Blues Hit Big Town
The long-overdue release of this seminal collection on CD is cause for celebration; not only that, but Delmark Records added four previously unreleased tracks, making this CD all the more essential for harp fans in general and Junior Wells fans in particular (and what harp fan couldnotlike Wells?). The tracks onBlues Hit Big Townwere recorded in 1953-54 and are thus of historical interest as well; these are Wells's first recordings, done shortly after he joined the Muddy Waters Band. From the slow, smoking "Hoodoo Man" and the title track, to the tight, high-powered "Cut That Out" and "Tomorrow Night," everything here is first-rate, and the added bonus tracks make this re-release a special treat.--Genevieve Williams