Tampa Red Guitar Wizard: The Tampa Red Collection 1929-53 CD

Hudson Whittaker, better known as Tampa Red, was a hugely prolific and influential blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, an innovative slide guitarist and the first black musician to play a National steel-bodied guitar. Moving from Florida to Chicago in the 1920s, he started recording in 1928 with Thomas Dorsey, playing in a hokum style as well as blues, over the years incorporating a pop-oriented style with The Chicago Five. Playing electric guitar from the 1940s working with Big Maceo Merriweather, he influenced musicians like Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters and Elmore James, as his Chicago home became a centre for the blues community. This great-value 121-track 5-CD set comprises selected recordings from the 300 and more titles he released during this era on the Vocalion, Bluebird & RCA-Victor labels, as Tampa Red, Tampa Red & Georgia Tom, Tampa Red's Hokum Jug Band and Tampa Red And The Chicago Five, referred to on many of his record labels as "The Guitar Wizard". It features his R&B Top 10 hits "It Hurts Me Too/When Things Go Wrong With You", "Pretty Baby Blues", "Let Me Play With Your Poodle", and "Detroit Blues", and many well-known songs that were precursors of rock 'n' roll. It features performances with Black Bob, Sonny Boy Williamson, Joe Williams, Big Maceo Merriweather, Blind John Davis, Ransom Knowling, Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson II and others. It's a substantial overview of a key quarter-century of his career, and an entertaining showcase for one of the most significant personalities in the genre.

1. Selling That Stuff 2. It's Tight Like That 3. Train Time Blues 4. Good Gordon Gin 5. How Long, How Long Blues 6. Uncle Bud 7. Mess Katie Mess 8. Voice Of The Blues 9. What You Gonna Do 10. Strange Woman Blues 11. I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone 12. You Better Tighten Up On It 13. Mama Don't Allow No Easy Riders Here 14. Corinne Corinna 15. That Stuff You Sell 16. Worried Man Blues 17. But They Got It Fixed Right On 18. You Rascal You No. 1 19. She Can Love So Good 20. Bumble Bee Blues 21. Black Hearted Blues 22. Things 'Bout Coming My Way 23. Georgia Hound Blues 24. Down In The Spirit Blues 25. Please Mister Blues 26. Don't Leave Me Here 27. No Matter How She Done It 28. You Can't Get That Stuff No More 29. Sugar Mama Blues #1 30. Black Angel 31. You've Got To Do Better 32. I'll Kill Your Soul (And Dare Your Spirit To Move) 33. Mean Mistreater Blues 34. Somebody's Been Using That Thing 35. You Don't Want Me Blues 36. I Still Got California On My Mind 37. Witching Hour Blues 38. I'll Get A Break Someday 39. Happy Jack 40. Singing And Crying Blues 41. If It Ain't That Gal Of Mine 42. (Play Your Hand) Keep On Dealing 43. Dark And Stormy Night 44. Waiting Blues 45. Let's Get Drunk And Truck 46. I Wonder What's The Matter 47. All Night Long 48. That's The Way I Do 49. You Stole My Heart 50. Your One And Only 51. If It Wasn't For You 52. Cheatin' On Me 53. I See You Can't Take It 54. It's Hard To Believe It's True 55. Harlem Swing 56. I'm Gonna Get High 57. Wrong Idea 58. Seminole Blues 59. Delta Woman Blues 60. That May Get It Now 61. We Gonna Get High Together 62. A Lie In My Heart 63. That Don't Matter Now 64. Why Should I Care 65. Sweetest Gal In Town 66. When I Had A Good Woman (You Keep On Doggin' Me) 67. Crazy With The Blues 68. My Baby Said Yes 69. Checking Up On You 70. Mr Rhythm Man 71. Forgive Me, Please 72. She's Got The Best In Town 73. You Say It's Love 74. Poor Old Gal Blues 75. Nobody Knows How Bad I Feel 76. Booze Head Woman 77. Sweet Mellow Woman Blues 78. Ready For Rhythm 79. I Got A Big Surprise For You 80. I'm Betting On You 81. Nobody's Sweetheart Now 82. You Say We're Through 83. What Am I Going To Do 84. It Hurts Me Too 85. Don't You Lie To Me 86. She Loves Just Right 87. Forget About Me 88. No Baby No 89. It's A Lowdown Shame 90. So Far So Good 91. Don't Jive It Mama 92. Let Me Play With Your Poodle 93. You Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone 94. The Woman I Love 95. Detroit Blues 96. Better Let My Gal Alone 97. Crying Won't Help You 98. I'll Be Up Again Some Day 99. Please Be Careful 100. Corrine Blues 101. Let's Try It Again 102. You Better Woo Your Baby 103. I Know My Baby Loves Me 104. Poor Stranger Blues 105. When Things Go Wrong With You 106. It's A Brand New Boogie 107. I'll Find My Way 108. It's Too Late Now 109. 1950 Blues 110. It's Good Like That 111. Sweet Little Angel 112. Midnight Boogie 113. Early In The Morning ('Bout The Break Of Day) 114. Pretty Baby Blues 115. Boogie Woogie Woman 116. She's A Cool Operator 117. Look-A There, Look-A There 118. All Mixed Up Over You 119. I'll Never Let You Go 120. So Crazy About You Baby 121. If She Don't Come Back