Jimmy Witherspoon – Urban Blues Singing Legend – 1945-1953 – 4 CD

After serving in the Merchant Marines, Jimmy joined Jay McShann's band and started to make his own splash as a blues singer. Here are 108 sides from his postwar (1945-53) prime: his R&B hits Big Fine Girl; The Wind Is Blowin'; In the Evening; No Rollin' Blues , and the unforgettable Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts 1 & 2) , and more!

Track Listing:

CD1:
Jay McShann: 1. Confessing the Blues - 3:11   2. Hard-Working Man's Blues - 3:22   Jay McShann & His Sextette: 3. Shipyard Woman Blues - 3:03   Jay McShann & His Orchestra: 4. Ernestine - 2:50   Jay McShann & His Sextette: 5. Roll on, Katy - 3:06   6. Voodoo Wom an Blues - 2:38   7. I Want a Little Girl - 2:37   8. Have You Ever Loved a Woman - 2:48   9. Gone with the Blues - 2:42   Jimmy Witherspoon: 10. Wandering Gal Blues - 2:52   11. Hey Mr. Landlord - 2:46   12. Hey Mr. Landlord - 2:47   13. Cain River Blues - 2:47   14. How I Hate to See Xmas Come Around - 3:01   15. Third Floor Blues - 2:56   16. Money's Getting Cheaper - 2:57   17. Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough - 2:46   18. Skid Row Blues - 2:50   19. How Long - 3:06   20. Ain't Noboby's Business, Pt. 1 - 2:57   21. Ain't Nobody's Business, Pt.2 - 3:09   22. Back Water Blues - 3:09   23. Frogimore Blues - 2:50   24. Frogimore Blues - 2:55   25. In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down - 3:01   26. In the Evening - 3:10

CD2:
Buddy Tate & His Orchestra: 1. Wee Baby Blues - 3:07   2. Six-Foot-Two Blues - 2:41   Jimmy Witherspoon: 3. How You Gonna Act - 2:48   4. Money Eyes Woman - 2:38   5. Spoon Calls Hootie - 2:45   6. Destruction Blues - 2:36   7. Call My Baby - 2:24   8. The New Look - 2:28   9. Big Heart - 2:42   10. Drunk Broke and Hungry - 2:33   11. Big Eyes Blues - 2:35   12. Funny Style Baby - 2:26   13. Cold Blooded Boogie - 2:45   14. Lush Head Woman - 2:37   15. Long About Dawn - 2:50   16. Miss Clawdy B - 2:29   feat. Al Wichard: 17. Thelma Lee Blues - 2:42   Buddy Tate & His Orchestra: 18. Pinocchio Blues - 2:42   19. Your Red Wagon - 2:46   20. Sweet Lovin' Baby - 2:34   21. Geneva Blues - 2:26   22. Feelin' So Sad - 2:39   23. Same Old Blues - 2:41   24. I Love You Just the Same - 2:49   25. Jump Children - 2:49   26. Take Me Back Baby - 2:44

CD3:
Jimmy Witherspoon: 1. Who's Been Jivin' You - 2:40   2. Rain, Rain, Rain - 2:48   3. When I Had My Money - 3:01   4. Doctor Blues - 2:14   5. Big Fine Girl - 2:31   6. No Rollin' Blues - 3:28   7. Drinkin' Beer (Have a Ball) - 2:13   8. Better Love Next Time, Pt. 1 - 2:18   9. Better Love Next Time, Pt. 2 - 2:29   10. Don't Ever Move a Woman into Your House - 2:53   11. Hard Workin' Blues - 3:10   Roy Milton: 12. Failing by Degrees - 3:12   13. New Orleans Woman - 2:28   Jimmy Witherspoon: 14. I'm Goin' Around in Circles - 3:09   15. Just a Country Boy - 3:03   16. There Ain't Nothin' Better - 2:58   17. Love and Friendship - 3:10   18. Once There Lived a Fool - 2:42   19. I'm Just Wonderin', Pt. 1 - 2:38   20. I'm Just Wonderin', Pt. 2 - 2:27   21. I'm Just a Ladies Man - 2:27   22. You Can't Kiss a Dream Goodnight - 2:24   23. Practice What You Preach - 2:48   Roy Milton: 24. I Gotta Gal Lives Up on the Hill - 2:19   25. Ain't Nobody's Business - 3:55   Jimmy Witherspoon: 26. Real Ugly Woman - 2:49   27. Give My Heart Another Break - 3:03

CD4:
Jimmy Witherspoon: 1. Would My Baby Make a Change - 2:37   2. The Wind Is Blowin' - 2:53   3. Love My Baby - 2:42   4. Baby Baby - 2:18   5. Slow Your Speed - 3:00   6. Foolish Prayer - 2:00   7. Lucille - 2:35   8. Blues in Trouble - 2:50   9. Two Little Girls - 2:34   10. One Fine Gal - 2:25   11. Don't Tell Me Now - 3:03   12. Corn Whiskey - 2:14   13. The Day Is Dawning - 3:01   14. Jay's Blues, Pt. 1 - 2:35   15. Jay's Blues, Pt. 2 - 2:44   16. Miss, Miss Mistreater - 2:13   17. Back Home - 2:42   18. The Last Mile - 2:57   19. It - 2:25   20. Back Door Blues - 3:11   21. Fast Woman, Slow Gin - 2:33   22. 24 Sad Hours - 2:40   23. Just for You - 2:25   24. Sad Life - 2:52   25. Move Me Baby - 2:33   26. I'm Not Too Young - 2:15   27. Highway to Happiness - 2:37   28. I Done Told You - 2:38   29. Oh Boy - 2:21

Reviews:

1. AllMusic - Matt Collar
Spanning what is largely considered blues vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon's most fertile and important period between 1945 and 1951, Urban Blues Singing Legend is a superb four-disc box set that features most of the iconic post-war blues artist's best cuts. Witherspoon was a versatile performer who could move deftly from robust jump blues "shouters" to more laid-back and urbanely soulful ballads. Here you get both sides of Witherspoon as he is backed by such equally legendary musicians as tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, pianist Bill Doggett, and others. Included here are such tracks as his 1949 R&B hit with Jay McShann's band "Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2" as well as such live hits as "Big Fine Girl" and "No Rollin' Blues" from the '50s. Featuring an annotated discography and stellar liner notes, Urban Blues Singing Legend is easily the definitive collection of one of the definitive artists of postwar rockin' blues.