Bloodshot Eyes: The Best of Wynonie Harris
Shouter Wynonie Harris did more than provide a link between small-combo R&B; and the rock & roll of the '50s: the best of the jump-blues sides contained here rival Little Richard's greatest singles for sheer honking-sax raucousness. Harris's image--that of a suave wise guy with one eye on the skirts and the other on the bottle--helped define the music in an age when it was still largely targeted at adult audiences. The combination of spirited lyrics with driving performances by high-caliber jazzers--Ellington trumpet staple Cat Anderson, pianist Milt Buckner, and the great guitarist Mickey Baker are among the personnel--also served as a major influence on the '90s swing-revival bands. But the true proof of Harris's timelessness is the indefatigable energy that still blares (literally) from these sides. If anything, the unbeatable Harris made his hottest music--"Quiet Whiskey," "Down Boy Down"--after his string of hits ran out. What did he care, as long as the party started on time?--Rickey Wright