Blues Compilation - Various Artists

This Is the Blues Harmonica Vol. 2
Delmark DE 780
2004

The tin sandwich, Mississippi saxophone, mouth organ... are just a few names for one of the most ubiquitous blues instruments. In some hands, it's a Stradivarius, in others, a child's toy. On This Is the Blues Harmonica Vol. 2, it becomes a wailing wildcat, a screaming cyclone and a whirling hurdy gurdy of powerful emotion and mind-wrenching expression.

This disk is a compilation of the greatest known and unknown artists from Jr. Wells, Little Walter and Big Walter to relatively obscure local practitioners like the Hudson Valley's Little Sammy Davis or NYC born, Chicago harp ace Tad Robinson. The variety of approaches ranges from the Delta acoustic of Hammie Nixon, who backed Sleepy John Estes, to the powerful Chicago sounds of Shakey Jake and Carey Bell. Another side of the harp is the hot swinging West Coast sound as purveyed by Mark Hummel, or the old timey sound recreations (like our Rocket does) on the harp as blown on "Fox Chase/Lost John" by Walto Pace.

From roots to rockin', the harp has been there as a supporter, or the star, and this is as fine a compilation as you can get, especially if the Windy City's blues classics move you the same now as the first time you shook your booty to 'em!

On TGB scale, this platter lands squarely on Venus.

This review was written by Dr. Blues and is being reproduced with his permission.