Various – Wild & Whammy Guitars – The Blues Fretboard Masters

Wild & Whammy Guitars showcases guitar players with the most extravagant and influential guitar stylings of the 1950s and early 1960s period, dwelling on the skilful plectrum gymnastics of those blues-oriented folk who mastered the use of steel bars and whammies and were a major influence on later guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix.

Our players include the sweet and soulful Wild Jimmy Spruill who cut blues-related sides for Bobby Robinson's Fire, Fury, Vest and Everest labels. During the 1950s the blues world was invaded by the 'Strat Cats' (Fender Stratocasters) and 'Slick Slashers.' Some of the major exponents included Magic Sam (Samuel Maghett) who based his house-rocking style on the work of Homesick James. Ike Turner helped develop the stomping Fender-bending sound of modern day blues & rhythm. Mickey Baker (McHouston) devised his own way around the frets by a process of self-invention which carried the basics of rhythm and blues into the realms of rock and roll. His custom Gibson Les Paul guitar sported three independent volume controls.

Multi-instrumentalist Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown was a pathfinding icon of electric R&B. He was a major influence on Albert Collins and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, among others. Memphis guitar maverick Fenton Robinson, whose influences included T-Bone Walker and Robert Nighthawk, never quite received the recognition he so deserved. Buddy Guy became the go-to first-call sessions player for Leonard & Phil of Chess Records in the late 1950s. Albert Collins was influenced by the work of T-Bone Walker, 'Gatemouth' Brown and others to more exciting thrills of creative inventiveness with his distinctive personal sound.

Other fretboard masters include Jimmy Nolen, William H. 'Lefty' Bates, K.C. ('Mojo') Watson, Cal Green, Hound Dog Taylor, Curley Page (Sly Williams), Big Bo Melvin, Hop Wilson (Poppa Hop) and Eddie Kirkland.

Track Listing
1. HARD GRIND (Part 1) - WILD JIMMY SPRUILL
2. LET YOUR LOVE RUN TO ME - LARRY DALE / W- WILD JIMMY SPRUILL, GUITAR
3. BELIEVE ME DARLING - JUNE BATEMAN / W- WILD JIMMY SPRUILL, GUITAR
4. MIND ON LOVING - LITTLE DANNY / W- WILD JIMMY SPRUILL, GUITAR
5. I FOUND A LOVE - WILSON PICKETT & THE FALCONS / W- ROBERT WARD, GUITAR
6. ALL YOUR LOVE - MAGIC SAM
7. LOVE ME WITH A FEELING - MAGIC SAM
8. MAGIC ROCKER - MAGIC SAM
9. HO HO - IKE TURNER (Icky Renrut) & THE KINGS OF RHYTHM
10. JACK RABBIT - IKE TURNER (Icky Renrut) & THE KINGS OF RHYTHM / W- JIMMY THOMAS, VOCAL
11. PRANCIN' - IKE TURNER & THE KINGS OF RHYTHM
12. PLEASE TELL ME - LARRY DALE / W- MICKEY BAKER, GUITAR
13. COUNTRY BOY - BIG TINY KENNEDY / W- MICKEY BAKER, GUITAR
14. MIDNIGHT HOURS - LARRY DALE, VOCAL / W- MICKEY BAKER, GUITAR
15. DIRTY WORK AT THE CROSSROADS - CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN
16. CRAZY CRAZY LOVING - FENTON ROBINSON
17. FIRST TIME I MET THE BLUES - BUDDY GUY
18. FREEZE - ALBERT COLLINS
19. BLUES IN THE EVENING - MONTE EASTER AND HIS BAND / W- JIMMY NOLEN, GUITAR
20. ROCK ALLEY - LEFTY (Guitar) BATES & HIS ORCHESTRA
21. ALL ALONE - MOJO WATSON
22. THE SEARCH IS ALL OVER - CAL GREEN
23. TAKE FIVE - HOUND DOG TAYLOR
24. STAY WITH ME BABY - BIG BOB KORNEGAY
25. BOOT HILL - SLY WILLIAMS
26. ROCKIN' HAWK - NIGHT HAWKS W- BIG BO MELVIN
27. I MUST HAVE DONE SOMEBODY WRONG - EDDIE KIRKLAND
28. MY WOMAN HAS A BLACK CAT BONE - HOP WILSON ("Poppa Hop") & HIS ORCHESTRA
29. THE BIG PUSH - CAL GREEN & HIS ORCHESTRA