan from my copy.

Read Reed's wiki page and you'll find that The Rolling Stones and Jerry Garcia, amongst a number of artists were influenced by his work. I sight these two artist here, because I can certainly hear Reed's influence in their work.

I like to give credit to Vee Jay's engineers for applying studio quality recording techniques to the set, without over producing. They left the basic raw emotion of Reed's dynamic style well enough alone to produce an amazing blues LP.

From Billboard - September14, 1959: Reed created good sales with his first package. This one should find a ready market. It's authentic blues with Reed accompanying himself on harmonica and guitar, and the bass and drums giving a solid beat. In the folk style, the tunes are Reed's own.

Going To New York
A String To Your Heart
Ends & Odds
Caress Me Baby
Take Out Some Insurance
The Moon Is Rising
Down In Virgina
I Know It's A Sin
Wanna Be Loved

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