Spread over two discs and a total of 36 tracks,
Roots of Rhythm & Blues
profiles
rock & roll
's predecessor with a potent and key mix of
blues
,
swing
(combo and
big band
), and
jump blues
from mostly the '40s. And the variety is never lacking, as
T-Bone Walker
delivers his dirty-guitar
alongside
Charles Brown
's congenial piano-bar musings. The mix is a dizzying -- yet still cogent -- array of musical genius, taking in a the likes of
Billy Eckstine
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
Louis Jordan
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Joe Liggins
Dinah Washington
Lionel Hampton
, and
Wynonie Harris
, among many others. Whether your vote for most important figure is
Big "Joe" Turner
or maybe even
Johnny Otis
, this
R&B
primer will go a long way in getting you up to speed on one of modern music's most vital eras. ~ Stephen Cook