The Boss of the Blues

Infobox Album
Name = The Boss of the Blues
Type = live
Artist = Big Joe Turner


Released = June 1956
Recorded =
Genre = R&B
Length =
Label = Atlantic
Producer = Nesuhi Ertegun, Jerry Wexler
Reviews = Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fpxqualdje~T0 link]
Last album = " Joe Turner Sings Kansas City Jazz"
(1953)
This album = "The Boss of the Blues"
(1956)
Next album = "Big Joe Rides Again"
(1959)

"The Boss of the Blues" is a 1956 album by American blues shouter Big Joe Turner. Originally released on the Atlantic label, the album has been reissued many times on cassette and CD by Atlantic, Rhino Records and Collectables.

History

From the 1920s through the 1930s, Big Joe Turner and boogie-woogie pianist Pete Johnson enjoyed a successful and highly influential collaboration that, following their appearance at Carnegie Hall on December 23 1938, helped launch a craze for boogie-woogie in the United states.McGee, David. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bigjoeturner/biography Big Joe Turner] "Rolling Stone". Reproduced from The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Accessed October 22 2007.] allmusicguide |id=11:kiftxq95ldae~T1|label=Big Joe Turner] After the pair separated, Turner continued to experience cross-genre musical success, establishing himself as one of the founders of rock and roll with such smash hits as "Shake, Rattle and Roll", but he did not turn his back on his roots. "The Boss of the Blues" marks one of the last reunions Turner would have with Johnson,allmusicguide |id=10:d9fpxqualdje |label=Boss of the Blues] as, supported by a number of swing's best performers, they re-created a number of the classic tracks that had helped lay the groundwork for rhythm and blues.

Track listing

"Except where otherwise indicated, all tracks composed by Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner."
#"Cherry Red" – 3:21
#"Roll 'Em Pete" – 3:41
#"I Want a Little Girl" (Murray Mencher, Billy Moll) – 4:16
#"Low Down Dog" (Turner) – 3:38
#"Wee Baby Blues" – 7:15
#"You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)" (Walter Donaldson) – 4:10
#"How Long Blues" (traditional) – 5:43
#"Morning Glories" (traditional) – 3:39
#"St. Louis Blues" (W.C. Handy) – 4:17
#"Piney Brown Blues" – 4:49

Personnel

Performance

*Lawrence Brown – trombone
*Pete Brown – alto saxophone
*Freddie Green – guitar
*Pete Johnson – piano
*Cliff Leeman – drums
*Joe Newman – trumpet
*Jimmy Nottingham – trumpet
*Walter Page – double bass
*Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone
*Big Joe Turner – vocals
*Frank Wess – tenor saxophone

Production

*Whitney Balliett – liner notes
*Bob Defrin – art direction, design
*Nesuhi Ertegun – producer, Supervisor
*Len Frank – engineer
*Marvin Israel – artwork
*Curtice Taylor – hand coloring
*Jerry Wexler – producer, supervisor
*Ernie Wilkins – arranger

References